Despite the fundamental bleakness and bittersweet nature of Some Things Never Change, there is still something good that comes out of it all.
Some Things Never Change
- The ending of the story, while Squidward spend the whole story being depressed by his life and it’s not looking forward to his 60th birthday, Squidward decides that while he’s giving up on some of his hobbies like dancing because of his age, he does not have to give up on his other hobbies like music and arts, while Squidward noting that he always found he enjoyed music and art as hobbies and only had problems when he tried to turn them into careers. It’s heartwarming to know that Squidward can still find joy and do what he likes in his old age.
Finite
- The conversation between Squidward and Sandy in chapter 3 of "Finite" is this, where they come to see that they are much more alike than either cared to admit for the two decades they've known each other, Sandy shows Squidward genuine empathy for his plight and realizes what a Jerkass Woobie Squidward is, and tells Squidward how there is one thing he has always been better at than his rival (having a sense of accountability), while he expresses genuine admiration towards Sandy for actually having managed to live her dream despite the odds being stacked against her so much.
- The fact that Sandy has succeeded at achieving her dreams is a truly awesome thing. The revelation of just how little support she received and her ultimate achievement shows that as bleak as Bikini Bottom has become, at least one of the main cast has managed to find happiness and success in their life.
Nothing Lasts Forever
- The third chapter of the story is pure heartwarming, especially given the cynicism of the series; SpongeBob learning that Mr. Krab's time is up and it's going to be taken away by the Flying Dutchmen, he begs for Mr. Krab's life and reveals that he was in deep denial about the death of his loved ones. The Flying Dutchmen, annoyed, decides to give Mr. Krab's one month to set his affairs and orders but warn SpongeBob that he's going to have to accept his death.
- Once The Flying Dutchmen leaves, this leads to the most heartwarming scene of this saga. Mr. Krabs admits that he always thought of SpongeBob as the son he never had and wished was a better father figure towards him and helped him deal with the denial SpongeBob developed to cope with the harsh realities of life; he also admitted that he always liked Squidward despite being a bad employee. Though not said, it's clear that Mr. Krab's always considered Squidward, a friend, and Squidward appreciated that.
- When Squidward and Mr. Krabs learn that SpongeBob is in deep denial about the realities of things changing and death, they have a heart-to-heart talk where they encourage him to accept the realities of life while at the same time still having that same childlike wonder and happiness but in a more mature way. This allows SpongeBob to finally grow up and be more mature while still having the same childlike wonder he had when he was younger. SpongeBob even plans to visit his deceased loved ones, whom he was in denial about passing.
- The chapter ends with Mr. Krabs saying that while they're not the young trio they were once, they had a good 20 years, and he wouldn't trade it for the world; Mr. Krabs tells Squidward and SpongeBob that he's going to take them on a month-long cruise and he will cover the expenses and spare none this time, and unlike the past, he means it because he doesn't have to worry about material possessions anymore. After jokingly saying he can take advantage of the senior discounts, the chapter ends with SpongeBob, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs all laughing together.
- The final chapter does show some sadder moments, but ends up being a rather touching capstone to the trilogy.
- Mr. Krabs did keep his word about giving his employees a proper vacation, and even taking a few light jabs at his cheapskate tendencies much better than he normally would, having passed on the Krusty Krab to Squidward and Spongebob. The fact that he apparently also invited Sandy despite their past animosity (and his bigotry and sexism due to being extremely old-fashioned) does say a lot, even if they're only cordial for Spongebob's sake.
- Mr. Krabs' death is mostly portrayed as a quiet and sad event, but given just how much Mr. Krabs has been a terrible person (albeit one who recognized this and did feel some remorse), him at least dying in comfort and with those he cares for ends up being enough for him, allowing him to move on to his eternal torment with the Flying Dutchman with dignity. The fact that the Dutchman, despite having been so irritable with him one chapter earlier treats him kindly as he escorts Mr. Krabs to Davy Jones' Locker is somewhat touching as well.
- The "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue after the funeral of Mr. Krabs is surprisingly much happier than expected, given the sadness that pervaded so much of the first two stories.
- Spongebob manages to stay a happy and cheerful man, mixed together with the benefits of maturity and being the second husband of Karen after Plankton's passing. Karen is visibly much happier living with Spongebob compared to her misery with Plankton, albeit somewhat bemused as to her second husband's eccentricities.
- Pearl ends up opening a boutique using her inheritance, the death of her father having shocked her enough to start taking some responsibility with her life. She still needs help from Spongebob to ensure that her business can stay going, but given just how irresponsible she could be when she was younger, it's a good sign.
- Patrick surprisingly ends up taking his adult life more seriously, and is now a working man, turning his life around from the Lazy Bum everyone knew into a hard worker. Sandy is still in disbelief over the matter.
- It turns out that in Heaven, all of Spongebob and friends' passed loved ones like Betsy Krabs, Marion Squarepants, and Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy have made it there and are living their best lives in Heavenly Bingo. Mermaid Man in particular is no long afflicted with dementia, giving him some of his old spirit and liveliness back. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy also appreciate that Spongebob likely still remembers them even if they're "tights-wearing has-beens".
- Even Mr. Krabs and Plankton get something of a happier ending given they're both in the undersea equivalent of Hell. While Plankton is initially furious that his entire life was ruined over a formula that never existed, he ends up admitting that Krabs' deception was genuinely brilliant, and the two happily fall back into their old rivalry of trying to best each other under the Dutchman's exercise torment, which the latter approves in a roundabout way.
- Perhaps most telling is Squidward himself. After spending two stories sulking in his own misery and complicated feelings towards the death of Squilliam, he's finally managed to find peace with himself. It's not difficult to see why, because while Squilliam's success might have eclipsed his in life, the reality is that Squidward ultimately won where it mattered. Squidward has a modestly successful business in the Krusty Krab that he is making the effort to be a far better boss than Mr. Krabs was for most of his life. His friendship with Sandy and Spongebob have been repaired and improved on, with mutual respect between all of them now that the latter is mature enough to face reality. And best of all, it seems that Squilliam's days of being above scrutiny due to his fame and wealth are coming to an end, with his reputation taking a nosedive after a litany of scandals and his horrible personality coming to light. Furthermore, unbeknownst to Squidward, his old rival is suffering in Davy Jones' Locker alongside Krabs and Plankton, punishment finally coming for the pampered octopus for his many, many crimes.
