20a. Hooky

Miru

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Jun 29, 2016
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We're going to go play... HOOKY!

This episode was on my childhood DVD I played on virtually every trip I've ever went on, and holds great nostalgic merit and interest to me. I'll always associate it with my move to South Lake Tahoe and back. The episode opens on hilarity and ends with a dramatic climax. The episode even builds up to a major plot point in the movie. This is an overlooked episode that's pretty quotable. "The Hooks! THE HOOKS!" 8/10.
 
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
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350
Location
United States
Very good story, but lacks comedy and has little-to-no rewatchability.

Ranking so far:
1. Employee of the Month (A+)
2. SB-129 (A+)
3. Sleepy Time (A+)
4. Pickles (A+)
5. Pizza Delivery (A+)
6. F.U.N. (A)
7. Plankton! (A)
8. Arrgh! (A)
9. Naughty Nautical Neighbors (A)
10. Sandy's Rocket (A)
11. Karate Choppers (A)
12. Walking Small (A)
13. Help Wanted (A)
14. Rock Bottom (A)
15. Culture Shock (B)
16. Boating School (B)
17. Bubblestand (B)
18. Suds (B)
19. Scaredy Pants (B)
20. Home Sweet Pineapple (B)
21. Hall Monitor (B)
22. Hooky (B)
23. Jellyfishing (B)
24. Texas (B)
25. Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost (C)
26. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (C)
27. Jellyfish Jam (C)
28. Tea at the Treedome (C)
29. Opposite Day (C)
30. Ripped Pants (C)
31. Valentine's Day (C)
32. Reef Blower (C)
33. The Chaperone (C)
34. Nature Pants (C)
35. MuscleBob BuffPants (D)
36. The Paper (D)
37. Fools in April (D)
38. Squeaky Boots (D)
39. Neptune's Spatula (D)
40. I Was a Teenage Gary (E)
 

TDawson

Baby Clam
Joined
Jul 15, 2019
Messages
2
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0
I think hooky and pranks a lot are the greatest episodes of spongebob. Mr krabs did a really good job of humiliating spongebob twice I mean he wouldn't have lost his pants and tighty whities if he had listened in hooky. Pranks a lot is basically the return of spongebob nudey pants and would have been funnier if pearl returned in pranks a lot to call him that again
 

JoeyBoi

Moby Dollar
Joined
May 13, 2020
Messages
404
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105
Location
Weenie Hut Jr's.
I really like this episode. There were great jokes, a great plot, great characterizations, great atmosphere; pretty much everything about this episode is great. I actually really like the ending too, because Spongebob got his comeuppance for not listening to Mr. Krabs. (even though I'm not the biggest fan of Pearl and her friends :P) Apart from some minor nitpicks here and there, this is a really great episode.

Great episode (9/10)

1. Pizza Delivery (10)
2. Rock Bottom (10)
3. SB-129 (9)
4. Opposite Day (9)
5. Pickles (9)
6. Texas (9)
7. Hooky (9)
8. MuscleBob BuffPants (9)
9. Sleepy Time (9)
10. Help Wanted (9)
11. Naughty Nautical Neighbors (8)
12. Plankton! (8)
13. Sandy's Rocket (8)
14. Employee of the Month (8)
15. Arrgh! (8)
16. F.U.N. (8)
17. Hall Monitor (8)
18. Scaredy Pants (8)
19. Ripped Pants (8)
20. Suds (7)
21. Tea at the Treedome (7)
22. Karate Choppers (7)
23. Walking Small (7)
24. Jellyfish Jam (7)
25. Culture Shock (7)
26. Home Sweet Pineapple (7)
27. Boating School (7)
28. Mermaidman and Barnacleboy (7)
29. Bubblestand (7)
30. Neptune's Spatula (6)
31. Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost (6)
32. Valentines Day (6)
33. Reef Blower (6)
34. I Was A Teenage Gary (6)
35. Squeaky Boots (6)
36. Nature Pants (5)
37. The Chaperone (5)
38. Jellyfishing (5)
39. Fools in April (5)
40. The Paper (4)
 

spunchbop444

Squidward's Clarinet
Joined
Jun 8, 2021
Messages
347
Likes
135
Location
Squidward's Tiki Island
4/10

This is a really boring episode, and the ending is absolutely outrageous. I at least give it points for trying to have a moral, but it just doesn't really do it that well. Patrick was an absolute dumbbutt here, not as bad as others, but I still find it confusing.

