Tag: theatre

SpongeBob SquarePants (Seasons 12-13) Retrospective: The “Other” Bad Era

Adam1 Comment

Well, I guess good things can’t last forever……again. If my reviews on Sponge on the Run and the Sandy Cheeks movie is any indication, you could probably guess that I don’t have very positive thoughts about the current era of SpongeBob SquarePants we are currently in. Or at least with Seasons 12 and 13. While Season 14 and onwards remains to be seen (with that being the final piece of this retrospective/perspective), it feels like we are in the era where it seems like the young sponge we all know and love has officially flamed out.

There are of course many reasons as to why SpongeBob SquarePants has fell into the same trappings he did between Seasons 6 and 8. From Nickelodeon once again milking as much SpongeBob content and merchandise as possible in order to keep itself afloat to unfortunate passing of Stephen Hillenburg to the show just more than wearing out it’s welcome, SpongeBob has officially entered another bad era. The only slight glimmer hidden within these two seasons is a handful of standout episodes that was likely still in production before we all lost Stephen.

What’s most interesting is how this “other bad” era of SpongeBob is ENTIRELY different reasons than the original “bad” era. Seasons 6 through 8 suffered mostly from ill-conceived writing, the characters being unrecognizable from their original self, and way too much gross out humor that is disgusting to watch and cringe inducing to see characters suffered through it. When it comes to Seasons 12, 13, and (perhaps) 14, the main issues in lies in the fact that it’s just…..complete and utter nonsense.

There is little to no coherent storylines, random gags constantly happen out of nowhere just because, there is so much “fan service” and easter eggs that just exists for fans to point their fingers at the screen Leonardo DiCaprio style, and the animation has gotten so ham-fisted and over-the-top you could swear half of the crew was on cocaine while animating it. It may not fall under the mean-spirited tone and unpleasant characterization that the middle seasons did but it still can’t shake the feeling that everyone has run out of ideas for the show and are now just throwing whatever at the walls to see what sticks. Even in the worst episodes of the original “bad” era, you could at least understand the well intended point the writers were trying to make here. Here, I could barely tell you what exactly they were trying to get across with the majority of the episodes.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into these two seasons!

Season 12

I will say, between the two seasons, Season 12 is definitely the better one in quality. After all, this was the last season which Hillenburg was involved in before his unfortunate passing. And there are sprinkles of his influence throughout the season. This includes episodes such as Plankton’s Intern, Dream Hopers, The Krusty Bucket, and The Ghost of Plankton. Of course, there is also the very special episode, designed to celebrate over 20 years of SpongeBob SquarePants, known as SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout, that basically acted as an anti-thesis of the controversial 10th anniversary episode known as Truth or Square. These were all episodes that were able to follow the strengths of the previous three seasons without going too far in the other unintended direction to make for a nice transaction phase after the middle seasons. Unfortunately, the rest of the season in not able to keep up that consistent level of quality.

Episodes such as Jolly Lodgers, Boss For a Day, The Nitwitting, Hiccup Plague, Who R Zoo, and Sandy’s Nutty Neices were all factors into the decline of this modern era of SpongeBob we are living in. It’s takes an idea that might make for a decent short at BEST and then stretches it out for as long as it can with uncanny animation, repetitive gags, and chunks of filler just to justify the episode being at least 11 minutes long. The plot barely has any coherent follow through, you get so much returning characters from the original three seasons that they don’t know what to do with, and it just seems to lack the heart and passion that the best SpongeBob episodes and seasons have.

And there was even an episode called Kwarantined Krab, which (NO JOKE) revolved around a pandemic that hit Bikini Bottom. It was originally meant to air in 2020 but due to the real life Covid-19 pandemic, it was pushed by Nickelodeon to 2022, right around the time where everything was starting to get under control. The episode would not be included as part of the Season 12 DVD box set and was taken down temporarily on Paramount Plus. I couldn’t find out if this episode was made before COVID hit or during it but that was just…..unfortunate timing.

And that is one thing that can basically be said about Season 12 as a whole, unfortunate timing. From coming off the highs of Season 11 to Hillenburg’s passing, it could not have come out at a worse time and the quality of it certainly didn’t help in aiding it. Even so, this season isn’t so bad compared to Season 13!

Season 13

It’s hard to say for certain if this is the worst season of SpongeBob SquarePants or the one that did the most damage to the franchise but no doubt, but this was no doubt the one that showed just how much this series is running on fumes. Not only did it suffer easily the worst tv ratings of any season (barely able to reach 500K an episode), but this is the season that suffered from having the lowest amount of creativity thus far.

To be honest, I could just copy and paste almost everything I said about Season 12 and that’s what you get here, except there is much more bad here. It’s all just so random, so all over the place, and just not SpongeBob. This season doesn’t so much feel like it was written and animated by an A.I. but more of a simulated conveyor belt. At best, this season is full of episodes you can watch with a headset while playing a game and makes for decent background noise. At worst, it’s just completely generic and utter nonsense.

One episode in particular that is the perfect example of the modern era of SpongeBob in a nutshell is FUN-Believable. It’s an episode that has no plot, clumsy animation, overlong and unfunny gags, returning fan favorite characters from the original three seasons that it has no idea what to do with, and just dials into complete nautical nonsense (no pun intended). The worst part of it all is that I couldn’t tell you what the title, FUN-Believable, is suppose to represent in this episode. Nothing that occurs in this episode felt fun or believable to me and not even the characters in the episode. If I can’t tell you what it means, then there’s a good chance that the creators of that episode couldn’t either.

