jack_of_all_traids
Comic-al
QotD: I certainly wouldn't. Good one-off character.
Re-Evaluating my opinions on SpongeBob Season 1-8
- Thread starter EmployeeAMillion
- Start date
EmployeeAMillion
Season 13 Time!
The Incredible Shrinking Sponge (Season 10, Episode 8a)
Original Airdate: December 2 2017
Episode 404 in standard order, Episode 427 in airing order
Plot: SpongeBob steams himself tiny, and has a misadventure throughout the Krusty Krab
Written by Mr Lawrence
[titlecard]212A[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: Shellfish Behaviour
Less than a year ago, we realised how small and insignificant Season 10 was in the grand scheme of things. Being the first season in forever to end in about a year (like actual TV seasons do), the last episode to premiere on American TV was this one, about shrinking. I can’t pretend the show hasn’t done shrinking jokes and stories before, whether they just be visual gags like in Big Pink Loser, part of a subplot like in Atlantis SquarePantis, or the whole point like in MM/BB IV. This episode’s got the word in the title however, so they must be proud of the possibilities a double digit season shrinking episode delivered for them. Could this be the biggest and boldest of its kind yet, or is its subatomic compared to its predecessors?
For only the third time in the entire season, the story starts at the Krusty Krab. That restraint of what was once a reliability shows they’re dedicated to doing new things. Anyway, a lady’s disgusted at an urchin getting into her Krabby Patty, and refunds it, only for Squidward to be scared by it. It’s a pretty sudden opening, with a lot of yelling and Squidward trying to smash the urchin in with the register, but things start going somewhere when SpongeBob takes the urchin into the kitchen, because he isn’t scared by it. Pretty unhealthy for him to bring a sea bug into the kitchen, but I digress. He turns the grill back on, but the urchin turns the knob too high before disappearing, making it so hot that SpongeBob sweats. He does so so hard that he shrinks down to tiny proportions. I don’t have much of a problem with this setup, as it establishes that the episode’ss gonna go to weird places and takes advantage of SpongeBob being a sponge filled with water. It’s after the shrinkage that things derail.
At his new size, SpongeBob is instantly enthralled in his altered surroundings, but that doesn’t stop him from having fun. He skates around on the grill and uses pickles as clothing, the jokes not being too over-the-top or anything. The grill blows out however, and when he goes down to check on it, he meets up with the urchin again, and even frees it from a mousetrap. SpongeBob learns that not all creatures great and small are friendly though (it only took being bitten and threatened by the thing to get that through), and barely manages to escape the little(?) when they’re both caught in the drain, with the urchin falling down. I’m a bit let down by this in hindsight, because fending off against a once-small bug should be a climax to being tiny, like in the actual Incredible Shrinking Man. Instead, it’s placed at the very start of SpongeBob’s journey, and the rest of it feels like meandering, making tiny jokes without any impact.
There are a number of detours into miniature misadventures, but not anything that really sticks, which I think would be fine if the biggest problem with shrinking wasn’t resolved so early on. We get Squidward mistaking SpongeBob for another urchin, then Mr Krabs mistaking him for Plankton and kicking him out, which hardly make sense because they can regularly see Plankton. I guess half a millimetre makes all the difference. SpongeBob’s flung into the Chum Bucket and meets up with Plankton, but only so Plankton can gloat about finally being taller than someone. I have to say that’s pretty rude, because he didn’t even let SpongeBob get his legs to full extension. While it’s one of my favourite parts of the episode in terms of comedy and how strange it is to see Plankton normal-sized compared to another character, what’s the point of the scene overall?
Anyway, he annoys Plankton, Karen flicks him back to the Krusty Krab, and he’s mistaken for an action figure by some kids. Nothing really special happens here, just a chase scene, but it ends with SpongeBob getting Squidward and Mr Krabs’ attention. Seeing how he’s small and can’t cook patties anymore, Krabs gives him a new job as personal hygiene management. The imagery presents is already too icky too quickly (I’ll explain more below), but the less I think about this tiny sponge helping out with personal hygiene, the better. Eventually, the plot resolves itself with SpongeBob falling into the kitchen sink while Squidward’s washing the dishes. The bubbles make him grow back to normal size, but then turn him into a giant that breaks the Krusty Krab. It’s not the worst ending in the world, as no one seems to be harmed, and SpongeBob’s resolved his problem, but why bubbles specifically? There’s a lot of this character’s biology that’s been overexplained over the years, but how does sweating shrink him and absorbing bubbles grow him? I’m sure they just meant the underwater water rehydrates him, but I think with a stronger script, this context error wouldn’t be much of an issue.
The story’s too hectic for me, and I can say the same for most of the comedy. Even my favourites are rather in-your-face, like the patties skipping on the overheated grill and SpongeBob cha-cha-ing to it. I also like one of the boys licking SpongeBob to make him his own toy, because even if it’s a little gross, that’s what little boys would do. There are other ones I like, particularly in the Plankton sequence, but there are many I don’t, like Squidward going nuts whenever he sees an urchin trying to smash it. I also feel like this is another episode where SpongeBob being naked (because they don’t make clothes in his new size) is a pretty weak joke if it itself is supposed to be the punchline. It certainly doesn’t make the hygiene scene any less gross.
Onto the animation side of things and all, I don’t know whether to be relieved (female censorship and all) or disgusted (men are gross) that all the fish SpongeBob cleans are males, but the toenail gunk thing is seriously nasty and uncalled for. It hits my stomach right as I would finish the episode off and say nice things about the animation, but I’ll do it anyway because I’m a fair guy. Size-shifting episodes fascinate me because they can play with how we usually percieve the world, and I like seeing SpongeBob run around this massive world where rotten Krabby Patties are obstacles in a cave, the soda dispenser is a fountain, and Karen’s this mile-high security machine, and so on and so forth. The visual gags like the patty cha-chas are also good when they’re not sickening, but these positives aren’t anything groundbreaking, just fun observations.
Character-wise, this episode’s very simple. No one’s really one-dimensional though, just simple enough to be funny or likeable (the intention, but not the outcome all the time). SpongeBob’s clearly the best, with his optimism making the episode more enjoyable, with Plankton and Karen not too far behind. I would’ve liked to see more of the urchin, and not just for story structure purposes, but because he’d seem like an evil little foil to good little SpongeBob. As for characters I don’t like, I couldn’t care much for the Krustomers, especially when they’re getting cleaned in a restaurant, and I don’t like Mr Krabs’ vision problems or his new job for SpongeBob. Squidward’s got the same problem he had in Whirly Brains, where his negativity is converted into craziness, thus pushing him far out of his initial character as a grumpy, boring neighbour.
Despite the cool concept, I feel like The Incredible Shrinking Sponge is lacking in certain areas. The story just starts, ends, then tries to explore the possibilities of its premise, and I don’t think the jokes are that good either because of the lack of focus. It’d be like if in Pizza Delivery, they delivered the pizza at the 3 minute mark, then the rest of it’s just the characters wandering the desert. At least I can say that for what I’ve got, SpongeBob’s an alright adventurer to follow, and he certainly goes places, but they’re not the kind of places that’d be great to show even on cable TV. I’m really holding back a “bit on the short side” joke, so I’ll just say it’s another one of this season’s...lesser episodes.
Final Verdict: Average 5/10 (a mixed bag)
Krusty Katering < The Incredible Shrinking Sponge < Food Con Castaways
Question of the Day: Say a tiny SpongeBob has to clean you in some way. What do you need cleaned?
In tomorrow’s episode, SpongeBob and Patrick learn the meaning of sports the hard way. Until then, here’s a classic trailer. I take it people found that breed of cat scary back th-OH CHRIST!
:sbthumbs:
Original Airdate: December 2 2017
Episode 404 in standard order, Episode 427 in airing order
Plot: SpongeBob steams himself tiny, and has a misadventure throughout the Krusty Krab
Written by Mr Lawrence
[titlecard]212A[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: Shellfish Behaviour
Less than a year ago, we realised how small and insignificant Season 10 was in the grand scheme of things. Being the first season in forever to end in about a year (like actual TV seasons do), the last episode to premiere on American TV was this one, about shrinking. I can’t pretend the show hasn’t done shrinking jokes and stories before, whether they just be visual gags like in Big Pink Loser, part of a subplot like in Atlantis SquarePantis, or the whole point like in MM/BB IV. This episode’s got the word in the title however, so they must be proud of the possibilities a double digit season shrinking episode delivered for them. Could this be the biggest and boldest of its kind yet, or is its subatomic compared to its predecessors?
For only the third time in the entire season, the story starts at the Krusty Krab. That restraint of what was once a reliability shows they’re dedicated to doing new things. Anyway, a lady’s disgusted at an urchin getting into her Krabby Patty, and refunds it, only for Squidward to be scared by it. It’s a pretty sudden opening, with a lot of yelling and Squidward trying to smash the urchin in with the register, but things start going somewhere when SpongeBob takes the urchin into the kitchen, because he isn’t scared by it. Pretty unhealthy for him to bring a sea bug into the kitchen, but I digress. He turns the grill back on, but the urchin turns the knob too high before disappearing, making it so hot that SpongeBob sweats. He does so so hard that he shrinks down to tiny proportions. I don’t have much of a problem with this setup, as it establishes that the episode’ss gonna go to weird places and takes advantage of SpongeBob being a sponge filled with water. It’s after the shrinkage that things derail.
At his new size, SpongeBob is instantly enthralled in his altered surroundings, but that doesn’t stop him from having fun. He skates around on the grill and uses pickles as clothing, the jokes not being too over-the-top or anything. The grill blows out however, and when he goes down to check on it, he meets up with the urchin again, and even frees it from a mousetrap. SpongeBob learns that not all creatures great and small are friendly though (it only took being bitten and threatened by the thing to get that through), and barely manages to escape the little(?) when they’re both caught in the drain, with the urchin falling down. I’m a bit let down by this in hindsight, because fending off against a once-small bug should be a climax to being tiny, like in the actual Incredible Shrinking Man. Instead, it’s placed at the very start of SpongeBob’s journey, and the rest of it feels like meandering, making tiny jokes without any impact.
