295b. SpongeChovy

This was a pretty good episode, so far my favorite from s14, wonder how BassWard will compare to this episode.

This episode was both interesting and funny. I wouldn't consider it even close to being my favorite of post-sequel, but definitely my favorite of s14 so far. But since it's just pretty good, I think the bar is not too high, some of the future episodes will probably beat this one as my fav s14 episode.
 
Very ehhhhh, there was no real plot to it and it felt very very flimsy with how the whole thing played out. To a point I even feel like this episode felt really cheap and quick early on with how the KK customers were changed to anchovies early on. However, there were sone good jokes throughout and the faux-anchovies themselves were pretty funny, and Gale Dopper's cameo was neat to see. Overall, 6/10, in my opinion not a good episode at all, but I had fun with it and it definitely was not boring
 
It was ok. I like how the beginning of the episode was an homage to Help Wanted, with the episode having the same title card music, SpongeBob slinging out patties to the anchovies, and even the music that plays when the anchovies enter in that episode is played here. The rest of it was just meh. Or meep. 6/10

EDIT: I completely forgot to mention Rodger Bumpass' cameo as the live action Italian pizza guy. That really cracked me up, and it was also cool to see because when Rodger did a panel at a comic con I went to a few months ago, he teased that he was going to be playing an Italian character. I didn't realize he meant a live action character so that was cool. So for that scene alone I'm bumping this up to 7/10.
 
This episode is just meeping fun! I never would have guessed they would eventually make an entire episode about the anchovies, who were mainly seen a few times early on in the show. The idea is pretty creative and fun. After the anchovies visit the Krusty Krab, everyone slowly starts "meeping" and acting like anchovies, almost spreading like a zombie disease! It's hilarious to see SpongeBob and the rest of the characters both look and act like anchovies. They've become faux-chovies! Then the anchovies and the faux-chovies are about to fight! The solution to getting rid of the anchovies is both creative and funny. It involves Squidward ordering a giant pizza to scare off the anchovies! They're worried they'll be used as toppings! The episode is fun and creative! I'm pleased to see the series coming up with new ideas like this. The series has a rich history, so I like that many of the new episodes are digging into it to create something new.
 
Roland D. Plankton said:
This was a pretty good episode, so far my favorite from s14, wonder how BassWard will compare to this episode.

This episode was both interesting and funny. I wouldn't consider it even close to being my favorite of post-sequel, but definitely my favorite of s14 so far. But since it's just pretty good, I think the bar is not too high, some of the future episodes will probably beat this one as my fav s14 episode.
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Welp opinion changed. This episode is not that good. Possibly one the weakest S14 episodes so far. It's just ok. It's entertaining enough but it's also weird both story-wise and structure-wise.
 
This is one of two episodes I have no idea what to think of it because of how weird and nonsensical it is. (the other being Cuddle E. Hugs) This is the new weirdest episode of the show in my opinion. We never saw how SpongeBob actually became a faux-chovy or why they even can become faux-chovies to begin with given that the characters had plenty of contact with the anchovies before and nothing happened but it's a cartoon I suppose. The meeping does get a bit too much sometimes and the plot itself is completely stupid and nonsensical, but on the other hand I wasn't bored with the episode at any point and was genuinely interested in seeing where the story would end up. Rodger Bumpass cameo was cool. Given all these factors, I have no choice but to give this episode a Meep/Meep.
 
it was weird, I love that
  1. Spongechovy (10/10)
  2. We ❤️ Hoops (8.5/10)
  3. Buff For Puff (7.5/10)
  4. Single Celled Defense (6.5/10)
 
TiredandFeathered said:
Very ehhhhh, there was no real plot to it and it felt very very flimsy with how the whole thing played out. To a point I even feel like this episode felt really cheap and quick early on with how the KK customers were changed to anchovies early on. However, there were sone good jokes throughout and the faux-anchovies themselves were pretty funny, and Gale Dopper's cameo was neat to see. Overall, 6/10, in my opinion not a good episode at all, but I had fun with it and it definitely was not boring
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After a rewatch a few months ago, I can confidently say this episode is awful and one of the worst episodes in the entire series (probably the worst). There's no story, the episode jumps from one situation to the next with almost nothing to offer, I remember even not liking most of the parts I was charmed by when it came out. Gale Doppler's cameo and Rube's bouncing animation earn it like a 1.5/10, rounded to a 2/10.
 
