Stuck in an Elevator

"Stuck in an Elevator" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 15. In this episode, when Squidward gets trapped in an elevator with SpongeBob and Patrick, he tries to escape in time to return a nearly overdue library book.

Characters

• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Patrick Star
• Squidward Tentacles
• Wally
• Incidentals
  • Incidental 12
  • Incidental 14
  • Incidental 34
  • Incidental 41
  • Incidental 46
  • Harris
  • Stretch
  • Dale
  • Incidental 118
  • Incidental 118C
  • Incidental 118D
  • Incidental 119
  • Incidental 152
• Cecil Star ^(mentioned)

Synopsis

Squidward leaves his house to return his book of affirmations to the library before it is overdue. He runs into SpongeBob, who invites him to spend a day of fun with him and Patrick, but Squidward refuses. At the library, Squidward arrives early and heads to the top floor to return his book, but he sees SpongeBob and Patrick in the elevator. He waits for the next one, but they catch up to him on the next floor. When he asks why they are there, they say it is their elevator riding day.

File:Stuck in an Elevator 061.png

Patrick pressing all of the elevator buttons.

Squidward calms himself with the affirmation book and asks Patrick to go to the top floor. Patrick hits all the elevator buttons, and Squidward pounds the top floor button, causing it to short circuit and the elevator to stop. Afraid of how long they could be stuck, Squidward calms himself down again and uses the emergency phone to call for help. However, he only calls Wally on the other side, who is also stuck and repeats everything Squidward says.

Patrick tries to fix the elevator, but he short circuits the lights, then causes the elevator to fling out of the building and bounce back. Squidward pulls on the door to open it, and pulls them off. He nearly falls down the elevator shaft, but decides to take SpongeBob's offer for help and climbs back out. On the floor, he notices another door on the ceiling. He climbs SpongeBob and Patrick to get inside, but it only takes him to the other side of the elevator.

Squidward gets hungry, and Patrick uses his phone to call for pizza, neglecting to hold the door open and eating all the pizza himself. To stay calm, Squidward recites from his book of affirmations, with SpongeBob and Patrick listening in and practicing meditation.

File:Stuck in an Elevator 178.png

"You'll be just like us!"

When Wally digs into the elevator, it has become a Zen island. SpongeBob and Patrick worship Squidward as a king, and Squidward consults his book, then tells Wally they can stay. Wally is so unsettled that he escapes back into the hole. Suddenly, the police pound on the elevator door and pry it open with a crowbar. Since Squidward's book is 30 seconds overdue, he gets sent to library jail.

Although Squidward is initially happy to have time to himself, SpongeBob and Patrick get themselves arrested too, since they also had overdue books, making Squidward go insane.

Production

This episode was confirmed by Cartoonlounge.de on July 29, 2024.

On the United States Copyright Office catalog, this episode, alongside its sister, is listed as having a publication date of August 21, 2024, which may be its completion date.

During a cast interview with Den of Geek at New York Comic Con, which released on October 24, 2024, writer Doug Lawrence revealed he conceived the idea for this episode spontaneously while taking a restroom break during a writing session, having struggled with developing premises earlier in the meeting.

Art

Background design

• Layouts by Rebekie Bennington and George Nachev, traditionally painted by Amy Lewis in gouache. Scanned in with lines drawn digitally on top.

• Squidward's fireplace
  Squidward's fireplace
• Exterior of the library
  Exterior of the library
• Library hallway
  Library hallway
• Process photo #1
  Process photo #1
• Process photo #2
  Process photo #2
• Process photo #3
  Process photo #3
• Process photo #4
  Process photo #4
• Process photo #5
  Process photo #5
• Process photo #6
  Process photo #6
• Process photo #7
  Process photo #7

Storyboards

Thumbnails

• Directed by Dave Cunningham, storyboarded by Fred Osmond, plussed by Dylan King and Nick Lauer; story notes by King.

