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− | {{Episode |
+ | {{Episode |
+ | |title = Mermaid Man Begins |
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+ | |seasonnumber = 8 |
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+ | |episodenumber = 163a |
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+ | |code = 268-822<ref name="man"/> |
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+ | |airdate = {{Flag|USA}} {{Time|September 23}}, {{Time|2011}}<br>{{Flag|CAN}} {{Time|January 26}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|AUS}} {{Flag|NZ}} {{Time|May 19}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|UK}} {{Flag|IRL}} {{Time|June 22}}, {{Time|2012}}<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RyQxAhgHjU</ref>{{SeeMore}}{{Flag|ISR}} {{Time|April 3}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|ITA}} {{Time|April 6}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|GER}} {{Time|April 12}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|ESP}} {{Flag|POR}} {{Time|April 12}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|BRA}} {{Flag|LAM}} {{Time|April 12}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|EU}} {{Flag|TUR}} {{Time|April 19}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|RUS}} {{Time|April 19}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|POL}} {{Time|April 19}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|NOR}} {{Flag|DEN}} {{Flag|SWE}} {{Time|April 19}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|UKR}} {{Time|June 10}}, {{Time|2012}} (QTV)<br>{{Flag|NL}} {{Time|June 26}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|CN}} {{Time|October 28}}, {{Time|2012}}<br>{{Flag|GRE}} {{Time|April 4}}, {{Time|2013}}<br>{{Flag|ALB}} {{Time|June 20}}, {{Time|2016}}<br>{{Flag|UKR}} {{Time|August 3}}, {{Time|2018}} (TET)<br>{{Flag|UKR}} {{Time|August 25}}, {{Time|2018}} (PLUS PLUS)<br>{{Flag|FNS}} {{Time|November 4}}, {{Time|2018}}<br>{{Flag|SLK}} {{Time|October 20}}, {{Time|2019}}<br>{{Flag|HK}} {{Time|February 12}}, {{Time|2021}}<br>{{Flag|KZ}} {{Time|April 7}}, {{Time|2022}}<br>{{Flag|KEN}} {{Time|June 23}}, {{Time|2022}}{{SeeMoreEnd}} |
||
+ | |year={{Time|2011}} |
||
+ | |sisterep = Plankton's Good Eye |
||
+ | |guests = [[Ernest Borgnine]] as [[Mermaid Man]]<br>[[Tim Conway]] as [[Barnacle Boy]]<br>[[Bob Joles]] as [[Man Ray]] |
||
+ | |writer = [[Casey Alexander]]<br>[[Zeus Cervas]]<br>[[Sean Charmatz]]<br>[[Richard Pursel]] |
||
+ | |supervising producer = [[Paul Tibbitt]] |
||
+ | |director-storyboard = [[Casey Alexander]]<br>[[Zeus Cervas]]<br>[[Sean Charmatz]] |
||
+ | |director-animation = [[Alan Smart]] |
||
+ | |director-creative = [[Vincent Waller]] |
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+ | |briefsummary = {{Link|SpongeBob}} and {{Link|Patrick}} learn the story of [[Mermaid Man|their]] [[Barnacle Boy|heroes]]' origins |
||
⚫ | |||
===Characters=== |
===Characters=== |
||
+ | *{{Link|SpongeBob SquarePants}} |
||
− | |||
− | *[[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob SquarePants]] |
||
*[[Patrick Star]] |
*[[Patrick Star]] |
||
*[[Mermaid Man]] |
*[[Mermaid Man]] |
||
*[[Barnacle Boy]] |
*[[Barnacle Boy]] |
||
− | *[[Squidward Tentacles]] |
+ | *[[Squidward Tentacles]] |
+ | *The Ballet Dancer |
||
− | *Two [[Mermaids]] |
||
+ | *Two [["Mermaid Teenager" incidentals|mermaids]] |
||
− | *[[ |
+ | *[[Dirty Bubble]] |
*[[Man Ray]] |
*[[Man Ray]] |
||
+ | *[[Realistic Fish Head]] {{Sup|(voice only)}} |
||
− | *[[Francis]] |
||
+ | *Human captain {{Debut}} |
||
− | *[[Nancy Suzy Fish]] |
||
+ | *Human scientist {{Debut}} |
||
− | *[[Nat Peterson]] |
||
+ | *Alien spaceship {{Debut}} |
||
⚫ | |||
+ | *[[Gary the Snail]] {{Cameo}} |
||
− | *[[Harold Reginald]] (brief cameo) |
||
− | *[[Moth]] |
+ | *[[The Moth]] {{Cameo2|as an action figure}} |
− | *[[Jumbo Shrimp]] |
+ | *[[Jumbo Shrimp]] {{Cameo2|as an action figure}} |
− | *[[ |
+ | *[[Pyrite Ponderer]] {{Cameo2|as an action figure}} |
+ | *{{Link|Incidentals}} |
