Rick and Morty: Rickdependence Day

3.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Morty uses a piece of surgical equipment for elicit means and creates a worldwide disaster, that leads to humans having to patch up their long standing feud with the subterranean CHUD people.

This was a fun episode of Rick and Morty,not too heavy and mostly just throw away fun. The premise of the episode is a little icky for my tastes, but I enjoyed how they built the reveal of the sperm monsters origins as a point of tension between the titular pair as Rick did not know what Morty had done.

Moreover, I thought Summer and Beth really stood out as characters here. Their comments on sexism and how women and their ideas are often overlooked and basically ignored were both insightful as well as humorously delivered.

I thought the episode had a few funny moments such as the joke at the expense of Marvel frontman Robert Downey Jr, but struggled to keep that comedy up throughout. For the most part a lot of the jokes in this episode just left me cold and were a little bit too gross out for my tastes.

I thought the CHUD people were an interesting addition to the episode, and it made for a great Rick moment at the end. However, I am starting to become perturbed by how this show keeps creating new characters and civilisations and then never references them again, it feels a little throwaway and I prefer it when the show builds up a character or group and makes them important to the wider narrative of the show.

Overall, a fun episode of Rick and Morty that struggles to be anything more.

Pros.

The Robert Downey Jr joke

Summer and Beth

The tension between Rick and Morty

The ending/ The CHUDs

Cons.

Some of the characters feel throwaway

Not all the jokes land

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The Bad Batch: Devil’s Deal

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

We leave the story of Hunter and Co, as we instead follow the series return of Hera Syndulla.

This is the first episode of The Bad Batch to barely feature the titular heroes themselves. Instead the gang play second fiddle to the origin story of a young Hera. We see her early experiences with the Empire that would be instrumental in forging her into the Resistance warrior we know and love.

Surprisingly, I thought the change of pace worked quite well for the series, showing that maybe we don’t need to follow the Bad Batch every week. This episode has a lot of stakes, perhaps the most of any episode of the series so far as we see a whole planet on the brink of war, with no doubt the Batch having to come in next week to save the day.

I would say that is the big issue with the episode, though it is nice to see Hera and her family return this whole episode just feels like set up for next weeks’. Furthermore, this idea then suggests that Hera and her family are basically being used as plot devices within the driving heroic narrative of the Bad Batch themselves. I would like to see the situation resolve itself with minimal involvement from our heroes.

Moreover, this episode brought back Crosshair which is always a good thing in my book. The series is at its best when he is around, and they should use him more rather than just ignoring him for vast numbers of episodes at a time.

Overall, an interesting episode but one that ends up feeling like filler.

Pros.

Crosshair

Hera’s Origin

Less involvement from The Bad Batch themselves

Cons.

It feels like filler

The Omega ‘friend’ sequence felt awkward and forced

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Loki: Journey Into Mystery

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Of the episodes so far this is definitely the most emotionally impactful episode of Loki. There were a number of moments here that both made you want to cheer whilst also bringing a tear to your eye, the two that particularly affected me were the hug between Owen Wilson’s Mobius and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and the admittance of feelings between Loki and Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie.

I enjoyed seeing all the other Loki variants that exist beyond the void and I thought there antics were fun enough for the short amount of time they were on screen. I would have liked to see them be more developed and have more to them then very surface level treatment they are given. I thought that Richard E Grant’s older future Loki was easily the best and had the most going for him in terms of character work: I would have liked to see more of him but sadly now that looks unlikely.

I thought the ending tease was interesting and sets up for one hell of a finale. All signs look pointing to the arrival of Kang The Conqueror, though I wouldn’t be surprised if the show pulls a fast one on us and subverts that. I do think this episode has very much of a waiting for the finale vibe to it, which is certainly a draw back at times.

Additionally I don’t like what they have done with Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Ravonna Renslayer, as they have basically made her cartoonishly evil and stripped the character from any wider subtlety or nuance and just made a generic bad.

Overall, a good episode for the most part though the foundation is weak.

Pros.

Loki and Sylvie

Loki and Mobius

Richard E Grant’s Loki

Cons.

The other variants really don’t get much to do

The episode feels like it is just passing time till the finale

Renslayer

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The Bad Batch: Common Ground

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Bad Batch finally get to set out on their own for a mission without Omega that takes them right into the heart of Separatists space.

I have been excited about the prospect of the clones setting off on an adventure of their own, without Omega, for a while. Sadly, the chosen adventure for this outing is one of the tamest and most boring of the series so far.

I think the group works better on missions without Omega, and here it is nice to see them back in their element again. Although the idea of having the clones have to help out their former enemy may look good on paper as a character growth storyline the emotional pay off here just doesn’t land at all and it all feels very inconsequential.

Whilst away from the Batch Omega has a side story about how she isn’t useless, though she is and the only reason she often saves the day is because of blind luck rather than skill. Anyway, this storyline finishes with her paying off the groups debts and having a bonding moment with Hunter, which as I have said before and will say again does not work, they are trying to do a Grogu esque father/child bond and it is not taking at all.

