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There are many episodes of SpongeBob that are seared into my brain, and the episode that features the Alaskan Bull Worm is one of them. “Band Geeks,” “Frankendoodle,” and “Chocolate With Nuts” are a few off the top of my mind. But when I try to make a list of the top ten memorable episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants, “Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm” always make the list.
What is the Alaskan Bull Worm in SpongeBob?
- Featured Episode: “Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm”
- Appearance: big, scary, and pink
- From: Alaska
- Lives: Bikini Bottom
The Alaskan Bull Worm is a creature in SpongeBob SquarePants that threatens Bikini Bottom in Season 2 of the series. It is a giant worm whose origins are unknown. According to the name, it is from Alaska, but there’s not a lot of lore regarding the worm.
The residents state that the worm has been on a rampage and has eaten everything in sight. I always wondered if the Alaskan Bull Worm was a type of worm or if it was a species found throughout the oceans. This detail is not disclosed. As for appearance, the worm is described as “big, scary, and pink,” just like Patrick’s belly button.
Alaskan Bull Worm Episodes
You may only remember one episode featuring the Alaskan Bull Worm. Still, there are three episodes where the creature appears. However, the worm is only the focus of one of them.
Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm – Season 2 (Episode 40)
This is the debut episode for the Alaskan Bull Worm and the only episode that revolves around it. The episode begins with a creature wreaking havoc throughout Bikini Bottom. It soon finds its way to SpongeBob’s house and eats part of the pineapple under the sea. SpongeBob sees the worm and soon goes to the Krusty Krab to tell everyone what happened.
The crowd at the Krusty Krab is quick to panic and ban together to protect the town. Sandy Cheeks pops up, telling them that the worm has taken her tail, and she is willing to fight the worm to get it back. Everyone aside from SpongeBob agrees, who worries for Sandy’s safety. While many ideas are thrown around, they decide on Patrick’s idea of pushing Bikini Bottom somewhere else as a backup plan.
Sandy and SpongeBob argue over whether or not she should fight the worm. SpongeBob tries his best to distract her or convince her not to do it, but she eventually finds what she believes to be a cave that contains the worm. She fights the worm she finds with ease, but SpongeBob notices that the “worm” she is fighting is just its tongue.
They run in a panic and eventually mount the worm with a string and a paperclip. They lead it off of a cliff and consider their job well done. However, the townspeople have just moved the town there, and the worm crushes it. This is never mentioned again, but the episode ends with the worm saying, “ouch.”
My Leg! – Season 11 (Episode 231)
In this episode, Fred the fish hurts his leg, a running gag in the series. The episode follows Fred avoiding injuring his leg again because the doctor says they’ll have to amputate and replace it with a robotic leg if he hurts it again. The Alaskan Bull Worm shows up when SpongeBob decides to help Fred break his leg again because Fred admits he’s in love with a nurse at the hospital.
The worm is recruited by SpongeBob to eat the leg, but the plan fails. Eventually, Fred hurts everything except his leg but does go to the hospital. He is reunited with Nurse Bazooka, and the closing scene breaks Fred’s leg.
A Place for Pets – Season 13 (Episode 268)
In “A Place for Pets,” Squidward’s pet allergy acts up when Lady Upturn sneaks her worm Fifi into the Krusty Krab. Mr. Krabs asks her to leave, but she says that her Fifi will only eat Krabby Patties, and she’ll pay double for them. Mr. Krabs then starts serving all pets, but the health inspector soon makes him choose one or the other. He chooses pets, and the Alaskan Bull Worm – who is now Sandy’s pet – is one of the guests.
Significance of the Alaskan Bull Worm Episode
There’s a reason that the Alaskan Bull Worm episode – “Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm” – is so popular. It isn’t just a fun episode, but it also has undertones and situations that are easy to relate to.
Social Panic
Regardless of the last few years, social panic has been a running gag ever since Frankenstein was released in 1818. In pop culture, the crown is generally called the “angry mob,” which is something we see in SpongeBob time and time again. This time, the crowd is rightfully frightened. Still, the panic that immediately follows SpongeBob’s announcement is easy to see the humor in.
Taking One for the Team
Sandy is willing to sacrifice herself for the entire town. Though she believes that she can defeat the worm, she knows that there is a chance that she will be outmatched. She is willing to put herself in harm’s way for the town, and SpongeBob is willing to do the same for Sandy, despite being terrified of the situation.
Cultural Differences
While Bikini Bottom is believed to be based on Bikini Atoll – a place between Australia and Hawaii – we know for sure that it is somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. So SpongeBob is from Bikini Bottom, and Sandy is from Texas. The difference between Sandy’s Texan culture and the culture in Bikini Bottom is mentioned throughout the series. In “Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm,” we see this when Sandy is the only one brave enough to face off against the worm. She shares, “well, I don’t know nothin’ about Alaska, but looky here. Back in Texas, I wrangled bulls, and I wrangled worms. As far as I’m concerned, doing both together just saves rope.”
