Pre-Movie SpongeBob Review: Something Different - A Ranked List (Part One)
People have reviewed the first three seasons to death, so instead of reviewing by episode order, I will be ranking the episodes from worst to best. There aren't that many duds during this era, but you'll be surprised to know which episodes I like the least. After I'm done ranking, I will put my own words on the seasons themselves. Without any further ado, let's start the ranking:
117. Party Pooper Pants (3/10)
Who knew the worst episode from the first three seasons is a season 3 special? They don’t get the best reception and for very good reasons. What makes Party Pooper Pants the worst pre-movie episode ever? For one thing, I do not like how SpongeBob was written here. He was portrayed as a control freak who must tell his guests to follow his party schedule at all times, and when they don't obey, he just freaks out at the slightest mistake. I don't really sympathize with him when he actually gets locked out of his own house, although getting arrested by the police does feel a bit too far for him. Outside of that big problem, the special itself has nothing going on. It's very light on comedic and quotable moments. Most of them can be found on the Patchy segments, which prevented this episode from having a lower score. It also gave us a great musical number, wasted on a poorly written special. You can see why this special never airs on tv that much - it sets a standard of Nickelodeon overhyping a 22 minute special when the end result is a disappointment. It says a lot that there's far better specials out there and there's only a few worse ones.
116. Dumped (3/10)
Season 2 is one of the greatest seasons of episodic cartoons, but even it had duds - and it's this one. Like my #1 bottom pick, the humor is surprisingly lacking. The writers put too much emphasis on pathos. Every time that sad music plays, it makes the viewers feel like they're watching a soap opera and not an actual cartoon. The show has tackled very sad moments before and after this episode, but it wasn't as poorly done as here. The plot of the episode is basically Patrick taking advantage of SpongeBob's sadness as Gary seems to prefer playing with him more. And this is arguably his most unlikable role in the first three seasons due to the way he acted. The only reason this isn't the worst pre-movie episode is because it has more humorous moments whenever they do occur. Most of them are during the scenes where SpongeBob gets new pets to take his mind off Gary, since that means Patrick isn't involved that much and we don't have to endure his jerkassery. The plot twist of Gary only following Patrick around because of the cookies in Patrick's shorts was dumb, but it does end on a satisfying note.
115. Sandy’s Rocket (4/10)
An episode about Sandy's rocket being my least favorite of the first season is an opinion that may surprise you the most. Even as a kid, I was never fond of this one growing up. Not only was the comedy lacking, but the story just didn't make any sense. And the sad thing about this lackluster plot - it was the first ever episode to feature sci-fi elements. It also foreshadowed Sandy's personality in the later seasons, but this was the only time she was ever presented as a scientist in the early episodes. SpongeBob and Patrick were simply too stupid to live here, as they thought they were in space after the rocket "landed", except that they're still actually in Bikini Bottom. Personally, the episode kept getting worse as it went on, which is a shame because the first few minutes were tolerable. Oh, did I forget that Flatts made his first appearance in this episode? No wonder he wanted to kick SpongeBob's butt out of revenge after what he did in this episode. Quite a lot of supporting characters show up in this episode, even if it was just cameo appearances. The episode just ended abruptly with SpongeBob taking all the responsibilities for what he did.
114. MuscleBob BuffPants (4/10)
How is an episode about muscles this low? The reasoning is very identical to Sandy's Rocket. The further it went on, the worse it got. The episode started off fine, although let's be honest, half of it consists of SpongeBob suffering, with or without muscles. Seeing him in pain isn't pleasant to watch, and the fact that he bought fake muscles didn't help either. There's still some bright spots here - it's pretty much established that Sandy is strong due to flexing her muscles. I also liked the scene with the shark talking to SpongeBob about the anchor arms and his journey of him being a wimp to a "jerk." It is funnier than the three episodes I ranked lower than this, so that's a plus. But the episode starts to fall apart as it focuses on the competition. Even where there isn't much to find funny about, the episode is quite dull, which is a problem its sister episode suffered from.
