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Rick and Morty S9 Ep 10 Review

I didn’t really watch this episode of Rick and Morty. There, I came out and said it. Maybe it was because I was too busy with other things, or because I found the ending to be way too depressing for me to handle, but it was just too hard for me to watch. Though it also could’ve been because I accidentally spoiled the ending for myself, and I got the gist of what happened. The fact is that this was a lot for me to handle, and for good reason. When Morty gets the chance to see what a normal, loving family feels like, it’s him, not Rick, that ends up destroying it.

Morty Pulls a Tom Sawyer

It all starts when Morty goes to an estate sale for a dead Smith family. That’s where he learns from another Morty about funeral hopping: going to the funerals of alternate versions of himself to see how much his family loves him. He even gets a mini Portal Gun to do so! And for a while, it works great! But then he stumbles upon a version of the Smith family where Rick never invented portal travel, and distanced himself from the family.

At first, Morty is thrilled by this. He’s found the one version of his family that is loving and non-toxic. But then it goes too far, when Good Jerry tries to keep him from going home. That’s when he realizes that his alternate self was emotionally abused until he wound up either dying in an accident or chose to die.

The Smith Family Dies

Again, I couldn’t bring myself to watch this whole episode, but I got to admit that this was kind of brillaint. We’ve probably wondered what it would’ve  been like if Morty’s family chose to be good from the get-go, but as it turns out, an assertive Jerry may not be the best thing. And to make matters worse, our Morty ends up being what destroys this version of his family.

Morty is so desperate to get him that he enlists the aid of Good Rick, who left behind all his negative qualities and became a successful professor at MIT. But because Morty pushes him into inventing portal traveling, he becomes the alcoholic we know, even losing his new wife in the process. And in the end, it’s all for naught, as the entire family gets killed in the process.

And this is why I had such a hard time watching this episode. I have gotten used to how cynical the show is, and have done my best to make myself immune to it. But this? Seeing how Morty can be just as toxic as Rick? This is too much for me, man! It’s a great episode, but it’s just not my cup of tea.

The one good thing to come out of this ordeal is that Morty now knows that what he has is the best he’s going to get. He had a taste of what a normal family would be like, and it sucked for him. Like it or not, he and Rick are made for each other. And despite both having their problems, they have gotten better over the years. That being said, I don’t know if I will be reviewing any further seasons after this. Maybe I just want to enjoy the ride from now on, like with President Curtis. By the way, you should definitely watch that spin-off. It feels like the second coming of Inside Job.

I Give “Field of Dreams” a 4/5

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House of the Dragon S3 Ep 6 Review

You feel that, you guys? It’s like this four-year-long headache that I’ve had has finally ended? By that, I mean that Ser Criston “The Kingmaker” Cole, the jerk who helped start this civil war, is dead. And yet, I feel no sense of satisfaction from it. Because at this point, I know that the majority of the cast of House of the Dragon is going to be dead before the show ends. It’s how history is supposed to play out to set the stage for Game of Thrones, but it’s no less frustrating to see everyone acting like this. Especially since in the end, these players will just be faceless men, destined to be forgotten.

The episode opens up on a very important note as we see one of the most important events of the Dance take place: the Butcher’s Ball. This battle is where Ser Criston Cole meets his end at the hands of the Blacks. Calling it a battle, though, would be too generous. It was a slaughter that Ser Criston walked right into. The Riverlanders placed the most obvious of traps by having their men play dead, and the Greens still walked into it. Then, to add insult to injury, Oscar Tully and the Winter Wolves marched in and surrounded Ser Criston. Knowing that he was about to die, he tries to go out on his terms in a valiant last stand that will immortalize him. Instead, he dies by arrows shot by Alysanne Blackwood, never even getting the chance to fight.

This feels like the perfect ending for Ser Criston, and the show lifts it so perfectly from the books. All Ser Criston wanted was to make a name for himself as a knight. But thanks to the people he served, he lost sight of who he wanted to be and became a terrible, spiteful man. If you ask me, he didn’t dishonor himself when he slept with Rhaenyra. He did it when he let his hatred for her consume him. And in the end, he doesn’t even get the dignity of going out on his terms.

And neither will Ormund Hightower, hopefully.

I have only known Ormund Hightower for a few episodes on this show, but I already have a solid opinion about who he is: a jerk. He thinks he’s so smart and has got it all figured out. What with his plan to make Daeron king and using spies to mess with Rhaenyra in King’s Landing. And his plan is working: after what happened to Ser Luthor, most of the Gold Cloaks have resigned. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a pretentious d*****. Even Daeron doesn’t like him; he even tells Gwayne that he’s only doing what he says because he’s afraid of him! If I were the boy, I would’ve take Tesarrion and just flown all the way to Essos.

