198a. Sharks vs. Pods

[Guest]

An impressive episode. Definitely one of the best of the week. I thought the whole thing was very funny, especially the ending. The voice acting was top-notch too, and impressed me. I also loved Patrick's random appearance at the end. An episode that could crack a top 50. 11/10

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Great episode, and the best of the entire "Deal With It" week. Great gags, impressive music choice, amazing voice acting... what else would you like in a SpongeBob episode? Looking forward to more episodes from this Solomon dude.

[Jane]

I thought it was decent. I think the pacing was a bit slow and it didn't get that funny until the second half. I loved that they brought back that club from "No Weenies Allowed" and that fish who ate nails for breakfast.

I loved the ending, I thought the animation got really experimental there and it was pretty funny. I liked the style of backgrounds too.

[Young Nug]

You guys all remember WhoBob WhatPants, right? You remember how that episode was a slapdash piece of crap episode that tried to combine an affectionate parody of 50's stylings and also an emotional story about bringing SpongeBob home? You all remember how stupid and terrible it ended up being and how it failed at doing both of those things? You remember the seething rage and hatred it inspired in me because it was another case of the writers utterly failing to deliver on something that could've been good? You remember how HARD IT SEEMED TO MESS UP A CONCEPT LIKE THAT BUT THEY DID IT IN ONLY 22-

Ahem. Sorry. Still a little bitter about that one. Anyway, the concept of this episode is basically, "What if we focused on only one element of that and made it not suck?", and it passes with flying colors.

What's the reason for that? Well, it's simple: Focus. Sharks v. Pods doesn't try to shoehorn a group like the Bubble Poppin' Boys into an episode where they don't really belong and can't be utilized to their fullest, it dedicates a whole episode to riffing on and parodying the 50s era, The Outsiders and dance movies in general, and that focus is what makes the episode better than making a mere plot element in a totally different episode. Sure, it's really random and comes out of nowhere, but it's funny, and it is so effective in what it does that it's hard not to admire it. 

Whether it's Patrick screaming "WE SAVED THE REC CENTER!", the blades being replaced with hair care products, or just that fantastic dance sequence at the end (and the pods had me laughing out loud with their interpretive garbage), it makes fun of those Grease-types, not in a Simpsons-way, but in a SpongeBob way, playfully shoving it's subject matter rather than tearing into it. The twist in the middle is just plain funny, and I have the same thoughts on the episode as a whole. It's fun, funny, loose, light, has great animation and gags (how can you not love "I just mopped the floor with you", or Sharkface brushing his teeth?), cameos from Reg and the hydrodynamic spatula, and boundless Sherm Cohen influence - what more could you want?

9/10

Edited July 5, 2016 by jjsthekid

[SquiddyFace]

This episode was fantastic and one of the best episodes of Season 9B. The Sharks where really cool characters. The plot twist was amazing and the dances were unique and SpongeBob's face is hilarious.

Grade: A+