Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "Widowmaker" Talkback (Spoilers)

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Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "Widowmaker"
Episode Debut - February 17th, 2019

Black Panther explores a secret enemy facility with a nefarious past.

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[majcvd49]

So did I miss something or did they never show how Black Widow got captured to begin with?

 

[Gold Guy]

So did I miss something or did they never show how Black Widow got captured to begin with?

No, you're right. We never really got a specific description of how she was taken.

Black Panther seemed a bit...immature in this episode. I get that he was upset at Iron Man, but normally he's able to put that kind of thing aside for the mission. I was glad to see my guy Iron Man get to look good, though.

 

[Fone Bone]

Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "Widowmaker"

This is going to be a tough review for me. Because I think people fully expect me to bash the episode. Anyone who has read these reviews will not be surprised by that. What they may find they dislike is that I am about to bash the entire Black Panther franchise. And it's because of this episode I'm like "This whole thing is stupid."

But we have a whole lot of other stupid to get through before we get there. Killmonger's actions in this episode make me think it was even stupider Panther took custody of him and then just left. What is especially infuriating is that he didn't even have to wind up taking him on the mission after all. He COULD have had the Atlanteans extract the info for him. They wouldn't be preparing to go to war and Bast might not be waiting for him when he got home.

It also made me question the idea that this is all going to Killmonger's plan. I was like "That is either a lie" or possibly the worst piece of writing claptrap I've ever heard on this show. Do you know what says it's untrue? He killed Attuna last week. In front of the Atlantean Royal Guard, with clearly no escape plan available to him and he simply lucked out that T'Challa is as bad at his job as he is. He did it in broad daylight and in front of everyone and he supposedly PLANNED for this outcome? This isn't a Xanatos' Gambit, or Xanatos Roulette, or even Xanatos 50 Car Pile-Up. It's Xanatos Unicorn and Puppy Farts. There is a sort of dumb logic behind most of the Xanatos tropes. But this example is a Master Plan that is easily proven to be spur of the moment and super dumb. If T'Challa IS playing into the dude's hands, T'Challa is an extra kind of thick.

And finally we get to the part of the episode that makes me think the entire premise is flawed from the ground up: The challenge to the crown from Bast. T'Challa correctly points out it was a perfectly legal challenge. My question is "Why?" After all that trouble that law has caused T'Challa and his people, why is it still on the books? It's a monarchy. He could have gotten rid of it if he wanted with no trouble whatsoever. And the law is so dumb and so damaging that I'm like "This entire premise is stupid". I'm rooting for characters fighting about something that would not even be a problem in a legitimate nation, Democratic or not. It's SO freaking stupid, and I'm tired of pretending it isn't. I think they could use the challenge to the crown ONCE (during T'Challa's origin story) but for it to be a continued problem says there is not anything about the monarchy of Wakanda actually worth rooting for. And T'Challa has been such a terrible leader this season, I'm starting to resent this show for taking a premise I sort of liked prior to this season, and putting all of the flaws in it front and center in a way the movie sort of was able to gloss over. And I resent the show for that. I loved the movie. And now because I'm thinking these things, I'll love it less when I see it again. I hate this show for that.

I grade on a curve so that's the only reason this episode isn't getting a zero. Most other shows I watch that deliver something like that would get one. *.

 

[Frontier]

So I guess we're just going to skip the reunion with Cap and the forging of a new shield. I get the latter since we already had an Avengers cartoon that did a whole episode dedicated to reforging Cap's shield in EMH, but for all the trouble Cap's death caused I think the least we could've seen was Tony seeing Cap alive. But I guess with only two episodes left this season they have to really get to where they need to be .

Man, T'Challa was really bitter around Tony in this episode. I know they've never really gotten along this season, but Tony seemed to be making a concerted effort to let bygones be bygones and move on, but T'Challa just didn't seem to care. He was acting like how Hawkeye acts around him .

I'll be honest. I think Widow's short hair works better when she's in island survivalist mode then as a general design for her .

Can we just assume those plant people were some variant of Plantman? I'm just going to assume that for fun .

