They really did an episode that's just the characters being dumb and horny for twenty minutes straight and somehow it's the best episode of the year. THEIR MINDS.
i love you
again
i love you
again
It's interesting how an episode with a more developed character, more locations and funnier characters can make the best episode so far.
It's just Mandalorian Season 3.
7/10
[9.2/10] Oh man, this is one of the show’s very first tour de force pop culture homages, and it’s still one of the best. Like the best Community parodies, it gets the details right. The way it captures the Goodfellas-esque montages of folks working the system, and voiceover to set out the hierarchy is pitch perfect. It mirrors the rise and fall of those wiseguys in a safely funny Greendale setting, while being self-referential enough about it to wink without winking too hard.
But it’s also just a great Greendale story. That’s the secret to these Community spoofs. Sometimes they’re just fun, but at their best, they used the sturdy structure from some other work to slip in strong emotional or character material within that framework. In this one, you have Jeff dealing with his own ego and control issues that are exposed when Abed takes charge. And for Abed, you have someone who has trouble connecting and relating to people feeling fully functional for once when the chicken game let’s him reduce human interactions to a series of inputs and outputs he can understand.
Their shared moment at the end is laugh-worthy but also potent. Jeff realizing he has the ability to connect with others, but isn’t always great at serving their needs rather than its own, and having the reciprocal semi-epiphany from Abed that he wants to help his friends but isn’t good at forging those bonds really works to deepen both of them and show bits of growth. Sure, its steeped in not just mafia movie tropes but all sorts of other pop cultural call-outs, but that’s Abed, and it works.
Plus, it’s just a damn funny episode. This is the origin of both “Streets Ahead” and “Annie’s Boobs.” The various things that sate the desire of the rest of the group, from Pierce’s entourage to Annie’s backpack to Troy’s monkey to Britta’s hair care to Shirley’s chicken-based flirting with a hunky classmate are each hilarious, and only topped when Abed messes with each of them to teach the rest of his crew a lesson. And the whole thing being part of a frame story where Abed is recounting this to the Dean while being questioned about missing hairnets puts an awesome button on the ep.
Overall, this is one of the first hints at Community becoming the intertextual but character-committed show that would allow it to break the trappings of its sitcom origins and really flourish, and it’s a treat to go back and watch that happening.
Very interesting coming back to this one having finished the whole series. What's funny is that I expected to have more affection for this episode given how much I came to care about and enjoy these characters in the subsequent 60 episodes of the show, but I ended up pretty well agreeing with my original review. If anything, I probably feel even more strongly that this is a pretty subpar introduction to a superlative series.
Oh sure, it sets up the basic dynamic of the show well enough. Aang is a spritely kid. Katara is determined but a little lost. Sokka is...way more of a jerk than he would later develop into. And Zuko is intense and angry and determined to catch the Avatar. But everyone on the show seems much more childish and caricatured than they would become. The animation is less finished and there's less aesthetic beauty than the show would hone later. And above all this just seems like a paint by numbers chosen one story to kick off a series that is anything but.
Rest assured, if you heard the hype and walked away from this opening chapter underwhelmed, you're not alone and not unjustified, and the show gets much, much better.
9.5/10. I have never seen Glee, so a lot of the direct parody was over my head, but this is such an enjoyable episode. Having the show's X-mas episode turn into a cross between Glee and Invasion of the Body Snatchers was an inspired choice that both makes the holiday-themed story both distinct and gives it a direction as the episode progresses.
The songs themselves were unique and each had their own shade of humor. The two stand outs in my opinion were Annie's (in a perfect parody of the weirdness of songs like "Santa Baby"), and Shirley's (which perfectly seized on her character's achilles' heel). But the episode had lots of great Community wordplay ("well-documented historical vanity" is just a hilarious phrase in and of itself), and ridiculous moments like Britta "singing her heart's song." Everyone in the cast was on point. If I have one small nit, it's that Taran Killam occasionally went a little too broad in his performance for my tastes, but he did capture the "bright-eyed psychopath" role well.