I would say more but that’s the best description I got for Season 13. It’s basically Season 12 but on steroids, with much more of the bad and much less of the good. Are there a handful of gem episodes scattered throughout? Sure! Is it anywhere near enough to save this season and other “bad” era of SpongeBob? Absolutely not!

In Conclusion

While Seasons 12 and 13 of SpongeBob SquarePants are far from the worst things that I’ve ever seen, it really does represents the show on it’s very last legs. The clever ideas that the show has had for years in regards to it’s humor, characters, world building, and meaningful messages are barely to be seen here. It’s now nothing about utter nonsense, unearned fan service, and tons of filler that’s good enough to justify an episode being 11 minutes long. While it does seem like the current writers understand why fans didn’t like the middle seasons of the show, what they DON’T understand is why fans liked the original seasons and the era in between Hello Bikini Bottom and SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout. Aside from a handful of enjoyable episodes and a solid anniversary special that could be seen as the true epilogue of the series outside of the first movie, it’s sad to confirm that SpongeBob has entered another bad era.

Unfortunately, unlike the last bad era he was in, Nick can’t rely on Stephen Hillenburg to help get them out of their slump again. It’s only a handful of creators that were there from the beginning such as Tim Hill, Derek Drymon, Mr. Lawrence, and Aaron Springer that can do everything in their power to return this series to a new good era. While Hill failed miserably with Sponge on the Run, Drymon, Lawrence, and Springer are currently working on new SpongeBob movies such as Plankton and Search for SquarePants to hopefully provide some sort of spark left to this franchise.

Despite the recent decline in quality and television ratings, it doesn’t seem like Nickelodeon plans on ending the show anytime soon. The merchandise is still going strong, the spin-off series in Kamp Koral and The Patrick Star Show have expanded the brand even further, and this is basically all that Nickelodeon has left to thrive on or else they will basically be dead. No amount of Paw Patrol, Fairly OddParents reboots, or constant tv re-runs of the Sonic movies will be able to save them this time! Unless the folks that work on SpongeBob now are able to find some sort of creative spark in spite of Nickelodeon’s constant micromanagement, it’s hard to imagine another successful era on par with the original three seasons and Seasons 9-11.

However, there is at least one episode from this era that I genuinely believe could have worked as both a proper ending and even epilogue to SpongeBob SquarePants as a whole. That one episode of course is SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout! And I will talk all about why next month!

Next Month: Why SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout Should Have Been The Ending of SpongeBob SquarePants

Also, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

SpongeBob SquarePants (Seasons 9-11) Retrospective: The “Revival” Era

Adam1 Comment

Right around the time these three seasons came out, there was a whole generation of the SpongeBob fandom that had basically given up on this show. Whether it’s because of the inconsistent to poor quality of the later seasons or that they just got too old for the show, there was a significant group that had basically stopped watching SpongeBob SquarePants entirely. This was around this time where the show had to basically go through an awkward transaction phase from one era to the next if it were to continue for the foreseeable future. Now that the kids of the 1990s and 2000s had grown up and moved on, Nickelodeon had to find a way to appeal to the kids of the 2010s. And I guess Nickeldeon thought that the best way to get these kids to care about SpongeBob is by going back to what made the original seasons so good while also adding a new identity with itself to make this era feel incredibly distinctive of itself and compared to the rest of the other seasons.

This include the likes of new and stylish animation, bringing back characters, callbacks, and references to the original three seasons, and the biggest one of all, bringing back the creative folks that helped make SpongeBob SquarePants an icon in the first, most notably the original writers and the show creator himself, Stephen Hillenburg. In a way, Seasons 9-11 felt like a revival series for SpongeBob SquarePants without technically being a revival series. This felt like the show wanting to usher in a new generations of SpongeBob fans while still appealing to the ones that grew up with the show and we’re still watching it to this very day. It might have been a trickly balance act but for the most part, it paid off about as well as it could have.

Seasons 9-11 not only acted as easily the best era of SpongeBob SquarePants since the original, it was genuine proof that the show still had plenty of life left in it, even over 12 years later. It might have had some rough spots here and there and certainly consisted with particular animation styles that would certainly not being everyone’s cup in tea, but for the first time in a long time, it felt like there was genuine love and passion for our favorite yellow sponge. SpongeBob no longer felt like a corporate product for Nickelodeon, he just felt like……SpongeBob.

Season 9

Okay, I’m not gonna lie. I was REALLY questioning whether or not to put this as part of the “other good” era of SpongeBob that we are discussing this month. Mostly because, the first half of the season was not so great. It contained a handful of some of the most infamous episodes through the show’s history such as Squid Baby, Little Yellow Book, and the absolute ABSYMAL “special” that was SpongeBob, You’re Fired!. After Season 8 ended on an incredibly promising note with Hello Bikini Bottom! and It’s A SpongeBob Christmas, it seems like it was back to the “same old, same old” with SpongeBob, barley hanging on life support with Nickelodeon refusing to put their cash cow to sleep. It was definitely not all bad with also a handful of legit good episodes mixed in (My personal favorite being Plankton’s Pet!) but the bad ones were legit awful, being up there among the absolute worst episodes in SpongeBob’s history.

