Star Wars Visions: The Twins

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A pair of Sith twins work to create a weapon that can destroy entire star systems but then turn on one another.

This episode was disappointing. It was not bad so much as it was deeply average, and I feel like they could have done so much more with it. I am a big fan of Studio Trigger and so I was very excited for this episode which only made the disappointment worse.

I think the issue with this episode is that the plot is played out. How many times have we seen two siblings turn on each other and battle now? To many times to count, and that goes outside of Star Wars as well. It was entirely obvious that the brother was going to turn out to be the hero.

Moreover, there were also weird gaps in logic that I found to be jarring. An example of this would be that the twins can breathe in space, but their robot butler can’t? It makes no sense and when you start thinking about it, it just ruins the episode more and more.

The one thing I will compliment this episode on is that I enjoyed how into exploring kyber crystals it was, and I think that we need more of this from the Star Wars universe.

Overall, I was expecting a lot more and was deeply disappointed.

Pros.

Exploring kyber crystals

The battle scenes

The ending

Cons.

It was predictable

The plot was cliched

The gaps in logic

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Star Wars Visions: Tatooine Rhapsody

1.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A young band must perform the show of their lives otherwise Jabba The Hutt will have one of their member killed.

This may be the worst episode of Star Wars Visions, though as of the time of writing I am only three quarters of the way through. This episode is just so disappointing mainly because it doesn’t feel like it fits into the Star Wars universe at all, swap out a few character skins and references and this could be any other anime. It felt jarring.

All of the characters bar Jabba were kids, and I don’t understand the reason why? For the central foursome it makes sense I suppose but why was Bobba Fett pintsized? It makes no sense.

Moreover, the whole episode is built around these big concert scenes where the band perform, this in an off itself is not a red flag, however, when the band actually starts to perform it quickly does become an issue. To be blunt the music just isn’t good, and as it is so pivotal to the episode having it be bad makes the episode infinitely worse.

Finally, the central cast of characters are annoying and whiney which makes it impossible to form any kind of attachment to them and again kneecaps the episode.

Overall, one to skip when binging the series.

Pros.

It is short

A few interesting visuals

Cons.

The songs are bad

The characters are annoying

It makes no sense that almost everyone is a child

It doesn’t feel like it fits the brand

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Star Wars Visions: The Duel

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Some time after the sequel trilogy a lone wanderer comes across a Sith lord and her army of stormtroopers terrorising a village, a battle ensues.

This was an incredibly strong start to Star Wars Visions, both artistically and in terms of story. The concept of the episode is interesting, and its setting post sequel trilogy is rife to explore; so far we have seen very little set after the Rise of Skywalker. I would love to see more of this world and its inhabitants, in that regard I think there should be another Star Wars show exploring Ronin and how he came by all those other Sith kyber crystals

Moreover, I thought the animation style was beautifully done and distinctive. I enjoyed the roughness of it and thought the hard edges and minimal use of colour really helped to form a strong personality for the episode.

The fight scenes were easily the highlight of the episode particularly those between the Sith and Ronin towards the end were each was pulling off crazier and crazier moves in an effort to best the other.

Overall, a beautiful start to the series with a keen personality and edge.

Pros.

The art style

The fight scenes

The ending

The tease for what comes after the sequel trilogy

Cons.

We need more.

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Rick and Morty: Rickmurai Jack

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Rick and Morty reunite after Rick learns empathy and the two form a partnership, finally.

To all those who were hoping for big cannon reveals this season you got exactly what you wished for, and then some. This finale answered a lot of fan questions such as Rick’s origins, Evil Morty’s plans and why Ricks always rule there Morty’s. The answers we get blow the series into a whole new direction.

I enjoyed the ending wherein Rick and Morty become partners after years of Morty taking Rick’s abuse. This character development feels earned, and I hope it is paid off next season in a big way. I think it is important for the show to move past its status quo and finally pay off the character development.

I thought the return of Evil Morty was a nice touch as he has become a fan favourite. They have nearly endless possibilities for what they can do with that character going forward now as the ending of the episode brought everything to the table.

I would say of all the Rick and Morty finales so far this was the most impactful.

Overall, the threshold for this series has now been expanded to crazy new heights.

Pros.

