084b. Boat Smarts

[MimicMadness]

Loved the CGI scene of a car crashing with Squidward's face implanted on the human.

 

[SlipperytheTotodile]

This one was just a cheap rip off of Krusty Krab Training Video which i would prefer over this. This one is probably a mixed bag for me. This episode had a lot of Squidward torture scenes. But the only good scenes were the CGI scenes and that steamroller scene.

Rating: Meh Episode

Rankings:
Friend or Foe (Perfect)
Spy Buddies (Amazing!)
Rise and Shine (Great)
Boat Smarts (Meh)
Fungus Among Us (Meh)
Night Light (Alright)
The Original Fry Cook (Okay)
Waiting (Terrible)

 

[GlitchyGoomba]

I think this episode could've worked better if Squidward didn't get constant torture for just following the rules of the road. Seeing him get tortured for very flimsy reasons isn't funny and just makes me want to avoid the episode even more. I don't think the hilarious scene of Squidward the crash dummy can make up for the lack of any other jokes and unoriginal concept

 

[Pugs4Thugs]

Next up, we've got "Boat Smarts"! Ooh boy. Honestly, full disclosure real quick: Before I rewatched this episode for the purposes of this review, I don’t think I had seen this episode in at least…5 years. Like, it has been a long time. And I know exactly why. I avoided “Boat Smarts” because once upon a time in the early- to mid-2010s I was young and impressionable and I had unfortunate choices in cartoon review YouTubers. Enough said. I think that’s why I consider this episode to be infamous. And I think it still is for the same reasons why I thought it was an irredeemable piece of garbage, those dang YouTubers.

Now that I have rewatched this episode, I can say right now that I feel a lot differently about it than I used to, so let's discuss. I like the set-up of this episode, being a safe driving film. The filters over the episode really help to set the mood, along with Mrs. Puff’s narrations, and I also really like how this episode is segmented. It reminds me a lot of “Krusty Krab Training Video”, AKA my favorite episode of all time, so that’s a pretty good association for an episode to have (and no, I wouldn't call this episode a rip off of that one for using a kind of similar concept). The egregiously long acronym for the sponsors of the video is funny, and I love that there’s a whole organization dedicated to stopping SpongeBob from operating a boat lmao. Mans is a menace. I love that the driver with boat smarts is Squidward, because that means we get some fun Squidward and SpongeBob interactions in this short episode. I also don’t think we’ve ever seen Squidward driving before this (since he typically uses his reclined bike or just walks), so it’s fun to see him do it here.

Beginning with our first segment beyond the intro, Tire Pressure, we get a pretty clear picture of what this episode is about to consist of: Squidward having boat smarts, above and beyond the norm, and SpongeBob having the complete opposite of that, followed by SpongeBob’s lack of boat smarts screwing over Squidward in some capacity. That’s the basic formula of this episode. And this basic formula is what divides people, I think. The continued gags with this same basic formula are what make some people declare this episode to be part of the whole problem of “Squidward torture porns”. Not even getting into that asinine idea, I just want to say that I think everyone who thinks these gags are insufferable needs to take a chill pill lol. Because honestly I was actually chuckling and laughing here. The tire one had great comedic timing, the seatbelt one is absolutely hilarious (and also had great comedic timing) and makes you question why they even had a machine like that in Bikini Bottom, and the mirror one was just too funny with Squidward’s reaction and the crash test footage.

The humor in this episode isn’t only with the Squidward gags too. Like I said before, Mrs. Puff is a great narrator in this episode, all her little comments add to the gags nicely. I like the way she calls SpongeBob in the mirror segment a “degenerate boater”, that was pretty funny and unexpected. And I love the part where SpongeBob’s driving against traffic and everyone just “hmm”s at him angrily. I just love SpongeBob’s complete lack of care and blank looks in this episode. Sometimes I think SpongeBob drives horribly on purpose and it kind of makes me laugh lol.

Honestly, now after rewatching this episode, I need to see Mrs. Puff and Squidward interact legitimately. The ending of this episode, with SpongeBob delivering that little zinger (“looks like you guys forgot your boat smarts!”), and the two of them looking at each other and the camera is just excellent. I remember certain…people…getting mad at that last line, but honestly I just think the humor was lost on them. Just like it was lost on me for the longest time.

Now that we’re on season 5 I’m getting more and more excited to revisit some infamous episodes, because how much did I actually dislike these episodes, and how much was I just going with the flow? With this episode, it’s clear I didn’t really consider it on my own, because now that I’ve rewatched it I can see how good of an episode it is. I legitimately have no issue with it whatsoever, and it works perfectly as a short. A major step up from the last 4-minute short, “Rise and Shine”. In one of the biggest tier jumps between my reviews from 2018 and today, “Boat Smarts” is being put in my “Great” tier, up FIVE TIERS from my 2018 review which landed it in “Bad”. Amazing what a new perspective can do, ain’t it?

