Hello and welcome again to Multiversity’s coverage of Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. on Hulu! I am your H.O.S.T. (Henry Observing Serialized Television), talking to you about the guy with the biggest hat size of all time every Tuesday and Saturday for the next few weeks. M.O.D.O.K. continues to offers lots of bizarre plot points as it shows off just how weird it is willing to be, while still managing to retain a surprising amount of humanity. So, keeping that in mind, let’s dive headlong into the absurd with the third episode of the series, “Beware What from Portal Comes!”
1. Y.A.W.N.
I’m getting this out of the way now so that I can focus on what I liked in this episode, because I think that this is the strongest one to date. However, after three episodes and over an hour of M.O.D.O.K.-themed chaos, we have still gotten almost no characterization from Lou. I was willing to excuse it in the first episode because we were establishing A.I.M., and even in the last episode because we were showcasing the relationship between M.O.D.O.K. and Jodie, but by the third episode I really wish I knew more about this kid. He is a walking cliché and hasn’t revealed any character traits beyond just being a spoiled kid. This episode did wonders for ME.L.I.S.S.A. and I don’t see any reason why Lou couldn’t have gotten some attention at the same time.
2. P.A.N.D.E.M.O.N.I.U.M.
I can’t believe that I live in a world where Master Pandemonium has been used in a TV series. Look, this show hasn’t been afraid to make some weird jokes and references, but having Master Pandemonium as a deranged talk show host who accidentally abuses his children (because he forgets that they’re also his hands) is truly inspired. Though this scene was only brief, it was a great way to show that Jodie is pursuing her dreams while also highlighting one of the weirdest villains Marvel has to offer. I was going to be upset that we didn’t have any A.I.M. scientists in this episode, but Master Pandemonium made up for it.
3. A.L.I.E.N.
Joining Master Pandemonium in the “I can’t believe they just put that on TV” category are the Ciegrimites. These guys are so obscure that I had to check the Marvel wiki just to figure out what they were even a reference too. The fun-loving aliens are apparently a long-forgotten piece of Marvel’s cosmic tapestry by way of the “Hercules” series, who haven’t been seen in years aside from a brief appearance in “Nova.” These guys were highlighted in an episode that also featured passing reference to the Brood, Skrulls, Shi’ar, and Uatu. They were really delightful and because they’re not really of consequence, they made for great cannon fodder when the show decided to get violent. I am all for more stuff like this.
4. D.A.U.G.H.T.E.R.
While the Ciegrimites may have been the main plot point for the episode, the true emotional core of “Beware What from Portal Comes!” is the relationship between M.O.D.O.K. and M.E.L.I.S.S.A. To this point, we haven’t really gotten a chance to spend time with M.E.L.I.S.S.A., so this gave her some much-needed depth. The show took a look past her surface-level teenage cattiness and showed her to be a young kid who wants her father’s approval but doesn’t know how to ask for it. While I’d be lying if I said that this was a groundbreaking approach to a father-daughter dynamic, I appreciate that it helped flesh her out and established clear motives. Given that I doubt that any of us are giant floating heads with miniature bodies, bringing in some relatable family dynamics to the high-concept series really helps make it feel more immersive.
5. P.R.O.G.R.E.S.S.I.O.N.
The prior episode of M.O.D.O.K. ended on a cliff-hanger that showed us that the younger version of M.O.D.O.K. from the past has been transported to the present and looks to be a thorn in regular M.O.D.O.K.’s side in the days to come. This episode showed us that the heads of GRUMBL are also working against M.O.D.O.K. and are secretly stealing his technology to use for their own nefarious needs. These threads are setting up something awful for the future of this series and have me intrigued to see just how big this show is willing to go. I have no idea what could happen next, but ending on a cliffhanger ensures that I’ll be coming back to see if M.O.D.O.K. makes it out of this show in one piece.
