The Card (SpongeBob SquarePants)

"The Card" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season six. In this episode, Patrick finds a rare trading card and SpongeBob tries to protect it.

Plot
Patrick buys a pack of cards, and one of them has the #54 card that SpongeBob covets. SpongeBob must try in vain to keep the card from being destroyed.

Why It Doesn’t Keep Us In Our Toes

 * 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 before telling him to keep on his toes, which gives an unintended unfortunate implication that Patrick is maliciously doing these things on purpose, hence destroying Patrick's character as a whole.
 * 4) *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 consistent trait of his despite the show’s negative continuity.
 * 5) This episode misses the opportunity to tell many good jokes like Card Gags.
 * 6) 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.
 * 7) 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.
 * 8) The episode is also rather pointless since it turns out that Patrick got all five of the #54 cards and yet he did not tell SpongeBob about this earlier.
 * 9) * To be fair, the clerk did tell SpongeBob that there was more than one card which SpongeBob had for some reason forgotten about.
 * 10) Patrick never apologized to SpongeBob for destroying the card, nor does he get punished for his actions.
 * 11) The close-up of Patrick's teeth, when after brushing the card, looks so disgusting and nauseous to look at.

Redeeming Qualities

 * 1) The design of the #54 card is pretty nice.
 * 2) In the end, Patrick gives the other cards to SpongeBob, which is a good ending since Patrick realizes he had five #54 cards after unpackaging his card pack.
 * 3) “Mermaid Man says: ”BUY MORE CARDS!”

Reception

 * Mr. Enter considered The Card his most hated "Patrick's a Prick" episode, behind "Pet Sitter Pat" due to his mistaken belief that Patrick’s infamous line applied to ALL episodes where he appeared despite the fact the show runs on negative continuity.
 * Viewers found this episode disgraceful due to the unintended unfortunate implication of Patrick claiming he was doing everything on purpose.

Videos
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Trivia

 * Despite the negative reception, Tom Kenny called The Card his 19th favorite SpongeBob episode.