As Spongebob's co-worker and neighbor
there's been a lot of episodes revolving around Squidward. The poor guy is the straight man in a town that's simply too energetic, positive, and sometimes stupid for his liking. But anyway let's look back at what i consider the And just a note ahead, I'll try & save the episodes I've previously covered for the honorable mentions as I like to try and offer you as much variety as I can. Anyway on to the countdown! For the fifth worst... SpongeBob: You seem tense. But the term horrible neighbors is definitely more applicable on this episode. A by the end I legitimately wanted to see Squidward move out of Bikini Bottom! Just to give the poor guy some well-earned peace! The episode begins on Sunday morning we immediately start with Spongebob breaking into Squiddy's house to bug him. And unlike usual it doesn't feel well-meaning. This is definitely one of those cases where I couldn't help but feel bad for Squidward. The whole way through the episode he's just trying his best to ignore Spongy and just enjoy his Sunday. Look he's not bothering anyone! Squidward: Ah~ This is
gonna be a heavenly day~! We can watch him begin to relax and enjoy himself but we know his enjoyment is just gonna be dashed away from him! Leaving him miserable for the rest of the episode! Squidward: I only have half an hour of me time left and the idiots took my house! I also didn't find it particularly clever just seeing Spongy repeatedly break into Squidward's house. When spongy isn't even given a reason to break into Squidward's house it just feels like shoddy writing. And the "good neighbors club" Spongy and Patrick form isn't even remotely interesting. It just feels completely generic. SpongeBob: Let's begin with roll call. Patrick! Commedian/Strider: Speaks for all of us! Normal/Strider: And how is it meant to be any fun to see poor Squiddy lose all of his hard-earned Sunday to Spongebob & Patrick being annoying? Don't get me wrong i really enjoy some clever Spongebob antics. But this just felt witless and tiring! At one point Spongebob even assaults Squidward with a spray of paint to his eyes! And he doesn't even apologize or seem to care that
Squidward's screaming in pain! Which is simply not the Spongebob I know! Squidward can't even have his pedicure without Spongebob and Patrick ruining it! In fact the outright steal his pedicure from
him after once again breaking into his home! SpongeBob: Brother Star we better check this guy out make sure he's safe for Squidward. Patrick: Well I say he checks out a-okay! This is a very good example of a dull Squidward episode where I just spent the whole thing wanting the poor guy to get a break! Spongy he clearly doesn't enjoy his job, just let him have his relaxing Sunday you two, and stop being jerks! Patrick: I guess we aren't good neighbors after all... Strider: No, you're not! Squidward: NO! YOU AREN'T! Strider: In this episode, anyway, you two are horrible neighbors! It even ends with Squidward forced to do community
service on every Sunday for the rest of his life. That is just awful! SpongeBob: This'll be great! The three of us cleaning up Bikini Bottom! Strider: As a friend of mine would say, "This isn't
Spongebob, this is ScumBob!" SpongeBob: Aye aye, guest sir! Strider: Ah now this was exactly
what I hoped for from the title. Essentially watching an episode of faulty towers
with Spongebob. The story probably won't surprise you. Krabs decided he can empty more money out of people's wallets by hiring out rooms. So he turns the Krusty Krab into Krusty Towers. And who should be their first customer, but Patrick? And he has only the stupidest possible request to ask our reluctant Squiddy hero! Squidward: Why would I give you a bubble bath!? Patrick: Well because Mr. Krabs said you would! Strider: But he has to do them, because the hotel's motto is... Strider: But the episode isn't just purely Squidward's suffering. Strider: He actually gets Krabs back for his stupid, greedy scheme. In fact, Squiddy finally does what he probably should have done four years ago! Krabs: Hey you can't take that elevator you're an
employee! Squidward: Not anymore, I quit! Krabs: Quit? You can't quit! Strider: And seeing him finally quit is, frankly, very
satisfying. Like, good on you for standing up to Krabs, man! And his first move is to do the most cathartic thing we could possibly see him do! Subjecting Mr. Krabs, now one employee short, to the same torture he was put through! Unlike Good Neighbors, where Squidward is just made to suffer the whole way through, Squiddy actually gets a little revenge here! And his elaborate requests are hilariously creative to see! From having Krabs carry him to his room, to requesting Krabs eat a toenail clippings patty... It's all so satisfying to see. In fact, some of these elaborate requests are so good, I don't even want to spoil them for you! I say, just go enjoy the service of Krusty Towers for yourself. I give 5 stars for chuckles! Patrick: I'll need some help
with my bags. Squidward: How can you have bags!? You just found out this is a hotel! Patrick: This is a hotel? Strider: And the fourth worst Squidward episode is... This one has made it to a few people's worst episodes ever lists So, let's take a closer look at it together. Ah, the notorious season six. Full of cringey, unpleasant, boring episodes. Though there were exceptions, Spongy's writing just wasn't always as strong in this season. Anyway, here we learn that every second Wednesday, Squidward is actually cheery! SpongeBob: Squiward are you okay? Squidward: Hm? Oh! I couldn't be
better! Strider: Apparently this is cause for concern from SpongeBob & Krabs... So Spongy and Patrick
go to spy on him. To see if they can..
