Neptune's Spatula (Episode)

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Neptune's Spatula
Episode No.:	19a
Airdate:	1.4.2000
Season:	Season 1
Previous Episode:	Walking Small
Next Episode:	Fools in April

"Neptune's Spatula" is an episode from Season 1

Template:Spoiler

Info

Characters

SpongeBob
King Neptune
Patrick
Larry the Lobster
Ice-cream vendor (Lou)
Everyone else at Fry Cook museum
Mr. Krabs
Audience at Poseidome
Tom Kenny

Places

Songs

We're going to Atlantis

Plot

At the fry cook museum, SpongeBob and Patrick are amazed by everything. They see a greasy griddle with a golden spatula embedded in the grease. On it is a plaque, which says "Many have tried to pull this spatula out of this ancient grease, but all have failed. Only a fry cook worthy of King Neptune himself can wield the golden spatula". SpongeBob actually pulls it out, and King Neptune appears. He asks who pulled out the spatula, and everyone says SpongeBob.

Neptune's Palace in Atlantis

King Neptune refuses to believe this, and asks for proof. Patrick shows him the photograph he took. King Neptune asks SpongeBob if he wants to compete with him in a burger-cooking competition. Patrick keeps on saying how good SpongeBob is, so he's zapped many times by King Neptune. SpongeBob says yes, if Patrick is returned to normal (He agrees, but accidentally makes his face on his butt). If SpongeBob wins, he will stay at Atlantis forever and become a god. If he loses, he has to give up fry-cooking forever. In the Poseidome, King Neptune makes 1000 burgers, while SpongeBob only makes one. However, SpongeBob's tastes delicious while King Neptune's tastes terrible. So SpongeBob wins. But he does not want to leave his friends, so they arrange for King Neptune to be a trainee under SpongeBob at the Krusty Krab.

Cultural References

The Poseidome is taken from Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. (Neptune being the Roman).
The whole spatula in the "ancient grease" is a reference to the Arthurian legend of Excalibur, or the sword in the stone in which whoever pulls the sword from the stone would become the King of England. Also, the fact that it's called "ancient grease" can be seen as a play on Ancient Greece (even though Neptune is actually an Ancient Roman God.)

Trivia/Goofs

John O'Hurley guest voices.

This is one of few times Spongebob works the register.
This, along with I Was a Teenage Gary and The Paper are not broadcast on Nickelodeon much, because they are paired with holiday episodes, although April Fools Day is not an actual holiday.
Though Neptune is a Roman God, he takes SpongeBob to a sports arena he calls "The Poseidome", which is a reference to his Greek name Poseidon.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is somewhat similar to this episode, regarding that some of the jokes are used again (such as Patrick heightening the number of tasks SpongeBob can do (though he was lowering the number of days it would take SpongeBob to get the crown back in the movie). Also, in the movie King Neptune is voiced by someone else and looks different. But in Krusty Towers Squidward mentions King Neptune XIV, which is a possibility the two may be different.
The man taking a shower is actually Tom Kenny himself.