"Roller Cowards" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 5. In this episode, SpongeBob and Patrick are afraid to go on a new roller coaster.
Characters[]
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Dream SpongeBob
- Delicious dairy treat (debut; voiced by him)
- Gary the Snail
- Little ugly mollusk (mentioned)
- Patrick Star
- Dream Patrick
- Commercial voice-over
- Dream snake (debut)
- Grim Reaper (debut)
- Grave digger (debut)
- Glovey Glove (debut)
- Larry the Lobster
- Alternate-Universe Patrick
- Glove World! employee (debut)
- Ride voice (single appearance)
- Incidentals
- Incidental 107
- Incidental 106
- Incidental 40 (named Harold)
- Incidental 7
- Incidental 41
- Dream Incidental 41
- Incidental 8
- Dream Incidental 8
- Incidental 37B
- Dream Incidental 37B
- Nerd 1 (light green)
- Dream Nerd 1
- Monster dream Nerd 1 (debut)
- Incidental 37A
- Dream Incidental 37A
- Monster dream Incidental 37A (debut)
- Incidental 45
- Old Man Walker
- Incidental 159 (debut)
- Incidental 16
- Charlie
- Incidental 14
- Incidental 42
- Incidental 92
- Incidental 6
- Incidental 103
- Incidental 152
- Incidental 60
- Incidental 36
- Fred
- Steven
- Incidental 30
- Incidental 64
- Incidental 155
- Scooter
- Incidental 49
- Incidental 27
- Incidental 153
- Incidental 151
- Incidental 102
- Incidental 68
- Incidental 105
- Incidental 48
- Incidental 69
- Incidental 3
- John
- Incidental 46
- Incidental 108
- Nerd 2 (light green)
Synopsis[]
In the opening, SpongeBob is telling Gary a bedtime story, but Patrick, holding a small TV, trespasses into SpongeBob's house (by smashing through the wall) and shows him an important commercial for Glove World!'s new scary rollercoaster, called the "Fiery Fist O' Pain." They plan to go on it at Glove World! the next day, which is the first day it opens.
That night, SpongeBob has a nightmare that they both go on the ride and fall into their graves. SpongeBob wakes up shrieking that he does not want to go on the Fiery Fist O' Pain. But, the next day happens immediately after, and Patrick breaks into SpongeBob's bedroom strangely after having the same nightmare at the same time, but they decide not to tell each other. The bus then comes, and they go to Glove World!. They realize that it is a long line to the new ride, so they decide to start going on the ride for toddlers called "The Mitten," which they are scared of, annoying the toddler who is on the ride with them. Just then, they see Larry, who went on the ride. SpongeBob says that he did not go on the ride because he was hungry along with Patrick.
Soon, they eat ice cream. Patrick has to use the bathroom and argues with his reflection in the mirror, while SpongeBob and his personified ice cream get into an argument. Patrick and SpongeBob want to tell the truth to each other, but the announcer says that Glove World! will close in five minutes. Hearing that, they finally go on the Fiery Fist O' Pain, but as they are ready, the ride breaks and they finally admit to each other that they were actually afraid to go on, and they feel relieved. Shortly after that, the ride gets fixed and they end up riding the rollercoaster. Even though they are scared the whole time, they are really happy that they survived after the ride ends. They lose their spines at the end of the ride, but choose to go again anyway, having faced their fears as the episode comes to a close.
Production[]
Numerous theme park elements for this episode were taken from a Disneyland trip taken by Tom King and Luke Brookshier.[1]
There may have originally been a scene planned where SpongeBob and Patrick were going to print the tickets online. However, in the audio commentary this information came from, the commentators laughed about this, meaning it might have been a joke.[1]
The Mitten scene was based on King's experience with kiddie rides as a child.[1]
Patrick's fear of Glovey Glove might be loosely based on how Brookshier got his Adam's apple pushed by a mascot when Brookshier and the mascot were taking a picture.[1]
Music[]
( ‣ ) Production music |
( • ) Original music |
( ◦ ) SpongeBob music |
• Clownfish Capers - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Title card]
‣ Lynda's Music Box - Peter Dennis [SpongeBob reading a bedtime story]
‣ Target - Hans Ehrlinger [Fiery Fist O' Pain commercial]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob goes to bed]
• Solo Steel 4 - Jeremy Wakefield ["Glove World! Roller coaster."]
