Help Wanted/Reef Blower/Tea at the Treedome

The first seasons of Spongebob are some of the finest and funniest television I've ever watched. Ever since I was practically a toddler I've been a fan, and as I've matured over the years I've begun to appreciate some of the wittier, earlier Spongebob episodes much more. This pilot is the classic that started it all (I use the term "classic" loosely, as this episode isn't even 20 years old yet, but the fact that it is approaching that age is kind of incredible to me, especially since the show, no matter how much it has decreased in quality, is still going on), an episode filled with memorable, funny, and creative moments, this is as enjoyable as any cartoon I have ever had the pleasure of laughing along with. Below are my reviews for the episode's individual parts (which, in the future, will be how my reviews of this show will be structured from this point onward): Help Wanted-an introduction to many of the show's most essential and memorable characters that is a quick but entertaining mix of wacky slapstick, hilarious dialogue, and absurdist humor. Reef Blower-this is the shortest section of the episode, and it is also the weakest, but that doesn't mean it isn't great, because is it! It's a silent comedy that recalls everything from Buster Keaton to Looney Tunes. It's very cartoonish, but in a good way; it's not laugh out loud funny per se, but it's charming enough to make me smirk at the very least. Tea at the Treedome-definitely my favorite of the pilot's three, brief parts. The opening is purely physical comedy, while the rest is mostly situational and conversational humor, and the mix is pulled off quite well. Patrick steals the show as he always does (or, more appropriately now that modern Spongebob has sort of crushed his likable legacy) as he tries his best to help his friend out, but ultimately is stupid enough to nearly get him killed. He's the classic lovable idiot and has many side splitting comical lines in the episode, many of which I still quote today in "mundane" conversation

Where to start, where to start...

This is the first episode of the show, released twenty-two years ago, and features three segments packed into one.

Help Wanted at a brief glimpse looks okay, nothing special, just your average Nickelodeon show, but the true greatness is in the characters, humor, and the writing. All the characters in this episode went on to become some of the most well-known characters in cartoon history. However, I will say Help Wanted is far from the best in the series, but it's still a far cry from the worst. Even in the first episode, the characters have lots of dimension and personality. The episode was a strong premiere for the series.

Now on to Reef Blower, it has a cool concept represented nicely, and as far as I know, it's the only episode in the entire show that has no words, and that's part of the reason why I like it so much. I can already say the animation has gotten better. It has a strange premise of SpongeBob sucking up the ocean, but hey, it's a cartoon! My least favorite out of the three, but still great.

And finally, Tea at the Treedome. This episode has the first appearance of Sandy, a squirrel in a rocket suit, and features SpongeBob having tea with her (hence the title). This is my favorite episode of the bunch because of the story and the introduction to one of the most interesting characters in the show.

Overall, the episode that started it all is enjoyable enough to recommend to any demographic. It set the bar high with its vibrant characters and humorous jokes.

Help Wanted- 9/10

Reef Blower- 9/10

Tea at the Treedome- 9/10

Overall- 9/10.

Help Wanted: 7/10 Good Episode. I like the jokes and the montage. Not the best from Season 1 but I enjoyed it. Reef Blower: 5/10 This was okay, I guess. I just didn't find this episode funny. Since this was so short I can't really say it was an outright bad episode, but I didn't care for it. Tea at the Treedome: 8/10 This was great. This had some great jokes like SpongeBob saying "I NEED IT!" And I found this to be a great introduction episode for Sandy.

These episodes are funny and they created the best show