2. Graveyard Shift – season 2, episode 36a:
Graveyard Shift is another scary episode of Spongebob, and it’s my favorite one. When Mr. Krabs realizes that the Krusty Krab can make more money by staying open 24/7, he promptly puts a sign above the restaurant that states “open forever.” Working the register at 3 a.m., Squidward manages to keep himself entertained by making up a scary story to frighten Spongebob, that of the “Hash Slinging Slasher,” a fry cook who used to work at the Krusty Krab.
As soon as Squidward reveals that the story was just a joke to calm Spongebob’s shrieks of terror, some eerie happenings start going down at the Krusty Krab – flickering lights, etc. – hinting that the made-up ghost story may be true after all. The tables are turned when Spongebob is convinced that Squidward is still making everything up, and the cashier grows terrified.
I love Graveyard Shift for a myriad of reasons, but mostly because it puts the two Spongebob Squarepants characters with the best chemistry together: Squidward and Spongebob. The episode is kind of like a puzzle, and Spongebob’s relentless cheer in the midst of likely doom is inspiring.
