The (Almost) Graduate

The (Almost) Graduate is the 17th episode of the series and the first season. It aired on April 17, 2005 in Canada on Teletoon and on February 26, 2009 in the United States on Cartoon Network.

Serena still isn't taking her relationship with Wyatt seriously, so Wyatt sets out to prove to her that he's mature enough for her to date. Meanwhile, Jonesy gets selected to become a Greeter God at Albatross & Finch, but Caitlin has her application rejected.

Main Plot
Wyatt is hanging out in Spin This with Jude when Jude points out that Wyatt always does stupid stuff around Serena. When Jude brings this up, Wyatt confesses that he's worried about his relationship with Serena, since they've gone out on a few dates but the age difference may be getting between them. When Jonesy forces Wyatt to confront Serena and pop the boyfriend question, Serena confirms that this is the case, as she doesn't want to date another high school boy, as she feels she's too mature. After she walks away, Jude and Jonesy move in to comfort Wyatt until Jonesy gets an idea and heads over to hit on Serena. While Jonesy is unable to convince Serena to go out with him, Jonesy does convince Serena to give Wyatt a chance, and she agrees to meet Wyatt after their shifts end for a date.

To ensure the date is a success, Wyatt asks his friends for help, and Nikki suggests that he talk to Caitlin to get her help. Caitlin is initially unwilling to help due to being depressed about being rejected by Albatross & Finch, but eventually comes around and sets out to make Wyatt seem more mature. To do this, she and Wyatt go out and study the habits of a grown-up couple so that Wyatt can copy these habits on his date. Their spying is fruitful, and Wyatt ends up with a plan of action while Caitlin gets her mind taken off of her rejection–until an inopportune comment from Jude reminds her what happened.

Wyatt heads out for his date with Serena, and almost immediately things go wrong for him at El Sporto's. Wyatt is all too happy to be silent due to one of the lessons he took from the mature couple, despite this worrying Serena. To make matters worse, when he tries to look mature by ordering a salad and a margarita, their waitress asks for ID and calls him a fancy boy–a nickname well earned when Serena orders a hot dog and french fries.

Later, they head out for a movie at the Gigantoplex. The movie that they end up is an immature comedy, so Wyatt calls Jonesy, who feeds him a line. However, when Wyatt gives the line to Serena, she just laughs at him. After the movie, though, she asks him what's going on and Wyatt admits that he's worried that she'll break up with him. Serena admits to him that she's having fun, and the two proceed to go out and have an amazing date that involves riding the Vomit Comet eleven times and engaging in activities that, while immature, are fun.

Sub-Plot: Working at A&F
Caitlin is at the Big Squeeze, where she has just received some good news, and when Jonesy walks up she shares her news with him: Albatross & Finch is hiring new Greeter Gods and Goddesses, and she plans to audition. Jonesy is initially disinterested, but when he remembers that he still has to get a job, he comes along and joins the long line of hopefuls looking to become Greeter Gods. Jonesy is shocked by how obsessed everyone in line is with Albatross & Finch, but he is the odd one out in this case, as everyone there wants to work at the clothing store and finds Jonesy's antipathy unfathomable.

When audition time comes, however, Jonesy manages to ace his audition for Albatross & Finch simply by not caring. This is because his apathy comes off as cool to the people doing the hiring; while Jonesy doesn't understand their reasoning, he accepts the job. Caitlin is disappointed at not being allowed to work there, but Jonesy soon finds that the job isn't very good anyway, as he isn't allowed to help customers and everyone around him acts aloof. This last point is the one that sticks in his throat, as not only are the employees unwilling to help customers, they actively disparage Caitlin when she tries to purchase the uniform the Greeter Goddesses wear. When Jonesy sees this, he begins acting like the models in the Albatross & Finch catalogs and moons the entire store. This leads to him getting fired, but Jonesy doesn't mind as it means he gets to tell off Albatross & Finch for its lack of class and disrespect of Caitlin.

Quotes
Jude: (quickly stuffing the taco in his mouth) What taco? Caitlin: Yeah, that's the idea. They're vintage wash. Wyatt: Wait, who's more mature than me? Jen: Well Nikki, except for today. Nikki: Thank you. Jen: And me. Wyatt: You are not more mature! Jen: Am so! Wyatt: Are not! Jen: Am so! Nikki, tell him I'm more mature! Nikki: (sarcastically) Gee, you both make such convincing arguments. Jonesy: (confused) How will they find what they're looking for? Greeter God: That's not our problem. Jonesy: This place is so stupid! (A cute girl walks by.) Then again... Jonesy: Just acting like the guys in your catalog, bro, trying to support the team. (He unzips and drops his shorts.) Greeter God: Dude, you are so fired. Jonesy: And you are way too lame for us to hang out with. Caitlin: (celebrating) Yeah! Eee! Jonesy: C'mon Caitlin, let's blow this chicken coop. Caitlin: (as they walk out of the store) You can put your cargos back on now. Wyatt: It was such a blast! I felt like a little kid again! Serena: Again, huh? Nice try, junior! Wyatt: Hey! You're only one year older! Serena: A year and a half! (She engages in horseplay with Wyatt.) Wyatt: Missed me! (Both laugh as Wyatt runs off.) Serena: Yeah, you better run! (She chases after Wyatt.) Jude: (sarcastically) Real mature, dude.
 * Serena: No tacos allowed in the store, Jude.
 * Jude: Look away, dude. Just look away.
 * Jonesy: (looking at a jacket) These clothes look like somebody already wore them.
 * Jen: Of the six of us, you're, like, the third most mature.
 * Greeter God: Hey, new guy, it's our policy to ignore customers outright.
 * Nikki: Caitlin, please come out. People are starting to stare. (to the starers) Oh what, and you've never talked to big giant fruit before?
 * Greeter God: What are you doing?
 * Serena: We just rode the Vomit Comet eleven times!

Trivia
Reason for firing: In Jonesy's first job, he didn't know there was a "T" in the word "Christmas". For the latter job, Jonesy wasn't going to stand for the Greeter Gods and Goddesses picking on Caitlin, so he intentionally got himself fired from his position after his coworkers push Caitlin over the edge.
 * Jonesy's jobs: Engrave This worker, later a Greeter God at Albatross & Finch.

Episode connections

 * This is one of the episodes where Jonesy intentionally gets himself fired from his job to save Caitlin. The first instance was in the episode "A Lime to Party."