Bubble Buddy (episode)

**Episode** · Transcript · Gallery · Credits

September 30, 2001

 January 5, 2002

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 April 4, 2001

April 28, 2001
June 25, 2001

July 15, 2001
September 5, 2001

September 19, 2001 (EBS)
November 6, 2002 (Super RTL)

November 8, 2002 (SRF ZWEI)
2003February 11, 2004 (Orf 1)

November 1, 2004
December 31, 2005

September 29, 2007
July 24, 2008

September 12, 2009
October 27, 2016

May 29, 2019
July 30, 2020

July 1, 2021

Brad Abrell as Bubble Buddy

William Reiss

Doug Lawrence

Chuck Klein

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If you were looking for the article about the character, then see Bubble Buddy (character).

If you were looking for the article about the season 8episode, then see "Bubble Buddy Returns."

"**Bubble Buddy**" is a *SpongeBob SquarePants*episode from season 2. In this episode, SpongeBobcreates a bubble friend after seeing that everyone else is busy, but situations get out of hand.

### Characters

* French Narrator
* SpongeBob SquarePants
* Patrick Star (voice only)
* Sandy Cheeks (voice only)
* Squidward Tentacles
* SpongeBob's buddies
	+ Stick Buddy (debut)
	+ Rock Buddy (debut)
	+ Sink Buddy (debut)
	+ Bubble Buddy (debut)
* Eugene H. Krabs
* Criminal (debut)
* Incidentals
	+ Incidental 30
	+ Incidental 40
	+ Incidental 82
	+ Incidental 36
	+ Incidental 41
	+ Incidental 22
	+ Incidental 8
	+ Incidental 16
	+ Incidental 10
	+ Incidental 31
	+ Incidental 12
	+ Incidental 13
	+ Incidental 67
	+ Scooter
	+ Incidental 49
	+ Incidental 32
	+ Incidental 24
	+ Incidental 104
	+ Incidental 45
	+ Incidental 47 (cameo)
	+ Incidental 21
	+ Incidental 4
	+ Incidental 3
	+ Incidental 2
	+ Incidental 27
	+ Incidental 39
	+ Incidental 70
	+ Incidental 60
	+ Incidental 46
	+ Incidental 46
	+ Incidental 9
	+ Fred
	+ Incidental 37B
	+ Incidental 20
	+ Incidental 7 (cameo)
	+ Incidental 23
	+ Incidental 14
	+ Incidental 6
	+ Incidental 108
	+ Incidental 106
	+ Incidental 107
	+ Incidental 5
	+ Incidental 48
	+ Incidental 155
* Larry the Lobster
* Grubby Grouper (debut)
* Pearl Krabs
* Drink vendor (debut)
* Seahorse (mentioned)
* Other beachgoers

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As every day is a holiday for SpongeBob, he wakes up wearing a Viking costume and proclaims it to be Leif Erikson Day. He then goes outside to celebrate with his friends, but finds notes at the houses of Patrick, Sandy, and Squidward notifying that they cannot, or will not, play with him due to different reasons. SpongeBob decides to, literally, make a new friend, and after several failed attempts with a stick, rock and sink, he blows a bubble figure, whom he names Bubble Buddy.

The two go to the Krusty Krab, where SpongeBob orders everything on the menu for Bubble Buddy. However, SpongeBob makes several specifications on Bubble Buddy's behalf that Squidward is forced to bend over backward to accommodate. After the meal, Bubble Buddy pays with "bubble-money," which quickly pops, infuriating Squidward and Mr. Krabs.

SpongeBob and Bubble Buddy next go to the Goo Lagoon, where they continue to cause trouble with their benign antics: holding up the restroom, causing misunderstandings, and leaving one fish to face high tide. Eventually, the beach-goers become fed up and begin to riot, even tipping over the lifeguard tower. Squidward steps in and blames SpongeBob and the bubble he has created, causing the mob to direct their efforts towards popping Bubble Buddy. They surround SpongeBob and Bubble Buddy, brandishing sewing needles and chanting their intent to pop the bubble. SpongeBob tries to escape by inflating Bubble Buddy, but he fails to be fly away from the crowd's grasp. SpongeBob implores them to realize that Bubble Buddy is his special friend, prompting the crowd to remember similar friends of their own.

Unfortunately, this is not enough to change their minds. As the crowd throws SpongeBob out of the way, Squidward brings down his needle. All of a sudden, Bubble Buddy comes to life and catches Squidward's arm before the needle reaches him, much to the shock of everyone except SpongeBob. Bubble Buddy informs SpongeBob that "things are getting a little weird around here," and departs in a bubble taxi, floating into the sky and wishing SpongeBob a Happy Leif Erikson Day. The majority of the crowd, satisfied, leaves to go on with their lives. SpongeBob happily cries for his friend blowing up so fast before leaving in a flurry of bubbles. All but one of them pop, and Squidward, left behind in a daze, awkwardly greets it.

### Running gags

* SpongeBob's friends leaving notes at their front door explaining that they cannot or will not play with him.
	+ The notes are also read by their voices.
	+ SpongeBob's different inanimate buddies.

### Music

**‣** Surfin' Fun - Grahame Maclean, Barry Ryder *[title card]*

**‣** Hawaiian Link (A) - Richard Myhill *[opening]*

**‣** Salute to the King (c) - Paddy Kingsland *["Hey, everybody! It's Leif Ericsson Day!"]*

**•** Puka A - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield *[everyone's busy]*

**•** Sleigh Bells - Nicolas Carr *[snow inside treedome]*

**•** Puka A - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield *[SpongeBob goes to Squidward's house]*

**‣** The Land Is Ours - Gregor F. Narholz *["Bubble Buddy!"]*

**‣** Hawaiian Link (A) - Richard Myhill *[exterior of Krusty Krab]*

**•** Seaweed 1 - Steve Belfer *[SpongeBob introduces Bubble Buddy to Squidward]*

**‣** The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band *[Krabs pops out of cash register]*

**‣** Romeo & Juliet Overture - Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Fiachra Trench *[Krabs tattoos himself]*

**‣** The Rake Hornpipe - Robert Alexander White *[Squidward serves shampoo]*

**•** You're Nice - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield *[one of everything]*

**‣** Carousel Ride - Derek Holt *[carnival style]*

**•** Idea Vibe - Nicolas Carr *[bubble money]*

**‣** Shock (c) - Dave Hewson *[Squidward and Krabs furious]*

**‣** Surfin' Fun - Grahame Maclean, Barry Ryder *[SpongeBob takes Bubble Buddy to Goo Lagoon]*

**‣** Vinyl Scratch [#99.03] - Nigel Piper *["Shake that bubble butt!"]*

**‣** Surfin' Fun - Grahame Maclean, Barry Ryder *[People still waiting for the bathroom]*

**‣** Hawaiian Link (B) - Richard Myhill *["He kept us waiting for a bubble?"]*

**‣** Dangerous C - Mladen Franko *["He owes me money!"]*

**‣** Heavenly Voices (b) - David Farnon *[Scooter's ghost floats up]*

**‣** Killer On The Run A - Gregor F. Narholz *[everyone tips the lifeguard stand/Everyone go to the lifeguard/Everyone holds a needle]*

**‣** House Of Horror - W. Merrick Farran *[everyone surrounding SpongeBob with needles/SpongeBob screams.]*

**‣** Thrill Ride - Gregor F. Narholz *[SpongeBob temporarily escapes]*

**‣** Hawaiian Breeze - Jon Jelmer *["He's not just a bubble, he's a Bubble Buddy."]*

**‣** Fight the Beast! [#61] - Gregor F. Narholz *["Pop the bubble! Pop the bubble!"/Everyone gasp]*

**‣** Dancing The Hula - Kapono Beamer *[ending]*

### Release

* This episode is available on the Lost at Sea, Complete 2nd Season, Beach Bob, Holiday Cruise Collection, First 100 Episodes, Friend is The Best, Exposed!: The Ultimate Box Set, Nickelodeon KFC Promo DVD Volume 3, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, Your Shoes are Loose, Imitation Krabs, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 2, Complete Second Season, From the Beginning, Part 1, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, The First & Second Seasons, and The Best 200 Episodes Ever DVDs.
* This episode is also available on the Lost at Seaand Anchors Away VHS tapes.
* This episode is available on various streaming platforms.

### Reception

* "Bubble Buddy" was ranked #23 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.

