Season 1 of SpongeBob SquarePants contains some of the finest episodes in Television history. Despite not being as polished visually as the later seasons (it was made from 1999-2000, to be fair), the humor, the characters, the stories, and the quotable moments, or in other words, what makes SpongeBob SquarePants my favorite cartoon ever made, are at its peak in Season 1, and by extension Seasons 2 and 3. BubbleStand and Ripped Pants, despite airing so early in the series, do a surprisingly good job at displaying these aforementioned defining traits, as they have an exceptional amount of quotable lines, quality jokes, and also introduce a staple character. Additionally, in the case of Ripped Pants, it teaches quite a valuable lesson (and has a pretty killer tune at the end).
First of note are the quotable lines. Easily the most notable line in the Episode(s) is the Technique from BubbleStand. Despite being repeated three times over the course of the episode, it never loses steam, personally. As for quotability? It's most certainly present, despite being such a long quote. The "bring it around town" part is especially quotable. Ripped Pants isn't as quotable, however. The most iconic quote is most likely Larry saying, "Observe". Despite the lack of quotable lines in Ripped Pants, it more than makes up for it in the joke category.
In opposition to the amount of quotable lines, BubbleStand is relatively dry in the field of jokes. Of course, there are still jokes, but not as many. My favorite of which is SpongeBob noting how peaceful of a day it is in the Bikini Bottom, then proceeding to conduct noisy construction work a few seconds later. BubbleStand has jokes, of course, but just as Ripped Pants focuses more on jokes than quotable lines, BubbleStand clearly is more notable for its quotable lines. Speaking of Ripped Pants, and jokes, Ripped Pants has some exceptional ones. In fact, laughter is the motivating force for the story of the episode. The start of the episode has a flurry of impressions from SpongeBob, that I really enjoy. Overall, Ripped Pants is a lot more humorous, but both episodes excel in being funny, one way or another.
Ripped Pants also introduces a new staple character! It's not a shock, being that it's the second episode of the series, but the introduction of Larry was a graceful one, being a well-meaning bodybuilding lobster. His role is quite minor in this episode, but it's still appreciated nonetheless.
Ripped Pants also has a lesson! Bubblestand is, admittedly, a filler episode, but a great one at that. Ripped Pants, as far as I'm concerned, isn't a filler episode. The lesson, despite being quite simple, is a good one, especially for the target child audience of the show. As the lyric from Ripped Pants states, "Be true to yourself". The ability to convey a message without sounding preachy is something that SpongeBob SquarePants, as a show, does quite well, and that is no different in Ripped Pants.
In conclusion, despite the lack of the character roster of later seasons, and the simplicity of the art style, and stories, BubbleStand and Ripped Pants prove to be some of the most enjoyable episodes of Season One, and a great next step for the show.
First of note are the quotable lines. Easily the most notable line in the Episode(s) is the Technique from BubbleStand. Despite being repeated three times over the course of the episode, it never loses steam, personally. As for quotability? It's most certainly present, despite being such a long quote. The "bring it around town" part is especially quotable. Ripped Pants isn't as quotable, however. The most iconic quote is most likely Larry saying, "Observe". Despite the lack of quotable lines in Ripped Pants, it more than makes up for it in the joke category.
In opposition to the amount of quotable lines, BubbleStand is relatively dry in the field of jokes. Of course, there are still jokes, but not as many. My favorite of which is SpongeBob noting how peaceful of a day it is in the Bikini Bottom, then proceeding to conduct noisy construction work a few seconds later. BubbleStand has jokes, of course, but just as Ripped Pants focuses more on jokes than quotable lines, BubbleStand clearly is more notable for its quotable lines. Speaking of Ripped Pants, and jokes, Ripped Pants has some exceptional ones. In fact, laughter is the motivating force for the story of the episode. The start of the episode has a flurry of impressions from SpongeBob, that I really enjoy. Overall, Ripped Pants is a lot more humorous, but both episodes excel in being funny, one way or another.
Ripped Pants also introduces a new staple character! It's not a shock, being that it's the second episode of the series, but the introduction of Larry was a graceful one, being a well-meaning bodybuilding lobster. His role is quite minor in this episode, but it's still appreciated nonetheless.
Ripped Pants also has a lesson! Bubblestand is, admittedly, a filler episode, but a great one at that. Ripped Pants, as far as I'm concerned, isn't a filler episode. The lesson, despite being quite simple, is a good one, especially for the target child audience of the show. As the lyric from Ripped Pants states, "Be true to yourself". The ability to convey a message without sounding preachy is something that SpongeBob SquarePants, as a show, does quite well, and that is no different in Ripped Pants.
In conclusion, despite the lack of the character roster of later seasons, and the simplicity of the art style, and stories, BubbleStand and Ripped Pants prove to be some of the most enjoyable episodes of Season One, and a great next step for the show.