The Card (SpongeBob SquarePants)

The Card
Yep, Fatprick is at it again.
Series: SpongeBob SquarePants Part of Season: 6 Episode Number: 113b Air Date: November 8, 2008 Writer: Luke Brookshier Nate Cash Steven Banks Previous episode: Krusty Krushers Next episode: Dear Vikings

"SpongeBob, you can't always expect my usual brand of stupidity. I like to mix it up. Keep you on your toes."

— Patrick's infamous quote from the episode.

The Card is an episode from the sixth season of SpongeBob SquarePants.

Plot

Patrick buys a pack of cards which are the rare trading cards, and SpongeBob is determined to protect it.

Why It Shouldn't Buy Any More Cards

1. This episode is infamous for being a very annoying SpongeBob torture episode.
2. Patrick's idiocy is at one of its highest points in the series, as he acts carelessly by frequently putting the rare card #54 in constant danger and throwing it into the fire despite SpongeBob's warnings.
3. Patrick's infamous line about how SpongeBob cannot always expect "his usual brand of stupidity" and that he likes to mix it up and keep people on their toes, which gives an unintended unfortunate implication that Patrick is maliciously doing these things on purpose, hence destroying Patrick's character as a whole, even if that line was a joke.
   • This line also gives an unintended unfortunate implication that this excuse is carried onto other episodes although it is likely that line was just bad writing especially because SpongeBob SquarePants doesn't have the best continuity and Patrick is quite stupid which is a consistent trait of his despite the show’s negative continuity.
   • Patrick being aware of his stupidity is even further confirmed in Tentacle-Vision when Squidward asks him "Just how stupid are you?" and Patrick answers "It varies."
4. This episode misses the opportunity to tell many good jokes like Card Gags.
5. Several scenes do nothing but waste the viewer's time, notably SpongeBob withdrawing money from the bank as well as him opening packs to get card #54.
6. Some scenes are very annoying such as SpongeBob crying excessively after seeing what happened to his favorite card and Patrick stupidly damaging the card by putting it into very dangerous conditions.
7. Really bad ending twist: This is a giant kick in the teeth. You've already known that most of the episode is about Patrick doing beyond stupid things with the #54 card, and guess where it goes? SpongeBob is so worried about the #54 card all along, and then it turns out that, "Oh, actually, Patrick had all five of the #54 cards the whole time." Who the heck could've even seen that coming?
   • What's funnier about it, this is supposed to be guessed that's all fine and good, but it makes this whole episode extremely pointless. If Patrick destroyed that card earlier on in the episode, then there would've been ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AT ALL HAPPENED IN IT!
   • Even though the clerk told SpongeBob that there was more than one card that SpongeBob had for some reason forgotten about, Patrick didn't even tell SpongeBob this fact earlier. It just makes Patrick's character here even worse.
8. Patrick never apologized to SpongeBob for destroying one of the cards, nor does he get punished for his actions, thus making him a karma houdini.
9. The close-up of Patrick's teeth, when after brushing the card, looks so disgusting and nauseous to look at.
10. Spongebob and Patrick have been shown numerous times to be Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy superfans, yet in this episode Patrick couldn't care less about them or anything to do with them.

Redeeming Qualities

1. The design of the #54 card is pretty nice, and so is the #54 card's amazing line, "Mermaid Man says: BUY MORE CARDS!"
   • Patrick's line, "SpongeBob, you can't always expect my usual brand of stupidity. I like to mix it up. Keep you on your toes.", can come across as funny to some people.
2. SpongeBob is a likeable character in this episode.
3. In the end, Patrick was shown to be a true friend to SpongeBob since he actually gives the other cards #54 to SpongeBob, which is a good ending since Patrick realizes he had five #54 cards after unpackaging his card pack.

Reception

• Mr. Enter considered The Card his most hated "Patrick's a Prick" episode, behind "Pet Sitter Pat".
• Ethan Broussard considered it to be his least favorite episode of Season 6.
• Viewers found this episode disgraceful due to the unintended unfortunate implication of Patrick claiming he was doing everything on purpose.

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