Titans "Aqualad" Review (Spoilers)
Oct. 2nd, 2019 07:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of Teen Titans Go!, and DC Super Hero Girls Super Shorts, the series finale of Preacher, the latest episode of Muppet Babies, the season premiere of The Simpsons, the latest episodes of Transformers: Cyberverse, Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy, Power Rangers Beast Morphers, LEGO Jurassic World: The Legend Of Isla Nublar, the season premieres of Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, and The Good Place, and the latest episode of Black Jesus.
Before we begin I want to let everyone know I will not be reviewing Bless The Harts this season or ever. The first episode was almost as bad as Allen Gregory, and I won't be back. It had every single one of King Of The Hill's worst faults and none of that show's unusual virtues. I don't see it lasting long. Hope Fox has a better cartoon replacement in the wings. They will need it soon.
Titans "Aqualad"
That was amazing! First five star episode of the series!
Now I want a second flashback episode to learn the fall-out from that. Jericho is something I am VERY curious about.
I knew Garth was a dead man. Every move he made signaled he was the symbol of loss. I was a little surprised he died when he did, and also not surprised at all. That's what happens to nice guys who to settle down in movies and TV shows. He was always doomed.
Man, I'd watch this show. *****.
Teen Titans Go! "Cartoon Feud"
Man, I love so much love being given to Frank Welker. He deserves it. And I love the idea that he wouldn't be happy with this. While he's doing the actual voices.
I also love the idea that the show is addressing the fact that CN overplays the show head-on. Maybe kids don't mind, but the producers are adults, so know the actual reason we do. Good stuff.
Very cool they put up the money for the Family Feud name, logo, and sign. Teen Titans Go is the only kids cartoon besides Guardians of the Galaxy that actually licenses other stuff.
Ever notice how the answers on the board of Family Feud often don't match the actual answers given? I think people are given a lot more leeway on that show than they should be given.
The reveal of what was under Fred's ascot was revolting and the one thing in the episode I didn't like.
Everything else was hilarious. ****1/2.
Teen Titans Go! "Curse Of The Booty Scooty"
That was probably one of the worst episodes of the show I've ever seen, but I'm not going to hold that against it. If you want to parody The Goonies, one of the most abominable movies of the 1980's, which was a decade of nonstop abominable movies, that's pretty much how far you have to go to make things appalling and vulgar enough for contrast. And arguably, The Goonie is still more profane and low-rent than this. If the episode was actually good or well-written, it would be a seriously poor parody of The Goonies. But still, that sucked.
What I WILL hold against the show is that I'm pretty sure they already did this parody. We SO did not need another one.
Turnips are a lot easier to license than Baby Ruths. Did I mention all 80's movies sucked?
I loved seeing Dora the Explorer and Waldo's skeletons. I also noticed Doctor Fate's Helmet in the treasure trove.
That was horrible, but that's about as horrible you have to be to have even less class than The Goonies. It's no easy task. It's also no fun to watch. *.
Teen Titans Go! "Collect Them All"
That was great. The collectible Titans were super cute and I like the moral that the proper way to devalue a collectible is not to care about it.
Good stuff. ****.
Teen Titans Go! "Butt Atoms"
Ever wonder why people say this show is gross and stupid? This episode says hi.
Do you know what really bothers me? The climax had legit tension. This show could actually be watchable if it chose not to be terrible. It being terrible is a deliberate choice on the producer's end. Ugh. I said end.
Shouldn't Toot Mutants be called Tootants?
I saw a Bumblebee Toot and no Bumblebee.
Love the new Season Six theme song dance.
Looks like we're getting a turtle outside the Tower this season.
That was bad, but in fairness, it wasn't trying to be anything else. *1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Tough Crowd"
There was boring. And a little bit stupid. **1/2.
Preacher "End Of The World"
That was just fine. As far as series finales go, it wasn't phenomenal. But the past few weeks had me assuming the show was going to go off the rails in the final episode, so I like that my fears there were groundless. I didn't like everything. But I was satisfied, which I didn't picture.
Let's start with Eugene. Him yelling at the guy that he was fine and he was sick of people feeling sorry for him was that character's finest moment. And the cool thing is that you always knew he had that in him. It's fitting they saved it for the last episode.
Unfortunately, I don't feel like Eugene's arc actually went anywhere otherwise. He might as well have been killed in season 1 when the town blew up.
The idea that God's design is simply to be loved is actually straight out of the Bible. I sort of believe in a higher power in the back of my head, but one of the reasons I don't find the Bible all that credible in places is the fact that God is so jealous and desperate to be praised. That doesn't make sense for an all powerful deity. You could be huffing and puffing that I'm presuming to know more than God, but really, if God is a thing, I'm almost positive those aspects of the Bible were added by people to scare them into following Church doctrine. Because it's not a "Mysterious Way" to think that I'm too small to understand. As the episode showed, it's weak and pathetic and childish. And Jesse can let go of Genesis JUST like that simply because he doesn't need it to defeat God. Because this version of God just needs praise, and for some reason he needs Jesse's more than anyone else's.