It is worth mentioning that this season alone went on for about FIVE years, starting in July 2012 and not ending until February 2017. I was still in high school by time this season started and by the time it ended, I was in my second year of community college. A large part of that likely had to do with Nickelodeon’s annoying habit of airing the episodes of a show out of it’s original order and airing them literally whenever the heck they wanted to. Another part of that had to do with the fact that in between Seasons 9 and 10, Nickelodeon along with the cast and crew of the show put the majority of the focus on the next SpongeBob movie, Sponge Out of Water. Needless to say, this season was just…..all over the place.

Thankfully, the second half of Season 9 was much more consistent and was the positive shift in quality that many were hoping for after Season 8. Some of the best episodes include Lost in Bikini Bottom, Tutor Sauce, Squid Plus One, Two Thumbs Down, Bulletin Board, Pineapple Invasion, along with plenty of others. It was able to cut down on the flaws that plagued the previous seasons such as the mean spirted tone, the characters one known trait being cranked up to 11, and all of that Squidward Torture Porn. Instead, the episodes felt more heartfelt, genuine, and earnest, while recapturing the style of humor and animation that made the original three seasons stand out as well as it did. Even with the somewhat bumpy first half, the second half was able to be much stronger and consistent, giving the series another lease on life.

While Season 9 turned out to be a pleasant surprise, I’m sure there were plenty of fans if Nick would be able to keep up with that consistent level of quality for Season 10 and onwards. Between this and Sponge Out of Water, there were encouraging signs to SpongeBob but it still felt like it needed that consistent voice that can guide the series forward without these constant sudden dips in quality. So what did Nickelodeon after this season? They bought back a handful of the writers of the first three seasons, including the creator and showrunner of the first three seasons of the show, Stephen Hillenburg. Needless to say, after all of that was confirmed, the vibes could NOT have been more positive for the future for our favorite yellow sponge.

Season 10

To say that Season 10 was a return to form for the series would be an understatement. This is when SpongeBob SquarePants finally just felt 100% right. While that is likely due to Stephen Hillenburg returning to the show with a role greater than a creative consultant that checked into office every now or then, the show has not felt so joyful and genuine since perhaps the first SpongeBob movie.

This is a season that everyone from the cast and crew seemed like they brought things back to basic, almost acting like this is a soft reboot of the franchise. The cast felt looser and more locked in with their performances than ever before, there was a newer and slicker animation style that felt like a progression from the prior seasons, and you can just see the handfuls of story ideas and slapstick comedy just bursting on the screen at every given moment.

Season 10 was also the season had put more focus on the overall continuity of the show. There were plenty of one-off supporting characters and jokes that are given more time to shine throughout the season, most notably with the likes of Bubble Bass, Nosferatu, and even the “MY LEGS!” guy. That’s not to say it introduced a bunch of plot threads that would be followed upon later on down the road or introduce new story elements to the canon but it was just a reminder that the crew that returned to the show did not forget their achievements from back in the day.

One other main element of Season 10 was how this was when the show put quite an emphasis on revisiting ideas from their past but doing new things with it. The most positive example of this is with Mimic Madness. That was an episode that took ideas and cues from the infamous Face Freeze episode but they were able to make it work WONDERFULLY here. That episode in of itself is how this entire season operated in a nutshell. Taking a handful of ideas from the past, throwing in new elements with the newer style of animation, and make into something worthwhile that can stand on it’s own. Mimic Madness alone best represents the style of animation, humor, slapstick, ideas, and creativity that Season 10 would have.

Other standout episodes include Code Yellow, House Warming, The Getaway, Patrick’s Coupon, Burst Your Bubble, and Feral Friends. It was a season that was able to combine ideas old and new and still finding ways to make them fresh, funny, and entertaining. In a way, Season 10 basically played like a special revival series, similar to the likes of X-Men 97 and even a handful of revival movies that Nickelodeon took time our of their day to make with their old classic shows. It was able to act as a modern update of the show while still be able to capture that joyful and silly wonder that SpongeBob SquarePants had during the show’s original prime.

That’s not to say the season was perfect by any means. As I mentioned, there were plenty of episodes that reused ideas from the past and, even if many of them executed better than it did in the past, it does become noticeable the more episodes you watch during this season. This was also the beginning of introducing the new crazy, wacky, and just plain “out there” animation that the show basically used as a staple from here on out. While it does help to give this era it’s own unique personality and charm, there are times where the animation can become WAY too “in your face”. So much so that I honestly wouldn’t blame anyone that couldn’t get into these newer episodes because of it.

What’s most shocking about Season 10 was that this was the shortest season of the show by quite a bit. It only consisted of 11 episodes total with just 22 episodes, with no half hour long episodes or holiday episodes to go along with it. While that is likely due to the focus that Nick had on Sponge Out of Water at the time, it does make Season 10 feel a bit like a protype for Season 11 and onwards. And this was even before the trend where each new show would only consisted of six to ten episodes top per season.

Even so, while brief, Season 10 brought some much needed energy and spark to a long-running show that was starting to lose it’s steam big time. While plenty would still argue that SpongeBob didn’t need to keep going for this long, if the show HAD to keep going, at least it seemed like the cast and crew were putting the same love and effort that they have done with the past. And it’s that same kind of love and effort that was able to carry itself into Season 11.

