Cuddle E. Hugs

If you were looking for the article about the character, then see Cuddle E. Hugs (character).

Characters

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• Cuddle Eat Hugs Template:Debut
• Patrick Star
• Squidward Tentacles
• Shelley
• Sandy Cheeks
• Eugene H. Krabs
• Gary the Snail
• Bikini Bottomites
  • Tom
  • Nat Peterson
  • Sadie
  • Fred
  • Harold
  • Scooter
  • Cara
  • Perry
  • Harold "Bill" Reginald
  • Shubie
  • Purple Doctorfish
  • Dennis
  • Nathiel Waters
  • Gus
  • Martha Smith
  • Francis
  • Martin
  • Frank
  • Thaddeus
  • Shubie
  • Norma
• Sea urchin ^(mentioned)

Synopsis

SpongeBob and Squidward are cleaning up at the Krusty Krab. When Squidward finds an old moldy Krabby Patty on the floor and attempts to put it in the trashcan, SpongeBob stops him, telling him no Krabby Patty shall be wasted. To prove Squidward wrong, he takes a bite of the patty, causing him to get sick and realize Squidward was right. Squidward notices SpongeBob's condition and sadistically offers him more but SpongeBob runs out of the back of the restaurant. There he meets a giant hamster named Cuddle E. Hugs and the two become best friends.

That day the new friends go all over Bikini Bottom, doing several activities together, including bike riding, playing patty-cake and Cuddle E. Hugs tickling SpongeBob in the park, which causes several Bikini Bottomites to look on in confusion and shock. That night Cuddle comes to SpongeBob's house for a sleepover. The next day SpongeBob awakens to find Cuddle missing and does not know what could have happened to him, but SpongeBob gets the idea that a Krabby Patty would make him feel better, so he takes another bite of the old patty, causing him once again to get sick. At that moment, Cuddle returns and the two embrace in a reunion hug.

SpongeBob then takes him to meet all of his friends, but no one can see him. When he shows him to Sandy, she just tells him it is just his imaginary friend, but Cuddle reveals that no one else can see him because no one else has eaten the old patty SpongeBob ate. He then convinces SpongeBob to get the others to eat the patty, so he goes to the Krusty Krab and cuts the patty up into pieces and gives them out to the customers, who get sick once they eat them and they are finally able to see Cuddle. They all fall for his fluffiness and began to hug and cuddle him but at that moment, he begins to eat all of them one by one (in reality they are all having hallucinations caused by food poisoning from eating the old patty). Squidward walks in on the scene but is quick to flee the bizarre sight.

The next morning, Cuddle is gone and everyone awakens on the Krusty Krab floor. Everyone is furious at SpongeBob about the events that took place the night before and they all leave the restaurant in anger and disgust. SpongeBob, wanting to know why Cuddle did what he did, takes another bite of the rotten patty and once again Cuddle appears, explaining the "E" in his name means "eat," therefore explaining his actions the night before.

SpongeBob, thinking he is still hungry, throws a piece of the old patty in his mouth, causing him to become sick. He is then transported into a girl's bedroom with many SpongeBob SquarePants products in his land form. He then says, "Oh, pellets" as the episode ends.

Production

Art

File:Cuddle E Hugs

File:Cuddle E Hugs Final

Reception

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Trivia

General

• Sandy makes an imaginary rainbow like SpongeBob does in "Idiot Box" when he says "imagination."
• The title is a pun on "cuddly hugs."
• Gary and Squidward are the only characters in this episode who do not eat the moldy Krabby Patty.
• The title is similar to "Stanley S. SquarePants," as both have a character's first and last name and their middle initial.
• This is the first episode to use the APM track "Lonely Heart's Club (a)" since "Married to Money."
• This is the fifth episode to feature a moldy Krabby Patty. The previous ones are in "Nasty Patty," "The Algae's Always Greener," "Born Again Krabs," and "To Love a Patty."
• This episode takes place before "Born Again Krabs," as in this episode SpongeBob didn't believe there was such a thing as a rotten patty, but in that episode he warned Mr. Krabs not to eat the old patty.
• This episode premiered six years after "Patrick's Staycation" premiered and SpongeBob's Surf & Skate Roadtrip was released.
• The track "Borborygmus" is played eight times. This is the most an APM track has ever played in an episode.
  • The track is a strong fit for this episode as the actual definition of borborygmus is "a rumbling or gurgling noise made by the movement of fluid and gas in the intestines."

Cultural references

• The title may be a parody of the restaurant Chuck E. Cheese's.
• SpongeBob sleeping on top of Cuddle E. Hugs' stomach is reminiscent to Mei's encounter with Totoro in the Hayao Miyazaki movie My Neighbor Totoro (Tonari no Totoro/隣のトトロ.)
• Everyone eating the moldy Krabby Patty and seeing Cuddle E. Hugs could be a reference to the hallucinatory effects of drugs.
• SpongeBob being the only one who can see Cuddle E. Hugs is reminiscent of two PBS shows: Barney and Friends, where the kids were the only ones who could see Barney, and early episodes of Sesame Street, where Big Bird was the only one who could see Mr. Snuffleupagus; it's also reminiscent of The Simpsons episode "Don't Fear the Roofer," where Ray was almost said to be imaginary.
• Cuddle E. Hugs' behavior and mannerisms, as well as being an anthropomorphic animal, is similar to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog.

Errors

File:Sandy missing eyelashes.png

Sandy's missing eyelashes

• When Sandy says "imagination," her eyelashes are missing.
• When Sandy leaves SpongeBob and Cuddle E. Hugs, Cuddle E. Hugs' hat is missing.
• After Cuddle E. Hugs said "And hug your new best friend" Patrick was seen on the floor of the Krusty Krab, but when the background changes, he is on Cuddle E Hugs.

File:Cuddle E. Hugs plush errors

• During the end scene, a large SpongeBob plush beside the bed has multiple errors.

Running gags

• People eating the moldy Krabby Patty and getting food poisoning.
• People not realizing that Cuddle E. Hugs doesn't exist.
• Cuddle E. Hugs telling SpongeBob what his name stands for.

Video

File:SpongeBob SquarePants - Cuddly Hugs Nickelodeon