Tea at the Treedome (Episode)

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Tea at the Treedome
Episode No.:	1c
Season/Year:	1/1999
Airdate:	May 1, 1999
Next Episode:	Bubblestand

"Tea at the Treedome" is an episode from Season 1, the last of the three pilot episodes.

Info

Characters

SpongeBob
Sandy (debut)
Patrick
Giant clam (debut)
Bird in Bird Bath (debut)

Songs

Title Card: "Moloka' I Nui"

Plot

The episode starts out with SpongeBob jellyfishing in Jellyfish Fields. Suddenly, he spots a young girl wrestling with a giant clam. He takes out his field guide book, and identifies her as a 'land squirrel'. SpongeBob thinks she is in trouble, and goes to wrestle the clam himself. The squirrel manages to escape the clam, but SpongeBob ends up inside of it. The squirrel then rescues SpongeBob, and throws the clam out of the area. SpongeBob introduces himself, and the squirrel says that her name is Sandy Cheeks. SpongeBob inquires about the helmet she wears, and Sandy tells him that it's her air helmet. SpongeBob does not know what air is, but does not tell her this, instead saying that he loves air. Sandy, surprised that SpongeBob is fond of air, invites him to her 'Treedome' for "Texas tea" and cookies. SpongeBob quickly runs over to his best friend Patrick Star and tells him everything that happened. Patrick tells him that 'putting on airs' is fancy talk. He then tells SpongeBob if he wants to be fancy, to hold his pinky finger high above him.

File:MABuch.jpg

The 'Land Squirrel'

When SpongeBob arrives at Sandy's [[Treedome, he goes inside, and notices that the water level drops. He panics, and tells Sandy that there is no water. She tells him that, yes, it's just air. SpongeBob says that there isn't any problem and tries hard to breathe. She does not realize that sea creatures need water to survive. Sandy gives him a tour of her treedome, showing him that she has an oak tree, a bird bath, and other things. During this, SpongeBob quickly sneaks over to the bird bath, which is filled with water; he now knows he needs water to breathe properly. SpongeBob gives Sandy some flowers, and she decides to get a vase for them. Meanwhile, Patrick, watching from outside the treedome, tells SpongeBob to keep his pinky finger up. Sandy comes back and puts the flowers in a vase, filled with ice cold water, on the picnic table. SpongeBob tries to resist drinking the water while Sandy goes to get the tea and cookies. SpongeBob eventually gives in, drinks it, and runs for the door, declaring that he is a quitter. Patrick, thinking he is being shy around Sandy, enters the Treedome and tries to convince him to stay. After a moment Patrick realizes that there is no water. The two struggle to get out of the treedome, but fail. When Sandy comes back, both Patrick and SpongeBob are dried up on the grass. She helps them by giving them water-filled helmets (which are subsequently used every time they visit Sandy's house except in "Survival of the Idiots", when the air in the Treedome was filled with snow.) In the end, Sandy proposes a toast to new friends, and they drink their tea. SpongeBob and Patrick (humorously) drink by gulping the tea-filled water in their new helmets, with their pinky fingers pointing up.

Trivia/Goofs

The bowls on Spongebob's and Patrick's heads have the opening up, while in all subsequent episodes (except Chimps Ahoy) the opening is down.
Spongebob would tease at Sandy's astronaut-like diver air suit in the episode Pressure.
If Spongebob and Patrick drink the teawater, then they'll drink all the water up, and they'll dehydrate again.
Sandy made her first appearance in this episode.
After Sandy gives SpongeBob and Patrick water helmets, she says, "If ya'll wanted water, you should have asked." Earlier in the episode, SpongeBob did ask for water, but Sandy ignored him to put the flowers he got her in a vase.
When Sandy is filling SpongeBob and Patrick's helmets with water, she fills Patrick's first. But, you'll notice that SpongeBob is smiling with relief before Sandy fills his helmet.

Reception

This episode received mostly neutral and few negative reviews, but it was more well-received than Hall Monitor and ranked at #96 of SpongeBob's Best Day Ever 100 Episodes.