Encyclopedia SpongeBobia
Register
Advertisement
Encyclopedia SpongeBobia
If you were looking for the article about the in-universe book, then see Swamp Mates (book).

"Swamp Mates" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 12. In this episode, SpongeBob tells a story where Bubble Bass finds himself stranded with Patrick in a mysterious swamp, looking for a lost action figure.

Characters[]

Synopsis[]

As the episode commences, SpongeBob gets ready to read a bedtime story to Gary. He decides to go with "Pat-Star-Piece Theatre" and picks a book about Great Sir Patrick and the Fire-Breathing Dragon, only to get burned by flames from the book. He then chooses a story about Explorer Patrick on safari in the jungle, when a lion from inside the story encounters SpongeBob and almost causes devastation. SpongeBob finally chooses a book called Swamp Mates, about two buffoons in a bog. After book-bugs leave, the story begins.

The story starts with Man Ray robbing the bank. Unfortunately for him, a ship comes from the sky, containing Bubble Bass. The hero escapes the ship and captures Man Ray with his posterior. It is then revealed that the act happened a week earlier, as Bubble Bass and a gang of superheroes are seen watching it on TV in the Mermalair. Bubble Bass introduces the rest to their newest member, Wonder Whale, but she is not at the Mermalair, late for her appointment, as Bubble Bass said. The chief then comes on TV with important news about Wonder Whale, who has been kidnapped by Hoodoo Guru, the Voodoo Villain. Most of the heroes get shocked by the news and faint, while Bubble Bass becomes tough and would do anything to find her. However, the sound of his mother's voice claims the whole thing imaginary, and thus Bubble Bass is seen in the basement of his mother's house.

Swamp Mates 089

Patrick with the swamp water.

While Bubble Bass was searching for his Wonder Whale action figure, his mother arranged a playdate for him, which is revealed to be with Patrick. The former freaks out about it, especially when Patrick is playing with his action figures. Eventually, it gets to the point when Patrick fills the room with swamp water, and a whirlpool forms in the middle of the basement. The Wonder Whale action figure is seen swirling around the center, but the two playmates are too late to save it, and they too, get sucked down.

Bubble Bass and Patrick end up in a swamp with a single log as a raft. After realizing what a swamp is like, Bubble Bass notices a figure with his Wonder Whale action figure. They lose him, assuming he is in a shack. The residents of the dilapidated dwelling take them inside, thinking they were trying to steal their illegal hot sauce that could blow anyone's head off, which is what happens to Patrick before he states that it is not spicy. Bubble Bass and Patrick decide to run away, with the group after them. After a long chase, the hot sauce finally causes Patrick to go full-dragon, so he burns the boat that the hot sauce gang was on.

Afterward, the two playmates find the robber again and fall into his snare trap. The villain then reveals himself as Hoodoo Guru, the Voodoo Villain, who stole the action figure to complete his collection. Patrick then offers spaghetti to Bubble Bass, which he got from the net, and Patrick eats the rest, releasing both of them as they land on Hoodoo and retrieve Wonder Whale. But the Voodoo Villain subsequently grabs a Patrick action figure without red spots. This is soon revealed to control Patrick, as his body matches how the action figure posed. After getting back the Wonder Whale action figure, Hoodoo positions Patrick about to throw Bubble Bass, but the villain unintentionally throws Bubble Bass toward himself, and he once again gets defeated.

After the swamp mates declare victory, the hot sauce gang re-encounter them, and another chase commences. Unfortunately, the log swam away, but when Bubble Bass was ready to surrender, Patrick gave him trust by becoming his boat. On the other hand, the gang brings the Voodoo Villain with them. But the mention of the power of reluctant friendship freaks them out as they retreat, or that is what Bubble Bass thought. They were really running away from a waterfall from behind the two playmates, and the latter fall down the waterfall.

Just after, Bubble Bass wakes up as Patrick performs CPR on Bubble Bass, claiming that he was "dead" for ten minutes. The whole thing ended up being a hallucination. Patrick's confidence about the indoor pool, and a slap in the back, release the Wonder Whale action figure from inside Bubble Bass. After his mother complained about the mess in the basement, Bubble Bass says he would prefer the swamp, and Patrick says that that was the best playdate ever. The episode ends with the chief finding a Patrick action figure which completed his collection, a reflection of Hoodoo and his collection.

