Deep in the bowels of The Spool Studios, there lies a chamber only the greatest TV characters can enter – the funniest, the grumpiest, the maddest masks the television medium has to offer. There, we honor the breakout comic relief, the magnetically flawed protagonist, the one-time guest character that defines an entire series. This is where we hoard TV’s most valuable visages. This… is the Hall of Faces.

Welcome to the Hall of Faces, The Spool’s monthly TV podcast! Hall of Faces sees hosts and TV critics Allison Shoemaker and Clint Worthington build up a pantheon of television’s greatest characters, one show at a time.

Are ye ready kids?! After a long hiatus, the Hall of Faces is back! This month, The Televerse‘s Kate Kulzick fills in for regular co-host Allison Shoemaker to talk about Stephen Hillenburg‘s iconic, long-running children’s show, SpongeBob SquarePants!

Twenty years ago this month in 1999, Hillenburg (a marine science educator turned animator) created SpongeBob and the world of Bikini Bottom, a delightfully absurd undersea community filled with squabbling neighbors, fast-food burger joints and retired aquatic superheroes. Even two decades later, the show has miraculously kept its mojo, presenting kids and adults alike with a particular brand of giddy weirdness that appeals to audiences of all ages.

With that in mind, we’re joined by The Takeout‘s Dominick Suzanne-Mayer and Paste Magazine‘s Jacob Oller to dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants and figure out which character deserves a spot in our Hall of Faces. Is it the endlessly-optimistic SpongeBob himself? The greedy Mr. Krabs? The relatably cynical Squidward? Or the… well… Patrick?

Grab a Krabby Patty, take a listen, and let us know which Bikini Bottom dweller you’d rank above everyone else!

Hall of Faces is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)

THE HALL OF FACES: