EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Episode Title: "Employee of the Month"
Episode Airing Number: 12
Episode Production Number: 12
Original Airdate: October 2, 1999
Season: 1
On DVD: "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete First Season," "Home Sweet Pineapple"
On VHS: (none)
Aired With Episode: "The Chaperone"
Running Time: 11:02
Storyboard Director: Paul Tibbitt
Storyboard Artists: Mark O'Hare, Erik Weise and Ennio Torresan, Jr.
Writers: Paul Tibbitt and Mr. Lawrence
Animation Director: Sean Dempsy
Creative Director: Derek Drymon
In Brief: Squidward and SpongeBob compete for the Employee of the Month award.
Story: At the Krusty Krab one day, SpongeBob reminds Squidward that today is judging for the Employee of the Month award. Squidward believes that the award is just a scam so the winner will work harder for no extra pay. SpongeBob, who has won twenty-six months in a row, really wants to win again. Mr. Krabs and Squidward joke that Squid may sneak up on him and win the award. SpongeBob doesn't want this to happen.
In the kitchen, SpongeBob is working extra hard when one of the Krabby Patties he flips gets stuck on the ceiling. Squidward finds him trying to take it off, and SpongeBob begs him to not tell Mr. Krabs about what happened. Squidward goes on again about how the award is garbage. Later, SpongeBob thinks about if Squidward is right, and that all his extra work is meaningless. His imagination makes one of the sponges in his Employee of the Month photo come to life and tell him Squidward's trying to trick him and keep working for the award.
That night, SpongeBob spies on Squidward through binoculars from his house and comes up with a plan. He'll stop Squidward's alarm clock so that he doesn't wake up for work in the morning. SpongeBob sneaks into Squidward's house to turn the clock off. Hiding in Squidward's pillowcase, he attempts to turn the clock off by reaching for it while Squid's asleep. He is caught, so he tries smashing all of Squid's alarm clocks, but he has a whole closet full of them. The two argue more about the award. Squidward tells him that he'll try winning the award to show him how easy it is.
SpongeBob and Squidward use different tricks to prevent the other from getting to work and winning the award. Throughout the night, the two use traps to stop each other while running to work. Finally, in the early morning, the two make a truce. This doesn't last long, because after a handshake, the two are racing to the Krusty Krab again. When the arrive, they compete to win by cleaning and giving Mr. Krabs. The two flip Krabby Patties so fast that they cause the Krusty Krab to explode and leave Krabby Patties all over. Everyone is happy to see free Krabby Patties. Mr. Krabs tries making the people pay for them, and SpongeBob and Squidward keep asking who the new Employee of the Month is.
Song: "Gonna Make Some Money"
Money, money
Gonna make some money
Quotes:
SpongeBob: Do you know what today is?
Squidward: Annoy Squidward Day?
SpongeBob: *laughs* No, silly. That's on the fifteenth.
SpongeBob: An experienced Employee of the Month always keeps a brick of lead in his hat.
Mr. Krabs: Ah, it warms me wallet to see me employees coming in so early.
SpongeBob: It's more efficient to clean dishes this way, Mr. Krabs! *wipes plates with mop*
Observations:
In the SpongeBob Movie There is a reference to this episode in the SpongeBob movie. In SpongeBob's bedroom, he has a whole wall filled with Employee of the Month plaques. Also, there was an exclusive song recorded for the movie soundtracks sold at Target stores called "Employee of the Month."
Magazine In the cashier's boat, Squidward reads a magazine called "Frown Digest."
Different Music In the scene where SpongeBob spies on Squidward from his house, there is different background music played on the DVDs than the TV version of this episode. There were likely issues with music rights that prevented the music from being used on the DVDs.
Time Squidward's clock says 9:00 when he goes to bed. In his closet full of clocks, most of them read 8:05. They all later switch to 9:00.
Tentacles Tied Squidward tells SpongeBob he could win the Employee of the Month award with his tentacles tied. Later on, in the "running and trapping" scene, his tentacles get tied up by SpongeBob.
Missing The diving board that is usually next to SpongeBob's bed isn't present in this episode.
Unusual Sleeping SpongeBob sleeps in bed wearing his Krusty Krab hat.
Methods Used to Stop the Other From Going to Work:
-Smashing Squidward's alarm clocks to prevent him from waking up
-Putting SpongeBob to sleep with a lullaby
-Digging hole that Squidward falls in
-Boarding up SpongeBob's door
-Trapping SpongeBob in cage
-Trapping Squidward in huge bottle
-Catching SpongeBob's nose with clamp in a Krabby Patty
-Trapping Squidward in net
-Getting SpongeBob cut in pieces by running through a grater-like fence
-Tying up Squid's tentacles
-Sealing SpongeBob in a brick wall
-Making Squid drag a huge ship attached to him
-Tying SpongeBob on his back to an anchor and making him move with it
Flaming Ship The ship Squidward drags has a flame in the back area.
Two Grills At the end of this episode, the Krusty Krab kitchen has two grills. SpongeBob and Squidward make Krabby Patties on an extra-long one, and the one SpongeBob normally uses is seen in the background behind it.