Scaredy Pants

If you were looking for the article about the song, then see SpongeBob ScaredyPants.

Scaredy Pants
General
Production code:	109
Season №:	1
Episode №:	13a
Airdate:	October 28, 1999 October 29, 2000 See more... May 4, 2000 October 31, 2000 November 20, 2000 March 24, 2001 August 16, 2001 (EBS) September 11, 2002 October 24, 2004 November 24, 2005 August 25, 2007 August 2, 2009 July 17, 2008 May 8, 2019 U.S. premiere time (ET): 8:00 pm Copyright year: 1999 U.S. viewers (millions): 2.68 Running time: 11 minutes Sister episode(s): "I Was a Teenage Gary"
U.S. premiere time (ET):	8:00 pm
Copyright year:	1999
U.S. viewers (millions):	2.68
Running time:	11 minutes
Sister episode(s):	"I Was a Teenage Gary"
Credits
Guest(s):	Brian Doyle-Murray as Flying Dutchman The Ghastly Ones as musical performer of SpongeBob ScaredyPants
Writer(s):	Paul Tibbitt Peter Burns
Storyboard Artist(s):	Mark O'Hare
Storyboard:	Paul Tibbitt
Animation:	Sean Dempsey
Creative:	Derek Drymon
Chronology
Previous	"Employee of the Month"
Next	"I Was a Teenage Gary"

"Scaredy Pants" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 1. In this episode, SpongeBob becomes a ghost for Halloween.

Characters

• French Narrator
• Pirate skeleton ^(debut)
• Spider ^(debut)
• Trick-or-treaters
• SpongeBob SquarePants
  • SpongeBob ScaredyPants ^(debut)
• Eugene H. Krabs
• Squidward Tentacles
• Mrs. Puff
• Gary the Snail
• Patrick Star
• Sandy Cheeks
• Pet goldfish in a Bowl ^(debut)
• Pearl Krabs
• Jellyfish
• Flying Dutchman ^{(physical debut)}
• Unnamed child ^(debut)
• Unnamed parents ^(debut)
• Unnamed orange adult ^(debut)

Synopsis

It is Halloween in Bikini Bottom, and SpongeBob is cleaning the dishes at the Krusty Krab at the end of the workday. He becomes frightened by the creepy door closing and a message reading "BOO" on the order slips.

After he finishes, he begins to run away, but Mr. Krabs stops him and asks him if he wants to hear his "annual scary story," and he then does. He tells the story of "The Flying Dutchman," a ghost who steals souls on Halloween. Squidward, dressed up like the Flying Dutchman, appears behind SpongeBob, saying that he will steal his soul, terrifying him. SpongeBob, who has a reputation for being easily scared, is then nicknamed "SpongeBob ScaredyPants," rushes home, and is scared by everything he sees on the way.

After being accidentally scared by Patrick wearing Groucho glasses, he asks him for help. They make a "Flying Dutchman" costume, but it fails to scare anyone. SpongeBob realizes that a real ghost has a round head and that he has a square one. Patrick shaves SpongeBob's head, making it round. Believing themselves to be scary, SpongeBob and Patrick go around town attempting to scare people, and believe themselves to be successful in doing so, although their "victims" are simply confused by their antics.

Then, they go to the roof of the Krusty Krab, where a Halloween party is taking place. They turn off all the lights and lower SpongeBob in with a rope, with Patrick providing the voice of the "Dutchman," which initially terrifies everyone. However, when a sneaky jellyfish stings Patrick, whom the rope is tied to, he starts running around in pain, causing SpongeBob to fly around uncontrollably, exposing his true identity.

Everybody starts laughing at SpongeBob, but soon the real Flying Dutchman appears. He explains to them how offended he is by people dressing up as him for Halloween, and that SpongeBob's costume is the worst of all.

SpongeBob's brain.

Before he is about to steal the souls of everyone present, the Flying Dutchman first takes off SpongeBob's costume, which reveals that his brain is exposed as a result of Patrick's shaving.