113. Grandma’s Kisses (5/10)
My second least favorite of season 2 saw the debut of SpongeBob's grandma (voiced by Marion Ross). Dumped is lucky that Grandma SquarePants' introduction episode have more redeeming qualities, like the humor and Patrick being a little better (although he still suffers from being a poor friend to SpongeBob). What made it worthy of being a bottom 5 episode of the era is very obvious. The Krusty Krab scene (for whatever reason, all the fish in it were blue including Squidward) was just brutal to watch as they all mocked SpongeBob for having a loving grandmother. Squidward’s grandma certainly didn’t loved him enough and we’ll find out why in a later episode. Even after that, it brings in a lousy message that being grown up means no more engaging in childish activities like eating cookies. I’ve been an adult for a decade and I realized how right Patrick was: being an adult is indeed boring. I would’ve been nicer to this episode if it wasn’t for the scene, but otherwise, it’s just average. I don’t really feel like rewatching it again due to having a loving grandmother like SpongeBob’s and I don’t like to be mocked for having a relative who cares about me.
112. Neptune’s Spatula (5/10)
Even when I was younger, I always found this episode dull. As King Neptune said it best, “this joke has gone on far enough” regarding the first half of the episode which was basically him looking for the fry cook, although it still had its standout moments. A pity too because I do like King Neptune’s design and voice performance from John O’Hurley, but he’s too much of an arrogant character for me to enjoy. Patrick provided most of the episode’s comedy and he was hurt so much that his face went to his shorts. I do think the episode picked up during the Atlantis sequence as it set the first of many examples in the show where you need to take your time at creating art. Quantity over quality isn’t the way to go and despite supposedly winning, Neptune ends up forfeiting the match. Season 1 isn’t exactly the strongest season for story and comedy, so the next several episodes in this list will consist from it.
111. Nature Pants (5/10)
Who knew such a nothing special episode would spawn so many memes? Don’t get me wrong, those memes have some great drawings, but the rest of the episode isn’t anything to write home about. The premise is DOA as it had SpongeBob trying to become a jellyfish after repeatedly dreaming about it. It doesn’t sound bad on paper, but we have to see SpongeBob naked for like 80% of the episode. Naked SpongeBob basically looks like a kitchen sponge the more you look at him. The only reason this episode isn’t ranked too low is because the humorous moments make up for the lackluster plot. And once again, Patrick provides most of the funny scenes, like him trying to chase SpongeBob by turning him into a trophy. By that point, this and Home Sweet Pineapple established that Patrick just cannot live without his best friend, so they had him portrayed as this insane person. My favorite line is easily the scene where Squidward broke the fourth wall by acknowledging a typical cartoon episode’s length (“I’ll give him 11 minutes.”) Thankfully, after a scene of filler where SpongeBob walks around Bikini Bottom, the episode ends on a heartwarming note.
110. The Bully (5/10)
I have mixed feelings about this episode. I’m not too fond of episodes that have to do with bullying, if I’m being honest. I like Flatts’ design and performance from Thomas F Wilson, but his shtick of threatening to kick SpongeBob’s butt got old after a while. It does explains why he wanted to take revenge on him after what he did to him in an earlier episode, but the show doesn’t have a much of a continuity. Despite the meh score, I still think it had some rewatch value, due to the comedic moments that do show up, like SpongeBob arranging his pencils, the old man getting beaten up by the younger residents (that’s a meme moment), Patrick’s scene, and of course, the fact that SpongeBob cannot be physically beaten up because he absorbs like a sponge. On the other hand, the episode does ends on a sour note due to Mrs. Puff’s misunderstanding of the situation and she try to do the “I’m going to kick your butt” threat on him. Immature people will try to get a laugh of it due to how times the word butt was mentioned, so it could provides a drinking game.
109. Ugh (5/10)
Despite what the score may think, I’m very easy on the episode due to the Patchy segments. The actual animated segments with SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward’s ancestors is some of the blandest I’ve ever seen in the show up to that point. But despite the limited dialogue, it still provides some decent moments and at least it’s not as much as a mess as Party Pooper Pants’ SpongeBob segments. It just that it focuses too much on the whole “cavemen discover fire and fight over it” and it got repetitive after a few minutes. I would’ve given this a 3/10 or even a 2/10 if it was the whole episode, but Patchy’s sequences are some of the funniest we’ve seen from him and Potty as they spent the whole special fighting over the past and the future. Their arguments even scare SpongeBob, in which his cameo was also his shortest appearance in the pre-movie era. All of this led to a catchy song about both worlds colliding. If I were to rewatch it again, I will only watch the Patchy segments and nothing else.