||
+ | **[[Incidental 107]] |
||
+ | **[[Incidental 150]] |
||
+ | **[[Incidental 7]] |
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+ | **[[Incidental 41]] |
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+ | **[[Incidental 14]] |
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+ | **[[Incidental 92]] |
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+ | **[[Incidental 37A]] |
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+ | **[[Incidental 64]] |
||
+ | **[[Incidental 105]] |
||
+ | **[[Incidental 40]] |
||
+ | **[[Incidental 37B]] |
||
+ | **[[Incidental 42]] |
||
+ | **[[Sandals]] |
||
+ | **[[Incidental 2]] |
||
+ | **[[Incidental 82]] |
||
+ | **[[Incidental 48]] |
||
⚫ | |||
+ | **[[Incidental 4]] |
||
==Synopsis== |
==Synopsis== |
||
− | The episode begins at SpongeBob's house, |
+ | The episode begins at {{Link|SpongeBob's house}} during a wind storm warning, where he and Patrick are preparing to watch the ''{{Link|Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy}}'' marathon on television. The marathon kicks off with an origin special, but just as it begins, SpongeBob's house loses power and a strong wind blows the house and the TV away. SpongeBob and Patrick go to {{Link|Squidward's house}}, but the wind destroys his house too, so they decide to go to the [[Mermalair]] to ask the heroes about their origin personally. |
+ | Once they are there, Mermaid Man tells them the story. He was once a regular human being who was washed into the ocean and sucked into a whirlpool. Before he could drown, mermaids came and gave him a magical starfish that enabled him to breathe underwater. Shortly after, Mermaid Man saw Barnacle Boy scraping some barnacles off a ship's hull and thought that he was drowning. He used his newfound powers to draw barnacles into Barnacle Boy's lungs, allowing him to breathe underwater as well. They then decided to become a crime-fighting duo, though Barnacle Boy argues that this was only because he was stuck breathing underwater forever as a result of Mermaid Man's actions. The two heroes go on to talk about some of their earliest rescues, but soon begin to argue about what really happened. |
||
− | Mermaid Man goes on a flashback, but it wasn't the actual story of his origin. Then, he tells another flashback, this time it is the origin story. In this flashback, Mermaid Man encounters mermaids while he is drowning that let him breathe underwater with the sea star on his nose. |
||
+ | Just then, the actual origin special appears on the Mermalair's giant monitor. In the special, after cooking popcorn for movie night, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (called Ernie and Tim respectively) are thrust into a series of nonsensical, random events. Once they return to their apartment, the overcooked popcorn strikes the two with a jolt of cosmic energy, giving them superpowers and the urge to breathe underwater. They dive into the sea and start fighting crime. |
||
− | Then Mermaid Man tells a flashback where he finds a drowning Barnacle Boy and saves him. They then become partners, partly because Barnacle Boy was stuck breathing underwater for the rest of his life as a result of the rescue. They stop a bank robber in the next flashback, then thwart Man Ray in the next, but the two argue over the legitimacy of the flashbacks. |
||
+ | After the show ends, SpongeBob and Patrick put popcorn into a microwave with the intention of overcooking it and giving themselves powers of their own, and Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy try to stop them. |
||
