Wow…. it’s really been this long since I’ve done something like this. Not only has been over 2 years since my last blog, but it’s also been almost 3 years since I made my last review - and that was of a title card. Needless to say, with me popping back up here and there on ESB, I should definitely make this review about an episode that premiered after my retirement.
But first, let’s take a step back and talk about Season 11. Personally, I think this season was very good. Definitely on line with Season 1, this season made a ton of risks that they haven’t made in years. You can tell by watching any episode of Season 11, along with the post-sequel era as a whole, that the SpongeBob crew had a lot of fun making it. It’s very experimental, off the wall, exciting, and makes for a very good watch. Episodes like Karen’s Virus, Chatterbox Gary, Surf N’ Turf, Bottle Burglars, and Plankton Paranoia are absolute masterpieces. However, as good as this season is…. I don’t find it on the same par as others, and that’s for a few reasons.
For starters, this season almost seems *too* fluid and *too* experimental. Yes, trials and tribulations can make for some very enjoyable experiences and writing out of your comfort zone. But some episodes in this season seem like they have way too much going for them, as opposed to episodes from Seasons 6-8 that don’t have enough going for them. If you want to have the best opportunity with a story, you have to pick a very simple topic and expand off of that. With episodes like Cuddle E. Hugs, Don’t Feed the Clowns, Bubbletown, and the episode I’m reviewing today, this is EXTREMELY noticeable. Several episodes of the season are forgettable or just flat-out don’t work because of the fact that they try too hard, and that shouldn’t be this much of a recurring problem. I’m not even talking about the animation, either - I love a lot of the exaggerated expressions, but some of them are pointless and defeat the purpose of having outstandish expressions in the first place.
The other reason why? The bad episodes of this season are REALLY bad. Like, VERY, VERY bad. Look at the other seasons of post-sequel - 9b, 10, and 12. None of these seasons have any episodes that are that awful, with the exception of The Nitwitting (that being said, Season 12 is one of my favorite seasons, which might be a topic for another day). Season 11 has the worst episodes of post-sequel - Library Cards, Appointment TV, Drive Happy, and by far the most panned - Ink Lemonade. Personally, I think Ink Lemonade is overhated, but it’s still a bad episode and shows that Season 11 has some low points.
But for me, none of these episodes come close to as bad as Squirrel Jelly is. Coming into the episode, I didn’t have high hopes. I mean, the episode is literally called Squirrel Jelly, how much could you really stretch that concept? I was also reluctant because it was the second 16 minute episode in a row to center around Sandy. Like, come on, why does Sandy need two 16 minute episodes dedicated to herself, especially since only 4 of this type of episode existed at the time? But anyway, I finally watched the episode, and without any exaggeration, this episode made my brain explode. Other than A Pal for Gary, no episode made me feel this way on my first watch. It was terrible and definitely had a spot reserved for it on my Bottom 10 list. But as time went on, I forgot more and more about the episode, until I decided to rewatch it. The result? Even worse. At this point in time, Squirrel Jelly currently holds the number 3 spot on my Bottom 10 list of the ENTIRE SHOW, only behind Are You Happy Now? and A Pal for Gary. Why is it so atrocious? Well, let’s find out.
The episode begins on one of the most ANNOYING pitches to start an episode - SpongeBob and Patrick dribbling a basketball while obnoxiously repeating the world “dribble.” Yes, the first scene and the episode is already tedious. It goes on for far too long and isn’t remotely funny. I get that they’re trying to make SpongeBob and Patrick seem obnoxious and passive and have Sandy be frustrated by that, but if you’re gonna do that, then you should never, EVER annoy the audience too. I know it sounds like I’m going on and on about this one scene, but this is basically the staple for the whole episode - they try to do something and screw up sooooo badly, and this happens with every single aspect of the episode.
This is especially noticeable in the next scene, which is the three of them eating hot dogs. Again, Patrick and SpongeBob are taking their time, while Sandy makes it competitive. This scene doesn’t work because we know that Patrick’s character isn’t like this. Even in What’s Eating Patrick? - where Patrick’s problem is that he takes time to savor Krabby Patties - shows that Patrick is generally a fast and sloppy eater. This is something proven in several episodes. And before anyone wants to bring up the fact that SpongeBob doesn’t follow continuity, well, this isn’t a continuity problem. This is them disregarding a crucial character trait in order to fit the scene. The other problem with this is that, like the basketball scene, it’s not remotely funny. Yeah, I should probably get this out of the way, or else I’ll be bringing this up for every scene - this episode is PAINFULLY, and I mean PAINFULLY unfunny. The jokes they try to tell are abysmal. And for an extended length episode especially, this is a major issue. When this episode isn’t making you cringe at how awful its plot points and twists are, it’s making you cringe even harder at how unfunny the jokes are, or even boring you because of the lack of attempts. Like seriously, the only jokes they tell in the hot dog scene are gross-out ones. That tells you just what you need to know about what they’re trying to do here.