The Dutchman flees in terror. Subsequently, everyone runs away from the Krusty Krab screaming, leaving SpongeBob satisfied to finally have succeeded in scaring people. Patrick comments on SpongeBob's "pink hat," and SpongeBob explains that it is not a hat, it is his brain, and Patrick also screams and runs away. SpongeBob ends the episode reassuring that his skin will grow back.

Running gags

• People calling SpongeBob "Scaredy Pants."

Production

Art

An unused close-up shot of SpongeBob with his brain exposed.

Music

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 • The Flying Dutchman - The Ghastly Ones [Title card and opening]
 ‣ Ghost Child (a) - Dave Hewson [SpongeBob nervously doing dishes]
 ‣ Dramatic Impact 6 - Ivor Slaney ["BOO" written on order slips]
 ‣ The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band [SpongeBob's about to leave]
 ‣ Tales from the Swamp (a) - Ron Goodwin [Krabs starts telling the scary story/Krabs continues telling the scary story]
 ‣ Shock Statement (a) - Peter Lea-Cox [SpongeBob screams]
 ‣ The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band ["Nothing like a good ghost story, eh, me boy?"]
 ‣ Shock Statement (a) - Peter Lea-Cox [SpongeBob screams again]
 • The Flying Dutchman - The Ghastly Ones [Little kid scares SpongeBob]
 ‣ The Nightmare Begins (a) - John Devereaux [Mrs. Puff scares SpongeBob]
 • Gator - Steve Belfer [SpongeBob at home]
 ‣ Shock Statement (a) - Peter Lea-Cox [SpongeBob screams again/"Hi, SpongeBob."]
 ‣ Nostalgic Hawaii - George de Fretes, Jan Rap [SpongeBob dressed as a ghost]
 ‣ Shock Statement (a) - Peter Lea-Cox ["Rar! Rar!"]
 ‣ Hawaiian Link (b) - Richard Myhill ["I don't get it, Patrick."]
 ‣ Moloka'i Nui (a) - Kapono Beamer [SpongeBob realizes he needs a round head]
 ‣ The Twin Sisters - Chelmsford Folk Band [Patrick shaving SpongeBob's head]
 ‣ Bach's Toccata - Johann Sebastian Bach, Peter Lea-Cox ["Let's go scare somebody."]
 ‣ Hilo March - The Hawaiian Serenaders ["Ooh... I'm the Flying Dutchman!"]
 ‣ Doctor Phibes - Roger Wootton ["The Flying Dutchman is gonna show up uninvited."]
 ‣ Hilo March - The Hawaiian Serenaders [kids walk by]
 • Spooky Surf Party - The Ghastly Ones [The party]
 ‣ Horror Link (a) - Len Rawle [SpongeBob lowered from ceiling]
 • 12th Street Rag - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick runs around screaming]
 ‣ Malleus Mallificarum (a) - Dave Hewson [Flying Dutchman appears]
 ‣ In the Crypt - Dave Hewson ["I'm going to steal your soul."]
 ‣ Timpani Roll - Sammy Burdson [Dutchman cuts SpongeBob down]
 ‣ Pepito from Tampico A - Ronald Sekura, Otto Sieben [Dutchman tells SpongeBob he's not scary]
 ‣ Dangerous B - Mladen Franko [Dutchman is about to steal everyone's souls]
 • Sea Weed Seal - Steve Belfer [ending]
 • SpongeBob ScaredyPants - The Ghastly Ones [Credits]

Release

• This episode is available on the Halloween, Nicktoons Halloween, Complete 1st Season, Karate Choppers, Karate Cutting, Nickelodeon Shocktober! Vol. 2, Shocktober!, First 100 Episodes, Fuss at Halloween, SpookTacular, Holidays with SpongeBob 3-DVD Gift Set, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 1, The Complete First Season, From the Beginning, Pt.1, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, SpongeBob ScaryPants Collection, Nickelodeon Scary Good Halloween Collection, The First & Second Seasons, Movies & TV Collection, and The Best 200 Episodes Ever DVDs.
• This episode is also available on the Halloween VHS tape.

Reception

• "Scaredy Pants" was ranked #19 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.