− | Then, the "actual" origin episode starts to air on the Mermalair's giant monitor, in which Mermaid Man (called Ernie in the story) and Barnacle Boy (called Tim in the story) are roommates. The following "origin episode" didn't make sense because of how random it was (see transcript for details). After cooking popcorn for movie night, they are thrust into an improbable series of events, and eventually return to their apartment. The now overcooked popcorn causes a radioactive effect on the two, giving them superpowers and the urge to fight crime underwater. They dive into the sea and start fighting crime. As the show ends, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy were baffled. Finally, the camera cuts to SpongeBob and Patrick putting popcorn into a microwave with intent to overcook it and give themselves powers. The episode then ends with Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy yelling "No!" |
||
==Production== |
==Production== |
||
+ | This episode was confirmed on {{Time|August 1}}, {{Time|2011}}.<ref>https://www.experience-it-all.com/2011/08/comic-con-2011-spongebob-squarepants/</ref> |
||
+ | |||
+ | During a tour of {{W|Rough Draft Korea}} for students of Yongsan International School of Seoul in 2016, various SpongeBob color background books were discovered for many episode segments. One of the books found was created for "Mermaid Man Begins."<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/YISSGuardians/posts/thank-you-scott-mansz-rough-draft-korea-for-hosting-our-students-today-what-a-tr/473910899463481/ Yongsan International School of Seoul on Facebook - "Thank you, Scott Mansz..."]</ref> |
||
+ | |||
+ | [[File:12967920 473910576130180 5318106348810033595 o.png|thumb|260px|A picture of various SpongeBob color background books, going as far back as episode #507, "Best Day Ever." Near the bottom, the spine for "Breath" can be seen.]] |
||
+ | |||
===Music=== |
===Music=== |
||
{{MLegend}} |
{{MLegend}} |
||
− | {{OM| |
+ | {{OM|Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme#MM & BB Action Theme Title Card{{!}}MM & BB Action Theme Title Card|Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin|Title card}} |
− | {{APM |
+ | {{APM-article|Arizona Fanfare|Jack Shaindlin|TV show}} |
− | {{OM| |
+ | {{OM|Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme#MM & BB Action Theme Dialog Mix{{!}}MM & BB Action Theme Dialog Mix|Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin|SpongeBob and Patrick go over the checklist.}} |
− | {{APM |
+ | {{APM-article|Arizona Fanfare|Jack Shaindlin|Mermaid Man watch}} |
− | {{APM|c|Crime & Danger Sign |
+ | {{APM|c|Crime & Danger Sign #3|Hans Conzelmann, Delle Haensch|Start of marathon}} |
− | {{ |
+ | {{OM-nonarticle|h|Heroes to the Rescue|Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony|"And now, without further fanfare..."}} |
− | {{APM|e|Excited Chase 1| |
+ | {{APM|e|Excited Chase 1|Phil Green|The pineapple blows away.}} |
− | {{ |
+ | {{OM-nonarticle|w|Watching Grown Men Prancing Around|Nicolas Carr|Squidward is watching ballet.}} |
− | {{APM|e|Excited Chase 1| |
+ | {{APM|e|Excited Chase 1|Phil Green|Squidward's house blows away.}} |
− | {{OM| |
+ | {{OM|Hgliss & Bell|Nicolas Carr|"Hey, that's it!"}} |
− | {{ |
+ | {{OM|Hot Steel and Slide Licks 22#Hot Steel and Slide Licks 22A{{!}}Hot Steel and Slide Licks 22A|Jeremy Wakefield|Squidward blows away.}} |
{{APM|a|Against All Odds|Paul Lawler|"We have found the Mermalair!"}} |
{{APM|a|Against All Odds|Paul Lawler|"We have found the Mermalair!"}} |
||
− | {{APM|f|Fall to the Death|Harry Lubin|SpongeBob and Patrick fall into a net}} |
+ | {{APM|f|Fall to the Death|Harry Lubin|SpongeBob and Patrick fall into a net.}} |
{{OM|Lap Steel|Nicolas Carr|"Again!"}} |
{{OM|Lap Steel|Nicolas Carr|"Again!"}} |
||
− | {{OM||Pat Irwin|SpongeBob |
+ | {{OM|Befuddled#percussion PI Befuddled #3 rev1{{!}}percussion PI Befuddled #3 rev1|Pat Irwin|SpongeBob and Patrick laugh.}} |
+ | {{OM|Befuddled#winds, brass PI Befuddled #3 rev1{{!}}winds, brass PI Befuddled #3 rev1|Pat Irwin|SpongeBob and Patrick laugh.}} |
||
⚫ | |||
+ | {{OM|Befuddled#Stringds PI Befuddled #3 rev1{{!}}Stringds PI Befuddled #3 rev1|Pat Irwin|SpongeBob and Patrick laugh.}} |
||
− | {{APM|b|Beach Party|Billy Lincoln|young Mermaid Man surfing}} |
||
⚫ | |||
− | {{APM|h|Hawaiian Sting 11|Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield|Mermaid Man falls asleep}} |
||