Season 11

While I’m not sure I would say Season 11 is objectively the best season of the show, it is most certainly the most creative, unique, and inventive season of the entire show. I stand by that statement completely! I can’t recall a season of SpongeBob SquarePants that felt like it was trying to get every single creative inch that it could scratch and give the show it’s own unique voice to it. The animation is at it’s peak, the story found a perfect blend of comedy and stakes while being told in a functional structure, each characters no matter how big or small would get a moment and/or episode to themselves, the world building brought a brand new side to the Bikini Bottom we had yet to see, the ideas for each episode have never been explored further, and all the characters just felt totally in form with very little sense of unlikability and mean sprit to them.

Season 11 was non-stop hit after hit, classic episode after classic episode. Just off the top of my head! Spot Returns, Karen’s Virus, Man Ray Returns, The Legend of Boo-kini Bottom, Squid Noir, My Leg, Mustard O’ Mine, No Pictures Please, Bottle Burglars, Plankton Paranoia, Creature Feature, Moving Bubble Bass, and Scavenger Pants. These are all episodes that is not only good enough to fit wonderfully with the first three seasons but it was show that SpongeBob still had plenty of creative bones left in his body, standing firmly on it’s own two feet without feeling the need to change the past. Even the ideas and characters from previous episodes that are brought back here have enough fresh and new elements added to them that it almost feels like you are seeing them for the very first time.

Season 11 is when the show was arguable as it’s most energy-filled and feels so alive. It’s expansion on the worlds, characters, and lore of SpongeBob SquarePants was so fun and refreshing to see. I love the attention to detail, I love seeing the new roles that certain characters was able to play as, I love that it brought it’s own sense of humor and slapstick, I love seeing this universe being expanded upon further than ever before, and I just love the fact that I can say that I adored a new season of SpongeBob without feeling ashamed or having reservations for it. This really felt like this show as back in absolute peak form. Yes, there might have been one or two duds in here, most infamously Pink Lemonade, but those are much easier to ignore or accept because the rest of what Season 11 had to offer was just so good.

The main thing that I got from Season 11 was this was when the cast and crew that returned to the show felt fully at home here. They knew that in order for the show to keep going in a positive way, they would have to remember what worked so well about the original run of the show while also bringing in fresh and new elements of it’s own to make this season and era of SpongeBob stand out more than just trying to recapture that magical lightning in a bottle. While I’m sure everyone has their own thoughts about Season 11 and this era as a whole, I say they succeeded greatly.

If there was any season that showed there was zero contrast between pre-movie SpongeBob and post-movie SpongeBob that would be this. When it comes to quality, there is no pre-movie SpongeBob and post-movie SpongeBob to me. In my eyes, there’s just good SpongeBob and bad SpongeBob. And Season 11 was some darn good SpongeBob. This wasn’t just the best that SpongeBob SquarePants has been in ages. This was SpongeBob SquarePants reaching a new level of peak. That kind of peak that everything afterwards have yet to replicate.

There will undoubtedly some hater that will read this post and think I’m being a weirdo for gushing over a season from the “modern” SpongeBob era but I don’t care. For a SpongeBob season to be as good as it is considering how long the show has gotten is a miracle. Whether it’s because of the old blood that returned to the show or the new blood that came into the show around this time, Season 11 of SpongeBob SquarePants just rocked.

In Conclusion

They say it could never be done but at long last, SpongeBob SquarePants had finally had a consistently good era once again. You can debate on whether or not it compared to the first three seasons of the show but no doubt, Seasons 9-11 were able to stand strong on their own, no matter what you compare it to. There are some flaws to be found such as the constant reusing of old ideas and the new animation style will either really work for you or put you off entirely but it’s so nice to be able to talk about SpongeBob in such a positive light again. This era was so good that I didn’t need to bend over backwards to defend it like I do with Seasons 4-5, it’s just good in it’s own right.

It really just goes to show how anything is possible and you should always learn to never say never. This era of SpongeBob SquarePants should be proof that long-running franchises can reach greatness even after it’s peak. If you have the right cast and crew that are 100% committed to what they do, they can achieve anything. With all the momentum on this show’s side at long last, would they still be able to keep up that quality for the foreseeable future? Well…..just tune in next time.

Next Month: ???

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004) Retrospective

Adam1 Comment

Everybody’s favorite sponge arrived on the big screen for the first time ever on November 19th, 2004. It was directed by the creator of SpongeBob Squarepants himself, Stephen Hillenburg, who crafted the story alongside Derek Drymon, Tim Hill, Kent Osborne, Aaron Springer, and Paul Tibbitt. They decided to structure the story as a mythical hero’s journey that would put SpongeBob and Patrick front and center. The film was originally meant to serve as the series finale, as Hillenberg wanted to end the series on a high note and not have it wear out it’s welcome. However, because the series had become increasingly profitable and still having an insane amount of popularity, Nickelodeon ordered for more episodes after the film’s release and is still ordering them to this very day. As a result, Hillenburg resigned as the showrunner, with Tibbitt taking his place until 2015.

The movie received generally positive reviews from critics and is generally beloved by fans, many of whom found it to be a satisfying conclusion to the original run of SpongeBob Squarepants. It grossed 141 million dollars worldwide, becoming the seventh highest grossing animated film of 2004. There were two follow-ups to this film with Sponge Out of Water releasing in 2015 and Sponge on the Run in 2020 along with a fourth film that is in the works subtitled, Search for Squarepants, that is set for a release on December 19. 2025.

