UpWard

"UpWard" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 15. In this episode, Lady Upturn introduces Squidward, and his musical "talents," to her high society friends after she becomes his patron.

Characters

• Squidward Tentacles
• Lady Upturn
• Incidentals
  • Anchovies
  • Incidental 2
  • John
  • Incidental 9
  • Incidental 11
  • Incidental 16
  • Incidental 27
  • Harold (Inc 36)
  • Tuck Tucker
  • Official ^{("Krusty Katering")}
  • Mr. Doodles
  • Incidental 116
  • Jellyfish geek G4
  • "Upturn's employee" incidentals
    • Upturn's employee 3B
    • Upturn's employee 5
    • Upturn's employee 7
    • Upturn's employee 10
    • Jody Ann Chovy
  • "F" incidentals
    • Incidental F1
    • Incidental F3
    • Incidental F4 ^{(alternate colors)}
    • Incidental F6 ^{(alternate colors)}
    • Incidental F8
    • Incidental F9 ^{(alternate colors)}
    • Incidental F13
    • Incidental F14
    • Incidental F15
    • Eugene (Inc F17)
    • Incidental F19
    • Incidental F24
  • Incidental CM16
  • New Fancy 1
  • New Fancy 4
  • Fish in suit
• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Eugene H. Krabs
• Art appraiser ^(green)
• Busts ^{(single appearance)}
  • Bassthoven
  • Breams
  • Lobsterace
• Regigilled
• Squilliam Fancyson ^(cameo)
• Patrick Star
• Art restorer
• Mel
• Fancy dandy fish
• Peterson
• Fancy guy ^(purple)
• Female octopus ^{(single appearance)}
• Live action mermaid ^{(single appearance)}
• Cindy
• Jellyfish

Synopsis

Lady Upturn and Regigilled are at the art museum, with her looking for new items for her home. A tour guide shows her some exhibits: first Patrick's paintings, than an anchovy dance troupe, but she does not like either. Upturn and Regigilled go for a walk in Jellyfish Fields, where Squidward is playing his clarinet, disturbing the peace and making everyone run away. However, Upturn actually likes the music and wants to be Squidward's patron, offering him a large sum of money. Squidward accepts, bragging to Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob that he quits his job at the Krusty Krab.

Upturn takes Squidward to her mansion, showing him his very fancy room. Squidward begins writing a lot of symphonies and enjoying Upturn's privileges, going back to Krabs and SpongeBob to invite them to his debut concert. Krabs is annoyed, but SpongeBob still wants to go and support him.

At the opera house, Squidward is getting ready for his concert when SpongeBob stops by his dressing room to wish him luck, which he refuses. Upturn introduces Squidward, who starts playing, to the audience and orchestra's horror. The doctor sitting next to Upturn notices electric shocks coming from her hairdo and finds that a jellyfish has been blocking her ears, with the buzzing noises making the music sound better to her. Upturn apologizes and invites the audience back to her mansion to listen to her new maestro: Patrick, playing the mayonnaise. SpongeBob and Krabs, with jellyfish also on their heads, cheer Squidward on and convince him to play more.

Production

This episode was confirmed by Cartoonlounge.de on July 16, 2024.^[3]

Art

Background design

• Layouts designed by George Nachev, traditionally painted in gouache by Amy Lewis. Scanned in with lines drawn digitally on top.^[4][5]

