The Thing

The Thing
When someone's an idiot who was not smart enough to remember you... It's a thing, alright. And not a good one.
Season	4
Episode No.	76a
Main Reason for being ScumBob	Squidward Torture. Patrick and SpongeBob are stupid in this episode, not caring if Squidward gets hurt. Some scenes have terrible animation and transitions. Rip-off of "Jellyfishing"

The Thing is an ULTRA-infamous episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. In this episode, SpongeBob and Patrick think Squidward is an animal, and call him "Smelly".

Why Is this Thing Smelly

1. This is another Squidward torture episode, like Good Neighbors, it’s possibly even worse, as this time, Squidward is trapped in cement, meaning he can’t do or say anything about his torture.
2. The beginning involves Squidward trying to watch TV but eventually gets annoyed by SpongeBob and Patrick.
3. Infamous Scene: Squidward gets crashed from cement into the mud and stung by jellyfish.
4. SpongeBob and Patrick become dumber throughout the rest of the episode, for thinking Squidward (still in cement) is some kind of creature and made him become their pet by calling him "Smelly". To add salt to the wound, they have a hard time hearing what he was saying.
   • Gary is also very unlikable as he attacks poor Squidward.
5. Unnecessary filler scene, such as Patrick trying to play with Squidward in his house.
6. The Townspeople are unlikeable and stupid, when Squidward is taken to a zoo, they laugh and say he is hideous. They don't even realize Squidward is missing or in the cement body.
7. The jellyfish are unlikable as they sting Squidward.

Redeeming Qualities

1. Good Ending: At least Squidward finally got to see Kelpy G in the jungle. Also, he breaks free of the cement.
2. A few funny moments, such as SpongeBob literary getting pulled away like a show actor when trying to defend Squidward from the Cops.
3. Squidward manages to get some revenge on Patrick for his stupidity by using his eye socket to pitch a baseball into Patrick's face and scare him.
4. Squidward is still a likable character.
5. SpongeBob and Patrick thinking that Smelly was crying "Tears of Joy" and him trying to escape was cute can be seen as funny depending on your point of view.

Reception

This episode received mixed to largely negative reviews by critics and fans alike, due to the amount of torture Squidward goes through. It scores a 7/10 on IMDb, however there’s a chance the numbers inflated due to Hocus Pocus. Which most consider to be one of the better Squidward Torture episodes.

Trivia

• This SpongeBob SquarePants episode shares a title with a 1982 film, "The Thing", by John Carpenter.
• This is the first episode to air in 2007.