What Ever Happened to SpongeBob?

If you were looking for the article about DVD, then see WhoBob WhatPants?.

Template:Episode/98

Characters

• SpongeBob SquarePants/CheeseHead BrownPants
• Patrick Star
• Squidward Tentacles
• Sandy Cheeks
• Eugene H. Krabs
• Gary the Snail
• Mailfish
• Perch Perkins
• Margie Star ^{(indirectly mentioned)}
• Bikini Bottomites
• Lisa
• Nat Peterson
• Angry Jack
• The Bubble Poppin' Boys ^(debut)
• Mayor
• Jimmy ^(cameo)
• Nazz ^(cameo)
• Nathiel ^(cameo)
• Old Man Jenkins ^(cameo)
• Lenny ^(cameo)
• Jack ^(cameo)
• David ^(cameo)
• Thug

Synopsis

SpongeBob wakes up on a normal day, as usual. He looks out his window and sees the mailman riding by on his bike. He says "Hi" to the mailman. This causes the mailman to get distracted and a truck crashes into him. After that, SpongeBob wants to spend time with his friends; however, he ends up upsetting them. He accidentally breaks Gary's shell, crushes Patrick's cake, disturbs Squidward's beauty sleep, destroys Sandy's robot, and deep fries Mr. Krabs' money. SpongeBob decides to leave Bikini Bottom, as all his friends started to believe hate him (and cruelly calling him "idiot boy"). As he leaves, he is attacked by cannibals who attempt to kill & devour him. While he runs from the cannibals, he falls off a cliff and bumps his head, he gets a lump but his bundle hits him on his head knocking him unconscious. Back in Bikini Bottom, Patrick and Sandy (who had supposedly come over to apologize to SpongeBob for the other day) find Gary who is extremely huge and overweight and a note from SpongeBob, explaining that he has left forever. Everybody is upset and guilty that SpongeBob is gone, with the obvious exception of Squidward, who is delighted.

Meanwhile, SpongeBob wakes up with amnesia. A couple of fish give him a new name, "CheeseHead BrownPants", so that they can steal his possessions and take advantage of his amnesia. All SpongeBob has left is a bottle of bubble soap. He wanders around until he ends up in New Kelp City where he attempts to get a job. Each time he gets a job he uses his bubble blowing ability to help him, but this strikes fear into all the residents of the city. This activity attracts the attention of the Bubble Poppin' Boys and their leader, Trevor who have scared the city into never blowing bubbles. SpongeBob uses his ability to get rid of the gang and is rewarded by getting the position of mayor of New Kelp City.

Back in Bikini Bottom, Mr. Krabs is hoping for the return of SpongeBob so he can prepare Krabby Patties, while Patrick and Sandy want their friend back. Squidward didn't know until Mr. Krabs offers him a reward of a Fabergé egg. He chooses his love of art over his hatred of SpongeBob and the trio see a newspaper stand showing news of SpongeBob's position as mayor, but when they go to New Kelp City to retrieve him behind Squidward's back, he cannot remember them. They then manage to kidnap SpongeBob and return him to the Krusty Krab, but he wants to return to New Kelp City. Squidward, who didn;t know again if SpongeBob stays or not slips on a greasy spatula and accidentally throws his egg onto SpongeBob's head. The impact gives SpongeBob his memory back, and Mr. Krabs, Sandy, and Patrick apologize for running him out of town. But even so, SpongeBob still wants to return to his position as mayor, because he feels bubble blowing needs to be commonplace in; New Kelp City society. At that moment a news report comes on the television saying that the bubbles in New Kelp City are causing mayhem, and he is being threatened by a thug. Upon hearing this, SpongeBob has second thoughts about going back to New Kelp City, and decides to stay in Bikini Bottom. And then Squidward's head opens and he throws his brain in the garbage when SpongeBob change back forever.

Production

Art

Patrick and SpongeBob - "I'm gonna go back and make a 2nd b-day cake my mother will like!"

Robot exploding

SpongeBob looking at Sandy's broken robot

"Get out of here!"

Mr. Krabs falling down

Scallop crowing

"I better not hit my head again. That might cause a concussion."

"What could possibly be wrong with practicing the bubble arts?"

"Seems like a harmless activity."

"I can't say that I blame you."