Naughty Nautical Neighbors: (10/10)
Ripped Pants: (10/10)
Tea at the Tree-Dome: (10/10)
SB-129 (10/10)
Walking Small: (10/10)
Help Wanted: (9.5/10)
Karate Choppers: (9.5/10)
Sleepy Time: (9/10)
Rock Bottom: (9/10)
Pizza Delivery: (9/10)
Plankton!: (9/10)
F.U.N: (9/10)
Arrgh!: (8.5/10)
Boating School: (8.5/10)
The Paper: (8.5/10)
Bubblestand: (8.5/10)
Culture Shock: (7.5/10)
Reef Blower: (7.5/10)
Pickles: (7/10)
Neptune's Spatula: (7/10)
Scardey Pants: (7/10)
The Chaperone: (6.5/10)
Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy I: (6.5/10)
Valentines Day: (6.5/10)
I Was A Teenage Gary: (6.5/10)
Home Sweet Pineapple: (6.5/10)
Employee of the Month: (6.5/10)
Texas: (6/10)
Suds: (6/10)
Opposite Day: (6/10)
Squidward The Unfriendly Ghost: (5.5/10)
Nature Pants: (4.5/10)
Sandy's Rocket: (4.5/10)
Hooky: (4/10)
Hall Monitor: (4/10)
Squeaky Boots: (3.5/10)
MuscleBob BuffPants: (2/10)
Fools in April: (2/10)
Jellyfishing: (1.5/10)
 

GlitchyGoomba

Bomb-Selling Pirate
Joined
Feb 14, 2022
Messages
155
Likes
17
Location
Inside an arcade machine
I don't really have much to say about this episode. It's certainly far from being bad, but nothing to really write home about. The story was pretty meh, but the humor was actually pretty good.
 

SlipperytheTotodile

The Pokemon Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 14, 2021
Messages
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1,592
Location
SpongeBuddy Mania
One the most fun-est and funniest episodes ever made! Patrick was easily okay here though. Pat basically said many funny stuff here like "MMM Cheesy" and "Does this look dangerous?".

Rating: Great Episode

Rankings:
SB-129 (Perfect)
Walking Small (Perfect)
Sleepy Time (Amazing!)
F.U.N. (Amazing!)
Pizza Delivery (Amazing!)
Reef Blower (Amazing!)
Rock Bottom (Amazing!)
Opposite Day (Amazing!)
Help Wanted (Amazing!)
Pickles (Amazing!)
Plankton! (Amazing!)
Naughty Nautical Neighbors (Amazing!)
Hooky (Great)
Arrgh! (Great)
STUFG (Great)
Employee of the Month (Great)
Squeaky Boots (Great)
Bubblestand (Great)
Jellyfishing (Great)
Valentine's Day (Great)
MMABB (Great)
Suds (Great)
I Was a Teenage Gary (Great)
Scaredy Pants (Great)
Neptune's Spatula (Great)
Karate Choppers (Great)
Ripped Pants (Okay)
Boating School (Okay)
Hall Monitor (Okay)
Culture Shock (Okay)
Tea at the Treedome (Meh)
Jellyfish Jam (Meh)
Sandy's Rocket (Meh)
Texas (Bad)
The Chaperone (Bad)
Home Sweet Pineapple (Bad)
MuscleBob BuffPants (Bad)
Fools in April (Bad)
The Paper (Terrible)
Nature Pants (Terrible)
 

Pugs4Thugs

#1 SpongeBob Reviewer
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Messages
2,081
Likes
1,471
So remember when I said I couldn't stand secondhand embarrassment? Yeah..."Hooky" almost always immediately comes to mind when I think of episodes I just cannot rewatch. But, before y'all get your pitchforks (actually, I don't know the public consensus on this episode, I might read some reviews once this one is posted), I don't think it's a bad episode. I think it's very nearly good. The only problem is that it feels like watching a trainwreck in slow motion once we get to the second half.

Let's talk about the good first, though, because there's definitely a lot of it! Mr. Krabs is great in this episode, his dramatics are just perfectly done, and it makes total sense that he'd have experience with the hooks, given that he's our older, father-figure character. I also just like the idea that yep, humans still exist in the SpongeBob world. In fact, with the way this show is written, it basically takes place on the same Earth we live in now. So basically, SpongeBob is real confirmed (/j). SpongeBob and Patrick's antics with the hooks are also pretty funny, and I appreciate that SpongeBob is tentative at first, which makes for some good interactions with Patrick. And then the scene where Mr. Krabs finds out SpongeBob took a break is also pretty funny, and I love the whole "Chum famine of '59" bit, like it's the kind of throwaway world-building I like to see. I also do like the very ending of the episode, with the Patrick stinger ending, but that's about all I like that takes place between Mr. Krabs chastising SpongeBob and Patrick and the episode cutting to black.

Now, after SpongeBob swears not to play on the hooks anymore, before proceeding to do that once losing all resolve, this is where the episode begins to fall apart for me. Well, fall apart is a harsh phrase, but I suppose my enjoyment of what I'm watching does begin to crumble after this point. And it's all because of the secondhand embarrassment. Seeing SpongeBob try to hide the hook in his pants just feels like watching a trainwreck in slow motion, as I've said before, because you know it's a forgone conclusion, so it's like why even bother. Then of course, we have the entire scene of SpongeBob basically having to get naked in order to be free of the hook, to the amusement of Pearl and her friends (which now that I think about it, that's weird asf. thank god they don't do that thing where they censor part of SpongeBob to make it seem like he has...yeah). And then of course we get the reveal that this was a set up that Mr. Krabs, Squidward, and Pearl were in on that was meant to teach SpongeBob a lesson about not playing on the hooks.

