SpongeBob SquarePants‘ first three seasons (along with the first movie) are largely considered the Nickelodeon classic’s Golden Age, but it still had a relatively strong pulse in season 4 as well. As creator Stephen Hillenburg passed the showrunner-torch to veteran contributor Paul Tibbitt, the beloved Nicktoon retained enough of its panache to still come out with memorable installments for a short while. There are some differences from the previous seasons, to be sure: the surrealism is stunted, the pacing is a bit off at times, the direction doesn’t quite have the same pop it once had, Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) in general isn’t as funny as he used to be, etc.
It just goes to show how difficult it is to sustain such a high level of comedy, but there are still instances like when SpongeBob orders someone to sit down during what’s supposed to be his best day ever, or when a suddenly intelligent Patrick is found studying a fascinating “sub-species” under a microscope. These moments sparkle with the kind of charm that devoted fans of the series know and love, and some episodes have more than others. The best episodes of season 4 have enough imagination, humor, insight, and understanding of Bikini Bottom’s characters to prove that the SpongeBob team was still determined to keep the show’s reputation in good standing.
10 “Dunces and Dragons”
Season 4, Episode 6
In the “Dunces and Dragons” special, SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) and Patrick are launched during a joust and wind up in medieval times. Thrown in a dungeon for witchcraft (because they were seen falling from the sky), the two friends meet the king’s fool: Squidly. The evil wizard Planktonamor has been destroying everything, even the bowling alley, which is making it hard for the king to maintain his blood pressure.
Thus, SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidly are sent on a mission to fulfill their prophecy and conquer Planktonamor’s version of a dragon (a giant jellyfish). Squidly’s songs and ye olde setting provide a unique ambiance throughout this episode. Highlights include a blacksmith who can take a sword to the chest without any armor, the fact that Karen has the same name a thousand years before contemporary times, a spiral staircase, and the moment when Planktonamor thinks he has gotten ten times stronger. With extra points for personality, this is a fun diversion from the norm.
9 “Krusty Towers”
Season 4, Episode 9a
“Krusty Towers” is the result of pure greed. Bikini Bottom isn’t the best place for a hotel, and ordinary citizens won’t rent a room just to order a burger. But Mr. Krabs doesn’t care; he turns The Krusty Krab into a hotel anyway. Patrick is the only one dumb enough to accept this new ordering process, and it’s hilarious when he suddenly has bags despite only just learning that the restaurant is now a hotel. Another nice touch: the employee elevator is just a staircase.
Krusty Towers goes by a slogan that Krabs saw at another pricey hotel: “We shall never deny a guest, even the most ridiculous request.” After quitting, Squidward knows just how to exploit the plaque to its extreme; he forces Mr. Krabs to eat a disgusting Krabby Patty, re-paint his room, and make a very specific batch of cookies. The episode’s funniest moments include SpongeBob beating a sack with a shovel and the audience finding out why the hotel is all out of cheese.
8 “Whale of a Birthday”
Season 4, Episode 11a
Pearl is obsessed with the musical group Boys Who Cry and their catchy song, “All About You.” She loves the idea of everyone having to pay attention to her, perhaps because her father is so inattentive that he totally forgot that her 16th birthday is tomorrow. She had literally just told him how old she was going to be, and he still didn’t know. More importantly, Krabs has an absurdly infamous reputation for making the cheapest birthday parties of all time. For example, he once had all the kids share one balloon.
Bubble wrap cannot be used as party favors at a sweet-sixteen, so Pearl makes a comically long list of what to get for the big day. Small but noteworthy moments include SpongeBob learning what a credit card does, Squidward on stage, an impromptu spelling test, and a gender-reveal banner that has no business being on display. “Whale of a Birthday” is consistently engaging, digging into Mr. Krabs’s inability to spend a reasonable amount of money and putting “Detective” SpongeBob’s charming naïveté to good use.
7 “Mrs. Puff, You’re Fired”
Season 4, Episode 9b
SpongeBob has failed Mrs. Puff’s boating class so many times (1,258,056 to be exact) that this (mostly) reliable teacher is promptly fired. The prospect of losing her job was scary at first, but the realization that she’ll never have to teach SpongeBob again makes Mrs. Puff happier than she’s been in who knows how long. This reaction is one reason why she’s among the show’s most underrated characters, but the new boating instructor is very charismatic, too.
The sergeant is so intense that SpongeBob is the only one willing to take his course, and what do you know: he actually improves! SpongeBob has to master a ridiculously grueling course in just a few weeks, but the results are promising. Unfortunately, he can only drive well with a blindfold on, but the viewer wonders how he would have fared if the class were simply twice as long. Oh well; it’s terrific when the sergeant tries to stop the boat during the final exam, one of many details that make this installment so memorable.
6 “Skill Crane”
Season 4, Episode 4a
That old claw machine game can drive the average person crazy, and that’s precisely what happens when Mr. Krabs buys one for The Krusty Krab. Encouraging his employees to play, Krabs leads Squidward down a rabbit hole that the cashier can only escape by winning this immensely frustrating game. By contrast, SpongeBob casually wins a stuffed animal every time. It’s priceless to watch Squidward pay the price of this new obsession while SpongeBob just has fun with it.
