Top 30 Season 9 Episodes from 2012-2015

[MrTortellini00]

Hoping that I'll manage to finish this...

MrT here (funny nickname I have here ), and this is my top 30 of the season 9 episodes aired up to 2015 (up to "The Sewers of Bikini Bottom"). I've a message for the SBM people who read my blog on that forum: In that blog I look at episodes with different eyes, so don't be surprised if this list doesn't match up with what I said in the blog. Also, I made the season 9 ranking a draft, so if you had the idea to look at it to have more ideas of the ranking of the episodes, at least you tried. Okay, now the list can start!

Hint: Worst plot in the season

[Less_SpongeBob]

SpongeBob You're Fired?

[MrTortellini00]

Number 30

Yes, this is now my least favorite episode from season 9. The plot of this episode is just so weak and uninspired. I literally cannot believe how many aspects from different episodes this episodes borrows, and that's a big problems because then it seems like the episode doesn't have a clear identity of its own. Of course it does, but this episode is just... Well, let's start with the dumb reason that SpongeBob to be fired: a nickle. The writers literally didn't put effort onto this. They had a ton of possibilities to make the premise a lot more clever, but instead they chose one of the laziest and stupidest ideas I could have imagined. We know how much the Krusty Krab needs SpongeBob to keep its business, and we also know that SpongeBob doesn't earn a lot of money working there. But firing him for a nickel? No, just no. . Besides that, the part between the firing and SpongeBob looking for jobs is so boring and slow: it's dull, not funny, and Sandy is out of character for feeding people with dangerous food. Even things like Patrick eating a tomato and a cucumber is very slow. The part with SpongeBob looking for a new job is very unoriginal either, we've already seen SpongeBob cooking nothing but Patties in another episode. Not only that, but SpongeBob manage to make snail food, which is totally not a Patty, literally in the next scene! This is how much the writers didn't care. The last part of the episode is definitely not bad, but incredibly mediocre: the only thing that is good in this entire special is the Killer Patty. But that isn't great neither because it's revealed that the Killer Patty was Squidward, who wanted to bring back SpongeBob because he hated the smell of the burning Krabby Patties even more than him, implying that he doesn't really care about the sponge. Also, Mr. Krabs didn't learn anything by the end of the episode, by putting a paying toilet. All this together makes it for a boring, uninteresting, slow and mean-spirited special. This feels like a stretched out 11 minutes episodes instead of a 22 minutes episode for how much filler this special had. One of the worst specials of the show.

3.1/10

Hint: Other "Kareless Krabs" moments

[MrTortellini00]

Number 29

This episode is really infamous for a reason: it's yet another Squidward torture episode which features him hitting his head a lot of times. That, folks, is a really big problem. Why? In this episode, Squidward hits his head so hard that his head inflated and he started to act like a baby. The trauma, called Head-go-boom-boom-itis (stupid, stupid name and wrong use of the suffix -itis), can be permanent if the head is hit again. It's made very clear that he mustn't be hit in the head by the episode itself. Then why the heck the writers decided to make Squidward hitting his head a running gag? Right after the hospital scene Patrick throw Squidward on the ceiling, hitting his head in the process. It's not funny, at all. I know it was an attempt at jokes, but the writers totally failed: it's just frustrating. The section with SpongeBob and Patrick taking care of Squidward is really tedious, but it had some funny moments, along with some bad ones. And to end this episode with a boom: the Krusty Krab section. Aside from the fact that Patrick erases himself from the plot and Mr. Krabs being totally careless about Squidward's condition, this part was just a complete trainwreck. Basically the humor was just lame jokes (for here or to goo), toilet humor (diaper), and most "hitting Squidward's head" in the entire episode. If the first part of the episode didn't make it bad, then this part does. And the resolution is also a bit stupid and doesn't make a lot of sense. There you have it, another really bad Squidward torture episode. But this is still slightly better than SpongeBob You're Fired because this makes me waste less of my time.