108. I Was a Teenage Gary (5/10)
This episode is best known for only airing on tv every year during the month of October, due to being paired up with its sister episode, which revolves on Halloween. And I can see why not that many people don’t list it as their favorite episode. It managed to be a mix of surrealism and horror, but they are poorly executed. Half of the episode is unremarkable. The art style here looks like it came out earlier than the year it was produced. The comedy is barely there, but when it shows up, it lands. Sucks that this is the first ever Gary episode because he gets one paired up with a Halloween episode. The middle section of the episode was the worst part of it due to Squidward’s neglect and it’s hard to see Gary dehydrated. On another note, this is the first appearance of the doctor fish. The second half of the episode is an improvement due to Squidward getting chased away from snail SpongeBob. It ends with SpongeBob, Squidward and Gary meowing Blow the Old Man Down. Yeah, this is the show’s first bizarre episode and they didn’t do a great job with it. Thankfully the next episode will do a better job at the bizarreness.
107. I’m with Stupid (5/10)
Honestly, this used to be the worst pre-movie episode of all time for me until I realized there's far worse episodes out there instead of using a popular opinion. It’s still one of season 2’s worst, but now I think Dumped is worse. I’m with Stupid managed to offer more funny scenes and it’s not plagued with dramatic moments. Patrick is still an asshole here but it’s not as frustrating since he’s not using SpongeBob’s pet snail to rub it in. Instead, he uses SpongeBob’s intelligence to impress his fake parents to convince he’s not an idiot. However, this doesn’t go well for SpongeBob as he gets treated like an idiot. I can understand why this gets a bad rep. Season 2 had a few episodes where Patrick is just a terrible friend. To tell you the truth, when I gave this episode another chance, I did enjoyed the first half more. It wasn’t until the second half it starts to go downhill and the cruelty towards SpongeBob starts to become unfair. The whole thing could’ve been avoided if Patrick’s real parents didn’t spent the whole day at Squidward’s house wondering where is Patrick.
106. The Paper (6/10)
Just like I Was a Teenage Gary, The Paper never airs on tv regularly due to being paired up with a holiday episode. Though nowadays, Nick airs this episode every month now instead of just February. If I’m being honest with you, it’s like that episode where it’s paired up with a classic episode set during a holiday and the plot doesn’t offer anything exciting. Most of the episode just consists of SpongeBob having fun with a piece of paper and Squidward trying to find a way to play it himself. While it’s not the first episode to involve Squidward trying to do something fun after initially being annoyed with it (Bubblestand was the first of that premise), the only difference is that it took about a few minutes through the episode for him to have fun with a paper whereas he didn’t become a bubble expert until the very end. The animation quality is all over the place like IWATG, and the outlines are unusually thick for a season 1 episode. I don’t think the episode finishes on a good note as it just ends abruptly with a naked Squidward sitting alone in his empty house.
105. Born Again Krabs (6/10)
Season 3 is where some of the most infamous characterization of Mr Krabs comes from up to that point. I will say this is my personal least favorite Krabs episode of the first three seasons. Outside of his unlikable and greedy personality, the episode doesn’t offer anything exciting. It’s focused more on the story than the jokes. There’s still some good moments like the Harold Flower joke and SpongeBob talking at a fast pace that causes the Flying Dutchman to bring him back. But you know this episode barely has any defenders when it’s best known for one thing: Mr Krabs selling SpongeBob’s soul for 62 cents. This is something you don’t expect from season 1 Mr Krabs. By this point, he has become too occupied with greed that he’s willing to sell his best employee for no reason. Squidward calling Krabs out for this makes it satisfying as it’s a rare moment of him caring for SpongeBob. So I guess in order to not to stoop Krabs’ level, do not eat a moldy burger that has been sitting on the floor for days. You might you’re still awake and you might get your money back. Or even worse, you’ll get a movie rewind out of your eyes.
104. Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost (6/10)
Like its sister episode, I always found this one unremarkable. Luckily it’s the better segment but the #11 pair is honestly my least favorite pairing of the first three seasons. The jokes and the story aren’t anything to write home about and most of the time, the setups are poorly executed. I considered the first half of the episode padding, and while it does pick up in quality, I still think it’s underwhelming that it’s not worth a rewatch because it can be dull at times. On an interesting note, you do get to see a preview of The Flying Dutchman before he makes his physical appearance. The second half of the episode is a little stronger due to the writers trying to fit in as many death jokes, but it’s still not enough to keep my attention. The episode end on a random note so I have no comment on that. Yeah, season 1 had way too many episodes where it’s primarily set at Conch Street and the lack of location variation is a reason why my score for this one is low.
