Go Fetch!

Go Fetch!
General
Production code:	325-1516b
Season №:	16
Episode №:	327b
Airdate:	October 3, 2025 October 4, 2025 October 27, 2025 October 31, 2025
U.S. premiere time (ET):	5:54 pm
Copyright year:	2025
U.S. viewers (millions):	N/A
Running time:	6 minutes, 12 seconds
Sister episode(s):	"The Haunted Bucket"
Credits
Writer(s):	Adam Paloian
Storyboard Artist(s):	Benjamin Arcand C.H. Greenblatt Jason Reicher
Supervising Producer(s):	Adam Paloian Marc Ceccarelli Vincent Waller
Animation Supervisor:	Jack Gatto Anthony Syracuse
Line Producer:	Joe Crowley Drew Tolman
Main:	Adam Paloian
Animation:	Olov Burman
Chronology
Previous	"The Haunted Bucket"
Next	"Heart of Garbage"

"Go Fetch!" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 16. In this episode, Gary's favorite ball falls into a monster-filled trench.

Characters

• Sea stars
• Sea anemones
• Jellyfish
• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Gary the Snail
• Little boy
• Trench monsters ^{(single appearance)}
  • Bessy ^{(single appearance)}
  • UFO monster ^{(single appearance)}
  • Barreleye fish
  • Stoplight angler fish ^{(single appearance)}
  • Tripod fish ^{(single appearance)}
  • Crown jellyfish ^{(single appearance)}
  • Translucent fish ^{(single appearance)}
  • Colossal squid ^{(single appearance)}
• Squidward Tentacles ^(mentioned)
• Little boy's mother ^(mentioned)

Synopsis

SpongeBob is playing with Gary in Jellyfish Fields one day. Gary is playing with his favorite red ball and brings it back to SpongeBob in a record time of 45 minutes. SpongeBob reminisces on he and Gary's memories with the ball and recalls the first time he gave it to Gary. SpongeBob throws the ball once again, this time with more force, and it rolls to the edge of a cliff. SpongeBob breathes a sigh of relief when it doesn't fall off, but a kid comes along and kicks it off the edge. SpongeBob screams in terror and jumps into the ravine with Gary to get it.

Bessy notices the ball.

They plummet down the ravine, and their fall is broken by a pile of balls. They soon find the ball on top of a mound of skulls and get it. SpongeBob soon comes face to face with an anglerfish. He explains that he didn't mean to touch its bones, but the anglerfish opens its mouth to eat him. It stops when SpongeBob shows it the ball and stares at it admiringly. When SpongeBob walks off with it, the anglerfish bites his hand. SpongeBob is determined not to let go of the ball, and the anglerfish drags him along, with SpongeBob dodging rocks. He lands on top of the anglerfish and is soon launched into the air after the anglerfish crashes into a rock. He lands on the ground, and the ball rolls away. He winds up Gary with a string and rushes down a mountain of skulls with the anglerfish in pursuit.

SpongeBob throws the ball at Gary, and he manages to catch it. Unfortunately, he is abducted by a UFO. SpongeBob finds a fish sleeping nearby and uses him to give chase to the UFO. The UFO speeds through an intersection just before the light changes to red. SpongeBob slams the brakes and flies through the windshield, landing on the roof of the UFO. He sees the anglerfish rapidly approaching from behind, and it chases them through a field of naval mines, which explode behind them. The anglerfish rams them directly into a mine, which launches SpongeBob, Gary, and the ball into the mouth of a fish. They travel through its digestive system and come out the other end as liquids.

SpongeBob runs after the ball.

They run after the ball and find it on top of a monster's eyeball. The monster's eyeball opens, and SpongeBob and Gary are hypnotized by strange patterns. The pupil focuses on them, and it is revealed to be a giant octopus monster. The monster grabs a swirly, cone-shaped rock formation and blows SpongeBob and Gary to the surface. The ball lands with them, and SpongeBob celebrates. The anglerfish then starts repeatedly chomping SpongeBob, and SpongeBob tosses the ball to Gary.

Gary uses the ball to make a new bulb for the anglerfish, and the anglerfish happily runs off into the distance. SpongeBob questions why Gary gave up his ball, to which he answers that the ball was just a toy, and it was the memories they made that truly mattered. Gary reveals a brand new, blue ball under his shell. SpongeBob and Gary hug, and a kid comes over and kicks the ball off the cliff.

Production

This episode was confirmed by Cartoonlounge.de on March 28, 2025.

The CGI animation in this episode was done by Pinreel Inc., an animation studio founded by former SpongeBob crew member Adam Paloian. The episode was animated in Autodesk Maya, then rendered and assembled in Blender. According to Adam Paloian, the episode was in production for a year and a half.

Ego Plum composed the score for the episode.

Promotional art

Promotional artwork used as a crew thank-you card for lighting artist Jordi Campher.

Art

Credits background.

Concept art

• Drawn and designed by Benjamin Arcand and Adam Paloian.

SpongeBob and Gary on the trench floor

Spikes and stalagmites

Trench trees and tripod fish

Naval minefield with spikes

SpongeBob chasing the ball through a forest of luminescent anemones and corals

Miscellaneous trench flora

Storyboards

• Written and directed by Adam Paloian; storyboarded by Paloian, C.H. Greenblatt, Benjamin Arcand, and Jason Reicher, with "punch-up" provided by Eddie Trigueros.