I am not happy about the Saint taking the Throne of God, but it wouldn't be this show without a disturbing Biblical outcome. This is about as bad as Hitler becoming the new Satan, but because Hitler did that, I was prepared for it.
Speaking of Hitler, ultimately what his beef with Jesus boils down to is that he's a Jew. That's all it is.
I liked Jesus's version of a happy ending, and denying the Messiah gig after all. It HAD become obscene at that point.
Herr Starr and Featherstone:
I think the last episode focused way to much on Featherstone's beliefs, faith, and struggles. I understand why they did. Julie Ann Emery has become a staple on the show, and it's the last episode. But the show has never been about her inner struggle before this so it felt tacked on.
As for Herr Starr I felt his version of a happy ending was obscene and the one thing in the episode I truly disliked.
Very interesting the way they chose to end the series on Cassidy and Jesse and Tulip's daughter. I assume many people will find it underwhelming as the last scene ever, but it's precisely the fact that the show has such an explosive and controversial subtext which is why I appreciated how quietly it went out. That was really refreshing after all that. I actually missed Cassidy catching fire the first time out because things were so chill. It was a great ending.
My favorite thing in the episode is that Custer's Last Stand takes place at the Alamo. That is the cleverest idea ever, made even better by the fact that none of the characters actually make that connection explicit themselves. It's up to the viewer to go "Aha!" And I love that the show trusted me enough to do that.
I'm going to say something harsh that maybe is not an unusual opinion, but it's clearly opposite than the one the show gave Cassidy and the other characters. I don't find Humperdoo wonderful. Every part of him is obscene. The best thing he ever did for the world was non-verbally communicate to Cassidy to shoot him. He was an abomination in every other respect.
Is Jesse SURE Frodo doesn't exist? Because supposedly vampires are fictional too. I love Cassidy correcting Jesse that Frodo didn't live with Gandalf, and that Gandalf was just a guest. Because if he hadn't corrected that specific misperception it would have driven me absolutely nuts.
Jesse hearing the Saint's confession so he could go to Heaven was genius, and this show taking the correct shot at the Bible. Isn't that just the stupidest loophole? Even still, I'm probably gonna use it on my deathbed just to be safe. Because it's super easy and winds up costing the sinner nothing. It's like a joke.
I also like that the Saint chose hate because I think both God and the audience had been reading him all wrong. We had wrongly assumed he loved and cared about his family more than he did. But he's a psychopath. No matter what his feelings for them, they are always secondary to his love of hurting and killing other people. He's not going to change his nature for the people he loves. Because he doesn't actually love them THAT much. That's perfectly consistent with sociopaths.
I probably won't buy the rest of the seasons on Blu-Ray anytime soon, but before tonight I expected I was going to just sell my Season One set. That will be unnecessary. The series turned out okay after all. Finale Grade: ****. Series Grade Overall: ***.
Muppet Babies "The Great Muppet Cook-Off / Animal And The Egg"
The Great Muppet Cook-Off:
Chef is cute. They did a good job in making him in character without being quite as offensive as The Muppet Show was to Swedes. Gonzo's interpretations for the babies probably helped, as did the fact that Chef can speak SOME English.
The weak link of the episode was Piggy who is beyond obnoxious. So much so it was a problem. If I were a little kid I imagine I'd hate her.
But as I said, Chef was cute. ***.
Animal And The Egg:
Animal is a menace.
Summer has a chill singing voice.
I loved Piggy's Who's On First routine with the owl.
The live-action bird footage was a great tribute to the original series.
The little bluebirds were so cute.
Nice episode. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
The Simpsons "The Winter Of Our Monetized Content"
Not feelin' it. To be honest, over the summer Al Jean has made some statements and decisions regarding this show that have disgusted me. I'm not as disgusted with the franchise as I am Pixar, but I DID go into this episode a skeptic with hard feelings, and they didn't win me back yet.
The whole outsourcing detention thing is one of the show's biggest weaknesses. They are so hard-up for problems for the characters to go through that they make up their ideas whole-cloth using a ridiculous scenario nobody goes through, and nobody can relate to. I am well aware the show isn't actually satirizing anything. It's making a problem up and satirizing the figments of the writers' imaginations. Let's just say that is an ineffective way to parody and leave it at that.
Who is Mike Mendel?
John Mulaney is pretty funny, but he also doesn't strike me as a voice guy. If a celebrity isn't playing themselves on the show, it helps if their voices lend themselves to animation. Ray Romano is a very good example. As is Amy Poehler. But the show often doesn't do that. If the voice isn't memorable enough, and I have to read the credits to find out who it is, it's not as enjoyable an experience as realizing who the voice is as the episode goes on.
