SpongeBob's pet snail Gary is one of the most iconic cartoon pets. The little blue snail that meows like a cat (meows provided by Tom Kenny, also the voice of SpongeBob) is a loyal companion. Like anyone in SpongeBob's circle, though, he can also be the center of shenanigans on any given Bikini Bottom day.
Whether it's causing chaos around the pineapple or with residents of Bikini Bottom, Gary the Snail is a character pretty much everyone loves. The joys and struggles of owning a pet provide plenty of fodder for memorable episodes of SpongeBob Squarepants.
10 'Chatterbox Gary' - S.11 Ep.23
Many movies and TV shows imagine what would happen if pets were given the gift of human speech. In "Chatterbox Gary," SpongeBob buys Gary a translator collar. Gary's new voice impresses everyone – but annoys Squidward, who tries to put a stop to his neighbor's chatty pet.
This episode has a fun guest voice, with legendary voice actor Keith David providing his dulcet tones to the translation collar. Giving Gary the gift of speech especially makes the episode fun. Getting to hear the snail who normally just meows be frank about SpongeBob's friends and neighbors in the voice of the cat from Coraline is a real treat.
9 'Treats!' - S.8 Ep.22
In "Treats!" SpongeBob brings home new snail treats for Gary. Gary becomes hopelessly addicted to eating them and refuses to stop, even after their stockpile is depleted. SpongeBob and Gary spend the episode trying to acquire as many boxes as they can before they're too late or the treats get discontinued.
This episode has a pretty simple plot, but the hijinks that ensue as SpongeBob tries to curb Gary's hunger for treats are quite funny. SpongeBob doing anything to satisfy his pet's demands is relatable to any pet owner.
8 'Pet Sitter Pat' - S.8 Ep.12
Gary certainly ends up in the care of the rest of SpongeBob's friends a lot. In "Pet Sitter Pat," it's Patrick's turn to petsit Gary while SpongeBob's away at his grandmother's birthday. SpongeBob keeps calling to check in on his friend, who keeps accidentally putting the snail in mortal danger in the hopes they're having fun.
Fans of both Gary and Patrick have lots to enjoy this episode. Patrick's ideas for playtime and hygiene for Gary are over-the-top silly (flooding the house and a flamethrower both come into play.) SpongeBob's constant anxiety over his pet's safety is also endearingly relatable.
7 'Fungus Among Us' - S.5 Ep.14
"Fungus Among Us" finds SpongeBob inflicted with a contagious fungus called the ich after some grows inside his pineapple. He ends up spreading it around Bikini Bottom, despite attempts to quarantine and even a SWAT team getting involved. It's down to Gary and his bottom-feeding habits to save the town from disaster!
Gary being the hero at everyone's greatest hour of need makes this episode worth checking out. It also turns out the ich is based on a real parasite that can infect fish. Unlike "Kwarantined Krab," another disease-control-centric SpongeBob episode, this episode hasn't been pulled from airing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
6 'Once Bitten' - S.4 Ep.22
In "Once Bitten," Gary can't stop biting everyone in Bikini Bottom! Patrick starts a rumor that Gary has mad snail disease and soon the town spirals into zombie outbreak-level mass hysteria. SpongeBob wants nothing more than to protect his snail, and it's up to Dr. Gill Gilliam's knowledge and SpongeBob's loyalty to end the trouble in town.
Gary's usually sweet (if not mischievous) so to see him painted as the episode's antagonist is a fun wrinkle on the usual Gary-centric episode formula. Dr. Gill Gilliam is a great side character and it's great to see him pop up to be a main player in the plot. As always, SpongeBob's unwavering love for Gary despite the chaos he creates is on full display.
5 'I Was a Teenage Gary' - S.1 Ep.13
"I Was a Teenage Gary" is a first season episode that dips a bit into surreal horror. SpongeBob leaves Gary with Squidward while out on a trip with Patrick, but when he returns he's horrified to find Squidward has neglected his pet completely. Dr. Gill Gilliam gives SpongeBob a syringe of snail plasma to help bring Gary back from the brink, but shenanigans ensue and SpongeBob ends up injected and turns into a snail!
With pet neglect the main plot, this episode is surprisingly grim for a lighthearted show like SpongeBob. Its tone does make sense, though, since it's usually paired with Halloween episode "Scaredy Pants" on re-airings. This episode also has a fair bit of lost media surrounding it, claiming a cut scene violently showed how the characters injected with plasma transformed into snails.
4 'Dumped' - S.2 Ep.14
In "Dumped," Gary decides he wants to spend more time playing with Patrick instead of SpongeBob. Now jealous, SpongeBob tries to fill the void (and make Gary want to come back) by acquiring new pets that just aren't as lovable as the snail. After a series of misunderstandings, Gary returns home to his rightful owner – after he gets the cookie Patrick's been saving in his pocket.
The SpongeBob/Patrick and SpongeBob/Gary dynamics both get to shine in this classic episode. It's always fun to see different kinds of pets in Bikini Bottom, so seeing SpongeBob with a worm and many other snail varieties is neat. Patrick's despondent closing line of the episode is also an all-time great: "I thought what we had was SPECIAL!"
3 'The Great Snail Race' - S.3 Ep.27
In "The Great Snail Race," Squidward gets Snelly, a pet snail of his own, and enters her into a snail racing competition. Eager to not be outdone by his neighbor, SpongeBob trains Gary to compete in the race as well, but drives the poor snail to exhaustion. Patrick also enters the race, with a rock named Rocky that he thinks is a snail.
This is a classic episode with some very funny gags and running jokes. Squidward constantly getting his last name misspelled on trophies never gets old. Poor Gary getting burnt out from SpongeBob's determination is heartbreaking, but the surprise winner of the snail race is pure comedy gold.
2 'Have You Seen This Snail?' - S.4 Ep.3
SpongeBob is usually a very attentive pet owner, but in "Have You Seen This Snail?" his attention drifts towards beating a paddleball record. Feeling neglected, Gary runs away from home and falls in with a seemingly sweet old lady (Amy Poehler) who has plenty of food to eat. When SpongeBob realizes Gary's gone missing, he and Patrick team up to find the beloved snail.
This episode has everything a great Gary-centric episode could wish for. Gary's adventure after he runs away is surreal in a typically SpongeBob-y way, and the plot is resolved in heartwarming fashion. Best of all, the episode features an iconic song, "Gary Come Home" sung by Stew.
1 'Gary Takes A Bath' - S.1 Ep.7
Sometimes the simplest plots are the most memorable. In "Gary Takes A Bath," it's bathtime for the snail, but he refuses. SpongeBob resorts to all sorts of dirty tactics to get his darling pet squeaky clean.
This episode is a tour-de-force for Tom Kenny as he jumps between voicing pet owner and pet for almost eleven minutes straight. The sight gags and ways SpongeBob tries to get Gary into the bathtub are outrageously, almost inappropriately funny. "Gary Takes a Bath" is an absolute classic episode that proves the most basic story formula can be ripe for comedy potential.
ncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kr6a%2F02aemqqpYsGpsYyspZqhnGKysbXSqJueq12ovbC6xp6ZqJpdqL62rdGep5qmpKh8