Rock Bottom

If you were looking for the article about the city, then see Rock Bottom (city).

Template:Episode/17b

Characters

• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Patrick Star
• Nat Peterson
• Thaddeus
• Sea Urchins
• Green soil ^(debut)
• Swallower ^(debut)
• Rock Bottom Bus Manager ^(debut)
• Grandpa SquarePants ^{(mentioned and depicted by SpongeBob)}
• Gary the Snail ^(mentioned)
• Angler Fish ^(debut)
• Other Rock Bottomites ^(debut)

Synopsis

SpongeBob and Patrick board a bus in order to get home from Glove World, a glove-themed amusement park that they love. They accidentally board the wrong bus, which then takes them to a cliff. The cliff leads to a sort of aphotic zone called Rock Bottom, inhabited by multiple strange deep-sea animals. Patrick gets on the bus to go home but accidentally leaves SpongeBob behind. After several unsuccessful attempts to get on the bus, SpongeBob heads to the bus station and waits in a very long line. By the time he gets to the front, he finds out that the last bus to

leave for the night is already gone, and he's stuck there until morning. He gets scared by a raspberry sound coming from nowhere, and he dashes back to the cliff. The raspberry sound's maker reveals himself to be a friendly-looking anglerfish creature, who has SpongeBob's balloon from Glove World. The creature blows up the balloon, ties it to SpongeBob's wrist, and allows him to float up the cliff and back to Bikini Bottom. The episode ends with Patrick on his way back to Rock Bottom, thinking SpongeBob is still there.

	"I can turn into a skyscraper!" This section is too short. You can help Encyclopedia SpongeBobia by expanding it.

Production

Art

Music

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 ‣ Moon Walk - John Fox [title card]
 ‣ Roll Up Waltz (e) - Andrew J J Hall [opening at Glove World]
 ‣ SpongeBob Closing Theme - Steve Belfer, Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob and Patrick on the bus]
 ‣ Missile Disaster - John Fox [Bikini Bottom City Limits]
 ‣ On Fire - Gregor F. Narholz [bus drives down a cliff]
 ‣ Moon Walk - John Fox [SpongeBob and Patrick in Rock Bottom]
 ‣ Mavericks - The Woodies* [SpongeBob chasing the bus]
 ‣ Hawaiian Link (b) - Richard Myhill [waiting for next bus]
 ‣ Vibe Link (b) - Richard Myhill ["Uh-oh, shoe's untied."]
 ‣ Hawaiian Link (a) - Richard Myhill [SpongeBob still waiting]
 ‣ Grass Skirt Chase - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob's balloon blows away]
 ‣ SpongeBob Theme (Version 1) - Jeremy Wakefield, Sage Guyton [someone chases it]
 ‣ Kamakani (b) - Kapono Beamer ["Well, there goes another one."]
 ‣ Orchestral Effect (f) - Dick Stephen Walter [glove candy dispenser]
 ‣ Seaweed - Steve Belfer [SpongeBob sees a candy machine]
 ‣ Pell-Mell - Sam Spence [pushing buttons on machine]
 ‣ ? - SpongeBob reaches toward the candy bar
 ‣ Deadline - Sam Spence [SpongeBob goes to the bus station]
 ‣ Hawaiian Cocktail - Richard Myhill [329th in line]
 ‣ On the Beach - Kapono Beamer [clock ticking]
 ‣ Menace from the Deep - Robert Cornford [lights turned off]
 ‣ Death Trap - Gregor F. Narholz [someone approaching]
 ‣ Royal Hawaiian Hula - Kapono Beamer [balloon travel]
 ‣ Honolulu March (Version 1) - Hans Haider [ending]

*on the Season 1 DVD, this is replaced with "El Dementia" by The Surfdusters

Release

• This episode is available on the Complete 1st Season and First 100 Episodes DVDs.

Reception

• As of August 11, 2015, The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) gives this episode a rating of 8.9/10 based on 272 ratings by users.tt0769426 TV.com users give this episode a rating of 9/10 based on 206 votes.[1]
• "Rock Bottom" was ranked #79 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.

