SBC's Top 50 Worst Episodes Ever 2018 Edition

[kylie]

Little Yellow Book-- straight garbage and should've been at least 18 positions higher. The hypocritical nature of everyone in Bikini Bottom, the needless Squidward torture, the horrifically unfunny gags centered around SpongeBob doing random, un-established in canon shit... it all meshes to create the absolute worst season nine had to offer-- yes, even more horrifying than the utterly plotless SpongeBob You're Fired! which at least had a setup worth entertaining. 

If we're talking straight-up annoying, one really need look no further than Keep Bikini Bottom Beautiful, which contains some of the most obnoxious running gags of the season and is just generally unpleasant to sit through with the added benefit of needless Squidward torture and extremely punchable side characters (looking at you, Bikini Bottom Police Department.)

Summer Job is unique in that it tortures Ms. Puff instead of one of the shows regular whipping boys, however it contains all the same unpleasantries and a far worse conclusion than many with SpongeBob at his absolutely least tolerable and the supporting cast being dicks for seemingly no reason. The "Someone's in the Kitchen with Sandy" pf boating school episodes. 

 

[Less_SpongeBob]

Summer Job landed on my list at #12 this year. The bad role-reversal, nonexistent comedy, botched set-up and copout ending don't help it whatsoever. It's an infuriating episode that seems to get harder to watch each time. I believe I discussed Keep Bikini Bottom Beautiful last list... not much else to say other than that it's gross and repetitive. At least it's less hyperactive than the later Sanitation Insanity.

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6. Pet Sitter Pat (#41)

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 8. Squidward's School for Grown-Ups (#39)

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10. Atlantis SquarePantis (#36)

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12. Summer Job (#26)

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15. Sun Bleached (#43)

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19. Are You Happy Now? (#32)

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 25. Sportz? (#30)

[Honest Slug]

22 minutes ago, More said:

At least it's less hyperactive than the later Sanitation Insanity.

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 25. Sportz? (#30)

Eh. I'm not a fan of Sanitation Insanity, but it at least had more than 1 gag.

[Jjs Goodman]

24. Waiting

118 points. 10 out of 25 lists. Highest Ranking: #4 - @Clappy

Summary:

Spoiler

SpongeBob and Gary are shopping at Barg'-N-Mart and SpongeBob sees a Kelp cereal box that says there is a "free prize inside." SpongeBob then rushes home and eats the cereal, but sees that there is no toy inside the box. SpongeBob looks at the cereal box more closely and sees that it actually says "free prize offer inside" (the word "offer" is printed in very small text between "prize" and "inside") and that he must send in 99 box tops in order to get the prize. SpongeBob goes and buys even more boxes of cereal, and he and Gary begin going through it very quickly. When SpongeBob puts more cereal in Gary's food bowl, Gary suggests he send in the box tops before eating all the cereal. SpongeBob then puts all the box tops into an envelope and sends it.

Now, SpongeBob must wait patiently for the toy to arrive. Patrick also comes nearby and waits with him. Patrick asks what they are waiting for, and SpongeBob explains that he is getting a free toy. The mailfish comes by and gives SpongeBob three envelopes but no toy. SpongeBob and Patrick must wait even longer now, much to their disappointment, and soon become hungry. Patrick suggests that he and SpongeBob go to the Krusty Krab for a Krabby Patty, but SpongeBob is afraid of the mailman coming with the toy while he's gone. So Patrick instead goes to the Krusty Krab by himself.

Sometime later, Sandy walks by and starts to ask SpongeBob if he wants to do karate with her, but SpongeBob grabs Sandy by the arm and slams her into the ground before telling her in a very rude tone that he is busy. After that, Gary shows SpongeBob his bowl because he is hungry, causing his owner to angrily shout his frustration that no one understands that he is busy waiting for the mailman.

After calming down, Patrick comes back and SpongeBob lashes out at him for no reason. Patrick tells SpongeBob he missed his surprise birthday party at the Krusty Krab, so he had to bring back a present and some cake for him, making SpongeBob upset again. While trying to find the fork, Patrick accidentally eats SpongeBob's piece of cake, and the present, which SpongeBob is visibly excited about, turns out to be the fork that Patrick was trying to find earlier, which is now useless.

