Encyclopedia SpongeBobia
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Encyclopedia SpongeBobia
If you were looking for the article about the spaceship, then see Sandy's rocket (object).
If you were looking for the article about the book, then see Sandy's Rocket (book).

"Sandy's Rocket" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 1. In this episode, SpongeBob and Patrick sneak onto Sandy's rocket ship.

Characters[]

Synopsis[]

SpongeBob visits Sandy's treedome, and then sees that Sandy has built a rocket ship. Sandy explains to him that she is going to the moon, and SpongeBob begs her to take him with her. Although she immediately insists that he cannot come, saying that this trip is for science and not for fun, and that there isn't even enough room for him on board, SpongeBob's begging ultimately convinces her to let him come with her.

That night, Patrick comes to SpongeBob's house and gives him some "Alien Repellent," which they sneak into Sandy's treedome to spray on the windows. Even though they agree to only spray the windows, Patrick inadvertently enters the rocket, and SpongeBob follows. After playing with the ship's various features, SpongeBob accidentally starts up the rocket and it starts to launch, which makes Sandy wake up and figure out the cause. SpongeBob and Patrick fall right down the rocket. Luckily, the gravity significantly decreases while they're in outer space. The ship loops over the moon a few times, falls back down to Earth, and crashes back in Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob and Patrick are both convinced that they are on the moon and that the aliens are projecting their memories onto the environment to trick them.

Sandy's Rocket 184

SpongeBob and Patrick capture Sandy and call her "Ms. AlienPants," much to her dismay.

The two begin capturing everyone with Sandy's net guns (intended for harvesting moon rocks), believing the citizens of Bikini Bottom to be aliens. Eventually, they capture everyone in the city. When Sandy arrives and chews them out for ruining her experiment, SpongeBob and Patrick shoot their net guns at her, capturing her too. Sandy attempts to explain the truth to them, but they slam the door in her face. Then, the two become convinced that the other one of them is an alien. Patrick attempts to shoot SpongeBob before he has a chance to capture him, but had his gun pointed the wrong way and ends up shooting and capturing himself. SpongeBob starts the rocket again to return home, and when it reaches the moon, the rocket crashes on top of it, having run out of gas. Noticing that things are different, SpongeBob looks out the window to see the Earth where he realizes his mistake. Before the episode ends, all the Bikini Bottomites who are being stored in the cargo hold of the ship, say: "SpongeBob, we aliens would like a word with you."

Production[]

This episode was shipped to Nickelodeon Animation Studio on August 12, 1999.

SB 008 Slate

SpongeBob and Patrick in their spacesuits were designed by Todd White.[3] According to an Instagram post by Derek Drymon, this episode was based on a short story by Ray Bradbury, and was initially pitched under the title "Space Show" on June 23, 1998, but was then revised under its current title a day later.[4]

Art[]

Model sheets[]

Music[]

 ) Production music
 ) Original music
 ) SpongeBob music

  Rocket Sled to Oahu - The Mel-Tones [Title card.]
  Millennium Fanfare (c) - Ron Goodwin [The rocket is shown.]
  Monks (f) - Dave Hewson [Shot of the graveyard.]
  Old Hilo March - Kapono Beamer ["I can fit in here."/transition to the next scene.]
  Vibe Link (A) - Richard Myhill [SpongeBob talking about aliens.]
  Vibe Link (B) - Richard Myhill ["There's one now!"]
  Hello Blues - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Alien repellent.]
  Time in Space - Gregor F. Narholz ["Look how big it is, SpongeBob!"]
  Robo Files B - Wesley Plass, Hannes Treiber [The control room.]
  Moloka'i Nui A - Kapono Beamer [Patrick playing a video game.]
  Star Warriors - Richard A. Harvey [SpongeBob starts the rocket.]
  Skaters Waltz - Emile Charles Waldteufel, Vienna Symphony Orchestra ["Look, we're in space now!"]
  Clusters - Otto Sieben [The rocket lands in Bikini Bottom.]
  War Lords - Robert Cornford [SpongeBob thinks it is a trick.]
  It Came from Outer Space - Ilona Sekacz [SpongeBob and Patrick enter Squidward's house.]
  Mavericks - The Woodies ["Get this thing off me!"]
  Shock (U) - Dave Hewson [Mr. Krabs captured.]
  War Blower - The Blue Hawaiians [SpongeBob and Patrick capturing everyone.]
  Return of the Surfin' Headhunters - The Mel-Tones [Sandy captured.]
  Alien Menace - Frederic Talgorn [SpongeBob and Patrick suspect each other of being aliens (selenites).]
  Space Explorers A - Gregor F. Narholz [Launch.]
  Hawaiian Link (A) - Richard Myhill [Ending.]