Trivia

Template:Trivia

• Mr. Lawrence stated that the idea for this episode came from getting on the wrong bus as a kid and the bus driver going the entire route before he would let him and his friend off in the right place, which frightened them both.
• This is the first episode to feature Glove World.
• Residents of Rock Bottom all speak by blowing a raspberry (sound made while sticking out your tongue) in between words. When SpongeBob tried to speak normal to the fish at the bus station, the fish did not understand his "accent" until SpongeBob started to blow his tongue to speak.
• Rock Bottom's other areas are never shown and remain unknown. SpongeBob only stays near the bus stop, bus station, and the entrance road, not going any further. Though, in some video games, Rock Bottom's other locations and sights are shown.
• The opening credits for this episode are in light blue instead of the regular navy blue. This also happens in "Arrgh!," Rock Bottom's sister episode.
• This is one of the seven episodes in which the 1986 Paramount logo is plastered with the 2002 Paramount logo. The others are "Help Wanted," "Squeaky Boots," "F.U.N.," "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost," "Employee of the Month," and "Karate Choppers."
• Close to the cliff is a public toilet with a ? and a ¿. It is unknown which gender belongs to which bathroom.
  • Since the one-eyed creature that was also the bus station employee came out of the one with the ¿ and had a male voice, it could be hinted that ¿ is for males and ? is for females.
• The fish that works at the bus station in Rock Bottom to give schedules of when the buses are coming is the same fish who stole SpongeBob's Kelp Nougat Krunch candy bar from the vending machine.
• As the bus carrying SpongeBob and Patrick descends down the cliff face, the dramatic incidental music is from the song "Whirlpool," performed by the Detroit, Michigan surf band, The Volcano.
• In the level, Rock Bottom in Battle for Bikini Bottom, if the player runs towards the vending machine near the bus stop, a bus will drive up, stop at the bus stop, then continue driving, referencing the incident in this episode.
• The Dutch title of this episode is "Wachten op de bus," which means "Waiting For The Bus."
• The bus stop sign reads "BUZ" with a "Z" at the end instead of an "S" at the end. The vending machine sign has a K replacing the C, and the N is backwards.
• The buttons that SpongeBob press are A-B-E-F-A-C-F-E-C for a Kelp Nougat Crunch.
• The Fiery Fist O' Pain can be briefly seen when SpongeBob and Patrick leave Glove World, although it is new in the later airing episode, "Roller Cowards."
• Rock Bottom is one of the few cities in the series besides Bikini Bottom. See more here.
• Rock Bottom and Glove World together appear years later in SpongeBob's Boating Bash.
• This episode marks the first mentioning of Grandpa SquarePants, when SpongeBob imitates him, however his first actual appearance (in a thought bubble) is in "The Sponge Who Could Fly."
• Rock Bottom later appears in Employee of the Month video game.
• The citizens of Rock Bottom are based on deep sea animals, and Rock Bottom is apparently a deep sea trench.
• The ninety-degree slope is probably meant to be a continental slope.
• When SpongeBob says the extreme darkness is "advanced darkness," it's accurate, since Rock Bottom is a deep sea trench, and it's too far below the surface for light to reach.
• Running Gags: Whenever SpongeBob sees a bus and tries to run up to it, it quickly drives off.
• SpongeBob apparently left his glove hat behind when he returned to Bikini Bottom. 
• Although Rock Bottom only appears in one episode, it appears as a stage location in many SpongeBob video games.
• This episode inspired the 2008 roller coaster, SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge, at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN.

Cultural References

• This episode is similar to Stephen King's short story, "Crouch End."
• The clock at the bus station resembles a Poké Ball from Pokémon.

