Every Season 11 Episode Reviewed (Interactive)

[hippythehippo]

Whale Watching

 

Season 11 likes to explore the weird and different. This episode explores a new character dynamic, Squidward and Pearl. I know it seems like a weird combination, but the episode actually explains early on why and how they know each other. This episode manages to make a pretty decent story out of the 2 of them being together, and even manages to function properly without Spongebob interfering.

 

The episodes story isn’t too fantastic or anything. I don’t mind the set up too much. I know some people dislike Pearl crying in the beginning, but it did not bother me too much. The pacing for this one is actually really good. The episode does a great job moving everything along. The episode has a cute scene establishing why Squidward and Pearl know each other, and overall the episode is just a pleasant watch. The plot makes sense, and I love the stop motion towards the end.

 

The comedy is kind of lacking in this one compared to other episodes. I do like Spongebob’s cameo at the end, and it ends the episode on a good note. There are some other decent ones, like Pearl’s tears cutting through things, but overall I do think the comedy could have been a bit better.

 

The characters are probably the best aspect of the episode. This is one of Squidward’s best appearances of season 11. He is not overly wacky like he was a bit in early season 11. He is portrayed good, and actually tries to look after and help Pearl. Pearl is pretty good here too. She starts off rough, but becomes tolerable later on. They also introduce a narwhal named Dylan, and he seems to be the teen stereotype.

 

Overall, this one is pretty decent. I think it works well for a show with over 400 episodes, this one is fresh, and I can excuse it not being that funny a bit, because I want more of these types of episodes from the show.

 

Rating: 7/10

 

Krusty Kleaners

 

This episode has grown on me a lot. Another not amazing episode, but it actually manages to make use of a bad premise with amusing jokes and good animation. It feels like a callback to Wet Painters in a way, as both explore something a bit similar. The episode is still good on its own merits though.

 

The episodes story is as simple as Spongebob and Patrick clean up a building. The chaos created from it though is pretty amusing. I would have never thought of cleaning robots fighting Spongebob and Patrick. I also like the twist about the tanks, no matter how random it is.

 

The comedy is where the episode does pretty decent. The seppuku joke is the best joke of the episode. The rest has some good visual gags, like Patrick being a redneck and the pac man gag. There are some out there gags in the episode, which makes at least interesting to see what types of gags are in the episode.

 

The characters are also fine. SpongeBobs and Patrick don't do a lot besides react to what is going around them, but they do a better job carrying the episode than some other episodes. They don't become too annoying in the episode thankfully.

This is one that I have grown a liking too. Again, not an amazing episode, but it does things well enough for me to like it. The episode is pretty funny, and I never got too annoyed by Spongebob and Patrick's antics. Overall, I had fun with this one.

Rating: 7/10

[hippythehippo]

lol why does this still exist

Patnocchio

 

Considering Patrick has sucked for most of the season, it was surprising that this one managed to be good for me. This one avoids the pit traps of episodes like Patrick’s Coupon and No Pictures Please by adding someone for Patrick to bounce off of in the form of Plankton. The episode also has randomness, but the episode keeps at least some focus on the plot,.Add that with a parody to add for more things to happen in the episode.

 

The episode as stated above, is a Pinocchio parody. So the episode decided to play with the Pinocchio formula. For one thing, they actually use Pearl in the episode. I know some people think the plot is random. The episode has a section that takes place at Goofy Goobers (yesssss) that pretty much has no correlation with the rest of the plot. But the episode actually is enjoyable, even with these random scenes. The character interactions between Plankton and Patrick keep the episode entertaining. The worst part of the episode is that the Pinocchio references start to lose meaning after about 5 minutes.

 

I actually liked most of the jokes involving the Pinocchio parody in this one. They even put Pearl in here cause Pinocchio has a whale. The line about Plankton’s mother knowing Plankton was going to end up in a whales mouth was good, as well as making up the truth line. In fact, a lot of Plankton’s stuff in the episode was good. I liked the nose fight as well, even if it was random and came from nowhere. The guitar gag was eh, but that was only for a few seconds.

