250b. Karen's Baby

CheeseCrocker

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The first half is pretty boring, mainly because it's just the first half of Plankton's Pet but with Karen, and it's kind of annoying. However, I love the second half. I like how Chip becomes a teenager and joins this gang of robots, only for him to get away. This episode isn't very funny though, the only funny moment was the end. It's a mixed bag.

Eh Episode (5.5/10)
 

Grass-Skirt-Chase

Call me Këlp0
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The first half is pretty boring, mainly because it's just the first half of Plankton's Pet but with Karen, and it's kind of annoying. However, I love the second half. I like how Chip becomes a teenager and joins this gang of robots, only for him to get away. This episode isn't very funny though, the only funny moment was the end. It's a mixed bag.

Eh Episode (5.5/10)

I agree entirely! :D
 

Original Raw and Uncut

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It was a meh episode. The episode didn't have enough material, not many jokes in it. Pretty much forgettable too. But nothing that made me objectively angry. The highlight of the episode was the Sailor Mouth reference. Shocking how SpongeBob only had a cameo apperance. I guess nick has a contract stating that SpongeBob must appear in every episode of the show. But the episode really lacked substance, it felt like a season 5 short rather than a regular 11 minute episode. Eh, I give it a 5.7/10
 

coft

happy hopping moron
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I love the joke where SpongeBob gets applause.


But I predicted it, the episode is a 6/9 for me.

Or a 6/10
 

EditorWiki

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I thought the episode was super wholesome and had a good storyline, sure it wasnt filled with "laugh out loud" jokes but nothing was annoying about this episode at all, it was good/great, I like its sister episode better imo however.
 

D00d13B0bF1atpants

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Chip's So Adorable; I Wonder What swear word he said when he made Static Noise(It must be a Pretty bad word if Karen's reaction has anything to go by); I Love how Karen typed 4445 to calm him down like Shhh. . .

I Also love How Chip not only saved his daddy; He also was messing with Krabs. . . It's so funny & cathartic seeing Plankton Win; in ways that doesn't spell Dystopia like in the 1st Spongebob Movie; Like Plankton's Pet(His Ameoba is still around), The Krusty Slammer(Got his Revenge on Krabs torturing him in the Slammer by doing one of the same things Eugene did to Sheldon) and Chip not giving Krabs Money. . . After some of the Dastardly deeds that Krabs has done; that's pretty Satisfying to see him be punished like this!!
 

Pugs4Thugs

#1 SpongeBob Reviewer
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Is “Karen’s Baby” the logical successor to “Plankton’s Pet”? Let’s discuss. Just kidding, let’s not.

I can’t tell if I’m shocked that the show went with this plot or not. While SpongeBob SquarePants is a show that likes to play with certain foundational aspects of the show (see, literally the previous episode), it typically doesn’t do so with characters like this (only other examples I can think of are “Krusty Love” and any references to it afterwards, or “Plankton’s Pet” and any references to it afterwards). Now yes, we do never see Chip again, but it’s still crazy to me that this episode decided to give Plankton and Karen a baby LMAO. And it’s really fun to watch, because neither of these characters have been in this situation before. I still think that this episode falls victim to the same disease that every episode ostensibly focused on Karen falls victim to (cough cough misogyny), but it’s fun.

I have…many questions about the beginning of this episode. So I guess Karen ordered a baby without Plankton knowing about it, which like…okay whatever. Plankton shows absolutely no interest in raising this child, which makes the ensuing plot quite predictable. Things get better when SpongeBob suddenly drops in, to the sounds of literal sitcom clapping. That was great. Turns out, he’s stopping by to give Karen and Plankton a gift for the baby. Which of course causes some slapstick for Plankton.

Soon, Chip starts walking, and Plankton decides he wants to one-up a baby. The ridiculousness of it makes it funny. And then Chip suddenly upgrades to I guess a toddler? Not quite sure what age we’re at here. I like that we’re spending a lot of time with Karen here, even if I have…qualms…with the circumstances that we finally get to have an episode featuring her in. But I’m attempting to suppress those qualms. Anyway, Karen takes Chip to the arcade so that he can interface with some games, but she gets anxious quickly and then he gets rebellious, upgrading to what is clearly a teenager. I like this design. And I like the idea that random static is a curse word in computer language LMAO.

Yeah so this episode uses the tired trope of “mom can’t control the son, so now dad has to step up for discipline”. Just like the real world, this makes no sense because the dad isn’t involved in raising the child at all! Yeah Plankton’s not beating the deadbeat dad allegations (my dad is, but y’all know what I meant by that generalization earlier, don’t be dense). Plankton being an awkward dad is kinda funny though. And I gotta admit, his solution to Chip of running away was so unexpected that it was funny. I guess we’re not at the part of the episode where Plankton actually steps up yet.

So, Chip runs away, and when Karen finds out…hoo boy. So Plankton’s forced to go find Chip and bring him home. I love how he uses this giant tank to find him. And we see Chip clearly getting caught up in the “wrong crowd”, a bunch of other robots who scavenge parts from other living robots. That’s…insanely dark. So Chip tries to flee, but he’s in need of rescuing. Good thing Plankton has the tank, right? So now Plankton’s got a little bit of protective fatherly instincts…I love it. And then Plankton gets foiled instantly which is pretty funny, so Chip’s gotta do everything himself. Maybe this is just like a sitcom…Anyway, this little fight scene is pretty entertaining. And now Plankton’s actually got some fatherly pride.

Chip upgrades again, this time to a college-aged kid. Wow, they grow up so fast. I loved the “I went to college” line reference, the new context was great. And the return of Plankton’s puppy eye, and Karen’s waterfall crying, was great too. We get what is basically an epilogue with Plankton and Karen spying on Chip during his first day at work as an ATM. First off, that’s adorable that they’re spying on him. Such cute parents, it makes me wish that this episode actually focused on that aspect more effectively. Anyway, at his first day of work, Chip trolls Mr. Krabs, making Plankton and Karen immensely proud.

I know the closest comparison for “Karen’s Baby”, and probably the comparison that many people make, is “Rock-A-Bye Bivalve”. I don’t really see these two episodes as all that similar, other than the joined factor of two characters raising a child. The context and the plot are a lot different. I like “Rock-A-Bye Bivalve” more because it does the comedy a lot better, but I also like this episode too. I need them to bring Chip back. Or maybe not, because it’s hard to think of a future episode with him now that he’s fully grown. But idk I want more of whatever this episode gave us.

Episode Tier: Good
Episode Score:
7.8/10
 

Sara SquarePants

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Chip looked like a Nintendo Switch console in his teen form and the organ-harvesting street gang plot would have fit better in a M-rated video game like the "Yakuza" series from SEGA rather than a cartoon like SpongeBob SquarePants!

That was out-of-place for a show like this IMHO

Also they went for the whole tired "stork" explanation of pregnancy and childbirth instead of being creative by showing a computer chip (Chip) coming out of Karen's screen since she doesn't have a ***dolphin noise***
 

SpongebobMaster

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this is basically a mix between plankton's pet, rock a bye bivalve and single cell anniversary this is problaby the best season 12 episode it was really entretaining wholesome and it was sweet I don't really have a lot to say because I really like also I did say problaby but I don't know if this is better or a bit less worse than birthday bash so uhhhh 9.5/10
 
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