This episode perhaps gives us the most blatant example of how Ormund isn’t as smart as he thinks when he’s nearly assassinated by Baratheons pretending to related to Lord Boros. If it wasn’t for Ser Gwayne, Ormund and Daeron would have died. And Ormund pukes in response to what happened. Imagine that?

Meanwhile, things are spiraling out of control with everyone else. After catching Alicent and Helaena trying to flee, Rhaenyra puts them under even stricter house arrest. As a result, Helaena’s refusing to eat, threatening to kill herself and her unborn child. It’s the only way she can protest her lack of agency in her life and stick it to her mom. Meanwhile, Alicent tries to make another bargain with Rhaenyra by saying how Aemond is at Harrenhal. Her response? She wants her to go there and kill him. She wants her to kill her own son in exchange for her and her daughter’s freedom. We know Aemond’s a monster right now, but that’s still messed up.

Meanwhile, Aemond continues to be wrapped around Alys’ finger as she offers him sanctuary at Harrenhal and the chance to build his own power base with a clutch of Dragon Eggs. But we know that nothing’s going to come of it!

This entire episode feels like a lesson in the futility of this entire civil war. Which is the whole point, really. We all know that this is what leads to the eventual downfall of House Targaryen and the events of Game of Thrones. I would say it reminds me of the Star Wars Prequels, but at least I can watch those knowing that the next two generations will eventually make things right. That barely happens in Westeros.

I swear, if I ever try my hand at this kind of high fantasy storytelling, I want to make it a point to avoid this kind of ending!

I Give “Faceless Men” a 4/5

House of the Dragon S3 Ep 5 Review

Hatred and madness. Those are the only two words that I think can properly describe what the entire cast of House of the Dragon is falling victim to. Almost everyone in House Targaryen or serving them are just so consumed by hatred for each other, it’s sickening. And I didn’t think that the people in this story could stoop any lower than they already have, but you would be surprised! The sheer amount of hatred I see spewing out of the characters in this episode is palpable enough for me to feel it. It’s enough to make me wanna recoil but also refuse to look away, and I don’t know how to feel about that.

Criston Cole Wants to Die

Firstly, we need to talk about Ser Criston Cole, the Kingmaker. I barely knew anything about him before the show started, but when I learned it, I asked myself, “how? How could this spitting image of what a knight should be turn into such a jerk?” Yeah, Rhaenyra did use him, but he chose to hold a grudge. And then he put Aegon on the Iron Throne in what can only be described as a coup, making me dislike him even more. But now? Now I can’t help but feel pity for him.

The show has made it clear that the Battle of Rook’s Rest broke Criston Cole. He realized just what madness he helped unleash on Westeros and regretted it. That hatred he had for Rhaenyra has turned on him into a deep self-loathing that has only gotten worse this season. As we see him try and wage a guerrilla war in the Riverlands, trying to keep the Blacks from making to…whatever their destination is, he’s at his lowest point. He’s tired, depressed, and is ready to die. In fact, Gwayne Hightower realizes that Ser Criston intends to get himself and what men he has left killed in a blaze of glory.

I’m all for the idea of going down fighting. I would rather die on my feet in defiance than on my knees. But this isn’t going to be some glorious last stand that people will romanticize centuries from now. It’s just a guy who got a horrible lot in life trying to take as many people down with him as he can, and it’s sad. It’s sad and disappointing, and I feel sorry for Ser Criston.

But then there is the hatred we see between Aegon and Aemond in this episode.

Brother against Brother

Aegon and Aemond are both waylaid in different parts of Westeros. Aegon is hiding at a refugee camp at Rook’s Rest, while Aemond is healing at Harrenhal while bounty hunters keep coming to try and claim his head. They’re both at their weakest and without their dragons, and that leads them both to open up to their respective companions. The irony is that we get to hear the brothers both envy each other for how their lives have gone. Aegon envies Aemond for being a genuinely good warrior and more of a king than he is as well as Alicent paying more attention to him. Meanwhile, Aemond envies Aegon for being the firstborn son and the one who got crowned King. This is in spite of the fact that their father never wanted this to happen, and the fact that Aegon was unfit to rule.

The difference is in how their companions react to their complaints. Whereas Aemond at least has a somewhat supportive ear in the form of Alys, Aegon has Larys. And Larys gives it to Aegon straight: he sucks. He was given all the best opportunities to succeed in life, and if he had applied himself and worked to be better, then maybe he could have earned the Iron Throne on merit alone. It was a long shot, but it could’ve happened if he proved better than Rhaenyra, but he didn’t. He had to have the Throne handed to him by his grandpa. Not only that, but he spent his life reveling in mediocrity and just assumed that he would never be king. If he was as smart as he thinks he is, he would’ve shut that down.