The ending

Evil Morty

Rick and Morty finally becoming equal partners

Where the series can go from here

Cons.

The reunion of the duo seems a bit rushed

Pacing issues

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Rick and Morty: Forgetting Sarick Mortshall

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Rick and Morty finally break up. Rick replaces Morty with two crows and Morty replaces Rick with a man called Nick. Both new partnerships teach each of our titular duo a lesson.

I thought the finale was going to be one big feature length episode. No? Did I imagine that? I thought that was why it was being delayed.

The days of Rick and Morty where the show was a comedy seem to be over, and now the show almost plays like an animated science fiction drama series. I think the uncoupling of Rick and Morty needed to happen, the relationship was so toxic, and something needed to be done to shift the status quo and to teach Rick a lesson- if nothing else this episode does that.

The Rick story line about him learning empathy from the crows seemed a bit too random for me and simply like they were trying to be different and out there with it but not for any reason other than because they could. The Morty storyline is slightly better, I enjoyed seeing the devolution of Nick and see the mask slowly start to slip.

I thought the ending of the episode was heart-breaking but needed, I thought it was done perfectly with the music during this scene being pitch perfect, pardon the pun, and I like that things ended on somewhat of a healthy amicable note.

Overall, an important episode of the show but not one that will make people laugh or enjoy themselves.

Pros.

Nick

The ending

The duo breaking up

Cons.

Rick’s story with the two crows seems pointlessly random

It is sad and depressing

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Reminiscence: This Is Why Westworld Isn’t Good Anymore

1.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Nick, Hugh Jackman, analyses his memories of the one who got away, Rebecca Ferguson, and realises that he has been played. Nick then sets out to track her down to get answers.

My this one was bad.

Before I slate it I’ll say this, Ferguson and Jackman have great chemistry together, really its electric, and they need to make more films together and carry this thing on as their seems to be a real passion there between the two, they play off each other really well.

Ok, moving on to the bad.

This is what happens when you have everyone praise your deep intellectual show, Westworld, for years and you have a brother who is known by some as one of the best working filmmakers in the game, and you try to rip-off his style. To be blunt, you make pretentious tosh that is about as deep as a puddle and is laughably bad.

The narration throughout the film is the best example of this, it asks all these deep philosophical questions about humanity and the self with all the intellectual sincerity of a teenager going through an emo phase. The writing is really bad.

The mystery is passably okay, however the longer it goes on for you realise all the ways it doesn’t make any sense and how the memory tech writes the film into a corner. Almost everything Nick does in this film is superfluous by the rules and laws set up by the tech, he didn’t need to do anything, yes he would have lost the memory card, but would that really have changed much?

Overall, bad science fiction.

Pros.

Jackman

Ferguson

Cons.

It makes no sense

It is so utterly pretentious

It is poorly written

The ending

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The Bad Batch: Kamino Lost

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Batch have to escape a sinking Kamino.

Meh.

For a season finale this is pretty bland. Nothing much happens and there is minimal action, the ending feels like more of a mid-season ending rather than the end of a season. There is no big cliff-hanger or tease to set up the next season.

I enjoyed what this episode did with Crosshair. I thought by having him not join the Batch at the end of the episode and still aligning himself with the Empire it makes him far more interesting than his brothers. I think the complexity to Crosshair’s character is one of the best things about the series as he can be both an outright villain and an antihero in equal measure.

Omega was once again an annoyance. The series is trying here to make us care about her by saying that she effectively watched the Batch grow up and that they were her only friends, but still you just don’t care. This is mainly due to the fact that she constantly makes dumb errors that are infuriating, like going back for the droid and then not really seeming bothered with him once she has saved him. I think the show would be infinitely better if it just focused on the Batch and she was not a part of it.

I was also hoping for more of a tease of what the Empire plans to do with the Kaminoians… but we get nothing.

Overall, watchable but fairly anti-climactic.

Pros.

Crosshair

It is watchable

The animation

Cons.

Omega

No action or anything special

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What If: T’Challa Became Star Lord?

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

T’Challa becomes Star Lord instead of Peter Quill, and maybe even does it better?

I think this was a very average episode. Nothing really blew me away about it, really it just feels like they are recycling the plot’s of other Marvel films for extra profits, yes with a few changes but the story structure feels much the same.