Overall, this is very much a miss-able episode.

Pros.

Seeing the Batch do what they do best

The idea of the clones having to help the Separatists

Cons.

The episode is dull and boring

The emotional pay off doesn’t work

Omega is still dragging the show down

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Rick And Morty: A Rickconvenient Mort

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Morty falls in love with an elemental being, and Rick and Summer go on an end of the world sex binge.

Man this episode bummed me out. This might be the most depressing episode of Rick and Morty yet, forget the ending of season four, or when Rick gets arrested, this episode is heart breaking. Both the A and B plots are just sad, I hope you have something happy lined up after this.

I enjoy the episodes of Rick and Morty that explore the duo as people and as individuals, and this does that but proves that I need to be careful what I wish for. The character work is strong but honestly it is hard to watch. Morty seems to be all over the place in this episode, murdering people like they are nothing maybe he has been spending too much time with Rick. I thought his relationship with Plaentina was icky and twisted as it implies the two sleep together and he is below the age of consent. It was nice having Alison Brie provide her voice to the episode, she certainly brings a memorable performance and hopefully the character will return in the future.

The Rick and Summer storyline is odd, and the emotion of it doesn’t land in the way they would like it to. Straight off the bat it is a little strange how cool Rick is with going on a sex rampage with his granddaughter. Secondly the jealously angle with Summer preventing an apocalypse to prove that Rick’s happy relationship is false also feels somewhat jarring and maybe even a bit creepy. Widely this storyline is forgettable.

The stuff with Beth was probably the highpoint of the episode and it was nice to see her as a concerned and nurturing parent even if the episode takes its sweet time getting to it.

Overall, a depressing and maybe even upsetting episode of Rick and Morty and one I might skip on my next rewatch.

Pros.

Summer has a few funny lines

Alison Brie is a good guest star, and her character is interesting

Cons.

It is depressing

The Rick and Summer storyline has no point

Morty just flips out and kills a bunch of people and other than one throw away line it is never mentioned or reacted to

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The Tomorrow War: More Emotions Less Bland CGI Shootouts

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A high school science teacher is conscripted to fight a war against aliens in our near future that could spell the extinction of the human race.

Chris Pratt usually brings a certain level of charm and likeability to his roles: his role here however was devoid of this. Indeed, any number of actors could have played Pratt’s part, some to a far better result as honestly Pratt seems bored for most of the film.

For the most part this film is a deeply average science fiction film. There is nothing here that you haven’t seen before and the premise feels a little overly familiar. Even the aliens look like a retread.

Although the occasional moment of pure and very real feeling emotion in this film helps to elevate it beyond mediocrity. The moments between Pratt’s character and his daughter feel very impactful, they effect you and if you are anything like me they make you well up a bit as well. Moreover, there are also moments between Pratt’s character and his estranged father played by J.K Simmons that also bring a tear to your eye. For an action film this is surprisingly emotional.

The cast, with the exception of Pratt excel here. Yvonne Strahovski, Simmons and Betty Gilpin all have scene stealing moments that really help to make the film and to standout against all the CGI shootouts.

Overall, a rare misfire for Pratt, but one that is slightly elevated beyond mediocrity by a strong heart.

Pros.

The emotion

Strahovski

The ending

Cons.

It is overly familiar

Too much of the film is just generic CGI shootouts

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The Bad Batch: Bounty Lost

2.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

The episode starts out by ditching Crosshair once again and instead focusing entirely on Omega, a very bad decision. The reason why this is bad is because it loses all the tension and excitement from the previous episode and immediately makes the situation easier for the heroes as now they are just free to track Omega down no bother- which makes it less interesting.

We spend most of the episode with Omega as we find out more about her origins and watch her try and escape from Cad Bane. None of this makes you warm any further to the character, and the point still stands that without Omega the Bad Batch as a show would be much more interesting.

The best thing that comes out of the kidnapped Omega storyline is the bounty hunter fight between Bane and Fennec Shand, which is entertaining to watch as each tries to out do the other with some nice set pieces thrown in for good measure.

The series still seems directionless, yes we know that Omega is wanted and is valuable as she is a perfect clone of Jango Fett, but other than that we have no idea where the series is heading. Are we going back to more villain of the week episodes now that Crosshair has been sent back into the ignored void? Or are we going to get more origin story for Omega? Both prospects seem equally bleak.

Overall, Omega has easily become the worst part of the show and it needs to ditch her as soon as it can- she is no Grogu.

Pros.

The bounty hunter fight

The ending tease of intrigue

Cons.

Omega is a weak character and worse still annoying

They forget about Crosshair once again

The tension and build up from the previous episode is lost almost immediately

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Rick And Morty: Mortyplicity

3/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This episode was a big step back from last weeks’.