Ruin his happiness I guess? I don't know they seem to
have forgotten to give them motives here! You see, it turns out Squidward is a Freemason, &
the secret club gets together every fortnight to do their secret rituals. Squidward: This almost makes the
other 353 days worth living for. Strider: But of course, Spongebob & Patrick intrude upon the ceremony. And Squidward gets kicked out of the Freemasons! And how does SpongeBob respond to this? All
he does is ask... SpongeBob: Do we get to join the lodge? Strider: Oh come on, Spongy, really? I mean at least in "Are You Happy Now?" I can appreciate that SpongeBob is actively trying to help Squidward! And isn't the sole cause of his lack of happy memories! Here, Squidward clearly points out... Squidward: The last thing in my life I really enjoyed,
and SpongeBob ruined it too! Strider: Even when I saw this as a kid, I just felt sad for Squiddy the whole way through. To their credits Spongy & Patrick do try to get Squidward back in, but when that fails... They immediately go back to making him miserable for the rest of the episode! Most of the time, they're just faffing about, trying to come up with stupid rituals. for their own new club that Squidward doesn't care about. Spongey+Patrick: Patty-cake, patty-cake! Sailor man! Bake me a cake as fast-- Squidward: SPONGEBOB! Strider: Jeez, you two, can the guy not seriously even mourn the loss of the last thing that made him happy!? But then something unbelievable happens! Get this, SpongeBob & Patrick knock on Squidward's door rather than just breaking in! Astounding! Only to... Kidnap him & assault him with electrocution to the tongue.. Like seriously, this has to be among the dumbest things that Spongebob and Patrick have ever done! Purposely electrocuting themselves
with jellyfish on the tongue to cause massive tongue swelling. Spongy this behavior is disappointing your fans like me. Fans that believe you have an intellectual capacity larger than Patrick! Though there is one thing I did like about this episode, the giant sock joke at the end is kinda neat! I always enjoy seeing the show integrate live action in creative ways. But overall at nine years old, I disliked this episode; and as an adult I somehow disliked it even more! And for the fourth best... Poor Squidward just loved early morning access
TV before they cancelled his favorite show. TV voice: Has been cancelled. Strider: So he decides to make his own
show on TV. Huh, I'm smiling already. But, of course, SpongeBob & Patrick crash his
show and make it a mess! SpongeBob: Squidward's on TV!? Strider: In fact, all our favorite characters pop in for
a little spotlight. Krabs steps in for a little shameless self-promotion and Sandy shows off her line dancing moves. Texas style! And as if the episode couldn't get any better, then Pearl steps in with her cheer routine! My absolute favorite minor character! And of course, this all-star cast isn't complete on public broadcast with a little want and destruction from Plankton! Soon the whole of Bikini Bottom joins in on the show! And we end up with something more cheery and hilariously spontaneous to watch unfold, that even Squidward's best show could have delivered! Squidward: Patrick, I'm down here. As i was saying, today we'll be... Today... Strider: Tentacle Vision reminds me a lot of that Daffy Duck episode,
Duck Amuck ... Where Daffy Duck is constantly trying to get the cartoonist to play ball so he can have a coherent story! But something always seems to go wrong. Except here instead of just Bugs Bunny trolling
Daffy, it's every citizen in Bikini Bottom trolling Squidward I definitely call Tentacle Vision
among Squidward's best episodes. If you like seeing all of the Spongy crew come together
at once I can definitely recommend this one! And the third worst Squidward episode is... SpongeBob: You seem tense. Strider: I do wish I enjoyed watching Squidward being made miserable. Because if I did, I'd be up the wazoo with Squidward episodes to recommend to you! So we start with Spongebob, shocker, irritating Squidward & once again Squidward's just trying to have a quiet couple of hours to himself. Leading to him desperately running from SpongeBob; trying to just get one free moment of peace! Squidward: That was a recumbent bicycle, and I sold it.
