Getting stale the third time around.
As a fan of the series, I'm definitely excited to see another Charlie episode! But, to get right to the point, I didn't think this episode was funny at all. And to be brutally honest, it was even actively UNfunny, to the point where by the end of it, it was so irritating that I was glad to turn it off.
What's the problem then? Certainly, there's no fault to the author's efforts. The episode's jam-packed with the same mix of wacky gags, great animation, and spot-on voicework. But that's just the problem - it's the exact same thing.
Maybe some of the problem lies with this particular batch of gags in this episode. But I think the greater problem lies in how the series is following the same basic storyline (and running jokes) over and over again. That sort of thing worked fine for the first couple episodes, but it's definitely showing its age by the third installment
Even the author seems to slyly acknowledge this fact in his work. As Charlie is pursued by the increasing horde of 'perceived monsters', the author clearly wastes no effort trying to animate all these stupid creatures. Even their names degenerate quickly into useless crap like "bluhbluhbluh." Even "Pink" and "Blue," usually so unflappably cheery and goofy, inevitably deflate a bit at the prospect of Charlie's unwavering grimness. Perhaps a sign that things aren't working out with the same approach?
Now, having said all that, I don't think the series is tapped out. All I'm saying is that it might be worth trying a different approach next time. Otherwise, the series will be doomed to stale monotony, no matter how funny the next particular batch of gags will be.
Oh, and I've never been a fan of the songs in the series either. But I will admit though, the Starfish bit was pretty funny - and that was probably the best part of the episode. But the rest of the song suffered from uninspired lyrics, boring melody, and it seemed to copy elements of Disney's "Under The Sea" and Pokemon's "Poke-Rap".
So hey, anyway, don't take this too harshly or anything - this is still a quality product. Maybe it's just time to try a different approach next time. I hope there's still more coming down the creative pipeline!