Neptune's Spatula
"Neptune's Spatula" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 1. In this episode, SpongeBob must prove to King Neptune that he is royal fry cook material.
Characters
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Patrick Star
- Larry the Lobster
- King Neptune (debut)
- Incidentals
- Fred
- Incidental 2
- Incidental 3
- Steven
- John
- Incidental 6
- Incidental 7
- Incidental 8
- Incidental 9
- Incidental 10
- Incidental 12
- Incidental 13
- Incidental 14
- Incidental 16
- Incidental 17
- Incidental 21
- Carol (Inc 22)
- Charlie (Inc 23) (2-colored)
- Incidental 25
- Incidental 27
- Incidental 28
- Incidental 30
- Incidental 31
- Don the Whale
- Incidental 33
- Incidental 35 (normal; 20-colored)
- Harold (Inc 36)
- Tuck Tucker (Inc 37A)
- Incidental 37B
- Scooter
- Lou
- Harold (Inc 40)
- Fish at window
- Incidental 41
- Incidental 42
- Judy
- Incidental 46
- Incidental 47
- Incidental 48
- Incidental 49
- Incidental 60
- Incidental 62
- Incidental 63
- Billy (Inc 65)
- Incidental 67
- Incidental 68
- Incidental 71
- Incidental 81
- Incidental 82 (rough storyboard)
- Old Man Walker
- Incidental 85
- Mary (rough storyboard)
- Incidental 92 (35-colored)
- Incidental 93
- Incidental 96
- Incidental 97
- Incidental 98
- Incidental 99
- Incidental 100
- Incidental 101
- Incidental 102 (rough storyboard)
- Incidental 103
- Gale
- Frank (Inc 105)
- Stretch
- Steve
- Dale
- Incidental 109
- Guy in shower
- Eugene H. Krabs
- Crowd at the Poseidome Colosseum
- Swordfish (debut)
- Gary the Snail (rough storyboard)
Synopsis
SpongeBob and Patrick visit the Fry Cook Museum, where they see a greasy griddle with a golden spatula embedded in the grease. On it is a plaque, which reads "Many have tried to pull this spatula out of this ancient grease, but all have failed." Larry the Lobster attempts to pull it out but fails. SpongeBob then reads "Only a fry cook who's worthy of King Neptune himself can wield the golden spatula." SpongeBob, while posing for a photo, accidentally and effortlessly pulls it out while pointing out the menu section to a woman. Suddenly, smoke appears in the museum, revealing King Neptune himself.
Neptune asks who pulled out the spatula, and SpongeBob tells him that he did. King Neptune refuses to believe this and asks around the museum if SpongeBob really pulled out the spatula, and everyone confirms that he did. King Neptune then asks for proof, and Patrick shows him the photo he took, but Neptune still refuses to accept SpongeBob as he appear to be nothing but a "puny, insignificant comminare" to him. He then attempts to fabricate a barrage of “qualities” that the royal fry cook must have, such as being left handed or having red underwear only for SpongeBob to instantly reveal all of those very qualities, even as Neptune impulsively changes his answers to the point of stammering. Patrick, fed up with Neptune's stubbornness, reiterates that SpongeBob is the new fry cook but is immediately zapped by Neptune; angered by this, SpongeBob calls Neptune out on his actions, calling him a bully and a liar. Offended, Neptune then challenges SpongeBob to a patty-making competition, The Ultimate Cookoff. If SpongeBob wins, he will stay at Atlantis forever and become a god. If he loses, he has to give up fry cooking forever. Patrick, still singed, continually jeers to Neptune about SpongeBob's skills and says that he could complete up to 500 challenges. He is repeatedly zapped by Neptune three times until all that is left of him is a burnt mark on the floor. SpongeBob accepts the challenge, provided Neptune restores Patrick, and he does so, though Patrick's face is now on his rear end.
In the Poseidome, King Neptune makes 1,000 Krabby Patties, in the time it takes SpongeBob to make just one, winning the challenge. However, when Neptune shares his patties with the audience, they express that they taste awful. Neptune is angered by this and asks why they would think that SpongeBob's would be any better. He tastes SpongeBob's Krabby Patty and finds it delicious. Neptune, saying that he wants to "try it a second time," regurgitates the patty to eat it again, disgusting the audience.
