After last week's awful pairing, I didn't expect much for this week. But, when I did hear about this episode far back in August, I was actually pretty excited to watch it. And when I checked to see which episodes were airing today, I got a pleasant surprise, and guess what? It reached my level of expectations. Well, actually, I think it surpassed my level of expectations.
First off, let's talk about the plot. This is a genius way to keep the Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy characters alive. I know, I know, that's pretty much what everyone said when MermaidPants came out. But honestly, I think this is much better than MermaidPants. I always found MermaidPants overrated. Sure, it was a good episode, but it's nowhere near Top 5 material in Season 10. This episode, on the other hand, has a much more interesting plot. Rather than have SpongeBob and Patrick simply pretend to be Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy, we get conflict that's much more interesting. This time, they're fighting a real enemy, Man Ray.
First off, let me just say, I absolutely love Man Ray in this episode. It's so cool seeing him as a main character (With his latest appearance before this being Super Aquatic Team Up is a Go!), and honestly, I think he's one of the best parts of this episode. There's just a charm to his character, I'm not sure how to put it. To be honest, Man Ray hasn't really been "Evil" since his debut in MM&BB III. He's since been seen doing pretty mundane things, and honestly, the only time we really see him evil, is in Back to the Past (Where the events taking place occurred before MM&BB III). I guess the ending of this episode is the first time we really see him act evil on his own terms. Sure, he's kind of forced into it, but not in a brutal way (Like in Shuffleboarding). In fact, this episode feels very similar TO Shuffleboarding. Man Ray isn't doing anything wrong. SpongeBob and Patrick assume he's up to no good, they dress up as MM&BB, and they have a showdown. Only this version actually is kind of funny, and much more wild and entertaining.
Anyway, back to the plot of the episode, I really like this episode's premise. Putting a real villain, Man Ray, in the mix of SpongeBob and Patrick's serious attitude about fighting evil makes for a really entertaining episode. I think it's a cool idea to have Man Ray (An arch rival of SpongeBob and Patrick's heroes) rent out Squidward's house while he's on vacation. Plus, this episode's layout doesn't come off as forced. It actually comes off pretty naturally, if you ask me. The way this episode progresses, Squidward leaves on vacation, SpongeBob/Patrick try to meet up with the person renting his home, they discover he's Man Ray, they go to MM&BB for help, etc. is laid out really well. This is probably one of the best paced episodes in a while, some moments are fast paced, while others are a little more relaxed, and laid back. I really love how Kaz laid out the episode, I feel as if he did a great job transitioning from one plot point to the other. It's something I can't really describe. The most I can say is "See for yourself.".
The humor in this episode is pretty good. In fact, there are a lot of really funny jokes in this episode. From the adult humor regarding the "Unmentionables" (I can't believe SpongeBob has made a bra joke for the first time in over a decade), to the silly visual humor involving SpongeBob & Patrick putting Squidward's house back together. A lot of the jokes, as expected, are based off the animation. And I must say, I really love the animation in this episode. The more wacky, and crazy animation we're now familiar with, perfectly fits within this episode, seeing it's a much more action packed episode. There are some moments when it's unnecessary (Particularly when Patrick yells in Squidward's face at the beginning of the episode, or when the old lady steals Patrick's wallet), but I think this episode gets more wrapped up in it's plot than it's humor. Honestly, I'm perfectly fine with that. The plot is really interesting, and I got really invested into it. Sure, it's kind of a ripoff of Shuffleboarding. But, this is so much better than Shuffleboarding, in which this episode is actually exciting! SpongeBob & Patrick don't come off as ignorant jerks in this episode, they come across as two guys wanting to make society better, abolishing crime. They have good intentions, but they're not aware of Man Ray's side of the story, and that's what separates this from Shuffleboarding. There are multiple times SpongeBob & Patrick abuse their power, just because they think it'd be cool to be Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy. However, the only reason they take their places in this episode, is because they're taking their [Insert word they used in this episode that's slipping my mind] naps. It's a perfect way of featuring MM&BB in this episode (Not only for cameo appearances, but to also be a pretty big plot point).
So, to sum this episode up, I think the beginning of the episode properly set up the conflict, with Squidward leaving for vacation, and telling the two to leave the person who is renting his house to alone (Not to mention, establishing the fact that SpogneBob and Patrick are trying to keep the neighborhood crime-less). Then, we see the big surprise, Man Ray is renting the house. Curious, the two try to figure out who is renting Squidward's house (With some funny gags included, particularly the gag with Patrick knocking on the window). They go inside the house, and interact with Man Ray (Unaware who this person is), until the reveal that he is Man Ray, forcing SpongeBob and Patrick to assume the worst, and flee to Shady Shoals for help. Their heroes, however, being unable to help them out, SpongeBob & Patrick ensue the role of their heroes (In probably one of the best scenes in the episode), and then head to Squidward's, ensuing in the highlight of the episode, the climax.
I absolutely love the battle between Man Ray and SP&P. This scene looks great, it has fantastic animation, and a lot of pretty funny gags (My favorite being the "Evil never takes a vacation" line). Man Ray realizes that he just can't escape from being evil, and giving into the battle, resulting in some pretty epic sequences. A storm ensues, and Squidward decides to return home early, since the weather isn't good. Rather than go the predictable route, Man Ray actually abandons SpongeBob & Patrick, leaving the two to do the greater good, by cleaning up Squidward's house. These last few minutes of the episode are awesome. Yes, the three wrecked Squidward's house, but SpongeBob and Patrick acted like true heroes, by being kind enough to restore Squidward's house to it's former glory, in probably the funniest scene in the episode.
While not my favorite at first, I think this episode has really grown on me. It's probably my favorite episode of Season 11. It has a lot of funny jokes, great characters, beautiful animation, incredible directing, it's an Amazing Episode. All in all, I give it a 10/10.
) Nobody feels out of character, it's funny, it isn't boring, and just great! I was initially going to give this a 6/10, but all in all, it's a 10/10! This just shows, that SpongeBob is improving! I like that they toned down the zaniness a bit, while not COMPLETLEY removing it. Season 11 is good so far. Nice job SpongeBob crew. :salute:
