Top 10 Worst SpongeBob Specials

Most SpongeBob specials occurred either because of a special occasion like a holiday or the writers had an interesting idea about how to flip the show on its head for a day. Although “Ghoul Fools” aired around Halloween, it did nothing interesting to stick out from previous spooky-themed episodes. SpongeBob and Patrick stumble upon a ghostly boat house and meet a ghost pirates who we find out later were members of the Dutchman’s crew. The plot is...all over the place. The story jumps from the crew scaring SpongeBob and Patrick to the sponge running an errand for them to everyone fighting over a treasure that goes to the Dutchman. We really would’ve been fine with a rerun of “Scaredy Pants”.

In all honesty, “Frozen Face-Off” is perhaps the most inoffensive special on this list. But it also doesn’t try to do anything remarkable. Sure, the concept of an underwater sled race sounds intriguing for the show, but the idea devolves into another one of Plankton’s convoluted schemes. But did the writers seriously want us to believe he managed to trick the entire town into thinking this was a legitimate event? Honestly, the characters don’t seem to put much thought into what they’re doing. Even a decent setup between the giant monster and Plankton’s deep fryer trap that was just...you know, left out in the open, couldn’t improve this episode. And Sandy is definitely smart enough to avoid that hazard! Give the cast some credit!

If you really want an episode that’s all over the place, then look no further than “Truth or Square”. The episode that was supposed to commemorate the show’s tenth anniversary made no flippin’ sense whatsoever. As the Krusty crew try to find their way out of the restaurant’s air vents, they look back on various memories that poke all kinds of holes in the lore. Squidward calling people “Not SpongeBob” before he ever met SpongeBob? A supposed marriage between SpongeBob and Sandy? Critics and fans agreed that this was an incredibly, haphazardly assembled episode full of nothing but filler. Not even the celebrity cameos are worth it.

Nickelodeon really drove up the hype for this festive episode. But it blew up in their faces worse than a grease fire or a bubble pop in the eyes. The segments with Patchy and his house party take up roughly half of the special’s runtime and don’t entertain much until the “Underwater Sun” number. As for the episode itself, it's mostly SpongeBob planning the party and yelling at his guests for not following his lame, insanely meticulous schedule. Admittedly, there are a couple of good jokes. But considering how obnoxious Nickelodeon was with the promos, this special was enough to make us swear off house parties for a while.

This special asks “What would happen if SpongeBob ran away and never came back?” In this episode, our porous pal runs away and comes down with a case of amnesia. Meanwhile, his friends are sent into a panic and set off to find him. While it had a few decent jokes, the rushed ending is where everything falls apart. SpongeBob becomes the mayor of New Kelp City while he’s still suffering from amnesia. After visiting the Krusty Krab, Bikini Bottom’s news channel says a riot has erupted in New Kelp and the denizens are out to get him. So, SpongeBob returns to his old life...without his memories and the episode ends! Did the writers forget to craft an ending that made sense?

A Bikini Bottom that’s set in a spaghetti western, old frontier time period? That’s a special we’d absolutely love to see! But why is “Pest of the West” on this list? Simply put, the whole special felt very uninspired. While the writers got creative when it came to which character would fit what tropes, the story itself flounders about up until the short-lived duel with Dead-Eye Plankton. The musical numbers also failed to capture the infectious rhythms and rhymes of the cowboy tunes that inspired them. This special should’ve been as sharp as a spur. But instead it came off as dull and interesting as a tumbleweed.

How could an episode about a wave called “the Big One '' make such a miniscule splash? Two words: Bad execution. After a nasty storm, SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward must seek out Jack Kahuna Lagoona in order to learn how to conquer a powerful wave that’ll carry them home. As if the bland writing and awkward pacing wasn’t bad already, the biggest disappointment in this special was Johnny Depp’s role as JKL. Although Nickelodeon had promoted the crud out of his guest appearance, the star had roughly a page of dialogue. And most of his lines were very short and emotionless. You would think the celebrity guest would remember to bring the heat after the house party disaster.

Ever wanted a deeper look into King Neptune’s personal issues and family history? No? Well, you got a glimpse of it anyways in “The Clash of Triton”. After discovering that Neptune has a bad history with his imprisoned son Triton, SpongeBob decides to find and free the prince.What makes this episode such a bore is how all of the characters seem to get dragged along for the ride. And even after the cast helps mend the king and prince’s relationship, they’re still punished for no legitimate reasons. While the royal family gains a chance to bury the hatchet over a petty disagreement, we lost too much of our time on this special.

It’s easy to recognize and highlight this special for its good intentions on promoting environmental protection and preservation. However, the episode falters while delivering its message. The plot counts on everyone to be superficial and stupid enough to let Plankton build a super highway with no real benefit. While kids might find the episode entertaining, the special fails to properly explain what about industrialization harms the environment. And it looks worse when you consider the writers nailed the environmental message before with the “Endless Summer” episode. Underscored by a messy musical composition, “Spongebob’s Last Stand” fails to achieve anything it set out to do.

When Mr. Krabs wants to save a nickel, fires SpongeBob and takes over the little guy’s duties. He does this despite the fact that Krabs has realized several dozen times that SpongeBob is crucial to all his restaurant’s success. We spend half of the episode watching a depressed and mean-spirited SpongeBob and see him searching for a new job for the rest of the time. The narrative meanders so much that Squidward stealing SpongeBob and bringing him back to work might as well happen. Fortunately, Krabs realizes his mistake by the end of the exhausting episode. Nothing about this story makes sense and everyone seems to act out of character. Like “Spongebob” near the beginning of the story, this special doesn’t work.