Like that Comic Book Guy still has his girlfriend, and she still hasn't bolted for the door yet. More power to them both.
Moe comes from the sewer. As if we couldn't guess. The dude is the definition of a Chud.
My feelings towards the show are still running cold. We'll see how they do next week. ***.
Transformers: Cyberverse "Bring Me The Spark Of Optimus Prime"
A Decepticon comedy of errors.
Best moment was Optimus telling Megatron that it appears their negotiations have concluded. Very deadpan delivery. I like the idea that Hot Rod could have escaped at any time too.
I like this version of Soundwave but I think a little less of him and Shockwave for checking with the other's status of their sabotages. Smarter villains would see that as a red flag.
Good week. ****.
Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy "Tyrannosaurus Wrecked"
Wow, that was the best episode of this show I've ever seen.
I'm a little disappointed in Grimlock, but he's all right. But Robots In Disguise was a subpar show, and the only real brought spot was Grimlock. He was huge, but he was also lovable, goofy, and harmless. For supposedly the same character, this show made him too scary. He was super chill on the old show. But I guess it's okay because it tied into the moral.
Medix is Ratchet's nephew? Medix suddenly became interesting for the first time ever. How do families among Transformers even work? I can't even imagine.
I love that Whirl is afraid of spaghetti. That's cute.
Really enjoyed this one. ****.
Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy "Dino Hard"
I like this one too. It's cool Dino Island is a thing in the Aligned Continuity.
Rare good day for both cartoons. ***1/2.
Power Rangers Beast Morphers "Tools Of The Betrayed"
I'll give that a positive review. There was nothing too objectionable, and the toddler moral wasn't overwrought this week, so I'll call that a win.
Very nice. ****.
LEGO Jursassic World: The Legend Of Isla Nublar "The Hybrid Horror!"
I'm going to be honest. I find Vic a VERY upsetting character. He enjoys and looks forward to torturing and hurting the dinosaurs. That is a very wrong thing to portray on a kids show, especially if he isn't going to be fired for it. I was legitimately upset by the end of that episode. I did not ever expect to feel that way when watching a LEGO cartoon, but this was beyond the pale. 0.
Bob's Burgers "The Ring (But Not Scary)"
I mostly didn't like that. I saw every bad thing with the ring coming, and I didn't like that they didn't get it back. They played the ending with the birds as bittersweet, but I found it unsatisfying instead.
But there was one thing I really liked. I really like how amazing Nat is. She's like a perfect person, and I want to see even more of her. And it's the fact that she's so great and helpful which is partly WHY I'm do disappointed the search was a bust.
Seeing the way Bob was mad at the kids reminds me that he's NEVER actually mad at them. He doesn't know how to do it right. He says they aren't his kids, and doesn't have the sense to realize that's out of line and walk it back. He doesn't know where the line is because he doesn't ever get mad at them. I am not disgusted with Bob saying that because the guy is so reasonable about all of the cr*p his kids put him through, and I instantly relate to and understand him not knowing the proper response to actually being mad at all. It actually endears me to Bob even more. How weird is that? A parent telling his kids they aren't his kids anymore is endearing. And in this case it's actually true.
As you can see, there were things in the episode I liked. But not enough to actually recommend the episode as a whole. I was disappointed. **1/2.
Family Guy "Yacht Rocky"
Normally when I give an episode of Family Guy zero stars I have a solid reason for doing it. Perhaps I found the plot offensive. Perhaps one of the deplorable characters like Peter or Brian went too far. There was none of that this episode. It was a normal episode. It just whiffed everything. The one decent thing was Head On A Balcony. And it was only decent. It was no Frog In A Shoebox. I only compare it favorably to the terrible Whale And A Forklift, and Cherrypicker And A Park Bench. Everything else in the episode was just ineffective and unfunny.
What was Bob Welch? Or Tom Welch? Who cares? That joke wasn't funny the first time, much less funny enough to call back to it all throughout the episode. And Bonnie is having an affair. That strikes me as something that does not belong in a throwaway joke, especially considering the things that marriage has gone through. Chris and Stewie as a married couple didn't make a bit of sense either. Brian is the guy Stewie talks that way to. I guess the show just figured that Brian wouldn't be in a scene quite so openly gay. But it just sucked.
Meg and her new boyfriend grated too. Albino poops?
And the Cleveland being an apple expert thing is the kind of minutia the show is great at giving the secondary characters. Except the show is usually wise enough to give the character INTERESTING hobbies and insights. Nobody actually cares about apples.
And am I the only one who is upset that in an episode that references both The Poseidon Adventure and Star Trek IV, there wasn't a single scene of a character being forced to hold their breath underwater for a ridiculously unrealistic amount of time? That's pretty inexcusable, especially for a franchise that claims to be knowledgeable about popular culture.