Of course, Community being the quality show that it is, still manages to ground the outsized premise in something character-based. Abed wanting to spend the holidays with his friends, and worrying about making things darker when trying to make things brighter, culminates in a heartwarming moment of the gang showing up at his apartment. Sure, it's a bit easy, but it absolutely works as a great capper to tremendously creative and amusing holiday episode.
This is my favorite Christmas special from any series ever!
Brett: "In the '80s everyone has a clique. Nerds, jocks..."
[Nerds and jocks laughing. Mayors laughing maliciously.]
Brett: "... evil mayors who wanna tear down the rec center."Kid: "We're not answering any questions from adults, not until this town lifts the ban on dancing."
Glenn: "I had to stay three hours late to supervise the brats I sent to detention, but then they kept coming of age!"
Andre: "This town is racist as hell. Everyone keeps bowing at me. A kid challenged me to a karate fight, and everytime I say something, somebody rings a gong."
Gigi: "Mmm, mmm, mmm. I thought I raised you better than this."
Brett: "Okay, Brett, it's no big deal. You just wanna stay here longer with your friends. Just a couple spritzes of Nostalgia Max, and they will love it here as much as you do."
Blockbuster Man: "What do you want to see?"
Reagan: "Everything."Myc: "Seriously?" [Chuckles.] "No wonder your dad left."
Kid: "That's it!" [Tires screech.] "Fuck you, Myc!" [Myc flies off bicycle and soars like E.T.]Reagan: "Brett, what's with your whole 'Firestarter', Slimer vibe?"
Myc: "Tragic, dead at 40."
Reagan: "Hey, fuck you."
Review
What a predictable yet great episode. No, seriously, the entire story is surprising. Actually, it's what "WandaVision" should've been but just wasn't. This is great. More of this please.
7.8/10. A vast improvement on the opening pair of episodes. I liked both the A-story and the B-story here, as both added depth to the protagonist and the antagonist of the show thus far.
Aang visiting the Southern Temple, and realizing that only is everyone he knew and trusted gone, but they were murdered, is a pretty intense story. There's something that always gets me, whether it's anticipatory or imaginary nostalgia, about stories of a lost civilization, a way of life that was stamped out. The great design on the Air Temple evoked this very well, with glimpses of the old air bending monks, and things like the circle of stone avatars which evokes a certain generational legacy and spirituality without having to underline things too much. At the same time, I appreciate the notion of Aang as someone with "phenomenal cosmic power" but a great deal of immaturity, to where times of great emotion and stress provoke his avatar powers to come forth in a way he can't quite control. I'm sure there's a metaphor for kids not having control of their tempers or emotional stability just yet, but I think it works well just as text too.
That said, not everything in that part of the story was great. Sokka's entire M.O. in the episode being endless attempts to try to get something to eat got old fast, and made for a pretty weak attempt at comic relief in the midst of some legitimately interesting mythology and worldbuilding, not to mention character development for Aang. Beyond that, Katara telling Aang that she knows he lost his family, but that she and Sokka are his family now felt really rushed and trite. And as cute as Momo is, I don't know that we really needed a Disney-esque animal sidekick.
But the B-story picked up a lot of slack on that front too. Again, it's nice worldbuilding to show that Prince Zuko isn't a monolithic villain, that he is, in fact, something of an outcast within the Fire Nation, who's challenged by his people's generals and ostrasized by his own father. It makes him sympathetic rather than the one-note villain he's been thus far. In addition, I loved the story told in his fight with General Zhou, where he's initially overwhelmed and emotional, but finds his focus and uses the basic to recover his pride and win the match. It was a well-animated segment (and I enjoyed the design work in this episode overall even when the animation left a bit to be desired) that hewed toward emotion and flow over pure visual spectacle. To the same end, I love the hint that Prince Zuko's uncle has more power and ability than he lets on. The old master who's obfuscating goofiness and hiding his true abilities is a trope, and the hint of it here is intriguing.