3.2/10

Hint: Wimpy Kid

[MrTortellini00]

Number 28

Okay, here are some good news and some bad news: the good news is that this episode grew up on me a little bit and I now think that it definitely isn't the worst of the season; but the bad news is, that I still think it's a bad episode. I don't think I even have a lot to say here that I didn't say earlier: the plot is not bad but kinda lackluster, the majority of the characters aren't likable (I get what the background fish were supposed to be here, but I don't think it worked really well) and it ends with one of the worst ways ever. Don't get me wrong, Squidward trying to get his hand on SpongeBob's diary isn't a bad premise, but I really don't think it's well executed. Squidward is kind of a jerk here, and I'm fine with that. But in the scene where everyone in town (who also were there to read the diary) insults him and rejects him and he loses his house, I don't even know if I should feel sorry for him or glad for the punishment he's having because anyway at the end he still shows no remorse for what he did. The final line made me absolutely give up on how I should feel for him. But what makes it better and places it in the "might rewatch again" territory is that this episode has comedy, which doesn't always work but for the most part it's there and it made me laugh a little but. There's definitly enough comedy to increase the replay value of the episode. So yeah, I still think it's bad, but not quite as bad as the other 2 masterpieces I've already talked about. I've met some people who like this episode, and I can't say I completely diasgree: I can see why people could like this episode, and I'm really not bothered by someone liking an episode that I don't like. Okay, we're already out of the bad territory now that I'm over with this episode.

4.2/10

Heck, I was originally gonna rate this a 3.5/10, but I'm really confident on myself that I don't dislike the episode that much anymore.

Hint: For the sake of status quo

Edited January 10, 2016 by MrTortellini00

[MrTortellini00]

Number 27

This episode falls into the middle-of-the-road territory for me: nothing I really liked, nothing I really disliked. It's yet another boating episode, but nothing new is brought to the table: Mrs. Puff tries a new technique to make SpongeBob get his license; huh, okay. But to this point of the show, we already know SpongeBob is unteachable, we've already seen SpongeBob managing to drive, and we've already seen him almost getting his license. There were some jokes but only a few of them made me at least giggle. The trippy effects used in the episodes are cool, but nothing fantastic at all. And that chase scene was just there and a build up to that slap-on-the-face ending. At the end of the episode SpongeBob gets his license, and that's when the officer comes in, says that the exam wasn't valid and tears the license apart. Yeah, because the writers have never made it clear that SpongeBob won't get his license anytime soon, if not ever. And Mrs. Puff goes to jail, which also isn't the first time it happens, right? And the whole thing was just so boring and unfunny, but not to a very high degree, hence the reason I don't think it's bad. No, this episode is between meh and bad for me, and that stupid ending is not gonna making me change the entire opinion on the episode. Meh...

5.3/10

Hint: Some confusing breathing logics

[MrTortellini00]

Hmm... not that many replies yet. I may consider to interrupt it over here if it stays this way 

[BeachBob95]

I like it. Go on.

[MrTortellini00]

Number 26

 

 

Not much to say about this one: it's pretty standard and nothing in it really stands out. A land creature being famous underwater is a concept that can work. But when not much in it is either interesting or funny, then it's just wasted potential. I know that it was for plot purposes, but the fact that everyone in town is a fan of Kenny the Cat feels completely random, like it was famous for a long time ago even if it probably isn't. If it was mentioned in the episode that he's a new celebrity, I'd understand the whole story a little bit more. And this episode also has some weird physics: Kenny the Cat cannot breathe underwater but can talk underwater. That's odd, but since it's a cartoon it doesn't bother me a lot. Everything in this episode is forgettable: the story is eh, the characters aren't memorable, the comedy is light. At the end, it's just a pretty bland episode that doesn't give much to offer. Weirdly enough, the #5 episode of the bottom 5 is just a meh episode, meaning that the reason season 9 isn't really that good to me is because it has a ton of okay to meh episode whilst the pure bad episodes are just 3. The next episode isn't much better either, sadly.

 

Hint: Worst episode of 2015

[MrTortellini00]

Number 25

 

 

After a perfect 1-year hiatus, this is the first episode of 2015. And it's also... my least favorite episode of that year. There are definitely things I like about it, but the story is just really boring and uninspiring. Basically the whole action we're supposed to care about happens to the Krusty Krab. Mr. Krabs tells a story about a Yeti Krab who eats lazy employees to motivate Squidward, the Yeti Krabs comes in, SpongeBob goes on a overdrive, Squidward, who thought that the Yeti Krab was Mr. Krabs in disguise, realizes that the Yeti Krab is real, and at the end they realize that the Yeti Krab wanted to eat because he was just hungry. That's the whole plot. The fact that everything relevant (or everything beside one scene) takes place to the Krusty Krab, a location whose overuse within the show isn't very much liked, doesn't make things better: it just makes them worse. I'm not saying that an episode can't be entertaining if it just takes place at the Krusty Krab, "Graveyard Shift" made it really well. But this doesn't feel like a fresh or compelling story: it's just very bland and forgettable. As for the things I like, I liked Squidward's lazy attitude in this episode, as well as SpongeBob going nuts about all the works he wants to do. The time cards were also a bit amusing, I guess. It's surely not a bad episode: it's pretty boring, but it's also harmless. I'm still wondering why Nick waited so long to air this episode.