And was the episode really that difficult to write that they had to go with a non-ending cop-out? Did the writers sincerely believe they painted themselves into a corner with THAT scenario? Because if they did, they are probably pretty lousy writers.
Peter's thing with the umpire bordered on clever, but not enough for me to change my grade.
This was a bad night for Fox animation. The Simpsons won, which is alarming. Because that Simpsons episode sucked. But everything else was even worse.
Almost nothing worked in the episode. It was a dud. 0.
The Good Place "A Girl From Arizona"
I love that the official song in The Bad Place is 1-800 Cars For Kids. That's hilarious.
The Judge's threats against Sean were magnificent. Chiti being part of the experiment is going to pay off although, I have a hard time picturing the guy who annoys Eleanor ever becoming a better person.
Derek continues to be the funniest bit player on the show.
Shirley Temple shot JFK? I knew it!
I wish they had given more and funnier stuff for Jason to do. He's the best and most hilarious character on the show.
Funny premiere. ****.
Black Jesus "Vatican Guys"
This episode has a premise I always half-wished the series would have the guts to do, and half-believed they didn't need to. But if you laid out all of the episode synopses for the season ahead of time, Black Jesus getting kidnapped by the Vatican is a can't-miss premise.
They sort of missed. And I'm really disappointed by that. So much time was taken up by the Vatican guys getting robbed and beaten up in Compton, and then the stuff with Miss Tudy and the Yoga women, and it's like the episode this entire series should have built towards isn't actually about Jesus, which cheeses me off, pardon the pun.
I also felt the Cardinal's portrayal was off. He's a vulgar, violent sociopath. He doesn't actually need to be for the premise to work. I get that's McGruder's shot at organized religions and their perversions of Jesus's word. But I like it when those specific shots are credible. Black Jesus is not usually portrayed as a live-action cartoon, but when he's telling the guys to drop their drawers and show him their balls, I didn't have the faith in that moment I usually have for the rest of the show. If McGruder wants to turn the show into a cartoon, that's up to him. But I don't feel it's actually been that before now.
I love the crazy wheelchair guy being asked who he didn't hate. "Michelle Obama." Correct answer.
Boonie had an interesting observation about Italian suits, that's true, but I'd never heard before. They all look incredibly cheap, and yet they cost a fortune. I'm not saying the lining and fabric aren't divine, and that they don't hold up. But they look incredibly tacky considering how pricey they are. Gold toilets cost a fortune. Does anybody serious think Donald Trump is classy for cr*pping in them? Those suits look more like movie costumes than actual clothing. And that's not really something I've seen pointed out before. But it's true.
The Vatican guy cluelessly calling Lloyd "Mr. N-word" is something only Aaron McGruder could get away with. No white actor could get away with that if the show weren't from McGruder.
It's been so long since the show has been on the air, so I don't know if it's been addressed and I just forgot or not, but Jesus says when He was crucified, He was already black. He didn't just come back black to Compton to make a statement. On this show He was always black. I was not aware of that, and the nature of how and why Jesus came back was always kept vague before now. You know what? I like learning details like that a little bit at a time. I appreciate that the shows leaves us with a lot of questions, but if they DO feel the need to answer some of them, I prefer dribs and drabs through a line here or there. I think the show's Jesus works so well for me because He is up for interpretation. There was a point early in season one where you could reasonably think Vic was right and Jesus was a conman. We didn't start off the series seeing Him performing miracles, or at least not miracles that couldn't be explained other ways. And it's been sort if a process to get us to the Vatican episode and the true skeptics.
I agree with Jesus being upset with the idea of having to resurrect His friends every time they get their fool selves killed. I think that is Jesus's inner flock taking Him for granted, and not appreciating His message. Jesus is the Son of God, not His pals' deus ex machina. And I don't think Boonie and Ms. Tudy quite get that.
Jesus is called a virgin in this episode and doesn't deny it. Really, I don't see how this show can offend conservatives as long as they are writing Jesus like that.
I think the one moment I loved and thought was perfectly this show, was Jesus simply handing the gun back to the Vatican guy without a second thought. It doesn't occur to Him to use it to escape his predicament. I especially love that Jesus sort of hints that things going down this way were all part of God's plan. And maybe that's the reason Jesus heals His friends this particular time. So There Are Witnesses.
It's interesting that Lloyd recognizes the Vatican rings because he's sober. That worried me. Because it means Lloyd is actually pretty sharp. And considering he's such a bad person, that's an alarming thing. I think there was a lot of ignorance attached to Vic being the show's antagonist. I think if Jesus has a sharp enemy, things might not go so well for Jesus's friends. Before being called "Mr. N-word" one of the Vatican guys calls him Judas, which is freaking apt. And I am very aware of the specific damage Judas did to Jesus in the Bible. Lloyd being mistaken for that was either a cheap joke, or a larger hint at something sinister coming. I can't actually decide which of those two things I wish it was.