SpongeBob loses it and starts bawling about how he is wasting his whole life waiting for his toy, and how Patrick apparently hates him now because he is a "big jerk." Patrick says he doesn't hate him, but SpongeBob doesn't listen. The mailman arrives and asks for SpongeBob's signature. It takes a while after SpongeBob signs before he realizes that his toy has finally arrived! He and Patrick become so happy that they do a jig before falling over and dancing on the ground.

Upon opening it, they call the toy beautiful before Patrick pushes the button on the toy and springs come out. SpongeBob thinks Patrick "ruined" the toy and is furious. Patrick tries to fix it, but makes it worse. Squidward comes home to see them rolling around crying. He tries to play his clarinet, but cannot because of all the noise. He asks what is wrong with them. SpongeBob explains to Squidward how he sent in box tops, waited for the mailman, and then how Patrick broke the toy. Squidward snatches the toy, "fixes" it, then shows him that the toy's head, arms, and legs are supposed to spring off, and reattaches them. SpongeBob and Patrick then hug Squidward, asking if there is anything they could for him, and Squidward replies that they should move to another neighborhood

Jjs: Waiting actually hasn't made my list in recent years. Unfortunately, I've found much longer episodes to be bigger wastes of time than this which I had to put on my list instead. I also figured it wasn't worth dignifying an episode the crew wasn't trying on to begin with given that this was probably a last minute thing they needed to fill their time with. Oh but this one is still awful, and in a rightful position on this countdown. Such a stupid "premise" for an episode, and showed how hit or miss the short format in Season 5 could be. The outburst SpongeBob has with Patrick near the end when the toy "breaks" feels so melodramatic, childish and an extremely forced way to make a "conflict" at the last second. I spiritually related to Squidward in this episode, who was the only redeeming factor here. Such a waste of an episode. I'll give Waiting this though: At least they didn't make it 11 minutes, but that's not saying much.

JCM: Back in Season 5, the show tried out an experiment where one of the 11-minute episodes in a half-hour would occasionally be split into 4-minute and 7-minute shorts. Some of those shorts, like Picture Day and SpongeBob vs. The Patty Gadget, told interesting and entertaining stories that were perfectly suitable to their form, but Waiting was not one of those episodes. Despite only being 4 minutes, the episode has more frustrating moments than a lot of standard-sized episodes, and it doesn't anything resembling a story or actual character development to make up for it. The beats are basically this: SpongeBob sends for a toy in the mail, SpongeBob waits for the toy, SpongeBob acts like a prick to anybody who interferes with him waiting for the toy, SpongeBob gets the toy, toy breaks, SpongeBob cries, toy is fixed, short over.

You'll get just as much from reading that four-second synopsis as you'll get from watching the four-minute episode, only now you have 3 minutes and 56 seconds to spend on something worthwhile. If I had no other reason to hate Waiting, I would hate it simply for how much of a waste of time it is. It's terrible in both concept and execution. Boat Smarts, which I would say is probably the second-least-liked Season 5 short, at least did something different with the show's format. Waiting did nothing different. It barely did anything at all, and if there's anything I can't stand, it's an episode that doesn't try. Episodes that try to do something and fail are episodes I can generally forgive as long as they don't fail too spectacularly, but episodes like Waiting are the types of episodes that make me lose interest in the show in the first place. Season 5's experiment was cool while it lasted, but if it would have led to more Waitings and fewer Patty Gadgets over the long run, as I suspect it would have, it's an experiment that couldn't have ended any sooner.

 

23. Demolition Doofus

119 points. 8 out of 25 lists. Highest Ranking: #1 - @Cha♡

Summary:

Spoiler

SpongeBob goes to boating school and during the test he continues to crash into the same two cars, inflating Mrs. Puff every time he continues to crash into an obstacle. Mrs. Puff then inflates so much, she sends the car airborne. SpongeBob then crashes the car into the lighthouse of the boating school, critically injuring Mrs. Puff.

