"Welcome to the Chum Bucket" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 2. In this episode, SpongeBob is forced to work at the Chum Bucket after Mr. Krabs loses a bet.

Characters[]

• Eugene H. Krabs
• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Sheldon J. Plankton
• Squidward Tentacles ^(cameo)
• Karen Plankton
• Thaddeus Paul Couldron^{[2] (cameo on calendar)}
• Robot SpongeBob ^(debut)
• Burger creature ^(debut)
• Seahorse ^{(cameo as toy and on comic book cover)}
• Sea leprechaun ^{(cameo on book cover)}
• Scallops and clams ^{(cameo on comic book covers)}
  • Super Clam ^{(cameo on comic book cover)}
• Patrick Star ^{(cameo in comic book)}

Synopsis[]

On Thursday night at the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs tells SpongeBob that he is off to play poker against Plankton in a card game during closing time. He is shocked that Mr. Krabs would risk losing anything to an unscrupulous character like Plankton. Mr. Krabs confidently explains to SpongeBob that Plankton is the worst card player in Bikini Bottom by losing all the card games every Thursday night for fifteen years.

The next morning, however, Mr. Krabs sadly informs SpongeBob that he lost, and the wager of the card game from the previous night has been SpongeBob's employment, because Mr. Krabs bet his contract. SpongeBob initially thinks that Mr. Krabs is joking, and tries to enter the Krusty Krab, but Mr. Krabs stops him and tells SpongeBob that he no longer works there. A shocked Squidward runs out to confirm the news. A gleeful Plankton arrives to spirit SpongeBob away to the Chum Bucket, all the while laughing and gloating at Krabs' defeat and admitting to deliberately losing the card games in order for Krabs to slip up. At the Chum Bucket, Plankton cruelly orders SpongeBob to make him a Krabby Patty immediately and threatens to remove SpongeBob's brain and put it in a robot version of the sponge if he refuses to obey Plankton's order.

However, SpongeBob finds himself unable to work in the Chum Bucket's cold, laboratory-like kitchen and misses the Krusty Krab as Mr. Krabs sadly regrets to losing the card game with Plankton and betting SpongeBob's contract in the first place. Meanwhile, Plankton notices SpongeBob's sadness and starts considering putting his brain in the robot. Karen warns him said idea never works and suggests to Plankton that he must show SpongeBob compassion and understanding. This way, he will give Plankton what he wants. Plankton takes Karen's advice and goes to great lengths to improve SpongeBob's working conditions, eventually converting the Chum Bucket kitchen into an exact replica of the Krusty Krab kitchen. As time goes on, however, SpongeBob begins to catch on to Plankton's ruse, and decides to pull a trick of his own, turning his humble requests into increasingly selfish demands, eventually refusing Plankton's order altogether.

After being fed up with SpongeBob's attitude and neglecting to control his temper, Plankton takes out SpongeBob's brain and implants it in the robot, confident that this will now have his order fulfilled. The SpongeBob Robot, however, still refuses to make Plankton a Krabby Patty, and Plankton breaks down, finally having enough. Just as Mr. Krabs, still worried about losing SpongeBob, is about to close the Krusty Krab for good, a crying Plankton comes over and begs him to take SpongeBob back, saying that he cannot stand him anymore. Mr. Krabs quickly hides the closed sign and initially refuses, but Plankton begs him and his enemy accepts while asking for money and Plankton gladly complies while admitting that he cheated on the card game anyway. Mr. Krabs then flings a happy-crying Plankton back to his restaurant.

Afterwards, SpongeBob's brain has been restored, and Mr. Krabs, having forgotten about the card game with Plankton, welcomes him back and encourages him to get back to cooking. SpongeBob fools Mr. Krabs that he still does not feel like working, but when SpongeBob is given one tense glare from Mr. Krabs, he quickly changes his tune saying "I mean, I'm working all day for free, my treat!" A satisfied Mr. Krabs finishes the episode replying "That's what I thought you said."