At the same time, this episode has us see Aemond open up to Alys about his own envy towards his brother. He knows, or thinks he knows, what it means to be a king. And like I said the moment he claimed Vhagar, he has the will to be one. But this episode also reminded us why he’s not fit. Yeah, he’s a good warrior, but as we’ve seen in Game of Thrones, that doesn’t equate to being a good king! But the worst part? Its that when Vhagar flies off to who knows where, he breaks down in fear. That shows just how skin-deep his bravery really is. Without his Dragon, he’s nothing. If anything, Daeron has more potential as a king than both of them.

Daeron is too Good for this world

Speaking of Daeron, I feel sorry for the young man. The only decent son of Alicent, thanks to being raised away from King’s Landing, and the most humble. But he’s now just a pawn of Ormund Hightower, whose teaching him to hate his Valyrian half. That can lead to serious psychological problems in the future, assuming Daeron survives the war! And I can’t say without spoiling anything!

A Feast for Traitors

While all of this is going down, things keep going downhill back at King’s Landing, for everyone. Alicent has found out that her daughter is pregnant again, and tries to get her to abort the baby. But Helaena, bless her soul, can’t bring herself to do it and keeps refusing. Knowing that they can’t keep this fact hidden forever, and that Rhaenyra may end up killing the baby, they try to escape. But in doing so, they get trapped in one of the hidden passages, along with some cats.

Yeah, the Red Keep now has the cats that will catch the rats from now on. Honestly, they’re the only happy thing to come out of this episode.

As for Daemon and Rhaenyra, they are facing an insurrection from people either working for the Greens or for Ormund. The Gold Cloaks are being killed off one by one, their disembowled bodies left for all to see. They’re afraid, they want their payment, and their loyalty to Daemon is reaching its limit. Talking to them is all the Dragon Prince can do to get them to stay loyal, but that may no longer be an option. Because by the end of the episode, we see one of the most grisly sights in the entire franchise.

Looking at the dead Luthor and his men like this almost felt like looking at sacrilege. Whoever did this set the whole thing up like a serial killer would! Even Daemon, who has seen it all and done it all, was shaken at the sight. I don’t know about you guys, but I would be packing my bags after seeing something like this!

Yeah, the madness is spreading to every corner of Westeros. Nowhere is safe anymore, and if I remember right, then almost everyone is gonna be dead before this is over.

I Give “Unbowed, Unbent” a 3.5/5

My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 7 Review

So, where were we? Ah yes: Clark is having an existential crisis now that he’s lost his superpowers. Jimmy is in hot water with Kara for how badly he’s treated her all season. And before they can talk things out, they’re all abducted by Mr. Mxyzptlk for another one of his crazy schemes. And the entire gang is in swimsuits this episode.

This is going to be both fun and annoying!

Mr. Mxy is at it again!

So, after getting kidnapped by Mr. Mxy and changed into beach attire, the gang finds themselves in another dimension. The reason why is because he’s getting divorced from his wife, Glitzy! And according to him, their divorce proceedings are settled by a series of platformer-style games. Clark, Lois, Kara, and Jimmy play for Mxy, while alternate versions of Kara, Lois, Jimmy, and LEX play for Glitzy.

Now, the whole reason Mxy chose them, besides simply trolling, is that he thought Clark still had his powers. But for all his power, he didn’t know that Clark lost his, much to his dismay. And my amusement! All that power and he still doesn’t know that!

I don’t why exactly, but I like impish and chaotic characters like Mxy. Maybe it’s because I have a troublemaking streak of my own, or because they don’t care about the rules of reality, but they’re so entertaining to watch. But that doesn’t blind me to the fact that they are also super sus, and given our past experiences with this version of Mxy, I was on my guard. Especially when we saw what his wife looks like. I prefer personality over looks, but I think the best of both worlds can be ideal if necessary. Plus, Glitzy does seem like plenty of fun.

The Alternate Gang was Cool, I guess

In any event, I wouldn’t call this episode filler. There doesn’t seem to be any filler in this series, with every episode moving the plot forward a little bit. More importantly, seeing our heroes interact with their alternate counterparts is eye-opening at what their lives could look like. Given how the whole theme of this season is what the future can bring, it’s a source of great distress for them.

Firstly, we have Lois and her counterpart, General Lois Lane. It seems that in her timeline, things panned out similarly to what we’ve seen so far, with Clark eventually losing his powers. She, Jimmy, and Kara could handle that. But then, Clark died when Earth was invaded by enemies that, while I didn’t recognize them, I think the fandom should be worried about. Losing her lover led Lois to become just like her father: a cold-hearted soldier who hides their grief by throwing themselves into their job. It goes to show us that Lois always had it in her to be like.