+ | {{OM|SpongeBob Flashback Vibes|Nicolas Carr|Start of flashback}} |
||
⚫ | |||
+ | {{OM|Sponge Surf#Sponge Surf no guit mel.{{!}}Sponge Surf no guit mel.|Billy Lincoln, Michael Gurley|Young Mermaid Man surfs.}} |
||
⚫ | |||
+ | {{OM|MM Brass Hit 2|Nicolas Carr|BITE!}} |
||
− | {{APM|s|Steel Sting (d)|Jeremy Wakefield|Mermaid Man snoring}} |
||
− | {{ |
+ | {{OM|Aloha Lui Lui|Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield|"There I was in the ocean."}} |
⚫ | |||
+ | {{APM|d|Dramatic Bridge 7|Phil Green|Mermaid Man falling in the ocean}} |
||
+ | {{OM-nonarticle|m|Magic In and Out 1|Nicolas Carr|Mermaid Man gets rescued by mermaids.}} |
||
⚫ | |||
+ | {{OM-nonarticle|m|Magic In and Out 2|Nicolas Carr|Mermaid Man exhales}} |
||
+ | {{OM|Hot Steel and Slide Licks 31#Hot Steel and Slide Licks 31A{{!}}Hot Steel and Slide Licks 31A|Jeremy Wakefield|Mermaid Man falls asleep.}} |
||
+ | {{OM|Breathing Underwater|Nicolas Carr|"There I was in the ocean."}} |
||
{{APM|m|Mount Olympus|Paddy Kingsland|"I had no other humans to talk to."}} |
{{APM|m|Mount Olympus|Paddy Kingsland|"I had no other humans to talk to."}} |
||
− | {{OM| |
+ | {{OM|Sad Sack Shanty|Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr|Mermaid Man sees a ship.}} |
− | {{APM|m|Masked Crusader 2|Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin|"A boy in trouble!"}} |
+ | {{APM|m|Masked Crusader 2 [#21]|Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin|"A boy in trouble!"}} |
− | {{APM| |
+ | {{APM|p|Pirate Ship|Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin|"Fear not, young man"}} |
− | {{OM||Jeremy Wakefield|"No, no, no."}} |
+ | {{OM|Hot Steel and Slide Licks 34#Hot Steel and Slide Licks 34D{{!}}Hot Steel and Slide Licks 34D|Jeremy Wakefield|"No, no, no."}} |
− | {{APM |
+ | {{APM-article|Arizona Fanfare|Jack Shaindlin|"Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy!"}} |
− | {{OM| |
+ | {{OM|Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme#Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme Lite{{!}}Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme Lite|Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin|A bank robbery occurs.}} |
⚫ | |||
− | {{APM|h|Heroes Salute|Harry Bluestone|"Thank you, sir."}} |
+ | {{APM|h|Heroes Salute|Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin|"Thank you, sir."}} |
⚫ | |||
+ | {{OM|Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme|Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin|Barnacle Boy defeats Man Ray.}} |
||
− | {{ |
+ | {{OM|Hot Steel and Slide Licks 28#Hot Steel and Slide Licks 28B{{!}}Hot Steel and Slide Licks 28B|Jeremy Wakefield|Mermaid Man orders a pizza.}} |
− | {{APM |
+ | {{APM-article|Arizona Fanfare|Jack Shaindlin|TV comes back on.}} |
− | {{APM|s|Sprightly Link 6|Harry Bluestone|Winchell Apartments exterior}} |
+ | {{APM|s|Sprightly Link 6|Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin|Winchell Apartments exterior}} |
{{APM|b|The Bachelor Life (a)|Laurie Johnson|"Come on, Ernie, the movie's about to start."}} |
{{APM|b|The Bachelor Life (a)|Laurie Johnson|"Come on, Ernie, the movie's about to start."}} |
||
− | {{APM|l|Lost in the Galaxy|Harry Lubin|scientist doing tests}} |
+ | {{APM|l|Lost in the Galaxy [#35]|Harry Lubin|A scientist is doing tests.}} |
− | {{APM|b|Battle Zone|Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin|Ernie and Tim fall out of their apartment}} |
+ | {{APM|b|Battle Zone|Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin|Ernie and Tim fall out of their apartment.}} |
− | {{APM|b|The Bachelor Life (a)|Laurie Johnson| |
+ | {{APM|b|The Bachelor Life (a)|Laurie Johnson|Movie night}} |
− | {{APM|i|Imminent 4|Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin| |
+ | {{APM|i|Imminent 4|Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin|Reaction to overcooked popcorn}} |
− | {{OM| |
+ | {{OM|Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme|Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin|Ernie and Tim become Mermaid Man, Barnacle Boy.}} |
− | {{ |
+ | {{OM|Hot Steel and Slide Licks 40#Hot Steel and Slide Licks 40D{{!}}Hot Steel and Slide Licks 40D|Jeremy Wakefield|"Ah, feels just like yesterday, doesn't it?"}} |
− | {{OM|Slide Whistle |
+ | {{OM|Slide Whistle Stooges (track)#Slide Whistle Stooges No Whistle{{!}}Slide Whistle Stooges No Whistle|Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield|The ending}} |
+ | |||
+ | ===Release=== |
||
+ | *This episode is available on [[The Complete Eighth Season]], [[Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy: Defenders of the Deep]], [[The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection]], [[Home Sweet Rubble (DVD)|Home Sweet Rubble]], [[The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection]], SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 13, [[The Best 200 Episodes Ever]], [[The Adventures of SpongeBob SquarePants]], [[The Next 100 Episodes|Next 100 Episodes]], [[SpongeBob SquarePants Triple Pack]], and [[The Seventh & Eighth Seasons]] DVDs. |
||
==Trivia== |
==Trivia== |
||
+ | ===General=== |
||
− | {{Trivia |
||
+ | *This segment is alternatively titled "Mermaidman Begins."<ref name="man">[[:File:12967920 473910576130180 5318106348810033595 o.png]]</ref> |
||
− | |timedate= |
||
+ | *The origin special states that Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy's real names are Ernie and Tim. These are nods to their respective voice actors, [[Ernest Borgnine]] and [[Tim Conway]]. |
||
⚫ | |||
− | * |
+ | **However, in "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V]]" and a few [[List of books|books]], Mermaid Man calls Barnacle Boy "Kyle." |
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
+ | *This is the first episode in the {{SBSP}} series in which the humans and the surface world are fully animated and do not appear in live-action form. |
||
− | *Tim Conway voices Barnacle Boy, and in this episode, Barnacle Boy's incorrect real name is Tim. His real name has already been confirmed as Kyle in [[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V]]. Ernest Borgnine plays as Mermaid Man, and Mermaid Man's name is really Ernie (which is a nod to Borgnine). |
||
+ | *This was the last episode to feature Ernest Borgnine before his death on {{Time|July 8}}, {{Time|2012}}. Two later episodes, "[[Super Evil Aquatic Villain Team Up is Go!]]" and "[[Patrick-Man!]]," were produced before his death and aired after. |
||
− | *The wind blowing SpongeBob's house and Squidward's house is an allusion to the 1996 film ''[[wikipedia:Twister (1996 film)|Twister]]''. |
||
+ | |||
− | *In [[Ditchin' (transcript)|the book]], they were brothers, and were born from superheroes. In earlier episodes, however, it was said that Barnacle Boy was Mermaid Man's son. It was also said that they got their powers from King Neptune. |
||
⚫ | |||
− | **It is unknown which story is actually true. |
||
+ | *The episode's name is a reference to the {{Time|2005}} DC Comics movie ''[[w:c:dc:Batman Begins|Batman Begins]]'', the first of the three movies in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, the other two are ''[[w:c:dc:The Dark Knight (Movie)|The Dark Knight]]'' (2008) and ''[[w:c:batman:The Dark Knight Rises|The Dark Knight Rises]]'' (2012). |
||
− | *This is the first time in the series that humans above water are portrayed as typical cartoons and not in live action. Also, in this episode, Bikini Bottom looks bigger than in other episodes despite the fact that SpongeBob and Patrick were smaller than the sea artist's pencil in [[Frankendoodle]] and much smaller that that of David Hasselhoff in the movie. |
||
+ | *Mermaid Man mentions an event known as "the Big Splash" which formed the sea. This is a parody of the {{W|Big Bang}}. It is possible that the "Big Splash" that Mermaid Man was referring to is the event 4.4 billion years ago when a planet called Theia collided with Earth (which was then a lifeless rock), the collision resulted in much of Theia being absorbed into Earth, while a smaller chunk of Theia flew away from Earth and circled it and the Moon was formed, and because Theia possibly had water on it, it resulted in the Earth's oceans form, but it took 600 million years for the Earth and its oceans to cool down enough for the first living things to appear 3.8 billion years ago in the form of single-celled organisms. |
||
− | *In this episode, the mermaids faces are drawn realistically. |
||
⚫ | |||
− | *Mermaid Man finding Barnacle Boy and rescuing him from drowning by giving him his abilities is a parody of how Birdman met Bird Boy (the only survivor of a shipwreck) and gave him his abilities. |
||
+ | *The name of the [[Vats of Acid "R" Us]] factory is a reference to the toy store {{W|Toys "R" Us}}. |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
+ | *"Winchell Apartments" might've either been a reference to voice actor/ventriloquist Paul Winchell or American columnist Walter Winchell |
||
− | * This was [[Ernest Borgnine]]'s last episode to make, that aired before his death on July 8, 2012. There were several episodes that had Mermaid Man in them, after Ernest's death. |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
− | * The episode's title is a reference to the Christopher Nolan movie Batman Begins. |
||
===Errors=== |
===Errors=== |
||
− | *Squidward's |
+ | *When Squidward's power goes out, his TV turns off, but his lights do not. |
+ | *Squidward's flooring appears smaller after his house is blown away.[[File:Mermaid Man Begins 052.png|thumb|260px]] |
||
− | **However, this is a common occurrence when seeing SpongeBob, Squidward, and Patrick's houses from the outside. |
||
+ | *The narrator of the origin special mentions a solar eclipse, but it is actually a {{W|lunar eclipse}}, as the scene takes place at night. |
||
− | *When Squidward's power went out, his TV went out, but his lights didn't. |
||
⚫ | |||
− | *When the solar eclipse was mentioned it was really a [[Wikipedia:Lunar eclipse|Lunar eclipse]], not a solar eclipse. |
||
+ | |||
− | *At the beginning of the episode, the first episode of the Mermaid Man Marathon was called the Origin Special, but at the end of the episode, it was called the origin episode. |
||
+ | {{Clear}} |
||
+ | |||
+ | ==Videos== |
||
+ | <gallery widths="180" captionalign="center" position="center"> |
||
+ | SpongeBob SquarePants - "Mermaid Man Begins" and "Plankton's Good Eye" Official Promo |
||
+ | Nickelodeon Split Screen Credits (September 23, 2011) |
||
+ | SpongeBob SquarePants Mermaid Man Origin Story Nick |
||
+ | </gallery> |
||
+ | |||
+ | ==References== |
||
+ | {{Reflist}} |
||
+ | {{Mermaid Man}} |
||
+ | [[es:Sireno Man Inicia]] |
||
+ | [[hr:Čovjek Sirena započinje]] |
||
+ | [[pl:Syrenaman: Początek]] |
||
+ | [[pt-br:O Inicio do Homem Sereia]] |
||
+ | [[ru:Водяной марафон]] |
||
⚫ |
Latest revision as of 23:12, 6 January 2024
"Mermaid Man Begins" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 8. In this episode, SpongeBob and Patrick learn the story of their heroes' origins.
Characters
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Patrick Star
- Mermaid Man
- Barnacle Boy
- Squidward Tentacles
- The Ballet Dancer
- Two mermaids
- Dirty Bubble
- Man Ray
- Realistic Fish Head (voice only)
- Human captain (debut)
- Human scientist (debut)
- Alien spaceship (debut)
- Gary the Snail (cameo)
- The Moth (cameo as an action figure)
- Jumbo Shrimp (cameo as an action figure)
- Pyrite Ponderer (cameo as an action figure)
- Incidentals
Synopsis
The episode begins at SpongeBob's house during a wind storm warning, where he and Patrick are preparing to watch the Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy marathon on television. The marathon kicks off with an origin special, but just as it begins, SpongeBob's house loses power and a strong wind blows the house and the TV away. SpongeBob and Patrick go to Squidward's house, but the wind destroys his house too, so they decide to go to the Mermalair to ask the heroes about their origin personally.
