Is "Stuck In The Wringer" as bad as everybody thinks?

SBRoxMan

SBRoxMan

SpongeBobRocksMan
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I've often heard negative comments on the episode, and many comments are agreeable. However, I'm going to post my personal take on the episode, analysing both the good and bad parts

The Bad Side
- Okay, we know that Patrick is pretty much at his stupidest in this episode. The whole plot exists because Patrick thought SpongeBob for some reason wanted to be stuck in the wringer

- The Bikini Bottomites are no better in this episode either. Specifically as they said SpongeBob deserved what he got, when he was the one being tortured and was only shouting as he could no longer take the pain. But apparently making Patrick cry is much worse to them

- The "lesson" at the end, where SpongeBob says crying does solve your problems after all. It was meant to be a joke and not taken seriously, but nothing there really implies that it was meant to be a joke. They did it better in "It Came From Goo Lagoon" when SpongeBob says that bubbles are the answer, but that's because it was made clear all along that the moral wasn't meant to be taken seriously

- The Squid Abuse, it's not like the toenail scene, but having Squidward's eyes fall off onto the Krabby Patty wasn't really necessary. I get they needed to have SpongeBob's wringer cause problems, but they could've done something less violent to Squidward

The Good Side

- Yes, Patrick was being an idiot in this episode, but when you look at it, his heart was in the right place. He tried to cheer SpongeBob up after he got thrown out of The Krusty Krab by treating him to ice cream and taking him to the carnival, he even states that he was only trying to help

- Another thing is that Patrick actually learns his lesson, rather than not learning anything, unlike in the so-called "Patrick's a prick" episodes. He does realise that it was his fault and that his ideas were stupid, and apologises for his actions


In conclusion, I actually don't think this episode is as bad as everyone thinks. I'm not saying it's good, as it still has those bad points that everyone points out (although I do find the episode watchable). But I do think it has some redeeming points that, without them, could've made people hate the episode a lot, lot more
 
My problem with the episode is not charactization, it's just that it's plain depressing. Episodes like Good Neighbors are abuse; This one is sadism.
Spongebob is, first and foremost, a comedy, and seeing the friendliest character having its life ruined by an accident is heartbreaking.
And yes, the fact that the BB's didn't care about that aspect at all is just the icing of the awfulness cake.
 
There are like two good jokes in it and that's about it. Other than that, there's not much I like about it and the ending is just terrible altogether. Just a really uncomfortable episode to watch. I like your reasoning though.
 
Spongebob was close to his original personality in this episode. The only positive thing for me.
 
Well, I guess I agree with you there, but in all honesty the "good" side makes up only a tiny part of my opinion on the episode. I still consider it the worst Patprick episode of season 7, but overall I changed my mind to Pet Sitter Pat.
 
1. Patrick's heart is in the right place but the episode used that to make Patrick look like the victim of attitude. When in truth, everything SpongeBob said in that scene (you all know which one) is completely true and he deserved to be angry at Patrick. And to make it worse, the Bikini Bottomites threw in a crappy, infuriatingly moral towards SpongeBob, as if SpongeBob was supposed to be the bad guy.

2. What lesson? That "crying solves everything"? Manateeshrimp.
 
I actually like SITW. I do agree that Patrick was an idiot and that crying solves your problems is a bad moral, but I still find it underrated.
 
I never minded the episode or thought it was bad. It's not one of my favorites, but I like it well enough. And the "moral" at the end was obviously a joke, because Spongebob looked right at the screen when he said it, as in breaking the fourth wall.
 
SarahGiraffe said:
I never minded the episode or thought it was bad. It's not one of my favorites, but I like it well enough. And the "moral" at the end was obviously a joke, because Spongebob looked right at the screen when he said it, as in breaking the fourth wall.
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I never thought of the ending like that. Still kinda stupid but the way you put it makes it seem a bit more sense to me now.
 
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