 

Hint: Shattered

[MrTortellini00]

The next two episodes are a tie. They got the exact same score and I don't know which is the best one. The one on top will be the first one in production order, but the two spots are interchangeable.

 

Hint for number 23: USB pot

Edited January 12, 2016 by MrTortellini00

[MrTortellini00]

Number 24

 

 

I don't have anything new to say: it was a little bit entertaining but nothing in it feels outstanding. Sandy trying to break every single world record can lead up to a good episode, but it's just a little bit repetitive with SpongeBob getting hurt every time. This episode even has a rather unnecessary beginning as well as a pretty jarring Patrick cameo. But I liked the characters interactions here and the ending, for how predictable it was, was funny too. I did get a few chuckles from this episode, but it's not really something I'd watch again. And while this episode takes a nice concept and does some mild things with it...

 

Number 23

 

 

...This episode is the complete opposite: it has a weak premise but does some cool things with it. I'm sorry, but the premise of SpongeBob and Patrick doing some extreme sports doesn't seem original, at all. When I saw the plot of the episode, "Pre-Hibernation Week" and "A Life in a Day" popped out in my mind immediately. I don't even know why people consider "Squirrel Record" a rehash of "Pre-Hibernation Week": this is even a more big rehash of that episode than "Squirrel Record". Just replace Sandy with The Drasticals, add Patrick, and just take the extreme sports aspects that episode had: there, you have this episode. It's pretty repetitive too because it's basically SpongeBob and Patrick doing an activity (bubble blowingor wrestling, to name a few), and The Drasticals doing it the "extreme" way but I liked the visual gags. There were many of them and most of them got me, like The Drasticals getting stung by jellyfish, to name one. So why is this episode so low in the list? The weak plot isn't helped by the jokes, unfortunately. I don't get the point of that British fish: why is he here? We didn't really need him except for the whole "extreme spots" thing, which felt unneeded to the story. The season started with two okay episodes of the same quality, but it's not the worst start I've ever seen in the show.

 

Hint: Different transition

[MrTortellini00]

Number 22

 

 

Geez, this is already the third time I talk about this episode in a short span of time... I don't have anything new to say. The karate is good (not great, just good), the characters are decent, and the jokes used worked. But the story is incredibly lackluster and could've executed way better. It's not that the story alone ruins the whole thing, the other aspects aren't even that great to begin with. I've already talked enough about how stupid and illogical the ending is, so I won't lose other time here ranting about it again. With are the good things being just moderately good, combined with a pretty generic karate story, you get an okay episode that I'd still watch again but that isn't in my recommendations list. Short rant, but I honestly don't know what else to say about this episode.

 

Hint: The End

[MrTortellini00]

Number 21

 

 

 

This episode is really confusing. I had a hard time to have a clear opinion on the episode. During the first two thirds of the episode, not much really happens: they watch the movie and they're worried about The Fisherman. That's pretty much what happened before Squidward decided to disguise himself as The Fisherman to give them a scare. Most of the episode has SpongeBob and Patrick screaming, which isn't always pleasant to the ears, but here I don't mind it very much. That last part, in my opinion, saved the episode from being very forgettable. It has some funny moments, and also nice facial expressions. And the use of "Fight, Fight, Fight" as a background music wasn't expected. Squidward's comeuppance went a little too far, but at least he did something to deserve it instead of "he did nothing so let's annoy him". I also like the spooky feeling this episode has, which makes sense considering its airdate being close to Halloween. The last section, as well as the nice drawings and some jokes thrown out occasionally, definitely got my attention enough to consider it a decent episode. But if I want to see an episode with a good plot, I'd pass through from this one because not much happens.