I’m not gonna lie, I can’t recall a film that I have had more nostalgia for in my ENTIRE life than The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie. This was the very first movie I remember ever seeing in a theater. I have watched this so many times as a kid and have nearly every single scene and line of dialogue memorized in my head. To tell you the truth, this might be one of my personal favorite movies. I’m not joking.

There is something about The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie that just feels so right, so earnest, so joyful, and so emotionally satisfying every single time that I watch it. It’s a movie that just works no matter which way you look at it. Not only does it make for a perfectly satisfying epilogue for fans of the series but it even works as a nice hero’s journey with a great, heartful message for kids, telling them that there’s nothing wrong with being who you are and never doubt yourself because of it. If you’re a kid, be a kid. Because at the end of the day, not only are we all a kid inside, we are also a goofy goober!

What makes this movie stand out bigger than not just the other SpongeBob movies but also other SpongeBob medium is the definite sense that this is the endgame. This seems like the one that has the desire to change up the status quo by the end and have all things come full circle for the characters and the franchise. The three main components in particular being about how a second Krusty Krab restaurant now exists, SpongeBob gaining a new promotion as manager, and of course, Plankton is FINALLY able to steal the Krabby Patty formula for once and fulfill his destiny to rule all of Bikini Bottom with everyone as his slaves. These were all major events that had never happened before in prior SpongeBob material and really feels like it could only happen in movie form. Even with the knowledge that this was not the fact where the series ended and is still going all these years later, you can’t help but think of this movie being the true finale to the story and that everything that has come after it is a prequel at best to this.

While the SpongeBob Squarepants series hasn’t necessarily been known for having the strongest storytelling and character development out there, this movie manages to make both measures better than it ever has been before with the series. Sure, the message that the film is trying to get across is an obvious one and there will likely be contrivances and deviance of logic to the plot if you were to dissect the film Cinema Sins-style but that’s all find and dandy because of how well executed SpongeBob and Patrick’s journey is but it’s also has a message that anyone of any age can relate to.

We have always had a moment in our lives where we doubt ourselves. Whether it’s due to our age, race, gender, sexuality, religion, etc., there will also be someone out there that will judge strictly based on simple, trivial merits such as the ones mentioned. Instead of letting others put you down for it, embrace it. Embrace who you are, inspire yourself to be the best version of yourself you can be, and be the first person to prove your doubters wrong. Use it as strength, not as a weakness. It’s only then where you will find yourself to not only be a kid inside as well, but also a goofy goober as well. Just like what SpongeBob and Patrick discover about themselves throughout their adventure.

Not only are SpongeBob and Patrick going on this journey to get King Neptune’s crown back to save the town and Mr. Krabs but also to discover who they truly are. They keep thinking they must be something they are not instead of being that something they really are deep inside. They insist they need to be the manliest of men with facial hair and a load of GRIT to get the job done. But that’s just not who they are. They are just a couple of goofballs who are only going on this adventure because they are the only ones in the sea that can possibly save the day. And you know what, they are all the better for it. It’s only at that moment where they embrace the fact that they are kids that they have 100% confidence in the world to get the job done.

Choosing to go with the mystical hero’s journey was a GENIUS move by the writing crew. They knew that in order for SpongeBob to work as a movie, there would need to be a fully layered plot that had a big increase on stakes, arcs, emotion, and a hard-earned message at it’s core. Is it the most complex story ever told? No! Does the arcs that SpongeBob and Patrick go through are quite predictable? Sure! Is the overall message a bit cheesy? Absolutely! But you know what, for SpongeBob Squarepants, that is literally all you need to make it all work perfectly. Even if that doesn’t make for a perfect film overall, it makes for a perfect SpongeBob film.

To be sure, while there is definitely more effort put into its plot and character development than most Spongebob media, it never forgets the elements that makes the series as great as it is. It’s still an EXTEREMELY funny movie with the same style of humor, gags, and amusing visuals that the series has always been known for. It’s able to expand upon the world of undersea than ever before, it moves at a solid, breakneck pace, the new characters are great and iconic in their own right, the music is still soothing, the voice acting is perhaps at it’s most energetic, and it never once forget the overall charm of what the show has stood for. Hillenburg and friends could not have done a better job for adaptation SpongeBob onto the big screen if they tried.

Were there some missed opportunities here? Perhaps! As much as I love the focus on strictly Spongebob and Patrick, it does feel unfortunate that other characters don’t seem to get much of the spotlight, most notably fan favorites such as Gary, Squidward and Sandy Cheeks. Considering the fact this movie was originally structured as the series finale, it does seem odd that these characters didn’t get a special moment to themselves or be able to share their thoughts one last time about SpongeBob at the very end.

I also find it jarring how the movie seems to forget about Patrick once we get to the climax where SpongeBob goes full DEUS EX GOOFY GOOBER mode! The movie puts so much focus on the starfish, practically making him the co-lead of the picture, and then it like…forgets he exists by the very end. The very last scene we get of Patrick is him with his long sneezy legs getting SpongeBob down from the ceiling.

Do these flaws hinder my enjoyment or has me thinking this isn’t a perfect four out of four star movie for me? Not at all! But I would imagine that there would at least be one hardcore fan that would have wished a bit more love was given to some of the other characters here! I guess they would have to wait for the next movie for them to get their time in the spotlight.

