ROCK BOTTOM
Episode Title: "Rock Bottom"
Episode Airing Number: 17
Episode Production Number: 17
Original Airdate: March 15, 2000
Season: 1
On DVD: "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete First Season"
On VHS: (none)
Aired With Episode: "Arrgh!"
Running Time: 11:04
Storyboard Directors: Paul Tibbitt and Ennio Torresan
Writers: Paul Tibbitt, Ennio Torresan and David Fain
Animation Director: Tom Yasumi
Creative Director: Derek Drymon
In Brief: SpongeBob gets stuck in a creepy place called Rock Bottom and needs to get home.
Story: After a fun day at the Glove World amusement park, SpongeBob and Patrick board the bus to go home. While they're sitting in their seat, Patrick looks out the window and sees a sign that says they're leaving Bikini Bottom. Just then, the bus takes a scary plunge down a 90-degree-angle hill. The bus driver tosses SpongeBob and Patrick out of the bus and drives off. The boys find the place they're stuck in, Rock Bottom, very dark and creepy. The people are very strange and it's impossible to tell the bathrooms apart. SpongeBob walks off to find a bus schedule, and while doing so, a bus arrives and picks up Patrick. Sponge chases after the bus, but he isn't able to catch it. Alone in Rock Bottom, SpongeBob decides to wait for the next one. At the bus stop, SpongeBob misses some buses while tying his shoe, chasing his glove balloon that gets away and yelling at a fish that takes his balloon. During a long period of waiting, a bus doesn't come. He gets hungry and sees a vending machine across the street. During the times he's at it, he misses seven buses, plus someone takes his candy he bought. When he misses two more buses, he goes to the bus station to demand a bus. There is a line of over 300 people at the information booth at the bus station, so SpongeBob has to wait a very long time. When he gets to ask the man at the counter when the next bus comes, the last one leaves on him. The bus station closes and he waits inside for morning to arrive, when the next bus comes. While waiting in the bus station, SpongeBob gets afraid of the dark and hears a noise approaching him. He flees the station and smacks into the 90-degree-angle hill. The frightening thing coming to him ends up being the fish that took his glove balloon. It fills it up with enough air to carry him home. When he arrives home the next morning, he sees Patrick riding a bus to Rock Bottom to come back for him.
Song: (none)
Quotes:
Patrick: Hey, SpongeBob?
SpongeBob: Yes, Patrick?
Patrick: Where's 'Leaving Bikini Bottom?'
SpongeBob: Where did you see that?
Patrick: We just passed the sign. You are now in Leaving Bikini Bottom.
SpongeBob: *to Bus Driver* But sir, we need to get back to Bikini Bottom!
Bus Driver: Oh well.
SpongeBob: Getting hungry. Glove candy dispenser! Good thing I went to Glove World! *takes out candy dispenser and puts glove-shaped candies on tongue; chews and spits them out* Eew! Glove-flavored!
SpongeBob: This isn't your average everyday darkness. This is...advanced darkness.
Observations:
Glove World Sign The Glove World sign has an exclamation mark at the end (Glove World!).
Glove Pop Patrick licks a glove-shaped lollipop at the Glove World bus stop.
Driver's Seat The bus driver's seat is an open clam shell.
Disappearing Rider The person sleeping on the bus is only seen once.
Rock Bottom Candy Candies in the vending machine include "Kelp," "Cod" and "Saz."
At the Bus Station There are 329 people in the information line at the bus station and no noise or talking going on.
Collar SpongeBob's shirt has a collar when he's jumping around and cursing inside it.
Numbers on The Rock Bottom Clock (ones on left are our numbers; ones on right their used numbers):
12:00: 3 1:00: A dot 2:00: W 3:00: 111 4:00: 6 5:00: 1 6:00: 3 7:00: F 8:00: X 9:00: 0 10:00: 7 11:00: E
Long Time Waiting SpongeBob waits in the bus station for about nine-and-a-half hours.
SpongeBob's Pineapple SpongeBob's house is seen right next to downtown Bikini Bottom, when normally it isn't. Squidward and Patrick's houses aren't next to it in the town shot.