103. The Chaperone (6/10)
The first episode to focus on Pearl, it wasn’t exactly the best start for her. Like a lot of lesser season 1 installments, storytelling suffers from it, but also due to how she was portrayed here. Since this is only her third appearance, they wrote her as this unlikable brat who doesn’t get along with SpongeBob since she doesn’t know him that much. The comedy is a little better than the lower ranked episode since there’s more standout moments like dummy SpongeBob, the montage of SpongeBob dressing up, and the whole Do the Sponge sequence (catchy song while a bunch of chaos happen at prom). But when the episode isn’t focused on being entertaining, it just exists. After all, it is the first episode to focus on a character younger than SpongeBob and the whole relationship with him and Pearl is rather awkward due to their age gap. Their chemistry here isn’t fully developed yet and so you have Pearl being mean to SpongeBob while he acts friendly towards her. I can promise you that her focused episodes will only get better from now.
102. Bossy Boots (6/10)
Who knew the next ranked episode on the list is another Pearl episode? If there’s one aspect this episode improved on over The Chaperone is that Pearl’s interactions with SpongeBob - she is notably more friendly towards him instead of being downright hostile. Unfortunately like that episode, when there aren’t any funny moments, it greatly suffered from lack of interesting scenes. It can be a bit of a chore to watch especially since it’s a season 2 episode but let’s be honest. This is early season 2 we’re talking about, the vibes are so similar to season 1. On another note, this is the first episode to use the familiar MarkerBob art style (some season 1 episodes used it but they were hard to distinguish) so even the visuals suffer as well since it’s a little bland looking at times, but again this early season 2. The animators were trying to get the hang of ink and paint. And it’s one of those episodes where it feature a guest musician and I don’t know much about The Capsules. The good thing about this episode is that it’s not as mean spirited as the other episodes I considered worse during this season, so it’s biggest crime is that it can be boring at times. Worth noting that this is the first episode to feature the Krusty Krab changing its identity for the sake of plot and believe this is going to be way more common than you think especially after season 3.
101. Squeaky Boots (6/10)
It’s very obvious by now that Season 1's weakest aspect is the plots. They feel so ordinary that they wouldn’t feel out of place if it was a live action sitcom. And so once again, that is the biggest thing holding this episode back. The writers don’t really do much with the squeaky boots thing so instead of being a SpongeBob episode where he simply have fun with them for 11 minutes, it makes a swift focus to Mr Krabs who is being driven to insanity the more he hears the squeaking. I know the first season is more known for being atmospheric but this is one of the loudest episodes up to that point since the plot device is a noisy pair of boots. If you don’t have a tolerance of loud noises, the squeaking noise can grate on your nerves after a while. I admit I was a little harsh on this one but now I find myself liking it more in recent views especially compared to its sister episode. It is one of the earliest episode in production order and it really shows the writers trying to find their groove. Oh and this is Pearl’s first appearance. The first scene with her went exactly as what you personality you expect from: a spoiled teenager.
100. Krabby Land (6/10)
Another Krabs episode during the third season and personally I found it a tad better than Born Again Krabs. But that’s not saying much cause Krabs was just as much as an asshole as he was there. It is the first day of summer and he wanted to exploit kids for all their worth just so he can open an amusement park. It turns out he sucks at planning things the way they’re supposed to since they’re not supposed to feel unfinished messes. So while he gets ready to dress up as clown, he lets SpongeBob do all the entertainment. That moment wasn’t bad, even if the whole aspect of abusing him was to advance the plot. The big difference is that the writers knew when to punish Krabs at the right time and so the episode ends on a perfect note. Not much I can say about it, so moving on below #100.
99. Texas (6/10)
One of the more unique episodes of the first season, I thought it was just okay. Not too remarkable though, since it stands out for having bluegrass music which was supposedly composed by Junior Brown (who sang the last “I wanna go home” part of the song and even sang an arrangement of the show theme song). It gave the episode a distinct feel that’s for sure. But for whatever reason, I always thought this episode was mawkish for its own good. We were supposed to feel sorry for Sandy feeling homesick, but this was 2000. Do you think she would feel the same way if this was made 25 years later when Texas has become a worse state than before? Sorry for the slight political discussion, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind being a Bikini Bottomite for the rest of her life even if the city is just as crazy as the southern states. The song falls too much on the saccharine side for me to fully enjoy and it doesn’t help that everyone cries upon hearing it. I will say this, SpongeBob and Patrick were right about Texas and did to warn us, and so we are treated to well animated chase sequence. And the episode just ends with a surprise party which more or less made up for the lackluster writing.