Kara seems to be no better. Losing her cousin seems to have made her slide back into who she was serving under Brainiac, making our Kara fear the worst for herself. And alternate Jimmy? He became a tokukatsu-style superhero called Flamebird and is acting like everything is fine, but it’s isn’t. He’s just in denial about losing his best friend and, while he doesn’t say it, he never fully mended things with Kara.

The most interesting interaction, though, was between Clark and Alternate Luthor. Like in Jon Kent’s future, Superman’s death made him realize how pointless his hatred for him was. This is pretty telling, by the way. That makes it two times now that we’ve seen a Lex become capable of being a good person. It shows that it is possible for Lex to change, which only makes seeing our Lex fall down the rabbit hole of villainy all the more disappointing.

There is no One True Path

Ultimately, the contest comes down to the groups being forced to find their “one, true path” to the future. Lois and Clark stumble, and so do Jimmy and Kara. But then Jimmy, bless his heart, has a moment of emotional intelligence and apologizes to Kara for being an ass and promising to change. And then, it all clicks for her. The future is always changing and never set in stone. It is within their power to decide who they want to be! And that helps all of them stop worrying about who they are or what they might become.

For a moment, a part of me thought that this was all part of one big lesson that Mxy had for our heroes, but that would require him actually caring. He doesn’t, and neither does his wife.

In a twist that, I’ll be honest, part of me expected since it’s Mxy, the imps weren’t getting divorced. This was just them role playing for date night. And they were just using everyone to get access to the Cosmic Anvil, said to be capable of rewriting reality. They try to bribe everyone with the promise of changing their universes to whatever they want, but Clark is smart enough to not play their game. Instead, he lets the clock run out, meaning that no one wins.

Also, it led us to get this scene where Lex finally figures out that Clark Kent is Superman. The self-proclaimed smartest man ever, and he couldn’t figure that out. At least he had enough humility to take it with grace.

Keep Moving Forward

I know that this episode is going to feel a little like filler to some people, but in a show this tight-knit, filler isn’t really a thing. The whole point of the episode is having the gang get over their problems. Clark finally realizes that his powers don’t define him; Kara realizes that she can choose not to be what Brainiac wanted her to be; Lois learned to not fear the future as much. And Jimmy realized how much of a bonehead he’d been to Kara. But he’s going to have a lot of work to do if he wants to make things right.

Of course, the episode ends with us getting another curveball, as either Jon or another version of Jon appears before them. And there’s a girl with him that I’m pretty sure is his sister.

The future is still not safe!

I Give “The Ex-Games” a 4/5

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One Piece Chapter 1189 Review/Recap

The more that this fight against Imu continues to drag on, the more we see why he was able to become King of the World. We’ve already managed to see just how absurdly powerful his Devil Fruit is, but lately, there’s one aspect of it that fans have been focusing on: the weapon wheel. In a video game, the weapon wheel is a common mechanic meant to allow players to access a number of different weapons, skills, and gadgets. It’s supposed to be a convenient magic satchel to justify them carrying around so much stuff at once. Now, I don’t know if this is actually a part of his Devil Fruit or some other power, but this chapter pretty much confirms that Imu has some kind of weapon wheel to work with. But that’s not the scary part; the scary part is where he’s getting the weapons from.

Recap

After getting run through by Imu’s spear, Luffy is then impaled onto a tree, as his crew starts to notice that something is wrong. As they look after Loki, Hadrujin and Gerd show up, with the latter beginning to treat his injuries, having been sent there by Jarul with a warning about how this attack has been in the works for a long time. That prompts Loki to reveal more about what happened years ago.

When Loki told Jarul, Shanks, and Gaban how he wanted to avenge his father, Shanks tried to stop him. He knew that Loki couldn’t take on the entire World Government by himself, prompting him to tell them about the King of the World, Imu. He even points out how Rocks was able to make it to Imu, but couldn’t defeat him, but Loki didn’t listen. And in the end, Shanks was right. He couldn’t even get close to Imu.

The others are floored by this revelation about the world having a king above the Five Elders, but Loki sees this as an opportunity. If Imu has come out to play, they have a chance to cut the head off the snake; even Hajrudin is all for it! However, they’re a little distracted by Brook looking after Shuri despite Ragnir’s protests, and Robin wants Chopper to come with her to the Owl Library.

Meanwhile, Imu is basically playing with his food. He’s trying to see how many slashes Luffy can endure before finally dying, all while insulting him and his older brothers for being such a nuisance as he keeps summoning the weapons of the 19 Kings. Even Sommers and Qillingham are able to summon them as they continue to battle Zoro and Sanji. Right as Imu is about to deliver the killing blow, though, Gaban comes in clutch, blocking the attack and saving Luffy’s life!

HOLY S***!