Music

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 ‣ Open and End Fanfare - Nino Nardini ["Ahoy, it's a SpongeBob SquarePants special!"]
 • Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["Ahoy, it's a SpongeBob SquarePants special!"]
 ‣ Creepy Sting 1 - W. Merrick Farran [title card]
 ‣ Marching to Honolulu - Kapono Beamer [SpongeBob wakes up]
 ‣ Dramatic Impact 2 - Ivor Slaney [mailman hit by a truck]
 ‣ Dancing the Hula - Kapono Beamer ["Isn't life great, Gary?"]
 ‣ Comic Walk - Sidney Torch [Squidward wakes up]
 ‣ Dancing the Hula - Kapono Beamer ["...the best job..."]
 ‣ Sailor's Sting 3 - Nicolas Carr, Robert Alexander White ["He's already ten seconds late!"]
 ‣ Dancing the Hula - Kapono Beamer ["...and of course, the bestest pet!"]
 ‣ Steel Licks (a) - Jeremy Wakefield ["I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"]
 • Seaweed - Steve Belfer [Patrick's cake ruined]
 • Vibe Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Ooh."]
 ‣ Comic Walk - Sidney Torch ["Don't you ever wake me from my beauty sleep!"]
 ‣ ? [Sandy working on an invention]
 ‣ Fanfare (b) - David Farnon [pan of robot]
 ‣ ? [robot dances]
 ‣ Dramatic Impact 5 - Ivor Slaney [SpongeBob spills water on the robot]
 ‣ Steel Licks (d) - Jeremy Wakefield [robot explodes]
 ‣ The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band [at the Krusty Krab]
 • Steel Sting - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob crashes into pots, pans]
 ‣ The Rake Hornpipe - Robert Alexander White [Krabs in his office]
 ‣ From the Dead - Ronald Hanmer [Krabs falls into grease fryer]
 ‣ Drama Sting - Larry Hochman, Otto Sieben [money fried]
 ‣ Tympup B - Sammy Burdson, John Charles Fiddy [SpongeBob kicked out]
 • Hawaiian Sting - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob kicked out]
 ‣ Pua Paoakalani B - Kapono Beamer, Queen Lili'uokalani [SpongeBob's sad]
 ‣ Hawaiian Cocktail - Richard Myhill [SpongeBob leaves town]
 • Vibe Sting - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob hears something]
 ‣ Someone Coming - Raymond C. Jones [people making weird noises]
 ‣ Editor's Run Down (b) and (a) - Dick Stephen Walter [SpongeBob falling off cliff]
 ‣ Tympup B - Sammy Burdson, John Charles Fiddy [SpongeBob's hit on the head]
 • Hawaiian Sting - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob's hit on the head]
 • Closing the Door - Nicolas Carr [back at home...]
 • Seaweed - Steve Belfer [Patrick knocking on SpongeBob's door]
 ‣ Drama Link (d) and (b) - Hubert Clifford ["We ain't got time for that!"/Gary's huge]
 • Vibe Q Sting - Nicolas Carr [note from SpongeBob]
 ‣ O Makalapua B - Kapono Beamer [Sandy reads it]
 ‣ Furtive Footsteps - Paddy Kingsland [SpongeBob wakes up with amnesia]
 ‣ Drama Link (d) - Hubert Clifford ["Bubbles?!"]
 • Bikini Bottom News Theme - Nicolas Carr [breaking news]
 ‣ West Side Rumble - Sam Spence ["Bikini Bottom is in a state of total chaos tonight."]
 ‣ The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band ["Where the barnacles is SpongeBob?!"]
 ‣ Murder in Mind - Ronald Hanmer [Sandy and Patrick enter]
 ‣ Fates - Gregor F. Narholz [everyone's sad that SpongeBob's gone]