 

What this episode benifits from is not relying solely on Patrick for carrying the story. In this episode, Plankton is there to bounce off of Patrick. This prevents the episode from being boring or lame, like a lot of Patrick’s episodes from season 11 are. Patrick does show some hints of his bad season 11 characterization, but the episode does not focus on these traits too hard, and there is a lot going on to mitigate this issue.

 

Honestly, this was one that shocked me on first airing. I assumed this episode was going to suck really bad because it is a Patrick episode in season 11. It surprised me that the episode was actually enjoyable and fun. The episode uses its craziness to its advantage, and considering it is a Patrick episode in season 11, it is actually well thought out and written competently, which is all I ask for in an episode.

 

Rating: 7/10

 

Chefbob

 

This is another one of the seasons most praised episodes. People have complained about season 11s lack of dialogue humor, instead focusing it on the visuals. While I am not the hugest fan of the episode, this one actually has some really good jokes in here to keep this one passing above the line.

 

One thing this episode does better than Drive Happy is actually spending time building up Spongebob and Chefbob’s relationship. It is showed in the beginning that Chefbob is used for entertainment, but slowly builds a mind of its own. The episode does borrow elements from Squid Wood, Culture Shock, and Squirrel Jokes, and while I dont think it is as good as Culture Shock or Squirrel Jokes, the episode does something different with the premise, which I can respect.

 

The episode has the highway line, which the fact that it is on the show is godly. The rest of the humor in the episode doesn’t compare, but there are a few good jokes here. I like Squidward’s insult on the guy, as well as the Krustomers sitting on Squidward in the beginning. There is also Krabs destroying a wall which was also really funny. I also love the mini puppets firing Chefbob. The ending was a lame joke tho.

 

Chefbob actually manages to threaten Krabs here, which makes him a good villain. They play him up well, and he does get what he deserves (though the ending brings up some questions. Is he going to return???). Spongebob is thankfully not as ignorant as he is in Squid Wood. He actually takes a stand against what Chefbob is doing in a cool action sequence boarded by the legend Karl Hadrika. He actually cares about Squidward in this one.

 

The episode isn’t too special, which is my main complaint about the episode. But the episode is entertaining and does mostly right. Not an overly funny episode, but the jokes it does tell are good. I like Spongebob’s characterization, there is good build up to the fight, the fight itself is animated great. There is a lot to like in this one, and proof that you can use old premises and make them work well.

 

Rating: 7/10

[hippythehippo]

ok since it is almost a freaking year since i started this topic, might as well complete this topic NOW and not be lazy

 

 

 

Plankton Paranoia

 

lol

 

Rating: 10/10

 

Library Cards

 

This is one of the lamest season 11 episodes. The episode had full of potential. The library has never been a location ever explored by the show. The problem is that the direction they take for the episode in the second half is bad. This makes the episode a pointless and botched rehash of Patrick Smartpants.

 

The first half of the episode is actually alright. Not great or anything, but there were some amusing things, like the brain city. The second half though is where I can’t even see where the possibility for this to work was. Besides being a rehash of Smartpants, the plotpoint is so dumb. Like, I can’t describe it in any other way. The way they solve the conflict is almost as dumb as the way it was set up. I guess it was kind of clever to foreshadow the Sir Urchin show at the beginning, but it felt like a thing to solve the conflict than something actually there because it was clever.

 

The was some bad jokes here. The booger joke, the tv show got annoying, the whole ending of the episode, and Patrick throwing the books in the beginning. I liked the brain city thing, I found that sequence pretty good. I also like the puns of the books, especially the cliffhangers. Everything else was bad or lame jokes.