And then, for the THIRD straight time in a row, they have a scene where Sandy acts prideful and everyone else is just too boring for her. Why they needed three scenes in the beginning is beyond me. Yes, we already know that Sandy is an arrogant and competitive character, and that SpongeBob and Patrick are generally easy-going. We really didn’t need three scenes to show that, especially when all of them are obscenely not funny and disregard key characters traits (Patrick not eating like he normally does, Larry not being competitive in the volleyball game). Oh wait, I know why they needed all of this buildup! Because they can’t fill up 16 minutes with this incoherent mess of an episode. Yep, makes sense.
Now, while the episode up to this point has already been intolerable, it’s mostly been unfunny jokes and disregarding character traits. Now we get into the REAL crap, which amplifies both of the above and also throws in the factor of screwing up at every possible point. We get to Jellyfish Fields, where SpongeBob and Patrick do not at all act like themselves. Okay, yes, they are generally gentle characters. That would be a perfectly fine justification if this was anything except for goddamn JELLYFISHING. Absolute bruh moment. Why are SpongeBob and Patrick, who have always competitively caught jellyfish, suddenly come back in this episode - which have already shown how gentle they are when it comes to other pastimes - to literally not be trying at all? I’m not saying you can’t show them having fun at all, because that’s what they do it for, but for SpongeBob and Patrick, jellyfishing is a sport that they take seriously. It’s not remotely funny (even Patrick being a horse isn’t funny because Pat The Horse is so much better), and it shatters the character type just to fit this mess of a plot. Sure, they try to throw in the whole catch and release thing, which there have been many, many different instances of, but that just sounds like an attempt to steer away from the actual problem. Plus, how many times in this show has the concept of catching and releasing jellyfish been beaten into the ground? Texas, Jellyfish Hunter, F.U.N., Planet of the Jellyfish, Jellyfish Jam - and that’s just to name a few.
And then we have Sandy to talk about. Oh boy, how I hate Sandy in this episode. Now, elephant in the room - her main character type is of the proud, arrogant, competitive nature. While that is generally a character type that doesn’t get screwed up that often, when it does fall flat, it’s freaking AWFUL. Sandy in this episode is out of character, which even I find odd. I mean, she’s showing her dominant, competitive side, right? But it goes beyond that. She doesn’t think through the implications of her actions. She has always been portrayed as a character that goes over the top and doesn’t have many limits, and that’s perfectly fine. But when you do that, you have to make sure that the character isn't intentionally causing harm. When I watch Sandy imprisoning, or dare I even say enslaving the jellyfish, I do not see this as competition. I see it as malice. Sandy seriously seems hostile in her actions. How the hell else should one interpret the line “I'm catching and releasing—releasing from their freedom!,” or Sandy even purposely ignoring SpongeBob when he says not to do any harm to the jellyfish? It’s just… wrong. And when you’re making a character go too far, you absolutely NEED to make sure that there's no malicious intent involved, or else you see what I see in this episode - I don’t get any satisfaction with Sandy trading out her competitive side for a malevolent side. It’s just awful.
Furthermore, while Sandy has done unintentional harm - and yes, I do mean unintentional - she never, EVER does it to nature. I mean, Prehibernation Week has her only really doing harm to SpongeBob’s well-being (and again, PURELY just being ignorant until it’s too late). Not to creatures that have no emotion or characteristics like jellyfish. And for the final issue I have with this, which does tie into what I just said, is that the jellyfish didn’t do anything to spark a motivation. In an episode like Jellyfish Hunter, Mr. Krabs realized how profitable jellyfish jelly would be when served on a Krabby Patty. But in this episode, Sandy’s only motivation is that she wants to cause harm as a consequence of her being prideful. Oh, and that SpongeBob and Patrick said not to. See the difference? Like I said earlier, it’s like they wanted to reconstruct an pre-movie episode with this concept, but completely missed everything that made them good.
So now when literally all the damage to Jellyfish Fields is practically irreversible, THEN SpongeBob and Patrick finally get it through her skull that what she did was just the slightest bit immoral. And she doesn’t seem to give the slightest care in the world… like really. Hell, she even still sounds proud of what she did. Her exact words are “Oh, did I do that” while she’s giggling. “I guess I can be overly competitive at times.” She’s acting like she was just roughhousing with her cousin or something, not maliciously destroying nature. Seriously, what the actual HELL is wrong with this scene?! She doesn’t get any sort of comeuppance, doesn’t show any empathy or realizing of her wrongdoings, hell, she doesn’t even feel embarrassed. Why, yes, I did just list the attributes of a psychopath, thanks for noticing! And no, I don’t mean any hesitation when I say that what Sandy is doing is in line with how a psychopath would act. The very next thing she does is send SpongeBob and Patrick on their way and for them to “walk it off” - so she’s already put more of the blame on two characters who have pretty much only just been annoying than she has admitted to herself after purposely destroying nature. How am I in any circumstance or context supposed to find this funny or enjoyable? Nothing about this whole thing is even remotely pleasurable. It’s just watching Sandy abuse animals and nature for a few minutes and her not giving a damn. It’s inexcusable that they put this in the episode thinking anyone would find it humorous. Although I’m sure there are people here that find it funny, whatever.