Production[]

The episode was confirmed by Vincent Waller on March 23, 2019.[3]

Storyboards[]

Deleted scenes[]

Music[]

 ) Production music
 ) Original music
 ) SpongeBob music

  Hillbilly Home - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield, Ego Plum [Title card]
  Holiday Playtime - Cedric Palmer [Opening at SpongeBob's library]
  Gallant Games - Maurice Courpalay ["Good evening, Gary, and welcome to Pat-Star-Piece Theatre."]
  Greensleeves (a) - Jim Rattigan ["Would you like to hear an exciting story about Great Sir Patrick and the Fire-Breathing Dragon?"]
  Horror Cue 5 C - Gregor F. Narholz [Fire comes from the book and burns SpongeBob's face]
  Caravan Track (a) - Nachum Heiman ["Or perhaps a thrilling tale of explorer Patrick on safari in the jungle."]
  Monster Bug [#35] - Gregor Narholz [A lion's head comes from the book and roars at SpongeBob]
  Horror Cue 5 C - Gregor F. Narholz [SpongeBob closes the book]
  City Bustle - Heinz Hoetter [SpongeBob takes a book from the shelf named "Swamp Mates"]
  Domestic Fun (B) - Ernest Tomlinson [SpongeBob blows dust off book]
  Gallant Games - Maurice Courpalay [SpongeBob starts reading]
  Pell-Mell - Sam Spence [Man Ray steals money from the bank]
  Prelude to Conflict - Sam Fonteyn [Meeting of G.O.O.F.S.]
  Slide Whistle Stooges 2 Rhythm Trk. - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Mama Bass interrupts Bubble Bass' daydream]
  Gator - Steve Belfer [Patrick is revealed to be Bubble Bass' playdate]
  Comic Capers B - Charlie Brissette, Norman Mamey [Bubble Bass gasps]
  Gator - Steve Belfer [Patrick chewing up Bubble Bass' action figures]
  Finger of Suspicion - Max Saunders ["Do not touch any of my property!"]
  Gator - Steve Belfer [Patrick takes a garbage bag from his pants to play swamp]
  Finger of Suspicion - Max Saunders [Bubble Bass' room floods with garbage bag's green liquid]
  Pirate Ship - John Hastings [Patrick and Bubble Bass get sucked down]
  Hillbilly Home - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick pulls Bubble Bass out of the swamp]
  Flop and Go A - John Fox, Ego Plum [Patrick slips on the log]
  Hillbilly Home - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield, Ego Plum [Bubble Bass notices him and Patrick are in a swamp]
  Terror - Alan Braden [Firejellies end up in Bubble Bass' mouth]
  Hillbilly Home - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield, Ego Plum [Bubble Bass drinks swamp goo]
  Melodrama - Eric Spear ["This place is a nightmare! I'll never find my Wonder Whale action figure!"]
  Fun Sting F - Gregor Narholz [Bubble Bass hears someone laughing]
  Murder Plot - Patrick Hawes [Bubble Bass and Patrick see a shadow of a man behind a plant]
  Tales From The Swamp (B) - Ron Goodwin [The mysterious man is holding the Wonder Whale figure]
  Moloka'i Nui A - Kapono Beamer ["Are we playing tag? I love tag!"]
  Death Clock D - Dick De Benedictis [The mysterious man disappears into the forest.]
  Grass Skirt Chase - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick and Bubble Bass chase him]
  Tales From The Swamp (D) - Ron Goodwin [They think the man could be in an old cabin]
  Lost John - Jerry Burnham, Stephen Wade, Saul Broudy [Patrick and Bubble Bass see two crocodiles inside the cabin]
  FlexTone Sting - Nicolas Carr [Patrick and Bubble Bass get grabbed]
  Horror Cue 5 C - Gregor F. Narholz [Another crocodile grabs them outside]
  Lost John - Jerry Burnham, Stephen Wade, Saul Broudy [Crocodiles think they are trying to steal their illegal hot sauce]
  The Creature (a) - Gregor Narholz [Patrick's head turns red]