98. Squid on Strike (6/10)
This was never my favorite episode growing up, but it still surprisingly holds because it revolves around going on strike. What Mr Krabs did is very relevant today with how corporations treat their employees. But he has the attitude of a billionaire because how exactly do you fine someone for existing? So Squidward and SpongeBob decided that striking is the only way for him to listen. The strike scenes are the highlights of this episode. But even then, the execution is predictable as they all end similarly (Squidward getting ran over by the residents). When the dual strikes between the writers and actors occurred throughout 2023, this episode was on my mind because I feared the strikes were going to last FOREVER…FOREVER. The last few minutes just lost me though. I don’t think destroying a business building solves anything but that’s just me. Not the best way to end season 2, but its subject is very important today.
97. The Sponge Who Could Fly (6/10)
Out of all the season 3 specials, this was the "best," but that's not saying much. I like the concept of SpongeBob trying to fly. What I didn’t like is how the entire population of Bikini Bottom are the biggest hypocrites. They mocked SpongeBob for having a dream that involves flight, but the moment that he gained floating powers, they suddenly look up to him and ask him a bunch of flavors like he’s some sort of slave. Thankfully, the songs and comedic moments make up for it, cause otherwise it would as forgettable as the other two specials of the season. And like Party Pooper Pants and Ugh, the Patchy segments saved the episode from mediocrity, even if they were short lived. Also, there’s a Remembering SpongeBob montage and most of the clips is full of season one moments. You rarely seen any seasons 2-3 moments in it.
96. Club SpongeBob (7/10)
This is often considered one of the few early episodes where Squidward’s bad luck is undeserved. Here he was just minding his own business until he has to get stuck in the middle of the woods with SpongeBob and Patrick. He isn’t portrayed too much of a jerk here and yet he won’t get a break because he doesn’t adapt to the lazy lifestyles of doing absolutely nothing. That couch shell sure had a mind of its own whenever it’s speaking to Squidward. That scene where SpongeBob and Patrick were eating the foods that came from the sky - always my favorite scene to watch if only because the food made me hungry. This episode suffers from bland moments, and sometimes you forget that Squidward has misfortune. On another note, the main setting would appear in Battle of Bikini Bottom and it’s the hardest level of the game.
95. Jellyfishing (7/10)
Speaking of Squidward torture, this is the first of its kind and it’s done in a unique way: Squidward denied his offer of going jelly fishing with his neighbors, he gets punished by a literal jellyfish and he spent the whole episode in a cast, repeatedly getting injured. Despite all the pain he went through, he repaid the favor by zapping SpongeBob and Patrick with the jellyfish he caught, only to be zapped by a queen jellyfish. You can tell it’s an early episode because the jellyfish make a weird different buzzing sounds (Tom Kenny hasn’t finalized it yet). The episode itself is fine but it’s biggest drawback is the amount of filler scenes it had: Squidward laughing to himself as the jellyfish comes near him, SpongeBob trying to lick his mouth, and “firmly grasp it.” (Which is the best of them all because of the setup) my favorite scene is the beginning where SpongeBob and Patrick are running away to rock music. Also, the Blue’s Danube scene was another fun scene to watch as well because of how SpongeBob sang it.
94. Bubble Buddy (7/10)
October 9 is Leif Erickson Day, a holiday centered around Norse mythology. The narrator at the beginning of the episode claimed SpongeBob made it up but one Google search suggests that it does actually exist. Season 2 is consistently good but this was one of the weakest installments as you have the citizen of Bikini Bottom being jerks, even if it was justified. The first few minutes revolved around SpongeBob trying to find a friend to play with but they are too busy. This also starts a mini arc with Sandy who is supposedly on hibernation mode (something around heading south for the winter) so we don’t see her that much in the first half of the season. Patrick for whatever reason never shows up in the Bubble Buddy episodes and my theory is that he doesn’t want to be jealous of SpongeBob having another bestie. Bubble Buddy trying to provide excellent service for Squidward is my favorite moment because it means he’s doing his job and doesn’t like being pressured to do more work than he have to do and he took it personally. There’s even a scene where SpongeBob was fat shaming the fish for showing off their bubble butts (a trend that is going strong for all the gym rats). But what stands out other than the plot twist that the bubble is sentient is that he let an innocent fish drown.
