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Boomb Tube, The Week in Comic Book Television: 9/18-9/24/2022

By | September 26th, 2022
Posted in Television | % Comments

Welcome back to 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!

And since the summer is here, at least for a few more weeks, check out our 2022 Summer TV binges, where Multiversity staffers reach back in time to review comics/comics-adjacent/nerdy shows all summer (and the first half of fall) long. (Here’s a handy list of what’s being covered too.)

Andor – “Kassa” (S1E1, Disney+)

Read our full review of the first episode of a three-episode series premiere by Brian Salvatore.

Andor – “That Would Be Me” (S1E2, Disney+)

Read our full review for the second episode of a three-episode series premiere by Brian Salvatore.

Andor – “Reckoning” (S1E3, Disney+)

Stay tuned on Tuesday for our full review of the final episode of this three-episode series premiere by Brian Salvatore.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – “In-Can’t-Action” (S3E6, NETFLIX)

Welcome to the remastered He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, where Prince Adam a.k.a. He-Man is now…a junkie. Seriously. The sixth episode of season 3 opens with our well-intentioned prince shaking and shivering while holding his green-veined arms like he came out of an episode of Breaking Bad. I’m guessing this is the creative team’s subtle way of telling kids to say no to drugs. It’s almost comical the way he is hunched over with his hood over his head, until you realize maybe this might teach some kid NOT to do drugs.. Or at least not jump into a vat of green sludge.

After 2 seasons of sitting mostly on the sidelines, several side characters get more time to shine as their B plots come front and center. Orko the Great finally gets a little more spotlight as he roams around a Salvador Dali-esque landscape searching for the truths only he can uncover. Meanwhile henchmen Trap Jaw and Beast Man float in a giant sardine can across the sky to hatch their own evil plans without Evil-Lynn telling them what to do. In another nod to the source material similar to Teela and Sorceress being able to face each other and converse one-to-one, Orko gets face time with the original non-robot Orko. After some cute interactions with each other, Orko 2.0 figures out the secret to fixing Adam and re-powering the gang with happy juice. Apparently performance-enhancing drugs are okay if they come in rainbow colors?

Meanwhile Ram Ma’am continues her bickering, first with Evil-Lynn, and then Skelator about the way they approach things. It’s obviously silly for her to nitpick the way bad guys (and gals) go about doing their evil deeds, but she is young and in for a rude awakening later during the two-episode finale when she realizes that she picked the wrong side. I’m sure the lesson will be about how friends are the family you choose, not the ones who are dead that you try to resurrect.

All in all this felt like a filler episode and had the least action of any of the episodes this season. This has been par for the course following the format of the last two seasons. This is the calm before the storm, and this is true because we are treated to a supercharged Skelator who looks like a beefed up version of.. a beefed up version of Skelator. Just more. This season there has been a lot of pent up emotions that took two seasons to lead into so I am definitely excited about the last two episodes. –Henry Finn

Locke & Key – “Curtain” (S3E7, Netflix)

Read our full review by Alexander Manzo.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – “Partings” (S1E5, Amazon Prime)

We return to Nori and the Stranger this week, where the tender sorcerer earns the trust of the wider Harfoot community after saving her, Poppy, and Malva (Thusitha Jayasundera) from some rather boar-like wargs. The Stranger damages his arm doing so, and fails to notice Nori while healing himself when she comes to share the good news, knocking her back with the force of his magic, frightening her: what a dreadfully ironic turn of events. We also get our first glimpse of the androgynous, white-clad cultists from the trailers, who are searching for the Stranger: they certainly look fair, but feel foul.

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In the Southlands, half the refugees side with Waldreg instead of Bronwyn, choosing to submit to Adar. The Elf doesn’t take kindly to Waldreg’s assumption that he’s Sauron, but he lets him join him, provided he sacrifices Rowan: poor Rowan, he may’ve been a xenophobe, but he didn’t deserve that. Back at Ostirith, Theo shows Arondir the Morgul hilt, which he recognizes from a statue as “the key” to the enemy’s plans. Bronwyn begins to give into despair, but Arondir implores her not to, reminding her it is not inevitable to become as depraved as her ancestors. This really crystallized the theme of hope in Tolkien’s works for me: what is hope in action? It’s the perseverance to continue to do good, instead of falling into the fatalistic belief that being flawed, and fallen, damns you to Hell whatever you do.