*On The Complete 1st Season and The First 100 Episodes DVDs, "Mavericks" is replaced with "Sharkskin" by The Surfdusters. On the Home Sweet Pineapple DVD and VHS versions, TV airings, and the Amazon Prime Video version, the "Mavericks" music is left intact.

Release[]

Reception[]

  • "Sandy's Rocket" was ranked #68 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.
  • "Sandy's Rocket" was ranked #33 during the SpongeBob's Top 100 event in the UK and Ireland from June 4-8, 2012.

Trivia[]

General[]

SpongeBob SquarePants Theme Song (1999) 23
  • The title card background for this episode is similar to that of the red background that SpongeBob is in from the theme song, but its shade of red is different, and it is slightly zoomed out.
Screenshot 2018-12-18-19-07-07-723 com.miui

Tom Yasumi is named on a gravestone.

  • Tom Yasumi's name can be seen on a gravestone in a cemetery.
  • Patrick mentions the episode's title when he says, "Is Sandy's Rocket alien proof?"
  • SpongeBob's quote "It's pretty impressive alright" was reused in some SpongeBob online games.
  • Foreshadowing: After Patrick is advised by SpongeBob to make sure that his net gun is pumped before they enter Squidward's house, he unwisely aims the barrell at his face. This anticipates the climax of the episode, in which he accidentally shoots a net at himself instead of SpongeBob.
  • This episode reveals that Mr. Krabs has a pet worm, Mr. Doodles.
  • When SpongeBob looks out at the window towards the moon, the view of Earth from the Moon looks almost exactly like the famed Apollo 8 photograph.
Screenshot 2016-11-10 at 2.13
1999-09-17 2000pm SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob_-_September_17,_1999_Smell-O-Vision_Screen_Bug_(Sandy's_Rocket)

SpongeBob - September 17, 1999 Smell-O-Vision Screen Bug (Sandy's Rocket)

  • During a promotion for The Rugrats Movie VHS tape and DVD released on March 30, 1999, a set of scratch-and-sniff stickers were released at specified fast-food restaurants to be used with certain Nicktoons. One of them was used when Patrick squirts toothpaste in SpongeBob's peanut butter. Another one of them was used when SpongeBob pulls out a hot water bottle from Squidward.[5] Also, the symbol that signaled one to "sniff" at the bottom right part of the screen was filmed along with the episode in American TV airings, and not edited out until late 2002, almost three years after the scratch-and-sniff card packs were put out of circulation.[6]
  • There is a LEGO set called "Rocket Ride (3831)" which is based on this episode.
    Clint Bond art for deleted scene

    Book art for the Plankton scene, drawn by storyboard artist Clint Bond Jr.

  • A chapter book based on this episode features extended material: In the extended ending, SpongeBob releases Patrick and Sandy from the bags, and Sandy shoots SpongeBob as punishment before refueling the rocket, and flying back to Bikini Bottom, where she made SpongeBob apologize to everyone else. The book also shows Plankton getting captured while stealing a Krabby Patty and SpongeBob and Patrick capture Pearl who was shopping at Whale Watchers Mall. According to the book, it required more than one net to capture Pearl. These scenes are not in the episode version.
  • There are two more books based on this episode called Blast Off, Splash Down! and Sponge in Space!
  • This is the first episode for several things:
    • This and the sister episode "Squeaky Boots" were the first episode pairing to not premiere on a Saturday morning. They first aired on a Friday night (September 17, 1999).
    • The first episode where Mr. Krabs is seen only outside of the Krusty Krab during an episode.
      • This marks the first episode where Mr. Krabs appears without the Krusty Krab appearing. However, Mr. Krabs and the Krusty Krab appear in the chapter book based on this episode.
    • The first episode that shows that Sandy is interested in science. This would become a more common part of her personality in the post-first movie episodes.
    • The first episode to take place above sea level at some point (not counting brief establishing shots during which no characters are present).
    • The first time Bikini Atoll appears outside of the theme song.
    • The first appearance of Flats the Flounder, who would later appear in "Texas" and "The Bully," the latter of which is his first major appearance.
  • This is one of four episodes transcribed as a comic into the SpongeBob SquarePants/Tokyopop book Gone Nutty! The other three were "Karate Choppers," "Pressure," and "Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm."
Sandy's Rocket 098
DSCF6723


Cultural references[]