[Audio sensitivity warning] SpongeBob: Why?
[Audio sensitivity warning] Squidward: So I could get further away
from you! Squidward is amidst a desperate drive to get away from SpongeBob, only to be pulled over by the police. Unfortunately this forces him to go back to boating school and we all get one guess who he has to sit next to! SpongeBob: Oh! Squidward! Strider: I guess the main problem i had with this episode is that the jokes are really weak. They meander on, and they don't seem to lead anywhere. Like there's one skit that runs for a good two minutes with Squidward and SpongeBob drawing these long big diagrams on the chalkboard... To illustrate why they were in boating school. And it's a skit that is only kept alive by the exceptional voice performance of Tom Kenny & Roger Bumpass. The writing itself though has zero punchline! I mean, a good quarter of that time doesn't even
have voice acting. It's all drowned out in a way that feels like the episode ended up being too short... And they had to go back to find a way to add a full half minute, without having to work too hard! I mean, you can probably already guess that SpongeBob ends up crashing Squidward and Mrs. Puff into something... Squidward has to suffer more pain, and is forced to stay another week at boating school with SpongeBob. Exactly what he never deserved. Writers, just give poor Squiddy his
license back and end this episode! This has to be the biggest problem i have with these bad Squidward episodes. Squidward's misery has no purpose or reason to it but I guess in the end this whole episode didn't have much of a purpose. SpongeBob: You got any extra mustard in there? Strider: And for the third best... Purple fish: Thanks . Strider: Huh, we certainly hit the ground running with a suspense in this episode. You see, it finally happened, Squidward accidentally poisoned SpongeBob. Working in the Krusty Krab for so long it's flabbergasting it took this long Krabs: The boy cries your sweater o' tears, and
you kill him. Strider: You see in his hasty effort to find SpongeBob a co-worker present, Squidward buys him a pie, not realizing it's actually a bomb in disguise. But before he can warn him,
spongy apparently wolfs down the whole thing! SpongeBob: Thanks for the pie, Squiward! Strider: But actually, this turn of events leads to one of the most touching and profound episodes between SpongeBob and Squidward. You see for probably the first time we see Squidward fully living in the moment, embracing a friendship with SpongeBob. Assuming that today is SpongeBob's last day on earth. Krabs: He's only got until sunset.