Though this episode had a few highlights, it certainly had the most on-screen deaths of the Smith family, it also reflected what I would say is the worst sensibility of the show, the gimmicky intellectual. A few of the weaker episodes of Rick and Morty across its run are not so much bothered about telling a fun story as they are with exploring a deep scientific concept and showing their audience just how intelligent their writers think they are. This is one of those episodes to a tee.

The concept of duplicates and clones of the family being killed off, and then later killing each other off, could work on paper, but as the episode progresses it quickly becomes apparent that their simply isn’t legs to the idea. It is vaguely intriguing for about the first five minutes then it becomes increasingly annoying as it continues.

Though that is not to say the idea is entirely flawed, it did show some imagination and I enjoyed seeing all the various different duplicates, some of which look noticeably different, that was a fun little distraction within the episode itself.

Furthermore, something else I noticed increasingly throughout the episode was how hostile Beth was towards Rick. Now, for the sake of series context, yes I can see why Beth would be upset in this situation as it mirrors something she went through last season and the point of the episode is to have the characters work through these issues seemingly. However, it makes no sense to have this episode be the second episode of the series considering Clone Beth was the previous season finale, it should have been the first. As it stands now, you have the Clone Beth episode, then an episode where Beth is fine to Rick and everything is forgotten about, and then an episode where it is all brought back up and clearly is a festering point of tension between the two, it is out of sequence.

Overall, Rick and Morty is better when it is trying to entertain us rather than prove how smart it’s writers are, sadly that lesson is ignored here.

Pros.

It is nice to see Rick get called out

Jerry has a few funny lines; my favourite was the one about his lemon bars

The imaginative duplicates

Cons.

It is trying too hard to prove how smart it is

The premise becomes tiresome very early on

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The Bad Batch: Reunion

4/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This episode finally brought back Crosshair. Finally.

I thought this was easily the best of the recent batch of Bad Batch episodes, we finally got the tense standoff between the inhibitor chip free clones and the possessed evil Crosshair that the series has been building towards. Luckily for all, this confrontation feels meaty and well-paced, neither can truly best the other and both sides are hurt. The only way I think this could have been made better is if Crosshair killed one of the Bad Batch or at least gravely wounded them, this would have added to the impact of the episode.

I thought the re-emergence of Cad Bane was both a pro and a con to the episode. It is a pro in that the character is cool and it is nice to see him return and carry on his storyline, but at the same time it is a con as it feels very random and there was little to no build up to him returning. With him taking Omega at the end of the episode I hope she stays out of commission for a while so the Bad Batch can properly deal with their defeat and really rally to the cause.

Overall, a high point for the series so far I can only hope the next lot of episodes keep the same pace and tone.

Pros.

Finally bringing back Crosshair in a meaningful way

The tense cat and mouse elements

The action

The ending

Cons.

Cad Bane’s return feels a little random and unplanned

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Rick and Morty: Mort Dinner Rick Andre

4.5/5

Written by Luke Barnes

This will be my first Rick and Morty review, I have been a fan for a long time and I thought that I would start covering it on here so I could share my passion.

I was very mixed on season four of Rick and Morty it had a few hits but by a large it wasn’t of the same consistent quality as the previous season. However, if this first episode is anything to go by season five might be bringing the show back to its previous glory.

My favourite part of this episode was the evolving story of Morty and the wine. In an effort to age the wine for his dinner guest Rick sends the wine into another dimension wherein time moves differently whereby a few minutes to us is centuries to the inhabitants. Moreover, Morty is tasked with entering this dimension over and over again to get more wine, each time doing so managing to hurt someone or destroy something, thereby becoming basically the devil of their reality. What I enjoyed about this is the escalation, each time Morty goes back the people of the other dimension have evolved to defeat him, I think the idea is quite interesting and is used in a way that is both visually impressive and also funny.

Moreover, I like seeing Morty and his long time crush Jessica finally acting on their feelings for each other. Sadly it doesn’t pan out and the can is kicked further down the proverbial road. This would be my only downside of the episode, I would have liked to see Morty and Jessica finally get together and then have the two of them adventuring with Rick and seeing how that changed the dynamic. Wishful thinking for now.

I think the Rick story involving the arrival of his nemesis Mr Nimbus was the weakest part of the episode. Until the closing moments this story did nothing for me at all, it felt very random and slapdash, and I feel it could have been better done if Mr Nimbus had at least been mentioned before in the show. However, I did like the emotional pay off of this storyline, when Mr Nimbus ends up saving Rick, Jessica and Morty at the end of the episode: I thought the emotional growth of Rick as a character in this moment felt earned and mature. I would like to see Mr Nimbus return in the future, if only to further explore his relationship with Rick.

Overall, a very strong start to the season let’s hope it keeps up this level of quality

Pros.

The building of dramatic tension

Morty and Jessica

The emotional growth for Rick

Beth and Jerry have a funny bit

Cons.

Until the end the Mr Nimbus storyline is a dud.

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