Rock Bottom (SpongeBob SquarePants)

Boarding a bus home from Glove World, a glove-themed amusement park, SpongeBob and Patrick accidentally board the wrong bus, which takes them down a 90-degree cliff to Rock Bottom, a town inhabited by many strange deep-sea animals. Patrick is frightened, so SpongeBob leaves him at the bus stop while he goes to get a bus schedule. As soon as SpongeBob leaves, the next bus to Bikini Bottom arrives, and Patrick leaves SpongeBob behind. Unable to climb the 90-degree cliff, SpongeBob waits for the next bus.

After a number of mishaps prevent him boarding a bus, SpongeBob heads to a bus station and waits in a very long line. Reaching the front, he finds that the next bus leaves in 5 seconds; he misses it and learns it was the last one until morning. As the lights go out for the night, SpongeBob hears a noise and dashes back to the cliff in terror. The source of the noise is revealed to be a friendly anglerfish, who has retrieved SpongeBob's glove balloon. The anglerfish inflates the balloon and ties it to SpongeBob's wrist, allowing him to float up the cliff. Believing that SpongeBob is still stuck in Rock Bottom, Patrick boards a bus and heads down the cliff to fetch him. SpongeBob spots him on the way up, but leaves Patrick on his own as to not get stuck again.

"Rock Bottom" was written by Paul Tibbitt, Ennio Torresan, and David Fain, with Tom Yasumi serving as animation director. Tibbitt and Torresan also worked as storyboard directors.{{cite AV media | date=October 28, 2003 | title=SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 1st Season ("Rock Bottom" credits) |medium=DVD|location=United States | publisher=Paramount Home Entertainment/Nickelodeon}} The premise of the episode was inspired by an incident from series writer and voice of Plankton, Mr Lawrence's childhood. One day in the first grade, he had hopped on to the wrong bus on his way back from school.{{Cite web |last=Firriolo |first=Andrew |date=December 16, 2024 |title="SpongeBob's" Mr. Lawrence Reflects On 25 Years Of Plankton's Iconic Moments |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewfirriolo/mr-lawrence-spongebob-interview |access-date=April 12, 2025 |website=BuzzFeed |language=en}} Though the experience lasted for a short time, he described it as a traumatic one for his young self and felt it to be one a lot of other children could relate to. He noted that while an event like this does not mean you are stranded in the middle of nowhere, SpongeBob, contrastively, in the episode was really stranded. Series head writer of the first season Merriwether Williams described the episode as one of the series' best, and one with a simple story.{{cite web|last=Heintjes|first=Tom|title=The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants|url=http://cartoonician.com/the-oral-history-of-spongebob-squarepants/|work=Hogan's Alley|access-date=September 1, 2013|date=September 21, 2012}} She said "it stayed with one idea" and was "so small that you could explore gags and opportunities for gags." The episode was an example of "a good outline" in the series where the storyboards and humor were done easily. Williams said that in "many ways, my job was to create situations where the board guys could be funny, to create a situation that could be funny, and let them go for the actual, specific jokes."

"Rock Bottom" originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on March 15, 2000 and was watched by 2.1 million households upon its release.{{cite web |title=SpongeBob SquarePants : Arrgh!; Rock Bottom |url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/spongebob-squarepants-arrgh-rock-bottom/EP003077660020?aid=zap2it |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203182833/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/spongebob-squarepants-arrgh-rock-bottom/EP003077660020?aid=zap2it |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |access-date=September 6, 2013 |publisher=Zap2it}}{{cite web|title=CABLE'S TOP 25 PEOPLE'S CHOICE|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-2000/BC-2000-03-27.pdf|work=Broadcasting & Cable|access-date=March 6, 2025|date=March 27, 2000|archive-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725174426/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-2000/BC-2000-03-27.pdf|url-status=live}} The episode has largely received positive reception from critics and fans alike. As of 2022, the episode alongside its accompanying segment, "Arrgh!", rank {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 9 in the highest rated SpongeBob SquarePants according to IMDb.{{Cite web |last=Aravind |first=Ajay |date=July 15, 2022 |title=Top 10 Episodes Of SpongeBob SquarePants, According To IMDb |url=https://www.cbr.com/top-spongebob-squarepants-imdb/ |access-date=March 5, 2025 |website=CBR |language=en}}

In 2011, Emily Estep of WeGotThisCovered.com ranked the episode {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 5 on her "Top 10 Episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants" list. She said "While 'Rock Bottom' is mostly a goofy episode, it's also one of the scarier episodes of SpongeBob." She added that the episode had "the ideal balance of cuteness and sheer terror" that made it very memorable.{{cite web |last=Estep |first=Emily |date=December 5, 2011 |title=Top 10 Episodes Of Spongebob Squarepants |url=http://wegotthiscovered.com/tv/top-10-episodes-spongebob-squarepants/ |access-date=September 1, 2013 |publisher=WeGotThisCovered.com}} In 2021, Jordan Moreau, Katcy Stephan and David Viramontes of Variety ranked the episode {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 14 on their 15 best SpongeBob episodes list. They noted how the episode flips the usual dynamics of SpongeBob annoying people around him by putting SpongeBob in a setting weirder than him.{{cite news|last1=Moreau|first1=Jordan|last2=Stephan|first2=Katcy|last3=Viramontes|first3=David|title=15 Best 'SpongeBob Squarepants' Episodes, Ranked|url=https://variety.com/lists/best-spongebob-squarepants-episodes/something-smells-season-2-episode-2/|access-date=February 10, 2022|work=Variety|date=June 8, 2021}} In 2024, Andrew Firriolo of BuzzFeed ranked the episode {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 4 in their 25 Best SpongeBob episodes list. They highlighted the episode's writing and relatability factor (in the form of boarding the wrong bus) as positives.{{Cite web |last=Firriolo |first=Andrew |date=May 1, 2024 |title=To Celebrate The 25th Anniversary Of SpongeBob SquarePants, I Ranked The 25 Greatest Episodes |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewfirriolo/top-25-spongebob-episodes |access-date=March 5, 2025 |website=BuzzFeed |language=en}} In 2025, Mike Bedard of /Film ranked the episode {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 10 in their 15 Best SpongeBob episodes list. The writer praised the episode's abundance of great jokes and commemorated it's memorability due to a scary atmosphere and SpongeBob being placed in an unusually terrifying situation.{{Cite web |last=Bedard |first=Mike |date=January 17, 2025 |title=15 Best SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes, Ranked |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1761815/best-spongebob-squarepants-episodes-ranked/ |access-date=March 5, 2025 |website=/Film |language=en-US}}

