Most shows take about five seasons to reach that coveted 100 episode mark that leads them to syndication glory. While studios may only see the line as a cash cow, for the casual viewer 100 episodes represents the completion of at least two to five story arcs and perhaps even the rotation of a few characters in and out. Ah, story arcs – those are nice right? A few episodes tackling the development of a character or an important relationship amongst the characters? BALDERDASH! HASHDAGGERY!
Plot?! Story?! Depth!? Growth?! We need not these things!! These things are for lesser cartoons to consider. SpongeBob SquarePants needs not these things.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes arrived on my doorstep unexpectedly. The box was heavier than I ever expected and as I unwrapped it my mind raced trying to place which movies it could be. Yes, I figured it had to be like 6 movies crammed into that box. But no, it was a solid brick of SpongeBob. 14 discs encased in a typical DVD box set exterior with an extra, super-thick plastic case with bubbles sketched in to complement the cardboard box’s design complete this goliath. This set is like a tank. Nickelodeon put a lot of care into the presentation to give the consumer a little extra nudge. After countless 8-10 episode disc releases, they’ve finally seen fit to put out a mammoth box set to give the serious SpongeBob fan something to sink their teeth into. Okay, so that’s the outer casing, let’s look at the innards.
As a 14-disc set there are 7 slim cases each adorned with the beaming happy face of one of the main characters. I for one think the Plankton cover is pretty funny, but to each their own. All of the artwork for the set is incredibly well done and the colors are absolutely beautiful. Again, it’s clear Nickelodeon has put a lot into the set. So fans rejoice!
Each of the discs has 8 episodes with the typical two parts to each one. 8 x 14 = 112. So obviously, I lied. With 7 or 8 episodes a disc, the final disc is left to the four major extra features presentations. We’ll get to those shortly, but it ought to be said that the big signs on the set’s shrink wrap are somewhat misleading. They make very enthusiastic claims about the numerous hours of extra features but again, somewhat misleading.
The first 100 episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants can’t be criticized for their content or plot because, as every fan of the show knows, no one watches SpongeBob for what it makes them think or feel. They watch it for all the things it distracts them from and helps them to forget. Kids love SpongeBob because his rationale is about on par with their own, and college kids love him because he’s the perfect accompaniment to their…late night hedonistic activities? Yes, we’ll leave it at that. What can be said for the show is that it visibly comes into its own from the first episode to the hundredth. The animation gets sharper, the writing smarter and the stories as inane and mindless as ever. So everyone wins. The sponge lives in a pineapple under the sea for chrissakes, don’t expect too much from him. Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Mr. Lawrence, Sirena Irwin and Carolyn Lawrence all do splendid jobs as the voices and, as always, Frank Welker has a few roles here or there.
DVD Bonus Features
Each disc boasts about 2-4 optional audio commentaries. It’s hard to find value in an audio commentary when the material in question is pretty much critic-proof, so let’s move on to the features. The biggest hitter of the four, and easily the best, is “Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants” is a perfect little complement to a massive SpongeBob box set. All the SpongeBob cast and crew weigh in on this porous clown they’ve created and quite honestly – it gets pretty funny…and sometimes obscene. Mom, Dad, you might want to strip this disc from the set. The other three pale in comparison, especially since one of them is just the full-length music video “Kick-Wham-Pow-Bob”. The other two, “Life Lessons from Bikini Bottom” (a summary of the show’s pseudo morals) and “Help Wanted: The Seven Seas Edition” have their place but don’t ever reach the candor and hilarity of “Square Root”.
If you’ve refrained from buying those other sampler DVDs thus far, go get this one. It might set you back, but it’s a huge solid brick of spongey goodness.
"SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes" is on sale September 22, 2009 and is rated NR. Animation, Children & Family, Comedy, Television. Directed by Alan Smart, Derek Drymon, Paul Tibbitt. Written by Stephen Hillenberg, Tim Hill, Derek Drymon. Starring Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Tom Kenny, Mr Lawrence, Sirena Irwin.