Music

 ‣ A Short Interlude - Richard Myhill [Title card.]
 ‣ Sophistication - Without Tenor Sax - Remastered - Syd Dale [Opening.]
 ‣ Hard Talk (a) - Dick Walter [Anchovies dancing.]
 ‣ Sophistication - Without Tenor Sax - Remastered - Syd Dale [Lady Upturn leaves.]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 33 - Jeremy Wakefield [Transition to next scene.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [Squidward playing his clarinet.]
 ‣ Baby Jumbo - Remastered - Ronald Hanmer [Lady Upturn meets Squidward.]
 • Cheap and Frozen Jig - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward quits.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [Mr. Krabs laughs.]
 ‣ Pageantry Processional - Ronald Hanmer [Lady Upturn's limousine arrives.]
 ‣ Royal King - Jean-Pierre Fouquey [At Lady Upturn's mansion.]
 ‣ The 1812 Overture (Abridged Version) - Peter Tchaikovsky [Squidward composing.]
 • Galley Cooks Shanty 2 - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [At the Krusty Krab.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [Squidward invites SpongeBob and Krabs to his concert.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [Krabs gets annoyed.]
 • Happy Sack Shanty - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [Krabs decides to attend the concert.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [At the opera house.]
 ‣ ? [Orchestra tunes up.]
 • Orchestral Fanfares - Nicolas Carr [Squidward appears onstage.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [Squidward performing.]
 ‣ Rhapsody in Blue - George Gershwin, Sean Gould [Orchestra performing.]
 ‣ Charlie's Bike C - Peter Balding, Otto Sieben [Lady Upturn interrupts Squidward.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [Patrick walks onstage.]
 • ? - Nicolas Carr [Patrick playing mayonnaise.]
 • M'Wanna - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward alone onstage.]
 ‣ Rhapsody in Blue - George Gershwin, Sean Gould [Ending.]

Trivia

General

• This episode was originally called "Movin' Upward," a pun on the phrase "movin' up."
• In the United States, this episode was originally going to premiere at 7:00 PM, but it was moved to 5:00 PM.
• This episode was paired up with a rerun of "Big League Bob" during the original airing, but has since been re-airing with "Unidentified Flailing Octopus."^[6]
  • When this episode premiered on Nicktoons, it was paired up with "Tango Tangle."^[7]

• On Amazon Prime Video, this is listed as the first episode of season 15 along with its sister episode due to season 15's premiere episodes "Sammy Suckerfish" and "Big League Bob" being listed as season 14 episodes on Amazon Prime Video due to being added there when they premiered in July 2024 before being moved to season 15.
• The title of this episode is a portmanteau of Lady Upturn's surname and Squidward's first name.
• This episode marks the first full-body appearance of Squilliam since "Back to the Past," which aired 14 years prior.
  • This episode also marks the first appearance of Squilliam Fancyson in 7 years since the season 10 episode "Code Yellow," though similar to "Code Yellow" where he is only seen in a photo. In this episode, he is only seen in a magazine that Squidward is holding.

Episode references

• The Art Museum from "The Masterpiece" and The Famed Bikini Bottom Opera House from "Squidward's School for Grown-Ups" return.
• Patrick plays mayonnaise at the Opera House, debunking Squidward's claim from "Band Geeks" that mayonnaise is not an instrument.
• The jellyfish enjoying Squidward's poor clarinet playing references "Squid Noir."

Cultural references

• A pineapple taped to the wall can be seen in the Art Museum, referencing the controversial 2019 banana taped to the wall artwork Comedian by Maurizio Cattelan.
• Busts of the in-universe composers Bassthoven, Breams, and Lobsterace can be seen during the montage of Squidward composing, which reference the composers Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, and Liberace respectively.
• Squidward wears several outfits that reference those of other celebrities and cultural icons:
  • While angrily swatting away his sheet music, he resembles artist Andy Warhol.
  • Shopping for a golden clarinet, he resembles Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from the 1984 biographical film Amadeus.
  • When he invites SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs to his debut concert, he resembles composer Liberace wearing his signature King Neptune outfit.
  • While performing at The Famed Bikini Bottom Opera House, he resembles musician Elton John from his 1975 performance at Dodger Stadium.
• The episode title is a play on the word "upward."

Errors

• During the first exterior shot of the Krusty Krab, the Chum Bucket and the road leading to it are missing. When Squidward enters, they both appear, but they disappear during the next exterior shot.

• When Squidward tells the Krusty Krew that he has become a paid musician, the spikes on Mr. Krabs' back are missing.

Videos

Names in other languages

References

1. ^ Nickelodeon UK - November 21, 2024
2. ^ Nick Press Schedules
3. ^ Upward - Episode 308a (SpongeBob SquarePants) - Cartoonlounge
4. ^ Amy Lewis on Twitter - "A few background paintings from newly released..."
5. ^ Amy Lewis on Instagram - "A couple more backgrounds I painted..."
6. ^ Nickstory - December 3, 2024
7. ^ December 3, 2024 - Nicktoons G.L.O.B.E. Archives