Review

Well, it looks like the cat is finally out of the bag. The Straw Hat’s may not entirely know who Imu is, but at least they know what he is. I’m not surprised that this happened, though. From the moment Imu was introduced to the story, I knew it was only a matter of time before the Straw Hat Pirates learned about his existence. It’s kind of necessary since Imu is in the running for the main, overarching antagonist of One Piece alongside Blackbeard. Still, it’s a big moment, since our protagonists now have an idea about who they’re fighting. And…Loki does have a point. They have a chance to take him down. Or at least really, really hurt him. He more than deserves it considering all the pain he’s caused.

Not that knowing is going to do them much good with the hacks that Imu has with that weapon wheel.

I will be honest: the fact that Imu had some kind of RPG-style weapon wheel never crossed my mind until I saw other fans bringing it up. Though, given how so many of Imu’s powers seem to break the rules of the series as it is, it makes a lot of sense. What worries me the most, though, is that these weapons are all explicitly confirmed to be the same ones from Imu’s throne room. I thought that those things were just for decoration; I wasn’t expecting them to still be usable after 800 years! Then there’s the names they have. It wasn’t until I heard Killingham drop the name “Longinus” that I realized they were all the names of legendary weapons or people associated with them. The Longinus Spear alone, AKA the Spear of Destiny, is said to be the weapon that pierced the body of Christ to check if he was dead. If these weapons are anything like their real-world myths, then they’re dangerous!

So, this is the power of the one who calls himself the King of the World. No wonder Imu has been able to rule from the shadows for 800 years, and why the Roger Pirates kept quiet about it. Gaban and the others likely learned about Imu’s existence when they reached Laugh Tale, but since they couldn’t do anything about it, they kept their mouths shut. It’s pretty telling that when Shanks told Loki about Imu, Gaban was notably worried. But I don’t think that Imu will be able to keep himself a secret for much longer. Even if the Straw Hats don’t tell anyone about him, the Giants will almost undoubtedly declare war on the World Government for this attack as well as the death of Harald. Which means that the very thing Imu sought to prevent will come to pass as the Giants will take Luffy’s side in the final war. First, though, they have to survive! Hopefully, the two-week wait will make the next chapter worth it!

I Give “King of the World” a 4/5

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Rick and Morty S9 Ep 8 Review

I try to be an empathetic person every day. I think that the world can be too mean as it is for us to not feel bad for each other. But like many many things in life, Rick and Morty took this to its logical extreme, and therefore, showed us why it can be bad. And the worst part of it? It’s the fact that everything that happened this episode is mostly Morty’s fault.

Morty, this was all on you!

In this episode, we learn that Rick has a secret distillery where he creates his own alcohol as a hobby, and he seems to genuinely enjoy it. He’s happily making beer by himself and having a good time. But then Morty chooses to ignore the ‘Do not disturb’ sign he put on the door to bother him about something that is pretty pointless. I mean, it might not seem pointless to him, but in the grand scheme of things, bothering your grandpa during his personal time to help him get some Pokémon cards is a pretty stupid thing.

Normally, I would be on Morty’s side and say that Rick is being too hard on him. However, considering how the boy ignored the VERY VISIBLE sign asking not to be disturbed, and then destroying his grandpa’s distillery? Rick had every right to be mad at him. So, rather than deal with their usual arguments this time, Rick takes a shortcut by implanting Morty with a parasite that makes him emphathize with everyone, no matter how awful they are.

The effects of this parasite are actually pretty interesting to look at. Throughout the time Morty has it in his side, we are given almost context as to what is actually happening in his life, instead only seeing through his warped perspective of the world. For all we know, the way he tried to “help” everyone at his school was either making them feel worse or was just them yelling at him for acting inappropriately. Part of me wants to know what really happened, but a bigger part thinks it would be funnier not knowing!

Empathy can be a bad thing, I guess

Things come to a head when the pair head out to buy something, and Morty empathizes with an explosion that blows his arm off. By the time Rick pulls the parasite out of him, his empathy has been digested, turning him into the same stone-cold kind of guy Rick is. Karma sucks, though, because the parasite infests Rick’s brain, making him empathize with the guys trying to kill them! It’s a complete reversal of their usual dynamic, and one that is necessary for them to understand each other’s viewpoint…or something. I don’t really know or care.

It doesn’t care about the lotion!

Meanwhile, we have this subplot going on where Summer and Jerry are trying to get the supplies that Rick needs to rebuild, and find out these drums are being hoarded by a serial killer. Jerry is left to distract the guy while Summer gets the drums and frees this girl who was held captive in a pit out of Silence of the Lambs and…oh, who am I kidding? I wasn’t really paying attention to what was happening. I didn’t care about that part of the episode. I didn’t like that part of the episode. And I didn’t care when the serial killer got shot to death by the cops. It wasn’t that interesting for me.

