Pinhead Larry
The Fountain of Squidward
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2011
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- 1,606
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- 4,476
A meh episode. It was unnatural but occasionally funny.
6/10
6/10
this episode gives me kamp koral vibes, i dont know why but it just doesNext up, we've got "The Inmates of Summer", and man, I'm about to bamboozle y'all with this one. Yet again I am here with an episode that is very, very forgotten. And yet again I find myself being very much against the episode being forgotten. And not even because I don’t like episodes being forgotten in general, but because I quite enjoy “The Inmates of Summer”. It reminds me a lot of “Mrs. Puff You’re Fired”, actually.
For the beginning of this episode, I’m almost shocked at how quickly things get moving, as we see SpongeBob for like two seconds before Grass Skirt Chase starts playing and Patrick blasts onto the scene. Like it feels like I’m about to watch a much shorter episode or something, and they wanted things to get going fast. But hey, I ain’t complaining. Also, SpongeBob is adorable in his little camp outfit. Speaking of camp, this is another one of those episodes that toes the line between adult and child for SpongeBob’s character, given that on one hand he’s going to summer camp, while on the other he ends up at a prison camp lmao. It’s also kinda funny how SpongeBob is left behind because he’s saying goodbye to Patrick, like that camp counselor is quite incompetent. I also kind of like how this first part of the episode, like first minute or so, is more visual storytelling than anything else, given most of the dialogue is just SpongeBob and Patrick crying, and we see what happens visually rather than getting some exposition or something, not that SpongeBob SquarePants is a show rife with exposition, but y’all know what I mean.
Anywho, it doesn’t take long for us to get introduced to our stand-out character of this episode, the warden. The way SpongeBob and Patrick just assume he’s a porter, and his reaction to that, is pretty funny and sets a good tone for what we’re gonna be seeing from this guy for the rest of the episode. His design is also really good. But seriously, this guy gets me laughing so hard throughout this entire episode. His utter disdain at SpongeBob and Patrick daring to enjoy themselves is absolutely hilarious, especially with the great dialogue he’s given and the delivery by Ronald Lee Ermey on all of his lines. Fun fact, Ermey used to be a Marine Corps drill instructor. I bet he used some of that energy when recording his lines.
As for the rest of the episode, I just love SpongeBob and Patrick on the prison island. The way the other prisoners assume they are tough when they’re really just dumb, and then the way they just soak in the chum and enjoy themselves lmao, undermining every effort to discipline them and break their spirits...all of that is just great. SpongeBob’s endless optimism is always enjoyable to watch, and I love that he and Patrick want to improve everyone else’s experiences too. His idea to have a play is super adorable and just so SpongeBob, and it’s made even better by the warden’s reaction to it. And then things just continue to improve when the prisoners realize that they can escape by using the play to their advantage (during a pretty hilarious scene). I love that we get that funny scene of the prisoners plotting to escape, because it makes our watching of the play even more entertaining as we anticipate what is to come, and we can feel some suspense rising while watching the production. As for the play itself, this was a pretty entertaining scene, and the frequent reaction shots of the warden are great too. And then of course all of this goodness and anticipation come to a head once the prisoners try to make their escape, only for it to be revealed with perfect comedic timing that the boat is completely nonfunctional.
What’s even better is that this isn’t even the end of the episode, and there’s more fun to come. The warden’s reaction to this mutiny and blatant offense to musical theater is of course great, as I’ve been prone to say throughout this episode. He really is a highlight of this whole thing, what can I say? Like this episode would not be anywhere near as funny without him. And then of course we get a payoff from the very beginning of the episode where SpongeBob was left behind, with that incompetent camp counselor finally coming back to retrieve him. I love how disgusted and revolted the warden is by the activities on Sun Fun Island, not to mention how the criminals are too. And I love how in the end, SpongeBob and Patrick hate these activities too; it’s a great call-back to SpongeBob’s earlier comment about the Sun Fun boat looking boring, and to the warden finally achieving his goal of breaking SpongeBob and Patrick’s spirits. Excellent ending to this episode.
I really like “The Inmates of Summer”, and I already know it’s insanely underrated. For some reason, more than other episodes, I feel like I’m better able to articulate just why this episode works. Like why it’s funny and enjoyable beyond it just being those qualities. See, this episode works primarily because SpongeBob never realizes how screwed he is, and never hates where he’s at. His endless optimism (along with the warden) really make this episode great. Because the environment is already sad and desperate, and SpongeBob (+ Patrick) is a great contrast to that. Not to mention, because the warden is so stringent and rigid, he’s a great foil to SpongeBob and Patrick, which really helps the humor there. And like I said before, the voice acting for the warden is fantastic which really adds to his character. Apparently he has appeared once more, in The Patrick Star Show, albeit with a different voice, as unfortunately Emley passed away in 2018. Well, even if it was just a one-off appearance, I appreciate the work he did in this episode, because it’s great. And because this episode is so hilarious and one I take no issue with, it’s definitely going in my “Amazing” tier.
Episode Tier: Amazing
Episode Score: 9.4/10
I'd imagine it's the whole camp aspect. But also this is an episode I can imagine being from Kamp Koral too lol, from what I remember seeing of it a year ago (man I need to do a rewatch and catch up)this episode gives me kamp koral vibes, i dont know why but it just does