“High Sea Diving” is an episode I feel like I don’t remember much of, but I’m pretty sure I actually remember a lot of it. I think I’m just optimistic, because if I do remember a lot of it, then that means this episode was very uneventful and potentially boring. So, I do so hope I’m wrong.
This episode begins in the middle of all the action, and you know what I can appreciate that. We don’t need to see the set up of SpongeBob deciding he’s going to try diving, I’m fine just jumping right in like this. It gives the plot more possibilities. Now, the episode doesn’t necessarily use these possibilities, but at least the prospect is there. Anywho, after a funny joke involving an imagined SpongeBob statue and a child, and another involving Patrick and a SpongeBob standee, we see SpongeBob go up to the board and dive…and completely fail. The one time this show actually listens to physics, am I right?
Well, SpongeBob ain’t down for the count, and so after a helpful lesson in gravity and anti-gravity by Sandy, SpongeBob decides that this is going to be “The Sponge Who Could Fly Part 2”. For multiple reasons I hope that won’t actually be the case haha. And, it turns out not to be…in a sense. There are actually some similarities between the two episodes, but nothing overt, nothing that would make anyone thing rip-off. Anyway, SpongeBob starts to float to the surface…until a bunch of trash blocks his way. You know what, I’m with it. This show is meant to be educational about sea life in a certain respect.
SpongeBob manages to dislodge a lot of the trash and send it falling down to Bikini Bottom, where many of the Bikini Bottomites find use for it, believing the trash to be gifts from Neptune. In the trash piles, SpongeBob finds Old Man Jenkins, who’s pretending to be King Neptune. Or maybe he actually believes he’s King Neptune. Either way, SpongeBob plays along. Soon, Bikini Bottomites start sending messages in balloons asking for specific items, because if there’s something these background characters always have, it’s the audacity. SpongeBob and Old Man Jenkins decide to try and fulfill their requests. And not a moment too soon, because Harold was about to sacrifice somebody. Somebody need to deal with him. He’s a menace.
With everyone climbing the ladder, and Porous Pursuit starting to play, you already know some kinda chaos is about to go down. And it does. The whole ladder comes down in a giant pile of trash. And then, surprisingly, the actual King Neptune shows up, smiting Old Man Jenkins for his impersonation. Didn’t see that coming. And the episode ends with SpongeBob happy that the Bikini Bottomites called him a hero. Okay, that was cute.
“High Sea Diving” was alright. I just feel like there wasn’t much for this episode at all. The plot didn’t feel quite engaging enough, and the humor didn’t feel quite there. And the episode feels a whole lot shorter than it actually was. Maybe this has to do with the episode completely changing focus after about 2-3 minutes, but I’m not sure.
Episode Tier: Good
Episode Score: 7.4/10