 

This is another example of why I hate Patrick in season 11. This season can’t do any story without him being an idiot. While I like Patnocchio, that episode also relied on Patrick being an idiot for the plot to function. In this one, he is obnoxious in the beginning. Some people might think he gets better when he gets smart, but it really isn’t better. It is a reminder that the whole reason that dumb plot point was there is because of how dumb the writers make Patrick this season.

 

Season 11 can make dumb plots actually do well. Season 11 can also make plots used before unique. But the one thing season 11 can’t seem to do is write Patrick episodes properly. I only liked one, and that was because Patrick was in the background for most of it. This episode is one that shouldn’t even exist. I know it is the fault of the ridiculous episode orders by Nick, but this one felt creatively bankrupt. There was still something they could have done with this that would have been better, but this one is just boring retread and a reminder of how bad Patrick and his episodes are in season 11.

 

Rating: 4/10

 

Call the Cops

 

Well yesterday’s episode dealt with a bad Patrick episode, but it seems like season 11 Patrick managed to sneak himself into an actually decent episode, and managed to ruin the episode for me. Yeah, that’s the start I am going to use before I start the review. This is another example of Patrick, even as a side character, ruining episodes that really don’t need him.

 

On to the actual episode, the concept isn’t the most original. Jailbreak and Krabby Road already did the jail concept. This episode does take it in a new angle though. The episode was mostly decent, especially parts where Spongebob and Krabs impersonating cops. I like that they portrayed more Spongebob/Krabs relationship in this one. What I don’t like is the ending. It just sort of ends at a random place. Everyone is in prison, and we get more dumb Patrick. And that transitions to the amazing Patrick parts in the episode. Patrick is somehow even worse in here than he was in Drive Happy. At least in Drive Happy, it was only one sequence that lasts 40 seconds, and the rest of the episode is good. In this one, for some reason, he tags along with Plankton’s plot. This was a bad move because they to cut away to his plot in between the main plot, so that means seeing more of Patrick’s antics. On a side note, the animation, especially in the beginning, actually reminds me of how the first movie looks. This has some of the best art of the season.

 

The best jokes in the episode came when Spongebob was interrogating the girl scout. Those parts where pretty funny, especially the line about Spongebob needing a lawyer. I also liked the cops can’t hold hands line, which led to the cops can hug line. There was also Plankton and Krabs little fight in the evidence room, where Krabs asks who’s been taking all these geezers. Than, there is the prison ice cream joke, which is one of the few times season 11 has fully grossed me out. That prison ice cream close up is worse than anything in Ink Lemonade for me.

 

Mr. Krabs is my favorite character here. Like I said before, season 11 gave a big upgrade for Krabs. In this episode, he and Spongebob were actually bonding, which should be seen more in other episodes. Plankton himself is also alright, though he doesn’t get to do much. Spongebob has the godly interrogation with the girl scout, and never gets on my nerves. Than there is Patrick, but since I have harped about him in the previous paragraphs, I don’t really need to repeat myself.

 

So yeah, Call the Cops is a decently entertaining episode. While not the most unique premise, it managed to do something different, and had good characterization of Krabs. But man, Patrick’s stuff in the episode is so awful, it just kills any good things the episode has going for it. This isn’t a bad episode, but wasted potential because of Patrick doing so much bad stuff in here, which ruins the rest of the episode being decent.

 

Rating: 6/10

 

Surf N Turf

 

This episode is one of the most creative episodes of the season. It tells a story using 2 characters that rarely interact with each other: Mr. Krabs and Sandy. They have interacted before in The Krabby Patty That Ate Bikini Bottom, but this episode places a focus on the interactions. On top of that, this is one of the most original plots from recent memory, and that gives this episode an edge over others in the season (except it is a 6/13 at best).

 

The concept of making a ship in a bottle for a competition is a plot I have never seen for another cartoon that I remember. This also makes sense in why Krabs is there, as he was in the navy, so he knows how to make ships. The episode also does a good job portraying Krabs as a jerk, and Krabs is a really entertaining antagonist here. They set up him being a jerk when he breaks Sandy’s bottle, and than makes Sandy’s treedome into a huge ship in the bottle for money. The episode also has a great action sequence. It is animated well, and has some godly faces.