Roland D. Plankton said:
This was a pretty good episode, so far my favorite from s14, wonder how BassWard will compare to this episode.

This episode was both interesting and funny. I wouldn't consider it even close to being my favorite of post-sequel, but definitely my favorite of s14 so far. But since it's just pretty good, I think the bar is not too high, some of the future episodes will probably beat this one as my fav s14 episode.
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btw now I think it's just ok

idk why I thought it was interesting and funny. It's not really any of those things imo, upon my latest rewatch. still ok, but nothing particularly good
 
I'd also forgotten to post this review back in March, so I'm doing it now.

Up next in my slow crawl through season 14 is “SpongeChovy”. Coming into this episode, I’d like to make it clear that all I know about it is that SpongeBob acts like an anchovy (I think), and that people really don’t like this one. It makes me very…hesitantly excited because as we all know by now my chances of aligning with popular opinion are 50-50, at best. And I think it’s kinda fun to like an episode that people don’t like. Not to mention I much more prefer when I like episodes of this show rather than disliking them. So I’m curious to see why people even dislike this episode in the first place. I know I could just look at the comments above me and see, but I’m kind of enjoying going into these episodes almost completely blind. So I’ll read the comments once I’ve watched the episode. And probably even after I’ve posted this review.

Well, I already like that “SpongeChovy” features Hawaiian Train as its title card music. Can’t go wrong with that classic! Wait a minute…this is an episode about anchovies…using Hawaiian Train…oh my god that was done on purpose to further the “Help Wanted” reference wasn’t it? Love that!

Okay getting into the actual start of “SpongeChovy” now, we open with a bunch of anchovies meeping at Squidward and Mr. Krabs at the register, and SpongeBob quickly cooking up some patties to serve them. Squidward and Mr. Krabs get increasingly…I guess the right word to use is overwhelmed by the presence of the anchovies, and I love the clear references to “Help Wanted” in the visuals here. When Squidward comments specifically on the meeping on the anchovies, I start wondering if the episode is going to be about this, and then I get worried if this is going to be one of those episodes that grates on the ears. For now, I’ll put that worry aside. When SpongeBob tries to give one of the anchovies their to-go order, he kinda gets manhandled into the bus that the anchovies are all boarding. Yay more “Help Wanted” references! That sounds sarcastic, but it’s not, I appreciate these references, even if they are rather surface level.

I’m glad that the episode doesn’t have SpongeBob be failed to be understood by the anchovies for very long, as he gets the memo he has to speak their language, and after a couple quick “meeps”, he’s able to get that anchovy their to go order. And then SpongeBob just…hangs with the anchovies, going to Goofy Goober’s, the sunglasses store, and the mattress store. Nothing here is particularly funny, but I was maybe a little amused with the gags they at least attempt to pull off with the mass of anchovies here, especially the one at the sunglasses store.

Then SpongeBob is dropped off at home (because I guess he just didn’t go back to work LMAO) and…he looks like an anchovy. Oh boy. So far this episode has been perfectly fine, nothing very impressive but nothing bad either. And I suppose my general feeling here is both confusion but also…acceptance? Like why is SpongeBob an anchovy now. But also I don’t care that deeply about it. I’m just mostly concerned about how the episode is going to make this entertaining, because having SpongeBob be limited to just saying “meep” does not sound very promising. And, as the episode goes on, my concerns start to become increasingly founded. Patrick comes over, and the two play pattycake. I do like the animation here, it’s so smooth. But at the end of their game, Patrick is an anchovy too. Is this a contagion or something??? Why are people randomly turning into anchovies? I guess my problem so far is that this isn’t very…compelling as a plotline. It feels random but not in a good way, like an unfounded way.