In the hospital, the purple doctorfish clarifies that Mrs. Puff's inflation sac (the part that pufferfishes use to puff up) was popped in the collision and she will not be able to "puff" again. Mrs. Puff is extremely angry and begins grabbing his nose and threatening him. She is tranquilized to stop her from hurting him. SpongeBob then begins to ramble and the doctor tranquilizes him as well, saying that everyone needs to take a nap.

SpongeBob then visits Mrs. Puff with a bouquet of flowers along with the hundreds of other flowers he sent her, which she appears to be allergic to. After forcing her into a wheelchair, he pushes her down the hallway. Doctors are seen sprinting through the hallway with muscular men on the gurneys. SpongeBob stops the purple doctorfish and asks what was going on. He replies the Demolition Derby members are about to battle in the hospital room, where they appear to be hitting each other with wheelchairs. The purple doctorfish says that they are brave to risk their lives for the community's entertainment. Mrs. Puff imagines them smashing into SpongeBob and killing him and begins laughing hysterically. Her laughing attracts SpongeBob's attention, and she claims she has a way for him to earn "extra credit."

Mrs. Puff talks to derby manager Captain Lutefisk, asking him if she can enter SpongeBob. She shows him how much damage SpongeBob can do with a boat, though he is just using a steering wheel. Lutefisk says he is perfect for the derby and puts a sock on his head, giving him the title "Le Squish." At the derby, SpongeBob is unaware of what he is supposed to do, which is to take out the opponents. Seeing him as an easy target, some competitors ram into him but are unable to hit the car and are all hit by SpongeBob or destroyed in another way by the car. SpongeBob carelessly drives around everywhere, eliminating everyone.

Mrs. Puff is enraged at how SpongeBob is defeating the competitors only by serendipity. She then steals a tractor. She then starts to chase SpongeBob, trying to crush and kill him. She is unsuccessful as SpongeBob avoids her and all the cars are crushed before she breaks the wall and starts chasing him off-road. They then collide into the boating school after Mrs. Puff chases SpongeBob for a while. She somehow regains her "puff," which SpongeBob notices and they get injured by the school, which the tower collapses and crushes them.

Jjs: A few years ago, I used to be willing to bat for this episode. I actually didn't mind the darker approach they took with Mrs. Puff at first, it was something different and because I didn't blame her for wanting to kill SpongeBob, as twisted as that sounds. However, I do have to admit...after rewatch, both SpongeBob AND Mrs. Puff are irritating in this one. While I still sympathize with Puff, she definitely goes way too far here, and her psychopathic behavior isn't even funny towards the end. The way she kept begging for SpongeBob to die during the derby was cold and rubbed me the wrong way. It was downright depressing. However, SpongeBob isn't off the hook either, because boy is he so damn annoying and oblivious here. Especially with how he still acted so ignorant and uncaring to how he crippled Mrs. Puff, and the hospital parts weren't really enough given how he still acts annoying during those. I find myself rooting for nobody in this one anymore. Much like Are You Happy Now?, the episode is also very tonally confused, which isn't good. The episode tries to treat Mrs. Puff's loss of puffing like a serious thing (even though lol spoiler she gets it back whoops), but whatever serious tone they were going for is kind of thrown out the window with what a tool SpongeBob acts like. Also, SpongeBob acting like a fool during the derby while Mrs. Puff is eager to watch him die doesn't bounce off that well either tonally. The demolition derby itself is okay visually, but nothing special comedy or entertainment wise. I'll give them credit for trying something different here, but the execution could've been a lot better if they wanted to dive deeper into the Puff/SpongeBob relationship. Regardless, I think SpongeBob needs to not attempt to be "serious" ever again if this and Are You Happy Now? are any indication. Still didn't make my list because I found some parts okay, but I can't argue the hate this one gets is deserved.

