Hello and welcome back to more of Multiversity’s coverage of Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. on Hulu! Twice a week, we take a close L.O.O.K. (Literally Observe Objective Knowns) at the uncanny world of the guy shaped like a can! In the latest enthralling episode, M.O.D.O.K. uses a facelift to mask hitting a new emotional low while his soon-to-be ex-wife thrives at the top of the Hollywood elite. Unfortunately, M.O.D.O.K.’s going to have to show some remarkable growth in order to salvage his life. So, without further ado, let’s do our best to tackle the insanity that is “This Man… This Makeover!”
1. P.A.T.H.E.T.I.C.
“This Man… This Makeover!” follows M.O.D.O.K. as he tries to give himself a makeover (with the help of his daughter) in a last-ditch attempt to win back his estranged wife, Jodie. M.O.D.O.K. does this by getting new clothes, some facial reconstruction, and comically large butt implants. This is M.O.D.O.K. at his lowest, as he pretends to be somebody completely different in order to have his life back, and it hurts to see him like this. Part of that is because I do actually care about what happens to him and part of it is because it’s just a tired and familiar trope. This show has been very creative in the past and this felt like a stale plot that I’ve seen done a thousand times before. Using Wonder Man as a contrast to M.O.D.O.K. did help spice things up, but I was still disappointed by this turn of events.
2. S.I.B.L.I.N.G.S.
In contrast with that, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the dynamic between M.E.L.I.S.S.A. and Lou in this episode. Thus far, we haven’t actually seen a lot going on between the two of them, so this was a welcome change of pace that helped flesh them both out. Watching the two kids rebel against their parents and find common ground in their disdain for their family feud was refreshing. I have been quite critical of Lou and I feel like seeing him in this light did wonders for his character. Plus, watching the kids get drunk and laugh at the misfortune of others was a nice moment, as was when the two of them accidentally made a squirrel throw up. Good slapstick.
3. N.U.I.S.A.N.C.E.
This episode of M.O.D.O.K. was designed around Jodie and gave insights into what she has been doing since her split with M.O.D.O.K. Part of that process was showing off her dynamic with her publicist, Brandy. Brandy is by far the most transparently awful character in this series to date. She convinces Jodie to exploit the people around her in order to make herself more successful and to maintain a higher level of fame than she ever had before. To do so, Brandy makes a lot of cringey, low-effort references like Goop. She also regularly calls Jodie her little pig and literally oinks. It’s frankly obnoxious. Given my personal life experiences in the world of marketing and how many times I’ve had to deal with people like Brandy, I really despised her character. I guess that was the point because…
4. E.V.I.L.
Surprise! Brandy is evil! Yes, that’s right, the mischievous publicist who is determined to make Jodie into an ugly, hateful person was secretly the Super-Adaptoid in disguise! This helped resolve a lot of my issues with this episode’s plot. There have been times in the past where it wasn’t clear how the story was important towards the larger plot, but this was a genuinely smart way to bring the threads together. Even better, the last few minutes introduced Arcade, another supervillain, and helped lay the foundation for what is yet to come. This salvaged what was an otherwise mediocre adventure.
5. H.O.O.K.-U.P.
The closing moments of “This Man… This Makeover!” featured M.O.D.O.K. bringing the signed divorce papers to Jodie, signaling his character development and how he has grown to accept that their relationship is a thing of the past. However, M.O.D.O.K. was surprised by Jodie, who instead decided that she wanted to give in to her carnal instincts and make out with M.O.D.O.K. As the screen faded, it was implied that the two were about to rekindle their physical love for one another, but I have the sinking suspicion that things aren’t going to be that simple. This episode damaged how I see Jodie and I don’t trust that she has pure intentions for her relationship with M.O.D.O.K. Beyond that, I don’t know if I’m ready to see him hurt again! I guess I’ll have to tune into the next episode to see how M.O.D.O.K. makes it out of this situation.