So, in the end, Rick kills the parasite with beer, and Morty is left without any empathy until the next episode. Whoopdy-freaking-doo. This was honestly one of the weaker episodes for me, and I’m probably going to forget about it by next week. I know should have some empathy for Morty, but remember that this was largely because he ignored the dang sign.

I Give “Rickuiem Mort a Dream” a 2.5/5

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Rick and Morty S9 Ep 9 Review

You know those episodes of shows where the parents get fed up with what their kids are doing, so they send them away to a camp? Man, I hate those episodes. It just feels like bad parenting to pawn it off on someone else, even if it can help them learn a lesson. But this is Rick and Morty, so you know that camp was going to go sideways for them. But on the plus side, we got to see the adults of the Smith family get baked out of their minds, and it was hilarious!

So Much for Reform Camp

Lately, Morty and Summer have been getting full of themselves thanks to the stuff they have access to thanks to Rick, and it’s getting them in trouble in school. When they finally push their luck too much by crossing Rick himself, though, he decides to put his foot down. After getting them un-expelled from school, he ships them off to this camp that’s supposed to bring entitled and wealthy brats into line. It looks as though the Smith kids are going to be dealing with this military boot camp or a scared straight program, but then the show immediately pulls the rug out. It turns out, the campers at the place Rick sent Morty and Summer had overthrown and killed the counselors years ago. Now they’re just using it as a place to revel in drugs and alcohol.

Thank heavens that the whole thing was just a setup for joke! Like I said before, I hate storylines where the kid gets sent to a camp to help them against their will. Either it turns out to be a waste of time because it doesn’t work, or it works too well and will alter the kids personality to the point it’s unrecognizable. And then everyone else has to work to change them back to normal. Either way, I hated it as a kid, I hate it now, and I’m glad it gets zig-zagged by the show as Morty and Summer quickly tire of the constant rager life at camp. Unfortunately, their attempts to leave are thwarted by the fact their parents and grandpa are completely baked.

Beth and Jerry are so high, they can barely see

So, as soon as the kids are gone, Beth and Jerry stupidly decide to go through Summer’s drug stash and huff something called “High Forever.” The next thing we know, they look like they’ve got Spice Addiction with their eyes all blue, and they are completely baked. They’re acting goofier than a little kid, they forget how stairs work, and they’re just complete idiots! It was hilarious to watch! And when their attempts to cure themselves fall flat, Rick shows up just as high as them!

I loved this entire part of the episode, to be honest. It just shows how much of a hypocrite the adults on the show are. Morty and Summer even say that this is why they act out in the first place. The adults in their lives are so useless that they had to get this smart to get by! And I see their point, too. Rick barely does anything to help them get out of their mess, and when the adults in the nearby town hear about the camp being without guidance, they try to hold everyone for ransom. So, Morty and Summer have to rally the campers into taking back the camp and save their parents after they get taken hostage.

Screw the camp! ANARCHY!!

In the end, the whole camp was completely useless and didn’t do anything. It’s Morty and Summer seeing their parents high on the drugs that Space Beth gave them that makes them decide to chill out. Yes, Space Beth shows up and proves to be the only responsible adult in the room by taking everyone home. Which is why she is the cool mom!

This episode was just so stupid, you guys! If it wasn’t so late at night when I was watching it, I would have been laughing my ass off at the entire thing. It also makes me happy that I never had to go to an actual summer camp growing up. No offense, but I wouldn’t have survived without my TV and video games!  

I Give “Salute Your Morts” a 4/5

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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 6 Review

What happens when you place your identity into one aspect of yourself and then lose it? You tend to have a serious identity crisis, that’s what. And right now, Clark Kent is having the biggest identity crisis of his life as he’s forced to contend with not having any superpowers. His powers and identity as Superman have been a part of him for so long that he has no idea who he is without them. And to make matters worse, his support group of his girlfriend, best friend, and cousin is too busy dealing with their own problems to give him the help that he needs. Especially Jimmy and Kara, whose own relationship problems threaten to sink the ship beyond repair. Good going, JIMMY!

Clark Hates Feeling so Useless

A month has passed since the defeat of Cyborg Superman, and Clark’s powers remain gone. Having had those powers since he was a kid, it’s understandable that he would tie a lot of his self-worth to his ability to help people. And without that ability, he is seriously depressed and doesn’t know what to do with himself. To add insult to injury, Lois and Clark are getting nominated for an award at a fancy gala, while Clark isn’t. Well, Superman was co-nominated alongside Kara, but he can’t show up as Superman.

I felt so bad watching Clark in this episode. I understand why he is so upset about losing his powers. All he’s ever wanted to do is help people; it’s his whole thing! And this entire episode, he’s basically trying to do his best to help others just to prove that he still can. And while he does end up helping, it’s not to the extent that he’s used to, so it doesn’t even register to him. And Kara and Jimmy are no help, either.