In Lindon, Gil-galad reveals he can tell Elrond’s keeping the Dwarves’ discovery of mithril a secret, reminding him of a legend claiming the Misty Mountains’ roots contain the light of the Silmarils, and the power of a Balrog, as a result of a supposed battle there. The titular storyline finally gets some true set-up, as the king discloses the light of the Elves is leaving Middle-earth, which would eventually turn them all into spirits. While Celebrimbor still doesn’t mention the Rings of Power themselves, it appears he needs mithril to forge them and their power to maintain the Elven realms. What a fascinating way to tie Khazad-dum’s past and future together: I’m certain the Balrog must be the one from Fellowship of the Ring. On learning all this, Durin accepts he must aid the Elves, but first, he must persuade his father.

In Numenor, Galadriel realizes she made a mistake assuming Halbrand was willing to return to the Southlands and reclaim his crown. He confesses he collaborated with the Orcs before fleeing, and Galadriel tells him living a quiet life as a blacksmith will not assuage his guilt, no more than seawater will quench a man’s thirst. In contrast, Isildur is eager to join the expedition, but Elendil bars him, disappointed with how he got him and his friends thrown out of the Sea Guard. Earien opposes the expedition, and begs Kemen to plead with his father. Kemen confronts Pharazon, who confesses he is supporting the Queen Regent not out of love for the Elves, but so the Southlands will be in their debt.

Presumably responding to the ruthlessness of his father’s intentions, Kemen sneaks aboard one of the expedition’s ships to set fire to it, but finds Isildur stowing away. Their struggle causes the ship to combust anyway, but saving the life of the Chancellor’s son seems to earn Isildur a spot in the expedition, albeit with assigned duties like sweeping the stables. He sets sail with his queen, his father (now wearing one of the Dunedain’s distinct winged helmets), Halbrand, and our queen, Galadriel, looking resplendent in her new Elvish-Numenorean armor, emblazoned with what I can only assume is the Star of Earendil on her chest. – Christopher Chiu-Tabet

Quantum Leap – “July 13, 1985” (S1E1, NBC)

Read our full review of the series premiere by Brian Salvatore.

Resident Alien – “Best of Enemies” (S2E15, Syfy)

Read our full review by Christopher Chiu-Tabet.

Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles – “Adventures in Ninjasitting” (S2E4, NETFLIX)

I know I said this last time, and I’ll probably keep saying it, but I’m actually enjoying this season. It’s not amazing but I’m having more fun with it. Maybe it’s because Chizu is taking on more of the main character energy than Yuichi.

The A & B plots are pretty straightforward. Chizu wants to transform the Neko Ninja after winning it in a fight last episode. They don’t really know how to do anything except fight and kill, though, and so Gen & Yuichi bring the kids on a “let’s do kid stuff” day while the adults are forced into Lord Kogane’s Rebranding Seminar. Why, you ask? Because Kitsune teased Chizu about not being willing to try new ideas and then everyone’s favorite blowhard comes sauntering in so Chizu does the immensely petty thing and agrees with whatever Kogane says.

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And because everything still has to be about Yuichi, there’s a C-plot about him being bad at meditating which is resolved (kinda) along with the B-plot. It’s fine. It’s short. It leads to a couple good gags. I didn’t love the start because, as with most of the episodes, the inciting incidents are way too contrived, and their ultimate resolutions are about what you’d expect.

That didn’t make the journey less silly or fun, though. Yuichi and Gen trying to corral a bunch of ne’er-do-well ninja kids was a great exploration of all the “good kid” tropes: carrying bags, helping an old person cross the street, robbing the cabbage man. You know, the good stuff.

I was also too busy laughing at Kogane’s attempts to make this elite assassin group marketable and palatable to a general populace to really care all that much about a lackluster set up or a mediocre conclusion. Actually, I take that back because the conclusion to the A-plot was actually perfect, mostly because it involved Chizu staring Kogane down after the rest of the Crew tries to kill him. Good stuff right there.

I’m also weirdly excited to see what they’re doing with the robots and the eggs! Clearly they’re important in addition to being alive and Kitsune’s attachment to hers is going to bring them into conflict sooner (I hope) rather than later. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Ikuzo! – Elias Rosner

The Sandman – “Playing House” (S1E8, Netflix)

Read our full review by august (in the wake of) dawn.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – “Just Jen” (S1E6, Disney+)

Hey, look at that, we’ve got She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s best episode yet! Despite last week’s Daredevil tease, as Jen says, weddings always come at inconvenient times. Though, as someone who cares deeply about this show standing on its own two feet, its a blessing to get two different cameo-free episodes in a row. Better yet, there are fully formed A and B plots, the latter of which actively serves some of the supporting cast of this show. Even better than that, “Just Jen” is a consistently laugh out loud funny episode. Part of that is because it spotlights a few different hilarious performers but more vital is the fact that this is an episode filled with actual jokes. Too often, She-Hulk (and the majority of contemporary sitcoms) deliver funny situations without including that many actual things to laugh at. “Just Jen” is really firing on all cylinders.