 

Hint: Corpse

[BeachBob95]

Still enjoying your list

[MrTortellini00]

3 hours ago, BeachBob95 said:

Still enjoying your list

Thanks for your support

Number 20

 

 

This is it, my least favorite episode from the post-second movie era of 2015. That doesn't mean I think it's a bad one: it's actually a good one in my opinion. It makes some good things and some bad things. Let's start with the bad things: first of all, I don't mind Mr. Krabs' cheapness, I'd expect that from him and it's in line with it's line with his character. Squidward's annoyance in this episode isn't bothering him that much in this episode, so I consider it as a minor problem. But this episode, compared with the other episodes aired in 2015, is not that interesting: it's fine and nice, but it hasn't a story I'd check out over and over. It's another Plankton episode (kind of); and we've seen that a lot already but I'll come back to that. I question Mr. Krabs' behavior in this episode, he doesn't look like the guy who would easily give up and going to Plankton's picnic just like that. The twist is also kinda weird and implies that Squidward was riding a seadragon corpse, or eating disgusting chum, or that Plankton was driving a broken bus... but they needed a twist in the story, so it's cool. My last complain is that it ends quite abruptly, maybe too abruptly. About the things I liked, I liked the beginning (aside from the burning eye part), some of the jokes were funny and it has cool drawings like the face SpongeBob makes at the end of the slow-motion part, or "The best company picnic ever!". I also liked every other aspects of the plot and Plankton's plan feels... a bit more original than the other ones I've seen previously, I guess. Nice episode, and while still being relatively worse than the other ones surrounding it, it's still a rather satisfying experience.

 

Hint: Fill the blanks to find one of the characters of the episode. _ o _ t_ _   _ h _   M _ _l _ a _

[MrTortellini00]

Number 19

 

 

At first, this episode is really interesting: we get to see Squidward trying to find a friend for be his plus one while he doesn't have any (aside from SpongeBob but Squidward refuses to go with him, obviously), which led to some cool character interactions between Squidward, Norton, and even Larry. But sadly there's something I can't get over to: this episode has a really small replay value. After knowing what happens, there aren't that many things I can enjoy after watching it a first time. The plot is decent, but not strong enough to make me go back and watch it again. After knowing all the twist and all what happens in the story, that's it, but what's left? The comedy, but the episode isn't really very funny. The parts with Norton and the scenes with SpongeBob and Squidward are definitely funny, but that's about it. I also didn't really like Squidward in this one, as well as the scene where Squidward starts to making fun of protein shakes, when Larry decided to be his plus one: lowest point of the episode, no doubt. And the ending isn't really satisfying either: Squidward decided to go at the opening with his reflection on a mirror, but after all the things that happened in the episode, that's not the best way to end it. Good episode, but nothing in it makes it worth watching it again to me 

 

Hint: They're awesome

[MrTortellini00]

 

A little something before the rant: I don't remember if I told it before, but since "Don't Look Now" or something, the episodes are VERY CLOSE in terms of quality: I could easily switch episodes that are 2 or 3 places far because of that.
Also, I forgot to mention that "Squid Plus One" is tied with this episode, and because of the airdate I put "It Came From Goo Lagoon" on top, but if I switch the places it would be the same thing. Okay, enough babbling.
 

Number 18

 

This special has some wasted potential: it's surely better than the garbage that was SpongeBob You're Fired, but it could've been much more better and epic. I'll come back to that later. I enjoyed this episode: the story was nice, not super interesting but enjoyable. The premise was creative and it led up to a big tension throughout the entire episode. It also had some funny moments to distract me a bit from the plot; Squidward was funny (he only was a minor character in the episode, and for its short time on screen he managed to make me laugh), SpongeBob and Patrick were a bit funny at times and the fish people were too occasionally. I'm not sure if it does its duty as special very well: it surely was more of a special than the other one I mentioned, but some parts or scene in the episode feel a bit forced in, just to fill up the runtime. Example: between the part where Plankton learns about the goo, and the moment where super bubble rises, nothing really important happens. And the chase scene is also overly long. This episode could've been a lot better if it had a better story, not only by cutting all the fillery moments, but also by ending it better. In an story-driven episode like this one, you can't end it with that big anticlimax. Throughout the entire episode Sandy made us think that the goo bubbles were super dangerous and threatening, and at the end it just makes everyone dirty. Was this was the episode built up to? Well, that was pretty underwhelming. It does ruin the plot a little bit, but it doesn't ruin my enjoyment of the special: I think it's a good episode, but not what I'd recommend for those who want to see a bigger SpongeBob story. I'd recommend it if people want to see a tolerable special, though.