• Solo Steel 2 - Jeremy Wakefield ["First in line."]
• Dream Chimes - Nicolas Carr [transition to dream]
‣ The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo - Roger Wootton [start of SpongeBob's dream]
‣ The Beast Within - Paddy Kingsland ["Excuse me, which way to the Fist O' Pain?"]
• Gong Of Doom - Nicolas Carr [Fiery Fist O' Pain is shown]
‣ Rescue - Cecil Milner ["In the name of amusement, no!"]
‣ Horror Chords (b) - Paddy Kingsland [SpongeBob wakes up]
• Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr [the next morning]
‣ Abject Terror - Paul Lewis [SpongeBob screams]
• Gator - Steve Belfer ["I had a bad dream last night."]
• Cream Pie - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob, Patrick get on the bus]
‣ Abject Terror - Paul Lewis [SpongeBob and Patrick scared]
‣ Dramatic Cue (E) - Ronald Hanmer [bus arrives at Glove World!]
‣ The August Waltz (a) - Andy Vale [ticket stand]
‣ Hawaiian Link (A) - Richard Myhill ["Here's your tickets!"]
‣ Dombummel - Gerhard Trede ["It sure was lucky we found our tickets."]
‣ Drama Link (B) - Hubert Clifford [Patrick screams]
‣ Ulk-Fox Nr. 2 - Gerhard Trede [Glovey Glove]
‣ Roll Up Waltz [#11.02] - Andrew J J Hall [The Mitten]
• Steel Licks 4 - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob, Patrick whimpering after getting off the ride]
‣ Dramatic Encounter - Gregor F. Narholz [people riding the Fist O' Pain]
‣ The August Waltz (a) - Andy Vale [SpongeBob and Patrick waiting in line]
• Seaweed 1 - Steve Belfer ["One more time!"]
‣ Beach Party - Harry Bluestone [Larry appears]
‣ Fair Ride - Judith Leonie Cann [SpongeBob and Patrick eating ice cream]
‣ Dramatic Encounter - Gregor F. Narholz [people riding Fist O' Pain]
‣ Merry-Go-Round - Alan Hawkshaw [SpongeBob talking to his ice cream cone]
‣ Caliope Carousel - Roger Roger [Patrick talking to his reflection]
‣ Dramatic Impact (3) - Ivor Slaney [SpongeBob and Patrick hear that Glove World! will be closing in five minutes]
‣ Rifleman Firerman (a) - Andy Vale [warning sign]
• Steel Licks 40 - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob signs a waiver]
• Steel Licks 41 - Jeremy Wakefield ["Well, nice knowing you."]
• Coaster Countdown - Nicolas Carr ["We're brave!"]
• Whats This Sting - Nicolas Carr [faintly plays during the announcement]
‣ Roll Up Waltz [#11.04] - Andrew J J Hall [SpongeBob and Patrick confess to each other]
‣ Mavericks - The Woodies [SpongeBob and Patrick ride the Fist O' Pain]
‣ Trapeze [#12.02] - Andrew J J Hall [ride is over]
‣ Carnival at the Fair - W. Merrick Farran ["We did it!"]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [ending]
*On current American TV airings, the iTunes version, and the Amazon Prime Video version, "Mavericks" is replaced with "Monster Wave" by Nicolas Carr, Fabian Fernandez, and James King.
Release[]
- This episode is available on the Bikini Bottom Adventures, Season 5 Volume 1, Roller Cowards, 10 Happiest Moments, First 100 Episodes, Really Big Box Set, The SpongeBob Birthday Box, The Underwater Stories, 2-Movies-Edition, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, Treasure Chest: Double Pack, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 7, Complete Fifth Season, SpongeBob Adventures Pack, From the Beginning, Part 2, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, Triple Pack 3, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, The Best of Bikini Bottom, Glove World Forever, Big Hits: Volume 2, The Best 200 Episodes Ever, The Fifth & Sixth Seasons, and The Best 300 Episodes Ever DVDs.