The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie still remains an all-time classic in my eyes. Regardless of whether you view this as an adaption of the show, the epilogue of a beloved franchise, or even just a standard kids film, it all works in every way it possibly can. Even if the clear target audience is for kids, I do think there is something for adults to get something out of this as well. The message of the film is just that resonating. Beautifully animated, perfectly written, immensely funny, and emotional beats that all feel earned (You are a robot sent from Skyler if you didn’t cry at SpongeBob and Patrick’s “death scene”!), I could not ask for a better SpongeBob movie than this.

Even as someone that’s about to turn 27 this year, I can’t help but have a strong attachment to this film as I get older. When rewatching it for this marathon, I was legit worried that I wasn’t going to feel that same fondness when watching this film as a kid, that it was just nostalgia that clouded my judgement and it was time to take the rose-colored glasses off with the acceptance that this movie simply wasn’t as good as I thought it was. However, watching it again, I was wrong to ever doubt it. Because in the end, we are all goofy goobers. No matter what age I am, I will always feel proud to call myself a goofy goober!

Even though this did not end up being the very last of the series like it was originally intended to, this still works perfectly as a definite end to the franchise. Despite the fact that multiple seasons and films involving Spongebob have come along since 2004, it doesn’t change the fact that the timeless nature of it makes this feel like the main stopping point and everything that came after basically just what came before chronologically. It’s the way that Stephen Hillenburg always intended and quite frankly, it works all the better for it.

Tune in next month as to when things start getting “interesting” as we will take a look at what can be considered the “awkward” era of Spongebob Squarepants, with Seasons 4 and 5 respectively!

Other thoughts:

  • I still find it hard to believe that Black Widow herself, Scarlett Johansson, did the voice of Mindy. It’s no wonder Patrick had a big crush on her.

  • It’s sad we never got to see Mindy in a big role throughout the rest of the series.

  • I also remember playing the movie tie-in video game a lot as a kid. Boy, do I have complicated feelings about that game.

  • It’s only until now that I realized that Best Day Ever song was originally a part of this movie’s soundtrack and NOT for the Best Day Ever episode.

  • Now, That We’re Men is gonna be playing in my head rent free for the next month.

  • The guy that played Patchy the Pirate in this movie was great btw.

  • I do wonder who voiced Dennis though. Surely, it’s just some no name actor that disappeared off the face of the earth because he decided acting wasn’t his thing and didn’t do something utterly terrible that destroyed his life. I will still stick by the fact that Dennis is voiced by “He who shall NOT be named!”

  • Lastly, David Hasselhoff, BEST CELEBRITY CAMEO EVER!

Next Month: The “Awkward” Era (Seasons 4 and 5)

Spongebob Squarepants (Seasons 1-3) Retrospective: The Golden Era

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If you were to ask what particular television show had a huge impact on my specific generation, formally known as Generation Z, the answer you will likely get more times than not is Spongebob Squarepants. I would be hard pressed to think of a show that came out in the 2000s that hadn’t been remembered, talked about, beloved, hated, dissected, and especially MEMED to death! While there are plenty of shows now and then that have those kind of impacts, there’s something about Spongebob Squarepants that hits a bit differently.

On the surface, it seems like a very basic premise. What if you followed someone throughout their everyday life where they work, play around, and hang out with their friends and family? The main core difference here is that instead of it being in the human world or another planet, it takes place strictly underwater. That right there leaves plenty of room for a show to have plenty of creative world building, neat visuals, and a tons of creative and funny jokes! And for the universal praise that this show has gotten since it started back in 1999 is anything to go by, I would say that Spongebob Squarepants was able to utilize that familiar but different premise to it’s absolute fullest potential.

However, there is one specific era that is referred to as the absolute golden era for Spongebob Squarepants. That era is of course the first three seasons of the show, which basically acted as the original run for this series. This was when the creator of the show Stephen Hillenberg (May he rest in peace!) had complete control along with creative director, Derek Drymon, that acted as the main showrunner of this show and would later go on to be a part of the writing team of the first two films along with being the head director of the upcoming fourth film, Search for Squarepants. Needless to say, these two teaming up along with a handful of credited writers were able to make something truly special for this show’s original run.

Everyone has their own different opinions of Spongebob Squarepants post-original era but no doubt, you will never hear anyone say a bad word about this show in regards to it’s first three seasons. Even to this day, you plenty of folks that remember, quote, and meme episodes of these three seasons to death, which goes to show the everlasting impact this show has gotten over the past 25 years. Because of all of that and more, what better way to kick off this marathon than discussing what is considered by many to be the “golden era” of Spongebob Squarepants, the first three seasons.

Season 1

Now, I will admit, I do find Season 1 to be the weakest of these first three seasons. It’s the one which the animation has shown it’s age, the pacing feels the slowest, it’s much more “quiet” in terms of it’s sound, and this is also when the voice actors were going through their “growing pains” to get comfortable in their roles that they would end up be voicing for over the next two decades. That being said, this still does make for about as good of a first season for the show as you could imagine.