I thought the idea of space Black Panther was interesting, Chadwick Boseman has a lot of fun and it is nice to see him back in the role, even if it is bittersweet when you remember. Moreover, I thought the idea that Black Panther was in fact a better Star Lord than the one we have come to know quite amusing, I liked how even Drax liked him more.

The biggest issue with this episode is by far its plot, because once it gets past the initial charm of T’Challa in space, it is just a generic heist plot that has no stakes at all. Once the episode switches to the heist my mind just turns off, I don’t care about some McGuffin that the characters are trying to steal that likely will never come back in the MCU again.

Moreover, I thought the sting at the end about how the Peter Quill of this universe is getting on was actually more entertaining and interesting than the story we got.

Overall, though Boseman is strong the rest of the episode isn’t, and it feels incredibly mediocre.

Pros.

Boseman

The concept

Thanos but as a good guy

Cons.

The heist plot

It is very generic

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Rick and Morty: Rickternal Friendship Of The Spotless Mort

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

We finally get an episode of Rick and Morty that builds on the ending of last season and feels like a true continuation. In this week’s episode Rick ventures into Bird Person’s mind to bring him back to the world of the living.

I feel like this should have been the first episode of the season. Now it feels like the seven other episodes we have had before this were just meaningless filler, and this is the true continuation of last season. In terms of episode placement, the creators definitely shot themselves in the foot with this one.

I like that this episode is entirely Rick centric, Morty is off doing something with the family, and he doesn’t even get a B plot. The idea of Rick having friends is one that the series has flirted with but never really committed to on a big scale, the only exception to that is with Bird Person. It was nice to have an episode that was entirely about their early years and friendship- or even perhaps more than friendship at least on Rick’s side.

I think the reason this is such a good episode is because it takes a break from randomness and sperm jokes and instead just focuses on the characters and tries to analyse them as people. There is a lot of cannon here, around Rick’s early years, his time as a galactic freedom fighter, and his friends. It answers a lot of questions that fans have been asking for years about the show, but also gives us a lot more questions to replace them. There is a throwaway line about Beth being dead for example, that will need addressing at some point. Moreover, Bird Person’s daughter needs to be freed. I would like the next episode to directly follow on from this and give us more cannon, but I know it won’t. I know I am too greedy.

Overall, this and the Mr Nimbus episode show that the series still shines when it wants to, when it isn’t distracted by a teenage sense of humour focusing on giant incest babies or space sperm.

Pros.

Rick’s history

His complicated friendship with Bird Person

A lot of new questions to be explored

Removing Morty and the family from the equations

Cons.

Seeing a good episode like this makes some of the other offering this season look incredibly lazy by comparison.

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The Bad Batch: Return To Kamino Finale Part One

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Batch head back to Kamino to save Hunter and whilst there have to atone for the sins of their past.

I have thought for a long time the Batch needed to face a reckoning for what they did to Crosshair and this episode finally delivers on it. They talk a lot throughout the show about loyalty, but they left Crosshair behind, even when they realised that he was being mind controlled by the inhibitor chip they still didn’t act, they needed to be asked why they behaved like that and they are here. However, the answers we get are fairly weak, they left him behind because he started shooting at them, even though he was mind controlled……. Or so they think.

I thought the twist of the episode that Crosshair was in fact never mind controlled and had his inhibitor chip removed years ago, raises a lot of interesting questions. Furthermore, it adds to the shades of grey for the series, as Crosshair even says something to the extent of we are soldiers, so he had no issue switching sides and carrying on. It makes the Batch question there own morality, and interestingly for us it recontextualises the show.

I do think the worst thing about this episode much like the rest of the series is Omega, whether it is her having a tantrum about going and rescuing Hunter, as if his friends did not want to go and get him back, or her turning on all the battle droids to try and help which instead almost ended up killing the Batch. Moreover, they try and write some drama into her arc in this episode by having it be emotionally hard for Omega to return to Kamino, but you just don’t care because the series has failed in its efforts to make you care about her character, as I have previously said a Grogu she is not.

Overall, a strong penultimate episode that sets up a big finally, ruined only slightly by Omega once again.

Pros.

Crosshair

The Batch finally facing some accountability

The ending

The twist

Cons.

Omega

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