SpongeBob is declared the winner, but when he finds out that his friends cannot come with him to Atlantis, he tearfully refuses to go to Atlantis, and instead arranges for King Neptune to be a trainee under SpongeBob at the Krusty Krab, teaching him that "perfect Patties are made with love, not magic."
Production
Script
- On November 14, 2016, recording scripts for every episode from season 1 were publicly released, found on one of the asset discs for the PlayStation video game, SuperSponge. This included the recording script for "Neptune's Spatula."[2]
Art
Model sheets
Early sketches
Storyboards
Deleted scene
According to Jay Lender's Twitter account, there were two scenes cut due to time constraints. The first of these scenes depicts King Neptune flexing his mustache, and the second scene shows Patrick and Gary being in the audience for SpongeBob during Mr. Krabs' announcement.[3]
-
Deleted scene of Patrick blowing his nose.
Music
( ‣ ) Production music |
( • ) Original music |
( ◦ ) SpongeBob music |
‣ The Tale of Ben Hur 1 [#41.02] - Gregor F. Narholz [Title card]
‣ Hawaiian Link (A) - Richard Myhill [Opening.]
‣ Honolulu Lula - Terry Day [SpongeBob and Patrick at the Fry Cook Museum]
‣ Roman Legion - David Farnon [The golden spatula is shown.]
‣ Heavenly Voices (A) - David Farnon [Choir]
• Tension Build - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob pulls out the spatula]
‣ Gates of Troy - David Farnon [Neptune appears]
‣ A Dangerous Affair [#30] - Richard Myhill ["A fine jest, boy."]
‣ The Black Death - David Farnon [Hot dog vendor]
‣ A Dangerous Affair [#30] - Richard Myhill ["It is even funnier a second time!"]
‣ The Black Death - David Farnon [Neptune compliments Larry]
‣ Sunset Strip - Reg Owen [Neptune and Larry making poses]
‣ Brave and Bold - Chris Payne, Paul Rogers ["This joke has gone far enough!"]
‣ In the Taverna - Dick Stephen Walter [Photo of SpongeBob holding the spatula.]
‣ Wargames Linking Section (H) - Keith Mansfield [Patrick zapped.]
‣ Wargames Linking Section (G) - Keith Mansfield [Neptune issues a challenge.]
‣ Battle March Link (F) - Keith Mansfield ["Your friend's arrogance will cost you dearly."/"Three challenges!"/"There will be but one challenge."]
‣ Salute to Caesar 1 [#18.02] - Gregor F. Narholz ["You will face me in... the ultimate cook-off!"]
‣ Hawaiian Link (A) - Richard Myhill [Patrick's face is on his butt]
‣ Timpani - Rolls (h) - Gary Kettel [Neptune summons the clouds]
‣ Timpani - Rolls (i) - Gary Kettel ["Now, behold!"]
‣ Happy Jose - Ulrich Hans Wenzel ["My beloved home of Atlantis."]
‣ Wargames Link (D) - Keith Mansfield [SpongeBob has to give up fry cooking if he loses]
‣ Timpani Signal 1 [#44] - Sammy Burdson ["Very well, then. To the Poseidome!"]
‣ Timpani Signal 1 [#44.2] - Sammy Burdson ["Very well, then. To the Poseidome!"]
‣ Roman Legion - David Farnon [The ultimate cook-off begins.]
‣ The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band ["Don't worry, lad."]
‣ Whisper from the Past [#64] - Gregor F. Narholz ["Don't give up your dream, SpongeBob."]
‣ Entry of the Heroes E - Gregor F. Narholz [Played during the challenge.]
‣ Entry of the Heroes A - Gregor F. Narholz [Played during the challenge.]
‣ Time for Bed [#35.02] - Mark Emney ["Once upon a time..."]
‣ Entry of the Heroes B - Gregor F. Narholz [King Neptune laughs]
‣ Caesar's Entry [#7.4] - Gregor F. Narholz [Neptune wins]
‣ Short Fanfare [#29] - Alfred Kluten ["Free patties for everyone!"]
‣ The Oracle - David Farnon [Neptune eats SpongeBob's patty]
‣ Historical Fanfare [#32.07] - Gerhard Narholz [Audience cheers.]
