Episode 6 Review
Kite Man: Hell Yeah!
Synopsis: Golden Glider plans a mother/daughter day to bond with Rebecca, while Kite Man finally decides he's done being powerless.
"Mother/Daughter Day, Hell Yeah!" is a turning point for season one as one of our leads reaches the lowest of lows, another becomes an unwitting pawn. While some break away from each other, some finally make a connection. Helen Villigan's limitless reach continues to overshadow our stars as her evil plan continues to take shape.
"Mother/Daughter Day, Hell Yeah!" doesn't waste anytime with expounding on Golden Glider's insecurities and revealing just how terrible a person Rebecca Chen is. In trying to rush and force a connection with Rebecca that was never really there, Glider finally learns the truth that her mother walked out on her and her brother on the day she accidentally murdered her father, is a total ingrate about being freed from the Pit, she never wanted to be a mother, and doesn't want to be around her. To add salt to the wound, Rebecca hits it off with Malice and in the context of the season long arc, she poisons Kite Man's thoughts in a way that leads him right into the hands of one of the show's big bads. Glider comes to the realization she was always better off without her parents and gets rid of Rebecca with a flush (though let's hope that doesn't further screw up the timeline). Though it would be fitting if in 1986, Rebecca does the same thing and ends right back up in The Pit. However, one problem is dealt with but another springs up but more on that later in the review.
While Golden Glider's relationships break apart, things turn out a bit better for Bane, Moe Dubelz, and Queen of Fables. Moe finally comes to terms with the death of Joe, as much as he can, but the tenuous and heated exchanges with Queen comes to a head when she interrupts Joe's funeral because she has to go and she murders his favorite mob tailor. But in an unexpected turn of events, their mutual hatred for each other leads to them getting turned on and making out. Meanwhile, Noonan, the voice of reason, convinces Bane to go find someone to get over the unattainable Rebecca. On the plus side, it's a bit of an update from the Harley Quinn Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special. Bane goes out on a date with Betty the dominatrix he met during the special. It turns out she still holds a candle for him and is going through similar feelings of inadequacy. Bane confesses what he is going through at the moment, and the two still end up connecting. A win in the romance column for Bane feels like a long time in the making.
Kite Man tries to be accommodating and dotes on Rebecca only for her to speak bluntly about he has no money, no prospects, and no super powers. The usually unflappable Kite Man is shook and mistakenly thinks Glider will be happier if she has a boyfriend with powers. He ends up at Etrigan's Ocean of Potions & Lotions, another update of sorts from the Valentine's Day Special, but for us viewers, it looks a bit different. We, the audience, finds out the store was bought out by Villigan and turned into a drab dime store pharmacy. Etrigan, voiced by James Adomian instead of John Stamos, reveals he doesn't grant powers anymore and he'll have to see Helen Villigan but warns she only has a janky selection to choose from. Undaunted, Kite Man heads to corporate headquarters – Villigan's Tower and in hilarious fashion, makes it through the gauntlet of security and secretarial challenges with... kindness – pairs of homemade mittens for the guards, dog treats for the vicious guard dogs, and lending an ear to the ignored secretary. Kite Man is given a Faustian offer from Helen, super powers in exchange for his beloved kite. After a montage of Kite Man's childhood: receiving the kite one Christmas or the kite saving him during a school dance, he makes the big sacrifice. And very much the Monkey's Paw of wishes, Kite Man gets powers but his personality completely changes and he becomes a total douchebag to the point that he uses telekinesis to beat up everyone in Noonan's trying to throw him out, breaks up with Glider in the most hurtful way, and steals petty cash from a child. And somehow that's part of Helen's big plan.
The only real critique I have so far with the series is that Malice is underutilized. Her overall arc and characterization is going at a slow pace to a point that most of the time she is more of a prop that part of the cast. This week, she's more of a mirror held up to Golden Glider to bring her insecurities to the forefront and vocalize the hard truth that she'll never bond with Rebecca. While yes, there was the guest appearance of Darkseid and just last week her now ex-again-boyfriend Jeremy but her focus episodes feel too far and few between. With an ensemble cast, it's always and unfortunately a given that someone doesn't get enough screentime. But on the flip side, with the screen time Malice does get, she's hilarious with her barbs and like Noonan, is a voice of reason for others in the cast. It's still up in the air with four episodes to go if Malice is a less-is-more situation or if her arc was reduced and left on the cutting room floor.
In "Mother/Daughter Day, Hell Yeah!", the Rebecca/Glider relationship (or lack of) comes to a head but further heartbreak follows when Kite Man's well meaning (but unnecessary) gesture to gain a super power turns him into a pawn of Helen Villigan and he becomes a totally unlikable arrogant uncaring douche of a doppelganger of himself. Kite rubs salt in the wound and says the worst things Glider could hear at the moment and the break up you never wanted to see happens. And in the face of this misery, things go great for everyone else. While Glider picks up the pieces of her life, will she and the others bother to try and restore Kite Man back to normal? Just what the heck is Helen's evil plan? Oh, and points for the Austin Powers and Notting Hill references. Groovy.
Rating: 8 out of 10