Rock Bottom (SpongeBob SquarePants)

Last updated

"Rock Bottom"
SpongeBob SquarePants episode
Rock Bottom (SpongeBob SquarePants) title-card.jpg
Title card
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 17b
Directed by Nick Jennings (art)
Tom Yasumi (animation)
Paul Tibbitt (storyboard)
Ennio Torresan (storyboard)
Alan Smart (supervising)
Written by Paul Tibbitt
Ennio Torresan
David Fain
Production code2515-138
Original air dateMarch 15, 2000 (2000-03-15)
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Arrgh!"
Next 
"Texas"
SpongeBob SquarePants (season 1)
List of episodes

"Rock Bottom" is the second segment of the 17th episode of the first season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants . It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on March 15, 2000. In this episode, SpongeBob gets stranded in Rock Bottom, a strange city in the abyssopelagic zone.

Contents

The episode was written by Paul Tibbitt, Ennio Torresan, and David Fain, and the animation was directed by Tom Yasumi. Upon release, "Rock Bottom" was viewed by two million households and received positive reviews from critics.

Plot summary

SpongeBob and Patrick board a bus home from Glove World, a glove-themed amusement park. They accidentally board the wrong bus, which then takes them down a 90-degree cliff. The cliff leads to Rock Bottom, a town inhabited by many strange deep-sea animals. Patrick becomes frightened of Rock Bottom, so SpongeBob leaves him at the bus stop while he goes to get a bus schedule. As soon as SpongeBob leaves, the next bus to Bikini Bottom arrives, and Patrick leaves SpongeBob behind. Unable to climb the 90-degree cliff, SpongeBob decides to wait for the next bus.

After a number of mishaps prevent him from boarding a bus, SpongeBob heads to a bus station and waits in a very long line. By the time he reaches the front, he finds out that the next bus leaves in 5 seconds; he misses it and learns that it was the last one until morning. As the lights go out for the night, SpongeBob hears a noise and dashes back to the cliff in terror. The source of the noise is revealed to be a friendly-looking anglerfish creature, who has retrieved SpongeBob's glove balloon. The creature blows up the balloon and ties it to SpongeBob's wrist, which allows him to float up the cliff. Believing that SpongeBob is still stuck in Rock Bottom, Patrick boards a bus and heads down the cliff to fetch him. SpongeBob spots him on the way out, but decides to leave Patrick on his own as to not get stuck again.

Production

"Rock Bottom" was written by Paul Tibbitt, Ennio Torresan, and David Fain, with Tom Yasumi serving as animation director. Tibbitt and Torresan also worked as storyboard directors. [1] The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on March 15, 2000, with a TV-Y7 parental rating. [2]

Series head writer of the first season Merriwether Williams said the episode's story is "so simple." [3] She remarked "To me, it's one of the best episodes. It just stayed with one idea." [3] The episode was about "how he [SpongeBob] keeps missing the bus and how that makes him feel." [3] Williams said the episode was "so small that you could explore gags and opportunities for gags." [3] The episode was an example of "a good outline" in the series where the storyboards and humor were done easily. [3] Williams said "it was great for the board guys." [3] She added "In many ways, my job was to create situations where the board guys could be funny, to create a situation that could be funny, and let them go for the actual, specific jokes." [3]

"Rock Bottom" was released on the DVD compilation called The Best of SpongeBob SquarePants on May 11, 2004.[ citation needed ] It was also included on the SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 1st Season DVD, released on October 28, 2003. [4] [5] [6] On September 22, 2009, the episode was released on the SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes DVD, alongside all the episodes of seasons one through five. [7] [8]

Reception

"Rock Bottom" was watched by 2.1 million viewers upon its release. [9] It received very positive reviews from media critics. Nancy Basile of About.com gave the episode a positive response and ranked it No. 4 on her "Best SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes" list. [10] Basile said "The raspberries and SpongeBob's increasing frustration make this a hilarious episode." [10] She cited the episode as a "running up against Murphy's law over and over again" and said "so it's very relatable." [10] Basile's favorite scene was "SpongeBob tries to extract a snack from the vending machine before the bus across the road drives away." [10]

Emily Estep of WeGotThisCovered.com ranked the episode No. 5 on her "Top 10 Episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants" list. [11] She said "While 'Rock Bottom' is mostly a goofy episode, it's also one of the scarier episodes of SpongeBob." [11] She also said the episode has "the ideal balance of cuteness and sheer terror – like SpongeBob running from a mysterious character, saying, 'Well, that place will be there tomorrow. I guess I'd better keep walking. Running. Better start running. Running. Sprinting! Yes, I just gotta keep sprinting!' (Before he hits a wall; 'Sitting, sitting, bleeding.')" [11] that made the episode "so well-remembered." [11] Bill Treadway of DVD Talk gave the episode a 3 out of 5 rating. [12]

