 Paul Tibbitt , showrunner from season four to the season 9 episode , " Spongebob , You 're Fired ! " has been the subject of criticism . While The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was generally well received by fans of the show , it is also considered a turning point in the show 's history , as many fans believe the decline occurred after the film 's release , when Stephen Hillenburg resigned as showrunner and Tibbitt was appointed to replace him . Episodes produced since the movie have been variously categorized as " kid @-@ pandering attention @-@ waster [ s ] " , " tedious " , " boring " and " dreck " , a " depressing plateau of mediocrity " , and " laugh @-@ skimpy " . 
