Bubble Buddy Returns

If you were looking for the article about the character, then see Bubble Buddy (character).

If you were looking for the article about the season 2 episode, then see "Bubble Buddy."

"Bubble Buddy Returns" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 8. In this episode, SpongeBob attempts to keep Bubble Buddy's son out of danger after he is put in charge of taking care of him

Characters

• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Bubble Buddy
• Shiny Bubble ^(debut)
• Squidward Tentacles
• Ernest Borgnine ^{(cameo) (storyboard only)}
• Eugene H. Krabs
• Gary the Snail
• Patrick Star ^(mentioned)
• Uncle Raymond ^(mentioned)
• Mable-Monica
• Ted
• Old Man Walker
• Nancy Suzy Fish
• Harold (red fish)
• Gus
• Martha Smith
• Harold Bill Reginald Scott
• Shubie
• Nazz-Mimi
• Peterson Nat Tucker
• Incidental 47
• Frankie Billy
• Dennis (citizen)
• Thaddeus
• Incidental 60
• Paco
• Construction worker ^(green)
• Unnamed Bikini Bottom Pillow Foundry worker ^(debut)
• Dinosaur bubble ^(debut)
• King Neptune ^(mentioned)

Synopsis

The episode begins with a bubble with a letter inside flying to SpongeBob's house while causing mischievous antics around town. It finally flies into SpongeBob's kitchen, who is enjoying a bowl of Kelpo cereal with Gary. SpongeBob opens the letter, which is from his old friend, Bubble Buddy, asking him to babysit his son, Shiny. Shiny appears out of the bubble holding the letter. SpongeBob introduces himself and takes Shiny to meet Squidward. Unfortunately, Shiny causes mayhem in Squidward's house and SpongeBob cannot find him. Shiny keeps flying in Squidward's house and destroying furniture. SpongeBob is being careful so Shiny will not pop from all the sharp objects in Squidward's house.

Eventually, SpongeBob catches him and takes Shiny to the Krusty Krab. Then, he goes into Mr. Krabs' office and flies everywhere around him. Mr. Krabs is shiny and clean from the bubble soap and tells SpongeBob to let Shiny play in the dirty dishes. Then, while SpongeBob is cooking Krabby Patties, Shiny once again gets into mischief by sliding around and making the Krusty Krab floors slippery. All the customers keep slipping, so Mr. Krabs kicks them out. Then, Shiny flies into the city and gets into lots of trouble.

File:Bubble Buddy Returns 205.jpg

SpongeBob and Bubble Buddy's reunion.

He goes into the Bikini Bottom Pin Factory, Bikini Bottom Scissor Works, and the Pitchfork Pantry. Then, SpongeBob decides to go to the Bikini Bottom Pillow Foundry since pillows are soft and harmless, only to find out that it is a dangerous place too due to the way pillows are produced.

When they get home, he feeds Shiny a hot dog in the form of a bubble, but then he pops. SpongeBob has the bubble soap to repair him. Finally, when he blows another Shiny, he grows two heads. Then, Bubble Buddy comes to his house to pick up Shiny. SpongeBob begins to apologize about Shiny, but Bubble Buddy says that it is okay, because sometimes it had happened to Shiny. Then, he traps Shiny into a bottle of bubble soap.

As they are leaving on a bubble plane, Shiny is normal again, blowing a raspberry out from the bottle and they go into the plane and fly away, as the episode ends.

Running gags

• Shiny floating into different sharp objects and factories, but doesn't pop while SpongeBob, who is trying to save him, ends up getting hurt.
• SpongeBob saying, "Shiny, No!"

Production

Storyboard

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Deleted scene

SpongeBob was originally going to see Ernest Borgnine's live-action face in Squidward's cupboard and exclaim "Borgnine!," but was ultimately scrapped.

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Music

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 • Aloha Bikini Bottom - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Title card.]

 • Kalua Jubalee - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [The opening.]
 ‣ Darting Around - Harry Bluestone [SpongeBob reads Bubble Buddy's letter.]
 ‣ Cocksure Capers - Phil Green [Shiny Bubble appears.]
 • Tentically Speaking - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["I can't wait for all my friends to meet you."]
 ‣ Hawaiian Solo Steel - Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward's house is ruined.]
 • Porous Pursuit - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Shiny floats into a cupboard.]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (f) - Jeremy Wakefield ["No, guess not."]
 ‣ Tragic Bridge 4 - Phil Green ["There he is!"/Shiny floats near a broken lamp.]
 ‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks - Jeremy Wakefield [Glass menagerie breaks.]
 ‣ Dramatic Bridge 4 - Phil Green [Shiny floats toward the ceiling fan.]
 ‣ Tragic Situation - Phil Green ["He's headed for that open window!"]
 ‣ Tipsy Turvy - Phil Green ["It looks like Shiny wants to be an artist."]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (t) - Jeremy Wakefield [Paint comes off.]
 • Jolly Little Roger - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [At the Krusty Krab.]
 • Sponge Monger - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Customers slip on soap.]
 ‣ The Donut Dilemma - Nicolas Carr ["That's okay, Shiny."]
 ‣ Armed Attack - Jean Clero [Shiny disappears.]
 ‣ Bucaneers [#91] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [Shiny floats toward the city.]
 ‣ Armed Attack - Jean Clero ["Shiny, where are you?"]
 ‣ Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob is run over.]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (b) - Jeremy Wakefield ["That was a close one."]
 • Grass Skirt Chase - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Shiny heads into pin factory.]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (o) - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob deflates.]
 ‣ Crazy Mind - Harry Lubin [Shiny heads into Bikini Bottom Scissor Works.]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (a) - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob falls apart.]
 ‣ Dramatic Impact 6 - Ivor Slaney [Shiny heads into the Bikini Bottom Pitchfork Pantry.]
 ‣ Drama Link (d) - Hubert Clifford ["Aaah, ow."]
 ‣ The Donut Dilemma - Nicolas Carr ["How many times do I gotta tell you?"]
 ‣ Rock-a-Bye Baby - Nicolas Carr [Shiny heads into the pillow foundry.]
 ‣ Working Machines - Gerhard Trede [Stock footage of steel foundry]
 • Skipping to School - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Here we are, home safe home."]
 ‣ Death and Destruction 1 - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [Shiny pops.]
 ‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks - Jeremy Wakefield [Shiny grows a second head.]
 • Marlin March - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [The ending.]

Release

• This episode is available on The Complete Eighth Season, SpongeBob on Tour, and Next 100 Episodes DVDs.

Trivia

General

• This episode premiered as part of the 2011 Super Stuffed Nicksgiving Weekend event.
• This episode's title card is the same as the one for "Bubble Buddy," except that the word "Returns" is added to it and Bubble Buddy's name is squished up more.
• This is the first episode to have a title card reused outside of the Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy episodes.
• In the letter from Bubble Buddy, it reads "We don't want him to go pop like his late Uncle Raymond." This is the first mention of any relatives of Bubble Buddy.
  • Figuratively speaking, Shiny Bubble is SpongeBob's grandson because SpongeBob created Bubble Buddy and Shiny is Bubble Buddy's son. This could be implied that SpongeBob is Bubble Buddy's father.
• This is the first episode to use the track "Porous Pursuit."
  • It is also the only season 8 episode to use that track.
• Mr. Krabs references Bubble Buddy's original visit to the Krusty Krab in "Bubble Buddy," telling SpongeBob, "Bubble Buddy, eh? That guy still owes me money!"
• SpongeBob says one of the games that he and Shiny could play is the "Let's do nothing at all" game and claims that Patrick is really good at that one. It may be a reference to "Big Pink Loser" when Patrick wins a trophy for doing absolutely nothing longer than anyone else, which would make sense why he is good at the "Let's do nothing at all" game.
• As seen in other episodes, bubbles in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe have properties more similar to inflated balloons than bubbles. For example, when Shiny is caught in the blades of Squidward's fan, he does not pop. Instead, he spins around them, the way a helium-filled balloon would if caught in the same situation.
• Shiny shows no mouth signs of life until the end, just like his father in "Bubble Buddy."
• In "Bubble Buddy," the eponymous character drives an automobile home. In this episode, he rides an airplane home, implying he must have moved further away.
• This is the final episode of the series to contain the 2002 Paramount logo.
• In Germany, this episode has two title cards.
• Xfinity/Comcast's description of this episode is actually for the original "Bubble Buddy."

Cultural references

• Squidward paints his self-portrait to resemble Napoleon Bonaparte.

Errors

File:Bubble Buddy Returns 025a.jpg

Gary's shell error.

• After SpongeBob reads the letter from Bubble Buddy, the spots on Gary's shell swap colors.
  • This was a community error.
  • This error also occurs in "Planet of the Jellyfish" and "Treats!"
• When Shiny erases the mustache from Squidward's painting, no ink is seen on his torso. The mustache could not be erased without touching the nose.

File:Bubble Buddy Returns 188.jpg

His arm overlapping in his body.

• When the dinosaur bubble appears, one of SpongeBob's sleeves is missing.