61b. Shell of a Man

Honest Slug

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Fantastic, the plot is very strong and SpongeBob's act was golden. Even the twist was great, one of season 4's best.

9.5/10
 

Nincompoop

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This episode was decent. I think it's one of the better episodes of Season 4. SpongeBob imitating Mr. Krabs in his shell was amusing, and as a side note I liked the appearance of Mr. Krabs's navy buddies. I'd give it an 8/10.
 

SquiddlyPie

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Very interesting and great episode to continue this great season...I like the scene with Mr.Krabs doubting he has got lot's of more weight..and then he realizes he actually has and he's like ''wth'' :P The ending was funny as well : ''My iron eye is actually made of Formica'' ...hilarious!! I didn't get bored on this one and I think I could stand watching it over 5 times in a raw...this episode has potential and it's underrated! 10/10
 
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I don't know. I was never too into this one. It's not bad, don't get me wrong, but this didn't seem like my type of episode. The idea of SpongeBob being tough is funny, and there were a few funny jokes, but I don't think it was as good as everyone else says it is.

Ranking so far:
1. Fear of a Krabby Patty (A)
2. Shell of a Man (C)
 

DeadAccount

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TBH, this episode is an underappreciated gem. It tends to get overshadowed by its sister episode (Fear of a Krabby Patty), but I honestly think it's pretty dang close in terms of quality. It has plenty of good jokes, is a classic setup, and is just really fun to watch. Aside from the obvious animation downgrade from Fear of a Krabby Patty, I don't see anything wrong with this episode. I'll give it a 9/10.
 

JoeyBoi

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This one is... solid. It's not the funniest episode ever, but the plot is pretty good, and Spongebob acting as Mr. Krabs is amusing at least. It was also neat seeing more of Mr. Krabs' backstory, and his naval buddies are a nice bunch of characters. Aside from the absence of many good jokes, there's nothing in this episode that I really dislike.

Good episode (7/10)

1. Fear of a Krabby Patty (8)
2. Shell of a Man (7)
 

SlipperytheTotodile

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This one has a lot of twists at the very end. I like the plot. Plus the jokes were pretty funny.

Rating: Great Episode

Rankings:
Shell of a Man (Great)
Fear of a Krabby Patty (bad)
 
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GlitchyGoomba

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I honestly don't like this episode quite as much as everyone else. It's not bad, it's just kind of lacking, especially towards the beginning. There's quite a bit of setup, and the majority of the jokes told are kind of weak. But the second part of the episode, with Spongebob having to cover up for Mr. Krabs at the navy reunion, was actually really good. Spongebob has some really funny lines under his disguise and new voice. I also loved Krabs' navy buddies, and how it was revealed at the ending that they were covering up their elderlyness.
Overall, I think this episode is good. It has a bunch of fun scenes, but not quite enough for me to fully enjoy it.
 
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Pugs4Thugs

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Next up, we've got "Shell of a Man", an episode I always think of as being in season 5 for some reason. That is one thing about these next few seasons of SpongeBob (especially seasons 5, 6, 7, and kind of 8), I never know which episodes belong to which season lol, so get ready for a lot of confusion from me about that.

As this episode begins, I start thinking about just how many episodes start with a shot of the Krusty Krab. And not just a shot of the Krusty Krab, but they always have it be from the exact same perspective, pretty much the same distance away too. Just a nice bit of consistency. And they aren't even lazy about it! The backgrounds aren't always different with each shot of the Krusty Krab, but they change up pretty often, especially when episodes begin at different times of day. I just think that's really cool. Like usual, I love the shot of the Krusty Krab exterior that begins this episode.

Speaking of this beginning segment, it's always fun to watch SpongeBob enjoy making Krabby Patties, even when that entails some dramatics as the patties go to the hungry customers lol. I love how he's acting like a parent watching their child leave the home. And I think it's even funnier that it turns out that he made the patty for himself lol. I also really like how quick this episode gets to the point, and I love how Mr. Krabs is acting shady as H, hiding under a dumpster. It adds a bit of intrigue to this episode, which I can always appreciate. I also just like how this episode is about Mr. Krabs in the first place. It's always nice to see a bit of his past. He's like Benson from Regular Show (or Benson is like him), the boss with a very...varied past. The subject matter of this episode is I imagine much more relatable to people who have seen people from their past at events. I'm not quite at the stage in my life where that has happened to me (and I'll never go to a high school reunion so feel free to cross that out), but it's fun to see an episode about it like this. The dilemma of this episode really parallels those feelings you have when you don't want people you used to know to see how certain things have changed in your life.

I will admit that this first little bit is a little slow, with Mr. Krabs reminiscing, but things pick right back up when SpongeBob goes back to the kitchen, only to hear Mr. Krabs wailing. The part where he finds Mr. Krabs' empty shell is kinda really funny to me for no good reason. I like that this episode is utilizing a real phenomenon too. That's something I haven't really talked about SpongeBob SquarePants doing before, but yeah let me make it clear. I love that this show utilizes its underwater setting to have its characters to semi-realistic things sometimes. It's not necessarily educational, but it can teach us some cool underwater facts, you know?

SpongeBob in Mr. Krabs' shell is absolutely adorable during this entire episode. I love his little line about how him and Squidward have been making fun of Mr. Krabs behind his back for years. SpongeBob is definitely having a field day with this too, pretending to be Mr. Krabs to the point where Mr. Krabs almost pulls a Plankton in "Plankton's Army". You can tell that Tom Kenny is very much enjoying himself here, and we love to see it!

