The Curse of Bikini Bottom

Not to be confused with The Curse of the Hex.

If you were looking for the article about the Japanese DVD, then see The Curse of Bikini Bottom (DVD).

The Curse of Bikini Bottom
General
Production code:	223-717
Season №:	7
Episode №:	133a
Airdate:	October 24, 2009 April 2, 2010 April 23, 2010 September 6, 2010 September 11, 2010 See more... April 20, 2010 November 8, 2010 November 15, 2010 January 2, 2011 January 26, 2011 February 3, 2011 February 3, 2011 March 17, 2011 April 2, 2011 (QTV) April 5, 2011 April 14, 2011 June 1, 2011 July 26, 2011 December 25, 2011 February 9, 2012 May 9, 2015 July 4, 2018 (TET) July 26, 2018 (PLUS PLUS) October 6, 2018 January 1, 2021 December 25, 2021 April 25, 2022 July 26, 2022
U.S. premiere time (ET):	10:00 am
Copyright year:	2009
U.S. viewers (millions):	4.95
Running time:	10 minutes, 46 seconds
Sister episode(s):	"Squidward in Clarinetland"
Credits
Guest(s):	Brian Doyle-Murray as Flying Dutchman
Writer(s):	Luke Brookshier Nate Cash Doug Lawrence
Supervising Producer(s):	Paul Tibbitt
Storyboard:	Luke Brookshier Nate Cash
Animation:	Andrew Overtoom
Creative:	Vincent Waller
Chronology
Previous	"Kracked Krabs"
Next	"Squidward in Clarinetland"

"The Curse of Bikini Bottom" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 7. In this episode, the Flying Dutchman turns SpongeBob and Patrick into ghosts.

Characters

• Patrick Star
  • Daydream Patrick
• SpongeBob SquarePants
  • Daydream SpongeBob
• Squidward Tentacles
  • Daydream Squidward ^(mentioned)
• Flying Dutchman
• Davy Jones ^(skeleton)
• Mermaids ^(mentioned)
• Gary the Snail ^{(cameo in picture)}
• Shelley
• Incidentals
  • Incidental 42 ^(cameo)
  • Incidental 45 ^(cameo)
  • Incidental 40
  • Incidental 92A ^(cameo)
  • Incidental 106
  • Incidental 64 ^(cameo)
• Eugene H. Krabs
• Jellyfish
• French Narrator
• The Flying Dutchman's date ^(debut)

Synopsis

In the beginning of the episode, SpongeBob and Patrick, out of boredom, invade Squidward's shed and inform him that they want to play with his lawnmower. Squidward, out of hope that they kill themselves using it, lends the lawnmower to the two, and they start riding it. However, eventually the two get out of control, and they end up in the cemetery.

Underground, the Flying Dutchman is trying to pick out a shirt for his date, and finally finds one. Then, the two run over the grave, and dirt gets all over the Dutchman's shirt. The green pirate ghost comes up, only to get his beard shaved off by the mower. The Dutchman becomes furious, so he stops SpongeBob and Patrick and starts yelling at them for their foolishness. The pair feel guilt at ruining the Dutchman's image, as SpongeBob explains they do not know what it is like to be a ghost. Therefore, the Dutchman turns them into ghosts until his beard grows back.

SpongeBob and Patrick as ghosts.

The two fly over to Squidward's garden, and they try to scare Squidward, but they are sprayed by his hose. The bubbles fade and it's now nighttime. SpongeBob picks up his key, but it falls through him. He leans on the door, and he falls through. Therefore, SpongeBob goes through the walls and doors to get to his bedroom. When he lays down, he falls through many floors, and eventually ends up underground.

"I could see through my eyelids."

The next morning, it reveals that both of them did not get enough sleep, as Patrick could see through his eyelids. Therefore, SpongeBob goes to the Krusty Krab for work, and goes to the kitchen. He picks up his spatula, but like his house key, it falls through. SpongeBob then breaks it, and its ghost comes out. However, when he flips patties, they fall through his spatula. He tries this repeatedly, but the spatula went straight through the patty and one of the patties burn. He goes straight through the door, sobbing. Patrick has problems, too. He explains that the food goes right through him, and Mr. Krabs and Squidward are grossed out. Then, the customers notice the two, and they run off screaming, thinking they were "mermaids." Therefore, SpongeBob and Patrick become upset, so they go to the cemetery to visit the Dutchman.

When they get there, they plead the Dutchman to turn them back to normal, so he does, but does not succeed. The Dutchman says the curse will not wear off until his beard grows back for his date, so SpongeBob and Patrick decide to give him a "makeover." At the end, SpongeBob himself replaces the Dutchman's beard. Several months later, SpongeBob and Patrick have been returned to normal and SpongeBob wonders how the Dutchman and his new girlfriend are doing. Just after saying this, the Dutchman comes up to them and reveals that his girlfriend wants to marry him, but claims that he's "not the marrying-type." Then popping out of the horizon of the background is a giant, horrifying monster, which is apparently the Dutchman's date, and causes the Dutchman to scream and fly away, as the episode ends.

