Coming up next, we've got "A Life in a Day", probably one of the more well-known season 6 episodes that isn't infamous or notorious or anything like that, which is great for me to see because I like when episodes have a positive reputation. And I agree with the positivity here, because I like this episode a lot. And fun fact about me that's relevant, I have a "Living Like Larry" sticker on my laptop (the very laptop I type this review on now).
First things first, let’s give it up to this episode for bringing Larry back to us! Been wayyyy too long since we’ve seen him (we last saw him in "Roller Cowards"), and he’s always been a fun character to me, so it’s great to see him again here. This episode also marks the return of Goo Lagoon, which has been similarly absent (and I suppose those two things are connected, given that Larry is a character pretty deeply associated with Goo Lagoon until much more recently). Also, with the return of Goo Lagoon, we see a lot of surf rock songs in this episode, which really harks back to season 1 (although those episodes used a lot more downbeat, chiller songs, which isn’t a good or bad thing, just something to point out). And I think the songs really help out a lot with the atmosphere of this episode.
The little stunt show at the beginning of the episode is…fine. It’s not particularly funny or amusing, but it does give us some insight into Larry’s character, so I’ll give it that. And then when Larry gives his whole missive about living large and YOLO, at first I’m slightly perturbed by how he picks on SpongeBob and Patrick for no reason, but as the scene goes on it gets kinda funny with the visual gags and the way the townspeople just drag SpongeBob and Patrick’s names through the mud.
The concept of this episode is an interesting one to me, being a kind of serious topic that’s completely turned comedic, as is this show's style. I mean, this episode is basically a mid-life crisis mixed with living in your 20s LMAO, which is demonstrated when Patrick is like “these are the best years of our lives, and we’re wasting them”. From this set-up, the episode becomes mostly filled with gags for a while, with all of Patrick’s attempts to live life to the fullest. His utter seriousness is hilarious to me, especially in that first scene where he jumps in the air saying “living like Larry” dramatically, just hysterical. From there, the scenes and gags vary in their humor level, but they’re all at least a little funny to me, with some just being utterly hilarious. And of course, they’re all fun to watch too. I especially love how SpongeBob’s slow-going, low life-risking stakes lifestyle is contrasted with Patrick’s new choices. And I love that SpongeBob has no insecurity in this (until later, that is, which only shows what peer pressure does to people lol…I think the episode could’ve shown that Larry was like…totally wrong about at least SpongeBob), and simply enjoys his safe life with “small” thrills. I think there’s a lesson to be had there about finding joy in the smallest things. Or maybe not, but I choose to think there is anyway. I also love how Patrick gets increasingly maimed by all of these crazy activities (that car dump scene is lowkey kinda dark), showing that he isn’t immune to the stupidity he’s displaying here. His mania and excitement over these dangerous activities really help to make the scenes even more entertaining for me, especially when juxtaposed to SpongeBob’s outlook. And I like how eventually SpongeBob tells Patrick what Larry will be telling them at the end of the episode…one of the last bits of enlightenment for our little friend in this episode, as eventually he gets bit by the crazy bug too.
See, one thing I really like about this episode is that it kind of subverts expectations by having Patrick actually stop being interested in living extreme, while SpongeBob gets into it and starts getting into crazier stuff than even Patrick. In other words, this episode avoids being too similar to “Pre-Hibernation Week” by changing up the dynamics and plot. And this works wonders for "A Life in a Day", as the switch makes the ending segment so much more entertaining for me than it would’ve been if it was Patrick’s idea to shoot them all into an island of spikes. But before I get into that scene, let me talk about the turning point of the episode, where Patrick runs away from the bikers. I love how we can see the switch in both Patrick and SpongeBob here, and I love how SpongeBob is able to talk everyone down, until he knocks all their bikes over, and the adrenaline gets to his head. It’s great, with some funny jokes in there too.
And then of course we have the ending of the episode, which is a great role reversal for SpongeBob and Patrick, and a good reappearance of Larry. The way everyone starts freaking out except SpongeBob is utterly hilarious. And the very ending of the episode in the hospital is great, with Larry ready to seriously maim SpongeBob even further. Maybe you shoulda just kept your mouth shut Larry…
“A Life in a Day” is yet another really fun episode that I really have no problems with at all. It’s got some pretty funny moments in there, and when the episode is not being funny it’s being engaging, action-packed, and entertaining. A great addition to my “Amazing” tier, and one that perhaps has something to say about how you may wanna live your life too. Honestly, it kinda feels like a proper pair with “Slide Whistle Stooges”, which has that same undertone as “Squidville” and “Idiot Box” with adding fun and imagination into your life.
Episode Tier: Amazing
Episode Score: 9.2/10