‣ Vibe Link (B) - Richard Myhill ["You mean Patrick can't come?"]
‣ Hawaiian Cocktail - Richard Myhill ["It was nice knowing you, buddy."]
‣ Short Fanfare [#29.03] - Alfred Kluten [Bicycle appears.]
‣ Hawaiian Cocktail - Richard Myhill [SpongeBob cries]
‣ Power and Glory - Gregor F. Narholz [Neptune turns SpongeBob into a god]
‣ The Twin Sisters - Chelmsford Folk Band [the ending]
Release
Distribution
- This episode is available on the Fear of a Krabby Patty, Complete 1st Season, The First & Second Seasons, The Ultimate Box Set, Home Sweet Pineapple (Polish only), The Adventures Of Waterman & Supervisor!, First 100 Episodes, Really Big Box Set, SpongeBob on DVD, Bob Esponja Cumple 10 Años, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, Favorite Episodes Volume 2, The Best 300 Episodes Ever, Movies & TV Collection, The Complete First Season, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 2, Get to Work!, Your Shoe's Untied, Nickelodeon Fool Proof Fun, From the Beginning, Part 1, The Best 200 Episodes Ever, SpongeBob, You're Fired!, and Fools in April DVDs and on VideoNow.
- This episode is also available on the Fear of the Krabby Patty and Nicktoons: Job Well Done VHS.
Reception
- This episode and "Fools in April" were nominated at the 2000 Golden Reel Awards for Best Sound Editing in Television: Animation - Music Editing.[4]
- "Neptune's Spatula" was ranked #42 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.
- "Neptune's Spatula" was ranked #38 during the SpongeBob's Top 100 event in the UK and Ireland from June 4-8, 2012.
Trivia
General
- This episode was originally packaged as episode 19a, as it is listed as the first segment in the dual script for it and "Fools in April." It would later be swapped with its sister episode to be 19b.[5]
- This is the first episode for two things:
- The first appearance of King Neptune.
- The first episode where Atlantis is shown. The second is "Atlantis SquarePantis," where SpongeBob actually goes to Atlantis. This particular Atlantis looks completely different, with no sign of Neptune.
- A completely different King Neptune appears in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and its tie-ins, and yet another different Neptune appears exclusively in the live-action segment of "Party Pooper Pants." In "Krusty Towers," Squidward mentions King Neptune XIV, which would explain that there are several kings who go by the name Neptune. The Neptune from this episode is the one used for all his other episode appearances in both the main series and The Patrick Star Show.
- The man taking a shower in the live-action sequence is Tom Kenny, the voice actor of SpongeBob.
- This is Tom Kenny's third live-action cameo after "Karate Choppers" and "Suds."
- The scene also became an internet meme.
- This is one of a few episodes where SpongeBob is shown having two left hands. This was done to further emphasize Neptune's claim of the royal fry cook being left-handed.
- This is also shown in Gary's Got Legs, which aired 19 years later, where SpongeBob gives Gary two left hands, to which he changes one of them to a right hand.
- Neptune has a real-life human hand when SpongeBob asks him to fix Patrick, except that the human hand skin color is changed to green for Neptune.
- This is the last episode for two things:
- The last episode to have Fred Miller as an animation director.
- The last episode to use the 1999-2000 Nickelodeon Productions Logo at the end of the episode.
- The last season 1 to be written by David Fain; he would later write the season 2 episode "Pressure," which is his last episode overall.
- Miss Shell's eyes are seen in this episode, whereas in other episodes they are hidden by her sunglasses.
- This is one of the rare times where SpongeBob is working the register at the Krusty Krab.
- In this episode, Larry has white stripes on his back, though in other episodes he does not.
- On the old Nickelodeon website, this episode is alternatively known as "The Spatula and the Stove," which was most likely the episode's original title.
- This title references the Disney film The Sword in the Stone, which is about the Arthurian legend that this episode is based on.
- This title also appears in some early production art for the episode.
