💛 Squidbob Analysis Series Spectacular (S.A.S.S.) 💙
Aptly titled (and yes, I did do this on purpose) mini series of the best, the worst, and the ugliest that Squidbob episodes have to offer. And since this is in chronological order, we are wasting no time getting into what I consider the “biblically accurate” era of the show and what I also consider to be the pivotal framework of these characters and their dynamic. I will also be keeping track of the writers for each ep, as it will really show us the individual continuity of their episodes and how it may differ from other writers. Beginning naturally with baby’s first Squidbob episode, the one that started it all for a lonely, little kid growing up in the 2000s.
Without further ado...
Episode 1: Pizza Delivery
(written by Sherm Cohen, Aaron Springer and Peter Burns)
🍕❤️🍕❤️🍕❤️🍕❤️🍕❤️🍕❤️🍕❤️🍕❤️
Right off the bat, the fact that Squidward is waiting for Spongebob to finish cleaning is kind of interesting. At first, it may seem easier to discern that Mr. Krabs is keeping everyone there until all the work is done for the day. When we think of future episodes and how Squidward is shown more often than not leaving the building as soon as he punches out (with little regard for Krabs’ demands,) it paints a slightly different picture. Especially when you consider that Squidward and Spongebob usually always leave together. (My personal funny hc is that Squidward is afraid of walking home alone in the dark and Spongebob helps alleviate his fears, a secret that Squidward will most likely drag to the grave.)
Now moving onto the desert portion of the episode, it begs wondering why Squidward doesn’t just leave Sponge to his own devices here. The road is visible, and sure, he doesn’t know exactly where he’s going and sunk-cost fallacy is probably at play here. But hating someone this much and being stuck with them on the delivery trip from hell surely would have some considering ditching and going home immediately. Right? He is mostly safe from being fired even if he does do this, as Squidward has kept his job for doing worse, and Mr. Krabs’ has only ever fired him for petty reasons (their relationship is… interesting, so I may analyze all THAT, too.) If we reach into this point even further, more questions arise. Why do we have him playing along with Spongebob’s antics? Why does he seem overly concerned with Spongebob’s safety? We literally almost witness vehicular manslaughter, and Squidward is there in a flash (like, Superman’s not even this quick saving Lois.) Trying to convince Spongebob to let go of the pizza, clinging to him so he doesn’t blow away in the wind, AND refusing to let go even when his own life is in danger? (I didn’t even mention the fact that Squidward is shown watching Spongebob twerk during his song and dance routine. This is the first time it’s happened, but it certainly isn’t the last. We know what you are, Mr. Tentacles.) They call each other their short-forms ‘Sponge’ and ‘Squid’ throughout, which is just a rare minute detail that I love in this ep. Even during their Act 2 “fight” in which Squidward is trying to convince Spongebob to eat the pizza, it’s light-hearted, and for some hilarious reason, seductive music is playing in the background?? We also get to see Spongebob staunch on his morals, even when it comes to Squidward, a part of Spongebob’s character that I will always cherish. He knows what he believes in, and he sticks to it.
And finally, the scene we have ALL been waiting for, yes, you know the one. Famous for a reason, and to this day, keeps up with an interesting debate. Why does Squidward care so much here? Simplest answer seems to be he is fed up with the long, horrible night they’ve both had to endure, exhausted to the core fighting sand, wind and tornadoes. And after all that? Some jerk-wad at the door who forgot to order his drink and blames the delivery person for the mess up. Typical. This absolutely comes into play as to why Squidward is so angry. The context from the rest of the episode shows us the heart of what’s at play, here. See, to me, if the customer had simply told Spongebob calmly that he had changed his mind about the order because there wasn’t any drink, Spongebob would have still probably been upset, but not nearly as. The pair most likely would have driven away and tried to forget about the whole ordeal, feeling frustrated, but altogether thankful that the arduous night is over at last. Squidward would have been annoyed, assuredly, but not angry enough to bang on the customers door and shove the food in his face. Squidward is shown to avoid confrontation, unless he deems it necessary, and if the customer hadn’t made Spongebob cry THAT much, well we would most likely be telling a different ending. This does not happen. Instead, we see Spongebob at his worst state in the show so far, so beside himself that he can’t even function (something I know ALL too well when I feel I’ve messed up at my own job). This, I can only assume, is the breaking point for Squiddy. The last straw. And he responds in kind, not only giving the customer exactly what he deserves, but also telling a light hearted joke to help cheer Spongebob up. His wobbly smile as Spongebob sits next to him atop the rock seals it for me. Squidward is proud of himself, not only for sticking up for the common working man against an abusive customer, but also for helping bring Spongey back to his old self. We won’t be seeing the last of this pattern, the age-old “Spongebob is sad/distressed/off, etc., and Squidward doesn’t know how to deal, so he spends time trying to get things back to their version of ‘normalcy.’”
Bonus, probably the cutest screen cap of the ep:
And thaaaat, folks, leads us to the end of this analysis! Stay tuned for the next episode, and thanks for reading!