I feel this was a can't miss episode that missed. On the other hand, it's This Show, so even if they did wrong by the Golden Premise, there was still a lot of other stuff in the episode to like. ***1/2.
Before we begin I want to let everyone know I will not be reviewing Bless The Harts this season or ever. The first episode was almost as bad as Allen Gregory, and I won't be back. It had every single one of King Of The Hill's worst faults and none of that show's unusual virtues. I don't see it lasting long. Hope Fox has a better cartoon replacement in the wings. They will need it soon.
Titans "Aqualad"
That was amazing! First five star episode of the series!
Now I want a second flashback episode to learn the fall-out from that. Jericho is something I am VERY curious about.
I knew Garth was a dead man. Every move he made signaled he was the symbol of loss. I was a little surprised he died when he did, and also not surprised at all. That's what happens to nice guys who to settle down in movies and TV shows. He was always doomed.
Man, I'd watch this show. *****.
Teen Titans Go! "Cartoon Feud"
Man, I love so much love being given to Frank Welker. He deserves it. And I love the idea that he wouldn't be happy with this. While he's doing the actual voices.
I also love the idea that the show is addressing the fact that CN overplays the show head-on. Maybe kids don't mind, but the producers are adults, so know the actual reason we do. Good stuff.
Very cool they put up the money for the Family Feud name, logo, and sign. Teen Titans Go is the only kids cartoon besides Guardians of the Galaxy that actually licenses other stuff.
Ever notice how the answers on the board of Family Feud often don't match the actual answers given? I think people are given a lot more leeway on that show than they should be given.
The reveal of what was under Fred's ascot was revolting and the one thing in the episode I didn't like.
Everything else was hilarious. ****1/2.
Teen Titans Go! "Curse Of The Booty Scooty"
That was probably one of the worst episodes of the show I've ever seen, but I'm not going to hold that against it. If you want to parody The Goonies, one of the most abominable movies of the 1980's, which was a decade of nonstop abominable movies, that's pretty much how far you have to go to make things appalling and vulgar enough for contrast. And arguably, The Goonie is still more profane and low-rent than this. If the episode was actually good or well-written, it would be a seriously poor parody of The Goonies. But still, that sucked.
What I WILL hold against the show is that I'm pretty sure they already did this parody. We SO did not need another one.
Turnips are a lot easier to license than Baby Ruths. Did I mention all 80's movies sucked?
I loved seeing Dora the Explorer and Waldo's skeletons. I also noticed Doctor Fate's Helmet in the treasure trove.
That was horrible, but that's about as horrible you have to be to have even less class than The Goonies. It's no easy task. It's also no fun to watch. *.
Teen Titans Go! "Collect Them All"
That was great. The collectible Titans were super cute and I like the moral that the proper way to devalue a collectible is not to care about it.
Good stuff. ****.
Teen Titans Go! "Butt Atoms"
Ever wonder why people say this show is gross and stupid? This episode says hi.
Do you know what really bothers me? The climax had legit tension. This show could actually be watchable if it chose not to be terrible. It being terrible is a deliberate choice on the producer's end. Ugh. I said end.
Shouldn't Toot Mutants be called Tootants?
I saw a Bumblebee Toot and no Bumblebee.
Love the new Season Six theme song dance.
Looks like we're getting a turtle outside the Tower this season.
That was bad, but in fairness, it wasn't trying to be anything else. *1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Tough Crowd"
There was boring. And a little bit stupid. **1/2.
Preacher "End Of The World"
That was just fine. As far as series finales go, it wasn't phenomenal. But the past few weeks had me assuming the show was going to go off the rails in the final episode, so I like that my fears there were groundless. I didn't like everything. But I was satisfied, which I didn't picture.
Let's start with Eugene. Him yelling at the guy that he was fine and he was sick of people feeling sorry for him was that character's finest moment. And the cool thing is that you always knew he had that in him. It's fitting they saved it for the last episode.
Unfortunately, I don't feel like Eugene's arc actually went anywhere otherwise. He might as well have been killed in season 1 when the town blew up.
The idea that God's design is simply to be loved is actually straight out of the Bible. I sort of believe in a higher power in the back of my head, but one of the reasons I don't find the Bible all that credible in places is the fact that God is so jealous and desperate to be praised. That doesn't make sense for an all powerful deity. You could be huffing and puffing that I'm presuming to know more than God, but really, if God is a thing, I'm almost positive those aspects of the Bible were added by people to scare them into following Church doctrine. Because it's not a "Mysterious Way" to think that I'm too small to understand. As the episode showed, it's weak and pathetic and childish. And Jesse can let go of Genesis JUST like that simply because he doesn't need it to defeat God. Because this version of God just needs praise, and for some reason he needs Jesse's more than anyone else's.
