“Earworm” is yet another episode that needed a rewatch big-time. The one thing I could remember about this episode was the hilariously unsettling scene of SpongeBob rocking in the corner with that earworm in his head. I also remembered that this episode was very relatable to me because I get songs stuck in my head all the time, though they don’t typically bother me…or drive me to insanity lol.
This episode begins with a gorgeous, gorgeous background…I swear these episodes that aired 10 years ago are listening to my reviews. And I love that this background can be seen for a minute or two as this scene in the Krusty Krab goes on, and even afterward! Anyway, I appreciate that the earworm that SpongeBob has is
not annoying. It seems we have learned from the wayward days of “Choir Boys” or even “Squeaky Boots”. It’s actually rather catchy, which is of course the point. This episode is a lot like the
Regular Show episode “This is My Jam”, and this makes sense considering the two episodes use the same basic plot. But of course, that episode is a lot more chaotic, being a
Regular Show episode, although this episode definitely competes in that arena.
I love all the visuals that come with SpongeBob’s little earworm, like his dancing, or him literally flying through the air. It adds an interesting element to the episode, which I appreciate. I also love that apparently Gary is a record player, which is a great bit of consistency from “Your Shoe’s Untied”.
Eventually, SpongeBob starts exhibiting some…odd…behavior, as he can’t control his movements at all because of this song. The way this episode slowly shows him going kind of insane is great, I love the pacing here. I also like that SpongeBob’s chosen method of dealing with this earworm is by simply letting it play out. It reminds me a lot of “I Heart Dancing” because of how he’s just dancing around trying (and failing) to do his job. That’s also kind of how I deal with my earworms, except I don’t really outwardly show that I have them lol.
And then SpongeBob just about snaps, and this part is hilarious to me. Or I suppose like I said earlier, hilariously unsettling. Like he wrecks the kitchen, writing doodle on the wall and doing a bunch of other weird stuff. I’m just laughing at this point. I love when SpongeBob dives off the deep end, like in “To Save A Squirrel”. And speaking of that episode, this episode has a surprise Sandy appearance, which I’m happy with. More Sandy means more wins for me. We also get a surprise Patrick appearance, which means that this episode has the big 5 all together, which hey I’m cool with that! In fact, I’m very happy with that. We need more episodes involving the whole gang.
And speaking of the whole gang, I really enjoyed this section where they all tried to come up with another catchy song to drive the earworm out, and that’s really how it is for me, like I never don’t have an earworm lol. Though usually I have multiple songs so none of them are particularly salient. Right now I have the bases of some sparta remixes stuck in my head, and
this song, if you’re curious LMAO. And I love that what gets rid of the earworm is Squidward’s awful clarinet playing. And of course, the episode ends with Squidward getting his own little earworm, and his abrupt shift from satisfaction to horror is a hilarious note to end things on.
“Earworm” is a really, really good episode. I have no problems with it at all. The pacing in this episode is just so good, and I love the characters involved here. And the episode is also just hilarious, and relatable. Nothing else I can really say.
Episode Tier: Amazing
Episode Score: 9.5/10
Dancing (Good)
