Squidward Tentacles Discussion Thread

Squilly

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I actually started watching the show only because of Squidward at first. He's very relatable, that's probably one of the main reasons why he was, and still is,my favourite character. Also, probably, because he has a lot of different personality traits, and his character isn't flat, like it often happens in cartoons (though, i wouldn't call most of the main SpongeBob characters flat).
It's a shame that no one writes his character correct anymore, but I think they managed to keep some of his original charm..
 

FinnDinner

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Squidward's best season is Season 3. The play off between him towards SpongeBob and Patrick is just awesome. Episodes like Idiot Box, Just One Bite, Snowball Effect, and The Camping Episode, all show his character almost beautifully. He doesn't want to like their games, but he can get carried into it. The best Squidward episode, however, comes from Season 2. Squidville shows his character to the tee. He needs SpongeBob to fulfill an otherwise boring life. Squidward and SpongeBob is the best duo on the show, with episodes like Pizza Delivery, Employee of the Month, Dying For Pie, Graveyard Shift, and Just One Bite. I love the dynamic between Squidward's more pessimist attitude with SpongeBob. He can be a great straight-man and can be very relatable in these moments. Then there is the episode Can You Spare a Dime? where it shows Squidward is completely capable of taking advantage of SpongeBob. He had a certain edge to him that didn't make him all the way in one direction, which I really like, he deserved his treatment in that episode.

Squidward on his own is a great character as well. His motivations make sense, he doesn't want to harm SpongeBob he just wants for him to leave him alone. He wants everyone to shut up and to relax by himself. That is why he always has a bad mood when he's at work. An episode the captivated his interests is Band Geeks and Squilliam Returns. They show that he really does have something to live up to towards his rival, and Band Geeks really does get down exactly his personality. Squilliam Returns serves as a great sequel showing that Squidward can lose in the feud.

Nowadays, he's ether a punching bag or way too out of mood. He doesn't really feel like Squidward anymore. Episodes like Squid Noir are cool and all, but it feels like a different Squidward doing it. It doesn't really feel like the same person, it's kind of hard to put my hand on it, but it is odd. He's probably, excluding Plankton, the least effected by flanderization, since being a punching bag doesn't make you unlikable. An episode that kills his personality the most is Little Yellow Book, showing him being unlikable with no real follow through, making the whole experience suck.
 

McSponge

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Squidward was truly at his worst in Season 10. Season 11 Squidward is pretty rough, but there are a few golden exceptions in this case (Squid Noir, Bottle Burglars). He was definitely at his best in Seasons 2/3. I can't really judge which season he was his best in, though I would say personally I find his Season 2 self to edge out Season 3 just a little. I'll go into deeper discussion of his character someday if I feel like it.
 

member 9373

squidward is a very good boy and i love him

i haven't really watched everything past season 4 so i probably can't say too much about his flanderization but one of the reasons i just haven't watched very much of the later seasons is because the way him and other characters have changed honestly just saddens me. the dynamic between him and spongebob in the first seasons is the biggest part of his character and i think the later seasons just destroyed it. it's abundantly clear from episodes like christmas who and fools in april that he really does like spongebob a lot deep down and his jerkiness is partially a result of the fact that he doesn't want to admit it to himself. just one bite is a PERFECT metaphor for squidward's relationship with spongebob. i could honestly write a full essay on it, man. like seriously though, just watch that episode and replace every instance of 'krabby patty' with 'spongebob' and it's really clear.

later seasons changed a lot. squidward, when he's a jerk in earlier seasons, gets what he deserves and it's fair. but recently it seems the entire town just hates him and the world is built to torture him, which is so out of the spirit of the show that it's kinda upsetting. his dynamic with spongebob gets ruined so bad that i just don't want to watch the show anymore at all. originally, when squidward got upset at something spongebob was doing, he was usually just being bothered by something that didn't matter and was just being a jerk about it. now spongebob is sometimes being actively horrible to him and yet the show still treats it like it's his fault for being bothered by it. it seems the writers just completely forgot that him and spongebob are actually friends.

obviously not every new episode is bad to him, but generally speaking he's just not like he used to be. his jerkiness is still present and everything but i dunno, it just doesn't feel the same.

because spongebob is the type of cartoon that reverts back to status quo after the end of each episode it obviously couldn't have character arcs or anything, but i was actually thinking, what if it did have character arcs? i would love to see squidward's because he has a lot of potential for character development. i was kinda planning writing a fanfic that explores the progression of his relationship with spongebob and has him realizing and accepting the fact that he actually likes him, would anyone read that??

TL;DR:
i am a salty squidbob shipper
 

EmployeeAMillion

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Squidward was one of my least favourite character when I was really young due to being “the grumpy one”, but I’ve grown to respect his part to play in the show, and the sense of humour he brings to the table. It helps that his audience becomes more like him with age.
 

