Next up, we have...sigh..."I'm With Stupid". I've definitely said this before but I am not a big fan of this episode. At all. Like...we're down in "Dumped" territory, or really below that. So let's talk about it.
One thing that helps this episode immensely is that it actually starts off pretty well. The scene where Patrick is frantically cleaning everything in preparation for his parents arriving is great, and has some pretty good jokes in there, like the note. And it also sets up a good conflict for this episode, as well as new insight into Patrick's character: he can handle being dumb, but he doesn't like being made to feel dumb or being condescended to. And I think that fits with everything we've learned of Patrick so far. His best friend is SpongeBob, who we already know doesn't condescend to anybody. SpongeBob shows how good he is as a friend this episode as well, by volunteering to play the idiot so Patrick looks smarter by comparison.
Of course, it's predictable where this plot will go, but that does not make what ensues enjoyable at all. So let's just get into it and get this over with. We get the most tired trope of "what could go wrong" before everything does, in fact, go wrong, which only serves to increase my annoyance. Patrick's parents already come off as extremely annoying in their first scene with Patrick, and so far I haven't laughed once between the end of the first scene and the end of the second.
And then this is where "I'm With Stupid" really falls apart. It's nice (somewhat) to see Patrick start to get some credit from his parents, but all of that niceness goes away once he starts legitimately insulting SpongeBob. I just question what the purpose is here because it's not funny, and once again it's very annoying. At least it's not boring, which is the worst crime a SpongeBob SquarePants episode can have sometimes.
I do like that SpongeBob stands up for himself here, and doesn't let himself be walked over for being a good friend. A lesser show might've skipped the talk scene SpongeBob has with Patrick in the kitchen and gone straight to the later meltdown. This scene, however, is nearly ruined by Patrick being a jerkwad, much like that one scene in "Dumped" I came very close to liking. See how all the episodes I dislike have something in common? Just thought I'd point that out, because from there you might be able to guess my least favorite episodes in the entire show.
Going back to the episode, Patrick is just extremely oblivious and obtuse for the rest of the episode, though I will admit the "dumb people are always blissfully unaware of how dumb they really are" line got a chuckle out of me. I just wish they did more with that, such as the parents finding out that SpongeBob isn't actually an idiot. Would've made things a lot more satisfying. And I think that's this episode's major issue, that there's no satisfaction whatsoever. And I think that's what bumps it below "Dumped" in my personal ranking, because at least that episode has a satisfying and humorous ending. The ending of this episode is funny, but it doesn't resolve the issue with SpongeBob at all, which leaves me frustrated. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself, let me finish going through the episode first.
There isn't that much to say about the remainder of the episode that I haven't already said. It's insulting and unpleasant. The secondhand embarrassment is off the charts and SpongeBob doesn't even bring it on himself. In fact, SpongeBob has done absolutely nothing to deserve what he gets in this episode, given he was just trying to help his best friend out. Not that Patrick exactly deserves such a title in this episode. I really don't understand what writers' fascination with making Patrick a horrible friend, this has been a problem in nearly every season of the show, and I don't know why because it almost never works. Just leave it in the past already.
"I'm With Stupid" fits right in with my "Barely Tolerable" tier (shortened to "Tolerable" just to keep my single-word tiers, but that's the actual meaning). It's the first of its kind in SpongeBob SquarePants, so congratulations? Historically I've put this episode in my "Mediocre" or even "Okay" tier, but looking at it now it's just not very good, and like I said earlier there's absolutely no satisfaction to be had here, other than finding out the "parents" are idiots too. I want to see apologies or something, like SpongeBob running out in frustration does nothing for me if there's no resolution. And the insult to SpongeBob and Patrick's friendship this episode provides is not appealing whatsoever. So yeah, this episode is barely tolerable. I always considered "Dumped" to be the worst of season 2, but nah, that dishonor goes to "I'm With Stupid" now that I've sat down and reviewed it. There are good elements here, but the whole product is not that great at all.
Episode Tier: Tolerable
Episode Score: 4.8/10