More: Sometimes an episode airs in SpongeBob when its existence in itself is baffling. I find it hard to believe that a staff member thought that having Mrs Puff become a psychopath and seriously attempt to murder another character would be a good fit for the show, or how it went past the approval, animation and post-production stages without one person stepping in to say “Hey, this is a terrible idea!” This made my list at #17 for being one of the few cases where an episode’s been outright angering. There are too many examples when they tread upon dark material so heavily that it dominates the focus and distracts from any attempt at a story or jokes. In a way, this shares its problems with “Are You Happy Now” except with the extremist portrayal of a character going in a different direction, although what makes “Demolition Doofus” especially bad is how abrupt the transition is—the other episode at least established two weeks passed, here Mrs Puff goes crazy in an instant with almost no motivations. It makes her impossible to sympathize with as all it does is turn the situation around to try and paint her as the antagonist instead of Spongebob. But making her act worse doesn’t negate the fact that SpongeBob permanently crippled her without feeling an ounce of remorse—not during the hospital scene, not as he (didn’t) realize he was trying to be killed in the derby, not at the end when she’s healed physically but her boating schools destroyed. It is frankly a stupid move to make both characters this insufferable because it makes the conflict impossible to care about. This is absolute garbage and you and any kids you know should avoid it at all costs.

Edited May 28, 2018 by Harold Claude

[WhoBibbles]

I actually didn't mind Demolution Doofus as much as I wanted to. Was it a flawed episode that has no idea what it wanted to do, doesn't have anyone to root for and dark for sake of it? yes but at the same time, I found it kind of interesting to see Mrs. Puff taking a darker approach for SpongeBob issue. Unlike Little Yellow Book, SpongeBob isn't sad by the fact that Mrs. Puff wants to kill him but SpongeBob was such a jerkass as well. Lets laugh at Mrs. Puff's condition with her. That'll cheer her up. NOT!!! Bless the doctor for putting him to sleep, well deserved. One argument I'll say I disagree on.

"here Mrs Puff goes crazy in an instant with almost no motivations."

but Mrs. Puff's motivation is her being injured so many times because of SpongeBob's recklessness, I thought the episode was already clear on that aspect.  

Nevertheless, I can't blame anyone for putting it on their lists. I didn't put it cuz it was an interesting episode for me and I liked demolution derby scenes so much but yeah, it was a poorly written episode.

 

Waiting missed my list weirdly. I don't think the episode is that bad. Some gags were alright like fork one and Squidward being nice was sweet but my god, it had one of worst portrayals of SpongeBob. HE IS NOT SOME JERK!!!

[Wumbo]

Welp, two more episodes that made my list. Not much I can add that hasn't already been said. Waiting is simply a waste of time and Demolition Doofus is another example of the writers going way too far with a character trait to the point of discomfort.

[kylie]

Waiting tends to stick out as a bad episode, maybe because it was one of the pioneers of early terrible episodes that made evident the quality decline that would mark the later seasons. While I don't particularly feel that this episode deserves any special condemning it's definitely incredibly tedious and the conclusion is so underwhelming you have to wonder why you watched it at all. Truly no episode has been created since with less replay value.

 

[RD Rockruff]

Well, there's a broken streak (in that, for a while, several episodes didn't make my list). Waiting made my list, though it's not too far low. I dislike this episode, as it's fairly annoying and Spongebob is at his worst characterisation here (for now; there's worse coming up in the future). It sucks too, as this episode was one of the first shorter-length episodes of Season 5 and most of the other shorts weren't nearly this bad.

As for Demolition Doofus...? I don't hate this episode as much as most people do (grab your torches and pitchforks, i actually just said that). In fact, I find it more boring than anything else.

[Less_SpongeBob]

Waiting: I’m waiting! I’m waiting! Wait... why am I waiting? This waste of an episode hasn’t ended yet.

Demolition Doofus: THERE I AM GARY! THERE I AM!

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19. Are You Happy Now? (#32)

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Edited May 23, 2018 by More

[So Sejima]

Waiting is without a doubt the episode that deserves to exist the least. There is no point to it at all and any one of the s5 shorter episodes could've been expanded upon in its place, or replaced with a concept that would actually do something with the given material.

[SpongeOddFan]

Waiting: This made on my list at #22. Honestly, this was less worse than anoy other longer episode that has much worse than this...but at least Squidwad save this...hooray?

