A whole generation grew up watching the outrageous antics of SpongeBob SquarePants and his group of friends in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom, leading to some of the most well-known memes and gifs used today. Even after 13 seasons and two films, the franchise is still going strong with a third film and several spin-offs already in development. However, even the most ardent of SpongeBob fans would agree that the show hit its peak in its first three seasons, particularly Seasons 2 and 3.
While the first season does have some great moments, it's easy to tell that the show was still trying to find its footing and spent most of its episodes introducing fans to new characters and setting up gags for future seasons. The second and third seasons, on the other hand, are where SpongeBob SquarePants provides its audience with some of its truly iconic moments.
Season 2 features some of the strongest episodes in SpongeBob's run, including "Squid's Day Off," "Dying For Pie," "Squidville," "Squirrel Jokes," "The Secret Box," "Sailor Mouth" and "The Fry Cook Games." Many of the series' best gag characters, such as Frankendoodle and Bubble Buddy, make their debuts this season. Season 2 also contains what is perhaps the series' best episode, "Band Geeks," which features plenty of hilarious jokes and ends with the memorable "Sweet Victory" performance.
Many of the best SpongeBob memes also came out of Season 2. Some of these include "No, this is Patrick!," confused Mr. Krabs, freeform jazz, "Bold and Brash," "Who you callin' a pinhead?" and "It's not my wallet."
Season 3 might not feature a bunch of instant classics, but there are still plenty of highlights. "Just One Bite", "Nasty Patty," "Chocolate With Nuts" and "As Seen On TV" are all great episodes thanks to their many quotable lines. Fans are introduced to both Flats the Flounder and the Tattletale Strangler this season. The third season also houses"Krusty Krab Training Video," which is a perfect meta episode that allows SpongeBob to touch on things it wouldn't be able to otherwise.
As for meme potential, fans can thank Season 3 for "Imagination," "Here Lies Squidward's Hopes and Dreams," The Salty Spitoon and Weenie Hut Jr., "We Have Technology," Caveman SpongeBob and SpongeBob at a Diner.
Those who grew up with SpongeBob can remember episodes from seasons 2 and 3 fondly, and continue to go back to them, even all these years later. The same can't be said for the rest of the series, which many fans believe has jumped the shark in terms of quality. Regardless, even if SpongeBob isn't as great as it used to be, at least there will always be episodes that make fans remember the good old days.