 

The episode isn’t really that funny, but it has a few jokes. The beginning where the crew jump overboard when the ship is sinking is pretty good, and there was also the godly Plankton cameo, that feels like a jab at post movie for doing Plankton plots to death. There is also the irony of Krabs causing mass damage on the street, and destroying the whole competition. Also this episode had a Patrick moment I enjoyed (how they got the ship joke past the censor is beyond me).

 

The characters are really well done here. People have complained that Sandy feels too perfect in post movie, but this episode actually gives her a flaw. She can not make a ship in the bottle, which she requires Krabs help. She has to actually fight her way to win, and gets the win in a clever twist. Krabs is great in this one. He is a great antagonist, and does a lot of bad things in the episode. He breaks Sandy’s bottles and is a general jerk in the beginning of the episode, and steals Sandy’s treedome for himself. He is actually a challenge for Sandy to beat, which makes Sandy winning feel earned.

 

This one is another adventurous episode in a similar vein to episodes like Scavenger Pants and Shopping List. This one managed to tell an original story with a different cast of characters. This type of experimentation will keep the show fresh, and besides not being the funniest, Surf N Turf is a solid example of what I want in a modern Spongebob episode.

 

Rating: 8/10

 

Goons on the Moon

 

This one is…..weird. Besides the fact that this episode has one of the most weird shifts in plot in the whole series, the episode is a special dedicated to the characters going to the moon. Again, not the most original premise out there, but the episode is as far away from Mooncation and Sandy’s Rocket as you can get. Let’s take a look at this interesting episode.

 

The episode, despite having a weird second half, actually has a lot of stuff going on. There are actual side stories, which places this episode above most of the specials in recent memory. The episodes weakest story is about Pearl’s and Squidina’s. Those parts felt like cliche “I’m a nerd” and “I’m a teen” stereotypes that got kind of boring after a while. My favorite plot has to be Squidward’s plot. He has his own little journey on the moon, and he is fun to watch. It’s weird how he meets the group by going to the darkside and meeting Santa, but we’ll discuss Santa in a minute. Spongebob and Sandy are doing experiments, and those parts are alright. I like the gag about Spongebob going to cut brains to see if the things on the planet are living. The second half of the episode is where the episode starts to pick up a bit. So the moon is placed out of orbit because of a button mistake by Spongebob, so they need to use things set up in the beginning to help push it back into orbit. That doesn’t work, so Santa comes and helps, but it destroys the moon, so Spongebob becomes the new moon. It’s so out there, and I originally didn’t like it, but looking back at the episode, it actually is weird in a good way for me.

 

Squidward has the best jokes of the episode. His line about going through puberty, his insults toward Texan music, and his little adventure on the moon are pretty amusing. His best part is when he meets the real life Rodger Bumpass. I already mentioned above about Spongebob cutting open things for their brains. The moon being Bubble Bass’ butt was also a good gag to start the episode off. In the second half, how egotistical Santa was is pretty good. The best joke is the jack in the box just flat out destroying the moon is hilarious. There is also the “I’m mooning you” line (how that got past the censors is lol). There is also the parts of the Bikini Bottomites on land, and shriveling up. Oh yeah, there is a clever joke about everything in Santa’s sack being water squirters because everyone in Bikini Bottom wished for one. Not indicative of quality, but that isn’t something I noticed on the first watch, On first watch, I didn’t really find a lot of stand out gags, but rewatching it, the episode actually has a lot of decent humor, especially since I wrote a long paragraph listing jokes I liked. The worst jokes were the burp jokes, because those are cursed (Winter agrees with me).