Yeah not much to say this short. I can simplay say this: Waiting is wasting my time

Demotion Doofus:....Good lord, this episode went downrighthorrible, and dark.too. I-I-I don't know what to say honestly. Having Ms Puff turning much evil than usual character wanting to kill SB...jesus. this is a cartoon, Nick. You can't just make her to go brutally hurt SB just because he faiiled too many test whatsoever, yet you just want SB to die in this derby?

My god, this is has to be one of horrible (and darkest) episode in SB history IMO. Maybe the writers were trying this idea/plot that went too far...seriously. I would consider this not worth of makung bad excuse to do this even in fromt of kids watching this ti get scared.

I'm sorry, but this reason this made #2 on my list is because how extremly awful to me to watch SB to die in a cartoon. I feel like SB doesn't deserved to be this kind of punishement from her. Overall, justa an awful episode to watch...jfc.

[4EverGreen]

"Waiting" made my list. I would've rather they extended the plot of "Rise & Shine", instead of devoting any resources to making "Waiting". "Demolition Doofus" didn't make my list, because I'll at LEAST give the writers of "Spongebob Squarepants" credit for at LEAST trying something different, even if it ended up being kind of a misfire. Enough said for now! 

[Honest Slug]

I don't hate Waiting any more. It'd probably be a pretty bad episode if I watched it again, but honestly after so many boring episodes in seasons 6-9 it's hard for this one to stand out for me. At least this episode had the decency to only waste 7 minutes of my life instead of 11, 22 and however long the TV movies were.

Demolition Doofus can thank Ink Lemonade for escaping my list. It was my original #25 before that ink-stained travesty came into the picture. It's still a terrible episode though. The story is way too dark in a way that isn't subtle or clever. Even without that it's just another boring season 8 episode that has zero jokes, even the demolition derby is extremely dull as it's just SpongeBob doing nothing and winning.

[Jjs Goodman]

22. All That Glitters

121 points. 13 out of 25 lists. Highest Ranking: #4 - @WumboJack Horseman

Summary:

Spoiler

During an intense day at work, a customer orders a Monster Krabby Patty and SpongeBob tries to make it flip. As a result, Spat is crushed and smashed which causes SpongeBob crying like crazy. With his favorite kitchen implement out of commission, SpongeBob searches for a temporary replacement (even though he thought death fate spatula could replace Spat.) SpongeBob finds "Le Spatula," the latest in a state-of-the-art cooking tool. The sleek and modern Le Spatula dazzles SpongeBob so completely that he will do anything to own one. But will this fancy gadget fill the void that was left by his old trusty spatula?

After selling everything, including his clothing, a nude SpongeBob attains Le Spatula from the man from the store. He shows him off to Mr. Krabs, and, later, before he flips a patty, he refuses. He says it is disgusting, and that he and SpongeBob aren't friends at all. He then suddenly grows robotic legs and runs off. Mr. Krabs confronts SpongeBob, and SpongeBob runs off to the hospital, where old Spat lays. He suddenly runs out of life as SpongeBob watches, and SpongeBob cries in agony. Then a doctor appears, and, after some conversation, tells him that is not his spatula, and that Spat is in the infirmary. SpongeBob runs over to Spat, but Spat turns away from SpongeBob, making SpongeBob burst into tears.

SpongeBob cries he is sorry for buying Le Spatula, claiming it was his moment of weakness. SpongeBob rolls in a fit of tears as he goes back to the Krusty Krab. He cries in the kitchen, but suddenly, he hears patties flipping and sees Spat flipping Krabby Patties on the grill, and he cries in joy. Apparently, he forgave him. Suddenly, another Monster Krabby Patty is ordered. The two try to hopefully succeed in flipping it. Suddenly, SpongeBob's arms break off. He ends up laughing, and the episode ends.

Jjs: I had this one right at the edge of my list at #24. I still find this one bad, though I can't put it any higher on my list. There is some So Bad, It's Good value at points to this one I'll admit, but it's not enough to keep it off my list. 12 years later and SpongeBob's crying here is still so damn obnoxious. My biggest problem though is the whole story felt really melodramatic for me overall, and the "jokes" (if you want to call them those) aren't enough to keep it afloat. Le Spatula was very unlikable and the French stereotypes they try to do with it aren't funny either. Also, I get that SpongeBob selling his clothes helped him purchase the spatula, but it felt so...unnecessary. They could've had him sell anything else to get the money. Bah, whatever. All That Glitters is not gold indeed.