There are a number of detours into miniature misadventures, but not anything that really sticks, which I think would be fine if the biggest problem with shrinking wasn’t resolved so early on. We get Squidward mistaking SpongeBob for another urchin, then Mr Krabs mistaking him for Plankton and kicking him out, which hardly make sense because they can regularly see Plankton. I guess half a millimetre makes all the difference. SpongeBob’s flung into the Chum Bucket and meets up with Plankton, but only so Plankton can gloat about finally being taller than someone. I have to say that’s pretty rude, because he didn’t even let SpongeBob get his legs to full extension. While it’s one of my favourite parts of the episode in terms of comedy and how strange it is to see Plankton normal-sized compared to another character, what’s the point of the scene overall?
Anyway, he annoys Plankton, Karen flicks him back to the Krusty Krab, and he’s mistaken for an action figure by some kids. Nothing really special happens here, just a chase scene, but it ends with SpongeBob getting Squidward and Mr Krabs’ attention. Seeing how he’s small and can’t cook patties anymore, Krabs gives him a new job as personal hygiene management. The imagery presents is already too icky too quickly (I’ll explain more below), but the less I think about this tiny sponge helping out with personal hygiene, the better. Eventually, the plot resolves itself with SpongeBob falling into the kitchen sink while Squidward’s washing the dishes. The bubbles make him grow back to normal size, but then turn him into a giant that breaks the Krusty Krab. It’s not the worst ending in the world, as no one seems to be harmed, and SpongeBob’s resolved his problem, but why bubbles specifically? There’s a lot of this character’s biology that’s been overexplained over the years, but how does sweating shrink him and absorbing bubbles grow him? I’m sure they just meant the underwater water rehydrates him, but I think with a stronger script, this context error wouldn’t be much of an issue.
The story’s too hectic for me, and I can say the same for most of the comedy. Even my favourites are rather in-your-face, like the patties skipping on the overheated grill and SpongeBob cha-cha-ing to it. I also like one of the boys licking SpongeBob to make him his own toy, because even if it’s a little gross, that’s what little boys would do. There are other ones I like, particularly in the Plankton sequence, but there are many I don’t, like Squidward going nuts whenever he sees an urchin trying to smash it. I also feel like this is another episode where SpongeBob being naked (because they don’t make clothes in his new size) is a pretty weak joke if it itself is supposed to be the punchline. It certainly doesn’t make the hygiene scene any less gross.
Onto the animation side of things and all, I don’t know whether to be relieved (female censorship and all) or disgusted (men are gross) that all the fish SpongeBob cleans are males, but the toenail gunk thing is seriously nasty and uncalled for. It hits my stomach right as I would finish the episode off and say nice things about the animation, but I’ll do it anyway because I’m a fair guy. Size-shifting episodes fascinate me because they can play with how we usually percieve the world, and I like seeing SpongeBob run around this massive world where rotten Krabby Patties are obstacles in a cave, the soda dispenser is a fountain, and Karen’s this mile-high security machine, and so on and so forth. The visual gags like the patty cha-chas are also good when they’re not sickening, but these positives aren’t anything groundbreaking, just fun observations.
Character-wise, this episode’s very simple. No one’s really one-dimensional though, just simple enough to be funny or likeable (the intention, but not the outcome all the time). SpongeBob’s clearly the best, with his optimism making the episode more enjoyable, with Plankton and Karen not too far behind. I would’ve liked to see more of the urchin, and not just for story structure purposes, but because he’d seem like an evil little foil to good little SpongeBob. As for characters I don’t like, I couldn’t care much for the Krustomers, especially when they’re getting cleaned in a restaurant, and I don’t like Mr Krabs’ vision problems or his new job for SpongeBob. Squidward’s got the same problem he had in Whirly Brains, where his negativity is converted into craziness, thus pushing him far out of his initial character as a grumpy, boring neighbour.
Despite the cool concept, I feel like The Incredible Shrinking Sponge is lacking in certain areas. The story just starts, ends, then tries to explore the possibilities of its premise, and I don’t think the jokes are that good either because of the lack of focus. It’d be like if in Pizza Delivery, they delivered the pizza at the 3 minute mark, then the rest of it’s just the characters wandering the desert. At least I can say that for what I’ve got, SpongeBob’s an alright adventurer to follow, and he certainly goes places, but they’re not the kind of places that’d be great to show even on cable TV. I’m really holding back a “bit on the short side” joke, so I’ll just say it’s another one of this season’s...lesser episodes.
Final Verdict: Average 5/10 (a mixed bag)
Krusty Katering < The Incredible Shrinking Sponge < Food Con Castaways
Question of the Day: Say a tiny SpongeBob has to clean you in some way. What do you need cleaned?
In tomorrow’s episode, SpongeBob and Patrick learn the meaning of sports the hard way. Until then, here’s a classic trailer. I take it people found that breed of cat scary back th-OH CHRIST!
:sbthumbs:
jack_of_all_traids
Comic-al
QotD: Probably my ears. They're very dirty.
EmployeeAMillion
Season 13 Time!
Sportz? (Season 10, Episode 8b)
Original Airdate: July 16 2017
Episode 405 in standard order, Episode 411
Plot: Squidward teaches SpongeBob and Patrick what sports are just so he can watch them hurt each other
Written by Andrew Goodman
[titlecard]212B[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: Sporting Triumph
Sportz? has to be the most controversial episode in recent memory. Sure there are other unanimously bad episodes like Ink Lemonade, but Sportz? is almost like a dirty word in the SpongeBob community, you only say it regularly if you’re foolish enough to. That being said, a few people have come to its defense over time, including myself. Heck, I even considered it a great episode before I discovered everyone bashing the tar out of it. So with all this in mind, I will not be naming names or reflecting the praise or criticism of other peoples’ opinions, cause things could get messy. This review will be purely what I think of the episode, as it always should be.
The plot begins with SpongeBob and Patrick goofing around at home when a package drops out of the mailtruck driving by. They mistake it for a package for them because they can’t find a name, even though Sandy’s address is on the single dimension they don’t find. When they open it up, they find a bunch of sporting equipment, but they don’t know what sports is, so they just goof around some more with them. I don’t think this is a good way to start off the episode, because SpongeBob and Patrick are too dumb to act independantly, and them not knowing what sports are is really stretching it. There’s even a surfboard shown at one point, something SpongeBob’s ridden several times and has been through a whole special about. You could make the argument that this is set before all that however, as I often would, but ten seasons in and countless callbacks and references to older episodes, continuity’s near-impossible to apply to this episode.
Meanwhile, Squidward’s preparing some food for himself to enjoy, but is distracted by the laughing outside, then even gets the meal ruined by a tennis ball. He’s gotten the short end of the hockey stick without even knowing what his neighbours are doing, so it’s justified that he walk outside, ask them what’s going on, then be dumbfounded that they don’t know what sports are. He gives a vague description of it being a type of point-based game, but then gets the idea to teach them badly so they get hurt. The way they take him to this conclusion with the angel/devil conscience is funny, and it’s entertaining (albeit very painful) to see SpongeBob and Patrick play these games incorrectly.
It escalates to the point where sports fans even turn up to watch SpongeBob and Patrick hurt themselves, and then an entire stadium’s built around it. Why? Hard to say, I just believe getting hurt for other people’s amusement is that popular in Bikini Bottom. Sandy comes into the plot, looking for her box of sports equipment, and finds it’s gone towards this stadium, where Squidward’s now a king of sorts. Could you imagine losing some package, and then finding one of your friends has become a king because of it? I think the Sandy stuff at the end, where she beats Squidward at his own game, is the best part of the episode. It’s cool seeing Sandy do all these sports, Squidward pay the price for taking SpongeBob and Patrick’s pain to another level, and them finally being allowed to stop playing. If it weren’t for the violence still being extreme and it going overboard for feminist brownie points, it’d be a very satisfying conclusion to the story.
As for comedy, I’ll just get the jokes I don’t like out of the way- SpongeBob and Patrick’s stupidity, and the physical comedy. The former’s way too played up and makes them borderline non-functioning to keep the plot flowing, and the latter’s rather intense and goes too far too often. However, there is some wordplay here that I enjoy, which it has over a lot of Season 10 episodes, like Squidward’s angel/devil chat being ended with the angel being hit by a tennis ball. I also like the yo mama joke that’s thrown in, mostly because we get to see Mrs Tentacles once more, and the shark father and son that explain the mentality of sports fans- they don’t play, they watch others play. It’s an oddly satirical exchange in this otherwise goofy episode, and I love it.
There’s no doubt the worst thing about the animation here is just how far the slapstick goes. It’s about a tier above Life Insurance, which I’d consider the limit of comical decency. Here you get a pretty realistic black eye on SpongeBob at one point (no Blackened Sponge, but still), and his and Patrick’s ankles all swollen and red. Those are the two major stand-outs, but the rest of the animation’s either fine or great. Although violent, I think the slapstick can get creative, especially when Squidward gets hit by stuff at the end, and the sports-related stuff (like equipment and the stadium itself) is rather good. There’s a lot of equipment the characters use, and the animators have fun exploring the possibe gags they can provide, and the stadium gives the last act its own voice. Sure it’s not the first time we’ve seen one on the series, but the grass is cleaner and the crowds are bigger and more intimidating in HD.
The main characters are another mixed bag, but they lean towards the positive side. SpongeBob and Patrick being this stupid shouldn’t be the crux of a Season 10 episode, but at least they’re beaten up over the course of the episode, so that can be seen as some sick form of retribution. It’s really funny seeing Squidward be rewarded for getting his friends endangered, and the sick pleasure he takes from it, even likening himself to a king of the sports fans, is just dickish enough for you to want to see him get punished. Sandy also has a place in the story, seeing how this started with her sports package after all, and I feel like one of the reasons she’s so great at sports compared to Squidward is to hammer in that women can be great at sports. It’s not like a total fourth wave feminist takeover has hit the writing team, but it’s a good thing they show Sandy being good at something she’s enjoyed since her debut- the extreme. Also you see Mrs Tentacles in the crowd during the “yo mama” joke, but she gets to be in another episode later on.