New: The scorecard of the episodes I've already reviewed. From now on, I'll put a scorecard to keep track of the episodes I've reviewed and their rating (Terrible to Amazing system). Those ratings are more accurate than the ones in the blog, and the scale isn't the same anymore: that's why some episodes that were just okay now are good and that "Little Yellow Book" is mediocre while it was bad, for examples.
The scorecard so far 

Spoiler

 

[MrTortellini00]

Number 17

 

 

Hmm... How could I say about this episode? First of all, it's a bit light on jokes: it's not very funny, but it had its moments. The story, however, is what makes it so high on the list. What's so great about SpongeBob trying to get a new license to milkshake (small nod to "Yours, Mine and Mine", where the milkshake license also appeared) to satisfy a costumer? I don't know, I think I've a fetish for stories like this one. I liked every part of the episode and for some reason I never feel bored while watching it, while normally I should, considering that it's not that funny. Captain Frostymug was... decent. Nothing is wrong about him, but we've already seen characters similar to him on the show. The highlight for me is, no doubt, the montage: I don't know what... what's so great about... I feel like I'm... Never mind, I really liked that moment, period. Apparently the montage references Top Gun, but I'm not really into cultural references when I watch this show. I also like to see SpongeBob managing to do something other than flipping patties (even if that was only at the very end), and every other character was passable. There's absolutely nothing to dislike in this episode, it just could've been a lot funnier and it would've been one of my favorites of the season.

 

The scorecard so far (I made the ratings more visible) 

Spoiler

 

[MrTortellini00]

Tun tun tun! Another tie!

 

Number 16

 

 

I see why some people would not like this episode a lot, but honestly, I liked it a lot. The story of the episode isn't really great, it's nothing complicated and didn't use its entire potential. But, the story was decent enough to keep me entertained. Some people say that SpongeBob can't get lost in Bikini Bottom because he lives in that city and all that. Look, there are been no absolutely no hints that SpongeBob knows the city perfectly at any point of the show, so I don't understand that implication. And also, even if the way is a straight line, nothing says that there isn't a faster way, like, I don't know, a water slide underground. But of course the episode didn't do that and instead they focused more on SpongeBob getting lost. Speaking of him, he acted kinda dumb in this episode: he doesn't listen to Squidward, he seems to not know what a payphone is, he hugs everyone at the Krusty Krab like a long time has passed. I know that SpongeBob isn't supposed to be super smart though, so I'd understand his attitude in the episode. Last complain, the episode feel rushed: in only a minute the episode goes from SpongeBob being completely lost to him getting back to the Krusty Krab; and that leads us to the ending, which is actually my favorite part of the episode. Squidward getting all dirty on purpose just to go home and then getting sprayed by a water hose from Mr. Krabs was pretty funny. This episode also had some other funny moments and very nice drawings as well. This episode really isn't one of my favorites, but I did enjoy it, at least more than the other 2 post-second movie episodes that already made the list for sure.

 

Number 15

 

 

Well, this is just your standard Gary episode. It is just a pretty decent one, but not great. It also feels like a second version of "Treats!": SpongeBob buys something for Gary, who gets obsessed by it, and SpongeBob tries to solve the issue one way or the another. Like that episode had Gary's non-stop meowing, this episode starts with him chewing everything in SpongeBob's house in the beginnig, and then completely neglecting SpongeBob for a little red ball, and the owner has to find a way to make that stop. No, in reality, SpongeBob only really tried in the former; in the latter he gives up, and goes away from his own home. With the comparaisons ended, I must say that this episode feels like it's not very interesting (like almost every episode from the first half of the season), Gary can get annoying and the climax with Gary trying to get rid of the ball isn't really great. But this episode has some funny moments as well. I didn't say that before, but just how characters pronounce some lines makes me laugh. For example, I always chuckle at SpongeBob saying "That is not tea!". Even if the story isn't really strong, I liked the episode and some of the humor it had in it, thus the rank it has not being very low.

 

You'll see a ton of other ties here, that's how much most of the episodes are close in quality. I must say, this season was very consistent compared to the ones that precede it.

 

The scorecard so far: 

Spoiler