Maybe it’s because I was utterly exhausted at the time of rewatching “Kracked Krabs”, but I was having a hard time remembering what this episode was even about. I eventually remembered, but it took a hot second. So I can’t tell if that was a good or bad sign. Turns out it was definitely not a bad sign at least, because this is easily one of the best episodes of the season so far, and it's up against some stiff competition.
Once the episode begins, I feel like I was hit in the face with a flash grenade, because why was SpongeBob doing those weird movements from episodes like “Boating Buddies” or “Porous Pockets”? I thought we left this crap in season 6. But that’s really the only bad thing about these first couple minutes. Well, that, and it’s also a little bit slow. Eventually things pick up a bit once Mr. Krabs says that he’s been nominated for the Cheapest Crab Award. I think this is a pretty neat plot for an episode, and I like that Mr. Krabs is taking SpongeBob along for no reason LMAO. But it does mean that we get to see Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob interact in a different place than the Krusty Krab, which I am super stoked for. Additionally, I love that this episode really leans into the father-son dynamic between Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob, because that is one of the things I absolutely adore about their dynamics.
After Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob get to the hotel, there’s lots of fun little gags involving Mr. Krabs teaching SpongeBob all the cheapskate tricks. I loved the one with the poor bellhop, I know that guy is ready to quit his job. Another thing I like in this episode are all the neat designs of the other crabs. This episode reminds me a lot of “Cephalapod Lodge”, except there’s more of a focus on the other crabs in the episode. This episode also uses that weird Mr. Krabs coloring, which really doesn’t help because now all the crabs in this episode look pinkish and washed out. SpongeBob trying to do the crab laugh is hilarious, especially when you think of episodes like “Gone” where he does it perfectly.
The scenes of all the nominees’ cheapness are really fun to watch. Although I think this episode is confusing “cheapness” and “greed”. Which isn’t surprising because this show confuses the two in general, and makes Mr. Krabs have both traits. But this doesn’t really matter when it comes to my enjoyment. I love how once Mr. Krabs has SpongeBob give a testimony to his cheapness, we know exactly where this is gonna go. I did enjoy Mr. Krabs trying to corrupt SpongeBob though lol, and then I love how it ends up working in the end. The way SpongeBob completely says the wrong thing is hilarious, and I love everyone’s reactions.
Somehow, this episode makes Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob stealing their entire hotel room so wholesome. Both because it’s a bonding activity for them, but also because it wins Mr. Krabs the award. And I love how we get a callback to the quarter gag from earlier. There really isn’t much to say about “Kracked Krabs”. I just really enjoyed this episode and had a pretty good time watching it. And you know what, I needed that. I needed that a lot. Now if I can just rebuild my energy to give the rest of season 7 some proper reviews.
Episode Tier: Amazing
Episode Score: 9.3/10
Dancing (Good)