93. Reef Blowers (7/10)
The first ever short episode, it is only 2 minutes long. All you need to know is that SpongeBob wants to have his lawn clean but it is dirty because Squidward kicked a clam in front of the pineapple house. There’s no dialogue whatsoever and it’s the only time Tom Kenny doesn’t provided any voice acting as SpongeBob had no lines (Squidward actually made a grunting noise in one scene though). This also had the least amount of tracks playing only playing two songs from the same composer. I’m normally no fan of stuff where dialogue takes a backseat, but the story was executed well as you see the struggles of SpongeBob trying to keep his lawn from being dirty. Squidward doesn’t do much other than minding his own business and at one point he turned purple for breathing air. On another note, this episode established that SpongeBob and Squidward are neighbors.
92. Wormy (7/10)
Lots of people remembered this episode for being one jumpscare after another, but no one forgets how clueless the whole city of Bikini Bottom are when it comes to encountering a flying insect that they think it’s a monster. It hurts the episode a lot because of it, but I can overlook that major nitpick because it still provides some classic moments like “Sorry I don’t speak Italian,” the song montage, the attempts of trying to catch the “monster”, etc. This is an early season 2 episode so Sandy isn’t in the episode that much, but this is the first time we seen her under the updated character design (her suit now has an acorn which is black here and Pre Hibernation week for some reason; plus her tail is always shown outside of the dome). Throughout the episode, SpongeBob is convinced that the “monster” has eaten a bunch of people. The climax is one example of how one community would go crazy if a something foreign shows up. While Sandy capturing Wormy is nice and all, it’s ruined by the fact that how rushed it was. The episode just ends there with so many animation errors.
91. Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy IV (7/10)
Out of all the numbered installments, I always considered this one the weakest MM & BB until the sixth season. The first few minutes is just filler with SpongeBob trying to mess around with Mermaid Man’s magical belt. It picks up after Squidward’s repeated torture scene, but it never do anything outstanding outside of Patrick’s scenes and SpongeBob getting his karma from the entire residents of Bikini Bottom. There’s a scene in the first act where Squidward and Barnacle Boy are having a little quarrel and it makes you realize how big their noses are. Also, that weird CGI animation, though. (Regarding SpongeBob bursting out from the walls) And an odd moment where his mother appeared in one scene but his father is no where to be found. After this problem is solved, everything’s all back to normal, except Plankton’s bigger than he looks.
90. The Great Snail Race (7/10)
I know, I know, a rather infamous episode is ranked a little too high. But if I’m being honest, it contained some great scenes that doesn’t involved SpongeBob in any way. This includes the hilarious running gag of Squidward repeatedly getting his last name wrong, ANY scene featuring Patrick and his rock who somehow won a race about snails, the elderly snail slowly walking with a torch, a random fish announcing the race in place of Perch (I think it’s supposed to be him). If it wasn’t for these scenes, I would’ve rated this episode much lower, because man, SpongeBob’s as unpleasant as he was in Party Pooper Pants. Instead of being a perfectionist, he’s engaging in some major animal abuse just so he can compete Gary in a snail race contest. He worked Gary too hard that Gary blew his eyes out and as a cat lover, it’s just hard to watch during the climax. But out of nowhere, Squidward’s snail Mary suddenly fell in love with Gary causing them to lose the race to a rock. The episode ends with SpongeBob getting his butted kicked by Sandy who overheard him said something sexist in an earlier scene.
89. Ripped Pants (7/10)
This was only the fifth segment of the show, and I could see why an episode about repeatedly ripping one’s pants isn’t the strongest first impression as this and Bubblestand were the first official episode to premiere (if you don’t count the sneak peek airing of the pilot episode). The whole story revolved on one joke that gets milked over and over again and it could get old after a while. But I think they did a great job trying to make SpongeBob the class clown of the beach until it eventually caught up to him and it alienated the whole beach goers. So in order to win back his audience, he sings a song about being yourself. While it is not my favorite installment of the first season, it’s still a nice watch. It introduced a bunch of characters that would be stables of the supporting and background cast. Larry is supposed to be portrayed as a bully according to the song, but in reality, he’s just a friendly dude. Scooter is a surfer dude and he basically likes saying “dude.” The purple fish announcing the surfer competition is supposed to be Perch Perkins, but this was before his name was revealed and the orange design become his main color. In spite of its repetitive nature, this is an episode I like going back to because of how it established the residents of Bikini Bottom.
