Pressure

"**Pressure**" is a *SpongeBob SquarePants* episode from season two. In this episode, SpongeBob and Sandy compete to see who's better.

This episode also has a special guest appearance by puppeteers Karen Prell and Steve Whitmire, who puppeteered some characters on this episode (click "puppeteers" for more info!).

## Characters

* SpongeBob SquarePants
* Patrick Star
* Squidward Tentacles
* Eugene H. Krabs
* Sandy Cheeks
* Other Krabs family members (mentioned)
* Seagulls
* King Neptune (mentioned)

## Synopsis

The episode begins with Sandy and SpongeBob peacefully watching the clouds. SpongeBob spies one cloud that looks like a flower, but Sandy points out they all look like flowers all the time. They remain relaxed even after deciding to climb a mountain, until they each casually mention that they would obviously win anyway, due to their respective land and sea based abilities. They decide to have a race and Sandy takes a head start. Despite his efforts to catch up, SpongeBob loses and challenges Sandy to another race to the Krusty Krab, taking the same head start as Sandy and winning.

Upset at SpongeBob's victory, Sandy boasts of the superiority of land creatures to sea creatures, listing the many skills and abilities that sea creatures lack. SpongeBob, joined by Patrick, Squidward and Mr. Krabs, point out things that Sandy cannot do, such as breathing underwater. She is provoked into tearing off her suit and helmet. Soon enough, the strain proves too much and Sandy is forced to use a pickle jar as a makeshift air helmet.

To settle the issue, Sandy challenges the group to the reverse: going up on dry land for one minute, which they declare an easy feat. Once they reach the shore of the local island, they lose confidence. Unwilling to let her win, they charge up to the surface and end up finding the land enjoyable. They even take the time to chat up a pair of native seagulls.

After the minute passes, Sandy lets go of her pride and heads up herself to congratulate the group. To her horror, she discovers her friends being chased and devoured by the seagulls and attacks the birds to save them.

The episode ends with the quintet back on the ocean floor, the two sides come to the realization that everyone, sea and land creature alike, is good at something, even if no one is good at everything. SpongeBob and Sandy apologize to each other, and the group gives a cheer in honor of feeling sorry for themselves. The seagulls, in a sorry state of their own, halfheartedly join in.

## Production

### Puppeteers

* Tim Lagasse: Mr. Krabs
* Noel MacNeal (assistant puppet captain): SpongeBob, Patrick
* Karen Prell: Sandy, Seagull #2
* Jonathan Silsby: Squidward
* Steve Whitmire (puppet captain): Seagull #1

### Music

**‣** Cha Cha Nova - Gerhard Narholz *[Title card]*

**‣** Holiday Dream - Max Mahlmann *[SpongeBob and Sandy relaxing]*

**‣** Banzai Rider - The Surfdusters *[climbing Coral Cliffs/SpongeBob and Sandy running to the Krusty Krab]*

**‣** Tomfoolery - David Snell *[Sandy thinks land creatures are best/"Give me that. They don't call me Cheeks for nothing."/"Admit it, Sandy, you can't do anything us sea creatures can do."]*

**‣** Danger Zone - Mike Sunderland *[Sandy takes off her suit]*

**‣** Stepping into Danger - Mike Sunderland *[everyone teasing Sandy]*

**‣** Tomfoolery - David Snell *[Sandy challenges them to go above water]*

**‣** Hawaiian Link (a) - Richard Myhill *["Well, so are you going or not?"]*

**‣** Pomp and Circumstance No.4 A - Edward Elgar, John Fox *["We're sea creatures!"]*

**•** Tension Tremolo - Nicolas Carr, Dick de Benedictis *["Make it last."/SpongeBob goes above water.]*

**‣** Sunny Samoa - George de Fretes, Jan Rap *[everyone else goes above water]*

**‣** Cha Cha Nova - Gerhard Narholz *["This is pretty easy!"]*

**‣** Waikiki Queen - Hans Haider *[ending]*

### Releases

* This episode is available on the SpongeGuard on Duty, Complete 2nd Season, First 100 Episodes, Sportingly Sandy, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, Favorite Episodes, Beach Bob, I'm Your Biggest Fan, The Complete Second Season, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 3, Mighty Sporting of You, From the Beginning, Pt.1, Calling All Heroes!, The First & Second Seasons, and The Best 200 Episodes Ever DVDs.
* This episode is available on the SpongeGuard on Duty and Nicktoons: Sport-a-Rama VHS tapes.

### Reception

* "Pressure" was ranked #49 during the Best Day Ever event on November 9–10, 2006.
* The episode was in 45th place in the "Top 100 Greatest Moments in Nicktoons History."