I am not happy about the Saint taking the Throne of God, but it wouldn't be this show without a disturbing Biblical outcome. This is about as bad as Hitler becoming the new Satan, but because Hitler did that, I was prepared for it.
Speaking of Hitler, ultimately what his beef with Jesus boils down to is that he's a Jew. That's all it is.
I liked Jesus's version of a happy ending, and denying the Messiah gig after all. It HAD become obscene at that point.
Herr Starr and Featherstone:
I think the last episode focused way to much on Featherstone's beliefs, faith, and struggles. I understand why they did. Julie Ann Emery has become a staple on the show, and it's the last episode. But the show has never been about her inner struggle before this so it felt tacked on.
As for Herr Starr I felt his version of a happy ending was obscene and the one thing in the episode I truly disliked.
Very interesting the way they chose to end the series on Cassidy and Jesse and Tulip's daughter. I assume many people will find it underwhelming as the last scene ever, but it's precisely the fact that the show has such an explosive and controversial subtext which is why I appreciated how quietly it went out. That was really refreshing after all that. I actually missed Cassidy catching fire the first time out because things were so chill. It was a great ending.
My favorite thing in the episode is that Custer's Last Stand takes place at the Alamo. That is the cleverest idea ever, made even better by the fact that none of the characters actually make that connection explicit themselves. It's up to the viewer to go "Aha!" And I love that the show trusted me enough to do that.
I'm going to say something harsh that maybe is not an unusual opinion, but it's clearly opposite than the one the show gave Cassidy and the other characters. I don't find Humperdoo wonderful. Every part of him is obscene. The best thing he ever did for the world was non-verbally communicate to Cassidy to shoot him. He was an abomination in every other respect.
Is Jesse SURE Frodo doesn't exist? Because supposedly vampires are fictional too. I love Cassidy correcting Jesse that Frodo didn't live with Gandalf, and that Gandalf was just a guest. Because if he hadn't corrected that specific misperception it would have driven me absolutely nuts.
Jesse hearing the Saint's confession so he could go to Heaven was genius, and this show taking the correct shot at the Bible. Isn't that just the stupidest loophole? Even still, I'm probably gonna use it on my deathbed just to be safe. Because it's super easy and winds up costing the sinner nothing. It's like a joke.
I also like that the Saint chose hate because I think both God and the audience had been reading him all wrong. We had wrongly assumed he loved and cared about his family more than he did. But he's a psychopath. No matter what his feelings for them, they are always secondary to his love of hurting and killing other people. He's not going to change his nature for the people he loves. Because he doesn't actually love them THAT much. That's perfectly consistent with sociopaths.
I probably won't buy the rest of the seasons on Blu-Ray anytime soon, but before tonight I expected I was going to just sell my Season One set. That will be unnecessary. The series turned out okay after all. Finale Grade: ****. Series Grade Overall: ***.
Muppet Babies "The Great Muppet Cook-Off / Animal And The Egg"
The Great Muppet Cook-Off:
Chef is cute. They did a good job in making him in character without being quite as offensive as The Muppet Show was to Swedes. Gonzo's interpretations for the babies probably helped, as did the fact that Chef can speak SOME English.
The weak link of the episode was Piggy who is beyond obnoxious. So much so it was a problem. If I were a little kid I imagine I'd hate her.
But as I said, Chef was cute. ***.
Animal And The Egg:
Animal is a menace.
Summer has a chill singing voice.
I loved Piggy's Who's On First routine with the owl.
The live-action bird footage was a great tribute to the original series.
The little bluebirds were so cute.
Nice episode. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
The Simpsons "The Winter Of Our Monetized Content"
Not feelin' it. To be honest, over the summer Al Jean has made some statements and decisions regarding this show that have disgusted me. I'm not as disgusted with the franchise as I am Pixar, but I DID go into this episode a skeptic with hard feelings, and they didn't win me back yet.
The whole outsourcing detention thing is one of the show's biggest weaknesses. They are so hard-up for problems for the characters to go through that they make up their ideas whole-cloth using a ridiculous scenario nobody goes through, and nobody can relate to. I am well aware the show isn't actually satirizing anything. It's making a problem up and satirizing the figments of the writers' imaginations. Let's just say that is an ineffective way to parody and leave it at that.
Who is Mike Mendel?
John Mulaney is pretty funny, but he also doesn't strike me as a voice guy. If a celebrity isn't playing themselves on the show, it helps if their voices lend themselves to animation. Ray Romano is a very good example. As is Amy Poehler. But the show often doesn't do that. If the voice isn't memorable enough, and I have to read the credits to find out who it is, it's not as enjoyable an experience as realizing who the voice is as the episode goes on.
Like that Comic Book Guy still has his girlfriend, and she still hasn't bolted for the door yet. More power to them both.
Moe comes from the sewer. As if we couldn't guess. The dude is the definition of a Chud.