88. SpongeGuard on Duty (7/10)
Another Goo Lagoon episode is ranked above another episode set at the same location. To me, this one is slightly funnier, but even the quality isn’t consistent. The first half is one of the funniest beach episode the show has to often and it gave us gems like Patrick’s tan, “those are children in there,” a real life imagination of SpongeBob as a lifeguard, an ice cream truck dropping on top of him, SpongeBob somehow being racist towards sharks and sea monsters, and stuff like that. But it sort of starts to fall apart within the final few minutes because it means SpongeBob forgot the most important thing about saving a life: he cannot swim. And it’s clear that Larry is a better lifeguard than he is. Outside of Patrick mistaking something for ice cream, it’s surprisingly light on humor and it starts to drag on the more SpongeBob try his best to save his best friend (to the point that the beach goers just left, leaving them helpless). And cramps ain’t no laughing matters, I get them a lot (not through swimming, but from other circumstances).
87. Home Sweet Pineapple (7/10)
The show was only several episodes in, so how did the writers made a homeless plot work? By having a bunch of worm-like creatures (called the nematodes) slurp SpongeBob's pineapple home until it completely disappeared. Season one was not only simple, but it was full of heartbreaking moments like SpongeBob struggling at living without a home. He tried sleeping with his own neighbors, but to no avail. Patrick is a very noisy neighbor, where he does nothing but drool and has a nervous breakdown because of spiders. Squidward, on the other hand, didn't even notice SpongeBob was having a sleepover with him until he mentioned his name. I will say while both of these scenes are bogged down by the fact that they are filler that go on for more than a minute. But the Patrick scene is more funny while the Squidward scene starts off wholesome until you realize Squidward doesn't like SpongeBob that much (as he's very happy to see him leave Bikini Bottom). The episode also saw the introduction of SpongeBob's parents. Lots of people will say his family resembles cookies while he's a kitchen sponge. The episode ends with of course SpongeBob getting his house by the power of his tears. He wasn't going to move only 5 half hours in, so an ending was like was expected.
86. Naughty Nautical Neighbors (7/10)
It’s the first ever episode to feature a feud between SpongeBob and Patrick and the show tries to do it again several times, especially early on its run. They become less frequent after the 8th season though. The whole thing started all Squidward hated having noisy neighbors and so he decided to slander their friendship. The rest of the episode revolves on SpongeBob and Patrick trying to be friends with Squidward. It had plenty of good comedic moments (SpongeBob’s reaction at the restroom scene is very priceless as well as Patrick falling asleep to the clarinet music), but it’s very lacking in location variety like with some season 1. It feels like an 8/10 episode but what prompts me to give this one a slightly lower score is a few dragged out moments like Squidward’s bubble messages, the soda party scene, and the ending. All in all, it’s a fine episode, just held back by early installment weirdness.
85. Krusty Love (8/10)
Jay Lender considered this one of his least favorite episodes and I can see why, but nothing about this episode screams forgettable. Sure it can feel slow at times, but there are plenty of good moments throughout. It is notable for being the beginning of Mr. Krabs and Mrs. Puff’s relationship, although the writers won’t remember their romantic fling until many years later and they finally start making it canon. Besides their chemistry, I also really liked the chemistry between Krabs and SpongeBob. They are already established a father son-esque relationship, but here they make SpongeBob finally stand up to his own boss after being pushed too far and that moment near the end is very satisfying for those who has to put up with people like Krabs. Some great moments here and there, but I especially think the highlight is that weird aroused noise Mr Krabs made. It’s the one heard at the very end of the episode.
84. Clams (8/10)
Now let’s rank another Krabs episode, but personally this was one of his better spotlight episodes during the third season. Yeah he’s a cheapskate as always, but I feel like it was done right as he wasn’t trying to do it for the sake of being a jerkass, but rather he did for a special milestone. Wealth still corrupts people, but he’s very passionate of being a millionaire. What made this installment stronger than Born Again Krabs and Krabby Land is how funnier it was. You are treated with more hilarious scenes like Scandals struggling to come up with an order, the different suggestions of going to different places only to end up at the middle of the ocean going clam fishing, SpongeBob fishing a bunch of stuff (and hurting Squidward’s nose as well), the fake dollar, etc. But the one that stands out the most is how Mr Krabs was being self aware about an orchestra (which serves as the title card music), which is based on a stock track. The writers made it very obvious that its a clear homage to Jaws except that the giant clam takes the shark’s place.
