Dear Vikings (SpongeBob SquarePants)

Dear Vikings
11 years before Vinland Saga, we had this, but not as clever or decent.
Series: SpongeBob SquarePants Part of Season: 6 Episode Number: 14a (114a) Air Date: November 28, 2008 Writer: Aaron Springer Dani Michaeli Previous episode: The Card Next episode: Ditchin'

Dear Vikings is an Emmy nominated SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season six, and was released on November 28th, 2008. In this episode, SpongeBob wants to learn about the Vikings.

Plot

There's a new Viking-themed promotion at the Krusty Krab, so SpongeBob is determined to find out everything there is to know about Vikings. And what better way to find out about Vikings than to talk to them himself? So SpongeBob writes a letter to the Vikings and is surprised when they decide to pay a visit to the Krusty Krab to answer his questions in person.

Why It's Not A Viking-Sized Adventure

1. The animation is just so awful visually in this episode that you can see some parts have SpongeBob looking off the model or something. Not to mention, most of the washed out colors are just lifeless and ugly, like in most of Season 6.
2. SpongeBob already knows about the Vikings according to the episode Bubble Buddy.
   • He even celebrated Leif Erickson's day in Bubble Buddy, while Dear Vikings does not even mention it.
3. This episode goes one thing out of its way as to explain a joke. When one of the chief's guards picks up the letter SpongeBob sent to the Vikings, the chief directly tells the audience how interested he is through the tone of his voice, his expression, as well as his body language. So, therefore, it's like the episode explained the joke while telling it.
   • Explaining a joke is not how making a joke works. To quote the Joker: "If you have to explain a joke, there is no joke!"
4. This episode has numerous loads of painfully boring filler scenes that are rampant and more present in this episode:
   • Montage of a medieval civilization (Vikings) doing modern things.
   • Montage of Gordon saying to all of his Viking allies "This is Olaf, and this is Olaf..."
   • The Vikings show things that they like to do for fun on the ship.
     • One scene involves all of them throwing shields.
5. When the Krusty Krab is being sacked by the Vikings, SpongeBob doesn't even bother to show any concern that his workplace is being destroyed.
6. Shoehorned moment near the ending when the Vikings crash into an iceberg and SpongeBob fixes the problem.
   • Why use the catapult when you could just walk over to the hole, SpongeBob?
7. Rushed ending: The episode just cuts off after SpongeBob says "That's what I call... a Viking-Sized adventure!".
   • The ending is also left to many answer questions:
   1. What happens to the Vikings after SpongeBob saves them?
   2. How did SpongeBob and Squidward get back home?
8. Because of the two unanswered questions, as well as the ending being cut short, it felt like "Dear Vikings" was originally meant to be a two-parted episode, but it was scrapped.

Viking-Sized Qualities

1. SpongeBob, as inconsistent he is in this episode, is likable because he at least has the decency to protect Squidward from the Vikings.
2. This funny quote:
   • Squidward: So, let me guess. Your name must be...
     • Tough Viking: That's right. Gordon.
3. The female Viking guards of the Viking King have passable designs.
4. Ian McShane does a decent job voicing Gordon.

Trivia

• Gordon is named Günther in the German dub.
• Originally was number 7 on MoBrosStudios' Top 20 Worst SpongeBob Episodes, however, it was later removed.
• This episode was nominated for an Emmy award in 2009.

Reception

• Dear Vikings received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, audiences, and fans of SpongeBob SquarePants.
• Despite this, the episode has a 6.2/10 rating on IMDB.

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