How Important is the Story in SpongeBob? [Square Theory]

In this video I talk about the story structure of SpongeBob episodes and how the it seems to have changed after the movie.
This video was supported by Roberto S.
Square Theory Playlist: • Square Theory
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Patreon: / pieguyrulz
Twitter: / pieguyrulz
Twitch: / pieguyrulz
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All art is made by Erin and myself.
Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons...

[@Muffinman842]

Your next square theory should be: Is season 4 classic or modern spongebob?

[@dgxkeyboards4535]

It's none it's a transitional period since it still for the most part have that season 1-3 feel, but also has that annoying modern spongebob feel.

[@AnimatedIdiotGuide]

Pablo Avila-Remijio Season 4 was one of my favorites. I loved the modern feel but also loved how it still resembled the Season 1-3 style and feel. The episodes were mostly well-paced and the execution was very swift. Now the jokes feel stale, mean-spirited, and I hate the new style and feel, plus the episodes as a whole just feel a lot slower. I can't quite explain that, but I know it when I see it

[@beta511ee4]

I think Season 5 is also a transitional period to some extent.

[@MrGrass97]

I would definitely say an episode like Lost Mattress or Krabs Vs. Plankton or Good Neighbors are classic. But the rest of season 4 doesn't feel like classic spongebob. Not to say it's necessarily bad, I actually like seasons 6-8. Season 9 is where I no longer recognize it...

[@ethanoppenheim404]

Colony Three Agreed. I think seasons 1-9A are the good seasons of Spongebob and 9B is when the quality starts to dip. Seasons 10 and 11 just aren’t good at all

[@JoeDan54]

Let's hope you give Boating Buddies a Scumbob. Also what will you do for SB vs. The Big One and *shudders* The Clash of Triton?

[@greenskittles1916]

Personally, I love Hamtaro because the show is mixed with both continuity and characters that are different from one another. Even for a anime that has hamsters as the main role and has a cute atmosphere to it, I love it for its continuity and characters setup. I wonder if PieGuyRulz remembers this show when it was on Cartoon Network. (6/3/2002-10/15/2004)

[@waterblonk]

You and Mr Enter should be the main writers for the opcoming Spongebob movie. You might make it awesome.

[@TheMysteryGentleman]

The most dastardly bastardly combo of internet animation reviewers of all time.

[@Crazy56U]

***** ...why?

[@beta511ee4]

Why do you think? Because they're not fit to be Spongebob writers. Zeus was around pre-movie, but he wasn't a writer; he was an animation director. Edit: Forget what I said here.

[@graveyard63]

When is new movie coming out?

[@beta511ee4]

I think Pieguy is but definitely not Mr. Enter.

[@MeNowDealWIthIt]

The best example of good story without much comedy is probably No Hat for Pat.

[@Fallingwithstyle1995]

What a great video. It's interesting the comment you made about how in the post-movie era, the creators are trying to up the ante for "boating school" and "secret formula" episodes, since they need to have twists to be unique compared to the early, basic episodes. I think another reason why the show has dug itself into a hole is that by the point of Seasons 2 and 3, the show was ALREADY subverting its common storylines in really creative ways! Take boating school episodes for example. Look at No Free Rides from Season 2. They have Mrs. Puff go to the extreme of giving SpongeBob his license just so she can be done with him, even though he isn't ready. So they've done an episode where the character who is always trying to get this thing they want from another character... actually was given it by that character! And we saw the potential repercussions! How can they get that much more tension, and by extension, comedy, out of the idea of whether or not SpongeBob will get his license? When it comes to the pre-movie episodes... they actually didn't really try to after that. Mrs. Puff featured in episodes, sure, but Krusty Love and New Student Starfish don't center around that idea. Only Doing Time uses SpongeBob failing his test to kick off the story; it's more about Mrs. Puff's huge, surreal breakdown. It has an all-new jail setting that in reality, was nothing but a dream... maybe. Yeah, you can't really get deeper into the core of the conflict driving this story than that. I mean, what else can they do, have Mrs. Puff actually want to kill SpongeBob? ...Heh.

[@flowerbunny91]

"Kill sponge bob?" Ironically they did that in "Demlation Doofus" but it was written POORLY... Bad episode.

[@sinistrality]

17:04 "SpongeBob doesn't tell amazing stories that blow you out of the water." I see what you did there.

[@toopienator]

OUT OF THE WATER! LOL! I love it!