Why ruin his last day on earth? Strider: And Squiddy really tolerates it all, and perhaps the most selfless he has ever been, he does everything SpongeBob wants to do. SpongeBob: HI! I want to show you my best friend, Squidward! Squidward: Hey, Frank. And you can probably imagine some of the things that would involve yet, the list of things Spongy wants to do somehow still took me by surprise! And I've been watching this cheery yellow dishcloths antics for over 20 years now! And watching squidward be subjected to all this with complete acceptance had me laughing the whole way It's an episode that is simultaneously funny, creative, and beautiful at the same time While also giving us a surprising
amount of character development It's one of the strongest examples I've seen that when push comes to shove Squidward cares about his co-worker And the second worst Squidward episode is... SpongeBob is *horrible* in this episode! Not only is he at his most obnoxious at torturing Squidward, but he ends up lashing out at Squidward. When he's done nothing wrong! I very rarely see SpongeBob be this intentionally nasty to Squidward. You know, I've noticed a habit with *bad* Squidward episodes. Generally they start with SpongeBob breaking into Squidward's house. We're in the midst of season 5 here, which sadly also
had quite a few duds. And I felt SpongeBob had lost a lot of its wit and insight during this period. You see, it turns out SpongeBob and Patrick watch Squidward sleep every morning from 3:30 A.M. Charming. Squidward: You sneak into my house every morning!? Strider: So Squidward does the sensible thing and installs
an electric fence around his house. And frankly, after four years of a neighbor repeatedly breaking in,
I'd consider that a sensible idea too. As we'd expect though, they get in anyway and Squidward ends up accidentally zapping himself with the fence. Resulting in him losing all the storm clouds
from his mind... And becoming a more cheery, relaxed, carefree person. Squidward: Good night, Bikini Bottom! I love you! Strider: At first, even if it's artificial, I was just glad to see Squidward enjoying life for a change. But even when Squidward is finally acting kind to everyone, this mid-season SpongeBob is never happy unless his co-worker is miserable! From the feedback I've heard from others, it's pretty
unanimous that SpongeBob is at his worst here. The SpongeBob I know would just be glad see Squidwardcontent for a change; possibly concerned about the head trauma? Anyway, I mean for like the first time ever Squidward gets employee of the month. And apparently we're meant to feel sorry for
SpongeBob because of this? Squidward: Wow, SpongeBob. You've been employee of the month a gazillion times. I wish I could be employee of the month. Strider: Dude, just let Squidward have this man. He even makes arguably the most nasty outburst he has ever made. Demanding Squidward leave his own party because he's pogo-sticking with Patrick? SpongeBob: Now do yourself a big fat favor and get out, bub! Strider: And everyone just lets SpongBbob kick Squidward out! Why though? Because terrible writing demands it? The ultimate injustice is done here, when
Squidward finally feels some contentment in his life... SpongeBob just wants him to be miserable again. That is so left field of what we're accustomed to from SpongeBob. And I think I'd call his treatment of Squidward here on par with his treatment of Gary in "A Pal for Gary" I personally consider this among the absolute worst written Squidward episodes ever written on the show. And for the second best of Squidward... I consider this episode important because it gives
us a lot of insight into Squidward's character. And that at heart, he can actually sometimes
appreciate the chaos SpongeBob brings to his life. In fact he's perhaps even grown to need it in
his life. And it's a reminder of that age-old lesson from Oscar Wilde "The only thing worse than not getting what you want, is getting it." Zapp Brannigan: It makes you think. Kif: No it doesn't. Strider: You see, Squidward finally
moves away and at first he's ecstatic. Loving the peace, quiet, and routine he can get in. But soon, he begins to realize that he misses the craziness and interesting days Spongy brought to him. Because Squidward has finally been given something he's never had in his life before, stability. And to some people, stability can be very boring and monotonous. Squidward: I sorta don't feel like playing my clarinet today... Strider: Oh man, when you hear Squidward say that you know something's wrong. And he essentially becomes the
new SpongeBob of [Tentacle Acres], until they finally kick him out. This is when he realizes that he may not always like Bikini Bottom but he actually fits in pretty well there. A big thing i like about this episode is that it gives off that feel of being stuck with yourself. I think a lot of us have these moments where we want to be alone with ourselves and maybe we even enjoy it from time to time. But when it's all you have for such a long period of time it can definitely give a feeling of emptiness for some people. And I really get that feeling from Squidward's montage. Squidward not only gets what he wants by being surrounded by people exactly like him, he ends up genuinely alone because of it Like Squidward, these people aren't all exactly friendly. Squid-lady: Could you pipe down over there, Iron Lung? Strider: But anyway, there's some real sprinkling of early season SongeBob charm throughout this episode. Even the beginning reef blower animation jokes had me smiling with their creativity. And for some reason, I just really dig Squidward's analogy here. It's awesome. Squidward: I would rather tear out my brain stem, take it into the middle of the nearest 4-way intersection, & SKIP ROPE WITH IT,
than go on living where I do now! Strider: There's also satisfaction in seeing Squidward get what he's wanted for so many years! Peace, quiet, and some routine in his life. And this new side of Squidward we've never seen before gives us a lot of insight into his character. But if things ever did calm down for him, he'd probably be the type to throw some pranks and antics. Needless to say, he goes back to Bikini Bottom. Though still Squiddy, you could've given yourself a couple of weeks here occasionally? Or even visit SpongeBob on weekends instead of moving out completely. I dunno, maybe it's because I'm an Aspergers/Introvert, but I find it really hard to see him walk away from this much peace and quiet. Squidward: WOO-HOO! FREEDOM! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!