Production

Art

Character design

• Designed by Virginia Hawes.

Music

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 ‣ Gothic Adventure - Adam Saunders, Mark Cousins [Title card]
 • Solo Steel 2 - Jeremy Wakefield [opening]
 • You're Nice - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Let's go look for something to do in Old Man Squidward's shed!"]
 • Mystery Chime - Nicolas Carr [Transition to next scene]
 • Goofy Conversation 2 - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [SpongeBob and Patrick enter Squidward's shed/Squidward looking for his trowl]
 ‣ Drama Link (D) - Hubert Clifford [Squidward screams]
 • New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr [Squidward realizes SpongeBob and Patrick want to play with his lawnmower]
 • New Vibe Hits 2007 - Nicolas Carr [Squidward thinks]
 ‣ Happy Boy - Jack Shaindlin [start of Squidward's daydream]
 • Horror House Of Wax Retro 3 - Nicolas Carr, Ron Wasserman [end of Squidward's daydream]
 • Grass Skirt Chase - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob and Patrick playing with Squidward's lawnmower]
 • Down in Davie Jones Locker - Nicolas Carr [pan down to Flying Dutchman's lair]
 ‣ Spanish Ladies (B) - Robin Jeffrey, Tim Laycock [Dutchman getting dressed]
 • New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr [Dutchman hears SpongeBob and Patrick]
 • Spongemonger - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob and Patrick still playing with the lawnmower]
 ‣ Malleus Mallificarum (A) - Dave Hewson [Dutchman gets angry]
 • Tension Bits - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Dutchman's beard shaved off]
 ‣ Drama Link (B) - Hubert Clifford [Dutchman looks in a mirror]
 ‣ Frankenstein's Niece A - Gregor F. Narholz [Dutchman gets angry again and gets SpongeBob and Patrick off of the lawnmower]
 ‣ The Beast Within - Paddy Kingsland ["... because you morons cut off my beard!"]
 ‣ Finger of Suspicion 2 - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [Dutchman turns SpongeBob and Patrick into ghosts]
 ‣ Day of Reckoning - Andrew Blaney ["You're having too much fun."]
 • Steel Licks 46 - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob and Patrick happily fly away]
 ‣ Haunted House [#26] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [SpongeBob and Patrick trying to scare Squidward]
 • Steel Licks 18 - Jeremy Wakefield ["I knew I shouldn't have lent them my lawnmower."]
 • Goofy Conversation 2 - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [that night]
 ‣ Alien Abduction [#11] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [SpongeBob floats underground]
 ‣ Horror Chords (b) - Paddy Kingsland [Patrick's transparent eyelids]
 • Steel Licks 40 - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob goes to work]
 ‣ Evil Alien Attack 1 [#15] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [Customer runs out screaming]
 • New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr [Krabs asks SpongeBob about what happened to his legs]
 • Happy Crusty Crew 2 - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob trying to cook Krabby Patties]
 • Steel Licks 78 - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob cries]
 • Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["Yeah, let's go see the Flying Dutchman."]
 • Sad Sack Shanty - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr ["At least I still have my personality."]
 ‣ Epic Tragedy - Gerhard Trede [SpongeBob and Patrick beg to be changed back]
 • Dramatic Piano End - Nicolas Carr ["How could anyone live like this?"]
 ‣ Quizzical Bridge 6 - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [Squidward drinking tea]
 ‣ Day of Reckoning - Andrew Blaney ["I'll lift the curse from you."]
 • Steel Licks 22 - Jeremy Wakefield ["Hey, we're still ghosts."]
 ‣ The Dreadnought Tea Clipper (B) - Tim Laycock, Robert Alexander White [Dutchman tells them the curse will wear off when his beard grows back]
 • Hgliss & Bell - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob and Patrick get an idea]
 ‣ Co Co Baby A - Gil Flat ["Makeover!"]
 • Drunken Sailor - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob and Patrick giving the Dutchman a makeover]
 • Jovial Pirate's Jig - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [Dutchman's "new beard"]
 • Solo Steel 2 - Jeremy Wakefield [several months later]
 ‣ Spanish Ladies (B) - Robin Jeffrey, Tim Laycock ["I can't do it."]
 ‣ Straight From Hell [#83] - Gregor F. Narholz [Ending]

Release

• This episode is available on the The Curse of Bikini Bottom DVD, Complete Seventh Season, Ghouls Fools, Nautical Nonsense, Bikini Bottom Buddies, The Seventh & Eighth Seasons, The Best 200 Episodes Ever, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, SpongeBob ScaryPants Collection, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 11, Season 7 Volume 2, and Next 100 Episodes DVDs.