Combusto82

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Squidward is my favorite. i never forget one episode where he freaked out as Spongebob and Patrick drops by at his house as they are are looking for Gary the Snail lol my other favorite eps that focus on him- Just One Bite, Squid's Day Off and The Campfire Song. seems he don't say "Everone's a Critic" anymore or he did?
 

Mrs.Squidward

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Squidward can be kinda relatable if you are having depressive episodes or are generally a person that views life in a more negative light. He seems to be the only character besides Squilliam Fancyson, who is interested in culture and art. Culture is not a bad thing, so it is sad to see everyone reacting negatively towoards it. This could actually be a reason for why he is so depressed. There is no one who shares his viewpoint and he feels lonely.
 

Mrs.Squidward

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I'm not a Squidward fan (I prefer SpongeBob and Patrick) but I don't like how he is constantly abused and he DESERVES to be truly happy!

That is true! Circumstances can make you into a bad person. In the early seasons Squidward seems to be less hateful towoards spongebob. He is annoyed of course, but in a somewhat more personable way.
 

spongedude

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Circumstances certainly do play a large role in how people behave. I agree that Squidward deserves better, though I'll also admit that he goes through much of life looking for the dour in things, and so he usually finds it. SpongeBob, by contrast, is largely upbeat, and so the world responds in kind. 😉

 

squidgeek06

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talk about the character that is better than spongebob squarepants

he's good for rivalries

squidward is my favorite character and all but no one writes his character correct anymore
It's a known fact that everybody is an idiot except for him!
 

Sara SquarePants

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Circumstances certainly do play a large role in how people behave. I agree that Squidward deserves better, though I'll also admit that he goes through much of life looking for the dour in things, and so he usually finds it. SpongeBob, by contrast, is largely upbeat, and so the world responds in kind. 😉


Are you saying Squidward has a mental illness?
 

spongedude

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@Mikurotoro92 No, I'm not sure where you got that from. 🤔 I merely remarked on some real-world psychological phenomena that the Squidward/Spongebob contrast illustrates.

Feel free to actually read the linked article when you get the chance. 😉
 

Sara SquarePants

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I did read the article

I came to the conclusion on my own based on the information in the article

Specifically, this part:

"People who have mental illness are seen to have a lower self-esteem, experience social avoidance, and do not commit to improving their overall quality of life, due to their illness preventing them from gaining the motivation to do so. "

This describes Squidward to a tee!

He definitely has low self-esteem, hates being social, & doesn't try to make his life better



Now this article ABSOLUTELY describes Squidward Tentacles:

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negativity_bias)

And THIS describes SpongeBob SquarePants!

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimism_bias)
 
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Mrs.Squidward

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It is not only the fear preventing you from making things better in your life, it could also be, that you have just kinda gotten comfortable with the way it is. You are used to it being the way it is and change might actually frighten you. I do not know if this is the case with Squidward, since he seems to be eager to become famous, meaning, he wants change in his life. He may be pessimistic due to all the failures he had in the past, that is why he has lost the motivation to do something.
 

spongedude

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@Mikurotoro92

Whoops, meant to reply earlier. Just wanted to apologize if my tone was frosty the other week. I shouldn't have been so snarky. I happen to have garnered something different from the article, but you make some very valid points (likely better than mine).

Squid is certainly one of the most complex characters in the show.
 

pgh214

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Ah good ol' Squiddy. I do not find him better than SpongeBob, but he's in the middle of the pack for my liking of characters. His character depth is probably first or tied for first among the characters, which allows him to have episodes centered around him. It's a good quality of the show that we get in his headspace. There was never any indication that he was miserable before SpongeBob moved in, in fact, the opposite is implied, so I don't think Sponge is a positive in his life.
He's self centered, thinks he's better than he actually is, but has a pretty good core if the situation is dire enough.
He gets annoyed by most other characters, but its ironic that no one is annoyed of his narcissism. We all relate to wanting to have alone time and take up our ambitions, and the show demonstrates that nicely. Generally though, this level of wanting to be alone makes him kind of boring and if he didn't have obligations to be at certain places I feel like he'd never leave his house. All of the action episodes see him reluctantly join the crew (most of the time that's understandable). But I just never got the blame factor outside of his neighbors. His job is what it is because of his own life choices. Krabs isn't the worst boss in the world early on in the show, and Squidward still gets paid for not doing that much.
The other characters, in his minimal interactions with him, aren't a nuisance at all. But yes, I understand the depression of living next to SpongeBob and Patrick. It's funny most of his early torture was a result of him taking things too far or falling for the temptation of trying to sabotage his neighbors. Now, he's just included for gross out violence, which is extremely unfortunate. I usually prefer him as a side character in an episode just for some great dialogue and consistent personality. I don't know, he's a complex one.
 
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