Overall, it's still early, but this is the first episode that's made me excited to see what else the show has in store. Hopefully it's a harbinger of great things to come.
"I am a trainer. I literally train swordsmen." — Urokodaki
Something tells me the Japanese word doesn't translate well into English.
This episode is strange because I like it more than the previous two, but it's got some weird flaws holding it back. I'm going to go through them now, but please note that I can criticise something I like; it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. Anyway, let's dive right into my first problem.
The first is Sabito's dialogue.
"A man shouldn't whine. It's unseemly. ...No matter how you suffer, bear it in silence... if you're a man. If you call yourself a man. Slow. Weak. Immature. That's not what you call a man."
Now, I don't mean to sound like an SJW, but these kinds of comments (verbal abuse) can be pretty harmful. Especially since this series' target demographic is 12-18-year-olds, who might have a lot going on physically and mentally, lines like, "A man shouldn't whine." and "bear it in silence." are unhelpful. Please, if you're struggling with something, whether that be physically, mentally or both, seek help: talk to your friends, close ones, your family, or seek professional help. I was hesitant to criticise this element at first, but seeing how it got Tanjiro to complete his task, I see this as a ruthless fantasy that will only harm adolescents in the long run. It makes this plot so straightforward, anyway.
The next is a less extreme, but still one that's more of a personal distaste: burn-out. Overworking yourself can kill you. The director of my favourite Ghibli film, Yoshifumi Kondō, died due to overwork.
"Doctors said that the aneurysm had been brought on by overwork." - Wikipedia
His death made it very clear to me that by pushing your body and mind to the brink, you can "work yourself to death". So don't do what Tanjiro did; you may end up doing more harm than good. I'm not saying you should never push yourself, but if you think you should take a break, or find people worried about you, then maybe you should. Again, it makes the plot so straightforward; just work harder, and you can do anything!
The last is a minor nitpick, but it made the episode somewhat unsatisfying for my taste, and this one is the off-screen development. Missing out on Tanjiro's one year of training with Urokodaki was okay because it doesn't tie into his character development. But when he's training with Sabito and Makomo, I want to see how he improved. Otherwise, we're missing out on seeing his growth. Instead, we only see the aftermath. So it's a little unsatisfying when he trains off-screen and challenges Sabito one day and wins straight away. Ever heard the saying, "it's about the journey, not the destination"?
Despite my complaints, this is still my favourite episode so far. It actually tries to get Tanjiro to do something other than walking to a place but shows him taking the time to improve. Although it falls flat for me, that's not to say I didn't enjoy this episode. I'll say that these episodes are getting better, but I've yet to see one that doesn't have issues like these.
TECHNICAL SCORE: 6/10
ENJOYMENT SCORE: 7/10
I CAN'T BELIEVED I CRIED TO A COP-OUT!
This episode had around ten more minutes than the usual one, so I expected it to be good. But man, this episode stunning! Seeing things from Twig's point of view, how he & Hilda discovered each other and the themes of growing up, change & taking things for granted resonated! I'm in awe.
Please watch it! It's so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. It makes for a great Christmas story. Again, the wilderness is gorgeous. I love this series; it's a hidden gem.
TECHNICAL SCORE: 9/10
ENJOYMENT SCORE: 10/10
Eda: "Don't worry, Lily. With this spell declared, I promise I'll be back."
Lilith: "That's not a spell, doesn't even rhyme."
Gus: [Muffled] "King? King, are you okay?"
The Collector: "You wanna play tag? I'm it."
The Collector: "We're gonna have a blast, everyone!"
King: "Luz, I am so happy I got to have you as a big sister."
"Girl Lost in Frogland Hoax?"
8/10
I just don't know about She-Ra, to be honest. There's a real maturity and warmth to the characterisation that's more or less at odds with the shallow, flighty nature of its plotting. The former creates expectations that the latter is constantly dashing, making for a very frustrating watch. There's so much to appreciate about its diversity, its performances, its design, its worldbuilding, its representation, but most of the time, those aspects just makes me wish the rest of the show was more worthy of them.