In the A-plot this week, Jen is invited to be a bridesmaid at her old family friend Lulu’s wedding (an invitation that, of course, seems to contain endless amounts off confetti and glitter). Lulu, played by Patti Harrison, one of the greatest comedy talents working today, is a riot. She’s threatened by Jen’s She-Hulk form but wastes no time condescending to her in human form. Harrison’s line reading when explaining that the staff is quitting because of how she’s treating them is gold. To watch Patti Harrison in is to love Patti Harrison and she’s easily the most delightful part of “Just Jen.” The rest of this story follows Jen feeling inadequate in her human form while Titania has infiltrated the wedding, though she swears it’s not to get revenge.

While Tatiana Maslany has generally been an incredibly strong lead throughout this show, she gets to explore more sides of Jen than usual. From seeing her feel genuinely confident as She-Hulk to insecure as Jen to flirty and fun dancing and talking to fellow wedding guest, Josh, this weirdly feels like the most multidimensional version of our hero that we’ve seen thus far. The episode does such strong work putting us at ease that when Titania sucker punches Jen, it comes as a genuine surprise. That Titania punch is, however, the start of the only letdown of “Just Jen” – the wedding fight. What starts out fun, with the DJ playing “Electric Boogie,” is undercut by Titania falling flat on her face, losing her veneers, and ruining her makeup and fake eyelashes. It’s a funny visual, sure, and Jameela Jamil plays it well, especially stealing the wedding cake. But the scene felt like the most tonally appropriate fight that we could see in this show.

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The B-plot, meanwhile, is another pitch perfect case for the superhuman law department. Mr. Immortal, played by Veep’s David Pasquesi is a man who has faked his death on at least eight occasions, making the absurd and hilarious judgment call that it would be easier than dealing with divorcing anyone. The confrontation, of course, is much worse than poisoning yourself or being hit by a truck. Pasquesi plays the role with slimy, cowardly perfection. The best part of this thread is Nikki and Mallory’s open disdain for Mr. Immortal; when he first explains that his exes (widows?) have discovered his scheme and he needs to settle with each of them, Nikki and Mallory admonish him so relentlessly that he jumps out of the GLK&H window to his temporary death. The process of reaching settlements with each spouse is wildly funny, with Nikki and Mallory all but advocating against their own client. We see some classic divorce settlement stuff but by far the funniest requirement is that Mr. Immortal maintain eye contact with one of the exes while delivering a sincere apology. Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Ginger Gonzaga shine and demonstrate some strong comedic energy. No sign of Pug, though. Hopefully he’s rocking those Iron Man shoes somewhere out there.

The episode ends with a tease at the greater story that this show has been working toward. Mallory and Nikki find a website called Intelligencia where people are conspiring to kill She-Hulk. Meanwhile, whoever is out for Jen’s blood seems to have developed a needle that can pierce her skin. It’s nice to see the show weave in little teases like this rather than stretch out an arc that doesn’t actually demand a full season of episodes. When a show is structured like this, it gives you episodes as great as “Just Jen.” –Quinn Tassin

Star Trek: Lower Decks – “Reflections” (S3E5, Paramount+)

Read our full review by Joe Skonce.

Stargirl – “Frenemies – Chapter Four: The Evidence” (S3E4, The CW)

One of the best things about Stargirl is how so much of the show is still building on the first few episodes. When Courtney and Cameron kiss at the end of this episode, it is finally playing off a plot point that was introduced early in season one. And while a lot has transpired for both characters since then, this doesn’t feel like it has been a plot point put on a shelf. Because the ‘real’ time frame for all three seasons is just over a year thus far, the rate of compression is really effective.

Case in point: we haven’t seen Dragon King since the end of the first season, but because of Cindy’s presence and the discussions about her family, the character is still in the show’s ether. And so, when he’s brought up as possibly having returned it doesn’t feel like he just went away, or that we haven’t seen him in forever. This is easily the best paced of the CW’s DC slate.

That said: Cameron having a weird Courtney snow globe is super creepy, regardless of the pacing.

This episode also provided us with a possible reason for Starman’s rebirth: prolonged exposure to the cosmic staff has given him a healing factor that slowly brought him back to life. That theory is put forth by Dr. McNider, who we knew would show up again at some point. This episode also sees Sylvester accepting his status as a mentor for the new JSA, in an attempt to find peace with the next phase of his life. Sylvester is still a totally selfish prick, so this will likely not go very well. – Brian Salvatore


//TAGS | Boomb Tube | He-Man and the Masters of the Universe | Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles | She-Hulk: Attorney at Law | Stargirl | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

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