281b. Karen for Spot

[Jjs Goodman]

Premieres: Friday, February 3rd at 7pm ET/PT

Plot: Karen looks after Spot while Plankton goes out of town.

[4EverGreen]

While this was an okay episode segment, it felt kind of like a let down after "The Salty Sponge"; if only because there wasn't really anything spectacular about this episode segment. The trouble starts almost as soon as Plankton leaves. When he does, Spot chews up ALL of Plankton's carefully written instructions! Karen tries to analyze him in order to find out how to best take care of him, only to accidentally RUN over him and splatter him all over the place! Thankfully, Spongebob just HAPPENS to come by with Gary, as Gary has a play date with Spot, and explains to Karen that Spot is PERFECTLY capable of pulling himself back together, and demonstrates how to make it happen. Spongebob suggests that Spot probably needs to burn off some excess energy. During their walk, Spot actually manages to swallow a WHOLE fire hydrant, and cause both local flooding of six inches, as well as a big care pile-up! (At least nothing EXPLODES this time, so at least I'll give the writers credit for avoiding THAT over-used cliche). It's revealed that Gary is (at least now) a volunteer hospital pet, as he helps the injured out. When Spot gets back to the Chum Bucket (because Plankton called to inform Karen that the convention he was going to ended early), Karen struggles in order to find out what Spot actually eats. She and Spongebob find out that Spot will eat practically ANYTHING, as Spot manages to EAT everything that ISN'T a main character within the Chum Bucket! In order to curb his appetite, Karen decides to formulate a pill that will KEEP Spot fed and full for the rest of his life! Unfortunately, she underestimates the POWER of the pill she creates, as it LITERALLY causes Spot to grow into a GIANT amoeba monster, that BREAKS the walls of the Chum Bucket as soon as Plankton arrives there, and Spot starts floating into the sky! Karen and Plankton than get into an argument about whose fault it is, that Spot is now like this; but thankfully, Spongebob pulls out a dog bone, which causes Spot's head, to break off from the REST of his massive floating body, and Spot returns to his normal size. I was hoping that Plankton's Doomsday Device that he brought home with him, would somehow be the solution of Spot returning back to normal, but maybe the writers are saving that for a later episode. I guess I would give this episode an 8.5 out of 10. Enough said, true believers!