Steel: For once, you guys are going to see me tear apart an episode of SpongeBob and it appears on my list. For the longest time, "All That Glitters" has been in my bottom 5 and it stuck there. The issues that the episode has already starts once the episode itself begins with the order of a 'Monster Krabby Patty.' Just with one attempt to flip it, SpongeBob's spatula breaks and breaks into tears. "A Day Without Tears" gets easily written off because it's an episode centered around the fact that SpongeBob cries so much, but even more-so, SB's crying in that episode is bearable compared to the scenes in this episode where he not only cries, but after 10 seconds, you're under the impression that his crying is being played on loop. Oh, but there are some background changes and different characters appearing in those backgrounds, but that doesn't make the scene as funny as it suggests.

The slow-paced and repetitive humor is only then replicated, but in a different matter whereas SpongeBob tries to buy Le Spatula. Of course, SB didn't ask how much the spatula costs, so we get some scenes with the same "Now?" "No" conversation, until SpongeBob gets the spatula after having to sell his clothes. But those scenes only turn out to be a waste as, two minutes into SpongeBob getting the fancy spatula, it turns out the state-of-the-art cooking utensil is not only a sentient device, but it refuses to cook low-rate foods. Afterwards, Le Spatula just leaves SpongeBob only, not before punching him in the face. We never see Le Spatula again, and he won't be missed, at all.

After that dreadful moment, SpongeBob returns to the hospital to find out that Spat is not completely broken, but has gotten better. However, Spat feels that SpongeBob replaced it, soooo we then have another crying scene from SB. It's brief, but still pretty annoying. BUT WAIT, when SpongeBob returns to the restaurant, Spat appears to have forgiven SB and is willing to serve with him again. The moral is that some things precious to you are irreplaceable...but I can't seem to ignore the fact that Spat just suddenly and easily forgave SB for trying to replace him. In fact, the moral feels more like it might've been "if you see spatulas miraculously coming to life, then it's time you see a doctor."

Overall, "All That Glitters" is a very worthless episode with visible problems that happen just when the episode already starts. The episode's conflicts are either very petty or somehow resolved so easily. Some of the scenes are clearly there to fill in the time, preferably the scenes with SpongeBob crying about his broken spatula, and the scenes where he tries to sell all that he has for Le Spatula. There's also the montage of SpongeBob reminiscing about the good times he's had with Spat, but that's pretty much the episode saving grace. Le Spatula was also a pointless, apparent one-time character. Le Spatula would even serve very little to the plot and amount to little screen-time if SpongeBob knew how much it costed, or knew what the spatula is intended to be used for before he paid for it. In other words, "All That Glitters" ended up being an absolute waste of my time.

 

21. Boating Buddies

122 points. 9 out of 25 lists. Highest Ranking: #2 - @Patty Sponge

Summary:

Spoiler

SpongeBob is brushing Gary when he hears a strange noise. He goes outside to investigate, only to find out that it's just Squidward breathing. Squidward then tells SpongeBob that he will pay him five dollars if he gives him peace and quiet for the rest of the day. However, Squidward already gave SpongeBob five dollars to leave him alone yesterday. He gets annoyed, so Squidward begins walking away. He then finds out that

SpongeBob is following him, so he starts running and he jumps onto his boat. However, he can't find the keys and then SpongeBob arrives at Squidward's boat. Squidward then becomes furious, only to find out that SpongeBob wanted to give him his keys. Squidward drives away and literally drives through a stop sign. He gets pulled over by a police man, telling him that he needs to go to boating school.

After that, the scene changes to Squidward walking up to Mrs. Puff's Boating School and once he opens the door, he sees SpongeBob and then starts to cry. During class, Squidward is forced to sit next to SpongeBob. Then Mrs. Puff asks Squidward why he is enrolled in Boating School, so he tells everyone in the class while SpongeBob heavily breathes during this, annoying Squidward. After, Mrs. Puff tells SpongeBob to illustrate his side of the story, but SpongeBob just draws a picture with him and Squidward saying "SpongeBob and Squidward, Best Boating Buddies Forever" on the chalkboard.