  Fury - Austin Rayner [Patrick's head whistles like a train]
  Horror Cue 1 A - Gregor F. Narholz [Patrick burps fire, making the crocodiles' hot sauce machine end up burned.]
  Bridge H - Gregor F. Narholz [Patrick burps fire, making the crocodiles' hot sauce machine end up burned.]
  Cabbage Cooking - Roy Henley [Patrick and Bubble Bass run away from the cabin]
  Hillbilly Home - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick and Bubble Bass are back on the log]
  Suspense And Tension C - Alan Wynn [Bubble Bass sees the crocodiles approaching on a boat]
  Suspense And Tension B - Alan Wynn [Crocodiles approaching on a boat]
  Hot Pursuit - Edmund Koetscher [Bubble Bass makes Patrick burp fire again]
  Horror Cue 1 A - Gregor F. Narholz [Crocodiles and their boat end up burnt]
  Sliding 2 - Hans Ehrlinger, Roy Etzel [Crocodiles and their boat end up burnt]
  Hillbilly Home - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick and Bubble Bass still floating on the log]
  Fun Sting F - Gregor Narholz [Bubble Bass hears someone laughing again]
  Tales From The Swamp (A) - Ron Goodwin [Bubble Bass sees again the man with the action figure]
  Target - Hans Ehrlinger [Bubble Bass runs after the man]
  Journey Through the Mist 1 - Andrew Pearce [Man traps Patrick and Bubble Bass in a string cell]
  Tales From The Swamp (B) - Ron Goodwin [Man is revealed to be Hoodoo Guru]
  Shark Attack B - John Fiddy ["And your precious Wonder Whale is all mine."]
  The Great White - Gregor Narholz [Hoodoo Guru adds the Wonder Whale action figure in his collection of action figures]
  Quirky Tension B - John Epping [Bubble Bass tries to breakout from the string cell]
  Siesta Mafioso - Stephane Joly, Bruno Bertoli [Patrick eats all the string cell as spaghetti]
  Olympia Bridge 1 - Gregor F. Narholz [Bubble Bass takes back his Wonder Whale action figure from Hoodoo Guru's collection]
  Kazoodle - Paul James ["Evil never triumphs over a oscillating fan!"]
  Tales From The Swamp (D) - Ron Goodwin ["Not so fast, Bubble Bass."]
  Tales From The Swamp (B) - Ron Goodwin [Hoodoo Guru pulls out the Patrick Star action figure]
  Will He, Won't He? - David Lindup ["No collector would touch such trash."]
  Arnold Is Back 1 - Gregor Narholz [Patrick lifts his left hand]
  ? [Patrick lifts his left hand]
  Frightmare - Magnum Opus [Hoodoo Guru makes Patrick choke Bubble Bass]
  La Muette De Portici - Daniel Auber [Hoodoo Guru makes Patrick and Bubble Bass spin]
  Team Trophy - Sammy Burdson, John Fiddy [Bubble Bass takes his action figure back ]
  ? [Patrick and Bubble Bass notice someone's moving in the plants]
  Lost John - Jerry Burnham, Stephen Wade, Saul Broudy [One of the crocodiles discovers Patrick and Bubble Bass]
  Cabbage Cooking - Roy Henley [Hoodoo Guru and the crocodiles chase after Patrick and Bubble Bass]
  Battle March Link (a) - Keith Mansfield ["Our only escape! If only I had something large!"]
  Great Moments 1 - Gregor Narholz ["Friend?"]
  Pursuit - Wilfred Burns [Patrick and Bubble Bass escape by swimming in the swamp]
  A Jolly Jaunt (c) - Dick Walter ["Yeah, that's right, run away from our friendship."]
  King of the Giants C - John Fox, Otto Sieben [A waterfall is shown]
  Approaching Danger - Ronald Hanmer [Patrick and Bubble Bass try to escape from the waterfall]
  Eight Dramatic Bridges - Ronald Hanmer [They start falling down the waterfall]
  Slide Whistle Stooges 2 Rhythm Trk. - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Bubble Bass was hallucinating]
  Big Baby Krab - Nicolas Carr [Patrick and Bubble Bass sink in the green liquid again]
  Prelude to Conflict - Sam Fonteyn [Ending]

