On Big Hero 6: The Series season 2 episode 3, Hiro became concerned about the lack of progress reversing Orso Knox’s transformation into a monster, so he headed to Sycorax Labs to uncover what was going on. Unfortunately, he got trapped with Baymax and Karmi when the lab went on lockdown after Knox escaped from his cell.
1. Wasabi’s Gay
Look, I’ll just come right out and say it: the flustered way Wasabi reacts when Liv Amara’s assistant Chris returns to offer him food, pretending that he doesn’t remember him, clearly shows he has a crush on him. I’m not surprised, given Wasabi’s effeminate nature, and the presence of LGBT characters on other Disney shows (like Andi Mack and Star vs. the Forces of Evil), as well as cartoons on other networks. I just hope for Wasabi’s sake that Chris isn’t as evil as his employer. (Also, I really enjoyed Fred demonstrating it’s ok for straight guys to find other guys good looking, as well as Go Go’s nonplussed reaction to Chris’s good looks.)
2. You’re Not You When You’re Hungry
Knox is initially made out to be much more animalistic than his previous appearance, with him no longer able to recite Shakespeare: one shot, which is a conscious homage to the raptor blowing hot air on the glass in Jurassic Park, really amped up the sense of threat, as does Amara warning the team they may have to kill Knox. However, it turns out Knox still has some semblance of humanity, escaping the facility with Hiro in tow, but still protecting him when he endangers himself trying to escape – we learn he only attacked Baymax after his cell was opened because he was holding Fred’s lunch. Ultimately, the idea of Big Hero 6 having to kill a mutated human would’ve been too dark and cynical, but I wonder if the writers could’ve stressed the message of someone being deserving of life even if they had gone truly berserk. (Nevermind.)
3. Battle Damage
Baymax gets knocked around by Knox quite a lot in this episode, but doesn’t get as damaged as you might think, despite not wearing his armor. While we learned Monster Knox isn’t that aggressive, seeing Baymax’s left optic get damaged, but not his balloon-like exterior, smacked of budget limitations. That said, perhaps the animators just didn’t have time for the gag of Baymax’s “skin” being punctured, just as the gang didn’t have time to take Baymax to Granville to fix his “eye.”
4. Karmi the Grumpy Doctor
One of my favorite archetypes in fiction is the doctor who’s a jerk, because of the contrast between the terrible things they say and the good work they do. (Examples include Star Trek‘s Leonard McCoy, and Dr. Cox from Scrubs.) I think Karmi is going down as a great example, because she’s thoroughly awful to Hiro, but also puts her life on the line to cure Knox. However, I can’t help but wonder if that’s also motivated by narcissism, given how Hiro convinces her to do it to prove herself to Amara, and how after curing Knox, she boasts about how the Sycorax team wouldn’t have done it without her. Granted, that might be a result of Karmi’s loneliness, but time will tell if she’s motivated by good for goodness’ sake, or by more selfish reasons.
5. Hostage Situation
After Knox is cured (a transformation sadly not shown), we see him at a press conference thanking Amara’s scientists for their hard work. I must say, Knox’s nervous disposition could not have let out a clearer sign that he was being blackmailed, which is subsequently confirmed during his meeting in Amara’s office, where she cruelly reminds she can turn him back into a monster if he disobeys her. While an obvious revelation, I imagine many kids will find rewatching the episode a joy now that they realize how ruthless she is, and get to see her apparently benevolent actions in a whole new light.
Bonus thoughts:
– Was not expecting to see a beating human heart in Sycorax’s underground labs.
– Good ol’ Baymax, explaining to everyone at the start that the five-second rule is a myth.
Continued below
– Knox bursting out of Sycorax just as Wasabi had cut open an entrance into the lab was comedy gold.
– The team really struggle to keep their identities a secret – not that Go Go seemed to care, hinting at Hiro’s identity to Karmi.
Join us next time for “Something’s Fishy.”
