[6.2/10] Sigh. On a meta-level, it’s a good thing that Shaq guest starred on Static Shock. Hopefully it helped give the show a little more attention and exposure, and introduced the series to folks who maybe tuned in just to see their favorite basketball player. But honestly, this episode reminds me of the Lady Gaga episode of The Simpsons, which is not a flattering comparison.
Because this basically plays like a Shaquille O’Neal puff piece. I’ve got nothing against the guy, and I’m sure he or his real life publicist required script approval and would have refused to do the episode if it didn’t put him in the best light imaginable. But holy hell is this a fawning depiction of the superstar.
Shaq is friends with Virgil’s dad. All he wants to do is play hoops with his adoring fans. He helps rescue Virgil and Ritchie. He kicks Hide away from civilians. Everybody he runs into loves him. He’s trying to escape from overmanaged celebrity culture, rather than embracing it. He figures out Static’s secret identity when his own family can’t manage it. And despite everything, his happiest memory here is of playing ball with a couple of regular kids. He’s just a regular guy you know, even as a super talented basketball player. It’s amazing the episode didn’t cut to the chase and have him actually walk on water.
There are a couple of things I liked in the episode despite that. For one, there’s admittedly something amusing about Shaq’s raison d'etre on the show being playing a game of hoops with Virgil, only to have the two of them “accomplish” that by tossing the Ruffpack through an embedded soccer goal. For another, there’s actually an interesting parallel between Virgil having to maintain his life as Static and his life as a regular high school student versus Shaq having to balance his life as a well-known superstar with his own personal life. The dialogue about “balancing” isn’t exactly deep, but it’s an interesting comparison to draw.
That said, the Ruffpack are pretty meh as an antagonists, despite the coolness of having Tone Loc on board. Shaq’s publicist is such a stock character it’s embarrassing. And Shaq himself, despite his typical media charisma, isn’t the world’s best performer and so comes off expectedly stilted as a voice actor.
Overall, this one is mostly fine, but a lot of the Shaq-worship becomes over the top, and the episode doesn’t have much beyond that.
Shout by TikiWhoVIP 2BlockedParent2024-02-28T17:45:53Z
Of course the guest star gets to know the secret identity before the family does.