Episode Tier: Great
Episode Score: 8.5/10

 

[Heyo_Heyo]

Next up, we've got "Boat Smarts"! Ooh boy. Honestly, full disclosure real quick: Before I rewatched this episode for the purposes of this review, I don’t think I had seen this episode in at least…5 years. Like, it has been a long time. And I know exactly why. I avoided “Boat Smarts” because once upon a time in the early- to mid-2010s I was young and impressionable and I had unfortunate choices in cartoon review YouTubers. Enough said. I think that’s why I consider this episode to be infamous. And I think it still is for the same reasons why I thought it was an irredeemable piece of garbage, those dang YouTubers.

Now that I have rewatched this episode, I can say right now that I feel a lot differently about it than I used to, so let's discuss. I like the set-up of this episode, being a safe driving film. The filters over the episode really help to set the mood, along with Mrs. Puff’s narrations, and I also really like how this episode is segmented. It reminds me a lot of “Krusty Krab Training Video”, AKA my favorite episode of all time, so that’s a pretty good association for an episode to have (and no, I wouldn't call this episode a rip off of that one for using a kind of similar concept). The egregiously long acronym for the sponsors of the video is funny, and I love that there’s a whole organization dedicated to stopping SpongeBob from operating a boat lmao. Mans is a menace. I love that the driver with boat smarts is Squidward, because that means we get some fun Squidward and SpongeBob interactions in this short episode. I also don’t think we’ve ever seen Squidward driving before this (since he typically uses his reclined bike or just walks), so it’s fun to see him do it here.

Beginning with our first segment beyond the intro, Tire Pressure, we get a pretty clear picture of what this episode is about to consist of: Squidward having boat smarts, above and beyond the norm, and SpongeBob having the complete opposite of that, followed by SpongeBob’s lack of boat smarts screwing over Squidward in some capacity. That’s the basic formula of this episode. And this basic formula is what divides people, I think. The continued gags with this same basic formula are what make some people declare this episode to be part of the whole problem of “Squidward torture porns”. Not even getting into that asinine idea, I just want to say that I think everyone who thinks these gags are insufferable needs to take a chill pill lol. Because honestly I was actually chuckling and laughing here. The tire one had great comedic timing, the seatbelt one is absolutely hilarious (and also had great comedic timing) and makes you question why they even had a machine like that in Bikini Bottom, and the mirror one was just too funny with Squidward’s reaction and the crash test footage.

The humor in this episode isn’t only with the Squidward gags too. Like I said before, Mrs. Puff is a great narrator in this episode, all her little comments add to the gags nicely. I like the way she calls SpongeBob in the mirror segment a “degenerate boater”, that was pretty funny and unexpected. And I love the part where SpongeBob’s driving against traffic and everyone just “hmm”s at him angrily. I just love SpongeBob’s complete lack of care and blank looks in this episode. Sometimes I think SpongeBob drives horribly on purpose and it kind of makes me laugh lol.

Honestly, now after rewatching this episode, I need to see Mrs. Puff and Squidward interact legitimately. The ending of this episode, with SpongeBob delivering that little zinger (“looks like you guys forgot your boat smarts!”), and the two of them looking at each other and the camera is just excellent. I remember certain…people…getting mad at that last line, but honestly I just think the humor was lost on them. Just like it was lost on me for the longest time.

Now that we’re on season 5 I’m getting more and more excited to revisit some infamous episodes, because how much did I actually dislike these episodes, and how much was I just going with the flow? With this episode, it’s clear I didn’t really consider it on my own, because now that I’ve rewatched it I can see how good of an episode it is. I legitimately have no issue with it whatsoever, and it works perfectly as a short. A major step up from the last 4-minute short, “Rise and Shine”. In one of the biggest tier jumps between my reviews from 2018 and today, “Boat Smarts” is being put in my “Great” tier, up FIVE TIERS from my 2018 review which landed it in “Bad”. Amazing what a new perspective can do, ain’t it?

Episode Tier: Great
Episode Score: 8.5/10

This episode always felt like KKTV but in Boating School to me LOL

 

[meko1432]

This episode always felt like KKTV but in Boating School to me LOL

oh wow i never thought of it like that, it does feel like that

 

[meko1432]

Mrs. Puff is a great narrator in this episode, all her little comments add to the gags nicely.

Mary jo actually was the narrator in a horror game that came out a few years ago lol

 

[SpongebobMaster]

I actually never liked this one they did this better in yellow pavement they made it decent that time!

 

[SpongebobMaster]

It was okay after I watched this one I liked a few jokes but still I really didn't like anything else aside from the meme and the part where squidwards head is over a crash dummy
3/10

1. Friend or foe (10/10)
2. Spy Buddies (10/10)
3. Rise And Shine (9/10)
4. Night Light (8.5/10)
5. The Original Fry Cook (4.5/10)
6. Boat Smarts (3/10)
7. Waiting (1/10)
8. Fungus Amongus (0.5/10)

 

[zerocool]

Good short. 7/10.