Later, it is lunchtime and Squidward tries to avoid SpongeBob. He then decides to eat in the bathroom, but he saw Spongebob's feet. Squidward angrily banging the door yelling at Spongebob, but when it opens, it reveals to be a tough guy. Squidward awkwardly freaks out that he thought it was Spongebob and got beaten up. He arrives back in class with SpongeBob, and Mrs. Puff tells him that he has to drive with SpongeBob for a test. So they get inside a boat and SpongeBob is the driver. However, he drives out of control and crashes into a research lab. There, he, Squidward, and Mrs. Puff shrink and get washed down the drain. SpongeBob and Mrs. Puff end up in a water fountain back at Mrs. Puff's Boating School, while Squidward ends up in the bathroom and gets beat up again.

The scene changes to everyone back in class. Mrs. Puff explains that everyone is going to do a test. But when SpongeBob tries to help him, Squidward snaps at him exclaiming that they aren't "Boating Buddies" and he never wants help from him ever again. SpongeBob's feelings are hurt. However, Squidward can't do the test because he can't pick up the pencil, so he asks for SpongeBob's help; when the sponge reminds him of what he said, Squidward denies it, only for his voice to have been recorded by another student. Finally, when Squidward admits that he and SpongeBob are "Boating Buddies," SpongeBob cheers. But time runs out and Squidward asks Mrs. Puff what to do. She then says that he needs to come back the next week to retake the test. Squidward finds out that SpongeBob also failed the test and he has to come back the next week too, and Squidward screams as the episode ends.

Jjs: Much like Pineapple Fever, I'm very indifferent towards this one. I know some still find this one of the funniest S6 eps, and others still loathe it. This one tries to be entertaining at least, but unfortunately it comes at the cost of betraying some of the show's core values with making SpongeBob a pretty creepy weirdo. SpongeBob's behavior throughout this one is very unsettling to say the least. Some of the gags here go on way too long or feel too out there for me (like the whole Squidward driving out of control, them going into the research lab and getting shrunk...yeah, what the hell). As Slug says below me, some parts of this episode honestly feel like bad improv skits. The concept of Squidward in Boating School could've been really good, but this one doesn't quite do it for me. I don't hate this episode, but I can't say I'm upset it's this high either.

Honest Slug: Just about everyone is aware of the Squid "torture" (I think torture is too extreme, but you know what I'm saying) episodes from seasons 4-9a, although most infamously in season 6. Besides Skill Crane and Boat Smarts (Unpopular opinion on the ladder) these episodes were all bad. They all had problems of punishing Squidward when he did nothing wrong, making SpongeBob and Patrick overly oblivious and having repetitive humor that just boiled down to "Squidward suckz lel"

However Boating Buddies is a special kind of Squid torture episode, it has all the problems of other Squid torture episodes, amplifies them, and has its own brand of awfulness. The biggest issue here is SpongeBob, he's what destroys this episode. Even in the worse Squid abuse episodes I could see how they attempted to make SpongeBob well-meaning. Here it feels like an alien took over SpongeBob's body. I can't fathom how you can screw up his characterization so badly. You can probably ask someone on the street what SpongeBob is like and they'll give you a more accurate representation of his character than this episode. Everything that made SpongeBob such a fun and enjoyable character is completely destroyed here. His actions are truly disturbing, his breathing, his touching, the reason the plot starts is because Squidward is breathing. Am I watching SpongeBob or am I watching a parody? I still can't believe that was actually included. It's even worse when you give SpongeBob those dumb, punchable-looking faces, the Aaron Springer-isms if you will. Once you get over how creepy his actions are he's just unbearably annoying and loud and never gets the most basic logic through his thick skull. Well Sponges don't have skulls I guess. That lame joke that I didn't even intend to make when I first wrote it was funnier than anything in this episode.