(*Gibberish and incoherent babbling*) Strider: And before we get to the number ones, just a couple of quite honourable mentions. These might've been mentioned before, or not quite fit into any category. This one more than applies for the worst list, but I've discussed it before in the Worst/Best Modern SpongeBob episodes. So I decided to give it a skip. As I mentioned in Modern SpongeBob Episodes, I actually personally didn't mind this one. I felt it shined a relatively realistic light onto depression and Squidward's inability to feel emotions. Yes, he was made to feel rage, but at least he was feeling *something*! And personally, I found it touching how SpongeBob tried to help Squidward amidst his depressive episode. Yes, it's certainly not a best contender, but personally, I've seen SpongeBob do way worse episodes than this. Yeah, this one stars Squidward, I'd call it a Squidward episode. Many people can agree this is only among the best Squidward episodes, but the best episodes in the whole series. But I already talked about it in best SpongeBob episodes, so I skipped it to talk about some less well known episodes. And I've also covered Little Yellow Book. Lousy episode, enough said. I personally consider this episode under-rated. It's a great little example of SpongeBob and Patrick's shenanigans benefiting Squidward's work. And that's something pretty rare for this show. And it doesn't half-job Harry that attempt either. It's relateable.
I think a good portion of us know what it's like to work in a noisy environment. Squidward's epressions as he tries to drown out SpongeBob and Patrick's noise is portrayed in a way where I can really relate to that pain. Anyway, onto the number ones. And I think the number one worst Squidward episode is... Oh my Jeebus Multi-tentacled Overgod! I have never seen such a sloppy, slow-paced, broken episode of SpongeBob! Choir Boys is a true novelty in how impressively *boring* it is! Yet it's like watching a disaster at the same time! Imagine a blimp crash. A very slow blimp crash turned down to one tenth of its usual speed. Because the name of the game in Choir Boys is sandbagging. And lots of it! Where to start!? The entire first half of the episode is just very slowly watching Squidward shower... Leave the house... Slowly talk with SpongeBob... *Slowly* put his bike helmet on... SpongeBob repeatedly begging to come along with Squidward and... (*Yawning*) He stalls longer for time. Squidward says no, SpongeBob doesn't listen and... Holy Toledo, we're at the halfway point! Are we going to do *anything* here guys!? PhoenixStarYT: Sorry, Strider, not gonna happen. Strider: No? Okay. What is even SpongeBob's motive here? Despite Squidward repeatedly telling SpongeBob he can't come along to the audition... Well, he just does it anyway! For no reason! Not exactly stellar writing there, guys. And the rest of the episode is just dedicated to SpongeBob refusing to let Squidward have this one thing that makes him happy. And doing everything he can to sabotage it! Yet somehow he's managing to sabotage him so slowly! So agonizingly slow! And did I mention how *badly* these two characters sing? I'm sure the voice actors intentionally made them sound tone deaf... But they did a really talented job making them sound... Squidward: Feeeeeeeeee Gaaaaaaaaa Rao-(*Starts coughing mid-note*) I am just bewildered how they could draw out a 10 minute SpongeBob episode this much! Squidward: SpongeBob lying sprawled across the dirt... (*Literally the most drawn out sigh SpongeBob has every successfully done.*) Strider: Maybe they were doing animation cutbacks for this one... As a surprising amount of the episode is just still scene shots of Squidward and SpongeBob talking and singing. Squidward: You are not going to keep me from performing my grand solo! Strider: (*Gruff*) I'm afraid he's really gonna try it buddy. And our ears are going to have to suffer in the process. Probably the worst of this ear grinding garbage is when SpongeBob does a LONG Figaro note that seriously goes on for, like, half a minute. (*The "o" note going on and vibrating the territory*) Though I wanna be clear, this is nothing against Tom Kenny,
Spongey's voice actor. Tom Kenny (*in character*): I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready! Or Squidward's voice actor, Roger Bumpass. I deeply respect them both, and they have talent in spades. Even to hold that Figaro note takes one amazing voice box. But I never thought SpongeBob or Squidward had the voice to sing opera.