The scene at the reunion is full of tension but not too much tension. It makes the scene engaging and enjoyable, and there's plenty of fun jokes in here as well. The speech gets a little dull near the end, but it ends quickly enough that it nips that problem in the bud.

Even better is the ending of this episode. I think it's pretty wholesome how everyone comes together at the end after Mr. Krabs reveals himself. Because yeah, that is pretty tough of Mr. Krabs to go out and admit the thing he wanted to hide. And as it turns out, everyone's got something to hide too. It kind of reminds me of that one moment in "Bubble Buddy", or much later on in "I Heart Dancing". But of course, Mr. Krabs is able to get in a cheeky joke at the end, saying that his shell will grow back.

"Shell of a Man" is a good, solid episode. It's not especially funny, but it's still pretty great. SpongeBob is absolutely adorable here, and I like Mr. Krabs in this episode as well. I think it fits just fine in my "Amazing" tier. Perhaps that may be a surprise to you. Perhaps not. One thing that I'd like to make clear as we get started on these post-movie episodes is that I'm a very forgiving TV watcher. The episodes in my highest tiers aren't necessarily the greatest things on Earth, but they're simply episodes that I really enjoy watching. Season 4 may not be the peak of SpongeBob SquarePants, but that isn't going to stop me from saying that certain episodes are really good.

Episode Tier: Amazing
Episode Score:
9/10
 

meko1432

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Next up, we've got "Shell of a Man", an episode I always think of as being in season 5 for some reason. That is one thing about these next few seasons of SpongeBob (especially seasons 5, 6, 7, and kind of 8), I never know which episodes belong to which season lol, so get ready for a lot of confusion from me about that.

As this episode begins, I start thinking about just how many episodes start with a shot of the Krusty Krab. And not just a shot of the Krusty Krab, but they always have it be from the exact same perspective, pretty much the same distance away too. Just a nice bit of consistency. And they aren't even lazy about it! The backgrounds aren't always different with each shot of the Krusty Krab, but they change up pretty often, especially when episodes begin at different times of day. I just think that's really cool. Like usual, I love the shot of the Krusty Krab exterior that begins this episode.

Speaking of this beginning segment, it's always fun to watch SpongeBob enjoy making Krabby Patties, even when that entails some dramatics as the patties go to the hungry customers lol. I love how he's acting like a parent watching their child leave the home. And I think it's even funnier that it turns out that he made the patty for himself lol. I also really like how quick this episode gets to the point, and I love how Mr. Krabs is acting shady as H, hiding under a dumpster. It adds a bit of intrigue to this episode, which I can always appreciate. I also just like how this episode is about Mr. Krabs in the first place. It's always nice to see a bit of his past. He's like Benson from Regular Show (or Benson is like him), the boss with a very...varied past. The subject matter of this episode is I imagine much more relatable to people who have seen people from their past at events. I'm not quite at the stage in my life where that has happened to me (and I'll never go to a high school reunion so feel free to cross that out), but it's fun to see an episode about it like this. The dilemma of this episode really parallels those feelings you have when you don't want people you used to know to see how certain things have changed in your life.

I will admit that this first little bit is a little slow, with Mr. Krabs reminiscing, but things pick right back up when SpongeBob goes back to the kitchen, only to hear Mr. Krabs wailing. The part where he finds Mr. Krabs' empty shell is kinda really funny to me for no good reason. I like that this episode is utilizing a real phenomenon too. That's something I haven't really talked about SpongeBob SquarePants doing before, but yeah let me make it clear. I love that this show utilizes its underwater setting to have its characters to semi-realistic things sometimes. It's not necessarily educational, but it can teach us some cool underwater facts, you know?

SpongeBob in Mr. Krabs' shell is absolutely adorable during this entire episode. I love his little line about how him and Squidward have been making fun of Mr. Krabs behind his back for years. SpongeBob is definitely having a field day with this too, pretending to be Mr. Krabs to the point where Mr. Krabs almost pulls a Plankton in "Plankton's Army". You can tell that Tom Kenny is very much enjoying himself here, and we love to see it!

The scene at the reunion is full of tension but not too much tension. It makes the scene engaging and enjoyable, and there's plenty of fun jokes in here as well. The speech gets a little dull near the end, but it ends quickly enough that it nips that problem in the bud.

Even better is the ending of this episode. I think it's pretty wholesome how everyone comes together at the end after Mr. Krabs reveals himself. Because yeah, that is pretty tough of Mr. Krabs to go out and admit the thing he wanted to hide. And as it turns out, everyone's got something to hide too. It kind of reminds me of that one moment in "Bubble Buddy", or much later on in "I Heart Dancing". But of course, Mr. Krabs is able to get in a cheeky joke at the end, saying that his shell will grow back.

"Shell of a Man" is a good, solid episode. It's not especially funny, but it's still pretty great. SpongeBob is absolutely adorable here, and I like Mr. Krabs in this episode as well. I think it fits just fine in my "Amazing" tier. Perhaps that may be a surprise to you. Perhaps not. One thing that I'd like to make clear as we get started on these post-movie episodes is that I'm a very forgiving TV watcher. The episodes in my highest tiers aren't necessarily the greatest things on Earth, but they're simply episodes that I really enjoy watching. Season 4 may not be the peak of SpongeBob SquarePants, but that isn't going to stop me from saying that certain episodes are really good.

Episode Tier: Amazing
Episode Score: 9/10
i just watched this episode for the first time, and i think spongebob still has his pre-movie personality (in this episode)
 
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