To summarise, while this episode has some glaring problems, I don’t let that deter from the good jokes and weird but funny story. While yes, SpongeBob and Patrick are idiots and the violence can border what’s considered tasteless for the show, I don’t think they’re big enough problems for me to consider this a bad episode. I just see a creative premise that’s executed in a silly, childlike manner. Given I’m not much of a sports fan, I don’t know how much this all mocks and insults real sports fans, as I guess being into something makes satire towards it hurt a bit more. Regardless, this was funny and the story had a beginning and end. I know that’s the bare minimum for a good SpongeBob episode, but Sportz? crosses it for me.
Final Verdict: Average 6/10 (flawed but not bad)
Trident Trouble < Sportz? < Snail Mail
Question of the Day: Should I continue writing Questions if few people are going to answer them?
I suppose far less people will want to get away from the next episode. Until then, I’m going on a break again. sportz is tough work.
:sbthumbs:
Original Airdate: July 16 2017
Episode 405 in standard order, Episode 411
Plot: Squidward teaches SpongeBob and Patrick what sports are just so he can watch them hurt each other
Written by Andrew Goodman
[titlecard]212B[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: Sporting Triumph
Sportz? has to be the most controversial episode in recent memory. Sure there are other unanimously bad episodes like Ink Lemonade, but Sportz? is almost like a dirty word in the SpongeBob community, you only say it regularly if you’re foolish enough to. That being said, a few people have come to its defense over time, including myself. Heck, I even considered it a great episode before I discovered everyone bashing the tar out of it. So with all this in mind, I will not be naming names or reflecting the praise or criticism of other peoples’ opinions, cause things could get messy. This review will be purely what I think of the episode, as it always should be.
The plot begins with SpongeBob and Patrick goofing around at home when a package drops out of the mailtruck driving by. They mistake it for a package for them because they can’t find a name, even though Sandy’s address is on the single dimension they don’t find. When they open it up, they find a bunch of sporting equipment, but they don’t know what sports is, so they just goof around some more with them. I don’t think this is a good way to start off the episode, because SpongeBob and Patrick are too dumb to act independantly, and them not knowing what sports are is really stretching it. There’s even a surfboard shown at one point, something SpongeBob’s ridden several times and has been through a whole special about. You could make the argument that this is set before all that however, as I often would, but ten seasons in and countless callbacks and references to older episodes, continuity’s near-impossible to apply to this episode.
Meanwhile, Squidward’s preparing some food for himself to enjoy, but is distracted by the laughing outside, then even gets the meal ruined by a tennis ball. He’s gotten the short end of the hockey stick without even knowing what his neighbours are doing, so it’s justified that he walk outside, ask them what’s going on, then be dumbfounded that they don’t know what sports are. He gives a vague description of it being a type of point-based game, but then gets the idea to teach them badly so they get hurt. The way they take him to this conclusion with the angel/devil conscience is funny, and it’s entertaining (albeit very painful) to see SpongeBob and Patrick play these games incorrectly.
It escalates to the point where sports fans even turn up to watch SpongeBob and Patrick hurt themselves, and then an entire stadium’s built around it. Why? Hard to say, I just believe getting hurt for other people’s amusement is that popular in Bikini Bottom. Sandy comes into the plot, looking for her box of sports equipment, and finds it’s gone towards this stadium, where Squidward’s now a king of sorts. Could you imagine losing some package, and then finding one of your friends has become a king because of it? I think the Sandy stuff at the end, where she beats Squidward at his own game, is the best part of the episode. It’s cool seeing Sandy do all these sports, Squidward pay the price for taking SpongeBob and Patrick’s pain to another level, and them finally being allowed to stop playing. If it weren’t for the violence still being extreme and it going overboard for feminist brownie points, it’d be a very satisfying conclusion to the story.
As for comedy, I’ll just get the jokes I don’t like out of the way- SpongeBob and Patrick’s stupidity, and the physical comedy. The former’s way too played up and makes them borderline non-functioning to keep the plot flowing, and the latter’s rather intense and goes too far too often. However, there is some wordplay here that I enjoy, which it has over a lot of Season 10 episodes, like Squidward’s angel/devil chat being ended with the angel being hit by a tennis ball. I also like the yo mama joke that’s thrown in, mostly because we get to see Mrs Tentacles once more, and the shark father and son that explain the mentality of sports fans- they don’t play, they watch others play. It’s an oddly satirical exchange in this otherwise goofy episode, and I love it.
There’s no doubt the worst thing about the animation here is just how far the slapstick goes. It’s about a tier above Life Insurance, which I’d consider the limit of comical decency. Here you get a pretty realistic black eye on SpongeBob at one point (no Blackened Sponge, but still), and his and Patrick’s ankles all swollen and red. Those are the two major stand-outs, but the rest of the animation’s either fine or great. Although violent, I think the slapstick can get creative, especially when Squidward gets hit by stuff at the end, and the sports-related stuff (like equipment and the stadium itself) is rather good. There’s a lot of equipment the characters use, and the animators have fun exploring the possibe gags they can provide, and the stadium gives the last act its own voice. Sure it’s not the first time we’ve seen one on the series, but the grass is cleaner and the crowds are bigger and more intimidating in HD.
The main characters are another mixed bag, but they lean towards the positive side. SpongeBob and Patrick being this stupid shouldn’t be the crux of a Season 10 episode, but at least they’re beaten up over the course of the episode, so that can be seen as some sick form of retribution. It’s really funny seeing Squidward be rewarded for getting his friends endangered, and the sick pleasure he takes from it, even likening himself to a king of the sports fans, is just dickish enough for you to want to see him get punished. Sandy also has a place in the story, seeing how this started with her sports package after all, and I feel like one of the reasons she’s so great at sports compared to Squidward is to hammer in that women can be great at sports. It’s not like a total fourth wave feminist takeover has hit the writing team, but it’s a good thing they show Sandy being good at something she’s enjoyed since her debut- the extreme. Also you see Mrs Tentacles in the crowd during the “yo mama” joke, but she gets to be in another episode later on.
To summarise, while this episode has some glaring problems, I don’t let that deter from the good jokes and weird but funny story. While yes, SpongeBob and Patrick are idiots and the violence can border what’s considered tasteless for the show, I don’t think they’re big enough problems for me to consider this a bad episode. I just see a creative premise that’s executed in a silly, childlike manner. Given I’m not much of a sports fan, I don’t know how much this all mocks and insults real sports fans, as I guess being into something makes satire towards it hurt a bit more. Regardless, this was funny and the story had a beginning and end. I know that’s the bare minimum for a good SpongeBob episode, but Sportz? crosses it for me.
Final Verdict: Average 6/10 (flawed but not bad)
Trident Trouble < Sportz? < Snail Mail
Question of the Day: Should I continue writing Questions if few people are going to answer them?
I suppose far less people will want to get away from the next episode. Until then, I’m going on a break again. sportz is tough work.
:sbthumbs:
jack_of_all_traids
Comic-al
QotD: Yes, you should. I'll answer your questions. :)
josemiguex
Imitation Krab
Surprised that you give this episode a 6/10, I thought that you will give this episode a 2/10, I find this episode alright too
darkrage6
Floating Shopping List
I always thought Patrick felt slightly off in this episode, as he seemed sharper then normal(compared to something like say "I'm With Stupid") and more like he was in S1.EmployeeAMillion said:
I liked the running gag commentary on hospitals mistreating patients(that's something that might be lost in translation with New Zealand viewers, as U.S. Health care is very flawed in many ways and only started getting better with the ACA, watch the Michael Moore documentary Sicko for an idea of how bad things were before the ACA happened).
EmployeeAMillion
Season 13 Time!
Apologies for the pretty long break here. I’ve got exams coming up, though I’ll be able to relax more and do my own thing after the 19th of November. I’m also planning to do something big for another cartoon on my YouTube channel, which is another reason why I’m not focusing my spare time on SpongeBob.
jack_of_all_traids
Comic-al
No worries. Everybody can take a break when they need to.
EmployeeAMillion
Season 13 Time!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6rrNvnbqUGw
jack_of_all_traids
Comic-al
Good list. I also liked your reasonings that you gave for each episode.
EmployeeAMillion
Season 13 Time!
I’m gonna be bringing this series back into action tomorrow (November 25 on my side of the world), so be prepared for the rest of my Season 10 reviews, and a currently undetermined amount of Season 11.
jack_of_all_traids
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Good luck. No pressure if you decide to change your mind.EmployeeAMillion said:
EmployeeAMillion
Season 13 Time!
The Getaway (Season 10, Episode 9a)
Original Airdate: June 10 2017
Episode 406 in standard order, Episode 404 in airing order
Plot: SpongeBob rescues a notorious criminal during a boating lesson
Written by Kaz
[titlecard]213A[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: Sneaking Around You
Alongside Mimic Madness, this was seen as one of Season 10’s two highlights for a couple months, at least before being overshadowed by Feral Friends. I could see some reasons why, with the unique story and barrage of jokes, but also didn’t know why it was considered a fantastic episode. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it then and I still do, but that was about it. These sort of reactions are what rewatches are for though, as I picked up on small details that enhanced the experience. Still, I’m left wondering if this is one of the tenth season’s gems. After all, I just finished exams and am off school for the rest of the year, so I’ve got all the free time in the world to think about this.
I like how the episode begins, with SpongeBob taking the test in a cemetary, just because Mrs Puff assumes he couldn’t kill anyone there. It gets the episode off to a dark start (get used to it, because it’s all set at night), which compliments the next location they pull up to- right outside a prison. This is because Mrs Puff needs to call a different instructor to teach SpongeBob, but I was just praying to Neptune it wasn’t another shark. As fate would have it, a fish called Stickyfins escapes from the prison while Puff is calling, and SpongeBob mistakes him for the new instructor. This I can accept with a grain of salt, because SpongeBob’s stupid but well-meaning, and would probably just find the guy eccentric in his striped get-up.
