Don't Feed the Clowns is a very odd episode. Again, like an episode that came out almost a year ago (Krusty Katering), for some very odd reason, I just get Disney vibes from this episode. It feels like you're regular ol' Mickey Mouse cartoon, with the every man (Mickey/SpongeBob) feeling compassion for some kind of underdog creature, tries to help it out, if causes chaos, eventually takes it to where it's belong, they live happily ever after. It's a standard layout, yet I can't help feel this overall odd vibe from this episode. It certainly doesn't feel like a SpongeBob episode, more like SpongeBob's been transported into some other universe, or something like that. So you're telling me clowns are their own species in Bikini Bottom? That's a creative idea, but just...weird...
I don't know, at least it's a better execution that a...*ahem* certain other weird introduction in Season 11...
Even though I hate this episode, I will never not love this image.
Anyway, Don't Feed the Clowns is such an odd episode, yet it kind of makes sense. Making clowns their own species in this episode is kind of brilliant. Okay, it's not..."brilliant", it's a word that I feel kind of sums up this situation, but it's as cleverly thought out to be described as being "brilliant". I'd say it's...kind of genius in a way, since clowns aren't fish...they're humans...but they're their own species...?
Somehow in it'd odd way, the overall conception of making clowns their own species in this series opens up the door to plenty of possibilities, without having to deal with the confusion of retcons.
Okay, well, not as many retcons as there would be had this entire "Separate species" detail was left out.
As for the conflict itself, it's definitely not that original. In fact, when you look at it closer, it's kind of like Big Pink Loser. Only all the special traits found in that episode (The comedic timing, the brilliant pacing, the heartfelt moments) are all out the door. The plot's execution is...entertaining to say the least. It's not groundbreaking, or anything, but it certainly isn't that boring. It's kind of structured in three separate parts, the set-up of SpongeBob and the clown (Which I think was perfectly handled, slowly building SpongeBob's overall impression of the clown, while he, himself stays true to his character), the different jobs SpongeBob and the Clown try out (Which definitely have some funny gags thrown in these sequences), and finally SpongeBob's ultimate exception of the clown's fate.
Yeah, it's premise is similar to that of Big Pink Loser, but the execution of this episode's conflict certainly strays it away from matching Big Pink Loser's overall execution. I didn't mind this episode's execution that much, each scene seems to bring in something new and entertaining. The only scene I didn't care for was the hot dog scene, and even then I admired the unique design of the vendor.
Surprisingly, for an episode starring a clown the slapstick doesn't really go willy-nilly. In fact, it only seems to pop up when necessary, and actually is a necessary plot device to keep it chugging along.
There are actually some pretty clever jokes in this episode, I especially loved the pie gags with the different flavors. And the animation, holy crap, the "DON'T FEED THE CLOWNS!" animation is some of the best I've ever seen in this series. While the pacing may be a little sluggish at times, I personally feel as though this episode features some fairly amusing sequences. In general, the comedy isn't too grand, but it definitely has it's moments. There aren't really any jokes that bomb in this episode, either. I also gotta add, the ending where we see the Clown Prairie was hilarious.
As for the characters, I definitely give Mr. Lawrence props for making the clown silent. I don't know, the effect of the character's silence definitely allows his actions to build up his personality, a good general characterization I must admit. It kind of makes the clown more likable in a sense, I definitely found myself rooting for the clown at some points in the episode, even if that clown kept screwing up, he didn't seem to be that annoying of a character. SpongeBob, as he is in pretty much all Post-Prequel episodes, is spot on in this episodes. His desire to help the underdog, his caring and compassionate attitude all perfectly makes him a grand protagonist. In general, the two definitely work well together as main characters.
Overall, this episode is a
Good Episode. It definitely has some flaws, but it's still a harmless and entertaining episode. It has it's clever moments here and there, with some likable characters thrown in. It's nowhere near a Great episode, but it definitely is much better than some of the episodes in recent time.
I give it a 7.4/10