Errors

• At the beginning of the episode when SpongeBob says, "Another Funtastic Day At Glove World," his lips don't move when he says, "Glove World."
• If you play frame-by frame when SpongeBob and Patrick are boarding the bus, SpongeBob's right arm is missing, but appears for a brief moment.
• When SpongeBob and Patrick get on the bus from "Glove World," SpongeBob doesn't have fifty cents for bus fare. But, when SpongeBob is in Rock Bottom, he is seen putting two coins that read "25" on them in a candy bar vending machine.
• When the bus heads toward Rock Bottom, SpongeBob says, "I think we're on the wrong--AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!--bus!," but the captions exclude it and just say bus. However, Nickelodeon UK kept the original captions.
• When SpongeBob screams "Fish paste!," the original captions read "Fish face!" However, Nickelodeon UK kept the original captions.
• SpongeBob says "Mmmmmmmm... Kelp Nougat Crunch." when looking at the vending machine, but the original captions say "Mmmmmmmm... Kelp Nugget Crunch." However, Nickelodeon UK kept the original captions.
• When SpongeBob looks at the vending machine, it is facing him. But when he is choosing the candy he wants, it is facing the opposite side of the road that's at a 90 degree angle.
• When SpongeBob told Patrick "50¢," Patrick said "Nope" (he doesn't even have that much money). Regular closed captions excluded Patrick's line, and it is a little hard to hear it.
• When SpongeBob is yelling at the man at the bus station, a sign that reads "Information" can be seen above the window. But, when the lights shut off, the sign disappears.
• In this episode, SpongeBob notices that his shoe is untied and ties it, however, in a future SpongeBob episode, "Your Shoe's Untied," he has forgotten how to tie his shoes and mentions that his shoes haven't been untied since SpongeBob was an egg. It is possible "Rock Bottom" took place after this episode.
• When they arrive there is no candy machine.
• When SpongeBob and Patrick get on the bus, there is a fish sleeping on one of the seats but, when they arrive at Rock Bottom, he is gone.
• The information fish says that the next bus left in five seconds, But it came and went, that means that was only one second (although bus schedules aren't always reliable)
• When SpongeBob was looking for a bus schedule,he had his balloon,but when he was chasing after the bus the balloon wasn't in his hands. Then in the next scene he had his balloon again.
• When SpongeBob tries to find a way out after seeing the weird creatures exiting the bathrooms, he has his glove balloon. But when running for the bus that Patrick had entered, the balloon is gone.
• When SpongeBob is first seen dialing the letters on the candy machine, the sign titled "BUZ" disappears. It reappears in the next scene.
• When SpongeBob chases the bus (after pushing the candy bar like a pedal) his running animation shows him running forwards. However, he actually runs to the side.
• When SpongeBob throws his glove hat on the ground, it disappears a bit later.
• When SpongeBob was at the bus station in the dark, he had his glovelight. When he left the bus station and started heading toward the cliff, the glovelight was gone.
• When Patrick tells SpongeBob "The bus is here!" he somehow had the 50¢ needed to ride the bus even though, he had already told SpongeBob he had no money.
• When the cardboard SpongeBob was at the candy machine, he didn't smile, but when he was falling he smiled.
• Instead of the tumbleweed being red, it is green in this episode.
• When SpongeBob was walking across the street back to the vending machine, he was looking behind him if the bus came, but SpongeBob actually was looking at where he was standing at.
• When the red fish blew up SpongeBob's balloon, he said it had enough AIR. However, they live underwater.
• When the bus stops in Rock Bottom, the bubbles behind it freeze in mid-air.
• When SpongeBob eats his glove candy he spits out right next to him, but when he comes back from trying to get a candy bar, it disappears.
• When SpongeBob notices his shoes are untied, the shoe laces are black, compared to the normal white.
• The distance between the bus stop and when the road goes up, varies between scenes.
• When SpongeBob falls asleep while waiting in line at the bus station, it shows a clock that has two 3's on it.
• Thaddeus' arms look shorter.
• At the end of the episode when SpongeBob's balloon popped, pieces of it were laying on the ground but in the next shot, the pieces were gone.
• When SpongeBob ran into the 90-degree angle road, he said he was bleeding, however there wasn't any blood during that scene. He also hit his head when he hit the road, possibly confusing him.
  • However, he could have been bleeding internally.
• The storyboard artists aren't credited in this episode.
• When SpongeBob is chasing after the bus Patrick is in, the exit in Rock Bottom is a greater distance away than it was in the prior scenes.
• In one scene when SpongeBob is sneaking up on the bus, his holes are missing.

External links

• Rock Bottom at the Internet Movie Database
• Rock Bottom at TV.com