Trivia

General

• This episode was paired up with "Scaredy Pants" during its first airing in the Shriek Week event, but has since been re-airing with "Squidward in Clarinetland."
• The title card is similar to that of "Gone," but with a different background.
• The title card's background is the background of the scene in "Life of Crime" where SpongeBob and Patrick are sitting around the campfire outside of Bikini Bottom.
• SpongeBob breaks his spatula, and its "ghost" comes out. Objects like a spatula do not have spirits, but it does seem alive, as seen in "All That Glitters."
• The episode reveals that the Flying Dutchman is not a fan of youth and has clothes that he hasn't worn in centuries.
• SpongeBob does not know what a lawnmower is despite having seen one in "Life of Crime" and "BlackJack."
• This was the first episode to premiere after Nickelodeon's 2009 logo redesign.
• There is an online game based on this episode known as Ghoul Getter.
• The proper term for "ghostify" would be "discorporate."
• This is the first episode in which Squidward's house is shown with a back door.
• When SpongeBob and Patrick are crying about being ghosts without a soul, they wonder how anyone could live so miserably without a soul, and Squidward is shown, this is possibly a reference to "Just One Bite," where Squidward mentions that he has no soul.
• This episode reveals that Incidental 40 is afraid of mermaids.
• This is the last episode to feature the track "The Dreadnought Tea Clipper (B)" until "Kooky Cooks."
• On the October 26, 2009 airing, this episode was paired with "I Was a Teenage Gary."
• A few scenes from this episode have been featured in the 2012 film Paranormal Activity 4; Wyatt (previously named Hunter in the 2010 sequel) watches clips of SpongeBob and Patrick trying to scare Squidward and the start of their new routines as ghosts.
• Following "Scaredy Pants" and "I Was a Teenage Gary," this is the series' third Halloween episode.

Dub facts

• In the Indonesian version, the episode is ended earlier than other countries. This was simply done due to the Flying Dutchman's date's vulgar appearance.

Episode references

• When the Flying Dutchman says, "At least I still have my personality," it mirrors a scene in "Prehibernation Week", where a fish says the same quote after having his face burnt to a crisped coal color full of mush after getting burned.

Errors

• Many scenes have ghosts being affected by physical objects or being able to hold things. When a person is a ghost, stuff is supposed through them. These errors include:
  • A lawnmower shaves the Flying Dutchman's beard off, even though he is a ghost; it should just go through him, unless it was a supernatural mower.
  • When Squidward sprays ghost SpongeBob and Patrick, the water hits them, as it would do if they were not ghosts.
  • When the Flying Dutchman comes out of the ground, he has dirt on him. The dirt would immediately go through him.
  • Patrick uses a two-by-four to smash the jellyfish hive. It should fall through his hands.
  • Patrick holds a Krabby Patty in his hand. Immediately after, when he eats the patty, it goes straight through his body. Being a ghost, Patrick should not be able to hold the Krabby Patty in the first place.
  • SpongeBob and Patrick use various solutions to give the Flying Dutchman a beard, but the jam and jellyfish should have gone through him.
  • Response to whether or not these are errors: Since SpongeBob and Patrick couldn't touch anything when they were cursed, and the Dutchman could in many other episodes, as well as this one, it's probably implied that tangibility was a skill they couldn't master yet: i.e. SpongeBob leaning against the door of his house before he passes through it, and him being able to bend the spatula for a second.
• When SpongeBob falls through the door to his house, he acts like this is a new concept to him, despite him and Patrick phasing through the ground when scaring Squidward in the previous scene.
• When Squidward is in his shed with SpongeBob and Patrick, he has yellow teeth in one scene.
• When Squidward starts his lawnmower, SpongeBob's eyelashes are missing.
• While SpongeBob and Patrick are riding on the lawnmower, SpongeBob's pupils are off.

SpongeBob's pupils are off.

• The Flying Dutchman said that it takes a thousand years to grow his beard back, but several months later, he is shown to have it again. He could've exaggerated when he said this.
• Even though ghost Patrick stated that his eyelids are clear and he can see right through them, many scenes of the episode do not show Patrick's eyelids being transparent.
• A spatula does not have a ghost, as it is an inanimate object.
• After the Patty goes through Patrick, when the camera goes back to him, the Patty is gone.
• SpongeBob is shown not being able to hold objects as a ghost, yet Patrick is able to hold a Krabby Patty without issue.

Videos

Nickelodeon's Shriek Week Promo 10 30 09

Nickelodeon Shriek Week Promo 10 30 09

Halloween Spooktacular Vol. 3 👻 The Patrick Show SpongeBob

SpongeBob and Patrick as GHOSTS! 👻 - "The Curse of Bikini Bottom" Full Scene - SpongeBob