I am very excited for this "Hawkeye" Disney+ series. Ever since "Avengers: Age of Ultron", I actually liked Jeremy Renner's character. Unfortunately, this episode didn't do it for me.
The flashback at the start was cool. It tells us about both Kate Bishop's relationship with her parents and why she wanted to become a hero in the first place.
Then there are Clint's bits where he's trying to live a normal life amongst glossy musicals, giddy fans, and restaurant owns who treat him like a saint.
But none of this is really in the forefront: instead, we get some underground crime plot with action that is overly edited and some familiar family drama that, at the moment, has very little depth.
Overall, I'm not impressed but hopefully, after our protagonists meet, the ball will finally start rolling.
Really nice animation, interesting story, feels really simple, interested to see where it will go from here
The visuals are astounding! So much love for this episode and its emphasis on fire being a source of life and energy.
9.1/10. A great way to kick off the new season! I often have a problem with the plots of shows and movies involving magic, because all too often, the answer to any magical problem or magical bad guy is "we just have to use a deeper/older/stronger magic to defeat it!" and that feels like a narrative cheat. What I liked about "The Avatar State" is that it not only addressed this problem head-on, but grounded it in Aang's fears and his emotional state. It's a nice way to add to your show's mythos while also developing your characters.
Which is to say that I really enjoyed the A-story where the Earth Kingdom general is trying to figure out how to provoke Aang into the Avatar State. There was solid comedy in the initially attempts, whether it was a caffeinated tea that sent Aang into overdrive, an attempt from Sokka (who seemed to think it was like the hiccups), and a goofy ceremony culminating in a sneeze. But I loved the twist that if the Avatar State was a defense mechanism, the Earth Kingdom general was going to attack Aang.. It led to one of the series's best setpieces, with those rolling wheels creating some very cool moments and some of the best action choreography we've seen thus far, and the fact that it was Katara being at risk that prompts the avatar state is a nice touch, that speaks to who Aang is, namely that danger to himself isn't enough to let him reach that emotional state, it's danger to people he cares about, which is appropriately noble.
I also appreciated the specific mythos reveal that if Aang dies in the avatar state, it's the end of of all Avatars. Again, it's nice to have a backstop to the uber-magic here. In some ways, the Earth Kingdom general has a point, that if the Avatar State could be provoked and controlled, it would turn the tide of the war, so why shouldn't they use it? The fact that, as Avatar Roku explains, the Avatar State condenses the powers of all the former Avatars' past lives gives a spiritual bent to these abilities, but also would make for what amounts to a cheat-code that could end this game right now. But the fact that every time Aang enters the Avatar state, he risks leaving the world without an Avatar (and we've seen the results of the lack of an avatar for a mere century) provides a good rationale not to get into that state too hastily, even beyond the hurdles of it being a defense mechanism.
But beyond just explaining a plot point, the episode does a nice job of making the story and emotional one as well, with some thematic heft to boot. It's not hard to draw parallels between Aang's Avatar state and nuclear weapons in World War II. The idea that the Earth Kingdom general wants to use these awesome powers to end the war in one fell swoop, that despite the destruction and unpredictability of it, he points to those who are injured and dying in the fight every day, calls to mind similar discussions in the 1940s over whether to use the atom bomb. It's a legitimate question, and the dialectical forces within Aang -- one part of him that wants to end the war as quickly as posible, one part that wants to do things "the right way" as Katara puts it, and one that's worried about what he becomes when he goes into that state -- make for convincing turmoil and a legitimate issue.
That last part brings it back to Aang as a character. There's a sense that he fears giving over to the Avatar state, that he doesn't know what he becomes, can't control himself, and causes pain and destruction. It scares Katara, and it scares Aang. The idea of possessing that sort of power, but unleashing an unpredictable force every time you use it is a responsibility that would weigh on anyone, let alone a twelve-year-old. The way the episode lingers on Aang's concerns helps make this a great one.