They drive off, leaving Mrs Puff lost on her own until Stickyfin’s getaway driver turns up late. His name is Dorsal Dan, and Mrs Puff eventually take a liking to each other, which is a plotpoint that I think goes somewhere. Even if I don’t like all of it, I’ll get to reasons why soon, it’s just fun seeing Mrs Puff hanging out with someone she likes. This season has a knack for that, now that I think about it. Anyway(s), what ensues is a chase scene that nearly takes up the whole episode, and while there’s a great variety of gags, good and not so good, there’s hardly any room for it to slow down, and for a chill person like myself to stay immersed in the situation.
The most I think this episode tries to slow down is when Stickyfins takes SpongeBob to assist in robbing a jewelry store, where SpongeBob is duped into thinking he’s being taught an abstract lesson. I think this is where his gullibility skirts the line between goofy and downright unrelatable, but I’m happy with this scene, and the fact that the con man from Chocolate With Nuts is being robbed. It may be a minor observation, but he’s finally gotten what was coming to him. While Stickyfins also goes and robs a hi-fi store, there are some cuts back to Mrs Puff and Dorsal Dan, as their flirting gets a bit creepy. I don’t think I needed them gushing over his gentle foot, it’s weird enough they spend the scene making driving a car feel suggestive.
Puff and Dan eventually catch up to SpongeBob and Stickyfins, and the chase is on again, so that means the plot disappears back into the void. There are a couple places visited, like a gold driving range, hurr hurr, a coral field and a mountainside, all of which pummel Stickyfins senseless in some way. I feel like, by this point, he’s already suffered enough at SpongeBob’s incompetence, and I’m more than ready for the joke of him pleading to return to jail. Hope he says “hi” to the Strangler from me. Unfortunately, Dan is also arrested for also being an outlaw, being a getaway driver for burglars however, and Mrs Puff voluntarily goes into solitary confinement. This leaves SpongeBob blissfully unaware as to why everyone he interacted with that day went to jail, and a message to drive safely and wear seatbelts, which I’m guessing was put in to increase the episode’s educational value from 0% to 1%. With all that said, it was a pretty hectic story, and it does its job at that, but this isn’t where you’d want to go for something with even the slightest amount of room to breathe.
Given the sheer amount of jokes the episode makes, I’m happy that most of them work. I like Mrs Puff talking back to Dorsal Dan when she meets him, saying he doesn’t look like cake and therefore she hardly cares about him, and some of the early stuff with Stickyfins and SpongeBob is fun. The fantastic picture SpongeBob has taken of him, his abstract thinking (“Shapes and noises, I love it!”- everyone who likes the Waller/Ceccareli seasons), and British Stickyfins saying he’s “simply smashing” everything in town. I don’t like just how sensual Puff and Dan’s relationship gets however, and the extreme slapstick towards Stickyfins at the climax is pretty off-putting, particularly when he’s hit by the “Z” in Kaz’s name (nice easter egg) and his face is hardly recogniseable.
That’s one of the things I’m concerned with about this episode’s animation, how ugly it can sometimes be. I’m fond of SpongeBob’s “extreme biker art” face though, as the franchise has used that art style before in the game Creature from the Krusty Krab (which I’ve heard decent things about). I also don’t mind the entire episode being set at night. Although it feels stagnant from a story perspective, I usually associate nighttime with the end of a SpongeBob episode like Hall Monitor, there are a few buildings entered. It’s not like 30% of the entire episode’s print is dark blue, and there’s always The Camping Episode as evidence it can work. There are a couple visual gags I like, such as the fact that the coral is shaped like Kaz’s name, and SpongeBob’s excellent boating student photo, and they keep the episode visually interesting enough.
The best characters here are easily Mrs Puff and Dorsal Dan. Despite the flirting overstaying its welcome, I like their chemistry, and the mere fact that Puff’s falling for a criminal, given her surprisingly big criminal record. Stickyfins I care a bit less about, because he’s entertaining for a while, but his shtick of being a thief that hates SpongeBob isn’t enough to carry him as a character. I will say his voice is pretty cool though, as it’s provided by Joe Pantoliano, and Dan’s voiced by Steve Buscemi. Mentioning him right next to Dan, I feel like something that’s missing from Stickyfins is that he and Dan never interact. I guess that’s what makes Stickyfins feel a bit empty, not that he’s accompanied by the worst character in the episode. SpongeBob’s fine for a couple minutes, but his naïveté’s stretched super thin without any noticeable catch like in SpongeBob Meets the Strangler.
So yeah, I think this episode holds up more than a year after airing, though calling it one of the best is overblowing it. What I found fun in this episode entertained me, and even with the iffy aspects, I can see some reason why they were implemented. Naturally, Season 10 was the right place to make a car chase episode (even if No Free Rides has shades of it, but I digress), given the energy. Then again, the criticisms with Season 10 onward are the criticisms that will be had with this episode, but I think it’s good on its own merits. This could’ve been a 9b episode and I would’ve liked it just the same. Drive safely, and always wear your seatbelt.
Final Verdict: Good 7/10 (solid but not top notch)
Lost in Bikini Bottom < The Getaway < What’s Eating Patrick?
Question of the Day: If you’re a SpongeBob video game fan, what are your thoughts on Creature from the Krusty Krab?
Compared to The Getaway, tomorrow’s episode has almost been lost to time. Until then, what’d I do to deserve this cool piece?
:sbthumbs:
Original Airdate: June 10 2017
Episode 406 in standard order, Episode 404 in airing order
Plot: SpongeBob rescues a notorious criminal during a boating lesson
Written by Kaz
[titlecard]213A[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: Sneaking Around You
Alongside Mimic Madness, this was seen as one of Season 10’s two highlights for a couple months, at least before being overshadowed by Feral Friends. I could see some reasons why, with the unique story and barrage of jokes, but also didn’t know why it was considered a fantastic episode. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it then and I still do, but that was about it. These sort of reactions are what rewatches are for though, as I picked up on small details that enhanced the experience. Still, I’m left wondering if this is one of the tenth season’s gems. After all, I just finished exams and am off school for the rest of the year, so I’ve got all the free time in the world to think about this.
I like how the episode begins, with SpongeBob taking the test in a cemetary, just because Mrs Puff assumes he couldn’t kill anyone there. It gets the episode off to a dark start (get used to it, because it’s all set at night), which compliments the next location they pull up to- right outside a prison. This is because Mrs Puff needs to call a different instructor to teach SpongeBob, but I was just praying to Neptune it wasn’t another shark. As fate would have it, a fish called Stickyfins escapes from the prison while Puff is calling, and SpongeBob mistakes him for the new instructor. This I can accept with a grain of salt, because SpongeBob’s stupid but well-meaning, and would probably just find the guy eccentric in his striped get-up.
They drive off, leaving Mrs Puff lost on her own until Stickyfin’s getaway driver turns up late. His name is Dorsal Dan, and Mrs Puff eventually take a liking to each other, which is a plotpoint that I think goes somewhere. Even if I don’t like all of it, I’ll get to reasons why soon, it’s just fun seeing Mrs Puff hanging out with someone she likes. This season has a knack for that, now that I think about it. Anyway(s), what ensues is a chase scene that nearly takes up the whole episode, and while there’s a great variety of gags, good and not so good, there’s hardly any room for it to slow down, and for a chill person like myself to stay immersed in the situation.
The most I think this episode tries to slow down is when Stickyfins takes SpongeBob to assist in robbing a jewelry store, where SpongeBob is duped into thinking he’s being taught an abstract lesson. I think this is where his gullibility skirts the line between goofy and downright unrelatable, but I’m happy with this scene, and the fact that the con man from Chocolate With Nuts is being robbed. It may be a minor observation, but he’s finally gotten what was coming to him. While Stickyfins also goes and robs a hi-fi store, there are some cuts back to Mrs Puff and Dorsal Dan, as their flirting gets a bit creepy. I don’t think I needed them gushing over his gentle foot, it’s weird enough they spend the scene making driving a car feel suggestive.
Puff and Dan eventually catch up to SpongeBob and Stickyfins, and the chase is on again, so that means the plot disappears back into the void. There are a couple places visited, like a gold driving range, hurr hurr, a coral field and a mountainside, all of which pummel Stickyfins senseless in some way. I feel like, by this point, he’s already suffered enough at SpongeBob’s incompetence, and I’m more than ready for the joke of him pleading to return to jail. Hope he says “hi” to the Strangler from me. Unfortunately, Dan is also arrested for also being an outlaw, being a getaway driver for burglars however, and Mrs Puff voluntarily goes into solitary confinement. This leaves SpongeBob blissfully unaware as to why everyone he interacted with that day went to jail, and a message to drive safely and wear seatbelts, which I’m guessing was put in to increase the episode’s educational value from 0% to 1%. With all that said, it was a pretty hectic story, and it does its job at that, but this isn’t where you’d want to go for something with even the slightest amount of room to breathe.
Given the sheer amount of jokes the episode makes, I’m happy that most of them work. I like Mrs Puff talking back to Dorsal Dan when she meets him, saying he doesn’t look like cake and therefore she hardly cares about him, and some of the early stuff with Stickyfins and SpongeBob is fun. The fantastic picture SpongeBob has taken of him, his abstract thinking (“Shapes and noises, I love it!”- everyone who likes the Waller/Ceccareli seasons), and British Stickyfins saying he’s “simply smashing” everything in town. I don’t like just how sensual Puff and Dan’s relationship gets however, and the extreme slapstick towards Stickyfins at the climax is pretty off-putting, particularly when he’s hit by the “Z” in Kaz’s name (nice easter egg) and his face is hardly recogniseable.