 

One thing I will give the episode is that it uses a lot of characters for its story. Late season 11 finally started using Sandy. She is basically the scout leader, and she works pretty decently in the episode, especially compared to Squirrel Jelly later on. Spongebob is pretty destructive here, but he weirdly doesn’t annoy me. He also fixes his mistake at the end by becoming the moon, so I guess it kind of balances out. Squidward has the best parts of the episode and was pretty entertaining. I already said above that I wasn’t really a fan of Pearl and Squidina, but their plot at least didn’t take up the most time. Lastly, Santa was pretty entertaining here. He was sort of similar to how he was in It’s a Spongebob Christmas. Also, it was cool to finally see him in 2d animation for once.

 

Overall, this episode is one of the rare instances of an episode getting better on rewatch this season. I was originally ok with this episode, but it actually is a decently funny episode. The plot is so strange that it manages to be entertaining, and even with a weird conclusion, the rest is decently engaging. Not an amazing episode, and far from the best special the show has put out, but I have to say I enjoyed the episode.

 

Rating: 7/10

 

Appointment TV

 

This episode rips off the amazing Ditchin SCUMBOB

 

For real though, if that is your only complaint lol. This one is an episode that I think gets undeserved flack. I can understand feeling like this is too been there done that, and finding it meh like that. But people have been hating this because it shares some resemblance to Best Day Ever, Ditchin, and Overbooked. The thing is for me, those episodes aren’t that great either. Overbooked was good, but BDE was ok at best, and Ditchin was basically an average season 6 episode. I think this episode manages to actually do something different with the concept, which makes it better than 2 of the 3 episodes I listed above.

 

The episode follows a simple structure. Spongebob has to help his friends, but has to do it quick enough so he doesn’t miss his t.v. show about Mermaid Man. He misses it, so his friends throw a play for him. It isn’t too ingenius of a plot, but it works decently well. The middle is a quick succession of Spongebob helping his friends, and I think that this quick succession works for the episode. The play is the best part of the episode because it was sweet, and has good jokes.

 

Speaking of jokes, the episode has some decent ones. The wheel from the boatmobile going to the surface and breaking some leaves is a pretty decent visual gag. I liked Patrick’s house being towed and his whole scene about trying to find the rock is good slapstick. The best jokes are in the cruddy play, like how poorly the clouds are made and Squidward struggling to hold up Krabs. It also leaves off on a funny joke about Old Man Jenkins using the Mermaid Man sea star to fly.

 

It’s nice that the characters actually care about Spongebob in the episode. They actually come together and help make Spongebob’s day better. They portray Spongebob as a pushover here, but he actually gets a happy ending in the end. The rest of the characters, and there are a lot of them, get some moment of Spongebob helping them, and they are fine. Special mention to Mrs. Puff for not having her phobia for Spongebob and another appearance of 2d Dutchman.

 

The episode is another example of managing to do old plots better than its predecessor (besides Overbooked :3). The episode does the plot competently, and while it can feel a bit samey at times, it was enjoyable enough of an episode by itself, especially the play sequence at the end.

 

Rating: 7/10

 

Karen’s Virus

 

This episode is another one with a premise that I am surprised hasn’t been used before. The episode is one of the best looking of the season. It combines 2d character models with 3d backgrounds (and in a better way than Atlantis). Combine that with high stakes and adventurous plot, this is one of the best episodes of the season in my opinion.

 

Before we get on with the story, the animation is superb. It combines normal season 11 character models, which already are some of the best looking in the series, and blends them with some stylized CG backgrounds. They have so much fun with the location. The episode takes full advantage of its premise. Spongebob covers so much ground in the episode, and they play with the environment a lot. From gags about ideal Krusty Krew to the action in the memory bank, this episode has it all. The one thing that I wish happened was an actual fight between Spongebob and the virus. If you did not know, later on Squirrel Jelly gets an undeserving 16 minute run time, which I wish went to this episode. Apparently there was a lot of scrapped things here, and I would just like to see more. Back to praising the episode, I also love that there are actual stakes here. Karen and Plankton have there own little sub plot, and it shows how crazy Karen is getting. These wrap arounds are a nice break from the CG segments.