In 2021, Jordan Moreau, Katcy Stephan and David Viramontes of Variety ranked the episode No. 14 on their 15 best SpongeBob episodes list. They noted how the episode flips the usual dynamics of SpongeBob annoying people around him by putting SpongeBob in a setting weirder than him. [13]

Other media

"Rock Bottom" served as an inspiration for the SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge ride. [14] The ride first opened on March 15, 2008, at the Mall of America's Nickelodeon theme park re-branded from the Mall of America's Park at MOA, formerly Camp Snoopy, to Nickelodeon Universe in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. [15] [16]

The SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge features vertical lifts and 90-degree turns providing the riders a 60-plus foot drop, a maximum speed of over 40 miles per hour and a 4.4 maximum G-force rating. The ride time is approximately two minutes and is the shortest Gerstlauer roller coaster built yet. [15] [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Cheeks</span> Fictional animated character from SpongeBob SquarePants

Sandy Cheeks is a fictional character in the American animated comedy television series SpongeBob SquarePants and the Nickelodeon franchise of the same name. She is voiced by Carolyn Lawrence and first appeared in the episode "Tea at the Treedome" that premiered on May 1, 1999. She was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg who is also the creator of the series. Sandy is portrayed as an intelligent anthropomorphic squirrel who wears a diving suit and lives underwater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Band Geeks</span> 15th episode of the 2nd season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Band Geeks" is the second segment of the 15th episode of the second season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 7, 2001. It was written by C.H. Greenblatt, Aaron Springer, and Merriwether Williams, and the animation was directed by Frank Weiss. Springer served as director, and Greenblatt served as storyboard artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate with Nuts</span> 12th episode of the 3rd season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Chocolate with Nuts" is the first half of the twelfth episode of the third season and the 51st overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It was written by the storyboard directors, Paul Tibbitt and Kaz, alongside Kent Osborne and Merriwether Williams with Andrew Overtoom as animation director and Carson Kugler, William Reiss and Mike Roth serving as storyboard artists. The segment was copyrighted in 2002 and aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on June 1 of that year. In this episode, SpongeBob and Patrick become entrepreneurs in an attempt to live a fancy life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sailor Mouth</span> 18th episode of the 2nd season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Sailor Mouth" is the first segment of the 18th episode of the second season, and the 38th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 21, 2001. In the episode, SpongeBob reads a "bad word" off a dumpster behind the Krusty Krab, but does not know what it means, which gets him into trouble with others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krusty Krab Training Video</span> 10th episode of the 3rd season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Krusty Krab Training Video" is the second segment of the tenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the second part of the 50th episode overall. The episode was written by Aaron Springer, C. H. Greenblatt, and Kent Osborne, and the animation was directed by Frank Weiss. Springer and Greenblatt also served as storyboard directors, and Caleb Meurer served as storyboard artist. The segment originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on May 10, 2002.

Pizza Delivery (<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i>) 5th episode of the 1st season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Pizza Delivery" is the first segment of the fifth episode of the first season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on August 14, 1999. The segment was written by Sherm Cohen, Aaron Springer, and Peter Burns, and the animation was directed by Sean Dempsey. Cohen also functioned as storyboard director, and Springer worked as storyboard artist.

Friend or Foe (<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i>) 1st episode of the 5th season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Friend or Foe" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the 81st episode overall. It was written by Casey Alexander, Zeus Cervas, Mike Mitchell, Steven Banks, and Tim Hill, and the animation was directed by supervising director Alan Smart and Tom Yasumi; Alexander, Cervas and Mitchell also functioned as storyboard directors. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on April 13, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge</span> Roller coaster

SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster located at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota. Standing 74.5 feet tall, it is the tallest roller coaster in the park. It also features a beyond vertical drop. It is the first roller coaster themed to SpongeBob SquarePants, and opened with the Nickelodeon Universe grand opening on March 15, 2008. The ride features a vertical loop, and a heartline roll. The ride was installed by Ride Entertainment Group, who handles all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by former marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, aired on Nickelodeon from May 1, 1999, to March 3, 2001, and consists of 20 half-hour episodes. The series chronicles the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. The show features the voices of Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Carolyn Lawrence, Mary Jo Catlett, and Lori Alan. Among the first guest stars to appear on the show were Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway voicing the superhero characters of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, respectively.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by Stephen Hillenburg, aired on Nickelodeon from October 20, 2000, to July 26, 2003, and consists of 20 half-hour episodes. The series chronicles the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. The season was executive produced by series creator Hillenburg, who also acted as the showrunner.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i> (season 3) Season of television series