That’s one of the things I’m concerned with about this episode’s animation, how ugly it can sometimes be. I’m fond of SpongeBob’s “extreme biker art” face though, as the franchise has used that art style before in the game Creature from the Krusty Krab (which I’ve heard decent things about). I also don’t mind the entire episode being set at night. Although it feels stagnant from a story perspective, I usually associate nighttime with the end of a SpongeBob episode like Hall Monitor, there are a few buildings entered. It’s not like 30% of the entire episode’s print is dark blue, and there’s always The Camping Episode as evidence it can work. There are a couple visual gags I like, such as the fact that the coral is shaped like Kaz’s name, and SpongeBob’s excellent boating student photo, and they keep the episode visually interesting enough.
The best characters here are easily Mrs Puff and Dorsal Dan. Despite the flirting overstaying its welcome, I like their chemistry, and the mere fact that Puff’s falling for a criminal, given her surprisingly big criminal record. Stickyfins I care a bit less about, because he’s entertaining for a while, but his shtick of being a thief that hates SpongeBob isn’t enough to carry him as a character. I will say his voice is pretty cool though, as it’s provided by Joe Pantoliano, and Dan’s voiced by Steve Buscemi. Mentioning him right next to Dan, I feel like something that’s missing from Stickyfins is that he and Dan never interact. I guess that’s what makes Stickyfins feel a bit empty, not that he’s accompanied by the worst character in the episode. SpongeBob’s fine for a couple minutes, but his naïveté’s stretched super thin without any noticeable catch like in SpongeBob Meets the Strangler.
So yeah, I think this episode holds up more than a year after airing, though calling it one of the best is overblowing it. What I found fun in this episode entertained me, and even with the iffy aspects, I can see some reason why they were implemented. Naturally, Season 10 was the right place to make a car chase episode (even if No Free Rides has shades of it, but I digress), given the energy. Then again, the criticisms with Season 10 onward are the criticisms that will be had with this episode, but I think it’s good on its own merits. This could’ve been a 9b episode and I would’ve liked it just the same. Drive safely, and always wear your seatbelt.
Final Verdict: Good 7/10 (solid but not top notch)
Lost in Bikini Bottom < The Getaway < What’s Eating Patrick?
Question of the Day: If you’re a SpongeBob video game fan, what are your thoughts on Creature from the Krusty Krab?
Compared to The Getaway, tomorrow’s episode has almost been lost to time. Until then, what’d I do to deserve this cool piece?
:sbthumbs:
Pugs4Thugs
#1 SpongeBob Reviewer
I really like this episode. I like it when SpongeBob does action.
Fun game. I have it on my DS, but it always crashes so I haven't been able to finish it.EmployeeAMillion said:
jack_of_all_traids
Comic-al
QOTD: I've never played it before.
EmployeeAMillion
Season 13 Time!
Lost and Found (Season 10, Episode 9b)
Original Airdate: June 10 2017
Episode 407 in standard order, Episode 405 in airing order
Plot: SpongeBob must retrieve a stuffed animal from the Krusty Krab’s expansive lost and found
Written by Dani Michaeli
[titlecard]213B[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: Salty Squid Jig
For a show about a talking sponge, they sure know how to challenge our perception of “weird”. This is another recent episode that’s not weird because its facial expressions are goofy, but because of the plot itself. The idea of the Krusty Krab having this massive underground lost and found facility is something that doesn’t just immediately spring to mind, and the eponymous episode does everything in its power to be surreal and give off an all-around different feeling than any other SpongeBob episode before it. It’s commendable that they’re always trying out new ways to push the series’ boundaries, but I wish this episode were a good time to compensate.
The story doesn’t get off to a great start. A customer comes up to Squidward’s post and drools creepily before SpongeBob gives him his order, in a scene that I didn’t need to witness. A conflict doesn’t kick in until a little kid starts crying over his lost teddy fish, with that obnoxious voice I already complained about in Krusty Katering. It’s worse here because he’s crying and screaming for a longer period of his screentime, and that’s pretty much all he does. Since he gradually starts to annoy the other customers, Mr Krabs sends SpongeBob to the lost and found, which is revealed to be a room underneath the Krusty Krab. Exactly how did the teddy fish end up down there if none of the Krusty Krew had seen or cared about it, and nobody but Mr Krabs has known about the lost and found up to this point? I don’t know, and unfortunately it’s something that matters to the story and is never explained.
SpongeBob falls into the lost and found area alone, and the first thing he sees is a box, before Mr Krabs tells him to turn on the light. When he does so, he sees all sorts of random items that have been randomly sucked into this lost and found dimension over the years. I like the way it’s introduced, and SpongeBob’s excitement at finding all sorts of random junk, including tchotchkes, but this is the peak of the episode. That isn’t really a bad thing, but it’s a reminder to me that the plot feels like an excuse for events at points.
With SpongeBob seemingly lost, and the kid not getting any less annoying, Mr Krabs does a very brave thing and throws Squidward into the lost and found to rescue SpongeBob. Of course, Squidward also gets lost, but finds his old kazoos and clarinets, the former from his childhood. It makes me wonder if Mr Krabs is just insanely greedy hoarding everything in Bikini Bottom, or if the lost and found has the same sorts of properties as the Bikini Bottom Triangle from Season 7- sucking up random objects, never to be seen again. While Squidward gets lost, SpongeBob comes across some old people who got lost in the lost and found as kids, over 60 years prior. I feel like they started as parodies of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan, but the tone of the episode being vastly different resulted in them just being old people who happen to have gotten lost.
This is where the episode truly starts to feel strange, as the mere concept of these kids living underground for their whole lives is creepy, and the fact they’ve eaten nothing but candy for 60 years isn’t much better. SpongeBob finds they have the plush macguffin however, and takes it from them, then they go through lost mines and a lost world. Squidward, still seperate from SpongeBob’s adventures for the most part, accidentally opens the grease trap (which I like as a sort of booby trap), and it gives SpongeBob an idea for how to escape- using dinosaurs! Again, the story’s not this episode’s strong suit, the gags are, so it’s a shame it has to end on some pretty weak ones. The kid doesn’t want his toy anymore because he wants the dinosaur, making this a shaggy fish story, and the old kids are re-united with their older parents, in a scene that’s unintentionally sad because all eight seniors haven’t got long to live.
There are some better jokes however, even if they’re not enough to make me forget the story’s shortcomings. I like the snowglobe SpongeBob picks up that somehow causes an earthquake in Bikini Bottom, and in general, his excitement with all he could find in the lost and found. It even has tchotchkes! I also like how Squidward played kazzoes as a kid before moving onto clarinets. It’s amazing that this is the first time we’ve seen Squid as a kid after so many years. However, there are certain jokes I don’t like, such as just how careless Mr Krabs is with his employees, much of the Krustomer stuff at the start, and the candy feast that the old kids provide. I should note I enjoy candy occasionally, but it’s gross with the context that it’s all they’ve eaten for 60 years.
The animation is ironically the most basic thing about this episode. The facial expressions aren’t that extreme, except for SpongeBob’s whole face turning into an eye, and this I’m more than fine with. What I’m not as happy about however is the lost and found’s design. Despite the myriad of shelves, the place itself doesn’t feel very interesting, due to most of it being very dark and hard to view the details in. Thankfully, the lost mine and lost world more than make up for it. Sure they’re not extravagant, but it’s cool seeing a few new locations thrown in, even if they turn the lost and found into Wonderland, on somehow even more drugs.
On one hand, the best characters here are regulars, SpongeBob and Squidward, and it’s fun seeing their contrasting perspectives of rummaging through old junk. It really makes you think about where you would be in this situation. On the other hand, the old kids and their older parents are just disturbing. I bet making them a one-off gag would be fine, but they’re a focus of the episode and bring it down a peg. Then again, there had to be some sort of tension to make SpongeBob’s quest more thrilling, while there’s no need to make Mr Krabs so unlikeable as to throw his employees into an infamous pit. Sure he regrets it, but he does so by crying alongside another terrible character, the annoying kid.
The more I think about these denser, wackier Season 10 episodes, the more I come to hate what they do wrong, or inconsistently compared to the rest of the show. Lost and Found has its fair share of laughs and thrills, but there are some nagging problems that keep it from being all-around fun. Again, I like the concept of a lost and found being the size of a massive room, but the longer you stay there, the more you feel like it’s just an excuse to create a topsy turvy world we’re likely never to go back to. You can give this episode a watch, but put it back where you found it.
Final Verdict: Average 5/10 (a mixed bag)
Company Picnic < Lost and Found < Krusty Katering
Question of the Day: If you had to be stuck somewhere for 60 years, what would you want to be the only thing you could eat?
I heard they’re having a sale on bad episodes tomorrow, maybe I could snag one for free with a coupon.
:sbthumbs:
Original Airdate: June 10 2017
Episode 407 in standard order, Episode 405 in airing order
Plot: SpongeBob must retrieve a stuffed animal from the Krusty Krab’s expansive lost and found
Written by Dani Michaeli
[titlecard]213B[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: Salty Squid Jig
For a show about a talking sponge, they sure know how to challenge our perception of “weird”. This is another recent episode that’s not weird because its facial expressions are goofy, but because of the plot itself. The idea of the Krusty Krab having this massive underground lost and found facility is something that doesn’t just immediately spring to mind, and the eponymous episode does everything in its power to be surreal and give off an all-around different feeling than any other SpongeBob episode before it. It’s commendable that they’re always trying out new ways to push the series’ boundaries, but I wish this episode were a good time to compensate.
The story doesn’t get off to a great start. A customer comes up to Squidward’s post and drools creepily before SpongeBob gives him his order, in a scene that I didn’t need to witness. A conflict doesn’t kick in until a little kid starts crying over his lost teddy fish, with that obnoxious voice I already complained about in Krusty Katering. It’s worse here because he’s crying and screaming for a longer period of his screentime, and that’s pretty much all he does. Since he gradually starts to annoy the other customers, Mr Krabs sends SpongeBob to the lost and found, which is revealed to be a room underneath the Krusty Krab. Exactly how did the teddy fish end up down there if none of the Krusty Krew had seen or cared about it, and nobody but Mr Krabs has known about the lost and found up to this point? I don’t know, and unfortunately it’s something that matters to the story and is never explained.
