Welcome to our newly revamped Boomb Tube! Here, we will be catching you up on the week in comics TV, both through micro-reviews, as well as links to our full-length TV reviews. We also tend to review series that are dropped all at once weekly so there are a few ‘older’ shows mixed in for good measure. Are we missing your favorite show? Let us know in the comments!
The Boys – “Payback” (S3E1, Amazon Prime)
Read our full review of the season three premiere by Ramon Piña.
Obi-Wan Kenobi – “Part 1” & “Part 2” (S1E1 & S1E2, Disney+)
Read our full review of the 2-part series premiere by Brian Salvatore.
Obi-Wan Kenobi – “Part 3” (S1E3, Disney+)
Read our full review of the 2-part premiere by Brian Salvatore.
Riverdale – “Chapter 111: Blue Collar” (S6E16, The CW)
Read our full review by Elias Rosner.
Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles – “Nobody Likes a Ninja” (S1E6, NETFLIX)
Yuichi? The 90s called. They want their exaggerated “what” back.
“Nobody Likes a Ninja” is a step down from “Common Sensei.” Not only is Lord Kogane not there but neither is Karasu Tengu NOR Bargain Bunji. The jokes are fine but most are overplayed and the action is nothing to write home about. We learn little about any of the characters and the unfocused nature of Samurai Rabbit rears its ugly head again. Or, well, the meandering nature, as the show picks two plots that are following up on past threads and actually sticks with it throughout.
Anyway, you remember that cliffhanger from last episode? Where Chizu revealed her loyalty to the Neko Ninja to the gang? Yeah, that lasts about a minute and then she has a change of heart. The Neko Ninja are repelled, Kitsune is heartbroken and Chizu spends the rest of the episode trying to win her back: poorly, and then via an arcade Tron/Akira/Subway Runner battle.
Her face turn isn’t surprising, nor is it a bad move, but in a show where they haven’t been able to hold any kind of tension for longer than a minute or two, it is frustrating how fast it is, and Kitsune’s hurt feelings feel wildly out of proportion to what we know about her thus far. Plus, they’ve only known each other for, what, 2 days? It’s not like they’re Adora and Catra.
On the flip side, Gen goes to his job spinning signs while Yuichi tags along to hunt Sakuran, the distraction Yokai, who – shock of all shocks – is pretending to be a sign and possessing Gen’s sign flipping friend/rival/co-worker. Hijinks ensue, some toothless pot-shots are taken at advertising culture, the hospital dogs return (ugh) and by episode’s end Yuichi gets him in the ki-stone and has another vision of Miyamoto. It’s all fine but not particularly interesting and just seems to repeat itself over and over.
All that said, the episode still has a number of good points. The sign flipping animation is a lot of fun and they put the thousand yard stare they’ve perfected to good use. Tetsujin brings his A-game, Gen dunking on Yuichi is so satisfying, and any excuse to give Gen more ridiculous horns is a win in my book. My favorite gag of the episode has to be everyone’s reaction to finding out Tetsujin and Lady Fuwa dated though. It’s an oldie, I know, but it’s one I’m a big sucker for. They iterate on it well and commit to the bit.
So, the episode isn’t a total wash but it’s mostly holding pattern stuff and the rushed fallout of a reveal that really should’ve been a slow-burn. Oh and did I mention Chickabuma’s looking for something called The Clavis for Kagehito? Yeah, that seems like it’s going to be important soon.
But who cares about that? I wanna know what other odd job Gen is gonna get that will lead Yuichi right to what he’s looking for. Ikuzo! – Elias Rosner
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – “Spock Amok” (S1E5, Paramount+)
Spock is at war with himself. His half Human/half Vulcan genetics and heritage have always played a role in his story, in one way or another and this episode, and the series, are looking to reckon with what we’ve seen, what we know, and what we’ve assumed about his life in and out of Starfleet. This part of his life has become a little muddied due to the canon and some mild retconning over the decades. Spock’s dreams and waking life are mingling as he tries to figure out what direction his life should take. He is torn between his duties to Starfleet and his Vulcan life, putting a strain on his relationship with T’pring.
Continued belowAs Spock struggles with his personal issues, a new species, the R’ongovians, are looking to possibly join the Federation and their odd social cues and traditions make for some classic Trek amusement. With the Enterprise docked at Starbase 1 after the battle with the Gorn, most of the crew are taking shore leave to vacation and spend time with loved ones.
This facet of the plot somewhat mirrors what Spock is going through as various characters start to look inward and reconcile with who they are and what they want in their current lives. As Nurse Chapel is dealing with her own dating life, she gives Spock some relationship advice, which allows for a far sillier story than one might expect from this show. To use a word actually in the script, hijinks ensue as Spock and T’pring do a Katra ritual and end up switching bodies.
There is a really humorous B plot with La’an and Una staying aboard the ship to handle security matters and Una ends up learning more about what the crew does for fun and a bit more about what they think of her. It’s a lot of fun, but at first feels like it takes away from the more urgent, yet equally silly A plot. As the episode progresses all of the threads begin to intertwine and that imbalance starts to fade away. It’s a lot of story for one episode, but it’s hard to not smile and chuckle through all of it; even when it feels like it’s doing too much.
Just as this series has been committed to getting the long-standing continuity, themes, and emotions of Star Trek correct, this episode proves that the humor and warmth is also at the forefront of the writers’s minds. They have been able to make us care about all of the character relationships in just five episodes the same way fans have cared about the other crews for decades. I keep waiting, but not hoping, for this show to falter in its quality, but it keeps proving any nay-saying wrong. – Christopher Egan
Stranger Things – “The Hellfire Club” (S4E1, Netflix)
Read our full review of the season 4 premiere by Christopher Chiu-Tabet.
Stranger Things – “Vecna’s Curse” (S4E2, Netflix)
Read our full review by Christopher Chiu-Tabet.
Superman & Lois – “Lies That Bind” (S2E12, The CW)
Read our full review by august (in the wake of) dawn.