 ‣ What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor - Okko Bekker* [group meeting]
 ‣ Bizarre Swing - John Cacavas [SpongeBob in New Kelp City]
 ‣ Surrender 6 and 8 - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin ["I'm a jobless deadbeat?"/Spongebob getting hungry]
 ‣ Steel Licks (b) - Jeremy Wakefield ["Not a penny to my name."]
 ‣ Vibe Sting - Dick Stephen Walter [Help Wanted sign at a bank]
 ‣ Drama Link (d) - Hubert Clifford ["What do you think you're doing?!"]
 ‣ Steel Link (b) - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob kicked out]
 ‣ Skyscraper City - Ronald Hanmer [SpongeBob as a construction worker]
 ‣ Joe Cool - Nino Nardini ["I do not understand this!"]
 • Harp Ding - Nicolas Carr [Sandy's sponge-tracking device]
 ‣ Cartoon Sting 3 - Gerhard Narholz ["Oh, you're saying this thing can actually find SpongeBob?"]
 ‣ Steel Sting (b) - Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward destroys it]
 ‣ Cartoon Sting 2 - Gerhard Narholz, Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [Krabs yells at Squidward]
 ‣ ? [Faberge egg]
 ‣ Tympup C - Sammy Burdson, John Charles Fiddy ["Not so fast."]
 ‣ Joe Cool - Nino Nardini [SpongeBob wandering through the city]
 ‣ Hawaiian Link (b) - Richard Myhill ["We're just waiting in line for a new video game."]
 ‣ Dramatic Cue (a) - Ronald Hanmer ["You can't do that here!"]
 ‣ Harp Gliss 1 - Otto Sieben [SpongeBob blows a bubble]
 ‣ Dramatic Cue (b) - Ronald Hanmer [everyone runs away]
 ‣ Creepy Sting 1 - W. Merrick Farran [Bubble Poppin' Boys introduced]
 ‣ Hit and Run - Sam Spence [they chase SpongeBob]
 ‣ Chase That Car - Laurie Johnson [SpongeBob falls]
 ‣ Hit and Run - Sam Spence [SpongeBob traps BPBs inside a bubble]
 ‣ Champions March - Harry Bluestone ["Do you realize what you've done?"]
 ‣ Movie Overture - Larry Hochman [SpongeBob appointed mayor]
 ‣ ? [Sandy, Patrick and Squidward looking for SpongeBob]
 • Gator - Steve Belfer ["Oh, I knew I'd find you, buddy!"]
 ‣ Dramatic Impact 2 - Ivor Slaney ["SpongeBob's mayor of New Kelp City!"]
 ‣ Hail to the Chief A - Will Schaefer [SpongeBob's speech]
 • Vibe Sting - Nicolas Carr ["It's me, Sandy!"]
 ‣ Fight for Ol'Schaefer U. - Will Schaefer [SpongeBob and Patrick's tattoo]
 ‣ Hail to the Chief - George Wilson ["I'm late for a meeting."]
 • Sponge Monger - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward driving the limousine]
 ‣ The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band [at the Krusty Krab]
 ‣ Steel Licks (a) - Jeremy Wakefield ["I'll just go back to my modest job as mayor of a major city."]
 • Steel Licks - Jeremy Wakefield ["SpongeBob's leaving for real this time!"]
 ‣ Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah - George Frideric Handel [Krabs gives Squidward the Faberge egg]
 ‣ Tympup B - Sammy Burdson, John Charles Fiddy [Squidward slips]
 • Hawaiian Sting - Nicolas Carr [Squidward slips]
 ‣ House of Horror - W. Merrick Farran [egg hits SpongeBob on the head]
 ‣ Botany Bay (b) - Robert Alexander White ["We're really sorry we ran you out of town."]
 • Bikini Bottom News Theme - Nicolas Carr [KNKC Special Report]
 • Hawaiian Trax - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [ending]