[@akieboygaming]

@@toopienator Sponge out of water is the 2nd movie

[@AnimatedIdiotGuide]

FWIW, when you talked about Atlantis Squarepantis - I may be wrong, but I think it was a reversal of a thinly-veiled parody of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - where they're picked off one by one but instead of getting screwed, they get their fortunes and desires

[@familybroakajonny]

Still one of my favorite season 5 episodes because it is different

[@tacoman422]

In a future Square Theory, you should discuss how characterization can vary from episode to episode both before and after the movie, and how much variance is acceptable. Stuff like: -Is Spongebob a mildly eccentric everyman who the audience can relate to, or a hyperactive manchild oblivious to the world around him? How much trouble can he cause for Squidward and other people with his shenanigans before it becomes unacceptable? -How much of a jerk is Squidward, and how much is the world out to screw him over? -Is Mr. Krabs a genuinely well meaning boss whose love of money occasionally clouds his judgement, an idiot who has no sense of longterm net gain/loss whenever money is involved, or a coldhearted sociopathic villain who cares about nothing but making money and making his business rival miserable? How bad can he be without receiving comeuppance or showing remorse? -Is Plankton a credible threat, an ineffectual sympathetic villain, or a moron too dumb to remember how to blink on his own? Is he always the instigator in his feud with Krabs, or is Krabs just as likely to attack him with little to no provocation? -Are the citizens of Bikini Bottom average people who react normally to the eccentricities of the main cast, a bunch of jerks who mistreat the main characters for no reason, or a flock of sheep who will fly into a panic at the smallest of reasons?

[@pokemonmanic3595]

I think Hello Bikini Bottom tells a complete story while being funny in 22 minutes

[@ToxPhy]

I'm kinda suprised you didn't mention "friend or foe."

[@OptimusPhillip]

Actually, the movie makes the Plankton steals the formula plot much more high stakes: if he gets the formula, he can make Krabby Patties. If he makes Krabby Patties, he can give away mind control helmets for free. If he gives away mind control helmets, he can take over the world.

[@expansionpackdeluxe636]

+OptimusPhillip And Kill every one. The End!

[@Goat0423]

I mean, Mrs.Puff seems to have some dark criminal backstory based on stuff from MULTIPLE episodes.

[@ZacTheFirst]

Good example is the episode where they "kill" a guy by choking on the Krabby Patty. You felt tension, even though you knew it wouldn't end very badly, it seemed like a very nerve racking day for Spongebob and Krabs.

[@durece100]

By the way, I been thinking, if Squidward don't believe ghost in Ghost Host, he's sees the Flying Dutchman or he's been pranked by Spongebob and Patrick that they're ghost in "Pranks-A-Lot".

[@beta511ee4]

Continuity is laughable in SpongeBob.

[@laura_kristiansen]

Praise pieguyz eyebrows

[@OptimusPhillip]

I always thought that MM+BB VI was a pre-movie episode.

[@CoolExcite]

I can't wait for you to rip apart that mystery train episode. The way they lied in the commercials to hype it up is what made me stop watching the show

[@CoolExcite]

The thing I hated was that they hyped up the mystery aspect, and the mystery is solved within a minute of it coming into the plot.

[@JKEBP]

He called it good in his season 7 review.

[@chrisd2051]

A self contained story like you were mentioning could fit a show like spongebob.

[@anauxiliatrix3484]

Any example of a SpongeBob story so amazing that you gave it a good without much comedy?

[@AegisPancakes]

Great video pie guy

[@poihpioakarp8845]

I love how as soon as you started talking about Wigstruck the sirens in the background went a lot louder, guess that episode really is under arrest :P

[@poihpioakarp8845]

speaking of background noises, is that a woman moaning in 13:35?!

[@AwesomeAceZ]

You said the characters are not complex, but what about Plankton and Krabs. They've had an entire episode dedicated to the origin of their rivalry and in the Krusty Krab training video there is a section of the episode dedicated to how Krabs founded the Krusty Krab.

[@cartoonfanatic]

In general they're not complex, that's only present in a few episodes, but not the majority

[@daltonriser1125]

personally i think that ugh pulled off what it needed to it may not have hit every markon the nose but it got don what needed to be done andconveyed it in a way that was ill admit kind of meh but a decent episode overall

[@jasminehernandez3094]

Your Adventure Time shirt is so fitting for this

[@wariolandgoldpiramid]

Welcome to Under 301 club! How tough are you?

[@laura_kristiansen]

Me me me I'm tough I'm not a weenie

[@advokatie]

HOW TOUGH AM I? I'VE GOT A FEVER ALL WEEKEND AND TODAY.

[@bestbronybrotherhood5217]

i beat mother 3 without a single tear

[@MegaSparkster]

I watched Bambi many times when I was a toddler/kid,I've never ONCE cried about Bambi's mum.

[@tombrearley-smith5777]

"I ate a bowl of nails for breakfast this morning!" "Yeah, so?" "Without any milk..."

[@SoapyFae]

"You don't have enough time to tell a complex story in 11 minutes" I dunno steven universe seems to do just that with most of it's episodes.