And I haven't even mentioned the B-story yet! While we don't know much about the Fire Princess yet -- just that she's a perfectionist and that her firebending manifests as electricity (which is, let's be honest, pretty cool) -- the idea of home as a false promise for Zuko is a powerful one. The Princess is still a one-note villain, but Zuko started out that way too, and what humanized him was the sense that he wasn't a bad kid, just somebody who desperately wanted to earn his father's approval, get back in his good graces, and be allowed to return to his home.
The prospect of that is tantalizing to him, to where he's willing to ignore and even disdain Iroh for suggesting it might be illusory. Of course, one of the guards slips, the ruse is revealed, and it leads to another pretty awesome battle that's mixed with the one in the Earth Kingdom. Seeing Iroh go all badass to defend his nephew is a treat. (I don't know, there's just something about old, seemingly decrepit guys secretly being badasses that works for me. See also: the silly scene where Yoda fights Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones and Morgan Freeman in Million Dollar Baby). The fact that Iroh pretends to believe in the message the Princess brings is a nice touch, and the actor who plays Zuko does a nice job of conveying the betrayal and abject disappointment each feels.
That leads to the incredible scene down by the river where Zuko and Iroh slice off their topknots and drop them in the river. I'll admit, part of the significance comes from my having seen the middling Oscar flick The Last Samurai, but even without that, it's clear that this moment represents Zuko confronting the fact that home will never be there for him. It's a severing of his last strands of hope to get back his esteem in his father's eyes, and a realization that he is no longer a part of the Fire Nation, no longer a part of his family, no longer his father's son. He is something else now, something lonely, but his eyes are open. That's big stuff.
Like I said at the top, this is a hell of an introduction to the new season, and wiped the sour taste of the terrible live action film out of my mouth. Here's hoping it's a sign of good things to come!
7.5/10. Neat episode, if a little standard-issue. While I'm obviously firmly on Katara's side, the whole "old master won't train girl, but then she proves herself" feels played out, though obviously not to an audience of children who are being introduced to the trope. That makes it fine for that part of the audience, but a little unadventurous for its more mature viewers.
Still, the conflict was solid even if it wasn't stellar. The fight between Katara and the old Water Bender in particular was a great sequence, with the ice-to-water phase changes particularly well done. This show has gotten quite good at staging action and finding creative uses for the various bending abilities. The ways the episode showed members of the Northern Water Tribe raising and lowering their walls or moving through the canals of the city were inventive and shows the time and care the series's braintrust has put into thinking through what a society of people who could control water and ice would look like.
And while the main Katara story was a little trite in conception, I actually liked the resolution to it a lot. The episode set up the reveal nicely (though it tipped its hand with the shot of Katara's necklace during the fight.) The fact that the Old Master turned out to be Gran Gran's former beau could have been a cheesy bit, but tying it to the idea that Gran Gran left because she didn't want to be bound by the strictures of the Northern Water Tribe, and that being what changes the Old Waterbender's heart is a deft move.
As for the other stories going on during the episode, Sokka falling in love with a Princess was fine, though again not especially compelling. It's another stock plot, but Sokka's delightfully inept attempts at courting give it a lightness and charm that make it works. And Zhao piecing together that Zuko is the Blue Spirit, trying to have him killed via the pirates we met several episodes back, only for Uncle Iroh to surreptitiously smuggle him onto Zhao's ship as Zhao leads a fleet to attack the Northern Water Tribe comes off more like table setting than anything, but it has a lot of intrigue and some cool moments in between, so it gets a pass too.
Overall, a nice setup for the season finale!
It's so darn peaceful. The music is soothing, and the connection the village has with nature, while mysterious, is not too dissimilar to a Jedi's connection with the Force. It does a good job of telling you what you need to know, and letting you fill in the gaps for yourself. Heck, the main character doesn't even have a name, and that's pretty cool.
Gives me Studio Ghibli vibes. Very well done!