Isn't Tony usually depicted as wearing a black bodysuit under his Iron Man armor? Kind of weird that they ignored that here, but I guess they wanted to go for humor by making Tony look more under-dressed .

I guess it wouldn't be a Black Panther cartoon without someone challenging T'Challa for the throne and taking it away from him. And right before the finale too .

I guess if we needed more indication of why Bask was in the wrong and Bashenga was in the right, look no further then her opinion of modern Wakanda. She doesn't care that Wakanda seems relatively protected and safe, she's just mad that Wakanda hasn't conquered everybody and that anyone from Atlantis still exists. Maybe it's the crown effecting her to some degree, but she's obviously not in the right state of mind to be ruling Wakanda with the rest of the world in mind .

 

[BlackoutCreature]

Has any country in the last, I don't know, 500 years actually had a law on the books that said that you can become the absolute ruler of a country by defeating the current ruler in one-on-one combat? I know it is a staple cliche in fiction, but it is so ridiculous to imagine that any nation can take such a challenge seriously in the 21st century that it defies suspension of disbelief.

 

[Frontier]

Has any country in the last, I don't know, 500 years actually had a law on the books that said that you can become the absolute ruler of a country by defeating the current ruler in one-on-one combat? I know it is a staple cliche in fiction, but it is so ridiculous to imagine that any nation can take such a challenge seriously in the 21st century that it defies suspension of disbelief.

Well, I think the deciding point is that the Black Panther is a warrior king, so the test is as much to test the ruler's mettle as a warrior as it is deciding whether they're worthy to be a king.

 

[Fone Bone]

Has any country in the last, I don't know, 500 years actually had a law on the books that said that you can become the absolute ruler of a country by defeating the current ruler in one-on-one combat? I know it is a staple cliche in fiction, but it is so ridiculous to imagine that any nation can take such a challenge seriously in the 21st century that it defies suspension of disbelief.

It's ridiculous and the worst thing about the franchise. It's also something I would decline to draw attention to were I the writers. The fact that they are actually going to use is AGAIN shows this series has no idea what is and isn't acceptable storytelling.

It's a dumb premise. But I accept it as it is if it only happens the once. If it becomes a recurring problem, than the entire franchise is stupid and flawed from the ground up.

 

[Frontier]

It's ridiculous and the worst thing about the franchise. It's also something I would decline to draw attention to were I the writers. The fact that they are actually going to use is AGAIN shows this series has no idea what is and isn't acceptable storytelling.

It's a dumb premise. But I accept it as it is if it only happens the once. If it becomes a recurring problem, than the entire franchise is stupid and flawed from the ground up.

Tribal combat is basically the reason for, like, 50-60% of every fight between T'Challa and Killmonger in this franchise .

 

[Fone Bone]

Tribal combat is basically the reason for, like, 50-60% of every fight between T'Challa and Killmonger in this franchise .

And it's stupid. And going to that well over and over again proves it.

I'm supposed to admire and be impressed by Wakanda's advanced technology and the prowess the kingdom has in using it. But they choose their leaders like hillybilly rednecks playing "King of the Hill". How am I supposed to respect any society that works that way?

 

[Frontier]

And it's stupid. And going to that well over and over again proves it.

I'm supposed to admire and be impressed by Wakanda's advanced technology and the prowess the kingdom has in using it. But they choose their leaders like hillybilly rednecks playing "King of the Hill". How am I supposed to respect any society that works that way?

The thing with Black Panther is that there's a dichotomy between Wakanda being this super-advanced nation but also heavily rooted in tribal and warrior culture.

The Black Panther identity itself is the epitome of that concept.

 

[Rick Jones]

This whole Bask plot is too weird for me. It feels like it came out of nowhere to now be the end goal.

 

[Frontier]

This whole Bask plot is too weird for me. It feels like it came out of nowhere to now be the end goal.

Maybe it would've helped if they'd explored more of the mythos and history of Wakanda prior to these couple of episodes with the past Black Panthers, though for a supposed Black Panther cartoon this show really hasn't spent a lot of time or focus on Wakanda .