For the last month or so, Kara has been forced to fly solo as Supergirl to make up for her cousin’s absence. She doesn’t say it, but it’s heavily implied that the stress was starting to get to her. I don’t think she even had time to actually go on any dates as part of her plan to make Jimmy jealous!

It gets worse, though. Jimmy, as part of his contract with W.O.R.M.S., has to go on one last date. The upside is that this one is a princess from another country who’s attending the gala. The downside? She’s attending the gala that is meant to honor Kara.

Apparently, Kara’s previous claims of not being able to get jealous of Jimmy were inaccurate. The second she finds out that Jimmy brought a date, I could hear her mentally declaring nuclear war! I don’t think I’ve ever seen Kara this mad!

There’s a second downside, by the way. Jimmy’s date is a supervillain called Dr. Poison, who’s planning on turning everyone in Metropolis into animals as part of some ecoterrorist plan. I don’t know how that’s supposed to work or save the environment. The bottom line is that everyone gets caught up in it!

The most shocking moment of the episode, though, has to be this.

Clark Got Shot!

When the preview for this episode first dropped, I was genuinely scared that Clark had gotten himself seriously hurt. He could’ve died! Thank heavens I was watching this the morning after on Hulu, because I would have been freaking out during the commercial break!

Now, we as the audience know that what Clark did is truly heroic. Despite not having any powers, his first instinct had been to protect Flip and the other kids from harm. Not many adults would be willing to face down a gunman and do that! But from Clark’s perspective, he barely did anything. It’s sad, really. He’s still a hero with or without his powers, but he doesn’t recognize that.

Ultimately, Jimmy is able to rizz up Dr. Poison and foil her plans while Kara stops the rest (and Bizarro.) But while Lois wins the award over Vicki, no one is really happy. Clark still feels bad about himself and blows up at Lois despite her trying to compliment him. I was more focused on Jimmy and Kara, though.

Jimmy, get down on your knees and beg for Kara’s forgiveness!

We all knew that Jimmy was making a big mistake; there’s no argument about that. And we all knew that it was going to blow up in his face. However, it was still painful to see it play out as Kara confronted him about his jealousy. He may think he was doing this for her sake, but really, this was about his own insecurities. He’s been in love with Kara from day one, and she loves him. Some people just know they’ve found the one without any searching, and if I were Jimmy, I wouldn’t have blown things. But now, it might be too late.

Or it might not. Guess who’s back? Mr. Myx.

Uh-oh.

I Give “Party Animals” a 3/5

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One Piece Chapter 1188 Review/Recap

This is it, the moment we’ve been waiting for: Luffy vs Imu! The second coming of Joy Boy vs the Devil who rules the world from the shadows! Ever since we learned about his existence, I have been waiting for the day where Luffy beats the monster responsible for much of the suffering in the world into the ground. However, I’m not an idiot. I know how things tend to play out in Shonen manga, and that Luffy is fighting an uphill battle against an opponent that’s far stronger than him. What that means is that this chapter is basically a repeat of Luffy’s infamous first bout against Crocodile all the way back in Alabasta, complete with the same outcome.

Recap

As Imu seems to remember the day that he first met Joy Boy, he acknowledges that that man is long dead. However, he still insists that Luffy is stirring up those old memories of his as the two begin their battle. The two begin to trade blows as they unleash the full extent of their powers, with Imu blocking all of Luffy’s hits, while Luffy dodges Imu’s in the most comedic fashion possible. Then, Luffy turns into a giant Genie and says he’s not going to let Loki die for nothing!

FYI, Loki is still alive, and while Brook and the others are looking after Shuri, Jinbei is protecting him and Ragnir, much to the squirrel’s joy. As the king of the world and embodiment of freedom continue to clash, Imu unleashes a technique called the Wailing Sword. This weapon apparently drains the life out of the trees, robbing Luffy of his ability to hide while also powering up Imu. As a result, Imu is able to gain the upper hand on Luffy, who he says that Joy Boy would be nowhere near as weak as him as he proceeds to impale him on his sword!!

Review

Oh, crud. This is bad, you guys. Really, really bad. The last time I saw Luffy in this rough a shape was in the fight with Kaido. But I think that a more appropriate comparison might be to Luffy’s first fight with Crocodile back in Alabasta. As someone on YouTube pointed out, this fight pretty much mirrors how that battle went down. Luffy was going all out on the silliness in an attempt to gain the upper hand, only to get absolutely pulverized by his opponent. The impalement only makes things worse.