This is when we get introduced to the characters we would all come to love. You have the main character of Spongebob Squarepants, his best friend Patrick Star, his next door neighbor Squidward Tenacles, his other friend he meets Sandy Cheeks, his boss Mr. Krabs, his pet snail Gary, his boat teacher Mrs. Puffs, his boss’s arch nemesis Plankton along with plenty of others. Regardless of how big or small of a role they would end up playing in any individual episodes, there’s is always a certain trait or even a line that one of them says that makes them stand out on their own and become a fan favorite of some sort.

You have Spongebob always aims to be positive and upbeat, Patrick is lovably dumb, Squidward is depressed and moopy in a way that’s funny but also immensely relatable, Sandy is super smart and an absolute butt kicker, Mr. Krabs is always money hungry, Mrs. Puffs is a stress-filled teacher, Plankton is the arch rival that always finds himself on the losing end. Whether it’s their specific personality or they are so funny or they are just feel relatable, the characters of Spongebob are full of charm and memorability that it’s part to pick which one is your absolute favorite because they all have their great traits to them. Even Patchy the Pirate, a pirate who happens to be Spongebob’s #1 fan and Tom Kenny, the voice of Spongebob himself, and his pet parrot Potty, get plenty of laughs in the earlier season in their live-action bits, despite these almost ALWAYS falling flat with animated shows.

When it comes to the world building, they do enough to where it feels much more different than what it would feel like in the real world with humans or even on another planet with aliens. While it certainly doesn’t make 100% logical sense and certainly doesn’t go too deep into the “rules” of how this world operates, this is always a fun and interesting universe to spend time in and is always interesting to put your shoes with these characters and see how you yourself would act if you got to live at the bottom of the ocean.

The plots of the episodes themselves tend to be light hearted and very simple while relying mostly on it’s humor and visuals to tell it but that’s okay since the show is based around those exact elements and is able to deliver on those fronts when it counts the most. Even every now and then, there will comes an episode that has a strong moral to it that anyone of any age can get something out of it. Take the end of the episode, Ripped Pants, where Spongebob performs a song which reflects the general message of that episode. That message being learn to be yourself in front of ones you care about and not be someone you are not. Otherwise, you’ll end up like the sponge who ripped his pants in this episode. It’s nice, direct messages like that which is always springled throughout this series that helps make these stories stand out well, even if it’s not the most complex writing ever.

That of course, should also talk about the sound and audio of the series which helps gives the show it’s own unique personality. While it’s not quite as strong here as it is with the other two seasons as it does feel more one-note in comparison, it’s the kind of music that’s always catchy, relaxing, lives rent free in your mind, and always feels appropriate for the Spongebob show and character. It’s the kind of music that whenever you listen to a piece from it, you almost ALWAYS know it’s from Spongebob Squarepants.

Even if I do think this is the weakest of the first three seasons since it at times gives off the impression of everybody involved in the cast and crew getting their foot in the door, it still contains that sort of heart and charm that makes the best episodes of this show stand out completely well on their own. There’s plenty of well-loved episodes here such as Bubblestand, Ripped Pants, Pizza Delivery, Opposite Day, Fools in April, and the Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy episodes. If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be either Ripped Pants and Pizza Delivery. Ripped Pants has the most wholesome message of any episode in this season and Pizza Delivery is Spongebob at his absolute wackiest and funniest. Regardless of this being my least favorite of the first three, it was more than good enough for Nickelodeon to greenlight a second season.

Season 2

Now, here’s a season that’s better than the first one in just about any way and may possible even be the very best season in the entire show. This was when you can tell that everyone on board this show were sitting fully comfortable in their square pants and came into work everyday just knowing what roles they are set to play. The animation is much better, the characters are more organic, fleshed out, and move more fluidly, the humor is even more hilarious, the pacing is more breakneck, and the overall world that is the Bikini Bottom feels more like it’s own character than ever before.

This is where most of the absolute fan favorite episodes came to be! You got classics such as Graveyard Shift, Squidville, Christmas Who?, Shanghaied, The Fry Cook Games, and Sailor Mouth. And of course, who can’t forget what is considered by many to be the very best episode on the show, Band Geeks! Like, if you tell me you never laughed at any of the jokes or quoted any one of the lines in this episode, you are a LIAR! And you are ESPECIALLY a liar that you don’t remember this episode for the iconic song, Sweet Victory, that plays at the very end of the episode! That episode along with plenty others in Season 2 is a perfect representation of this show at it’s absolute best.

Just like the first season, you also got a handful of episodes that have a solid moral at it’s core, teaching kids everyday lessons that they ought to learn. The biggest example being Procrastination, the episode where Spongebob is trying to do EVERYTHING but complete his essay. It’s a great examination on the dangers of procrastination, how simple distractions and laziness can prevent you from getting your homework done if you allow it to. Sure, it ends with the assignment being pointless because Mrs. Puffs cancelled it but that still doesn’t change the fact that you need to get work done when you can and never try to push it aside whenever you can. Of course, not all episodes are like that with plenty of humor and lighthearted writing to carry it but it’s another indication that this is not a simply “mindless” show that nowadays relies on memes to carry it. The majority of these episodes are classics for a reason and there’s a reason why they still resonate in the mind of so many who grew up with Spongebob.

