Star Trek: Lower Decks "Mugato, Gumato" Review (Spoilers)
Also reviews for the latest episode of Marvel's What If...?, the season finale of Monsters At Work, the cartoon series Dug Days, and the latest episodes of Chip 'N' Dale: Park Life, and Titans.
Star Trek: Lower Decks "Mugato, Gumato"
What a nice ending. A compromise with the Ferengi setting them up with an environmentally sound Mugato preserve. Mariner referring to "The Last Outpost" about the whips could be considered breaking the fourth wall. More likely, that's simply what the First Contact with the Ferengi is referred to as by Starfleet.
Never realized how sloppy The Original Series was with the pronunciation of "Mugato". If I had seen that episode today, I would have probably noticed it, but this show is a far better nitpicker than I could ever hope to be. It's like if Phil Farrand wrote a Star Trek show but wasn't a creepy Jesus freak on the side.
Otis is no Guinan.
Section 31 WAS appropriately mentioned by the end of the episode, and Tuvok infiltrating the Maquis was brought up too (as was the Dominion War). Also pretty sure the Mugato "expert" was a Tellarite. Quark is also explicitly name-dropped as a famous and successful Ferengi, which is something I love. Clearly the brother of the current Grand Nagus made the situation work for himself. Deepest cut from the episode was the holodeck fighting program from "The Icarus Factor" (complete with the goofy, red, armored suits). That was an awful episode, and it amuses me how often this show brings up awful episodes.
This is not my favorite Star Trek show (I like DS9, Discovery, and Picard more) but it's definitely the nerdiest. ****.
Marvel's What If...? "What If... Doctor Stranger Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands?"
Interesting premise, bummer ending. Strange did more damage to that Universe than Thanos ever could.
I guess what makes the episode bearable is the clever idea of two Stranges split by a timeline by the Ancient One. It gives us someone to root for at the end.
It's interesting that the Watcher is involved in this story for the first time.
Didn't like it. Too much of a downer. **.
Monsters At Work "It's Laughter They're After"
My favorite scene is Sulley sitting down with Tylor and reflecting on what happened with Boo in the film, and why scare power is absolutely morally wrong. Even if laugh power WERE somehow making less power for Monsteropolis, it's still the right move to use it. The city used to literally be run on children's tears. The one thing I didn't like about the episode is that it's suggested that's still a possibility (and that there are other "Fear factories" out there).
Mike thinks Roz and Rose are the same person. You know what? So do I.
I have some misgivings about the series, but I definitely would not mind seeing a Season 2. ****.
Dug Days "Squirrel!"
I miss Ed Asner already. It's a really nice progression and evolution that Carl has gotten so understanding and loving of Dug's weirdness. That's the most appealing thing about the short for me.
We've seen Dug on alert for squirrels, but we've never seen him interact with one before. I can see why he doesn't like them.
The first short was cute. ****.
Dug Days "Puppies"
You know what? I didn't like the puppies destroying Dug's toys. That actually upset me. **1/2.
Dug Days "Flowers"
I just realize that I much prefer these shorts to the idea of a sequel to Up. These are pretty much all I need. ***1/2.
Dug Days "Smell"
Dug is so cute. He really is A Good Boy. ****.
Dug Days "Science"
Russell! One of the cool things about Up is that all of the characters are lovable and compelling. And yes, I was very glad to see the Little Mailman again.
What's interesting about the scene with Dug and the talking bird and squirrel is that all three are essentially engaged in a philosophical debate. I think I appreciated that so much because I didn't expect that to come when it did. That was really cool as was Carl's affirmation that Dug is his best friend. Good dog. *****.
Chip 'N' Dale: Park Life "The Hazelnut King / Egg Baby / Mega Muscle Chip"
The Hazelnut King:
Nice digs there. Real swanky. ***1/2.
Egg Baby:
Okay, so Chip is apparently insane. Good to know. ****.
Mega Muscle Chip:
It's sort of like the Gizmosuit.
I love that Chip and Dale always hug at the end. ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Titans "Lady Vic"
Everything that episode did was wrong. It's almost eerily uncanny that the show can do nothing right.
I knew I would hate the episode after the hideous first scene.
All Kori does is complain about how much Blackfire sucks. Then why did she break her out of prison? This specific problem is entirely of Kori's making, and she's blaming her sister for her own bad decision. Blackfire would have survived perfectly fine in that prison. Especially because that is where she belongs.
Basically, 6 years ago Dick and Barbara were jewel thieves. Remember me saying this show can do nothing right? Case in point.
Barbara describes Oracle as a "monster". Here is a flashback episode for the show I am not looking forward to.
How the hell was Barbara dumb enough to fall for that message from "Bruce"? It clearly wasn't him, especially with him telling her not to tell Dick. How dumb is she? And how dumb is this show for expecting me to believe that character is that dumb?
Speaking of dumb, Dick offers to search Barbara's apartment for Lady Vic. I don't know much about crime-fighting, but it seems to me that if there might be an assassin hiding in your living space, they might be easier to spot if you turned on the freaking lights. This is not something I should have to complain about, by the way. Something like that is self-evident.