Research
This is directly related to the social panic but on the other side of things. Neither SpongeBob, who gave in to the panic, nor Sandy, who refused to listen to reason, did any research. While they may not have had the search engines that we do, it is easy to see how a little bit of research could have saved a lot of trouble on both sides. If they knew what they were facing and how to tackle it, they could have avoided arguing and taken on the worm without as many problems.
Ingenuity
We often get stuck in having to do things a certain way. I love the way that Sandy and SpongeBob took on the worm as they used what they had on them to outmaneuver and trick the worm.
The Bond Between Two Friends
This episode is more than just conflict; it’s a stepping stone in Sandy and SpongeBob’s relationship. The two of them have had trouble before. When SpongeBob and Patrick made fun of Texas, and again whenever Sandy forgot that the two needed water to survive, this is another episode that builds trust between the two.
Alaskan Bull Worm in Video Games
The Alaskan Bull Worm currently appears in three video games. All of these video games are SpongeBob video games. Hopefully, we’ll see more of the Alaskan Bull Worm in future games.
Revenge of the Flying Dutchman
Revenge of the Flying Dutchman is a platform game available on PlayStation 2, GameCube, and GameBoy Advance. It was released in 2002 and is considered an adventure game. The Alaskan Bull Worm appears on the second level of the game and is the second boss battle the player encounters.
Creature from the Krusty Krab
Creature from the Krusty Krab is a game that follows the characters‘ dreams on SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob has multiple dreams in the game, and one of them is Alaskan Belly Trouble. In this level, SpongeBob falls into a tunnel where the Alaskan Bull Worm awaits him. He is eaten by the worm and ventures through its innards. Old Man Jenkins is in there too, who builds an airplane to fly out the end of the worm. The two even find a village that is being attacked by parasites. He rescues the villagers, including the chief.
Since the chief’s wife is an ironing board, he gives her to SpongeBob to use as wings. SpongeBob soon finds the rest of the parts for the plane and retrieves a chili that can be stuck in the worm’s stomach. The level ends with SpongeBob and Jenkins attempting to fly the plane out of the worm’s mouth. The Alaskan Bull Worm appears for a moment in other dreams – including the aftermath – which is real. He ends the game by eating SpongeBob as Gary watches.
SpongeBob SquigglePants
SpongeBob SquigglePants is a Wii and 3DS game from 2011 that follows SpongeBob as he completes mini-games quickly. One of the games in this game of mini-games is Alaskan Bull Worm! in which SpongeBob must run away from the worm while avoiding obstacles that could lead to his demise.
Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm Quotes
- Narrator: “Ahh, another peaceful evening in Bikini Bottom. Listen to the tropical tranquility.”
- SpongeBob: “I saw it! It was big! It was all wiggly! And it ate everything!”
- Fred: “He ate my wheelbarrow!”
- Mable: “We should call my nephew!”
- Patrick: “We should take Bikini Bottom, and push it somewhere else!”
- Squidward: “That idea may just be crazy enough… To get us all killed!”
- Mr. Krabs: “There ain’t no one fool enough to take on an Alaskan Bull Worm!”
- Sandy: “I’ll catch your worm for ya, that is if’n you’re willing to pay.”
- SpongeBob: “Sandy, I saw it! It’s big, scary, and pink.”
- Sandy: “So’s Patrick’s belly button, but I ain’t afraid of that, neither.”
- Sandy: “SpongeBob, I’m from Texas. What you think is big and what I think is big are two different ‘big’s. Besides, he’s got my tail. I can’t take that sitting down.”
- SpongeBob: “Oh, yeah? What if I said… ‘blargen fedibble no-hip’?”
- SpongeBob: “That’s not the worm. That’s his tongue.”
- SpongeBob: “I’m way ahead of you, Sandy. Look, it’s a necklace! S for ‘SpongeBob’ or S for ‘Sandy’! That way they can identify our bodies!”
Quotes from “Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm” Transcript
FAQs
Answer: The series never mentions if the worm is poisonous exactly, but it is dangerous. It is large and tears through anything, living or inanimate. The likelihood of it being poisonous is low.
Answer: The original Dune novel was released in 1965, inspiring many. One notable inspiration spawned the Graboids from Tremors, a favorite of mine. This was likely the inspiration for the Alaskan Bull Worm as well, considering the size and method of travel for the worm.
Answer: The size of the Alaskan Bull Worm is inconsistent. At times, it is the same size as a bus, and other times it is larger than Bikini Bottom. So it’s safe to say that it is big, but that we do not have any reliable measurements.
Answer: There are many theories as to whether a worm similar to the Alaskan Bull Worm exists. The closest in size and looks is likely the Bobbit worm, reaching up to ten feet in length.
Rewatching the Alaskan Bull Worm Episode
“Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm” are only ten minutes long, so you can easily fit in a rewatch. It’s a great one to watch again if you are going through all of the greats. There’s something about the Alaskan Bull Worm and the episode about it that is a masterpiece. Maybe it’s the similarities to Patrick’s Belly Button, and maybe it’s the fact that we’ve all feared unknown creatures. The reason isn’t essential because nothing changes the fact that the Alaskan Bull Worm is one of the greatest fictional monsters of all time.
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