This was a very surprising episode. I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this episode as much as I did, I think is a pretty good episode. First off, let's talk about the plot. This is a fantastic parody of a classic zombie apocalypse. The whole concept of these new Krabby Patties that turns you into Krabby Patty Monsters was really interesting, and is definitely different from a standard SpongeBob plot. I really like how the staff produced a handful of Halloween-based episodes, rather than just one single special, because the whole Halloween theme allows them to produce stranger, more outlandish plots that you wouldn't find in a typical SpongeBob episode. And this episode perfectly took advantage of being a Halloween episode by incorporating a zombie survival-esque style. We've seen these survival episodes before, but I don't think we've ever seen one presented in such a way this episode's conflict is presented. This apocalypse goes fast, and soon enough, SpongeBob is the only survivor. He's on his own, he has no help, and limited resources, not to mention the change that occurs to Bikini Bottom seems rather permanent (Goodness, the plague could spread all over the sea, and not just affect Bikini Bottom). This time the enemy isn't something physical like the whelks or the giant Krabby Patty, but rather a plague that seems unstopable. The stakes are much higher when you think about in this episode. So this conflict comes across as the series' own twist on an apocalypse like scenario, only this time, with no fake-out (Like Gone which is kind of like an apocalypse aftermath).
So is the conflict executed properly? I'd say, yes and no. It's entertaining enough, the animation in this episode is fantastic, and really livens things up. I must this is probably one of the best episodes, visually, out of the Post-Prequel era. It's half the fun in this episode, it's not like the characters are constantly bouncing around, or flailing their arms in the air. There's a lot of exaggerated faces in this episode, some which could give Face Freeze a run for it's money. The designs of the mutant Krabby Monsters are awesome too, they all seem to have some sort of unique feature making each stand out from the rest, which makes the scenes even more exciting to look at. I really loved the Old Man Jenkins monster, that was pretty cute. And don't think the episode is fast-paced all the way through, oh no, there are definitely breathers in this episode. Particularly with the scenes involving (What I can only assume is a spoof on millenials? They're too old looking to be teens, they look like they're characters in their early 20's, especially the fish with the small beard) and Krabs.
The animation and creative spoof on zombie apocalypses are definitely the highlight of the episode, but what about the bad parts of the episode?
Well, the set-up to the conflict has been done in various episodes before. Krusty Dogs, Chum Bucket Supreme, you name it. The whole "Bored with Krabby Patties, and wanting something new" has been overdone at this point in the series. I'm really glad the conflict shifted away from the standard climax of these types of plotlines, in which SpongeBob is the only one who believes the Krusty Krab should stick with the traditional Krabby Patty, and it shouldn't be tampered with. Goodness, the ending of this episode where SpongeBob sums this up felt like the resolution of a majority of these "tampering with the formula" episodes. Thank goodness the episode focused on a more chaotic, sci-fi like problem, rather than resorting to being a Krusty Dogs ripoff, because that would be disastrous. There definitely should've been at the very least some kind of ending that didn't rehash the typical lesson of these episodes (Like Free Samples, Le Big Switch, Selling Out, and even Bossy Boots to an extent).
Aside from these issues, I didn't necessarily find this episode to be that funny. There might've been a few jokes that made me chuckle here and there, but the animation is where I found most the amusement in this episode. The plot twist that Chum could cure the disease was super predictable though, I must say they should've went for a more unique, alternate solution to causing the problem. Oh well, at least they didn't pull the absorbency of SpongeBob resolution for the fourth time.
Overall, despite it's flaws, Krabby Patty Creature Feature is a delightful episode, one I definitely recommend checking out. The plot is fun to watch (It's like the events of Fear of a Krabby Patty actually taking place), the animation is fantastic, all of the characters are perfectly written in character, and it's just an overall silly twist on the stereotypical zombie apocalypse (How many times have I said that in this review?).
It's a Good Episode.
I give it an 8/10.