Trivia

General

• When this episode premiered as part of Nickelodeon's Halloween lineup, it got 3.50 million U.S. viewers.
• The episode's title is referenced numerous times when people call SpongeBob "Scaredy Pants."
• The Ghastly Ones sang "SpongeBob ScaredyPants," which is a Halloween remix of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song that is used in the end credits of this episode, and is also used as a special feature on the Halloween DVD. It can be heard here: [1].
• In British airings of this episode, the scene depicting Patrick cutting chunks of SpongeBob's head is removed, although it was left intact on the UK DVD releases.
• When Patrick gives SpongeBob the shoes, he calls SpongeBob "Hans," referencing the live-action hand seen multiple times in the series and in the show's theme song.

The meme.

• The face that Mr. Krabs makes while choking on an apple has become a popular internet meme.

• SpongeBob's brain reveal casts a shadow that looks identical to Squidward's face shape.
• The main characters' Halloween costumes:
  • Sandy is a pet goldfish in a bowl.
  • Squidward is the Flying Dutchman.
  • Pearl is the Bride of Frankenstein or a lady vampire.
  • Patrick is Groucho Marx.
  • Mrs. Puff is a witch.
  • SpongeBob is the Ghost of the Flying Dutchman.
• Brian Doyle-Murray plays the Flying Dutchman in this episode. Ironically, he was also born on Halloween (October 31).
• This is the Flying Dutchman's first physical appearance. He previously appeared in a magazine in "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost."
• This is the first Halloween special of the series.
• This is the first episode to be based on a holiday.
• This is the first episode to take place entirely at night.
• This episode marks the first time Patrick shaves SpongeBob. The second time he does so is in "The Good Krabby Name."
  • This is also the only time SpongeBob is completely shaved, exposing the brain.
• This is the only time the Flying Dutchman's pigtails are not straight.
• This was Peter Burns' last episode as a writer and story editor. His spot was taken by Merriwether Williams.
• In the Croatian dub, the episode title is "SpužvaBob Strašljivi" or "SpongeBob ScaredyPants."
• This episode, "I Was a Teenage Gary," and "The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom" only tend to air in reruns in the United States on or around Halloween, making this episode extremely rare to find on TV, since they both air during the Halloween season and are Halloween-themed episodes.
  • The same thing occurs with "Valentine's Day" and "The Paper," as they are Valentine's Day specials, "Fools in April" and "Neptune's Spatula," being April Fool's Day specials, and "Christmas Who?," "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!," and "Goons on the Moon," being Christmas specials.

Cultural references

• The episode's title is a wordplay on the phrase "scaredy cat."
• The Flying Dutchman is named after the legendary ghost ship, The Flying Dutchman, and seems to resemble the famous pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach) or the ship's captain and mythological character Davey Jones, although according to the legend of the Flying Dutchman, the ship's captain is a man by the name of Willem van Der Decken.

Errors

• Squidward is wearing his costume when he first appears in this episode, but in the next shot, he is in his original clothes.
• When SpongeBob carves a second hole in the jack-o-lantern, the second hole does not appear when SpongeBob tells Gary, "Well, I'm sick of it."
• In the scene at the Krusty Krab, when the camera points to Mr. Krabs bobbing for apples, the water in the tub briefly flashes.
  • Also, in the next scene where Mr. Krabs is choking, the tub looks completely different and is empty.
• The shark with a pumpkin mask and green costume has a blue dorsal fin, but when SpongeBob comes through the hatch on the roof of the Krusty Krab and he runs away, his fin is green. In all other shots of him, his fin is blue.

SpongeBob doesn't have claws.

• In the close-up of SpongeBob after he is lowered from the ceiling, the rope is not visible behind him. SpongeBob should have fallen down due to the missing rope.
  • In the same scene, SpongeBob has arms with claws. In every other scene, his hands are normal.
• When SpongeBob is hanging from the ceiling, he is wearing the wooden shoes that Patrick made for him, but when he walks out of the Krusty Krab, he is wearing his normal shoes.
• Patrick never shaved off SpongeBob's nose, but it is not shown making an extrusion in the sheet.