Now, I knew that Luffy was going to be fighting an uphill battle against Imu, and he was probably going to get his ass beaten pretty badly at first. However, I didn’t think that the gap between them would be this wide! What makes things worse is that Luffy doesn’t have the time he needs to come up with a clever plan to one-up Imu. If he’s going to want to win, then he needs to push himself harder than ever. He’s strong, but by Imu’s own admission, he’s not yet at the same level as Joy Boy. That has led many fans to speculate that Luffy will get another power-up in the near future in the form of another Gear, or he will perfect Gear Five even further in order to win.

Now, I know a lot of people are freaking out and worrying that all hope is lost. However, I am not too worried. Do you know how many times we’ve seen Luffy get his ass handed to him over the course of the series? A lot. He’s not going to die that easily, and we all know it. So until I see his heart stop beating, I won’t even entertain the idea that Luffy might be dead, and neither should anyone else. We may have to wait two weeks to see how things turn out, but Luffy isn’t going to die that easily. Have some faith, people!

I Give “Wailing Void” a 4/5

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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 5 Review

The Death of Superman has to be one of the most famous comics of all time. And why shouldn’t it be? After all, the idea of Superman, the OG superhero, dying in battle? It sounded unbelievable…which is why it worked so well. So when we have an episode whose title is “The Death of Superman,” that’s going to make me worry. And while the worst-case scenario didn’t end up happening, I think that the title remains appropriate.

Cyborg Superman Must Die

At the end of the last episode, the man formerly known as Hank Henshaw crashed out, broke free of Lex’s leash, and threatened to destroy Metropolis. Superman and Supergirl have flown in to stop him before anyone can get hurt, but they might be flying to their deaths. Because, as Jon belatedly reveals, Cyborg Superman kills his dad in this fight. After that, he turns his wrath on the rest of the world, killing everyone we know and love. Jon was sent back in time to stop this from happening, but he was so caught in seeing the parents he never knew that he put it off. It was reckless, irresponsible…and perfectly understandable.

Don’t get me wrong: Jon almost screwed up big time. But when you consider how he never knew his parents, you understand why he wanted to milk this. Especially since we’re not exactly sure if the multiverse theory is in effect for time travel in this story, since that means he would be going back to a future still ruined. But if the Future Trunks parallels weren’t already blatant, they get even more so when we learn what happened to Kara.

Kara Became Future Gohan?!?

I didn’t address it last episode, but it was apparent that Jon was actively avoiding Kara, despite how badly she wanted to bond with him. I saw the red flags going up and immediately thought, “Oh no, Kara is dead in the future, isn’t she?” Tragically, that was indeed the case. And for bonus points, it’s revealed that after Clark and Lois died, Kara raised Jon as her own. She was like the Future Gohan of this story, complete with the tragic and undignified death! Jon couldn’t bear to look at her because of this.

And that was when I knew that Cyborg Superman had to die. I know that not every hero will kill his villains, but the monster once known as Hank wasn’t going to stop until he destroyed the world that had rejected him. Even when Lois tried to talk her former friend down, he was ready to kill her. Thankfully, the series didn’t disappoint with how absolutely brutal this fight was. But even with three Kryptonian warriors fighting the monster, he was still able to get the upper hand thanks to his Kryptonite reactor!

And this is when we get the moment that can be called the death of Superman.

The Death of Superman

Depsite being on the brink of death thanks to Kryptonite poisoning, Clark manages to see his son being choked out by Cyborg Superman. Thus, his papa bear instincts kick in, and through sheer willpower, he forces himself to fight off the Kryptonite to save Jon. But Hank then threatens to self-destruct and take the entire city with him…until he learns that Jon is Superman’s future son. And for some reason, this makes him regret everything that he did. I think that it was because he realized that if Kryptonians and Humans can have kids, then that means that there’s a future where all of humanity will have superpowers and be safe. I don’t know. I’m just glad that Hank let himself die before he killed everyone else.

So, with the apocalypse prevented, Jon returns to his time with the hope that it will be a far better future than the one he knew. However, that’s the only good thing to come of this episode. In order to save his son, Superman pushed his powers so hard, he’s seemingly burned them out. He’s…powerless now. And without his powers, Clark Kent is just Clark Kent, meaning that Superman is technically dead. And the time couldn’t be worse, as while one bad future was prevented, another might be on the horizon. This time, though, it’s at the hands of Lex Luthor!

Okay, I have mixed feelings about this episode. On the one hand, I like how they managed to thread the needle regarding the death of Superman. On the other hand, part of me kind of wishes we could have gotten to see Clark temporarily die and then come back, but I guess we’ll have to wait for Doomsday, if he ever shows up. Plus, I know that Clark is going to get his powers back, eventually. This is just going to be a means for Clark to learn who he is without his powers. In the meantime, Supergirl will have to pick up the slack. The bad news is that the preview for the next episode shows that the drama between her and Jimmy is about to get even worse.

I give “The Death of Superman” a 3/5

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