Now usually I’d say that at this point in the episode, they would have the chance to do remarkable things. Even in god awful cases, I give the whole episode a shot to make sure I don’t miss out on anything, which is of course what I did with this one too. However, at this point in the episode, I did not believe there was ANY chance of redemption. I really could not think of any possible way to make this episode better at this point onward, and apparently, neither could the crew.
So, after Sandy did all of that, she becomes a pacifist. I’m sorry - did I miss a scene or something? There’s gotta be more of a catalyst for change, especially after doing something so heinous and after being confronted, still doubling down. Instead, she just becomes non-violent out of nowhere. Sure! There’s still a massive conflict and she didn’t care at all about it, but the episode is STILL gonna make Sandy the protagonist. Why should I, the viewer, want to root for Sandy? I don’t at all buy her renouncing her ways and becoming a pacifist. She caused a massive problem and didn’t do anything to rectify it - I am not and should not be on her side. But the bigger slap in the face is what happens next with SpongeBob and Patrick. After all of this, they come running back to her in order to defeat th- bruh, what? Excuse me? Massive… jellyfish thing. Barring how ridiculous this is and how clearly they’re just throwing crap at the wall, this contradicts what makes the resolutions of these types of episodes good.
For example, Pressure is very important to the context of this episode. In Pressure, Sandy arrogantly berates the gang, causing them to go on land to prove that they can handle it. After the sea critters happen to become arrogant, they get instant karma and Sandy has to rescue them. For one, both sides get comeuppance for their actions. And two, The other side has to come and save them. If they wanted to do this right, they should’ve made Sandy finally realize her wrongdoings by making SpongeBob and Patrick save Sandy. It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever to have Sandy cause all of this torture, not care, and then come out on top as a hero. Sure, you could make the argument that Sandy is proving that she learned her mistakes by finally rectifying them, but if they wanted to do that, then she should’ve actually, you know, fixed what she caused. But she didn’t, and that causes this scene to tank miserably. For what it’s worth, the fight scene is mediocre. Especially when the jokes about her being a pacifist are garbage. I have no idea what kind of drugs you have to be on to write “I was a pacifist, but now I'm gonna pass my fist through your face!” and think it was funny enough to keep it in the episode. I would also say that Sandy does the right thing in deciding to release the jellyfish back into the wild, but at this point, it’s just an excuse to boost her already inflated ego while not ever apologizing or getting comeuppance.
Like I said, Pressure is very important to the context of this episode, because the Sandy arrogance plot perfectly. In order to do something like this, you have to make both characters arrogant or competitive. By stripping SpongeBob and Patrick of all the competitive nature they had, you make Sandy look much worse and make it even more unsatisfactory when she gets portrayed as the protagonist. I do not at all like Sandy in this episode. Her character has a very obvious way of being done wrong, yet they proceeded with it anyway. And they bomb miserably. And even if you don’t think Sandy is being malicious or intolerable, then you find this episode painfully unfunny and boring, whether it be to obvious filler in the beginning or the complete lack of effort in the comedy department. This episode has no redeemable qualities, which is very rare for any SpongeBob episodes. It hits on everything wrong with the low point of the show and somehow ends up even worse than a vast majority of the episodes in those seasons. And it, once again, has absolutely no reason to be 16 minutes. It’s a terrible concept and the execution was even worse for an extended length episode. What else can I say? This episode is pure Squirrel Jelly. (still can’t find out what squirrel jelly is so I’m sticking with this one. Boo all you want, it’s funnier than anything in the episode).
That all being said, I don’t think Squirrel Jelly is a staple for Season 11 as a whole. While yes, I do find this episode unbearable in every sense, and that it does somewhat impact my enjoyment of the season (albeit only slightly), I honestly think that this was just a fluke. There are a few very bad episodes in the season, and this just happened to be a lot worse than the others in the mix. If there’s anything that one can take from this, it’s that there’s a very low chance of there being an episode this awful for a while. In an era of SpongeBob where not a lot of bad episodes exist, this one is the worst of the worst and we’ve got it out of the way. Now, yes, it’s absolutely gut wrenchingly abysmal, but still. As I said before, I think Season 12 is one of the greatest seasons of the show, rivaling Seasons 2 and 3, and I have very high expectations for Season 13 as well as Sponge on the Run. If post-sequel SpongeBob has taught me anything, it’s that you can recover from a low point if you really want to make a change. (Ironically, that’s what Squirrel Jelly tried to say and failed at). I’m looking forward to great things from now on, especially because of Season 11 and 12.
Welp, that was my review on the Dan-infamous episode Squirrel Jelly. On my rating scale from -5 to 5 (5 being highest, -5 being lowest, 0 being average), it easily gets a -5, no questions asks. Thank you all for tuning into my first SpongeBob review in literally years! I appreciate any comments or feedback here, as well as possible requests for future episodes - perhaps I could even take a look at some fantastic episodes from Season 12 :)! But as always, thanks again, and peace out.