Once they are there, Mermaid Man tells them the story. He was once a regular human being who was washed into the ocean and sucked into a whirlpool. Before he could drown, mermaids came and gave him a magical starfish that enabled him to breathe underwater. Shortly after, Mermaid Man saw Barnacle Boy scraping some barnacles off a ship's hull and thought that he was drowning. He used his newfound powers to draw barnacles into Barnacle Boy's lungs, allowing him to breathe underwater as well. They then decided to become a crime-fighting duo, though Barnacle Boy argues that this was only because he was stuck breathing underwater forever as a result of Mermaid Man's actions. The two heroes go on to talk about some of their earliest rescues, but soon begin to argue about what really happened.
Just then, the actual origin special appears on the Mermalair's giant monitor. In the special, after cooking popcorn for movie night, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (called Ernie and Tim respectively) are thrust into a series of nonsensical, random events. Once they return to their apartment, the overcooked popcorn strikes the two with a jolt of cosmic energy, giving them superpowers and the urge to breathe underwater. They dive into the sea and start fighting crime.
After the show ends, SpongeBob and Patrick put popcorn into a microwave with the intention of overcooking it and giving themselves powers of their own, and Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy try to stop them.
Production
This episode was confirmed on August 1, 2011.[3]
During a tour of Rough Draft Korea for students of Yongsan International School of Seoul in 2016, various SpongeBob color background books were discovered for many episode segments. One of the books found was created for "Mermaid Man Begins."[4]
Music
( ‣ ) Production music |
( • ) Original music |
( ◦ ) SpongeBob music |
• MM & BB Action Theme Title Card - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin [Title card]
‣ Arizona Fanfare - Jack Shaindlin [TV show]
• MM & BB Action Theme Dialog Mix - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin [SpongeBob and Patrick go over the checklist.]
‣ Arizona Fanfare - Jack Shaindlin [Mermaid Man watch]
‣ Crime & Danger Sign #3 - Hans Conzelmann, Delle Haensch [Start of marathon]
• Heroes to the Rescue - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["And now, without further fanfare..."]
‣ Excited Chase 1 - Phil Green [The pineapple blows away.]
• Watching Grown Men Prancing Around - Nicolas Carr [Squidward is watching ballet.]
‣ Excited Chase 1 - Phil Green [Squidward's house blows away.]
• Hgliss & Bell - Nicolas Carr ["Hey, that's it!"]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 22A - Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward blows away.]
‣ Against All Odds - Paul Lawler ["We have found the Mermalair!"]
‣ Fall to the Death - Harry Lubin [SpongeBob and Patrick fall into a net.]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["Again!"]
• percussion PI Befuddled #3 rev1 - Pat Irwin [SpongeBob and Patrick laugh.]
• winds, brass PI Befuddled #3 rev1 - Pat Irwin [SpongeBob and Patrick laugh.]
• Stringds PI Befuddled #3 rev1 - Pat Irwin [SpongeBob and Patrick laugh.]
• In the Begining - Nicolas Carr ["In the beginning it was all dark."]
• SpongeBob Flashback Vibes - Nicolas Carr [Start of flashback]
• Sponge Surf no guit mel. - Billy Lincoln, Michael Gurley [Young Mermaid Man surfs.]
• MM Brass Hit 2 - Nicolas Carr [BITE!]
• Aloha Lui Lui - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["There I was in the ocean."]
‣ Dramatic Bridge 4 - Phil Green ["A wave drew me back into the ocean."]
‣ Dramatic Bridge 7 - Phil Green [Mermaid Man falling in the ocean]
• Magic In and Out 1 - Nicolas Carr [Mermaid Man gets rescued by mermaids.]
‣ Rainbow Delights - Magnum Opus ["I was rescued by mermaids!"]
• Magic In and Out 2 - Nicolas Carr [Mermaid Man exhales]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 31A - Jeremy Wakefield [Mermaid Man falls asleep.]
• Breathing Underwater - Nicolas Carr ["There I was in the ocean."]