 

Along with an adventurous story, this is one of the funniest episodes of the season. Drunk Karen is great here, and her sub plot with Plankton is great (besides cursed political humor). The business exchange with Mr. Krabs, jokes about the guys dancing at the bar not having jobs, it has some good jokes. Inside Karen, there is the idealized version of the Krusty Krew. I like how Karen thinks of Squidward. There is one overly long joke about deciding which Spongebob is the real one that is kinda eh, but it has a good pay off. There is also the gag at the end about the virus taking a ridiculous amount of time to finish a krabby patty that is a good joke to end the episode on.

 

This is another episode where Spongebob and Plankton team up, and I usually like episodes where the 2 of them do stuff together. Spongebob is good inside Karen’s brain, and never gets too annoying. Plankton actually cares about Karen for once, which is also something we rarely see. There is also a new character called Idealized Plankton, aka how Karen sees Plankton, who is also a cool new character who unfortunately dies :(.

 

This episode is great with effort put to the max. Another episode, like Plankton Paranoia, that experiments with visuals and is overall a refreshing and adventurous take on an episode. Combine that with good jokes and a nice plot, you have one of the seasons best outings.

 

Rating: 9/10

 

The Night Patty

 

This is the third Halloween special for season 11, and unfortunately the worst one. The episode is kind of like Rock Bottom at the Krusty Krab, having some good art and atmosphere. But this episode fails at why I come to the show in the first place. Let’s begin.

 

The biggest problem with the episode is it has no conflict. The episodes basic structure is Spongebob does something normally, the customers hate it, Spongebob does something the customers like it. This would be fine in the first couple of minutes, but for an 11 minute episode, you need more than that. I was hoping the fisherman was going to be the villain of the episode, and that could give us a good climax. But nope, he is a good guy like everyone else in the episode. This structure just makes the episode feel mediocre. There are some episodes that can work with no plot, such as Idiot Box, but those episodes still have build up to something. That is where this episode fails. I know it builds up to the Tidal Zone, but it isn’t enough of a pay off in my opinion. Atmospherically the episode is great. There are some cool character designs, even some returning fish from Rock Bottom. But it doesn’t really do much for me.

 

The episode doesn’t really have much going for it in terms of humor. Some of Nosferatu’s movements are alright, but the episode lacks in the joke department. This is something that even people who like the episode will agree on.

 

This episode again introduces more characters to the shows universe. You got Squidbeth, who is basically Squidward of the night shift. She is alright. She has a good design. There is the fisherman, and though I wish he was an antagonist, he is ok as well. The designs of the fish were mostly creative, even if they don’t do much. Spongebob himself is ok, even though he goes through the same character arc again and again.

 

Even with that, i dont hate the episode. It is....ok. I like the atmosphere and tone of the episode, and the new character models and colors were fun. Just that the episode did not have a strong enough hook for me. Probably towards the middle of the season if i had to place it.

 

Rating: 6/10

 

The Grill is Gone

 

This is another season 11 episode which sounds like it has a dumb concept. I don’t know how they got the idea for a cart race out of a grill being stolen, but weirdly it works. It feels like another good ride with the season 11 style, and it is all around an enjoyable episode.

 

The beginning is probably the weakest part. It is an ok sequence, but it is mostly another Mr. Krabs likes money joke, and than Spongebob cleaning the Krusty Krab. We already had 2 episodes in season 11 based around cleaning. The episode gets better when the kids get involved. The episode somehow makes the concept of a cart race work with the grill, and the race sequence at the end is great.

 

The best joke is Plankton’s cameo again. Like in Surf N Turf, it feels like a jab at all the plots hijacked by Plankton in post movie. Plankton even dies in the episode. The scene where the kids had an elaborate plan to punish Krabs got a chuckle. The race scene was full of gags. From Mr. Krabs mistaking looking back at his youth as being a baby too them winning the race, only to crash into a pole. There is also the ending, where Mr. Krabs brags about his win to the old people, only for the kids to ride the Krusty Krab which leaves the episode on a good note.