Release[]

Trivia[]

General[]

  • The original titles for this episode were "Swamp Bass" and "Swamped!"[4]
  • This is the sixth episode from the series to have two (or in this case, three-although they are technically part of the same number) non-consecutive production codes following "Christmas Who?," "Shanghaied," "Ugh," "The Sponge Who Could Fly," and "Squirrel Jelly." The first code, 325-1208, represents the original 11-minute cut of the episode. Following the push to 15-minutes and the conception of sister episode "One Trick Sponge," the episode was given the codes 325-1236A and 325-1236C to represent the extra four minutes added.
    • This is also the first episode to have exactly three production codes, instead of two or four.
  • This episode reveals that direct sunlight gives Bubble Bass gas.
  • After Mama Bass says that she assigned a playdate for Bubble Bass, he answers that he's not 23 anymore, which suggests that he is at least 24 years old.
  • To date, the episode marks the last episode to play the APM track, Pell-Mell
  • This is the only season 12 episode where tartar sauce is mentioned.
  • This is the fifth regular episode in the series to be longer than the usual 11-minute runtime, but shorter than 22. The first was "Shanghaied," the second was "Back to the Past," the third was "Feral Friends," and the fourth was "Squirrel Jelly."
  • This is the first 16-minute episode of season 12 in production order. The second is "Handemonium," and the third is "Krusty Koncessionaires."
    • However, it is the second in airing order. The first is "Handemonium" and the third is "Krusty Koncessionaires."
  • In the Nick app version, after Patrick and Bubble Bass start to run away from the hot sauce gang and the Hoodoo Guru, the log is not there.[5]
  • The title card is very similar to that of "The Algae's Always Greener" and "The Fish Bowl," except some light and bubbles are added in the background.
  • This is Benjamin Arcand's first episode as a storyboard director.
    • This is also his first episode where he isn't a storyboard artist.
  • In this episode, Martin Olson reprises his role as the chief, who he previously played in "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V" from season 3.
  • The book that SpongeBob is reading to Gary has the exact same name as the episode.
  • This episode takes place simultaneously during its sister episode "One Trick Sponge," as during one scene in the said episode, Patrick, Bubble Bass, and the crocodiles can be seen while Sandy is searching for the swamp with her experiment.
    • This the first known instance where that kind of thing occurred.
  • This episode premiered during National Pet Day and a marathon for every episode that focused on Gary was seen.
    • However, this episode nor its sister episode has Gary in a major role.
  • SpongeBob has a very minor role in this episode, as he only appears in the opening scene to introduce the book to the audience and at the end as a toy.
  • This episode marks the first usage of the following tracks:
  • The chief has SpongeBob SquarePants Pop Vinyls on his desk at the end, consisting of SpongeBob, Gary, and Patrick.
  • This is the second appearance of Mama Bass. The first was "Moving Bubble Bass."
  • Both this and its sister episode, "One Trick Sponge," contains a character's body dent busting through a door. In this episode, it is Patrick who does so, though in the former, it is SpongeBob.
  • This is Bubble Bass' third major role, following "Moving Bubble Bass" from season 11 and "Pickles" from season 1.
  • This episode explores Bubble Bass and Patrick's relationship more significantly, having previously met each other in "Moving Bubble Bass."
  • Patrick breaks the fourth wall in this episode when saying that Bubble Bass was "dead for ten minutes." This is about the duration in real time between when Bubble Bass and Patrick entered the swamp and when Patrick was performing CPR on Bubble Bass.
  • "Tales from the Swamp" ironically plays in this episode.
  • On some VOD platforms, the episode's name is listed between "Dirty Bubble Returns" and "Handemonium."
  • This is the first episode in which Bubble Bass' mother's basement appears since "Moving Bubble Bass." It is implied that Bubble Bass moved back home at the end of the episode.
  • This is the fourth episode where Patrick has more screen time than SpongeBob, the first three being "Rise and Shine," "The Executive Treatment," and "Patrick's Coupon."
  • This episode marks the chief's first appearance since "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V."

Episode references[]

  • The "action dog," "teenage action boy," and "teenage action girl" action figures from "Goons on the Moon" appear in this episode.
  • During Bubble Bass' imaginative depiction of him capturing Man Ray, when he sets his sights on Man Ray, there are a few references to past episodes:
  • A human version of Bubble Bass' suburban dad doll from "Squid Noir" appears in his daydream.

Cultural references[]

  • Wonder Whale is a parody of Wonder Woman.
  • "Pat-Star-Piece Theatre" references the American public television series Masterpiece Theatre.
  • Hoodoo Guru's disguise strongly resembles Mr. Dark from the Rayman franchise.

Errors[]

Error in Swamp Mates

Bubble Bass' miscolored eyes.

  • When Bubble Bass says "Our only escape!," his eyes are the same color as his glasses.


Videos[]

References[]

  1. ^ This was found using the unix timestamp of the thumbnail, which is 3/24/2020 @ 18:53:19.543.
  2. ^ Google archive of the episode page is from this date.
  3. ^ https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1109514030987665409
  4. ^ https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1150794768525357056
  5. ^ https://youtu.be/eYRqLIDfiKg


Advertisement