‣ Mount Olympus - Paddy Kingsland ["I had no other humans to talk to."]
• Sad Sack Shanty - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [Mermaid Man sees a ship.]
‣ Masked Crusader 2 [#21] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin ["A boy in trouble!"]
‣ Pirate Ship - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin ["Fear not, young man"]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 34D - Jeremy Wakefield ["No, no, no."]
‣ Arizona Fanfare - Jack Shaindlin ["Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy!"]
• Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme Lite - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin [A bank robbery occurs.]
• Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin [Robber running out of the bank.]
‣ Heroes Salute - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin ["Thank you, sir."]
• Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin [Barnacle Boy defeats Man Ray.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 28B - Jeremy Wakefield [Mermaid Man orders a pizza.]
‣ Arizona Fanfare - Jack Shaindlin [TV comes back on.]
‣ Sprightly Link 6 - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [Winchell Apartments exterior]
‣ The Bachelor Life (a) - Laurie Johnson ["Come on, Ernie, the movie's about to start."]
‣ Lost in the Galaxy [#35] - Harry Lubin [A scientist is doing tests.]
‣ Battle Zone - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [Ernie and Tim fall out of their apartment.]
‣ The Bachelor Life (a) - Laurie Johnson [Movie night]
‣ Imminent 4 - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [Reaction to overcooked popcorn]
• Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy Action Theme - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Pat Irwin [Ernie and Tim become Mermaid Man, Barnacle Boy.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 40D - Jeremy Wakefield ["Ah, feels just like yesterday, doesn't it?"]
• Slide Whistle Stooges No Whistle - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [The ending]
Release
- This episode is available on The Complete Eighth Season, Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy: Defenders of the Deep, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, Home Sweet Rubble, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 13, The Best 200 Episodes Ever, The Adventures of SpongeBob SquarePants, Next 100 Episodes, SpongeBob SquarePants Triple Pack, and The Seventh & Eighth Seasons DVDs.
Trivia
General
- This segment is alternatively titled "Mermaidman Begins."[1]
- The origin special states that Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy's real names are Ernie and Tim. These are nods to their respective voice actors, Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway.
- However, in "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V" and a few books, Mermaid Man calls Barnacle Boy "Kyle."
- This is the first episode to play the track "Breathing Underwater."
- This is the first episode in the SpongeBob SquarePants series in which the humans and the surface world are fully animated and do not appear in live-action form.
- This was the last episode to feature Ernest Borgnine before his death on July 8, 2012. Two later episodes, "Super Evil Aquatic Villain Team Up is Go!" and "Patrick-Man!," were produced before his death and aired after.
Cultural references
- The episode's name is a reference to the 2005 DC Comics movie Batman Begins, the first of the three movies in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, the other two are The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
- Mermaid Man mentions an event known as "the Big Splash" which formed the sea. This is a parody of the Big Bang. It is possible that the "Big Splash" that Mermaid Man was referring to is the event 4.4 billion years ago when a planet called Theia collided with Earth (which was then a lifeless rock), the collision resulted in much of Theia being absorbed into Earth, while a smaller chunk of Theia flew away from Earth and circled it and the Moon was formed, and because Theia possibly had water on it, it resulted in the Earth's oceans form, but it took 600 million years for the Earth and its oceans to cool down enough for the first living things to appear 3.8 billion years ago in the form of single-celled organisms.
- The radioactive ant biting Ernie's forehead mirrors Peter Parker (Spider-Man) getting bitten by a radioactive spider in the Spider-Man series.
- The name of the Vats of Acid "R" Us factory is a reference to the toy store Toys "R" Us.
- The bomb that explodes on Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy is a reference to how Bruce Banner became the Hulk.
- "Winchell Apartments" might've either been a reference to voice actor/ventriloquist Paul Winchell or American columnist Walter Winchell
Errors
- When Squidward's power goes out, his TV turns off, but his lights do not.
- Squidward's flooring appears smaller after his house is blown away.
- The narrator of the origin special mentions a solar eclipse, but it is actually a lunar eclipse, as the scene takes place at night.
- In the origin special, Ernie is bitten by a radioactive ant specimen in "the apartment directly above," but when he and Tim are flung back to their apartment, their window is shown to be on the top floor.
Videos
References