The next few minutes of the episode are alright. Patrick and SpongeBob spread the anchovy-ness to the mailman in a decently entertaining sequence, and then the three of them go to the Krusty Krab, where SpongeBob proceeds to fail at doing his job. There’s not really much to say here, the episode at least keeps me engaged, and there are a couple of funny bits, like the woman waiting for her order or Mr. Krabs hitting Old Man Walker when he opens his door expecting anchovies. And then Mr. Krabs getting “anchovied” behind closed doors was more amusing than I expected, and his design as an anchovy is kinda funny. And then they all go around and “anchovy” the Krusty Krab…for some reason. But as all of this happens I still feel like this plot lacks…weight, I guess? I don’t even know how to describe it, but something feels missing here that stops me from really enjoying this. I just feel like we don’t have enough of an explanation for this to satisfy me, which I know sounds ridiculous since I’m talking about SpongeBob SquarePants, but I don’t know, I need something to go off of, you know?

So now the anchovy contagion is spread throughout the town, because this is one of those episodes that’s really trying to lean into the chaos. And y’all know I am a certified chaos enjoyer. Although I’m again not finding a ton to love here, because it’s kinda…dull. One of the newer recurring characters, Lady Upturn appears in this part. I’ve learned recently that people don’t like her, which is a shame because I do find her to be very amusing lol, and she continues to be here. Gale Doppler and Rube Goldfish also appear here, and I gotta say I love how the show has added these recurring background characters, it gives the world of Bikini Bottom more character and personality.

Meanwhile, at the Krusty Krab, Squidward is having a grand ‘ol time closing up the restaurant…at least until all the faux-chovies show up, and he’s forced to serve them all. By this point, I’m realizing at least one of the issues I have with this episode. And that issue is that this episode takes a joke, which is of course the anchovies in “Help Wanted”, and reiterates it without actually expanding on it. Like the entire basis of this plot is the “meep” sound that anchovies make, and their hunger for Krabby Patties, which all of course comes from “Help Wanted”. And this is not me saying that this episode is a rip-off, because it’s not, but it feels…uninspired I guess. Like nothing is really happening other than people are turning into anchovies and that’s bad because…they’re turning into anchovies? We have no idea how or why they’re turning into anchovies either. It just feels like there’s a missing ingredient here.

Things get slightly more interesting when the original anchovies show up, and they’re not at all happy that there’s another crew plagiarizing their style. Maybe I’m just mostly entertained by how silly the anchovies look when they’re given the angry eyebrows lol. And then the anchovy that SpongeBob had served earlier recognizes SpongeBob and snaps SpongeBob out of the faux-chovy mania by…doing a handshake with him, I guess. This plot very much is just “things are happening” and not in a good way. Except I guess this doesn’t actually snap SpongeBob out of it because they’re all still anchovies, and Squidward calls a pizza place (where Rodger Bumpass in a silly costume answers the phone) and gets a really large pizza sent to the Krusty Krab, because as it turns out, anchovies are scared of pizza. I’ll admit, that’s a clever joke. Now I kinda really want some pizza. And of course we’ve got the stinger of the episode, where Squidward, somehow, got himself on the anchovy bus. I was prepared to roll my eyes but the execution of the stinger made me laugh so I like it.

“SpongeChovy” was…fine? Like it didn’t do anything wrong, per se, but it didn’t really do anything particularly right either. The story felt very bare bones, and although there were good jokes in here, the episode didn’t quite strike me as funny either. I just feel like there was a lot of missed potential here. And the entire episode felt like some kind of homage to “Help Wanted”, but I don’t think it leaned enough into that either if it wanted to be a true homage. It’s like this episode has issues with commitment lol, and it wasn’t very exciting. So I suppose there’s only one tier an episode like this could go in.

Episode Tier: Okay
Episode Score: 6.5/10
 
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