Scene used in the episode, previously cut from "Delivery to Monster Island."

Visual development

• During October 2025, modeling artist Noah Williamson posted early development art of the episode.

Background based on "MuscleBob BuffPants."

Based on "Have You Seen This Snail?"

• During October 2025, modeling artist Damon Bard posted early development art of the episode.

• On October 15, 2025, Pinreel Inc. posted the modeling, final surfacing and texturing process of the barreleye and the translucent fish.

Animation

• During October 2025, lighting artist Jordi Campher shared viewport shots of the Colossal Squid scene.

Viewpoint capture of the colossal squid scene

Colossal squid scene (unlit and unrendered)

Colossal squid eye transition

• On October 6, 2025, lighting artist David Post posted a viewport render showcasing the lighting and materials process for the translucent fish scene.

• During October 2025, animation director Olov Burman shared the process of skeletal animation made in Kippcase Rigging Studio.

Behind the scenes

• The main title text was hand-sculpted in expanding foam by the show co-developer, Nick Jennings.

Music

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 • ? - Ego Plum [Title card.]
 • ? - Ego Plum [Opening.]
 • ? - Ego Plum [Gary as a baby.]
 ‣ Busy Traffic - David Hart [SpongeBob throws Gary's ball.]
 • ? - Ego Plum [Gary follows the ball.]
 ‣ Death Clock A - Dick De Benedictis [Gary's ball rolls towards a trench.]
 ‣ Bassoon Link (B) - Richard Myhill [Kid kicks the ball into the trench.]
 ‣ Drama Link (G) - Hubert Clifford ["No! Gary's ball!"]
 ‣ We Put To Sea! (A) - Dick Walter [SpongeBob jumps into the trench.]
 • ? - Ego Plum [SpongeBob and Gary falling.]
 • Koa Constrictor 2 Instrumental Intro - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Pile of lost balls.]
 • ? - Ego Plum [SpongeBob sees Gary's ball.]
 • ? - Ego Plum [Bessy appears.]
 ‣ Drama Link (G) - Hubert Clifford [Bessy opens her mouth.]
 • ? - Ego Plum [SpongeBob goes through the trench.]
 • ? - Ego Plum ["Our ball!"]
 • ? - Ego Plum [Bessy chews SpongeBob.]
 • ? - Ego Plum [Ending.]

Release

• This episode alongside "The Haunted Bucket," "Laundro-Madness," "Hog Huntin'," "SpongeBob TrashPants," and "Krusty Kafeteria" premiered as part of the 2025 Halloween event "Shocktober."
• The short was released on Nickelodeon's website on October 6, 2025.
• The short was later released on the official SpongeBob SquarePants YouTube channel on November 1, 2025.

Trivia

General

• This is the first episode:
  • to be entirely animated using CGI animation.
  • to have three executive producers (other than Stephen Hillenburg).
  • to be storyboard-driven since season 13's "Spatula of the Heavens."
  • that Adam Paloian has worked on since season 13's "Swimming Fools."
  • to be storyboarded by C.H. Greenblatt since season 4's "Fear of a Krabby Patty" in 20 years.
  • that Nick Jennings has been credited on since season 4's "Good Neighbors" (excluding the developer credits).
    • Nick Jennings is said to have provided freelance work on occasion, notably on the season 15 episode, "A Fish Called Sandy," although he was left uncredited in those instances.
  • since season 1's "Jellyfish Jam" to have Tom Kenny and Rodger Bumpass as the only two voice actors in the episode.
  • since season 10's "Don't Wake Patrick" to have two voice actors in an episode.
  • since season 14's "Sandy's Country Christmas" to have an animated title card and a unique opening credits sequence.
    • This is also the first short in the series to have a unique opening credits sequence.
• This is the seventh episode of the main series where Ego Plum serves as the music editor, after "Swamp Mates," "One Trick Sponge," "Broken Alarm," "SpongeBob in RandomLand," "Goofy Scoopers," and "Making Waves."
• Just like "Gary Takes a Bath," "The Bad Guy Club for Villains," "Don't Wake Patrick," "The String," "One Trick Sponge," "Breakin'," "Dream Hoppers," "Slappy Daze," and "Plankton and the Beanstalk," this episode is shorter than 11 minutes due to its sister episode being longer than 11 minutes.

Episode references

The referenced background from "MuscleBob BuffPants."

The referenced scene from "Have You Seen This Snail?"

• Early visual development art references:
  • Season 1's "MuscleBob BuffPants"
  • Season 4's "Have You Seen This Snail?"
• Gary's ball is identical to the one from season 9's "Gary's New Toy."
• The translucent fish bears a striking resemblance to the one in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

Errors

• Ego Plum, who is the music editor of this episode, is uncredited. However, he is still listed as a composer.
• After SpongeBob lands on the UFO, Gary's ball disappears for a split second.

Videos

SpongeBob in 3D FULL EPISODE - "Go Fetch!" 🧽 - @SpongeBobOfficial

TRAILER - SpongeBob - GO FETCH - 6-Minute TV Special

Shocktober Promo - October 2025 (Nickelodeon U.S.)