• File:1436 Dylan King thumbnails 1.jpeg
• File:1436 Dylan King thumbnails 2.jpeg
• File:1436 Dylan King thumbnails 3.jpeg
• File:1436 Nick Lauer boards 1.jpg
• File:1436 Nick Lauer boards 2.jpg
• File:1436 Nick Lauer boards 3.jpg
• File:1436 Nick Lauer boards 4.jpg

Deleted scenes

• Plussed by Nick Lauer.

• File:1436 deleted scenes 1.jpg
• File:1436 deleted scenes 2.jpg
• File:1436 deleted scenes 3.jpg
• File:1436 deleted scenes 4.jpg

Music

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 • 12th Street Rag w_Bass - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Title card.]
 ‣ Mozart Concerto 21 In C, 2nd Mvt. - Jonathan Starkey, Wolfgang Mozart [Opening.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob startles Squidward.]
 • A Simple Conversation 1 - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [SpongeBob imitates Squidward.]
 ‣ Mozart Concerto 21 In C, 2nd Mvt. - Jonathan Starkey, Wolfgang Mozart [SpongeBob reads an affirmation.]
 • A Simple Conversation 1 - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["Hey, that's what Patrick always says."]
 • A Fishy Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [Squidward arrives at the library.]
 • Tension Bits - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward tries to close the door.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr ["Thanks for holding the door, Squidward."]
 • A Fishy Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["I thought you yo-yos had a big day of fun planned."]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [Squidward gets angry.]
 ‣ Mozart Concerto 21 In C, 2nd Mvt. - Jonathan Starkey, Wolfgang Mozart [Squidward calms himself down.]
 ‣ Danse Comique - Kenny Graham [Patrick hitting floor buttons.]
 ‣ Dramatic Cue (C) - Ronald Hanmer [Elevator breaks down.]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 11D - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob and Patrick as sardines.]
 ‣ Comedy Punctuations And Bridges 6 - Fredric Bayco ["Five hours?!"]
 ‣ Mozart Concerto 21 In C, 2nd Mvt. - Jonathan Starkey, Wolfgang Mozart ["Like a plate of linguine."]
 ‣ Comedy Punctuations And Bridges 4 - Fredric Bayco ["Well, if you wanna do it the easy way."]
 ‣ Bridge 3 - Remastered - Wilfred Burns [Squidward calls Wally.]
 ‣ Hippo Bird - Arthur Wilkinson [Wally repeating what Squidward says.]
 ‣ Mozart Concerto 21 In C, 2nd Mvt. - Jonathan Starkey, Wolfgang Mozart ["Relaxation is the tippy toe to tranquility."]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 12C - Jeremy Wakefield ["My dad was an elevator surgeon for a whole day."]
 ‣ Comedy Punctuations And Bridges 4 - Fredric Bayco ["Screwdriver."/Patrick opens the floor button panel/Patrick connecting wires/"Wait, Patrick, don't!"]
 ‣ Death Trap [#25] - Gregor F. Narholz [Patrick angrily connecting wires.]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 35 - Jeremy Wakefield ["Why won't these stupid doors open?"]
 ‣ Murder Scene - Alan Wynn [Squidward hanging from a cable.]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 34A - Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick rests Squidward up.]
 • Parting of the Clouds Sting - Nicolas Carr [Squidward notices a door.]
 ‣ Charlie's Bike E - Peter Balding, Otto Sieben [Squidward goes through the door.]
 ‣ Mozart Concerto 21 In C, 2nd Mvt. - Jonathan Starkey, Wolfgang Mozart ["Serenity floats on an ocean of cheese."]
 ‣ Apples And Pears - Bruce Campbell [Patrick ordered a pizza.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [Patrick closes the doors.]
 ‣ Comedy Punctuations And Bridges 7 - Fredric Bayco [Squidward tries to open the doors.]
 • Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr [Patrick already ate the pizza.]
 ‣ Mozart Concerto 21 In C, 2nd Mvt. - Jonathan Starkey, Wolfgang Mozart ["Only when all is lost can you see inside your nostrils and find yourself."]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr ["Much tranquility later..."]
 • Silly Bob Conversation 2 - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [Wally escapes his elevator.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [Island of tranquility.]
 • Wacky Gongs - Nicolas Carr [Patrick hits a gong.]
 • Clowning Around Again short - Barry Anthony [Wally asks to stay.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr ["You'll have to ask the king."]
 • Wacky Gongs - Nicolas Carr [Patrick hits the gong again.]
 • Vibraphone Bits and Pieces - Nicolas Carr ["The king?"]
 ‣ Victory March - John Herbert Leach [Squidward is the king.]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 18 - Jeremy Wakefield [Wally smiles.]
 • Dunces & Dragons Cue 4A - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["The book! The book!"]
 ‣ Mozart Concerto 21 In C, 2nd Mvt. - Jonathan Starkey, Wolfgang Mozart ["A friend in need is a servant guaranteed."]
 ‣ Comedy Punctuations And Bridges 6 - Fredric Bayco ["Going up!"]
 ‣ Alone And Lost - Norman Dane ["Of course you can stay with us, my child."]
 ‣ Comedy Punctuations And Bridges 7 - Fredric Bayco ["You'll be just like us."]
 ‣ Domestic Fun (B) - Ernest Tomlinson [Wally leaves the elevator.]
 ‣ Bridge 3 - Remastered - Wilfred Burns ["Listen, my people."]
 ‣ Punctuations - Ralph Dollimore ["Hello? Are you alright in there?"]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 6B - Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward thanks the library police.]
 • B.B.P.D. Suspense Mix - Nicolas Carr ["Are you Squidward Tentacles?"]
 ‣ Mozart Concerto 21 In C, 2nd Mvt. - Jonathan Starkey, Wolfgang Mozart [Squidward in library jail.]
 • 12th St Rag Slo - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob and Patrick in library jail.]
 • Wacky Gongs - Nicolas Carr [Patrick hits a gong once again.]
 • SpongeBob Comic Tag - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Ending.]