The third season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by Stephen Hillenburg, aired on Nickelodeon from October 5, 2001, to October 11, 2004, and consists of 20 half-hour episodes. The series chronicles the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. The season was executive produced by series creator Hillenburg, who also acted as the showrunner. Hillenburg halted production on the show to work on the 2004 film adaptation of the series, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. After production on the film, Hillenburg resigned from the show as its showrunner, and appointed staff writer, Paul Tibbitt, to overtake the position. Season three was originally set to be the final season of the series, with the film acting as a series finale, but the success prevented the series from ending, leading to a fourth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What Ever Happened to SpongeBob?</span> 18th episode of the 5th season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"What Ever Happened to SpongeBob?" is the 18th episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the 98th episode overall. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on October 13, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants</span> 16th episode of the 6th season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants" is an episode from the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, acting as the second half of the 16th episode of the sixth season, and the 116th episode overall. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 17, 2009, and was written by Luke Brookshier, Nate Cash and Steven Banks.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i> (season 9) Season of television series

The ninth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by animator and former marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg, originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from July 21, 2012, to February 20, 2017, and contained 26 half-hour episodes. The series chronicles the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. The season was executive produced by series creator Hillenburg and writer Paul Tibbitt, the latter of whom also acted as the showrunner for the first 11 episodes of the season. Starting with "Lost in Bikini Bottom", Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller became the supervising producers and showrunners and served in that position for the rest of the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Clash of Triton</span> 26th episode of the 6th season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"The Clash of Triton", also known as "Neptune's Party", is the 26th and final episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the 126th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 5, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great Patty Caper</span> 17th episode of the 7th season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"The Great Patty Caper", also known as "Mystery with a Twistery", is the 17th episode of the seventh season and the 143rd overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on November 11, 2010. The series follows the adventures of the title character in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. In the episode, the key to the vault holding the Krabby Patty recipe gets lost and SpongeBob must locate it before the recipe is lost forever.

Graveyard Shift (<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i>) 16th episode of the 2nd season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Graveyard Shift" is the first part of the 16th episode of the second season, and the 36th episode overall, of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode was written by Mr. Lawrence, Jay Lender and Dan Povenmire, and the animation was directed by Sean Dempsey. Lender and Povenmire also served as storyboard directors. The episode was copyrighted in 2001 and aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 6, 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's a SpongeBob Christmas!</span> 23rd episode of the 8th season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"It's a SpongeBob Christmas!" is the 23rd episode of the eighth season, and the 175th episode overall, of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It originally aired on CBS in the United States on November 23, 2012, and on Nickelodeon on December 6. In the special, Plankton tries to convince SpongeBob to transform everybody in Bikini Bottom into jerks by feeding them his special jerktonium-laced fruitcakes in order to get his Christmas wish—the Krabby Patty secret formula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extreme Spots</span> 1st episode of the 9th season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Extreme Spots" is the first half of the first episode of the ninth season and the 179th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 21, 2012. The series follows the adventures and endeavors of SpongeBob and his various friends in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. In this episode, SpongeBob and Patrick try to join an extreme sports team called The Drasticals by completing dangerous and extreme tasks.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i> (franchise) Nickelodeon media franchise

SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated comedy media franchise created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It began with the series, which premiered in 1999, and went on to become one of the longest-running American animated series. The franchise is the most profitable property for Paramount Consumer Products, having generated over $13 billion in merchandising revenue as of 2019.

References

  1. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 1st Season ("Rock Bottom" credits) (DVD). United States: Paramount Home Entertainment/Nickelodeon. October 28, 2003.
  2. "SpongeBob SquarePants : Arrgh!; Rock Bottom". Zap2it. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Heintjes, Tom (September 21, 2012). "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants". Hogan's Alley . Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  4. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 1st Season. DVD. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2003.
  5. Bovberg, Jason (October 26, 2003). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete First Season". DVD Talk . Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  6. "SpongeBob SquarePants - Season 1". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  7. SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes. DVD. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2009.
  8. Lacey, Gord (September 29, 2009). "SpongeBob SquarePants - The First 100 Episodes (Seasons 1-5) Review". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  9. "CABLE'S TOP 25 PEOPLE'S CHOICE". Broadcasting & Cable. March 27, 2000. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Basile, Nancy. "Best 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Episodes". About.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Estep, Emily (December 5, 2011). "Top 10 Episodes Of Spongebob Squarepants". WeGotThisCovered.com. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  12. Treadway, Bill (November 10, 2003). "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete First Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  13. Moreau, Jordan; Stephan, Katcy; Viramontes, David (June 8, 2021). "15 Best 'SpongeBob Squarepants' Episodes, Ranked". Variety . Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  14. "Spongebob Squarepants, Rock Bottom Plunge". Park Thoughts. October 17, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  15. 1 2 Niles, Robert (March 11, 2008). "New attraction spotlight: Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  16. Clark, Jayne (March 13, 2008). "Nick characters drop in mall Universe". USA Today. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  17. "SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge Continues Wild Ride". Krech, O'Brien, Mueller and Associates, Inc. October 29, 2009. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2013.