All That Glitters (SpongeBob SquarePants)

All That Glitters is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season four. In this episode, SpongeBob breaks his spatula and is forced to replace it.

Plot
When SpongeBob's spatula breaks after trying to flip a monster patty, he sells everything he has to replace it.

Why Everything In This Episode That Glitters Is Not Gold

 * 1) For starters, the plot itself is very generic and feels rather forced: SpongeBob damaging his spatula and having to replace it. Who finds this premise interesting?
 * 2) It's the second post-2004 movie episode, after "Funny Pants", where SpongeBob's flanderization returns. His constant crying will get on your last nerves. Of course, though, his flanderization isn't officially the norm until season six, but still.
 * 3) The Monster Krabby Patty joke also isn't that funny. It can also be considered somewhat of a plot contrivance for the events of the episode.
 * 4) As stated above, it's this irritable, drawn-out gag of SpongeBob crying over a broken spatula (or "Spat" as he calls it) that he can simply replace. It just shows how lazy the writing is.
 * 5) The episode tries to be a soap opera parody but fails because of SpongeBob continuously crying over a spatula.
 * 6) This episode could also be considered a filler episode, as there are other gags aside from SpongeBob's prolonged crying that go on for too long, such as SpongeBob reminiscing all the past times he has had with Spat, and him trying to sell all his personal belongings (including his clothes) to the man at the store in a desperate attempt to purchase "Le Spatula" as a replacement.
 * 7) SpongeBob not only sells everything he has but also all his clothes, which results in him being naked for the rest of the episode after he purchases Le Spatula, which doesn't make sense at all.
 * 8) Le Spatulais an awful French stereotype. He hates Krabby Patties and considers them filth. He is also a jerk for betraying SpongeBob and punching him in the face. Not to mention, he gets no comeuppance for his cruel actions.
 * 9) A couple of contrived plot holes:
 * 10) * Le Spatula is the only spatula SpongeBob wants to buy as if he's the only spatula in town. Doesn't Bikini Bottom even have a Spatula Store and doesn't Barg-N-Mart have a spatula? (since SpongeBob got his first spatula there).
 * 11) * Le Spatula has legs and a giant fist, even though he was only made for cooking and not sports.
 * 12) * SpongeBob's spatula was not sentient in previous episodes, yet suddenly, it was sentient in this one.
 * 13) The scene where SpongeBob has a huge meltdown over Spat in the hospital and says his infamous quote "all that glitters is not gold" is the most annoying part of the whole episode.
 * 14) This episode had the highest amount of SpongeBob's emotional outbursts, probably even more so than later episodes like "Waiting", "A Day Without Tears", and "SpongeBob, You're Fired."
 * 15) Generic and clichéd ending.
 * 16) It feels more like a tackle on depression rather than being a soap opera parody.

Redeeming Qualities

 * 1) The parts of SpongeBob crying over Spat while in therapy and Patrick coming up to the hill where SpongeBob is crying and he cries along with him is  funny.
 * 2) While the flashback scene was too long, it does have its moments, such as the part where SpongeBob fights a pirate with Spat.
 * 3) It has a good moral about how you shouldn't take things that you love dearly for granted, which is even pointed out in the quote stated at WIDNG #10.
 * 4) A later episode, “Evil Spatula”, has a similar premise, except it was executed way better than this episode.
 * 5) To be fair, the only reason SpongeBob bought Le Spatula in the first place is because he clearly needed something to do his fry-cook job. With Spat broken, SpongeBob didn't really have much of a choice despite how expensive Le Spatula was.

Reception
This episode was met with mixed-to-negative reception. It currently sits with a 7.3 rating on IMDb, along with its sister episode "Wishing You Well".

Trivia

 * The title is based upon a quote from William Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice" (Act II, Scene VII): "All that glitters is not gold."