83. Fools in April (8/10)
This used to never air all year round as it was limited to April Fools until 2006. But since April Fools Day isn't a significant holiday, it's better if viewers were to see this on tv every month instead. The plot is easy to follow: SpongeBob spends the whole day making pranks, while this annoys Squidward. Despite SpongeBob making a promise to not prank Squidward again, Squidward eventually would end up making his own prank, which goes too far. The plot then switches to Squidward's attempts to apologize, but to no avail. When he does finally apologize, it turns out the whole setup was all another prank. This is an episode where you’re either on SpongeBob or Squidward’s side. I’m more on SpongeBob’s side because Squidward did took his prank too far and the sponge did promised he wasn’t going to prank Squid again, but when you find someone like SpongeBob a nuisance, it’s hard to resist. The second half is a little bit more stronger than the first half as it sent Squidward into a guilt trip. He finds many ways to figure out to say sorry but never succeed. Despite the setup, the ending is proof that Squidward can still has a soft side.
82. Artist Unknown (8/10)
Squidward becomes a teacher for art school and everyone thought it was a cooking class except for SpongeBob. We get 11 minutes of Squidward trying his hardest to teach SpongeBob how to draw and make caricatures. But when it turns out SpongeBob is a better artists than him, he just ends up scolding him, much to SpongeBob’s sadness. Then, some rich fish with an Australian accent offer Squidward something so he can potentially be successful. Once Squidward reassures SpongeBob about his art not sucking, he teaches him again but this time SpongeBob does the opposite of what he was supposed to do earlier. While it’s a very interesting episode that most artists can relate to (not me included, I’m actually horrible at artistry), the writers could’ve improved more on the dynamics between Squid and Sponge. Squidward can’t accept the fact that SpongeBob is better than him, so that scene where he scolds him and SpongeBob breaks down in tears is just hard to watch. Other than that, it’s just a decent episode on its own. The rich fish is named Monty Moneybags and when I hear Moneybags I think of that greedy bear from the Spyro games that Tom Kenny was also involved with. He was an enjoyable character, and I’m surprised he haven’t shown up again after this.
81. Squilliam Returns (8/10)
Judging from the title, you knew the show would engage in sequel episodes outside of the obvious ones (the Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy installments, in which they have Roman numerals title). It’s a continuation of Band Geeks, except that Squidward doesn’t really succeed. His own plan of turning the Krusty Krab into a five star restaurant was all just a lie to impress his arch rival from band class. Everyone else weren’t contributing much. SpongeBob got stressed out about learning to be a waiter due to his brain problems (although he managed to succeeded at turning the restaurant fancier), Krabs is a terrible cook, and Patrick is just there to be the comic relief. The episode was good for what it is, but I feel like it was only made to even the score between Squidward vs Squilliam. Squidward got the last laugh in Band Geeks, but due to his lies in this episode, it’s Squilliam that ended up being victorious since he’s much richer. Still, it’s all made up by very comedic moments, especially from SpongeBob losing his mind, and let’s not forget Squidward imagining Squilliam in his underwear.
80. Jellyfish Hunter (8/10)
Another episode involving Jellyfishing. But this time, Mr Krabs have more involvement with the plot as he wants to sell jelly for his burgers. However, when he ordered SpongeBob to bring more jellyfish food, he isn’t using him for good, he’s using him for evil. By this point, it’s established that Krabs is greedy and wants to get a buck by adding jelly from actual jellyfish to the Krabby Patty. My biggest con with this episode is how oblivious SpongeBob is with Krabs’ evil tricks and he didn’t figured it out until a blue jellyfish kidnapped him to the factory. The highlight of the episode had to be the song performed by Fred (the my leg guy). Krabs somehow thinks it’s another one Squidward’s record. (Always weird when he’s mentioned in an episode where he doesn’t even appear). And during that montage, Krabs made a bunch of meme faces, including the Moar Krabs face. The episode ends on a very satisfying note where Krabs get what he deserves.
