SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes That You Can Only Understand As An Adult

Nickelodeon's cartoons have always been filled with clever humor, quirky wits, and adult themes.

The references in the shows always had a deeper meaning that you didn't fully understand until you became an adult, and the beloved SpongeBob SquarePants was no exception.

Exploring the underwater life of Bikini Bottom with the lovable characters was fun, but what if we try to look at our favorite episode from a different angle?

Let's take a look at some of the memorable episodes that we fully understood only as grown-ups.

Rock Bottom

After catching the wrong bus, SpongeBob and Patrick find themselves in a strange and frustrating town called Rock Bottom.

At first glance, the episode might appear to be a satire on the challenges of navigating unfamiliar places, dealing with people (who are even crazier than the main characters), and feeling lost.

But if you dig deeper, you might find the real truth.

The town isn't called Rock Bottom for nothing. As a phrase, "rock bottom" means a low point in a person's life, even depression — similar to the emotions that SpongeBob undergoes in this episode.

So the Rock Bottom episode literally reflects the adult experience of facing difficulties in new environments and the frustration that can come with it.

Rock-A-Bye Bivalve

In this episode, SpongeBob and Patrick find an abandoned baby scallop and decide to raise it together as a family.

While SpongeBob takes on the role of the stay-at-home mom, doing the chores and raising the child, Patrick embodies the stereotypical working dad who goes out to earn money and comes home expecting a well-maintained household.

It's a rare moment when the cartoon presents the challenges of parenthood, with the notion that child-rearing is solely a mother's responsibility, while Patrick's clueless approach to housework highlights the absurdity of rigid gender roles.

Enemy In-Law

The episode explores the comedic interactions between Mama Krabs, Mr. Krabs and Plankton, and the chaos that ensues when Plankton decides to get the attention of Mr. Krabs' mother in order to steal the secret formula for Krabby Patty.

While children would find the "love 'til death do us part" trick funny, for us adults, this episode seems the cruelest of all.

When Mama Krabs finally believes her son and dumps Plankton, he starts threatening her and her son, proving to the audience that he never had pure intentions towards her.

The episode shows the reality of possible lies and heartbreak in relationships, even as big as this one, and hits the adult viewers right in the gut.

Krusty Krab Training Video

This episode is completely different from the previous ones as it is framed as a training video for new Krusty Krab employees.

Although the episode is a hilarious parody of corporations and capitalism, it also raises the monotonous and repetitive nature of workplace training that has been echoed by many adult viewers.

It also touches on some uncomfortable topics, such as the misery of being a fast food cashier dealing with not-so-perfect customers.

The reality of the service industry.