[@maryk7262]

+Soapy Foten well Spongebob likes to put its focus on comedy so I guess he meant you can't have a complex story in 11 minutes that's loaded with comedy. I've only seen a few episodes of Steven Universe but from what I can gather, it's more story-driven, and it works.

[@brendensibo9320]

Why don't you put your facial hair on your "animated" version of yourself?

[@shirleyjenlion187]

The season 9 episode where Plankton gets a pet is story driven but it's soo good and sweet

[@tiffanyb94]

As always, you make some excellent points :)

[@dingus215]

A SEASON 6 PREVIEW!

[@skx444]

How're you recovering, I saw you on the other video

[@dingus215]

SKX44 Pretty good!

[@Dilbert1999]

8:50 Police siren.

[@peterthegreeat]

could you do a square theory on squidward torture

[@CouragSomeone]

your shirt sums up after-movie episodes alone

[@theN64hermit99]

You didn't mention Christmas Who when going over all the specials,

[@unknownunkno2163]

it's a fucking cartoon it's meant to enjoy for the moment it's not a anime serie

[@martinherrera4617]

That's why these points are important. Without good writing and people who think, cartoons can't be enjoyed.

[@LuffyMonkey0327]

spongebob should have a 2 part 30 minute special

[@jillianefaithcobre8637]

Self-contained cartoon shows should have storyline instead, not just complex and deeper. But also contributes the character perfectly. The jokes, gags, and filler-y should have lessened up when the show goes on.

[@wariolandgoldpiramid]

11:54 Season 6 preview! :D

[@codyssmith73]

Yup.

[@beta511ee4]

I'm guessing he's calling it a good episode.

[@codyssmith73]

Skeeter Mania Funny seeing you again.

[@beta511ee4]

All that's left is Coltraneman.

[@spookymulder2162]

/eyebrow game strong/

[@greenskittles1916]

Also Spongebob used to be my favorite show back than, until Season 4 happened. Now, my favorite show are a mix of either Hamtaro, Teen Titans (THE ORIGINAL not that piece of shit GO), Freakazoid, Pepper Ann, or Danny Phantom. Time will tell if Spongebob will finally end.

[@flowerbunny91]

It's Nickelodeons fault SB went passed 2004. It was always meant to be a great show..not a show with bad episodes.

[@flowerbunny91]

Also there have been shows that have been going WAY longer than SB such as the Simpsons. So let's be thankful SB isn't the worst.

[@-Speed2411]

Pie, you should review Gravity Falls. The ONLY reason to watch Disney Channel.

[@schplenke]

He already did

[@Honeybunfetd]

i love like all the episodes you metioned.

[@yooka3505]

What're your thoughts on "Hello, Bikini Bottom!"?

[@Honeybunfetd]

BigHeadVampireGaming i love ha one.

[@flychick8652]

Wow. Nice imput. I think about sometimes how they've done the "Plankton secret formula" eppys a LOT!

[@Themonkeymartin]

I expected you to mention friend or foe at so many parts of the video (Btw the terrible english is because I I am from "Chile")

[@quasarpulse8403]

I-is it mean to say I prefer the animated version of PIEGUYRULZ?

[@durece100]

I wonder how you finished review Every Episode of Season 6.

[@senorsandvich7038]

Wow, I just got some Spanish Mcdonalds ad. I'm in America, but I've never even tried to see a Spanish video!

[@johnnyweissmuller5559]

I'm in Cancun. So, I get Spanish McDonald's commercial

[@shaamex2]

Nicktoons and SpongeBob?

[@blossom6309]

Why you using IS that one look like a i

[@durece100]

What does Top Secret means on "Chum Bucket Surpreme"?

[@durece100]

***** I know that.

[@boxylemons7961]

i personally disagree.

[@ryanhillaryofficial]

You like Mario

[@icecreamhero2375]

its not the jokes are most importaint

[@adampowell4778]

5:01 LOL!

[@bernsteinjones8936]

Characters*

[@mrprotoman154]

*Characters

[@adampkalb]

I thought the Gumball episode The Finale was a good example of how The Amazing World of Gumball episodes also do not work as serious stories without comedy. That tried to have consequences from previous episodes carry over, but botched it up because they have to rush things and it would have worked better as a multi-episode arc like Family Guy did with Brian's racist Twitter joke, but the ending nullifies the point of this episode. June 6, 2018, 6:24pm

[@CoffeeSuccubus]

"Uh" -ugh appears-

[@CoffeeSuccubus]

Unknown Unkno No thanks?

[@unknownunkno2163]

+Scourger of Souls k. idiot

[@CoffeeSuccubus]

Unknown Unkno idk what i did