This is the worst show I currently watch and the worst DC project of all time. By far. 0.
Star Trek: Lower Decks "Mugato, Gumato"
What a nice ending. A compromise with the Ferengi setting them up with an environmentally sound Mugato preserve. Mariner referring to "The Last Outpost" about the whips could be considered breaking the fourth wall. More likely, that's simply what the First Contact with the Ferengi is referred to as by Starfleet.
Never realized how sloppy The Original Series was with the pronunciation of "Mugato". If I had seen that episode today, I would have probably noticed it, but this show is a far better nitpicker than I could ever hope to be. It's like if Phil Farrand wrote a Star Trek show but wasn't a creepy Jesus freak on the side.
Otis is no Guinan.
Section 31 WAS appropriately mentioned by the end of the episode, and Tuvok infiltrating the Maquis was brought up too (as was the Dominion War). Also pretty sure the Mugato "expert" was a Tellarite. Quark is also explicitly name-dropped as a famous and successful Ferengi, which is something I love. Clearly the brother of the current Grand Nagus made the situation work for himself. Deepest cut from the episode was the holodeck fighting program from "The Icarus Factor" (complete with the goofy, red, armored suits). That was an awful episode, and it amuses me how often this show brings up awful episodes.
This is not my favorite Star Trek show (I like DS9, Discovery, and Picard more) but it's definitely the nerdiest. ****.
Marvel's What If...? "What If... Doctor Stranger Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands?"
Interesting premise, bummer ending. Strange did more damage to that Universe than Thanos ever could.
I guess what makes the episode bearable is the clever idea of two Stranges split by a timeline by the Ancient One. It gives us someone to root for at the end.
It's interesting that the Watcher is involved in this story for the first time.
Didn't like it. Too much of a downer. **.
Monsters At Work "It's Laughter They're After"
My favorite scene is Sulley sitting down with Tylor and reflecting on what happened with Boo in the film, and why scare power is absolutely morally wrong. Even if laugh power WERE somehow making less power for Monsteropolis, it's still the right move to use it. The city used to literally be run on children's tears. The one thing I didn't like about the episode is that it's suggested that's still a possibility (and that there are other "Fear factories" out there).
Mike thinks Roz and Rose are the same person. You know what? So do I.
I have some misgivings about the series, but I definitely would not mind seeing a Season 2. ****.
Dug Days "Squirrel!"
I miss Ed Asner already. It's a really nice progression and evolution that Carl has gotten so understanding and loving of Dug's weirdness. That's the most appealing thing about the short for me.
We've seen Dug on alert for squirrels, but we've never seen him interact with one before. I can see why he doesn't like them.
The first short was cute. ****.
Dug Days "Puppies"
You know what? I didn't like the puppies destroying Dug's toys. That actually upset me. **1/2.
Dug Days "Flowers"
I just realize that I much prefer these shorts to the idea of a sequel to Up. These are pretty much all I need. ***1/2.
Dug Days "Smell"
Dug is so cute. He really is A Good Boy. ****.
Dug Days "Science"
Russell! One of the cool things about Up is that all of the characters are lovable and compelling. And yes, I was very glad to see the Little Mailman again.
What's interesting about the scene with Dug and the talking bird and squirrel is that all three are essentially engaged in a philosophical debate. I think I appreciated that so much because I didn't expect that to come when it did. That was really cool as was Carl's affirmation that Dug is his best friend. Good dog. *****.
Chip 'N' Dale: Park Life "The Hazelnut King / Egg Baby / Mega Muscle Chip"
The Hazelnut King:
Nice digs there. Real swanky. ***1/2.
Egg Baby:
Okay, so Chip is apparently insane. Good to know. ****.
Mega Muscle Chip:
It's sort of like the Gizmosuit.
I love that Chip and Dale always hug at the end. ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Titans "Lady Vic"
Everything that episode did was wrong. It's almost eerily uncanny that the show can do nothing right.
I knew I would hate the episode after the hideous first scene.
All Kori does is complain about how much Blackfire sucks. Then why did she break her out of prison? This specific problem is entirely of Kori's making, and she's blaming her sister for her own bad decision. Blackfire would have survived perfectly fine in that prison. Especially because that is where she belongs.
Basically, 6 years ago Dick and Barbara were jewel thieves. Remember me saying this show can do nothing right? Case in point.
Barbara describes Oracle as a "monster". Here is a flashback episode for the show I am not looking forward to.
How the hell was Barbara dumb enough to fall for that message from "Bruce"? It clearly wasn't him, especially with him telling her not to tell Dick. How dumb is she? And how dumb is this show for expecting me to believe that character is that dumb?
Speaking of dumb, Dick offers to search Barbara's apartment for Lady Vic. I don't know much about crime-fighting, but it seems to me that if there might be an assassin hiding in your living space, they might be easier to spot if you turned on the freaking lights. This is not something I should have to complain about, by the way. Something like that is self-evident.
This is the worst show I currently watch and the worst DC project of all time. By far. 0.