My feelings towards the show are still running cold. We'll see how they do next week. ***.
Transformers: Cyberverse "Bring Me The Spark Of Optimus Prime"
A Decepticon comedy of errors.
Best moment was Optimus telling Megatron that it appears their negotiations have concluded. Very deadpan delivery. I like the idea that Hot Rod could have escaped at any time too.
I like this version of Soundwave but I think a little less of him and Shockwave for checking with the other's status of their sabotages. Smarter villains would see that as a red flag.
Good week. ****.
Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy "Tyrannosaurus Wrecked"
Wow, that was the best episode of this show I've ever seen.
I'm a little disappointed in Grimlock, but he's all right. But Robots In Disguise was a subpar show, and the only real brought spot was Grimlock. He was huge, but he was also lovable, goofy, and harmless. For supposedly the same character, this show made him too scary. He was super chill on the old show. But I guess it's okay because it tied into the moral.
Medix is Ratchet's nephew? Medix suddenly became interesting for the first time ever. How do families among Transformers even work? I can't even imagine.
I love that Whirl is afraid of spaghetti. That's cute.
Really enjoyed this one. ****.
Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy "Dino Hard"
I like this one too. It's cool Dino Island is a thing in the Aligned Continuity.
Rare good day for both cartoons. ***1/2.
Power Rangers Beast Morphers "Tools Of The Betrayed"
I'll give that a positive review. There was nothing too objectionable, and the toddler moral wasn't overwrought this week, so I'll call that a win.
Very nice. ****.
LEGO Jursassic World: The Legend Of Isla Nublar "The Hybrid Horror!"
I'm going to be honest. I find Vic a VERY upsetting character. He enjoys and looks forward to torturing and hurting the dinosaurs. That is a very wrong thing to portray on a kids show, especially if he isn't going to be fired for it. I was legitimately upset by the end of that episode. I did not ever expect to feel that way when watching a LEGO cartoon, but this was beyond the pale. 0.
Bob's Burgers "The Ring (But Not Scary)"
I mostly didn't like that. I saw every bad thing with the ring coming, and I didn't like that they didn't get it back. They played the ending with the birds as bittersweet, but I found it unsatisfying instead.
But there was one thing I really liked. I really like how amazing Nat is. She's like a perfect person, and I want to see even more of her. And it's the fact that she's so great and helpful which is partly WHY I'm do disappointed the search was a bust.
Seeing the way Bob was mad at the kids reminds me that he's NEVER actually mad at them. He doesn't know how to do it right. He says they aren't his kids, and doesn't have the sense to realize that's out of line and walk it back. He doesn't know where the line is because he doesn't ever get mad at them. I am not disgusted with Bob saying that because the guy is so reasonable about all of the cr*p his kids put him through, and I instantly relate to and understand him not knowing the proper response to actually being mad at all. It actually endears me to Bob even more. How weird is that? A parent telling his kids they aren't his kids anymore is endearing. And in this case it's actually true.
As you can see, there were things in the episode I liked. But not enough to actually recommend the episode as a whole. I was disappointed. **1/2.
Family Guy "Yacht Rocky"
Normally when I give an episode of Family Guy zero stars I have a solid reason for doing it. Perhaps I found the plot offensive. Perhaps one of the deplorable characters like Peter or Brian went too far. There was none of that this episode. It was a normal episode. It just whiffed everything. The one decent thing was Head On A Balcony. And it was only decent. It was no Frog In A Shoebox. I only compare it favorably to the terrible Whale And A Forklift, and Cherrypicker And A Park Bench. Everything else in the episode was just ineffective and unfunny.
What was Bob Welch? Or Tom Welch? Who cares? That joke wasn't funny the first time, much less funny enough to call back to it all throughout the episode. And Bonnie is having an affair. That strikes me as something that does not belong in a throwaway joke, especially considering the things that marriage has gone through. Chris and Stewie as a married couple didn't make a bit of sense either. Brian is the guy Stewie talks that way to. I guess the show just figured that Brian wouldn't be in a scene quite so openly gay. But it just sucked.
Meg and her new boyfriend grated too. Albino poops?
And the Cleveland being an apple expert thing is the kind of minutia the show is great at giving the secondary characters. Except the show is usually wise enough to give the character INTERESTING hobbies and insights. Nobody actually cares about apples.
And am I the only one who is upset that in an episode that references both The Poseidon Adventure and Star Trek IV, there wasn't a single scene of a character being forced to hold their breath underwater for a ridiculously unrealistic amount of time? That's pretty inexcusable, especially for a franchise that claims to be knowledgeable about popular culture.
And was the episode really that difficult to write that they had to go with a non-ending cop-out? Did the writers sincerely believe they painted themselves into a corner with THAT scenario? Because if they did, they are probably pretty lousy writers.
Peter's thing with the umpire bordered on clever, but not enough for me to change my grade.