 

This is another example of season 11 giving Mr. Krabs a much needed upgrade. In the episode, he and Spongebob have another close bond, not to dissimilar to their bond in Call the Cops. He was actually pretty cool when he was riding their cart like a race cart. The episode does a good job making sure the kids are not annoying. They could have gotten on my nerves, but the episode does a good job making them tame.

 

This one is like Spin the Bottle and There’s a Sponge in My Soup. This episode has an original concept (at least I think a full on race has not been an episode yet) that sounds weird on paper, but manages to work surprisingly well. Add that with some solid gags and another godly Mr. Krabs appearance, this one manages to stand out for the season.

 

Rating: 7/10

 

Girls Night Out

 

With season 11 trying out more new character interactions, this episode decides to put all of the girl cast into one episode. They have mostly never interacted before (besides Sandy and Karen in Salsa Imbecilicus). Usually, I am all for new character interactions, but the way they decide to go for the plot feels like they have not scratched the surface for this type of plot.

 

To start out with, I am still not a fan of the pranking angle the episode decided to go with. Pranks a Lot is one of my least favorite pre movie episodes, and it decided to go with this plot point. It also feels kind of random? I think they could have gotten more creative with the plot, since the conflict felt generic? If that is the right word. The madness with Spongebob made for an ok climax, but it feels like standard fare for the show. The episode doesn’t have problems with wackiness or pacing, but I am not a fan of the direction this episode took.

 

The best jokes of the episode took place when the girls where pranking Plankton and Krabs. Some of the facial expressions were pretty good. The visual gags where also amusing, such as when a rock hit Plankton’s head. Them having random weapons and fighting were good bits. The Spongebob bits were eh to me. They had some alright action, but I wasn’t really a fan of many of the jokes. I guess Karen saying gal pals while they were in the middle of the chase got a chuckle.

 

While I appreciate that they were trying to get more characters together, I wish they had some backstory to them interacting (similar to Whale Watching having Squidward babysitting Pearl when she was a baby). Sandy and Karen where fine, but Mrs. Puff felt way too hyper here. She felt way too similar to Demolition Doofus. I thought season 11 was shifting away from those post movie cliches, but I dislike how essential to the plot it was for Puff to hate Spongebob.

 

It’s nice that the show is trying new ideas, and I do like most of the experimentation this season, but this one I feel “ok” on. It does have an original team up of characters, but it feels like the characters themselves were not interesting enough, so they had to drag Spongebob in the second half. I just think there could have been a better direction to take the episode in.

 

Rating: 6/10

 

Bubbletown

 

This episode had no chance of being as fantastic as Bubble Buddy Returns, but this one is another sequel to Bubble Buddy. Unlike Bubble Buddy Returns, this episode isn’t one joke spread across 11 minutes. This one decides to actually do something different, as for the course of the better season 11 episodes. Let’s get into it.

 

The worst part of the story for me is that the episode lacked stakes. So Spongebob kills all these bubble guys, but it doesn’t matter because they can just blow more? The plot for the episode felt pointless. That is my biggest issue. Even the original Bubble Buddy (which is another one of my least favorite pre movie episodes) felt kinda lacking in stakes, but the episode had a payoff in that Bubble Buddy was sentient. In this episode, the payoff was another Krusty Krab in Bubbletown? That just felt lazy to me, and made me not really care about the story too much.

 

I did like how the narrator was narrating Bubbletown like the narrator did in Krusty Krab Training Video. Also, there is something ironically funny of Spongebob, and than Mr. Krabs, commiting mass genocide on an entire population. Beyond that, the episode had alright jokes, like my bubble leg (this season has a lot of my leg gags looking back), and Spongebob going to bubble jail. Also special shout out to Dirty Bubble cameo.

