Old Spongebob vs. New Spongebob (Phoenix Wright Style)!

Season 8 is SO far from "original form" that I dare say it's not even the same show anymore.

Agreed.

Of a somewhat related note, Mermaidman's voice actor Ernest Borgnine sadly passed away yesterday.

My brother reckon's he saw something on the news about a guy, and he said that it showed Mermaidman for a second. I guess that's what it was. That's sad.

I wonder if the Nickelodeon Execs will have the respect to retire the character?

I saw a picture in my news feed on Facebook a picture of Barnacle Boy crying over Mermaid Man's grave. I have no.idea if it's real, but it wouldn't be the first time a Nicktoon character was killed off because of the voice actors death (Ms. Gordon from As Told By Ginger).

Well, Mermaid Man has been voiced by other actors in the video games, so they might not retire him.

Do they imitate Borgnine well?

His Darrin is okay, from what I've heard.

I hate the show regardless of season. Moving on...

Hold it! Those are all Season 7 episodes, aired in the anthology, "Legends Of Bikini Bottom". The "Season 8 is not a return to form" argument can't be taken seriously if you don't know what episodes the Season actually contains. Season 8 seems to be crawling out of the black hole of badness the show had been in from Late Season 4 to late Season 7.

edited 20th Jul '12 11:46:49 AM by Nugget

Leave this thread, Twentington, and never come back.

Hold It! On the hard-drive I have, they were under Season 8, so blame whoever organised the episodes on there, which wasn't me.

edited 21st Jul '12 1:23:56 AM by MagcargoMan

Good for you, want a cookie?

Am I the only one that tends to hate some episodes solely on the basis of how Squidward gets treated?

Namely, two episodes. The one where Spongebob and Patrick try to be "good neighbors" to Squidward on his Sunday off, and the one where Spongebob and Squidward get backstage passes to the Kelpy G concert, and it is ruined for Squidward.

I'm sure a lot of people do.

Coincidentally, both episodes are Post-Movie episodes.

In contrast, when ever Squidward suffered Pre-Movie, it was because he deserved it (Naughty Nautical Neighbours), or he got a Throw the Dog a Bone moment for when he didn't deserve his suffering (Band Geeks). The only Pre-Movie episode I can think of where he suffers and doesn't deserve it or doesn't get thrown a bone is "Club SpongeBob".

edited 2nd Aug '12 7:44:55 PM by MagcargoMan

Even when he DOES suffer after being a dick, I feel like post-movie, they come up with BS reasons for him getting what he deserves. Like, they have him out of character when he is being mean.

A lot of the times even when he is being an ass, Squidward's Butt-Monkey role is highly enthasised as being unfair. There's a lot of Disproportionate Retribution on occasions he's being a jerk. A lot of times he suffers it is enthasised people are against him not because of how he acts, but for the sheer fact they just don't like his face (eg. the Sea Bear gag). There's of course the fact he's surrounded by people who do much worse but for some reason don't warrant punishment.

I think Squidwood was a particularly sadistic example as well. You could get why the rest of Bikini Bottom thought Squidward was unpleasant, but damn.

edited 3rd Aug '12 3:31:14 AM by Psi001

And yet again, surprise suprise, it was a Post-Movie episode.

Club Spongebob, Camping and Shanghied were pre movie episodes that kinda took Squidward's abuse to a meaner level. While it was post movie that the show gained it's more sadistic sense of humor, there were blatant shades of it beforehand (hell, look what Spongebob goes through in Rock Bottom, a first season episode).

edited 3rd Aug '12 3:41:28 AM by Psi001

I already mentioned Club SpongeBob as being a Squidward abuse episode a few posts above... *Face Palm*

And Rock Bottom isn't as sadistic as you make it out to be. Like that guy who was trying to help him all along.

edited 3rd Aug '12 3:45:09 AM by MagcargoMan

You made it seem like you wanted validation of anything pre movie this occured.

While Rock Bottom isn't quite as bad, Spongebob at least gets a happy ending, it does follow a more sadistic mechanic than some others, and similarly exagerrates the character's abuse from being karmic or just bad luck to the universe genuinely being skewed to hurt them (though granted the whole point of the episode was he was stuck in some twisted Crapsack World).

edited 3rd Aug '12 4:55:38 PM by Psi001

I think Old Spongebob is just so much better, because there are so many more memorable episodes, funnier jokes, better and simpler plots, et cetera. There is too much flanderization in the newer episodes, that Mr. Krabs is completely greedy, and before watching the newer episodes, I didn't even notice how greedy he was. Back in the old series (until Krabby Land), he was cheap with greedy elements, as shown in "Krab Borg". Then Spongebob has turned from being a little naive to a lot of times completely oblivious and stalkerish. As shown in "Boat Buddies". Patrick has went from being stupid, to being brain dead. In "Something Smells", he is shown washing his hands, however in "The Battle of Bikni Bottom", not only is he stupid, but he also has bad hygiene. That and in "Big Sister Sam", she is not only completely unlikable as a character, but Patrick nor Spongebob really care about what she does. It really is a trainwreck.

HOLD IT!

You are right!

I think a large depth lost in the new episodes was the "Mr. Vice Guy" setup, in that most of the characters were thoroughly likeable and approachable for the most part, except for when their defining flaw took over.

Mr Krabs for example was a generally rashional and friendly employer, if still rather eccentric, it's just that his greed was such an enormous drive he would sometimes betray his scruples and right mind for it. Nowadays even when not on a gold rush, his overall character is mostly that of an odious old miser.

Similarly Spongebob was a Cloud Cuckoo Lander but when not deluded by his odd way of thinking he could be rather perceptive. He was also still Innocently Insensitive, though not to the point he was ruining endless lives in gleeful obliviousness.

Similarly Patrick was The Ditz and Gary's Instincts Were Showing. Sandy is harder to define, though aggressiveness and occasional egotism seemed to be the drive in a lot of her spotlight episodes.

Nearly all the cast traded the Jerkass Ball a fair few times (Patrick was an ENORMOUS jerk in I'm With Stupid, as was Krabs in Jellyfish Hunter), though it at least didn't eclipse their standard characterization.

edited 5th Oct '13 11:38:19 AM by Psi001

OBJECTION!!! THAT SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!

HOLD IT! We have a thread Necromancer!