281a. The Salty Sponge

[Jjs Goodman]

Premieres: Friday, January 27th at 7pm ET/PT

Plot: SpongeBob works the grill at the toughest joint in town.

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[4EverGreen]

This ended up being the most well-written, and most well-executed "Spongebob Squarepants" episode segment that I have seen in quite a while! When the Krusty Krab has to close down for a week due to an Urchin infestation, Mr. Krabs decides to rent Spongebob's fry cook duties out...to the Salty Spittoon, of all places! Apparently, even Mr. Krabs is now aware that Spongebob's face can be molded to look different without it actually hurting Spongebob, as he made Spongebob look like a tough guy! Nice callbacks to "No Weenies Allowed", as the first thing Spongebob did when going into the Salty Spittoon, was to look around and take great care to NOT slip on an ice cube, as that's what made him have to leave there the LAST time! It's kind of funny how the owner of the Salty Spittoon, is a female angler fish SMALLER than Spongebob is! Initially, Spongebob is nervous (and not without good reason,) because all the OTHER previous "Employee Of The Month's" at the Salty Spittoon, LITERALLY died on the job! Nevertheless, Spongebob learns quickly that when a customer orders something at the Salty Spittoon, they mean that they want the LITERAL thing that they are asking for! Than, who of ALL characters should walk into the Krusty Krab, except MRS. Puff, calling herself "Puff Mama", and wearing a leather jacket that says "Big Fat Meanie" (nice callback to "Model Star Student"!) But Mrs. Puff gets NERVOUS when she hears Spongebob's signature laugh (due to all the past trauma she's suffered with Spongebob), so she FREAKS and runs out of the Salty Spittoon! Naturally, the customers and the owner come to the conclusion that Spongebob must ACTUALLY be a tough guy somehow in order to make Mrs. Puff freak, so they decide to test his toughness! First, they try to make Spongebob ride on a mechanical sea bull, only for Spongebob to somehow be ABLE to carry the mechanical sea bull for a ride instead; actually IMPRESSING them! Next, they try to make Spongebob punch some cinder blocks to prove his toughness, but Spongebob doesn't LOOK at where he's aiming, accidentally HITS somebody, and the fish ends up landing on the cinder blocks, which ends up BREAKING them!

Spongebob's final test of toughness is using his chest hair to carve a wooden masterpiece! Although Spongebob doesn't HAVE chest hair, he remembers his ABRASIVE side, and seems to be able to control it now, as he able to carve a wooden masterpiece without any snide comments from his abrasive side! Having passed their tests, the Salty Spittoon's owner gives Spongebob what the French call "Carte Blanche" to make whatever changes he wants to the Salty Spittoon! And what does Spongebob do? He changes the Salty Spittoon in a way that NO customer there would've EVER anticipated before his arrival; he changes "The Salty Spittoon" into "The Softy Spittoon", and everyone there is now wearing grandma sweaters knitted with love, having tea, and acting all polite. Naturally, when sharks go into "The Softy Spittoon" they initially think they accidentally went into Weenie Hut Jr's., again referencing "No Weenie's Allowed". The Owner and the other customers actually DEFEND Spongebob's choices, and are actually HAPPY with them! They even start to sing a song about the Softy Spittoon to the tune of the "Spongebob Squarepants" opening theme! When Mr. Krabs comes to get Spongebob EARLY (because Mr. Krabs reasonably and NATURALLY thought Spongebob wouldn't be able to last the whole week. Initially, the Softy Spittoon owner doesn't WANT to give Spongebob up, only to get caught up in a fight that the sharks have started! Spongebob decides to take Mr. Krabs out of the Softy Spittoon, saying that it's too tough for Mr. Krabs! Thankfully, it seems that Spongebob will be remembered fondly at the Softy Spittoon, as he's the first LIVE employee the place has had, to make "Employee Of The Year"! I give this episode a FULL 10/10! Enough said, true believers!