And I definitely don't now! There's just something very weird about the structure of this episode. They basically do nothing apart from go to a recital and sing. So many long, drawn out scenes,
it's like I'm watching a SpongeBob parody! — That was written in 20 minutes! While sandbagging! But worst of all the sandbagging has to be Squidward clearing his throat for, like, 30 seconds! How did he get away with that in SpongeBob season 6!? Oh Jeebus, Squidward, get on with it! I've never seen an episode of SpongeBob this sloppy! I either somehow missed it as a kid, or it was so cataclysmically boring that I somehow blotted it from my memory for all eternity! Anyway, I can certainly call Choir Boys the most boring, sad, annoying, broken Squidward episode I've ever seen. And I think the number one best Squidward episode is... Goodness. Band Geeks may have been Squidward's most glorious moment, but I think Idiot Box is Squidward's most glorious performance! You see, Squidward's performance really shines here! Half of the joy of this one is just watching Squidward's reactions to the insanity he can hear going on. Patrick: You'll have to cut them off with a saw. SpongeBob: No, Patrick. I can't do that! Patrick Why not? SpongeBob: Because I already cut off my own arms! Patrick: Noooooooo! Strider: This is just simple, good old early season fun. Squidward drives himself insane basically watching SpongeBob and Patrick have fun with nothing. Squidward: How are you two making that noise!? SpongeBob: What noise, Squidward? Patrick: I could only hear the sound of our laughter. Strider: And of course, this episode also spawned..
The universal SpongeBob meme! Imagination! The story here is, SpongeBob and Patrick buy a massive TV... Apparently just so they can play with the box. Squidward, understandably, thinks this is an unusual decision. Of course, SpongeBob says with the box alone, all they need is... Imagination~ Strider: And the rest of the episode
is just watching Squidward's mix of emotions. From concerned, to confusion, to going insane with curiosity
wanting desperately to understand SpongeBob and Patrick's.. er... Imagination adventures! But this isn't the kind of Squidward torment where it's unpleasant. It's just awesome watching him try to unravel this mystery, and driving himself insane in the process! So much comedy in this show comes from Squidward's straight man act in response to SpongeBob's craziness. And I think this is the ultimate episode to showcase that. Like a lot of good Squidward/SpongeBob episodes, it reminds us of an important lesson. Life is 20% what happens to you, and 80% how you respond to it. Squidward just sees a box. SpongeBob? He sees space pirates! Apparently, all Squidward needs is a little... SpongeBob: Imagination~ Strider: What else can be said about Idiot Box? It's simply creative, funny, and fantastically performed! I chuckle every time I watch this episode! And personally, I can consider it my favorite Squidward episode. SpongeBob: Squidward finally made the box work after all. That is so great. Strider: Well, thanks for popping by to check out these Squidward/SpongeBob episodes with me. If you'd like to mention a Squidward episode you think I missed, or you have any recommendations for future top lists... Feel free to mention them in the comments below! And as always, thanks for watching! And I'll see you next time! [Subtitled by (someone who typed the word blimp for the first time in this video) Mighty Mongrel.
Commissioned by Phantom Strider.] [Fun fact: For some reason, in 2014, there was a rumor Tom Kenny had passed away. This was obviously false.]