Trivia

General

File:310-311 OG titles.jpeg

• This episode was originally called "Elevated Humor."
• Starting with this episode, Eric Bryan is working with Dave Cunningham, following Andrew Overtoom's retirement from the series.
• Initially, this episode was not planned to premiere during the 25 Days of Spongemas event, and on its premiere day, only the The Patrick Star Show episode, "Day of the Living Dad Jokes," was planned to air. However, on December 18, 2024, it was revealed that this episode would premiere, and The Patrick Star Show episode that was originally planned was moved to premiere after this has premiered.
  • Due to this episode being a last-minute premiere, the "ALL NEW" screenbug was not displayed at the time when it originally premiered.
• This episode was paired with The Patrick Star Show episode "Day of the Living Dad Jokes" during the original American airing. But since December 26, 2024, it has been re-airing with "Wiener Takes All."
  • This marks the first time since The Tidal Zone in January 2023 where an episode of the main series is paired with an episode from a spin-off.
  • These are the first episodes of the franchise to premiere on Christmas Eve in the United States.
• Wally, initially introduced in "Wallhalla," reappears in this episode, stating he has been trapped in the library elevator for 22 years, despite his introduction episode centering on him being trapped under SpongeBob's wallpaper, seemingly for equally as long.

Cultural references

• This episode's title might be a reference to the 1989 Aerosmith song "Love in an Elevator."

Videos

File:SpongeBob SquarePants New Episodes Promo 2 - November 2024 (Nickelodeon UK)

File:Squidward's Trapped in an Elevator! 🛗 - Full Scene - @SpongeBobOfficial

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Italian	Bloccati in ascensore	Stuck in an Elevator
Polish	Zacięci w windzie	Stuck in an Elevator
Russian	Застрявшие в лифте Zastryavshiye v lifte	Stuck in an Elevator
Slovenian	Obtičali v dvigalu	Stuck in an Elevator
Spanish (Latin America)	Encerrado en el ascensor	Stuck in an Elevator