Trivia[]
General[]
- This episode was available on the Bikini Bottom Adventures DVD, released on June 5, 2007, a month and a half before it aired on American television.
- The way the letters are placed on the title card are similar to that of the letters being on a roller coaster.
- The title card background is similar to those of "Naughty Nautical Neighbors," "Squidville," "Gary Takes a Bath," "Jellyfish Hunter," "Chocolate with Nuts," and "Krabs à la Mode."
- The Fiery Fist O' Pain is deemed new in this episode, but it appeared previously in "Rock Bottom."
- This episode reveals the first name of the light blue fish wearing a white t-shirt: Harold.
- SpongeBob and Patrick hitting a brick wall and peeling off at the same time is similar to what happened in "Rock Bottom" when they hit the windshield of the bus (along with Incidental 41) and peeled off at the same time.
- Coincidentally, both episodes feature the said character and Glove World.
- Although Glove World! previously appeared in "Rock Bottom," this is the first episode to show its interior.
- This episode marks the second time Patrick has a talking reflection. The first was in "Rule of Dumb."
- He also references that episode when he says, "I thought we settled this the last time!"
- The sign about the ride on the Fiery Fist O' Pain says it may cause:
- Crying
- Screaming
- Projectile vomiting
- Amnesia
- Spine loss
- Embarrassing accidents
- Uncontrollable gas
- Explosive diarrhea
- According to The Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash marathon's Celebrity Favorites, Miranda Cosgrove rated this as her favorite SpongeBob SquarePants episode.
- Frames from the episode were later reused in The Cosmic Shake video game.
- This is Larry the Lobster's only appearance in season 5.
- This is the only season 5 episode to be available on the Roller Cowards DVD as the rest of the episodes on that DVD are from season 4.
- This is the only episode to play "Dombummel" in a higher pitch.
- There is a 2011 LEGO set based somewhat on this episode - "Glove World (3816)."
- Evidence that the set is based off this episode is that the ice cream clerk in the set wears exactly what Incidental 41 wears when he accepts their tickets.
- Also, Patrick wears the same bib and is messy as a figure in this set.
- The only difference is that the Ferris wheel and Sandy are not seen in this episode and Incidental 41 is also a different color than the one in the set.
- There is an online game based on this episode called Fiery Tracks of Fury.
- There is a roller coaster in Nickelodeon Universe at the Minnesotan Mall of America called SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge, which was partially based off the Fiery Fist O' Pain.
Dub facts[]
- In the Bahasa Malaysia version, Incidental 7 says, "My boyfriend!" instead of "Harold."
- However, in the dub his name was revealed to be Harold in "To Love a Patty."
Cultural references[]
- The bedtime story SpongeBob read to Gary "Little Ugly Mollusk" is a reference to the fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling," written by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen in 1843.
Errors[]
- In the Welsh dub, Tom Yasumi is credited as animation director instead of Alan Smart.
- When Patrick shows SpongeBob the emergency broadcast, the former breaks an exterior wall of SpongeBob's house. However, when he goes to sleep, it is mysteriously fixed.
- When SpongeBob wakes up from his dream, his shirt is brown instead of white.
- When SpongeBob sits on the seat on the bus, he says, "Fiery Fist O' Pain, here we come!" but his mouth is just open, not talking.
- When the shot through the camera is first shown, in the background, there are two of the three fish shown appear to look like Incidental 37B and Incidental 150 respectively, and the shot is in front of a rollercoaster, but in the second shot through the camera, the two fish look different and there is a fence in front of the rollercoaster. When the photo is shown, there is no fence.
- When Incidental 40 first wheels Old Man Jenkins out of the Fiery Fist O' Pain, his fin is missing.
- After SpongeBob's and Patrick's eyebrows disintegrate from Larry's armpit smell of adrenaline, they go back to normal in the next scene.
- Briefly, while SpongeBob and Patrick run happily after going on the Fiery Fist O' Pain, the former is shown with no nose for two frames.
- Briefly when SpongeBob and Patrick go down the coaster and right before the Glove World! employee gives SpongeBob and Patrick their spines, Patrick blinks, but he has pink eyelids instead of purple.
- SpongeBob is a sea sponge, so he should not have a spine.