IS IT MY FAVOURITE EPISODE SO FAR? IT'S MY FAVOURITE EPISODE SO FAR.
After being grounded by her mum, Hilda discovers her neighbour mysteriously disappears and reappears in the blink of an eye.
This episode was a thrilling time travel tale about regret, reminiscing on what could've been and the consequences of your actions. Because GOD DAMN, HILDA DIED TWICE. Speechless noises. It was just so sudden, distressing yet heartfelt. You can see Hilda means well, but since she doesn't think it through, it all goes to hell. I mean, and I can't stress this enough, she got herself killed, twice, as well as several versions of Mr Ostenfeld, as well as Tildy! This episode has so much death!
I like how they imbued the episode's themes with the other two characters, and it was exciting to see Trolberg back in the 20s? No, the themes & premise aren't anything new, but the way the episode presented them struck a chord with me. Bella Ramsey gives another charming performance, and Rasmus Hardiker's Alfur is just as endearing. Seeing the contrast of second-trip Hilda and the third one, hardened and bitter by time, was heartbreaking; I won't forget her sacrifice.
Hilda: "And all things considered, it didn't work out too badly."
Alfur: "We saw our selves die... twice!"
It's heartwarming, tragic and powerful. I've no issues with this episode, and I think it encapsulates what I love about Hilda so much. This episode is beautiful in every sense of the word.
TECHNICAL SCORE: 8.5/10
ENJOYMENT SCORE: 9/10
EXHILARATING.
It seems that the leader of the Head Officer of Trolberg Safety Patrol, Erik Ahlberg, is going to be this season's villain.
I love the contrasting ideologies of Hilda and Ahlberg. Hilda sees the goodness in nature and its creatures, while Ahlberg sees security breaches and potential ways of elevating his name.
The episode was your standard Hilda adventure, fun, endearing, but not without its conflict. Alfur's still as charming as usual, Hilda's mother's still concerned for her safety and the bell keeper along the wall was surprisingly Scottish. I love it all! There's still some familiar, new but above all, fresh stories set in Hilda's world. I can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store.
TECHNICAL SCORE: 7/10
ENJOYMENT SCORE: 8/10
[7.5/10] There’s a good term paper to be written on why we as a culture are so drawn to stories of supernatural occurrences in small towns. Maybe it’s because the distance from big cities gives cover and plausibility to magical or spooky goings on where the public writ large wouldn’t know about them.Maybe it’s because, as shows like Twin Peaks established, they can be a means to process the real life dark things that can happen in these idyllic locales Maybe it’s because we still idealize them as “real America”, so when something goes wrong there, it feels more tragic and more senseless.
Whatever the reason, in its opening bout, Stranger Things channels all the tropes from Stephen King, Stephen Spielberg, David Lynch, and a dozen other cultural touchstones about unexplained happenings in small town America. This is plainly a pastiche, one that’s counting on its audience’s affection for a particular time and place and genre, but also using them to good ends.
It sets up various cliques and interested parties, quickly establishing the different centers of gravity in the town. There’s the quartet of geeks who play DnD in their parents’ basement, get excited about ham radio, and unsurprisingly based on those first two points, get hassled by bullies at school. There’s the older sister, Nancy, who’s trying to stay devoted to her studies but finds herself both excited and made uncomfortable by Steve, the popular boy who’s taken an interest in her.
There’s Hopper, the drinking, smoking, layabout sheriff who’s suddenly faced with a case far more serious than an owl attacking someone’s hairdo. There’s Joyce, the single mother of two trying to make ends meet and understandably devastated and scared by the disappearance of her son. There’s Mr. Clarke, the encouraging science teacher who has a kinship with the nerds in his tutelage. And there’s other parents, siblings, and townspeople the show can pick up or put down as the story unspools.
