This was an interesting mixed bag. I've always been fond of episodes where Spongebob goes off the deep end. There are plenty of creative visuals in this episode I appreciated, such as Spongebob's arm being pulled up to reveal a human hand. It wasn't much of a joke, but it was entertaining to see. The plot doesn't sound too interesting but it ended up being interesting to follow. Squidward being left to handle both being a cashier and a fry cook is not an original setup by any means, and this episode does little to distinguish it, which was an unfortunate mark on the episode.
The funniest gag in the episode for me was Spongebob constantly being mistaken for a woman in his get-up. I loved the expression he wore. The artists managed to make it both hollow and off-putting, but not necessarily malicious. It gave the impression of a well-intentioned person with a few screws loose, which completely matched the tone of the episode. The first joke of the episode, where Spongebob names the stray snail 'Senor Poopus' fell flat and was another sour point.
The director of the Snail pound was my least favorite aspect of the episode. He appears out of nowhere, and although he explains the sudden abundance of snails, I disliked his character. Everything from his speaking pattern to his final line, "Don't forget to have your pets spayed and neutered," were annoying to me.
Despite my numerous complaints, this episode never stopped being entertaining and was even heartwarming in a sense. The episode took a simple concept, managed to get a few good jokes and visuals, with some hiccups along the way. Ultimately, I'd give the episode a 6.5/10.