Ah, a special. Been a while since we had one of those, huh? I think the alternate name for the episode, Mystery with a Twistery, is so much more fun lol. I remember this episode pretty well, if only because I love a good mystery plot, and this episode has a very similar name to “Patty Caper”, which is an episode I like very much. Also, every time I think of this episode I think of that old
Mystery Train Island from Poptropica. Also of that one Backyardigans episode lol. I think of a lot of things, but no one should be surprised at this point. This is another special without Patchy, and here I think it works far better than in “The Clash of Triton”. Probably because unlike that episode, this episode is not painfully boring. It’s actually pretty engaging throughout.
One thing that I can always appreciate is an episode that wastes no time getting into things, and “The Great Patty Caper” is one of those episodes. Seeing SpongeBob treat being out of Krabby Patties with a certain gravitas is, as always, very entertaining and a great start to the episode, as well as a good kickstart to the plot. This episode really is like “Patty Caper” in a lot of ways. And I loved the moment of Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob trying to make the new patties, there was a nice dynamic between of them, and there were some at least amusing jokes in there too, if not outright funny.
See, here’s why I like Mystery with a Twistery more as a name, other than the fact that it’s more fun. Because it also describes the plot more, because this plot really twists and turns. Like at first, the episode subverts our expectations by having the actual plot be about Mr. Krabs trying to get Plankton to stop stealing the formula, rather than SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs forgetting how to make patties. But then, later we see that this is a double inversion, because SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs forgot to read the formula before getting it sent off to this obscure location (in a very entertaining sequence). I love it! And it makes the episode a bit more worthy of being a special.
And then we get to the real plot of the episode, SpongeBob (and Patrick) going to retrieve the formula from the safe deposit box on the opposite side of the ocean. Fun! Why Patrick is here, I have no idea. Well, that’s a lie, I know why. Because it wouldn’t be a special episode without SpongeBob and Patrick at the very least. I love trains a lot, just going to be real, so I feel like I’m immensely biased towards liking this episode from that simple fact alone. And it’s fun to get our expectations subverted a bit again by having Plankton fail to catch the train in a very funny segment.
On the train, we meet some very…interesting characters. Like the conductor who is vehemently not a butler, and the nanny with a very weird and lowkey creepy design (as SpongeBob and Patrick take notice of). And then there’s a lady with bright red hair who I have many questions about right off the bat. After we meet these 3, we get another big plot point hitting like a hammer, the reveal that SpongeBob no longer has the key. Commence the freakout. Luckily, (well unluckily for him) Plankton comes across SpongeBob at that exact moment, and SpongeBob blames him. This part also feels a lot like “Patty Caper”, with Patrick acting as an enforcer type. And then the episode proposes that this is a locked door type mystery (which is a slight disappointment that we don't really get that), and my interest increases exponentially. No wonder we meet a bunch of interesting characters on the train! I like how Patrick calling the cops from the window somehow actually gets the cops to come.
Once everyone is lined up outside the train, this scene has gotta be the best in the episode. First off, Tom Kenny’s delivery when SpongeBob interrogates the baby is great and makes that entire segment so freaking hilarious to me. And we get the twist that the nanny and baby are actually the Jewel Triplets Gang. I think this whole set of reveals that each of these people are criminals, but not criminals who stole the key, is hilarious. I know I’m very easy to please. I also loved the joke with that random guy turning into a werewolf, like who’s coming up with this stuff? And I love that no one is fazed by it.
We get the very underwhelming reveal that Patrick had the key the whole time, and honestly, I’m cool with that. I think it fits the subverting expectations vibe that this episode has had so far. And also, we didn’t spend that much time with the key lost anyway, so it doesn’t feel like we wasted the whole episode. And the episode then switches gears to be about Plankton stealing the key legitimately by kicking SpongeBob and Patrick out of the train. This leads to a very entertaining sequence of SpongeBob and Patrick pursuing Plankton through the train. Which then ends with Plankton trapping SpongeBob and Patrick in the actual locomotive part of the train. I really liked this part because it had plenty of great jokes and I just love chaos. I loved the joke with Patrick breaking the brake, like that was a combo of visual and wordy humor that worked perfectly (in English, that is…probably not as much in other languages I’d assume?). Patrick’s attempts at stopping the train were also just hilarious. For some reason I really loved the animation of him running in front of the train, it’s just great, and I love how SpongeBob somehow has confidence in him LMAO. Bill Fagerbakke also just does great in these parts, that’s all I can say. And Patrick’s attempts cause the train to start drifting in a way that might put the
polar express to shame. This is what
Tokyo Drifting is about, right?
Hey, this wouldn’t be a Mystery with a Twistery if we didn’t have yet another twist in this plot, now would it? Because turns out, Mr. Krabs was waiting for Plankton. Because Mr. Krabs had a
Batman Gambit going for him, and it worked big time. Though, it wasn’t a perfect one, considering Plankton still steals the formula, at least until SpongeBob and Patrick crash the train into the bank, with Mr. Krabs being forced to foot the bill (which he reacts to hilariously).
Because this is a special, we of course gotta cut back to the Krusty Krab to see what kind of mayhem is going on there, and it’s pretty bad. Why Mr. Krabs stays open in moments like these, I don’t understand. Just close until you have Krabby Patties again???? Poor Squidward is being terrorized by these townspeople LMAO. And at first, you question how Mr. Krabs isn’t in this scene at all, until you realize later in the episode that he was already in Farawayville, waiting on Plankton. We love tight writing!
The ending of this episode is entirely out of nowhere, and I love it. Just one last little twistery. I love that SpongeBob is the kind of guy who’d keep his house even after all the futuristic buildings surround it, that makes complete sense to me. And I'll also just use this short little paragraph to sum up my feelings on this special: its great and extremely underrated. Seriously, I
never see anyone talk about this episode, and it doesn't take a genius to guess that people think its meh or dislike it. And I simply disagree, because this was a fantastic special to me, easily one of the best we've had since probably "SpongeBob SquarePants Vs. The Big One" and "Friend or Foe".
Episode Tier: Amazing
Episode Score: 9.3/10
Dancing (Good)