Regardless of what Spongebob character is your favorite and what kind of Spongebob material is your favorite, Season 2 should MORE than satisfy you on every level. Each main Spongebob characters get their own episodes and moments to shine, the art design and animation is much improved and possibly better than ever, the humor is at it’s funniest, and it’s able to move at it’s own steady pace without every wearing out it’s welcome. Whether you are a kid whose looking for an entertaining cartoon or a parent/guardian/older sibling who is “forced” to watch it with their kids, there is plenty for anyone to enjoy about the second season of Spongebob Squarepants. This is when the training wheels were completely off and everyone on the cast and crew were ready to ride their bikes full throttle. And man, did they prove that whatsoever with Season 2!

Season 3

Season 3 was no doubt able to end the last of the original run of Spongebob Squarepants on a high note. It’s able to keep that consistent and quality level of humor, charm, and morals throughout with it’s characters still being endearing and Bikini Bottom still being a fascinating place to visit. If there is one thing holding it back compared to Season 2 had to do with the amount of interference that Nickelodeon had on the show and the bizarre airings of it.

To start off with the second point, many of the episodes of Season 3 were aired out of order from their original release slate. As a matter of fact, they started airing episodes of this season even before airing all episodes of Season 2. Nickelodeon has always had that weird habit of releasing episodes whenever the heck they want (Just ask Jimmy Neutron and Danny Phantom!) and that certainly applies here. It’s just stupid and Nickelodeon is stupid for that.

And speaking of stupid things, there was also some bizarre censoring of certain episodes from Season 3 that was done by the network’s part. There was the infamous bit in Mid-Life Crustacean where Spongebob, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs are going through a women’s underwear drawer, which so happened to belong to Mr. Krabs’ mother. That episode was removed from rotation in 2018 until it was added back in on Paramount Plus due to a glitch until it was removed again. There was also a bit in Just One Bite where Squidward is trying to get into the Krusty Krab to snatch more Krabby Patties from himself but gets caught in a gas explosion trap twice and blows up both times. That bit was removed due to it feeling too reminiscent of 9/11…..for some reason. I don’t know any sane individual that thought of the World Trade Center blowing up during that scene but it was a thing. It’s nothing that bugged me too much but it certainly were things that fell off-putting now in retrospect.

There’s also the fact that this season doesn’t really have a definite final episode. Granted, that’s because the true original finale of the series was suppose to be with The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (which we will discuss next month) but having no real finale for the televisions series feels rather bizarre. If the movie weren’t a thing, the very last thing we would ever see of the show is Spongebob and Patrick being exposed butt naked in front of everyone at the Krusty Krab. Not to mention, how the last two episode segments made it’s way to VHS and DVD first before television. I know that because I saw those two episodes first on DVD at my cousin’s house before then. Keep in mind, none of these problems I mentioned are deal breakers or ruin my enjoyment of the show but those are things that just stick out for me if I had to nitpick.

Even taking those things out of the way, Season 3 is still very good overall. It too contains some of my absolute favorite episodes from the series such as Nasty Patty, Krab Borg, Chocolate With Nuts, The Camping Episode, and The Krusty Krab Training Video. This is also strangely the season where I happened to see the most memes off the show out of them all for some bizarre reason. I can only tell you how many times I’ve seen the meme from sports fans whenever a team chokes than the one where the health inspector is choking on a fly while Spongebob and Mr. Krabs are laughing their balls off.

While I do think Season 2 is a snatch better, I do think this is definitely the best of the first three seasons in terms of animation, character designs, art style, and especially voice work. I don’t think there was more range in any scene of this show from Tom Kenny when Spongebob is going on his rant to Mr. Krabs about how much Squidward is driving him crazy in Can You Spare a Dime? If that’s not proof about how talented that man is at voice acting, then I don’t know what is. Everything that worked about the prior seasons works just as well here, even if the interference from Nick itself and a underwhelming special or two (Ugh! is just…..nothing!) did start to show the cracks on the armor with this once untouchable series.

Even so, had the show ended with Season 3 the way it was originally visioned too by Stephen Hillenburg himself, it would have been a good note to go out on. Of course, due to their being a Spongebob movie on the rise along with Nick not ready to put away the Spongebob toys yet due to the character’s insane popularity, the show did continue with Season 4 and onwards. Despite all of that, Season 3 was basically the end of the original run of the show and it certainly ended that run with good graces.

In Conclusion

It’s hard to say things about the first three seasons of Spongebob Squarepants that hasn’t been said already by everyone else on the planet. It’s the perfect example of capturing lightning in a bottle. It does everything that it’s suppose to do right. The characters are lovable and memorable, the world building is unique and inventive, the jokes comes thick and fast with very little that miss, the music is classic and pleasant on the ears, and there are enough morals to enough episodes that helps make it just more than mindless children entertainment.

When going back to these seasons many years later, it’s easy to understand why this series has had the lasting appeal that is has had. When it comes to animation that is great for kids and families that works as a simple comfort show or one to watch for the wacky visuals and humor, there’s not very many out there that can top Spongebob Squarepants. Even if not every single episode is a perfect 10/10 and the “special” episodes don’t necessarily feel “special” but more like two 11-minute long episodes crammed into one 22-minute long episode, there’s not a single moment throughout these first three seasons that feels wrong for the universe this show takes place in and the tone that it’s going for with each episode.

Although the first three seasons are considered the original run of the show, there is at least one other thing that came out shortly after the third season ended. One thing that basically acted as an epilogue for this run of Spongebob Squarepants and even at one point was considering the true ending of the show. That, of course, is The Spongebob Squarepants Movie. The next thing we will be talking about next month for this yearly-long Spongebob marathon.