"Rock Bottom" is notable among SpongeBob fans and critics as one of the series' more scary episodes. In 2023, Guillermo Kurten, Fawzia Khan, and Robbie Robinson of CBR, ranked it {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 10 in their 20 Darkest SpongeBob episodes list. They pointed out that the episode's tone and setting, Rock Bottom, darkly contrasted with that of most of the regular series and its main location, Bikini Bottom. They also commented that the episode might host some commentary on mental health in the "hints of depression and anxiety SpongeBob feels in desperately trying to escape from his literal — and metaphorical — "Rock Bottom.""{{Cite web |last=Kurten |first=Guillermo |last2=Khan |first2=Fawzia |last3=Robinson |first3=Robbie |date=March 28, 2023 |title=20 Times SpongeBob Went Dark |url=https://www.cbr.com/disturbing-spongebob-squarepants-episodes/ |access-date=March 5, 2025 |website=CBR |language=en}} In 2023, J.S. Gornael of Collider ranked the episode {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 14 in their 10 Darkest SpongeBob episodes list. They praised the episodes dark and dimly lit atmosphere, creepy residents of the title town, and Tom Kenny's voice acting for effectively creating a chilling experience.{{Cite web |last=Gornael |first=J. S. |date=October 29, 2023 |title=The 10 Darkest 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Episodes, Ranked |url=https://collider.com/spongebob-squarepants-darkest-episodes/ |access-date=March 5, 2025 |website=Collider |language=en}}

"Rock Bottom" was released on the DVD compilation called The Best of SpongeBob SquarePants on May 11, 2004.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} It was also included on the SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 1st Season DVD, released on October 28, 2003.SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 1st Season. DVD. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2003.{{cite web |last=Bovberg |first=Jason |date=October 26, 2003 |title=SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete First Season |url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/8045/spongebob-squarepants-the-complete-first-season/ |access-date=September 1, 2013 |publisher=DVD Talk}}{{cite web |title=SpongeBob SquarePants - Season 1 |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/SpongeBob-SquarePants-Season-1/3068 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725222026/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/SpongeBob-SquarePants-Season-1/3068 |archive-date=July 25, 2013 |access-date=September 1, 2013 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com}} On September 22, 2009, the episode was released on the SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes DVD, alongside all the episodes of seasons one through five.SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes. DVD. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2009.{{cite web |last=Lacey |first=Gord |date=September 29, 2009 |title=SpongeBob SquarePants - The First 100 Episodes (Seasons 1-5) Review |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/reviews/SpongeBob-SquarePants-100-Episodes-Seasons-1-5/9154 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055257/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/reviews/SpongeBob-SquarePants-100-Episodes-Seasons-1-5/9154 |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |access-date=September 1, 2013 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com}}

{{See also|SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge}}"Rock Bottom" served as an inspiration for the SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge ride.{{cite web|title=Spongebob Squarepants, Rock Bottom Plunge|url=http://parkthoughts.com/2009/10/17/spongebob-squarepants-rock-bottom-plunge/|work=Park Thoughts|access-date=September 6, 2013|date=October 17, 2009}} The ride first opened on March 15, 2008, at the Mall of America's Nickelodeon theme park re-branded from the Mall of America's Park at MOA, formerly Camp Snoopy, to Nickelodeon Universe in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota.{{cite web|last=Niles|first=Robert|title=New attraction spotlight: Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America|url=http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200803/642/|work=Theme Park Insider|access-date=September 6, 2013|date=March 11, 2008}}{{cite web|last=Clark|first=Jayne|title=Nick characters drop in mall Universe|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-03-13-nick-characters-mall_N.htm|work=USA Today|access-date=September 6, 2013|date=March 13, 2008}}

The SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge features vertical lifts and 90-degree turns providing the riders a 60-plus foot drop, a maximum speed of over 40 miles per hour and a 4.4 maximum G-force rating. The ride time is approximately two minutes and is the shortest Gerstlauer roller coaster built yet.{{cite web|title=SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge Continues Wild Ride|url=http://komainc.com/2009/10/spongebob-squarepants-rock-bottom-plunge-continues-wild-ride/|publisher=Krech, O'Brien, Mueller and Associates, Inc.|access-date=September 6, 2013|date=October 29, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203004334/http://komainc.com/2009/10/spongebob-squarepants-rock-bottom-plunge-continues-wild-ride/|archive-date=December 3, 2013}}

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{{wikiquote|SpongeBob_SquarePants/Season 1#Rock Bottom (17.2)|"Rock Bottom"}}

• {{IMDb episode|0769426|Rock Bottom}}

{{SpongeBob SquarePants episodes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock Bottom}}

Category:2000 American television episodes

Category:SpongeBob SquarePants episodes