Frankly, that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. First off, I cannot stand when SpongeBob is the subject of embarrassment like this (feel free to read my "Stuck in the Wringer" review), I just can't stomach it at all. Maybe it's because I love the little square dude so much, not sure. And then I can't say I've ever been a fan of the "public embarrassment to teach a lesson" story. I'm not sure if any one here is familiar with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but if you are, this episode reminds me a lot of "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well". That's similarly an episode I can't stand to watch because of the secondhand embarrassment, not to mention the embarrassment being brought on by the subject's friends. Like, no thank you.

I used to have this episode in my "Good" tier, but I think I'll have to bump it down a notch just because of it's pure unrewatchability for me, and the fact that the second half of the episode is just too hard to watch. If I'm not getting enjoyment out of watching, then there's no point. But the beginning of "Hooky" is definitely strong, I'll say that much, so I don't think it deserves to be any lower than a high "Okay". Also, I said in my review of "Nature Pants" that it was my least favorite season 1 episode, but I think that's changed now, my least favorite is this one.

Episode Tier: Okay
Episode Score: 6.8/10
 

meko1432

Happiest Sponge Alive
Joined
Aug 28, 2022
Messages
2,259
Likes
1,862
Location
Mermalair
So remember when I said I couldn't stand secondhand embarrassment? Yeah..."Hooky" almost always immediately comes to mind when I think of episodes I just cannot rewatch. But, before y'all get your pitchforks (actually, I don't know the public consensus on this episode, I might read some reviews once this one is posted), I don't think it's a bad episode. I think it's very nearly good. The only problem is that it feels like watching a trainwreck in slow motion once we get to the second half.

Let's talk about the good first, though, because there's definitely a lot of it! Mr. Krabs is great in this episode, his dramatics are just perfectly done, and it makes total sense that he'd have experience with the hooks, given that he's our older, father-figure character. I also just like the idea that yep, humans still exist in the SpongeBob world. In fact, with the way this show is written, it basically takes place on the same Earth we live in now. So basically, SpongeBob is real confirmed (/j). SpongeBob and Patrick's antics with the hooks are also pretty funny, and I appreciate that SpongeBob is tentative at first, which makes for some good interactions with Patrick. And then the scene where Mr. Krabs finds out SpongeBob took a break is also pretty funny, and I love the whole "Chum famine of '59" bit, like it's the kind of throwaway world-building I like to see. I also do like the very ending of the episode, with the Patrick stinger ending, but that's about all I like that takes place between Mr. Krabs chastising SpongeBob and Patrick and the episode cutting to black.

Now, after SpongeBob swears not to play on the hooks anymore, before proceeding to do that once losing all resolve, this is where the episode begins to fall apart for me. Well, fall apart is a harsh phrase, but I suppose my enjoyment of what I'm watching does begin to crumble after this point. And it's all because of the secondhand embarrassment. Seeing SpongeBob try to hide the hook in his pants just feels like watching a trainwreck in slow motion, as I've said before, because you know it's a forgone conclusion, so it's like why even bother. Then of course, we have the entire scene of SpongeBob basically having to get naked in order to be free of the hook, to the amusement of Pearl and her friends (which now that I think about it, that's weird asf. thank god they don't do that thing where they censor part of SpongeBob to make it seem like he has...yeah). And then of course we get the reveal that this was a set up that Mr. Krabs, Squidward, and Pearl were in on that was meant to teach SpongeBob a lesson about not playing on the hooks.

Frankly, that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. First off, I cannot stand when SpongeBob is the subject of embarrassment like this (feel free to read my "Stuck in the Wringer" review), I just can't stomach it at all. Maybe it's because I love the little square dude so much, not sure. And then I can't say I've ever been a fan of the "public embarrassment to teach a lesson" story. I'm not sure if any one here is familiar with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but if you are, this episode reminds me a lot of "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well". That's similarly an episode I can't stand to watch because of the secondhand embarrassment, not to mention the embarrassment being brought on by the subject's friends. Like, no thank you.

I used to have this episode in my "Good" tier, but I think I'll have to bump it down a notch just because of it's pure unrewatchability for me, and the fact that the second half of the episode is just too hard to watch. If I'm not getting enjoyment out of watching, then there's no point. But the beginning of "Hooky" is definitely strong, I'll say that much, so I don't think it deserves to be any lower than a high "Okay". Also, I said in my review of "Nature Pants" that it was my least favorite season 1 episode, but I think that's changed now, my least favorite is this one.

Episode Tier: Okay
Episode Score: 6.8/10
I am glad to know I am not the only one who thought the ending was hard to watch.
 
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