Production[]

This episode was in production on October 2, 2000.^[3]

According to the audio commentary, there was originally going to be a scene where Plankton takes out SpongeBob's brain and puts it in the robot. But that got cut in the final episode.^[4]

Model sheets[]

Art[]

Background design[]

Music[]

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 ‣ Oyster Girls - Robert Alexander White [Title card]
 ‣ Danger Zone - Mike Sunderland ["Plankton?!"]
 ‣ Spanish Ladies (B) - Robin Jeffrey, Tim Laycock ["Plankton is the worst card player in Bikini Bottom."]
 ‣ Botany Bay (b) - Robert Alexander White [Krabs crying the next morning]
 • Idea Sting - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob laughs]
 ‣ Botany Bay (b) - Robert Alexander White ["I'm afraid you don't work here anymore."]
 ‣ Like Strange - Kenny Graham ["I'm afraid he's not joking."]
 ‣ Finger of Fear - Fredric Bayco [SpongeBob put in a cage]
 ‣ Hercule Poirot - Gerhard Trede [SpongeBob at the Chum Bucket]
 ◦ This Grill is Not a Home - Eban Schletter, Paul Tibbitt
 ‣ Zelle 501 - Gerhard Trede ["All these tears? And the show tunes?"]
 ‣ Dramatic Impact (6) - Ivor Slaney [Patty with arm]
 ‣ Wooden Bear - Gil Flat, Tony Tape, Florian Voelxen [Plankton moving the grill]
 ‣ The Rake Hornpipe - Robert Alexander White [Replica of Krusty Krab kitchen]
 ‣ Lonely Violin - Dick Stephen Walter [SpongeBob cries]
 ‣ Hawaiian Link (A) - Richard Myhill [Vibrating shoes]
 ‣ Ulk-Fox Nr. 2 - Gerhard Trede [SpongeBob insulting Plankton]
 ‣ Frankenstein's Niece D - Gregor F. Narholz [SpongeBob's brain put in robot]
 • Steel Licks 40 - Jeremy Wakefield [Plankton freaks out]
 ‣ Paradise Isle - Jan Rap [Plankton begs Krabs to take SpongeBob back]
 ‣ When Daylight Shines Captain Lenoe's - The Folk Players [Ending]

Release[]

• This episode is available on the Halloween, Complete 2nd Season, The Best 200 Episodes Ever, From the Beginning, Part 1, Bikini Bottom Madness, Sheldon Plankton: Mean and Green, Get to Work!, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 3, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, SpongeBob on DVD, The Best 300 Episodes Ever, SpongeBob ScaryPants Collection, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, The Houses of the Band, Nautical Nonsense and Sponge Buddies (Danish and Norwegian only), The First & Second Seasons, The Complete Second Season, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, First 100 Episodes, Holidays with SpongeBob 3-DVD Gift Set, and SpongeBob, You're Fired! DVDs and on VideoNow.

Reception[]

• "Welcome to the Chum Bucket" was ranked #94 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.
• "Welcome to the Chum Bucket" was ranked #81 during the SpongeBob's Top 100 event in the UK and Ireland from June 4-8, 2012.

Trivia[]

General[]