I could see someone finding this episode "So bad it's good" since it exaggerates season 6's flaws to such a point where it feels like self-mockery, however this episode is just way too dull for that. It lingers so long on scenes, it's like a terrible improv sketch, you want it to end so you can stop, but it keeps on going. This makes the episode even more uncomfortable than it already is.

Boating Buddies is simply one of those "Unwatchable" SpongeBob episodes. I just can't sit through it. it's an abomination and a betrayal to SpongeBob's character.

Edited May 25, 2018 by Harold Claude

[WhoBibbles]

All That Glitters, only season 4 episode that I actually hate. It was nothing but a mean-spirited and annoying episode. If you thought A Day Without Tears was bad, this one is worse. 

I find Boating Buddies to be so bad so good in some eras but it was definitely bad with unnecessary Squidward abuse and SpongeBob being a total creep. It's not on my list but it was still lame.

[WinterArcanine]

Summer Job: Terrible episode. Mrs Puff does nothing wrong (she didn't mean to destroy the krusty krab) and yet is put through so many annoying situations that are unfunny and annoying to watch. This made my list

KBBB: THERE I AM AGAIN GARY, LOOK!

Waiting: Another terrible episode, this episode is easily one of the blandest episodes, lacks jokes, is very annyoing throughout the whole episode, and the plot is very stupid. There was no reason Spongebob had to be there for the toy to arrive, so the whole thing was unneccisary.

Demolition Doofus: I find this a little overhated since Mrs Puff's actions here are kinda jusitifable and Spongebob not getting destroyed in the derby is funny. Regardless, it's still not a good episode at all, since there really shouldn't have been an episode where Mrs Puff is trying to brutally murder Spongebob.

All That Glitters: 13 lists??? Really??? Why do people hate this episode so much? It's just a slightly bad episode to me honestly, it had a lot of problems but all of them feel like they've been done much worse in other episodes and very little is truly terrible. It's a little annoying, the plot is pretty stupid, there's not much humor, and so on..... but I feel like none of it is outright terrible, juest meh or bad. This episode to me is kinda so bad it's funny though, so maybe that's why I don't hate it too much.  

Baoting Buddies: I don't hate this episode as much as many do, since it doesn't bother me as much as muitiple worse squid abuses. It's still terrible though, terrible characterization, squid abuse, boring, unfunny, and could have been so much better. It made my list, but it was on the upper half of it (as in like highest 10s or lowest 20s) 

 

 

 

Episodes on my bottom 50 to show up so far:

50: ??? 

49: Whatever Happened to Spongebob

48: The Play's the Thing

47: ???

46: ???

45: ???

44: ???

43: Face Freeze

42: ???

41: Plankton's Regular

40: ???

39: Pet Sitter Pat

38: ???

37: ???

36: ???

35: ???

34: Sportz?

 33: ???

32: ???

31: ???

30: Good Neighbors

29: ???

28: The Thing

27: ???

26: ???

25: ???

24: Sun Bleached

23: ???

22: Boating Buddies

21: ???

20: ???

19: ???

18: ???

17: Keep Bikini Bottom Beautiful

16: ???

15: ???

14: Summer Job

13: To Love a Patty

12: ???

11: ???

10: Cephalopod Lodge

9: ???

8: Shuffleboarding

7: ???

6: ???

5: ???

4: ???

3: ???

2: ???

1: ???

(I moved one episode further down since this started, so this list I'm using here is different than the one I submitted)

 

Also this means Truth or Square made it to the bottom 20. boooooooooooooooooooo

Edited May 24, 2018 by Wintermelon43

[Wumbo]

Every time I think to myself "is All That Glitters really that bad" I remember "WAAAAAA HAAAAA" and yes All That Glitters is really that bad.

[kylie]

my All That Gliiters bias is too strong to offer a fair response 

[SG19]

Late to the party, but I've softened on Good Neighbors over the years. The ending still sucks, though.

[So Sejima]

ATG is still horrendous, will never change.

Boating Buddies isn't "so bad it's good" but more "so bad it's interesting" and that kept it off of mine, there were dumb scenes like Squidward just getting injured by that one guy from the bathroom, but this episode has this air to it where I can't really fully hate it even though I should.