Next up, we've got "Born to be Wild". This is an alright episode; I have a feeling I'm not going to have very much to say about it, and not just because I'm tired, so let's just see how this goes.
First off, the whole plot for this episode is very...interesting, particularly for this show up to this point. I mean the focus on something not directly related to our main characters, and on a biker gang, those are very not SpongeBob things to do. There's nothing wrong with doing that, but I'm still gonna point it out. The beginning of this episode is kind of meh until the old crazy farmer fish starts telling SpongeBob all about the biker gang, and then just jumps back into a hole. The transition from the first to second segment of the episode is also one of my favorite
jokes in the whole show, like that was just brilliant. The scene of SpongeBob trying to convince Mr. Krabs of the perceived danger is just okay, and reminds me a lot of "Once Bitten", but I did like how it ends, with the whole "that kid needs a vacation...unpaid of course". That line is funnier in light of "Bummer Vacation", I think. Also, I like how the tension is actually being crafted pretty well here with the continued cuts to the biker gang getting closer and closer. The part where SpongeBob asks Squidward for help is pretty funny as well. I keep being surprised with how funny I find these jokes because from the outset this episode really feels like it'll be a boring one. And while most of these jokes aren't laugh-out-loud, outrageously hilarious, they're still pretty funny, which is all I need them to be. I like the bit with Patrick and his demand of a hello, that was funny. See, you
can have Patrick be an a-hole without it being annoying or unwarranted!
Now, SpongeBob and Patrick running around is less funny, not very much at all, but it's entertaining enough. And then their plan to dress as bikers makes enough sense. At least it gives them some cool fits. And I thought it was a funny bit of subverted expectations as the two look like they're riding motorcycles, only to be riding a bike and unicycle. These two are such dorks, and I love it. Then we move back to the Krusty Krab, and things get...less funny again. I did like the back and forth with SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward about biker gangs, groups, clubs, alliances, etc. Again, this is why those researchers found that this show had a bunch of vocabulary words lmao. Also, Mr. Krabs just casually saying the bikers are going to beat SpongeBob and Patrick up not once but twice was pretty funny. The flashbacks of SpongeBob overreacting were unexpected, but funny. However, Squidward and SpongeBob end up continuing the joke too long by elaborating by it. And in general I think the joke would've worked better if they just left it at SpongeBob being like "when have I ever been known to overreact", and then a beat, and then back to the episode, because we the audience have seen other episodes of this show by this point, so we know what this character's like.
Finally, the bikers show up, and I love Squidward's bit with the binoculars, I love some visual expressiveness. Patrick running away was also hilarious and reminded me a lot of the ending of "SpongeBob Meets The Strangler". And then we get some of my favorite kind of chaos with Squidward getting everyone in a frenzy over the Wild Ones coming. I also thought Squidward's unapologetic butt-kissing was pretty fun.
The pay-off with the Wild Ones turning out to be the Mild Ones was...a bit weak. I think it would've worked more if 1) we got like one more scene cutting to them coming, and 2) their entrance was a little more dramatic. But I'm okay with what we have too. And I like the old guy sassing off Mr. Krabs. Squidward riding off with them in the end is such an interesting ending, considering how he wasn't a central character of this episode until halfway in, but I'm cool with it.
All in all, "Born to be Wild" is a fine episode. I feel like there was a lot of build up to things that ended up paying off in a different way. Like Patrick's appearance in this episode. He's ride or die with SpongeBob until he runs off, which was funny, but like he just disappears from the episode. And Mr. Krabs ends up doing basically nothing here. And honestly SpongeBob doesn't end up doing much either, because it's Squidward who ends up having the real confrontation with the bikers. So all of that is a bit odd. And this episode isn't super funny, but it
is funny. There are some lulls in this episode as well. So taken together, I'd say this episode belongs in my "Good" tier, because I can't justify putting it lower than that.
Episode Tier: Good
Episode Score: 7/10