SpongeBob falls into the lost and found area alone, and the first thing he sees is a box, before Mr Krabs tells him to turn on the light. When he does so, he sees all sorts of random items that have been randomly sucked into this lost and found dimension over the years. I like the way it’s introduced, and SpongeBob’s excitement at finding all sorts of random junk, including tchotchkes, but this is the peak of the episode. That isn’t really a bad thing, but it’s a reminder to me that the plot feels like an excuse for events at points.
With SpongeBob seemingly lost, and the kid not getting any less annoying, Mr Krabs does a very brave thing and throws Squidward into the lost and found to rescue SpongeBob. Of course, Squidward also gets lost, but finds his old kazoos and clarinets, the former from his childhood. It makes me wonder if Mr Krabs is just insanely greedy hoarding everything in Bikini Bottom, or if the lost and found has the same sorts of properties as the Bikini Bottom Triangle from Season 7- sucking up random objects, never to be seen again. While Squidward gets lost, SpongeBob comes across some old people who got lost in the lost and found as kids, over 60 years prior. I feel like they started as parodies of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan, but the tone of the episode being vastly different resulted in them just being old people who happen to have gotten lost.
This is where the episode truly starts to feel strange, as the mere concept of these kids living underground for their whole lives is creepy, and the fact they’ve eaten nothing but candy for 60 years isn’t much better. SpongeBob finds they have the plush macguffin however, and takes it from them, then they go through lost mines and a lost world. Squidward, still seperate from SpongeBob’s adventures for the most part, accidentally opens the grease trap (which I like as a sort of booby trap), and it gives SpongeBob an idea for how to escape- using dinosaurs! Again, the story’s not this episode’s strong suit, the gags are, so it’s a shame it has to end on some pretty weak ones. The kid doesn’t want his toy anymore because he wants the dinosaur, making this a shaggy fish story, and the old kids are re-united with their older parents, in a scene that’s unintentionally sad because all eight seniors haven’t got long to live.
There are some better jokes however, even if they’re not enough to make me forget the story’s shortcomings. I like the snowglobe SpongeBob picks up that somehow causes an earthquake in Bikini Bottom, and in general, his excitement with all he could find in the lost and found. It even has tchotchkes! I also like how Squidward played kazzoes as a kid before moving onto clarinets. It’s amazing that this is the first time we’ve seen Squid as a kid after so many years. However, there are certain jokes I don’t like, such as just how careless Mr Krabs is with his employees, much of the Krustomer stuff at the start, and the candy feast that the old kids provide. I should note I enjoy candy occasionally, but it’s gross with the context that it’s all they’ve eaten for 60 years.
The animation is ironically the most basic thing about this episode. The facial expressions aren’t that extreme, except for SpongeBob’s whole face turning into an eye, and this I’m more than fine with. What I’m not as happy about however is the lost and found’s design. Despite the myriad of shelves, the place itself doesn’t feel very interesting, due to most of it being very dark and hard to view the details in. Thankfully, the lost mine and lost world more than make up for it. Sure they’re not extravagant, but it’s cool seeing a few new locations thrown in, even if they turn the lost and found into Wonderland, on somehow even more drugs.
On one hand, the best characters here are regulars, SpongeBob and Squidward, and it’s fun seeing their contrasting perspectives of rummaging through old junk. It really makes you think about where you would be in this situation. On the other hand, the old kids and their older parents are just disturbing. I bet making them a one-off gag would be fine, but they’re a focus of the episode and bring it down a peg. Then again, there had to be some sort of tension to make SpongeBob’s quest more thrilling, while there’s no need to make Mr Krabs so unlikeable as to throw his employees into an infamous pit. Sure he regrets it, but he does so by crying alongside another terrible character, the annoying kid.
The more I think about these denser, wackier Season 10 episodes, the more I come to hate what they do wrong, or inconsistently compared to the rest of the show. Lost and Found has its fair share of laughs and thrills, but there are some nagging problems that keep it from being all-around fun. Again, I like the concept of a lost and found being the size of a massive room, but the longer you stay there, the more you feel like it’s just an excuse to create a topsy turvy world we’re likely never to go back to. You can give this episode a watch, but put it back where you found it.
Final Verdict: Average 5/10 (a mixed bag)
Company Picnic < Lost and Found < Krusty Katering
Question of the Day: If you had to be stuck somewhere for 60 years, what would you want to be the only thing you could eat?
I heard they’re having a sale on bad episodes tomorrow, maybe I could snag one for free with a coupon.
:sbthumbs:
EmployeeAMillion
Season 13 Time!
Patrick’s Coupon (Season 10, Episode 10a)
Original Airdate: June 17 2017
Episode 408 in standard order, Episode 406 in airing order
Plot: Patrick journeys across town to get SpongeBob an ice cream
Written by Kaz
[titlecard]214A[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: You’re Nice
What can I say about Season 10 and 11 Patrick? I believe since Salsa Imbecilicus, there have been points where the new-new crew has tried to dumb him down beyond comprehension, rather than give us a character. The episode I’m reviewing today managed to escape that pitfall by giving him a reason to head out and do something, but that just makes his erratic, nonsensical behaviour more frustrating. I can see exactly when they’re trying to make Patrick Patrick, and when they’re just throwing dumb person jokes at the storyboard. It should be no surprise from the way I’m describing the episode that I dislike it, but there’s a lot to say about what makes it so bad.
Whatever plot there is here, it starts with Patrick fighting a spider in his home. While it has some level of entertainment value, getting the episode off to such a big, loud start doesn’t ease me into the setting, especially if it doesn’t add to anything. Patrick just fights the spider, then finds an ice cream coupon, and the rest of the episode is loosely centred around said coupon. At least Patrick wants to use it to be nice to someone, but the key words there is “wants”. He fails spectacularly at seeming like a generous guy when he decides to get SpongeBob a free ice cream, before slapping one out of his hand for some reason. I mean if I were in charge of SpongeBob, I wouldn’t want him to have more than one ice cream in one day, but I digress. It sets up that Patrick tries and fails to do things in this episode, namely things a normal person should be able to do.
He walks across Bikini Bottom to the ice cream store, but runs into trouble on the way, firstly when Mr Krabs tries to steal the coupon from him. For some reason, Mr Krabs has a crane that he picks Patrick up from, and offers him a handshake as a way to trick him into giving him the coupon, in a scene that hardly makes any sense. Patrick manages to escape however, but then makes a ruckus on the street in a very loud, uncomfortable way. It seems they were going back to Valentine’s Day for this scene, and good on those who like that episode and how it portrays Patrick, but I’m still a bit freaked out and very stressed when they make Patrick a maniac on the streets. There’s something wrong when it’s the most forgettable part of the episode however.
Patrick eventually makes it to the fabled ice cream store, and let me be frank, it’s gorgeous. They managed to make it seem like an ice cream paradise with dozens of flavours on displays, a chocolate river, coaster tracks, the works. It’s a shame the scene has to be tainted by the twist that Patrick’s coupon is outdated, sending him into a tantrum. I know by this point, they’re using Patrick as an example of how kids shouldn’t behave, and kids would be hard-pressed to imitate him, but they’re still throwing a character away for the sake of it, one I’ve grown to love across [checks watch] 2 years. Patrick’s told he can get his coupon renewed through one way however- talking to the ice cream king, whose name alone sounds like a fun idea. It’s too bad they squander it in an ending that makes Salsa Imbecilicus look educational.
After being spanked up by the ice cream parlour’s security guard, Patrick comes face to face with the Ice Cream King, who is just him but a bit dumber. The reason Patrick’s coupon was outdated is because the Ice Cream King (the one in charge of the parlour) doesn’t know what year it is, so I can’t help but feel mad at him that a majority of the episode’s conflict comes from his proud stupidity. Patrick wants to renew the coupon however, and partakes in a series of contests against the king, the first of which is a hair growth contest, where they just sit around tensing until hair grows on them. It’s unfunny, low-brow, and a waste of time, but at least the ice cream battle they have after that is alright, with them dressing in ice cream battle suits. Unfortunately, Patrick loses, but he goes to SpongeBob, gives him a hardy handshake using Mr Krabs’ sevred arm, and SpongeBob reveals he got himself another ice cream. It’s a sweet ending (no pun intended), but I can’t help but feel like the story at large is just stupidity for the sake of it.
The sad thing is I can tell when and how this episode’s trying to be funny, but I just find it to be annoying. Take Patrick slapping away SpongeBob’s first ice cream for example. The set-up and punchline are that Patrick’s accidentally being a jerk when he’s trying to be nice, and that can work, but since the presentation of the joke heavily leans on the meanness, it just comes off as randomly mean. There are other jokes that have this same sort of problem, but with me just feeling annoyed with where they’re going, like much of what’s done with the Ice Cream King. In particular, the joke about him not knowing what year it is, and that’s why all the coupons are outdated, simply makes no sense because of how this idiot must randomly own this massive, beautiful parlour.
Something I can say I like about this episode however, is its art direction, specifically when it comes to interiors. I can’t get enough of what the ice cream parlour looks like, the colour choices, just how massive it feels, etc. It’s a shame the scene set inside is another annoying one, but I’ll still give credit where it’s due. Then you have the Ice Cream King’s home, which is fine. I get the yellow colour choice and the stuff on the wall’s a nice touch, but I hardly feel like watching when he and Patrick are tensing really hard to grow hair. At least we now know that the Ice Cream King is genetically a ginger, and Patrick can have both brown and grey hair (the latter on his armpits).
If you couldn’t tell already, what wrecks Patrick’s Coupon for me are the characters. I can see what they wanted to do with Patrick, make him sensitive and caring for his friend, but these cute moments are clouded by just how weird and dumb he acts throughout, especially after he meets the Ice Cream King. He’s voiced by the creator of Uncle Grandpa, a show I haven’t seen, but have heard many weird things about, and the character and performance speak for themselves. I’m sure Uncle Grandpa’s a good show, it’s just that its comedy doesn’t bleed well into SpongeBob, (if this is it). As for the secondary cast, SpongeBob’s fine whenever he’s onscreen, though I wish he was in the episode more, so I don’t have to feel like I’m watching Patrick derp around out of SpongeBob’s control. Mr Krabs and Squidward (in their full bodies at least) only appear for one scene, don’t impact anything, and aren’t that interesting or funny. Heck, I forgot they were here until I rewatched this.
