Written by Jack Pendarvis
Storyboard by Bob Camp (Lost in Bikini Bottom) / Fred Osmond (Tutor Sauce)
Animation Directors: Alan Smart and Tom Yasumi
Original air date: 7/16/2015
SpongeBob gets lost trying to take a shortcut to the Krusty Krab.
"Lost in Bikini Bottom" contains examples of:
- Animation Bump: Starting with this episode, the animation has gotten more fluid than it was compared to past few seasons.
- Art Evolution: As it is the first episode to be produced after the second movie, the art style had changed somewhat. While the colors are still as bright as post-movie era note , the faces are a lot more expressive and prone to going Off-Model (Bob Camp of Ren and Stimpy fame did the drawings for this episode, which explains the more variety in expressions). It's easy to compare the earlier season 9 episodes to the second half. Also, the outlines lack Thick-Line Animation and therefore is thinner as it was before. Lastly, this is the first episode to use the updated theme song.
- Callback: In the beginning, SpongeBob woke up by falling off the stairs, which probably refers to Missing Identity.
- Comically Missing the Point: SpongeBob fails to understand there's no shortcut because the usual path he takes is a straight line.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Had SpongeBob just listened to Squidward, he would've made it to the Krusty Krab with no problem.
- Evolving Credits: While this is the first episode with the HD theme song, the opening credits has shown some change. The show is no longer storyboard-driven and instead it is back to being script-driven. Also, all of the producers credits are now shown rather in the ending credits, probably informing people that Stephen Hillenburg is back to the show.
- Idiot Ball: SpongeBob carries it in this episode. The main thing that sets the plot in motion is that Patrick tells him that "there is always a shortcut." SpongeBob, convinced that there is a shorter way to the Krusty Krab than the usual straight route he takes, uses much more complicated directions that cause him to be lost in Bikini Bottom. Toward the end of the episode, when SpongeBob finally reaches the Krusty Krab using his "shortcut," he sees that Patrick has been in the restaurant long enough for him to have ordered food there. This is when Patrick reveals his faster way of getting to the Krusty Krab: he had a pedicab driver take him there.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Squidward is not kidding when telling SpongeBob there is no shortcut to the Krusty Krab and it's the same route every time.
- Laser-Guided Karma: SpongeBob actually does receive a proper comeuppance for not listening to Squidward and getting lost during his shortcuts when he shows up at the Krusty Krab all dirty and Mr. Krabs sends him home to take a bath.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Happens when Squidward is drawing a distance between two points on the screen.
- Married to the Job: SpongeBob tries to find a shortcut to his workplace because he's not satisfied with arriving fifteen minutes early.
- Negative Continuity: In this episode, SpongeBob does not know what a pay phone is, but in "Party Pooper Pants" he uses one.
- Sanity Slippage: Squidward had one near the end when he realizes that SpongeBob gets to go home to clean himself while he has to stay and work, so he ends up rolling himself in dirt.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: SpongeBob finally gets to the Krusty Krab after an attempt to get there through a shortcut, only to be sent home to take a bath because he came covered in trash.
- Shortcuts Make Long Delays: SpongeBob try to take various shortcuts throughout the episode.
Original air date: 7/16/2015
When SpongeBob fails his driving test once more, Mr. Krabs agrees to give him driving lessons.
"Tutor Sauce" contains examples of:
- Callback:
- One of the ways of crashing into the Krusty Krab was the gasoline exploding which left Squidward standing all covered in dust, which is like in the deleted scene of "Just One Bite".
- Jeffrey the Jellyfish from "I’m Your Biggest Fanatic" makes another appearance, at an arcade.
- Another callback that is probably easy to miss, but Beary (the bear that SpongeBob won in Skill Crane) makes another appearance when was he taking a rest. As the post-"Sponge Out of Water" era progresses, there will be more and more callbacks.
- Closer than They Appear: After SpongeBob drives the boat out of the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs checks the rearview mirror to see the damage that has the label "Objects in mirror will be expensive".
- Drives Like Crazy: SpongeBob, once again, which results in much damage to the Krusty Krab throughout the episode. In fact, his own snail drives better than him.
- Epic Fail: Every one of Mr. Krabs' attempts to tutor SpongeBob results in him hitting the Krusty Krab. Every single one. Not only does this include an instance where they were nowhere near the Krusty Krab when they started, but SpongeBob somehow crashed a driving simulator into the restaurant.
- Failure Montage: SpongeBob's repeated failed practice driving.
- Felony Misdemeanor: Apparently, it's illegal to let a snail or any animal drive a boat, even in dangerous situations.
- Married to the Job: A police officer says this when Mr. Krabs tries to sweet talk his way out of being fined for letting a snail drive and giving driving lessons without being a licensed instructor. He admits they've had their problems, but couples therapy is helping them.
- Noodle Incident: Among the expenses Mr. Krabs auto-calculates in the rearview mirror, we see Squidward whacking a customer with a spatula for some reason.
- Running Gag: SpongeBob's attempts to know how to drive usually end up damaging the Krusty Krab.
- Tempting Fate: One of SpongeBob's attempts ends up destroying all but one of the tables at the Krusty Krab. When Squidward points out that SpongeBob missed one, the boat's engine falls off and crashes on that one.