 

I like what they did with Bubble Buddy in this episode. He was actually pretty chill here, and was far more memorable than he was in Bubble Buddy Returns. It’s strange that he doesn’t ever get mad at Spongebob or Krabs for what they do though, but he was pretty fun. Spongebob was alright, but he did commit mass genocide on a population. I would expect the guy to have a little regret in him. Krabs was ok too.

 

This episode is about on par with the original Bubble Buddy in my opinion. I am still not a fan with the bubble concept, but the episode has some amusing scenes, and the ironic enjoyment of Spongebob mass murdering an entire population to keep this episode passable.

 

Rating: 6/10

 

Squirrel Jelly

 

Feral Friends was my favorite season 10 episode from last season. It was adventurous, showed some of the best Sandy characterization in a long time, was unique and special, and overall deserved the run time. Unfortunately, Squirrel Jelly manages to be the opposite, and one of the seasons worst. I think most people agree that other episodes like Karen’s Virus and Squid Noir deserved more run time compared to this.

 

I think everyone knows the episode draaaaaaaaags. So many jokes or plot points are super slow. The episodes beginning has a 30 second dribbling scene (Sportz returnz). Rest of the episode is just forgettable and boring. The jellyfish fields stuff adds nothing. I got nothing to say besides its really bland. I guess I like the chainsaw jellyfish scenes, but the rest was obviously padded. I know people like the zen Buddhist stuff at the end, but I don’t. Sandy can’t stip the monster she created in her peaceful way. She has to go back to her violent ways, and it feels like the fight scene in Karate Island, which I don’t care for either.

 

The episodes humor is dull because each joke drags on. Maybe the ironic amusement in Pat the Horse returning was ok, but the rest of the episode was not quick enough.

 

I really did not like Sandy in here. She came off as needlessly a jerk in the first part of the episode. I know she had that in pre movie, but the difference is that in episodes like Pre-Hibernation Week, she had a reason for her being extremely competitive. Here, she just starts the episode like that. Even in the end, she faces no consequences for her actions, which makes the episode really annoying in the end. Spongebob and Patrick don’t do anything, but at least they aren’t annoying.

 

Yeah, this one might not have been the  best one to make 16 minutes. The episode faces problems that season 7 and 8 episodes face in being super boring and not doing anything with its premise. This episode probably would have been way better if it was 11 minutes, but as it stands, it is one of the worst episodes of the season.

 

Rating: 2/10

 

The String

 

Season 11 ends with...Spongebob destroying the universe. I like this episode. It is another gag based episode, in a similar vein to Sanitation Insanity and Krusty Kleaners, and focuses on all the chaos on one simple plot. The concept of Spongebob playing with a mundane object has been done before, but I think this one does a pretty good job revitalizing the concept.

 

There is pretty much no story in the episode. It is a gag based episode, so this one has locations that tell the gags with Spongebob finding the string. The one thing I didn’t like storywise is that the beginning of the episode felt like filler. And for a 6 minute episode, I don’t think that is a good sign. The rest of the episode though is pretty good.

 

This episode focuses more on clever visual gags, and it adds to the humor here. Stuff like Mr. Krabs’ money losing value, the Rusty Cab guy, and stuff like that. There are also some pretty funny visual gags, like the customer walking out of the Krusty Krab when he sees Spongebob naked, Bubble Bass making fun of the monkeys, and than getting beat up on, and I liked the running gag with Squidward a lot.

Spongebob could be annoying to some people, but he was fine to me. He doesn’t say a lot, but he is kept in an innocent and funny light, and never gets too obnoxious.

 

While not my favorite short, this episode is still solid. It is a worthy way to finish off the roller coaster that was season 11, and displays some of season 11s focuses on visuals in gags here. The episode is a nice reminder of the good things of season 11, and thankfully is way more fast paced and fun than Squirrel Jelly.

 

Rating: 7/10

 

 

lol sorry for me being a lazy fuck who took forever to finish this. My overall thoughts will be posted tomorrow.