Most of these characters play on tropes and archetypes: the dorky kids, the good girl sister, the donut-dunking local officer, the single mom scraping by, and so on and so on. But Stranger Things is remarkably efficient in using those tropes to fill in the gaps and get the different corners of the show up and running in one forty-seven minute opening jaunt. Not all of them get as much depth as Joyce in the early going -- and her memories and search for her son is the most emotionally-involving and, not coincidentally, realest aspect of this first outing. But each has potential, and the lines that run between them, or could in the future, are clear and compelling.
What’s particularly striking, though, is how restrained but effectively the show weaves in the supernatural into what could work just as well as a regular missing child story. We see the effects of whatever creature is haunting these woods. We hear breaths and watch lights flicker and watch as panicked scientists are seemingly consumed. But Stranger Things achieves most of this through suggestion, with electricity humming or shorting, mysterious agents preparing for something awful and doing things that are even worse, and a mute little girl who appears to have powers of her own.
Eleven is the most fascinating element of this first episode. Without a word from her, “Vanishing” makes you care about her plight, wonder about her connection to these bizarre goings on, and fear who or what might be after her. There’s some kind of linkage between her ability to stop a motorized fan and the lightbulb-blasting effects that whatever’s really happening at the Department of Energy outpost here. There’s also some kind of experiments or other horrors being visited upon her that makes her so ready to run. With those two elements combined, hers is the right mix of sci-fi intrigue and empathy-inducing character introduction.
The chief move that Stranger Things makes in its first chapter is to get us to sympathize with something or someone and then show it tragically taken away. The audience cares about the titular disappearance of young Will Byers not just because it’s sad anytime a kid goes missing or it's easy to feel for his distraught mom and older brother. We care because he had the opportunity to cheat at Dungeons and Dragons and instead offered scrupulous honesty -- because, as Mike points out, he could have saved himself and instead put himself at risk to protect others. We only get a short amount of time with him, but it’s enough to establish that he’s a good kid and understand why his family and cohort are so anxious to save him.
Likewise, we don’t get much of Benny, the restaurant owner. We just see him looking after a young runaway, giving her free food and ice cream, taking care with the woman he thinks is a social worker because he doesn’t want to scare the child who’s unexpectedly come into his care. We see, in just a few short scenes, that he’s a good person, which lets us know, in no uncertain terms, who the good guys are, who the bad guys are, and what’s at stake when the suits come in, guns blazing, and take him out, sending Eleven running.
Maybe that’s the biggest draw here. The setting of a small town in Indiana gives us potential to have a distinctive ecosystem of kids and adults where mysterious things can go down amid cover-ups and disbelief. But it also conveys a certain innocence, a certain uncorruptedness, within this way of life, that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you that much more invested to see if that innocence can be rescued.
The makeshift heroes and unwitting victims in the stories the Duffer Brothers are pulling from have a mixed record in terms of undoing the evil that’s befallen their friends and their town. We can only hope that Will, and Hawkins as a whole, fare better than Benny did. Either way, I’ll keep watching.
Ooh. An episode centered around my favorite duo: Roy Mustang and Risa Hawkeye. It was interesting seeing them as naive idealists becoming weapons of mass murder becoming people who are just trying so hard to keep their humanity and fulfill their dreams in spite of all the crimes they have committed.
Now I see why this anime is rated as the best of all time. The story is just mind-boggling.
This whole series is adorkable, but this episode in particular is all kinds of beautiful. The pacing and the screenplay in this one made it almost feel like watching a movie rather than a TV show. And it was good to finally get some backstory on Sayaka.
So far this is still exactly my cup of tea. Some nice relationship growth between the main girls, with no ridiculous over-the-top drama to speak of. Just nice, down-to-earth stuff that makes sense, and some nice "aww" moments too.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BUT I LOVE THIS!
Pretty sweet for a first episode back. Reminded me why I like Mob as a character so much :)
Nice little segway episode here. It covered a good deal of the slower build-up material from the manga and basically sets up the last couple episodes as just EPIC BANGERS (trust me on this one). My body is so riddy for this last part. Mob is gonna Mob so hard with a special appearance by the "legend" himself as well.
