Friendiversary (SpongeBob SquarePants)
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 "Happy friend-iversary! Or is it tomorrow?"
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"Friendiversary" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from Season 13.
Plot
In this episode, SpongeBob celebrates the anniversary of his friendship with Squidward, but the latter does not.
Scum-versary Qualities
- The main problem with this episode is that SpongeBob is incredibly obsessed with Squidward to the point where he gets anxious.
- Another major problem is that even though there are a lot of references in this episode, there are still some references to terrible episodes such as Smoothe Jazz at Bikini Bottom, Squid's Visit, and Are You Happy Now.
- The beginning also features a distasteful reference to Breath of Fresh Squidward, where SpongeBob broke into Squidward's house to celebrate a holiday, in this case, his "friendiversary", and he took a picture of him while he was sleeping.
- SpongeBob is intolerable in this episode because his obsession with Squidward resembles that of lust or love-bombing. It is touching for SpongeBob to celebrate his friendiversary, but this is similar to Squid's Visit, because SpongeBob stalked Squidward so much, that Squidward doesn't remember things SpongeBob did. Apparently SpongeBob has to remember so many things by looking at his memories 24/7, which doesn't fit well with the episode.
- "Oh, Squidward, let's be roommates and live together forever and ever and ever."
- Squidward is also in the wrong here is that he decides to erase SpongeBob's memories, but he's no worse than SpongeBob here which is more unsettling the more you think about it. In fact, you can make the argument that NEITHER of them are likable here!
- Plot hole: SpongeBob is apparently the only one who knows the safe combination to the Krabby Patty Secret Formula, but there is no scene of SpongeBob opening the safe. It doesn't make sense that Mr. Krabs doesn't know the combination to the safe containing the secret Krabby Patty Formula, knowing that in past episodes it is clear that he knows how to access the formula and how to defend it.
- There is an infamous scene where it is realized that as Squidward was put to all this torment, SpongeBob remembers him being in lava or something like that. Then, Squidward reenacts the same pain he was in from the Sushi maker as SpongeBob explains the safe combination.
- Unsatisfying ending: SpongeBob says that Friendiversary is yesterday during the ending, so SpongeBob put Squidward to all this torment all for nothing. The episode ends with Squidward in a body cast and a sling, unable to celebrate, while SpongeBob ignores this though still unsure of when the exact day the anniversary is.
- This episode completely breaks the old/original canon by completely canonizing Kamp Koral and The Patrick Star Show, implying that these shows occurred in SpongeBob's memories.
- It also has a scene where frames from past episodes and spin-offs are blatantly reused.
Friend-iversary Qualities
- The idea of SpongeBob celebrating was sweet, and it shows that he loves Squidward.
- The idea, although not original to the series, is executed fairly well.
- Mr. Krabs is surprisingly tolerable here as he realized of what Squidward has done. But for Krabs to get Squidward to have SpongeBob remember him is because of the both of them sharing the memory of the Secret Formula safe combination, which is a weak way to do it.
- Squidward is also tolerable too, despite erasing SpongeBob's memories.
- Seeing how SpongeBob would act if he had never seen Squidward was interesting.
- There are a lot of great references in this episode. It even references some extremely famous episodes, such as The Camping Episode, Dying for Pie, and even Bubblestand!
- It is also nice to see episode scenes reanimated in the modern SpongeBob art style.
Reception
Although this episode received mixed-to-positive reviews by fans due to the references to past episodes and its meaning for the show, critics took a more mixed-to-negative perspective on the episode. Vailskibum, in particular, took a positive review on this episode, highlighting it as a symbol of what SpongeBob means to people. Awe, on the other hand, disliked the episode due to the excessive Squidward torture, although said that it wasn't as bad as episodes such as Squidward's Sick Daze. BradenInsane took a much more dramatic view on the episode, stating that the creepiness on SpongeBob's behalf was highly unwarranted, and noted that there was a double standard between episodes from later seasons and dark age torture episodes like Choir Boys or Cephalopod Lodge. He also says that it is "legitimate bottom 10 material", putting it right below Truth or Square.
Trivia
- This episode features numerous frames from past SpongeBob episodes.