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(If you're a lazy ass, I don't recommend reading this cuz this is too long for ya, or just simply read the conclusion.)
I said in both Fandom and on YouTube that I didn't like TPOT 18; however, upon rewatching it, I will give this a full-on critique, with the things I don't like and the things I like. This is also ported from my comment under a GiantSnowball post, just letting you know.
Starting with the things I don't like:[]
There are quite a few things that are flawed, such as the plot itself, the screen time of characters, the character interactions, and the pacing. I think post-split writers such as Cary Huang should've written the episode, made it more IDFB-styled, and also polished the character screentime to be equal. I think it would've been way better if they also gave the writers more time to make the episode better and more understandable and not just some rushed slop till the VidCon deadline. There are also randomly switching scenes with no backstory or prequel, and the way the characters are interacting is weird and NPC-like, so it makes most people confused, and what's bad is that the way the scenes are switching makes it look like brainrot. Also, the Lollipop golden credit card thing is just stupid, and Four announcing a contest to "find" it inside a memory also leads to absolutely nothing and Lollipop not even getting it. I feel like instead of that, the episode should've just focused on what the characters are doing during the times of TPOT contestants competing, also with the silly stuff. Another thing that is weird to me is there are no 8-Ball or Firey scenes. I know the episode is supposed to be silly and all of that, but even with that, this episode is said to be focused on post-split contestants, so it would be a great opportunity to include even more lore of them, like at the end of the episode in a post-credit scene, though I would still include Loser going on an adventure to find Winner, but not at the end of the episode as a cliffhanger. Additionally, the way they improvised the Match-Bubble arc is horrible, and Bubble just simply said, "WE LIKE YOU NOW, MATCH, CUZ I FEEL LIKE IT LOL. EVEN AFTER YOU ABUSED ME IN BFB 8 AND THE BFB 11 APOLOGY." Making it so that the silly episode mark is getting too far, to the point where the arc is ruined. Also, they barely gave Balloony screen time, despite him being a really underrated character with a lot of potential, like reuniting with Cloudy and Rocky.
Things I like about the episode, so that it won't make it so that I fully hate the episode:[]
One of the things that carries the episode is Loser leaving post-splitters for Winner. When the episode was released, quite a few people were waiting for Winner and Loser to reunite. So when the Four memory was shown, he saw Winner and realised that Winner is competing in TPOT. The community has been waiting for quite some time for Loser and Winner to reunite, and it has been confirmed that Loser will eventually appear sometime in the future to fully resolve the Loser-Winner arc. Another thing that I like is the Lollipop scenes and the Blocky scenes. Those generally carried the episode and were fun to watch, and it would've been better if all characters were like that. Those had the most screen time and also were fun. Another thing I like is Woody, one of my favorite characters, getting the screen time he deserves, of course, though it would've been better if he had even more screen time in Spongy's memory. That is unfortunately pretty much all the things I liked about the episode.
Conclusion[]
Despite the critique I gave, I will give this episode a solid 5.5/10 upon rewatch. Upon first watching it, I was confused about what was going on, so I gave the episode a 4/10 or maybe even a 3.5/10. If you don't agree with this, this is your opinion, and I respect it, unlike many people of the OSC. This wasn't made to offend the writers or directors; this simply explains the things I don't like about the episode and the things I like about the episode.