### General

* The music heard during this episode's title card and opening credits was later used as theme music for the "Nicktoons Summer Beachhouse," which ran during the summers of 2002 and 2003.
* Leif Erikson Day is actually a real holiday. It is celebrated on October 9.
	+ This is the same day as Squidward's birthday.
* The mentioned Krabby Patty meal, "Junior Senior Sophomore Patty," is a reference to the second, third, and fourth years of high school and college in the United States:
	+ Sophomore
	+ Junior
	+ Senior
* Scooter apparently "dies" and goes to Heaven in this episode, though re-appears in later episodes alive and well due to the show's inconsistent continuity.
* This is the first episode to use the track "Puka A."
* In Indonesia, Sandy's note is narrated by SpongeBob instead of Sandy herself.[*citation needed*]
* The title card for this episode is similar to the bubble letters with SpongeBob in the bath in the show's intro, one of the backgrounds that SpongeBob and Patrick are in in "Opposite Day" and one of the backgrounds that SpongeBob and Plankton are in in "F.U.N.," though slightly different and is not mirrored.
* It is stated that Bubble Buddy is lactose intolerant when Squidward brings him a Krabby Patty with cheese, to which SpongeBob demands he send back for another one without cheese.
* SpongeBob's quote, they blow up so fast, is derived from the phrase, they grow up so fast.
* Bad things Bubble Buddy does:
	+ Make Squidward provide excellent service.
	+ Give Mr. Krabs bubble money.
	+ Clean Pearl's flipper, making her cry.
	+ Have Scooter die from the causes of a high tide.
	+ Make the Bikini Bottomites think they're fat (bubble butt).
	+ Spend a long time in the Port-O-Head.
* Bad things Bubble Buddy is falsely accused of doing:
	+ Poisoning the Bikini Bottomites' water supply.
	+ Burning their crops.
	+ Delivering a plague unto their houses.
* This and its sister episode "Big Pink Loser" were the only episodes to have PAL audio pitch in PAL countries until "Fear of a Krabby Patty"/"Shell of a Man" in season 4.
	+ This and its sister episode are the only season 2 episodes to be PAL pitched in the UK. However, as of 2021, both episodes are now in NTSC.
* There is a sequel to this episode titled "Bubble Buddy Returns" in season 8.
* On the November 10, 2006 airing, this episode was paired with "Skill Crane."
* During the SpongeBob vs. The Goo marathon, this episode was paired with "Sun Bleached."

### Cultural references

* When SpongeBob looks at the menu for the Krusty Krab, one of the foods mentioned is the Quarter Ouncer Double Pounder. This is a parody of the McDonald's burger the Double Quarter Pounder.

### Errors

* In the opening credits, Chuck Kl**ei**n's surname is misspelled as Chuck Kl**ie**n.

* When Patrick's rock first opens to reveal the note, "Uhhhhh..." is spelled with five h's. However, when the shot switches to a close-up shot, "Uhhhh..." is spelled with four h's.
* During the scene with the menu, the prices are gone.
* When Squidward gives Bubble Buddy a Krabby Patty, lettuce is shown inside it. But when SpongeBob looks in the Krabby Patty, the lettuce turns into cheese.
* After Squidward is done with every way Bubble Buddy prefers his patties, he says that the bun on the Krabby Patties has no crust, but there is clearly crust on the buns.
* Bubble Buddy goes to the restroom, but he is with SpongeBob in the scene where he says "Shake that bubble butt!," and then he is back in the restroom.
* When Incidental 40 angrily says "That's it!" as he opens the door to the restroom, his lips disappear for a few frames.
* When Incidental 4 says that SpongeBob kept them waiting for a bubble, there is a black whale in the line, but when Larry says that he called him fat, the whale is next to Larry.
* Scooter becomes a semi-transparent angel after he is buried. However, when he floats up to the surface until he fades out, he is opaque.
* When SpongeBob says, "Would you mind not getting so close with those pins? Pointy objects make Bubble Buddy uncomfortable," Pearl's bottom face skin is gray. However, when SpongeBob says, "Oh no, he already took care of that, but thanks for your concern.," her bottom face skin is white.
* When SpongeBob inflates Bubble Buddy to escape the angry crowd, Squidward is drawn with an extra leg.
* When SpongeBob goes to Squidward's house, the note isn't there but when he is at Squidward's front door the note is there.
* When SpongeBob tells Squidward that Bubble Buddy is lactose intolerant, part of his top right corner detaches.

* When Squidward looks at his reflection in Bubble Buddy, his hat is missing, but it's seen in the next scene.
* During the scene where Bubble Buddy leaves, when Larry comes to a stop he cycles through all his visemes.

1. ^ Date confirmed by *SpongeBob Exposed!*, The First 100 Episodes, and the iTunes listing.
2. ^ http://youtv.vn/lich-chieu/27-10-2016.imc
3. ^https://nickstory.fandom.com/wiki/November\_10,\_2006
4. ^https://nickstory.fandom.com/wiki/February\_17,\_2014