Episode Enneagrams – Page 23 – Enneagram and Encaustic

MUSCLEBOB BUFFPANTS

ONE

The credits have marching band music running over, then we bubble-wipe to the pineapple house. No peaceful ukeleles for this episode.

TWO

Inside, Spongebob flexes his muscles in front of the mirror. Well, haha, if he had muscles. “It’s time to grow large and wide.” Why? Because that’s the Trouble, that’s why.

Two stuffed animals are impaled on each end of the lifting bar. He strains to lift it over his head, eventually falling sideways from the weight.

Doorbell. “Yay, it’s Sandy!” I actually said that aloud while watching.

THREE

Oh, wow, he shows her his state of the art weight set! My heart. It’s all adorable stuffed animals.

Chasing Salomet

Okay, we’ve got more info about the sorcerer Salomet. Is any of this relevant?

The duke held a council of magick scholars, tasked with ensorceling grimoires and trinkets. Salomet was the head. He fled with the findings of the research. Ooh, and killed everyone else! Now he’s stolen this ring, which must make it important.

We are to track him down and retrieve the ring. This is another must-do quest.

When we find him hiding out at the quarry we battle him and his men. He can’t be killed because he must run away so that we can beat him up again later. Such is gaming life.

Killed It — Oops

One of the scheduled, must-do quests is to help the castle guard fight a griffin. It’s the only guaranteed griffin battle in the game.

We accidentally killed it right away. I mean, that’s awesome usually! OP fight. But I’m trying to pursue all of the story. By ending the griffin I cut the quest short. An entire corner of the map is avoided, a marvelous, cinematic griffin battle is missed, and another portcrystal is temporarily unavailable. And that dude we helped retrieve the grimoire, he comes in with his book and fights with you. It’s really useful to have another combatant at the top of the tower.

I thought about trying to reload and redo, but the save system is too auto-generated. Besides, I killed it on one go! Yay!

F.U.N.

ONE

Lunchtime at the Krusty Krab.

TWO

The French narrator explains how nice it is. Suddenly the lighting goes red and all the fish panic. Krabs at the cash register calls up to Squidward who’s in a crow’s nest (lol — wut?) with a spyglass.

Ah, it’s a Plankton episode! He’s stealing a Krabby Patty. With a laser he cuts a tiny hole in the wall and escapes outside. Little robot arms from a backpack carry the patty as Plankton says, “I win!”

THREE

The KK crew stands around. He got away. But, no. Spongebob rips off his skin to reveal another Spongebob skin. He’s a superhero to the rescue. Through town he chases the rogue patty.

Ambush

I’ve been warned by the guard at the gate that suspicious people are asking about the Arisen. As we travel the roads at night we’re attacked.

My end was, indeed, not quick. His was, though.

A person named Raven, and others named Rouge and Noir, ambush us. Why? It’s never quite been clear to me, but I think they’re associates of Salomet.

Cool names, though.

CULTURE SHOCK

ONE

The Krusty Krab. Business is at a lull. Spongebob and Mr. Krabs wait.

TWO

Squidward reads something called “Dance Now”, looking at pictures of human ballet dancers. A cutout of his head replaces the man’s head and Squid sighs.

THREE

A dust mote falls to the reflective table surface. Spongebob attacks it with cleaner. His obsession with tidiness is a perfect, defined beat.

More Salvation

We continue to investigate the cult. Skeletons appear at night and attack people on the roads. With a key we access a different part of the catacombs to discover another meeting. No Elysion this time, but some other believer leads them. They use their own followers as fodder for their dark arts. “Bone warriors wrought from living men are stronger than those come from corpses.”

It’s all part of preparing for the dragon and the chaos.

The Storm

ONE

The episode opens with Aang’s dream. The animation is in an altered style; we can tell right away that something’s not normal. Aang happily flying on Appa, with Katara on a overlarge Momo and Sokka using the air glider, is actually disturbing. The state of the world is unsettling. Aang’s mind is not at peace.

And I find this One unsettling. I don’t care that it’s weird. I’m bothered by how random the beat feels. This is too much information, too many feelings for us and them, for a One.

TWO

Part of the dream is a threatening cloud and a memory of the water bubble Aang made in the Avatar State. This aligns with the Eight. Now we have a solid beat.

THREE

And then we’re in confusion again. I don’t think there’s a Three. Katara asks if Aang’s okay and we see their campsite. This is normally how this show hits the One: establish their location. They’ve reversed the One and Three, subverted our expectations, in order to emphasize the uneasy feeling. I understand this intention, but I don’t think they’ve succeeded with it.

The next moment is a Sokka bit, which has been a go-to Three/Six for this series, but it doesn’t align with anything later.

The Verdict

One of our required tasks has been to find evidence in a trial against Fournival. He’s a financier who may or may not be treasonous. This quest lasts for days in game time. I get all the documents and even escort in the witness. Just as a spoiler: I’m pretty sure that the witness is the key between guilty and innocent. The affidavits are busy work. I do it all, though.

Fournival is acquitted. I’m not sure if this has any meaning to the story, but it’s a quest that can’t be ignored. Why is he so critical? Well, the crown isn’t happy he’s loose, although they abide by the law. When he’s declared guilty he disappears from gameplay, imprisoned. So does his shop, which has almost nothing except one or two endgame items that are otherwise unavailable. Maybe the answer is that simple. You want some kind of magical one-shot arrow? Save Fournival.

OPPOSITE DAY

ONE

A clamshell rooster crows, and we dissolve from the Easter Island head to Squidward asleep.

TWO

A quiet giggling awakens him and he throws back the covers. Yikes! Spongebob and Patrick in party gear lie next to him. Happy Birthday! Hahaha, wow is that disturbing.

THREE

A montage of singing, partying shots follow. Throughout, Squidward is stone-faced. When they leave he finally reacts, yelling after them, “It’s not my birthday!”