He’s yellow, square, absorbent, and lives in a pineapple under the sea. The Nickelodeon superstar Spongebob Squarepants has been on numerous adventures since debuting in the 90s. And one of the most unique happened in the episode, Shanghai’ed. The sea sponge and his friends find themselves whisked away by the ghostly Flying Dutchman. However, how their time with the ghost pirate ended depended on the viewers.
A Recap of Shanghai’ed
The episode Shanghai’ed begins when a giant anchor crashes into Spongebob’s house. Distressed, he rushes to Squidward, but the crabby octopus dismisses him. And once Patrick gets involved, the anchor smashes into Squidward’s house. Squidward becomes enraged and climbs the anchor’s rope to confront the perpetrator. Spongebob and Patrick join him, and they soon reach a floating ship possessing an eerie green glow. The trio climbs aboard, and the sponge immediately notices something oddly familiar about the vessel.
The Flying Dutchman appears and informs them the three are now part of his crew. Squidward objects and his actions get him banished to a dimension of nightmares. Spongebob and Patrick, on the other hand, are enthusiastic to work for the Flying Dutchman. However, things do not work out, and the ghost pirate decides to eat them. The two friends try to escape, stealing the Dutchman’s crucial dining sock as they run. In exchange for the sock, the Dutchman agrees to grant them three wishes.
The ‘You Wish’ Special
Shanghai’ed was one of the few episodes to receive a special during its airing. The event, entitled You Wish, revolved around the three wishes the Dutchman offers. Patrick wasted one by wishing that he knew about the wishes earlier. And Spongebob absentmindedly used one to wish Squidward back onto the ghost ship. With one wish left, the silly sea creatures fought over who would get it. An annoyed Flying Dutchman used eeny, meeny, miny, moe to choose who got the wish.
This moment is where the primary purpose of the You Wish special came into play. The host, Patchy the Pirate, played by Tom Kenny, informed viewers earlier of the twist. Shanghai’ed had three alternate endings, depicting whether Spongebob, Patrick, or Squidward got the wish. Viewers got to vote on the winner and pick the episode’s permanent ending. The voting was done over the phone and through the Internet. Once the choosing was complete, Patchy showcased every ending, with the winner being last.
The Ending Starring the Pink Starfish
The first losing ending depicted the Flying Dutchman giving the wish to Patrick. Understanding the stakes, Spongebob and Squidward urge the starfish to be thoughtful with his wish. Patrick struggles to think because of his canonically limited brainpower. Once the toaster in his brain pops, he makes his wish silently. Patrick reveals that he wished for gum and offers some to his friends. His companions accept the gum and their fate before the Dutchman eats the trio.
Squidward’s Wish Ends with Digestion
Squidward’s wish was the second losing ending, and it wasn’t any better than Patrick’s. Instead of being wise with the wish, the cephalopod decides to be petty. Squidward wishes he never met Spongebob and Patrick, and the Dutchman grants it. The wish makes the sea sponge and starfish lose their memories of their neighbor. Squidward objects, but the Flying Dutchman remarks that it’s time for dinner. As the ending concludes, the trio converse inside the ghost pirate’s stomach.
The Sponge Wishes to Save Them
By default, the winning ending was Spongebob’s wish, establishing it as the permanent conclusion. The Flying Dutchman picks Spongebob, and Squidward urges his neighbor to save them. The sponge wishes for the Dutchman to be a vegetarian, saving them from their doom. Afterward, the trio is suddenly teleported into a blender and transformed into fruits. They realize the Dutchman pulled a fast one and still plans to eat them. The three neighbors attempt to escape, but the phantom pursues them.
Final Thoughts
The Shanghai’ed episode of Spongebob Squarepants is fun and delightful. With such a unique background, it has become a fan favorite with many viewers. It even gave birth to the Patrick “Leedle leedle leedle lee” meme. And despite not being super scary, the Golden Age episode is appropriate for Halloween.
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