## Trivia

### General

* This is the first and only episode to have Noel MacNeal **not** be puppet captain, not counting the Japanese dub. Instead, he is the assistant puppet captain, while Steve Whitmire takes over MacNeal's usual title.
* Mr. Krabs says that everyone in his family can retract their eyes into their sockets. His family is made of two very different animals: crabs *and* sperm whales like Pearl. His statement is still correct, as both crabs and sperm whales can retract and protrude their eyes, as shown in this video.
* In the PlayStation 1 version of the *SpongeBob SquarePants* video game *SuperSponge*, four scenes from this episode are used in the intro.
* This is the last episode to be written by David Fain, and also the only season 2 episode written by Fain.
* This is the first episode where Sandy takes off her air helmet while underwater.
* This is the first episode where Sandy uses something other than her space helmet to breathe underwater.
* This is the first of four episodes transcribed as a comic into the *SpongeBob SquarePants*/Tokyopop book *Gone Nutty!* The other three were "Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm," "Karate Choppers," and "Sandy's Rocket."
* The title card for this episode is similar to the one used for "Bubble Buddy."
* On the island, SpongeBob is a square-cut sponge, Patrick is a real starfish, Mr. Krabs is a toy crab made to look like a real crab, Squidward is a puppet of an octopus with a big nose and his own eyes, and Sandy is a plush squirrel toy with a small plastic dome on her head.
* On land, Squidward appears as his regular teal/turquoise color above water. In "Reef Blower," Squidward appears purple when SpongeBob's reef blower sucks up all the water.
* Sandy dares SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs to go on the island of Bikini Atoll, which was an island that was destroyed by the first Hydrogen Bomb test by the United States, which is infamous for showering a Japanese fishing boat with radiation.
* This is the first episode where Mr. Krabs appears as a normal crab.
* In the Polish dub, the episode's title is "Kto jest lepszy," which, in English, translates to "Who is Better."
* In the Japanese dub, the episode's title is "敵が戦うとき！," which, in English, translates to "When Opposites Fight!"
* The part where SpongeBob gasps and says, "Take that back!" was used in a 2001 promo for the Nick Jr. show *Oswald*.
* When Sandy mentions all the things that land creatures do, a few of them are based on western culture.
* Realistically, Mr. Krabs would have no problem being out on water, as crabs are amphibious.

### Cultural References

* When SpongeBob floats with his umbrella up to the top of the cliff, the flying umbrella is a reference to Disney's 1964 film *Mary Poppins*.
* Sandy's line "That's the way the coral crumbles" is a play on the old saying "That's the way the cookie crumbles."

### Errors

**[Please note that all of these errors were fixed on home media and digital releases as well as international airings unless otherwise noted.]**

* Dish Network accidentally labeled this episode as "#45" along with "The Smoking Peanut."﻿
	+ In 2014, this error was fixed.

* The anchor on Mr. Krabs' office door is blue, but in the next scene, it is red like in the other doors.
* When SpongeBob arrives at the Krusty Krab, a set of tables is shown. After the next scene, they are all gone.
* When Sandy and SpongeBob race each other the second time to the Krusty Krab, the restaurant is facing the side, where the front door is to Sandy's right when she entered. However, when she goes in, the Krusty Krab goes back to facing the right way inside, and it makes it look like Sandy is coming in from the left, where there is no door.
* Patrick holds a tray of Krabby Double Deluxes, but in the next scene after he eats one, he is not holding it.
	+ Also, in the same scene, when Sandy says "Give me that," she grabs the food item from the wrong location.
* When Sandy struggles to breathe, she pours the pickles out of the pickle jar and puts it on her head in order for her to breathe. However, the water would have filled up the jar so when she put it on her head it would not have made a difference.
* When SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs are cheering for sea creatures, Patrick's left arm disappears for a frame.
* When SpongeBob says, "First one to the Krusty Krab is the winner," the Chum Bucket is missing from across the street.
	+ The brick wall is also missing.
* Sandy is still wearing her air helmet and space suit when she is on dry land, which she did not need.

### Running Gags

* Patrick makes a statement, but something happens that goes against his statement:
	+ Patrick laughs at the term "airhead" said by Mr. Krabs, then his head deflates.
	+ Patrick says that he is not chicken, then drops his popcorn and proceeds to peck kernels with his mouth like a chicken.
	+ Patrick, Mr. Krabs, and Squidward say that they are not afraid to go on land, then hide behind SpongeBob in fear.
* Someone saying they are already halfway there while the other character boasts about their skills.