2001-A-Space-Odyssey-References-1-SpongeBob-SquarePants-Easter-Eggs-350x300

A book with "2001" written on its cover, which is a reference to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

  • When SpongeBob and Patrick first become weightless in the rocket, a book floats by with "2001" written on its cover. This is a reference to the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
    • Another reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey is when SpongeBob launches into space the first time, the music is a parody of one of the tracks from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
  • SpongeBob saying, "Hey, you got your toothpaste in my peanut butter!" is a reference to the old Reese's Peanut Butter Cups commercials.
  • The music that plays when SpongeBob and Patrick are in zero-gravity is "Les Patineurs" ("Skaters' Waltz") by Emile Waldteufel.
  • The scene when SpongeBob and Patrick "analyze" Squidward thinking he's an alien has some references to the 1979 film Alien, most notably when Squidward's tentacle attaches to Patrick's helmet like the series "Facehuggers" in the famous scene from the film, and the way SpongeBob's hands appear under the light in Squidward's water bottle is similar to the way the eggs in Alien appeared.

Errors[]

  • At the beginning of this episode, there is a ladder to get onto the platform. Then, in the next scene with the platform, the ladder is gone.
  • At the beginning of this episode, Sandy in talking to SpongeBob through a window in her rocket ship. However, in the next scene, Sandy is in a different window.
  • In one scene where Sandy is showing SpongeBob how the net gun works, she blows on the bubbles coming out of the gun, despite having her helmet on.
Sandy's Missing Eyelashes Error in Sandy's Rocket

Sandy's missing eyelashes.

  • After Sandy tests her net gun, her eyelashes are missing.
Sandy's Rocket 044

SpongeBob's house is missing one of the windows.

  • When SpongeBob is trying to sleep, SpongeBob's house is missing a window.
  • SpongeBob's alarm clock is on the left side on the bed, unlike in most other episodes.
    • It is possible that he simply put it on the left side.
  • When SpongeBob says, "a present," his speech is cut off so it sounds like "a prese-."
Sandy's Rocket 059

SpongeBob's blanket has the wrong color in this shot.

  • For most of the scenes in SpongeBob's bedroom, his blanket is its original aqua-teal color. However, in the close-up shot of the Alien-Out! repellent can, his blanket is its newer purple color.
  • The rocket is standing vertically before it takes off, but SpongeBob and Patrick are shown walking in it as if it is laying horizontally.
Sandy's Rocket 089

The smoke inside the tree while the rocket is taking off.

  • When the rocket begins to lift off and smoke is created from the launch, Sandy smells it in her bedroom. This is incorrect as the rocket was outside of the treedome and the dome is airtight with Sandy inside.
  • SpongeBob and Patrick experience gravity turning on and off when leaving the water. However, gravity does not change until they left Earth's atmosphere.
  • When SpongeBob and Patrick are floating in the rocket and Patrick is trying to get right side up, SpongeBob's laughing is out of sync with the animation.
SpongeBob's yellow mouth mistake in Sandy's Rocket

SpongeBob's yellow mouth mistake.

  • When SpongeBob says, "Hey, you got your toothpaste in my peanut butter!," the inside of his mouth appears yellow instead of red for a couple frames.
  • When Sandy jetpacks up to the moon and lands, she takes up almost the whole top surface of the moon, which is a size error.
  • The rocket leaves a fire trail behind it, but when it crash lands, it uses a propeller.
  • Gary's shape inside the net when SpongeBob holds him is not correct. There should be a large bulge indicating the shell.
  • Before Squidward wakes up, SpongeBob is holding on to three of his tentacles; the fourth one is still in bed. However, in the next close-up of Squidward, SpongeBob is holding on to all four of them.
  • Patrick holds on to Squidward's right tentacle before he wakes up, but after he wakes up, he is holding his left tentacle.
  • In the Filipino dub, Mrs. Puff's voice does not become low pitched as she gets captured.
  • When the fish holding the parasol is netted, her eyes appear on its canopy. Her eyes should appear underneath the canopy, not on it.
  • When SpongeBob and Patrick are trying to stuff everyone into the ship, it appears to be full. However, they have enough room to throw Sandy in later.
  • Sandy says that the rocket does not have enough room for SpongeBob. However, it is later revealed to have enough room to fit almost the entirety of Bikini Bottom.
  • Before throwing Sandy in the rocket to bring to the moon, Patrick laughs, but his voice is out of sync with the animation.
  • When the rocket first circles the moon, the rocket is almost as big as the moon, but at the end of the episode when SpongeBob looks out the window, the moon is much bigger.


Videos[]

References[]

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