So many quarters are forfeited to the skill crane that it seems that Mr. Krabs has mountains of them by the end of the episode. It just goes to show how devastating a gambling addiction can be, as the audience discovers that Squidward even shoved the deed to his house into the coin slot (hopefully it paid for more than just one try). SpongeBob really should have given him some advice sooner, but details like that just add to the fun.
5 “Shell of a Man”
Season 4, Episode 1a
Season 4’s first episode started things off to a good start, as Mr. Krabs has molted his shell right before his navy reunion. He’s supposed to be the toughest of the tough, like old times, but now he’s so unimpressive and literally soft that SpongeBob’s pep talk just winds up sounding like a long string of insults. Hoping to keep his reputation, Krabs has SpongeBob wear his shell and go to his reunion as ol’ Armor Abs Krabs.
It helps that SpongeBob and Squidward have been practicing their impressions of the boss behind his back, but, of course, it’s not going to be easy. For example, SpongeBob coughs up his entire skeleton after getting punched in the “armor abs.” When Mr. Krabs eventually reveals himself to his buddies. It leads to a wholesome moment about putting up appearances and confronting your insecurities. One of Mr. Krabs’s best episodes, “Shell of a Man” challenges a facet of masculinity in hilarious fashion and proves itself worthy of the SpongeBob franchise.
4 “Fear of a Krabby Patty”
Season 4, Episode 1b
Plankton with a beard is not a look the viewer expected, but it’s very amusing. His plan is pretty elaborate this time, putting up a sign that reads “Open 23 Hours a Day” so that his competitor will try and one-up him by going for 24. Plankton’s restaurant is so empty that it might as well be closed 24 hours a day, but Mr. Krabs is so competitive that he takes the bait immediately. This isn’t the first time The Krusty Krab has been open 24 hours a day, but the gimmick lasts much longer.
Making ten-thousand Krabby Patties with no breaks is something SpongeBob seems to do extremely quickly in the pilot episode, but “Fear of a Krabby Patty” takes a more realistic approach to the conflict. It’s fun to watch SpongeBob confuse his boss for a giant Krabby Patty, but the episode’s best section is when SpongeBob goes to see a shrink. Namely, Dr. Peter Lankton. The pun that starts off the session, the piano bit, Plankton’s inability to wake up his own patient—all great stuff.
3 “Have You Seen This Snail?”
Season 4, Episode 3
Apparently, the Dirty Bubble is a paddle-ball champion, which leads to a challenge that consumes SpongeBob so completely that he forgets to feed his beloved pet snail. Gary’s attempts to remind him are hilariously fruitless, especially when Gary jumps onto his owner’s face from the opposite direction the viewer would even expect. The audience feels for Gary when he leaves home and searches for a place to get some grub.
Patrick’s walk through SpongeBob’s neglected home amusingly plays like a scene out of a horror flick, but the starfish’s method of calculating how long his friend has been obsessing over a paddle-ball toy is both funnier and scarier. Other highlights include an interrupted bubble bath, a sad montage, and Patrick being completely useless. This heartfelt and creative half-hour special is undoubtedly one of Gary’s best episodes and a true highlight of season 4.
2 “Krabs vs. Plankton”
Season 4, Episode 2b
Krabs and Plankton have had plenty of conflicts in the past, but this time their rivalry goes to court. Plankton hilariously decides to just walk into The Krusty Krab with no plan whatsoever, and miraculously (and literally) slips into one of his best schemes yet. Thanks to two customers who say there should be a “Wet Floor” sign in the establishment, Plankton decides to sue his rival. Luckily, Mr. Krabs comes across Richard A. Bottomfeeder (Attorney at Law), who knows exactly how to win this case. Unluckily, however, he slips on the floor, too.
SpongeBob shouldn’t be allowed to mop the floor, but he’s even worse as a lawyer. It’s great when Plankton pretends that Mr. Krabs is hitting him in the courtroom. The Chum Bucket founder proceeds to win over the jury, judge, and the audience, while Mr. Krabs comes across as cheap time and again throughout this farce of a trial. The best part might be when Plankton talks about his ol’ Grammy. By the end, the verdict is clear: this is one of Plankton’s best episodes, and one of the funniest in the season.
1 “The Lost Mattress”
Season 4, Episode 2a
SpongeBob totally freaks out when it seems The Krusty Krab is closed for the day, but that’s nothing compared to when Mr. Krabs learns that his old mattress has been sent to the dump. He tackles Squidward, leading to one of the most hysterical exchanges between these two characters in the entire series. Mr. Krabs winds up in a “cash coma,” and Squidward is threatened with prison time if he can’t retrieve that mattress in a timely manner. With SpongeBob and Patrick’s help, what can go wrong?
Plenty, as a giant guard worm has taken ownership over the mattress. Despite the fact that every one of Squidward’s plans involves him being far away from the worm, he keeps getting beat up—not unlike his interactions with the sea bear in one of season 3’s best episodes. Meanwhile, Mr. Krabs has no health insurance, so he is pushed farther and farther away from his hospital room. It’s a great running gag in an episode where the jokes just keep landing. Season 4 arguably doesn’t get any better than this.