• During production, this episode's working title was "The Big Game."
• The magazine that Robot-SpongeBob is reading has a SpongeBob comic strip in it, featuring SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward.
• During its time being unaired in the United States, a screenshot from the episode was released from a Korean article on October 25, 2001.^[5] Despite that, the article was actually promoting the premiere of "Artist Unknown."
• This is the first episode for a few things:
  • This is the first episode in production order to premiere in 2002.
  • This episode marks the first usage of the tracks "Like Strange," "Finger of Fear," and "Zelle 501."
    • This also would have been the first episode to use the track "Hercule Poirot," but this track played in the musically edited DVD version of "Employee of the Month."
• The book Plankton reads to SpongeBob is also seen in "Grandma's Kisses," even though the plots seem to be different.
  • In this episode, it is about sea elves. In "Grandma's Kisses," it is about a sea leprechaun.
• The Chum Bucket Lego set features Robot SpongeBob from this episode.
• Plankton breaks the fourth wall twice:
  • When he mentions "All these tears and the showtunes."
  • When he says to the audience "I put the brain in the robot, you know."
• This episode was the subject of a clue on the episode of Jeopardy! that aired on October 10, 2005, during Back to School Week.^[6]
• Mr. Krabs' "Huh?" is reused from "Squeaky Boots."
• This is the second episode to have computerized picture-shaking effects. They occur whenever Plankton moves the grill. The first episode to use these effects was "Neptune's Spatula."
• The PlayStation version of SuperSponge shows clips of this episode in the "introducing Mr. Krabs and Plankton" scene.
• Foreshadowing: While Plankton is talking with Karen over thinking of putting SpongeBob's brain in the robot, Karen warns him that never works. It turns out, putting SpongeBob's brain in the robot didn't change his personality or attitude, and the robot mouths off at Plankton as well.
• According to the audio commentary, the man who appears in the "SCIENCE!" calendar was originally meant to be Finbarr O'Riordan, who worked in Human Resources at Nickelodeon. Finbarr was "insulted" that the crew thought he would make a believable science geek, and even after a second offer made by friend and Animation Director Andrew Overtoom, turned down the opportunity. Thaddeus Paul Couldron^[2] is seen instead.
• SpongeBob does not remember being in the Chum Bucket, despite already being there in the episode "Plankton!"
• During the Best Day Ever marathon, this episode was paired with "Bossy Boots."^[7]
• This episode, along with "Frankendoodle," are the only season 2 episodes to premiere on a Monday.

• On the March 7, 2013^[8] airing, after Plankton saying "To get to the SpongeBob, I'll show him compassion and understanding" it was interrupted by Nick Studio 10 (which ran from March to mid-June) for 30 seconds by showing a walrus roaring, and cut back SpongeBob working at the kitchen.^[9]
  • This interruption also happened in several other SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents, and Monsters vs. Aliens episodes.

Dub facts[]

• The scene where SpongeBob and Krabs singing as they missed each other are only occasionally shown in Indonesia. This was done due to time constraints as its airings were paired with ads.

Cultural references[]

• At the beginning of the episode, right when Plankton appears, there is a bottle cap laying on the ground. The logo on this bottle cap is a variation of the Pepsi logo emblem.
• Mr. Krabs' singing during "This Grill Is Not a Home" is similar to Louis Armstrong.
• This episode's title is a reference to the Guns N' Roses song "Welcome to the Jungle."

Errors[]

• At some point during the "This Grill is Not a Home" song, the Chum Bucket logo is on the side of the building instead of above the doors where it usually sits.
• When SpongeBob is bathing, his sleeves are shown. This error also occurs in "Gary Takes a Bath."
  • Also during the transition to this scene, the bubble transition sounds can be heard, but none of the bubbles actually appear, implying that there was meant to be a bubble transition between those scenes. This error also occurs in "Mid-Life Crustacean."

• At the end of the episode, when it shows the Krusty Krab, a Help Wanted sign can be seen on the right window, even though SpongeBob is hired.
• On the televised version throughout the entire scene where Plankton moves SpongeBob's grill, there is a light blue border.

• In the opening credits, the "K" in Carson Kugler's surname is lowercase.
  • Erik Wiese's surname is also misspelled as "Weise."
  • These errors also occur in "The Secret Box" and "Procrastination."

Videos[]

Names in other languages[]

Language	Name	Meaning
Spanish (American)	Bienvenido al Balde de Bocados	Welcome to the Bite Bucket
Spanish (European)	Bienvenido al Cubo de Cebo	Welcome to the Chum Bucket

References[]

1. ^ Cable Guide (UK) August 2002 - pg.28
2. ^ ^{a b} https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1540092862955540480
3. ^ ^{a b} Andy Clark - SpongeBob SquarePants
4. ^ List of deleted and cut scenes#Welcome to the Chum Bucket
5. ^ https://mobile.busan.com/view/busan/view.php?code=20011025000513
6. ^ https://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=550
7. ^ w:c:nickstory:November 9, 2006
8. ^ March 7, 2013 - Nickstory
9. ^ https://youtu.be/pdQDHlCZnSI?feature=shared