*removed from APM site

Reception

• Negative reviews were given to this episode about the harsh treatment towards SpongeBob.
• People also hate the gross face Spongebob makes after he asks a stranger if something's wrong with him.
• That face has became a popular meme.
• Another thing fans hate is the conflict. He can't make a living in the new city because bubbles are banned.

Release

• This episode is available on the WhoBob WhatPants?, Season 5 Volume 2, Complete Fifth Season, and First 100 Episodes DVDs.

Trivia

• Rather than the traditional SpongeBob theme playing at the beginning of the episode, the lyrics have been altered to say things such as "WhoBob WhatPants".
• This is the second episode to have an alternate theme song. The first one is "Christmas Who?" and the third one is "Truth or Square".
• This episode was advertised as " WhoBob WhatPants?".
• This is the second episode with a full character displayed on the title card. The first was Plankton on the Friend or Foe title card.
• The title card has two quotations on the title. The episode itself does not have those quotations.
• Sandy appeared to be either MIG or TIG welding. However, she had no protective clothes on except for her head shield (especially dangerous as she is covered in fur), and her gloves appeared to be rubber instead of rawhide.
• Mr. Krabs' nose swells up and explodes with a jet of water. Real-life crabs can do this, but instead squirt water from their eyes.
• In "Texas", Sandy uses a handle to flush her tears out of her helmet. However in this episode she is not seen using it.
• Here are the things what SpongeBob done to get called Idiot Boy:
  • He accidentally destroyed Patrick's mother's birthday cake.
  • Disturbed Squidward's beauty sleep.
  • Tripped over and splashed water on Sandy's robot.
  • Accidentally knocks Mr. Krabs' dollars in the fryer.
• In "New Digs", SpongeBob was one minute late and Mr. Krabs was okay with this. In this episode, he is not okay with SpongeBob being ten seconds late. He however, did say "don't do it again!"
• Bikini Bottom's population is revealed to have been 538 (SpongeBob crosses out the eight before leaving, so the population was 537 for the duration of the episode).
• The mayor of New Kelp City is seen in the episodes Doing Time, The Great Snail Race, and Drive Thru. He will be seen again in the episode Safe Deposit Krabs where he is at the grand opening of the Bank of Bikini Bottom Bank.
• Ray Liotta have been three times of been a voice actor: as Tommy Vercetti protagonists of video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, as Leader Poppin Boy in this episode and as himself in the 2007 animated film Bee Movie.
• This episode, along with Are You Happy Now?, Can You Spare a Dime?, and Christmas Who? are the only episodes to end in a question mark.
• This is the first time SpongeBob appeared on a title card. SpongeBob will also appear on the title card as a drawing in Oral Report and in a close-up view in InSPONGEiac.
• According to Patrick when Sandy was asking him where was SpongeBob, he said that he has been knocking on SpongeBob's door for 3 hours.
• While walking in New Kelp City, SpongeBob asks a random fish, "Is there something wrong with me?". After that, a hideous face of SpongeBob is shown, which has become an internet meme around YouTube. The fish is also the one who ordered the monster Krabby Patty from the episode All That Glitters.
• Nat is shown in Bikini Bottom and in New Kelp City.
• Mr. Krabs reads SpongeBob's note without an eyesight problem, but in "Greasy Buffoons", he reads with glasses.
• Most of the citizens of NKC are citizens of Bikini Bottom.
• Squidward's hatred for SpongeBob is clearly demonstrated in this episode, as he attempts to sabotage the search efforts, to the point where Mr. Krabs has to bribe him.
• The people who wrote this episode were the same people who wrote Atlantis SquarePantis.
• This is the first time the "hallelujah" theme plays. The second was in Mr. Krabs Takes a Vacation.
  • Funny, when this theme plays, at both times it involves Squidward (first when Mr. Krabs closes the Krusty Krab to go on vacation and second when Squidward receives the jade egg).
• This is the second time that SpongeBob is homeless. The first time was Home Sweet Pineapple.

Cultural References

• The Bubble Poppin' Boys are a parody of The Burger Palace Boys in the original musical Grease.
• The title of the episode is a parody of the novel What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? by Henry Farrell, complete with the words "what" and "ever" being separate from each other.
• This episode's title may be also a reference to an old Cartoon Network short series Whatever Happened to...Robot Jones?.
• After SpongeBob wakes up, the two hoboes taking his clothes are similar to the two men in A Christmas Carol, and could be a parody of them.
• New Kelp City is an obvious parody of New York City.
• Mr. and Mrs. Dollar could possibly be a spoof of Jack and Rose from the movie Titanic.

Errors

• There was a hole in the top of SpongeBob's water helmet, however when he went back out into the water outside the treedome, you could still see the top of the water in his helmet despite the fact there was a hole in the top of the helmet.
• When Squidward says "You mean this can actually find SpongeBob" his voice is out of sync with the animation.
• When SpongeBob puts his pants on, his shoes are automatically on.
• When "Mr. Dollar and Mrs. Dollar" are in the grease, instead of sinking in and never coming back out, they crust and singe. This may have just been Mr.Krabs fantasizing though.
• When the builder hides behind a pile of metal, a lot less of him shows than how tall he is, and the fish don't have knees.
• When the line of people are afraid of the bubble, it would have either floated upward or popped before it got to the front of the line.
• In a scene where Sandy pounced the door, Patrick landed on his milkshake, but his milkshake was intact, which is physically impossible, unless it went up his mouth.
• When Squidward is shown driving SpongeBob's limo the front flag is missing.