Whenever I think of the zany style simply not working and becoming overbearing, Patrick’s Coupon is the sort of episode that comes to mind. Sure I like a few animation details, but they’re not enough to save a loose story about a version of Patrick I don’t want to follow on his own. His stupidity has been superceded in episodes like Ink Lemonade, and maybe The Nitwitting when that airs, but this one still stings, because I can see where it could’ve been fun. If you like it, I can totally see why, but it’s episodes that use characters as simply vehicles for cheap gags that upset me.
Final Verdict: Bad 3/10 (barely anything has merit to it)
Patrick’s Coupon < Mutiny on the Krusty
Question of the Day: What do you think has been Patrick’s worst episode from 2015-present?
Speaking of using characters, and ultimately exaggerating them...have some ice cream before then.
:sbthumbs:
Original Airdate: June 17 2017
Episode 408 in standard order, Episode 406 in airing order
Plot: Patrick journeys across town to get SpongeBob an ice cream
Written by Kaz
[titlecard]214A[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: You’re Nice
What can I say about Season 10 and 11 Patrick? I believe since Salsa Imbecilicus, there have been points where the new-new crew has tried to dumb him down beyond comprehension, rather than give us a character. The episode I’m reviewing today managed to escape that pitfall by giving him a reason to head out and do something, but that just makes his erratic, nonsensical behaviour more frustrating. I can see exactly when they’re trying to make Patrick Patrick, and when they’re just throwing dumb person jokes at the storyboard. It should be no surprise from the way I’m describing the episode that I dislike it, but there’s a lot to say about what makes it so bad.
Whatever plot there is here, it starts with Patrick fighting a spider in his home. While it has some level of entertainment value, getting the episode off to such a big, loud start doesn’t ease me into the setting, especially if it doesn’t add to anything. Patrick just fights the spider, then finds an ice cream coupon, and the rest of the episode is loosely centred around said coupon. At least Patrick wants to use it to be nice to someone, but the key words there is “wants”. He fails spectacularly at seeming like a generous guy when he decides to get SpongeBob a free ice cream, before slapping one out of his hand for some reason. I mean if I were in charge of SpongeBob, I wouldn’t want him to have more than one ice cream in one day, but I digress. It sets up that Patrick tries and fails to do things in this episode, namely things a normal person should be able to do.
He walks across Bikini Bottom to the ice cream store, but runs into trouble on the way, firstly when Mr Krabs tries to steal the coupon from him. For some reason, Mr Krabs has a crane that he picks Patrick up from, and offers him a handshake as a way to trick him into giving him the coupon, in a scene that hardly makes any sense. Patrick manages to escape however, but then makes a ruckus on the street in a very loud, uncomfortable way. It seems they were going back to Valentine’s Day for this scene, and good on those who like that episode and how it portrays Patrick, but I’m still a bit freaked out and very stressed when they make Patrick a maniac on the streets. There’s something wrong when it’s the most forgettable part of the episode however.
Patrick eventually makes it to the fabled ice cream store, and let me be frank, it’s gorgeous. They managed to make it seem like an ice cream paradise with dozens of flavours on displays, a chocolate river, coaster tracks, the works. It’s a shame the scene has to be tainted by the twist that Patrick’s coupon is outdated, sending him into a tantrum. I know by this point, they’re using Patrick as an example of how kids shouldn’t behave, and kids would be hard-pressed to imitate him, but they’re still throwing a character away for the sake of it, one I’ve grown to love across [checks watch] 2 years. Patrick’s told he can get his coupon renewed through one way however- talking to the ice cream king, whose name alone sounds like a fun idea. It’s too bad they squander it in an ending that makes Salsa Imbecilicus look educational.
After being spanked up by the ice cream parlour’s security guard, Patrick comes face to face with the Ice Cream King, who is just him but a bit dumber. The reason Patrick’s coupon was outdated is because the Ice Cream King (the one in charge of the parlour) doesn’t know what year it is, so I can’t help but feel mad at him that a majority of the episode’s conflict comes from his proud stupidity. Patrick wants to renew the coupon however, and partakes in a series of contests against the king, the first of which is a hair growth contest, where they just sit around tensing until hair grows on them. It’s unfunny, low-brow, and a waste of time, but at least the ice cream battle they have after that is alright, with them dressing in ice cream battle suits. Unfortunately, Patrick loses, but he goes to SpongeBob, gives him a hardy handshake using Mr Krabs’ sevred arm, and SpongeBob reveals he got himself another ice cream. It’s a sweet ending (no pun intended), but I can’t help but feel like the story at large is just stupidity for the sake of it.
The sad thing is I can tell when and how this episode’s trying to be funny, but I just find it to be annoying. Take Patrick slapping away SpongeBob’s first ice cream for example. The set-up and punchline are that Patrick’s accidentally being a jerk when he’s trying to be nice, and that can work, but since the presentation of the joke heavily leans on the meanness, it just comes off as randomly mean. There are other jokes that have this same sort of problem, but with me just feeling annoyed with where they’re going, like much of what’s done with the Ice Cream King. In particular, the joke about him not knowing what year it is, and that’s why all the coupons are outdated, simply makes no sense because of how this idiot must randomly own this massive, beautiful parlour.
Something I can say I like about this episode however, is its art direction, specifically when it comes to interiors. I can’t get enough of what the ice cream parlour looks like, the colour choices, just how massive it feels, etc. It’s a shame the scene set inside is another annoying one, but I’ll still give credit where it’s due. Then you have the Ice Cream King’s home, which is fine. I get the yellow colour choice and the stuff on the wall’s a nice touch, but I hardly feel like watching when he and Patrick are tensing really hard to grow hair. At least we now know that the Ice Cream King is genetically a ginger, and Patrick can have both brown and grey hair (the latter on his armpits).
If you couldn’t tell already, what wrecks Patrick’s Coupon for me are the characters. I can see what they wanted to do with Patrick, make him sensitive and caring for his friend, but these cute moments are clouded by just how weird and dumb he acts throughout, especially after he meets the Ice Cream King. He’s voiced by the creator of Uncle Grandpa, a show I haven’t seen, but have heard many weird things about, and the character and performance speak for themselves. I’m sure Uncle Grandpa’s a good show, it’s just that its comedy doesn’t bleed well into SpongeBob, (if this is it). As for the secondary cast, SpongeBob’s fine whenever he’s onscreen, though I wish he was in the episode more, so I don’t have to feel like I’m watching Patrick derp around out of SpongeBob’s control. Mr Krabs and Squidward (in their full bodies at least) only appear for one scene, don’t impact anything, and aren’t that interesting or funny. Heck, I forgot they were here until I rewatched this.
Whenever I think of the zany style simply not working and becoming overbearing, Patrick’s Coupon is the sort of episode that comes to mind. Sure I like a few animation details, but they’re not enough to save a loose story about a version of Patrick I don’t want to follow on his own. His stupidity has been superceded in episodes like Ink Lemonade, and maybe The Nitwitting when that airs, but this one still stings, because I can see where it could’ve been fun. If you like it, I can totally see why, but it’s episodes that use characters as simply vehicles for cheap gags that upset me.
Final Verdict: Bad 3/10 (barely anything has merit to it)
Patrick’s Coupon < Mutiny on the Krusty
Question of the Day: What do you think has been Patrick’s worst episode from 2015-present?
Speaking of using characters, and ultimately exaggerating them...have some ice cream before then.
:sbthumbs:
jack_of_all_traids
Comic-al
QOTD: Ink Lemonade
EmployeeAMillion
Season 13 Time!
It’s a shame my first posted review since Hillenburg’s passing has to be a negative one, but I promise tomorrow’s will seem far more like a tribute to him. I wrote everything up to Spot Returns before yesterday, where I took a break to pay respects to the ocean man.
Out of the Picture (Season 10, Episode 10b)
Original Airdate: June 17 2017
Episode 409 in standard order, Episode 407 in airing order
Plot: Mr Krabs does everything he can to get Squidward lost, so his paintings become more valuable
Written by Ben Gruber
[titlecard]214B[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: Coconut Cream Pie
This is another pretty controversial episode, some people like it and others don’t. I for one don’t. I felt it was grossly out of character for Mr Krabs to act the way he did, and I felt it was wrong they tackled such simple themes of art so violently. On the flip side, this is a pretty wild episode, with many different locations visited. Unfortunately, that just made the episode look worse and less focused to me, like they were compensating for the messed up story with zany antics. I haven’t talked much about most recent episodes outside of this re-evaluation until the reviews, because I want to express my thoughts clearly and honestly the best I can, at the right time. I’m glad I waited a while to get back in the picture, because this thankfully isn’t the worst thing ever.
It starts on a busy day at the Krusty Krab, because Squidward’s selling his paintings there for some reason. They seem to be decent art to me (except the shirtless one), so it’s obnoxious seeing everyone in the store screaming in fear, and even losing their heads over it. They also sneak in the annoying kid voice again, so we’re off to a great start. Fortunately, SpongeBob sneaks in a fun fact about art, in that it gets more valuable with time, which is very true in the art world. Mr Krabs buys Squidward’s art so it can be more valuable some day, but then an art apraiser comes by to tell him that it’ll be worth more if Squidward’s “out of the picture”. This is where things go...astray, with him providing a “hanging” gesture to rub in the fact he wants this random artist dead.
As Mr Krabs, being the responsible authority figure he is, simply wants Squidward to look dead instead of be dead, he sends him on many life-threatening deliveries, all of which he survives with SpongeBob sneaking off to help him. They first go to the North Pole, where the only funny thing is a snowman that looks just like SpongeBob, and then to Rock Bottom, in a very disappointing scene. That may sound controversial, but what make it such a great location was that it was this ominous deep sea zone, and there was only one guy who helped SpongeBob out. Now it just feels like a back alley in town where SpongeBob knows people and they party. It’s not a gigantic insult to that episode, as referencing it is at least pretty cool, but even before this episode ended, I knew this scene was awkward.