This was a bad night for Fox animation. The Simpsons won, which is alarming. Because that Simpsons episode sucked. But everything else was even worse.
Almost nothing worked in the episode. It was a dud. 0.
The Good Place "A Girl From Arizona"
I love that the official song in The Bad Place is 1-800 Cars For Kids. That's hilarious.
The Judge's threats against Sean were magnificent. Chiti being part of the experiment is going to pay off although, I have a hard time picturing the guy who annoys Eleanor ever becoming a better person.
Derek continues to be the funniest bit player on the show.
Shirley Temple shot JFK? I knew it!
I wish they had given more and funnier stuff for Jason to do. He's the best and most hilarious character on the show.
Funny premiere. ****.
Black Jesus "Vatican Guys"
This episode has a premise I always half-wished the series would have the guts to do, and half-believed they didn't need to. But if you laid out all of the episode synopses for the season ahead of time, Black Jesus getting kidnapped by the Vatican is a can't-miss premise.
They sort of missed. And I'm really disappointed by that. So much time was taken up by the Vatican guys getting robbed and beaten up in Compton, and then the stuff with Miss Tudy and the Yoga women, and it's like the episode this entire series should have built towards isn't actually about Jesus, which cheeses me off, pardon the pun.
I also felt the Cardinal's portrayal was off. He's a vulgar, violent sociopath. He doesn't actually need to be for the premise to work. I get that's McGruder's shot at organized religions and their perversions of Jesus's word. But I like it when those specific shots are credible. Black Jesus is not usually portrayed as a live-action cartoon, but when he's telling the guys to drop their drawers and show him their balls, I didn't have the faith in that moment I usually have for the rest of the show. If McGruder wants to turn the show into a cartoon, that's up to him. But I don't feel it's actually been that before now.
I love the crazy wheelchair guy being asked who he didn't hate. "Michelle Obama." Correct answer.
Boonie had an interesting observation about Italian suits, that's true, but I'd never heard before. They all look incredibly cheap, and yet they cost a fortune. I'm not saying the lining and fabric aren't divine, and that they don't hold up. But they look incredibly tacky considering how pricey they are. Gold toilets cost a fortune. Does anybody serious think Donald Trump is classy for cr*pping in them? Those suits look more like movie costumes than actual clothing. And that's not really something I've seen pointed out before. But it's true.
The Vatican guy cluelessly calling Lloyd "Mr. N-word" is something only Aaron McGruder could get away with. No white actor could get away with that if the show weren't from McGruder.
It's been so long since the show has been on the air, so I don't know if it's been addressed and I just forgot or not, but Jesus says when He was crucified, He was already black. He didn't just come back black to Compton to make a statement. On this show He was always black. I was not aware of that, and the nature of how and why Jesus came back was always kept vague before now. You know what? I like learning details like that a little bit at a time. I appreciate that the shows leaves us with a lot of questions, but if they DO feel the need to answer some of them, I prefer dribs and drabs through a line here or there. I think the show's Jesus works so well for me because He is up for interpretation. There was a point early in season one where you could reasonably think Vic was right and Jesus was a conman. We didn't start off the series seeing Him performing miracles, or at least not miracles that couldn't be explained other ways. And it's been sort if a process to get us to the Vatican episode and the true skeptics.
I agree with Jesus being upset with the idea of having to resurrect His friends every time they get their fool selves killed. I think that is Jesus's inner flock taking Him for granted, and not appreciating His message. Jesus is the Son of God, not His pals' deus ex machina. And I don't think Boonie and Ms. Tudy quite get that.
Jesus is called a virgin in this episode and doesn't deny it. Really, I don't see how this show can offend conservatives as long as they are writing Jesus like that.
I think the one moment I loved and thought was perfectly this show, was Jesus simply handing the gun back to the Vatican guy without a second thought. It doesn't occur to Him to use it to escape his predicament. I especially love that Jesus sort of hints that things going down this way were all part of God's plan. And maybe that's the reason Jesus heals His friends this particular time. So There Are Witnesses.
It's interesting that Lloyd recognizes the Vatican rings because he's sober. That worried me. Because it means Lloyd is actually pretty sharp. And considering he's such a bad person, that's an alarming thing. I think there was a lot of ignorance attached to Vic being the show's antagonist. I think if Jesus has a sharp enemy, things might not go so well for Jesus's friends. Before being called "Mr. N-word" one of the Vatican guys calls him Judas, which is freaking apt. And I am very aware of the specific damage Judas did to Jesus in the Bible. Lloyd being mistaken for that was either a cheap joke, or a larger hint at something sinister coming. I can't actually decide which of those two things I wish it was.
I feel this was a can't miss episode that missed. On the other hand, it's This Show, so even if they did wrong by the Golden Premise, there was still a lot of other stuff in the episode to like. ***1/2.