- This episode was previously paired up with:
- "Plankton's Army" the Bikini Bottom's Most Wanted marathon.[6]
- "I Was a Teenage Gary" during the Best Day Ever marathon on November 10, 2006.[7]
- "Fear of a Krabby Patty" during the SpongeBob's Grillin' and Villains Saturday marathon.[8]
- "The Fry Cook Games" during the SpongeBob's Winner Take All Sunday marathon.[9]
- "Patty Hype" during the SpongeBob You're Fired! marathon.[10]
- Neptune's Krabby Patty pyramid is 23 Krabby Patties tall. Based on this, it should have 4,324 burgers.
- This was the only episode to depict King Neptune with five fingers on each hand until "SpongeBob and Patrick's Timeline Twist-Up," which featured the events of this episode being revisited.
- Bunny travels back to this episode during the time-travel special, "SpongeBob and Patrick's Timeline Twist-Up."
- The SpongeBob SquarePants Official YouTube channel uploaded the partial clip of this episode on June 17, 2025, ten days before the premiere of "SpongeBob and Patrick's Timeline Twist-Up" in the United States.
Dub facts
- In Bahasa Indonesia, Patrick's lines during the conversation with King Neptune are harsher and more profane than in the original version, and include:
- "He is the new royal fry cook and you..." is changed to "He is the damn royal chef and you know that!"
- "Bring it on! SpongeBob can handle any..." is changed to "Just bring the hell it on! SpongeBob can handle every single damn thing!"
- The live-action scene where Tom Kenny is taking a shower was cut in the Italian dub due to nudity.[11]
Cultural references
- The spatula in the grease is a parody of the Arthurian legend of Excalibur or the sword in the stone, in which whoever pulls the sword from the stone would become the King of England.
- The Poseidome is named after Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, Neptune being a Roman god who came to be identified with Poseidon through syncretism.
Errors
- When Patrick takes the picture of SpongeBob holding the spatula, he has his mouth wide open and there are clouds above him. However, when Patrick shows Neptune the picture, SpongeBob is smiling with his mouth shut and there are no clouds, just light. Also, the photo appears to be printed and developed, despite the camera not being a polaroid.
- Several fish members of the audience at the challenge change colors between shots.
- When SpongeBob shows Neptune his blue and red underwear, he lets go of the golden spatula. It should have fallen on the ground, but it stays suspended in mid-air instead.
- When SpongeBob speaks to Neptune in the kitchen at the end, the walls are light blue instead of teal in the long shots.
- When SpongeBob is standing on the grease, the spatula is as tall as him, but when he is cooking in the challenge, it is as long as SpongeBob's normal spatula.
- When Incidental 7 catches one of Neptune's patties, the collar on her shirt disappears. After she takes a bite on the patty, her collar reappears again.
- During some scenes, King Neptune's arm is slightly brighter than his body.
- There is also a scene where his right hand is brighter.
Videos
Names in other languages
Language | Name | Meaning |
---|---|---|
French | La spatule de Neptune | Neptune's Spatula |
German | Ein göttlicher Burger | A Divine Burger |
Hungarian | Neptune húslapátja | Neptune's Spatula |
Italian | La spatola nel grasso | The Spatula in the Grease |
Polish | Szpachelka Neptuna | Neptune's Spatula |
Russian | Лопатка Нептуна Lopatka Neptuna |
Neptune's Spatula |
Spanish | La espátula de Neptuno | Neptune's Spatula |
References
- ↑ Cable Guide (UK) February 2001 - pg. 104
- ↑ SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge Development Archives - Internet Archive
- ↑ https://twitter.com/JayLender1/status/1389971059277848584
- ↑ 48th Annual (2000) MPSE GOLDEN REEL AWARDS - Motion Picture Sound Editors
- ↑ File:SB19SCR 02.png
- ↑ October 11, 2004 - Nickstory
- ↑ November 10, 2006 - Nickstory
- ↑ March 9, 2013 - Nickstory
- ↑ June 2, 2013 - Nickstory
- ↑ November 11, 2013 - Nickstory
- ↑ Italian censorship for Neptune's Spatula
es:La Espátula de Neptuno fr:La Spatule de Neptune hu:Neptun húslapátja id:Neptune's Spatula it:La spatola nel grasso nl:De spatel van Neptunus pl:Szpachelka Neptuna pt-br:A Espátula de Netuno ru:Лопатка Нептуна zh:海神黄金锅铲