Boating Buddies (SpongeBob SquarePants)

"Boating Buddies" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season six. In this episode, Squidward must attend Boating School after getting a ticket.

Why It's Not A Buddy

 * 1) It is nothing but a typical 11 minute Squidward torture episode. Just like most other episodes in seasons six through eight, Squidward is poorly treated for no discernible reason other than cruel attempts at humor. In this case, he is forced to go to the same boating school where SpongeBob is in, gets beaten up by a bully, and fails the exam after all the torture he's gone through.
 * 2) Though "Funny Pants" or "To Love a Patty" served as early signs of SpongeBob's flanderization, this is the episode that officially sets his flanderization into motion; he literally obsesses over Squidward way too much such as putting his fingers on him in an unsettling way and making creepy faces at him.
 * 3) * It is to the point where it looks like SpongeBob is sexually attracted to him. Granted he did obsess over Squidward multiple times before, but it was never taken this far and overall it gives the episode an uncomfortable or even claustrophobic vibe, and it wouldn't be until Season 8 where SpongeBob finally got his original personality back and redeem himself.
 * 4) The infamous face SpongeBob makes when looking at the camera where he breathes to Squidward in the most horrifying way imaginable.
 * 5) Mrs. Puff barely does anything and only serves as a plot device for this episode.
 * 6) * Speaking of which, she and Squidward could have been potential allies since they share a common dislike of SpongeBob. This was only thrown out as Mrs. Puff only answers "Yours too?" when Squidward openly describes SpongeBob as "a bane of my existence".
 * 7) The infamous running gag where Squidward keeps getting beaten up by the person SpongeBob hired in Krabby Land, which makes you feel even more awful for him instead of anything that makes you laugh.
 * 8) There is a pointless scene where SpongeBob, Squidward, and Mrs. Puff get shrunken and then almost eaten, which comes out of nowhere and is never mentioned again. A sole example of a Big Lipped Alligator Moment.
 * 9) Plot Hole: Mrs. Puff Gives the class 5 minutes to complete the test but the test didn't even take a minute
 * 10) Bad Ending: Squidward fails the exam and has to go to the same boating school the next week, meaning he'll have to go through the same torment again.
 * 11) Just like the majority of Squidward torture episodes, SpongeBob goes unpunished for his creepy and annoying actions.

Redeeming Qualities

 * 1) This episode introduces the original track "Salty Squid Jig" and plays a unique version of it exclusive to this episode.
 * 2) This is one of the few times where Squidward communicates with Mrs. Puff.
 * 3) * Speaking of which, Squidward and Mrs. Puff are both likable characters.
 * 4) The famous scene: "No no, I didn't. I never said that. [Student plays back what Squidward said] I don't need your help, and I don't need you! [now talking] Jerk! [student shrugs] All right, I said it. But that was before"
 * 5) The lab scene is very interesting.
 * 6) * The line: "JOHNSON!!!!"
 * 7) Squidward is never seen in Boating School again in future episodes, implying that he eventually passed.

Reception
Boating Buddies, being one of the series' more infamous episodes, as despite having a 6.2 rating on IMDb, has gained heavy backlash. MoBrosStudios ranked this as the second worst SpongeBob episode, and even after re-analyzing his list, he still agreed. Mr. Enter ranked this third on his "Top 10 Worst Squidward Torture Porns" list, and Uncommon Reviews ranks this as his single worst episode on his Top 10 Worst Episodes list.