The third place Squidward’s sent to is Mars, after Krabs throws him into a rocket ship in a gag that escalates rather quickly. Or should I say “lifts off?”. Anyways, he delivers the Krabby Patty to the aliens, maybe gets probed, and disappoints the art apraiser with the fact that he’s still alive. This sends Krabs into a rage where he chases Squidward with a mallet! Y’know, to give One Coarse Meal some credit, at least Krabs and Plankton are sworn enemies, so them wanting to kill each other isn’t as far-fetched of a plotpoint as Mr Krabs literally trying to murder one of his employees in cold blood. If they wanted to keep my view of death cartoony for this episode, then they screwed up with the hanging gag from earlier on.
After a mad chase around the middle of nowhere, they end up back at the Krusty Krab where Squidward contemplates destroying his art to save his life. He does so, and is praised by the art guy for his performance art, despite the fact he has a working chainsaw in a restaurant! Mr Krabs joins in on the destruction, hoping for some money from it, in a montage of mindless destruction that makes me wish these new seasons weren’t so reference-heavy. Because I don’t want to associate an outcome as one-dimensional as this to the same universe shared by Band Geeks and Mimic Madness. Eventually, they destroy everything, and the art apraiser gives them nothing, because performance art is about the moment, before Squidward and Krabs are crushed by a pillar, their shattered bodies becoming “art”. Sure Krabs got what he deserved, but Squidward had almost been killed several times in one day with virtually no pay-off. I think this story could’ve gone somewhere, but I hate the violent, rush job conclusion.
The comedy here thankfully isn’t focused on being dark and brooding like in more serious episodes, except for the hanging joke which I’ll seemingly never get over. It can feel insultingly dumbed down at times however, such as with the crazy cringe opening, and the crazy demolition ending. There are some jokes I laugh at though, such as Mr Krabs nonchalantly throwing Squidward into a rocket set to Mars, and the SpongeBob-like snowman that does its own thing in this world. They’re not enough to save the episode for me, but they keep it from being unwatchable. Surprisingly for an episode about art, I haven’t got much to say about the animation. The different locations are fine (and faithful) I guess, but I have a problem with Squidward’s paintings being genuinely good. It makes the wincing of the other characters less relatable for me, as I’d honestly hang the squid cat on my wall.
I think it’s best to start off with the characters I didn’t like here. When Mr Krabs acts so cartoonishly greedy in this episode, I can’t help but wonder what happened to the stingy but serious Mr Krabs from Season 1. This is an episode that just condenses his personality into a single flat dimension, and I’m left hardly seeing it. I also really hate the art apraiser, because literally everything he says and does only makes the story worse. His hipster clothing’s alright though. As for the characters that I think are fine, but nothing great, Squidward gets a few funny reactions, but mostly feels like a vehicle to take us to random, time-wasting locations. SpongeBob doesn’t really need to be there most of the time, he’s just around to explain the value of art, then make the occasional joke about the situation. Because I don’t care about these characters most of the time, it makes the actions they commit to even less engaging.
I’m very happy to have gotten all of these complaints towards the episode out of my system, from the big ones such as carefully explaining what’s wrong with the story, to the little nitpicks such as not liking how Rock Bottom’s portrayed. I’m sure as the years go on, the quality of this episode’s going to be further debated, and like with almost every other Post-Sequel episodes, I can see the points towards it. The jokes land if you’re in the right mood for them, and it could interest those who are looking for a satire on art and its value. Personally, due to the character corruption and randomly dark undertones, I’ll just want it out of the picture.
Final Verdict: Bad 4/10 (not worth your time)
Code Yellow < Out of the Picture < Sanctuary!
Question of the Day: Which type of Mr Krabs do you like more- authority figure or greedy cartoon?
I hope tomorrow’s episode doesn’t change me for the worse. Until then, just try to think of awesome monster parties while listening to this.
:sbthumbs:
Out of the Picture (Season 10, Episode 10b)
Original Airdate: June 17 2017
Episode 409 in standard order, Episode 407 in airing order
Plot: Mr Krabs does everything he can to get Squidward lost, so his paintings become more valuable
Written by Ben Gruber
[titlecard]214B[/titlecard]
Title Card Music: Coconut Cream Pie
This is another pretty controversial episode, some people like it and others don’t. I for one don’t. I felt it was grossly out of character for Mr Krabs to act the way he did, and I felt it was wrong they tackled such simple themes of art so violently. On the flip side, this is a pretty wild episode, with many different locations visited. Unfortunately, that just made the episode look worse and less focused to me, like they were compensating for the messed up story with zany antics. I haven’t talked much about most recent episodes outside of this re-evaluation until the reviews, because I want to express my thoughts clearly and honestly the best I can, at the right time. I’m glad I waited a while to get back in the picture, because this thankfully isn’t the worst thing ever.
It starts on a busy day at the Krusty Krab, because Squidward’s selling his paintings there for some reason. They seem to be decent art to me (except the shirtless one), so it’s obnoxious seeing everyone in the store screaming in fear, and even losing their heads over it. They also sneak in the annoying kid voice again, so we’re off to a great start. Fortunately, SpongeBob sneaks in a fun fact about art, in that it gets more valuable with time, which is very true in the art world. Mr Krabs buys Squidward’s art so it can be more valuable some day, but then an art apraiser comes by to tell him that it’ll be worth more if Squidward’s “out of the picture”. This is where things go...astray, with him providing a “hanging” gesture to rub in the fact he wants this random artist dead.
As Mr Krabs, being the responsible authority figure he is, simply wants Squidward to look dead instead of be dead, he sends him on many life-threatening deliveries, all of which he survives with SpongeBob sneaking off to help him. They first go to the North Pole, where the only funny thing is a snowman that looks just like SpongeBob, and then to Rock Bottom, in a very disappointing scene. That may sound controversial, but what make it such a great location was that it was this ominous deep sea zone, and there was only one guy who helped SpongeBob out. Now it just feels like a back alley in town where SpongeBob knows people and they party. It’s not a gigantic insult to that episode, as referencing it is at least pretty cool, but even before this episode ended, I knew this scene was awkward.
The third place Squidward’s sent to is Mars, after Krabs throws him into a rocket ship in a gag that escalates rather quickly. Or should I say “lifts off?”. Anyways, he delivers the Krabby Patty to the aliens, maybe gets probed, and disappoints the art apraiser with the fact that he’s still alive. This sends Krabs into a rage where he chases Squidward with a mallet! Y’know, to give One Coarse Meal some credit, at least Krabs and Plankton are sworn enemies, so them wanting to kill each other isn’t as far-fetched of a plotpoint as Mr Krabs literally trying to murder one of his employees in cold blood. If they wanted to keep my view of death cartoony for this episode, then they screwed up with the hanging gag from earlier on.
After a mad chase around the middle of nowhere, they end up back at the Krusty Krab where Squidward contemplates destroying his art to save his life. He does so, and is praised by the art guy for his performance art, despite the fact he has a working chainsaw in a restaurant! Mr Krabs joins in on the destruction, hoping for some money from it, in a montage of mindless destruction that makes me wish these new seasons weren’t so reference-heavy. Because I don’t want to associate an outcome as one-dimensional as this to the same universe shared by Band Geeks and Mimic Madness. Eventually, they destroy everything, and the art apraiser gives them nothing, because performance art is about the moment, before Squidward and Krabs are crushed by a pillar, their shattered bodies becoming “art”. Sure Krabs got what he deserved, but Squidward had almost been killed several times in one day with virtually no pay-off. I think this story could’ve gone somewhere, but I hate the violent, rush job conclusion.
The comedy here thankfully isn’t focused on being dark and brooding like in more serious episodes, except for the hanging joke which I’ll seemingly never get over. It can feel insultingly dumbed down at times however, such as with the crazy cringe opening, and the crazy demolition ending. There are some jokes I laugh at though, such as Mr Krabs nonchalantly throwing Squidward into a rocket set to Mars, and the SpongeBob-like snowman that does its own thing in this world. They’re not enough to save the episode for me, but they keep it from being unwatchable. Surprisingly for an episode about art, I haven’t got much to say about the animation. The different locations are fine (and faithful) I guess, but I have a problem with Squidward’s paintings being genuinely good. It makes the wincing of the other characters less relatable for me, as I’d honestly hang the squid cat on my wall.
I think it’s best to start off with the characters I didn’t like here. When Mr Krabs acts so cartoonishly greedy in this episode, I can’t help but wonder what happened to the stingy but serious Mr Krabs from Season 1. This is an episode that just condenses his personality into a single flat dimension, and I’m left hardly seeing it. I also really hate the art apraiser, because literally everything he says and does only makes the story worse. His hipster clothing’s alright though. As for the characters that I think are fine, but nothing great, Squidward gets a few funny reactions, but mostly feels like a vehicle to take us to random, time-wasting locations. SpongeBob doesn’t really need to be there most of the time, he’s just around to explain the value of art, then make the occasional joke about the situation. Because I don’t care about these characters most of the time, it makes the actions they commit to even less engaging.
I’m very happy to have gotten all of these complaints towards the episode out of my system, from the big ones such as carefully explaining what’s wrong with the story, to the little nitpicks such as not liking how Rock Bottom’s portrayed. I’m sure as the years go on, the quality of this episode’s going to be further debated, and like with almost every other Post-Sequel episodes, I can see the points towards it. The jokes land if you’re in the right mood for them, and it could interest those who are looking for a satire on art and its value. Personally, due to the character corruption and randomly dark undertones, I’ll just want it out of the picture.
Final Verdict: Bad 4/10 (not worth your time)
Code Yellow < Out of the Picture < Sanctuary!
Question of the Day: Which type of Mr Krabs do you like more- authority figure or greedy cartoon?
I hope tomorrow’s episode doesn’t change me for the worse. Until then, just try to think of awesome monster parties while listening to this.
:sbthumbs: