"He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" CGI Series Talkback (Spoilers)

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StellaMagic

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Here's how I picture what my favorite characters will be like:

Kobra Khan- A young snakeman, descended from the Snakes, who is treated like an outcast among the Reptilon people.

Webstor-A crook in the insect kingdom who plots to overthrow the queen.

Merman-A crook in the Eternian Sea and a treasure plunderer

Clawful-Merman's strong man who developed a crush on Evil-Lyn

Buzz-Off-Prince of the Insect Kingdom

Startos-Prince of Aviarius

Fisto-Duncan's father and a great inventor

Mekanek and Man-E-Faces- Androids created by Fisto
 

Last Spider

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So I'm coming into this late, but having finished the series somewhat recently, I gotta say it proved me wrong, I had my reservations, seeing the robot Orko, the teenage Duncan, the Teela who wasn't his daughter and the genderbent Ram Man, the JoJo-Esque He-Man but you know what it all turned out fine.

The characters were great, the plot was nice and frankly I'm ready to see more, especially with the Snake Men plot they're hinting at, plus the possible plot line of Queen Marlena's disappearance which while not openly addressed in the show yet her lack of presence is felt, since she does appear in family portraits so she was a part of Adam's life prior to Keldor taking him to Grayskull, but at the same time lacks a statue in the garden like Adam and Keldor have so whether she's alive or deceased is certainly up in the air.

And speaking Skeletor, I was very pleased with how they handled him, I was worried that since they were going the Keldor angle he'd end up being a completely serious villain, since I loved how in the original series Skeletor was goofy and was basically evil just because he liked it, but here he had was still goofy, petty and kind of a dork, but was still a competent, menacing villain.
 

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New episodes premiere today!


He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Season 2
Debut - March 3, 2022 (on Netflix)

Synopsis: The fate of Eternos hangs in the balance as He-Man and the heroes forge new alliances - and new destinies - to stop Skeletor from raising an Army of the Dead and obtain ultimate power.

Comments?
 

Frontier

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Thoughts on season 2:

- What happened to Marlena? Usually she's alive and around, but Randor acts like she's passed away :confused:.

- Stratos went from bird Sean Connery in the 2002 cartoon to being basically MoTU Falcon in this cartoon. Honestly I wish they had leaned more into the Avion's being bird people instead of just dark-skinned humans with wings, but I guess they wanted to emphasize Stratos as being a black hero in this. Zeno Robinson plays him with great enthusiasm, but his show-boating, arrogance, and incompetent moments kind of serve to make this Stratos come off as unlikable. They set up that it's partially because he's overcompensating over not having natural wings like the rest of his people, but they don't really do much with it :(.

- Surfing on a sword is a thing now :knd1:.

- "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe." Did they all collectively agree that He-Man gets top billing when they get introduced? Like, he's the Chosen Champion and leader, so that means he gets to be introduced ahead of the rest of them :melissa: ?

- I'd love to get flashbacks showing off King Grayskull, especially with that design. I wonder if we'll get to actually see King Hiss though since they mention him but haven't actually shown him. I think the most we get is his multi-snake form in the portrait. And Skeletor ends up summoning the Snake Men without him. Maybe he'll be the final boss o_O?

- Evil-Lyn was sure short-lived. I wonder if part of the reason they had her Havoc powers taken from her so early was because her headpiece might be a pain to animate :sweat:?

- So are the only individuals that can become "Masters of the Universe" in this show the ones in the portrait? So Stratos and Man-E-Faces can't channel the Power of Grayskull like the rest? Because they seemed pretty firm Stratos wasn't part of the team and it doesn't seem like Man-E-Faces would be either :ack:.

- I guess we gave up calling the bad guys the "Dark Masters" and are calling them "Nemesis'" now? Um...okay :shrug:.

- I find it amusing that Man-at-Arms' role in the franchise is so integral they basically had to split him into three characters, be it Duncan, Cringer (personality), and Man-E-Faces (Teela's adoptive father), although they didn't play up Man-E's relationship with Teela as much as they do with Teela and Man-at-Arms. Although the way they handled his shifting faces in this interpretation was...interesting, to say the least :oops:.

- He-Man and Skeletor engaging in ballroom dancing for a macguffin while a robot drone falls in love with Skeletor is something that wouldn't sound out of place in the 80's show :p.

- I think most people probably assumed Mosquitora was probably the last "Nemesis" and Krass's opposite number when she first showed up...of course they probably also assumed Stratos making a deal with her would end badly, but in the end she helps the heroes alongside Webstor of all characters. I guess that was to set up the twist of what happened to Krass in the end :eek:.

- So Krass never had a Nemesis in the picture because she was also going to be a Nemesis herself? Wouldn't it have made more sense to put her in the middle then? Unless it's to indicate she ultimately turns good again :).

- He-Man and Battle Cat doing a double finish on a dragonfly voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait was not what I was expecting, but pretty cool :cool:.

- I really didn't care for making Tri-Klops a robot drone. Is that so the bad guys have their own Ork-0 equivalent? I kept expecting it to grab a permanent host, like one of the guards, and that finally gives Tri-Klops a permanent body, but I don't even know who that was that it grabbed in the end :shrug:.

- Similarly...I didn't love Panthor being a motorcycle instead of an actual Battle Cat like Cringer. Like, it looked cool, but I like how Skeletor has something he actually cares about other than himself and his machinations and Panthor/Battle Cat's rivalry :(.

- Still don't care for tech geek Duncan. His surprise episode with Skeletor was kind of funny, but I still can't take him seriously as Man-at-Arms :rolleyes:.

- Stratos' Heroic Warriors doing a parody version of the Opening was hilarious. All the team was missing was Buzz-Off to complete the insect theme ;).

- I can understand they didn't care for being brainwashed, but I didn't quite buy that Trap-Jaw and Beast-Man would betray Skeletor and lose their power/freedom just because he controlled them for a bit :mad:.

- Too bad the protagonists don't realize you never really defeat the main villain if it's before the season finale...I wonder if Skeletor is going to stay dead or trapped in the staff and be a ghost for the rest of the season or get his body back. Maybe become Scareglow :evil:?

- Are Badrah and Tuvar ever going to get transformed into Two-Bad? I mean, they even had Cringer actually say it while they're complaining :oops:.

- It's kind of interesting that they finally establish He-Man and the Masters' secret identities to the general public of the kingdom after not having had it from the get-go like they do traditionally in the franchise :).

- He-Man and Orko actually exchanged dialogue with each other! Yay :D!

- I was hoping Cringer would stay in the kingdom for Adam and not just to be Royal Archivist, but I guess that fits his interpretation of the character. I'm still just not feeling Adam and Cringer's relationship in this :sad:.

- I wish they had given Krass more of a redesign as Rampage instead of just giving her a darker color scheme. And I guess being evil nets you a finishing move sometimes :elle:.

- I was honestly expecting them to focus more on the combination attacks they introduced at the end of season 1, but they reserved those for only two at the end. Which I appreciated, because I didn't love them. Also felt like they toned down the stock-footage special attacks which I also appreciated :coach: .

- What was with those giant spider robots at the end? Was that the Mer-People invading? They mentioned them, and the show usually mentions stuff they plan to follow up on, so I have to assume we're getting Mer-Man at some point :anime:.

- - Looks like next season is He-Man and everybody vs. the Snake Men :proud:.
 
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AdrenalineRush1996

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I finished watching season two yesterday and poor Krass, though given that she fell victim to Skeletor's manipulations and lies that turns her to the dark side.
 

M.O.D.O.K.

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This was a fun season. I liked the sillier shenanigans like the ballroom lessons and the birthday party, especially since Skeletor is a good character to have that with. I like Stratos's design, but his actual character wasn't that interesting. I did like his little group, though, and I wish they had kept that version of the opening instead of just playing the original right afterwards. Man-E-Faces was interesting to see.

Krass's betrayal didn't really feel earned. She had some insecurities, but they were barely touched on until the end of this season, and I really hate conflicts that only start because a character happens to hear part of a conversation and doesn't listen to the full context. It's just contrived.
 

Frontier

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This was a fun season. I liked the sillier shenanigans like the ballroom lessons and the birthday party, especially since Skeletor is a good character to have that with. I like Stratos's design, but his actual character wasn't that interesting. I did like his little group, though, and I wish they had kept that version of the opening instead of just playing the original right afterwards. Man-E-Faces was interesting to see.
Skeletor is the best character in any He-Man cartoon :p.

Stratos felt too much like the designer was trying to make him look like Falcon from Marvel instead of...well, Stratos. Which could probably be fixed if he got an upgrade, although I'm not sure if any other characters will get Greyskull forms at this rate (unless someone replaces Krass). Not sure if it would improve his likeability either...
Krass's betrayal didn't really feel earned. She had some insecurities, but they were barely touched on until the end of this season, and I really hate conflicts that only start because a character happens to hear part of a conversation and doesn't listen to the full context. It's just contrived.
I think if they had set up her desire to bring her family back more earlier and that the Sigil of Hiss could actually do that, it would've felt a little more earned. As it is she's still got a bad attitude problem and basically turns on Adam and the rest for a misconception and Skeletor will probably betray her :rolleyes:.
 

Fone Bone

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He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Sword Of Grayskull"

As far as pilots for reboots go, I had few actual objections. That being said, I do have very real concerns. They didn't hurt the episode I just watched, but they are a big red flag for the long-term health of the show.

Frankly, I wish Mattel had picked either this series or Revelations to air. They should not be airing simultaneously. I don't agree that a He-Man series for adults and one for kids can share the spotlight. At least not at this stage of the franchise. That's an acceptable move for Transformers, because there have been SO many different versions already. And that show is ALWAYS on the air with a new reboot. But not counting the way-cool recent She-Ra cartoon, we haven't had an actual He-Man cartoon since 2002. And that was the first real reboot ever. This is only the third try (or fourth if you consider Revelation a reboot instead of a sequel; there's an argument that is what it is) and I feel like both shows are stealing each other's spotlights. It's too much too soon. Get the audience used to He-Man cartoons, THEN saturate the market.

One of the things that concerns me is all of the story and character changes they made. On some level, I like the reason they were clearly made: To piss off purists. And while that tickles me in the short-term, in the long-term it can spell certain disaster. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 is the cautionary tale of how things can spin out of control by trying to completely rewrite the formula. That show actually more or less worked for its first season. But it kept purposefully pushing against the canon so hard that it eventually started engaging in outright bad writing to justify that and just never stopped. And it was all downhill from there. I feel like this was as a solid a premiere as TMNT 2012 got. And that gives me a sinking feeling.

I will say this in defense of this show: As different as the character designs are I take comfort in the fact that none of them are outright repulsive like Splinter, April, and Casey were. TMNT differentiated itself from earlier Turtles toons by making the characters look unlike previous versions. And they wound up making them look butt-ugly to do it. These characters LOOK wrong, but unlike Casey Jones, Teela has not actually been hit in the face with an ugly stick. But again, I feel like the reasons these changes are taking place are probably being done for the wrong reason. Giving a middle finger to long-time fans can sometimes work out okay (See season four of The Batman). Sometimes it can totally backfire (See every other season of The Batman). I don't like fandom in general, and think they tend to want what is worst for their franchises, but driving them crazy and putting a wedge between them and the younger generation the new reboot is geared towards doesn't actually help the show in question. If it did, I'd have no problem with the idea. I actually kind of dug ThunderCats Roar. But that wasn't in it for the long haul, and if this show IS, I expect it to get worse and worse every season.

Because say what you will about the old He-Man cartoon and toyline (and I have) most of the foundation was strong. Some of the characters' names were patently ridiculous (the idea of Buzz-Off being the name of a warrior king was outright idiotic), but the biggest problem the Filmation cartoon itself suffered from was a crappy execution. The premise was sound. The underwhelming 2002 version used the exact same premise and its quality rose simply due to it being slightly better written and animated. I would love a He-Man cartoon for kids that was using the premise properly and was also well written and animated. And I don't think either this cartoon or Revelation qualifies (although I personally like Revelation much more so far).

It's early. I could be wrong. But I think a troubling sign is that the producers didn't have faith in the premise as is and felt the need to soup it up. That's approaching the series creatively from a point of weakness rather than one of strength. It can be argued Revelation is TOO similar to the Filmation show to be effective and tell the darker story it wants to. But any failures there seem to be more done in good faith to me. Kevin Smith is no He-Man expert (which is why a lot of fans hate that show) but he's trying to do right by it. Whether he's succeeding is debatable (and probably isn't something we can be sure of until the rest of the series drops) but I believe his intentions are good. So far, for this series? I think the creators had their own story they wanted to tell, and decided to slap the He-Man brand on it so Netflix would buy it. Same thing happened to ThunderCats 2011 and I wound up detesting that show by the time it was all over. I don't get the sense the creators believe in the premise. They seem to be using it because it was the best way to get the story they wanted to tell greenlit. This is a pretty big negative judgment and assumption on my end after having seen a total of one episode. But I'm in a cynical mood these days. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Power Of Grayskull"

Still not bad. Also still not using the actual premise properly.

If Cringer is already courageous and wise, what IS the point of Battle Cat anyways? And why is he called Cringer to begin with?

I like the stuff with Keldor just because I can't picture that specific voice coming out of Skeletor. It sounds wrong. Which is why I like it.

It was decent. It was also not actually He-Man. ***.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Heirs Of Grayskull"

I was right to really like Keldor's voice. Ben Diskin is able to do a lot of interesting things with it and I think he'll sound dynamite when he's Skeletor. What I like about this is the transition of the voice is clearly a work in progress, requiring a gifted voice artist, and they found a guy who can play both subtle and gross equally well. I'm very pleased with that aspect of the show. ****.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Champions Of Grayskull"

Ben Diskin's Skeletor is great and the highlight of the episode. So Diskin has Venom, Skeletor, and Baby Gonzo on his IMDB page. Very interesting range there.

Teela and Sorceress appear to have been merged into one character. I'm sure that will drive the fans into conniptions.

I like the idea that He-Man can share the Power of Grayskull with the other heroes.

Solid. ****.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "We Have The Power"

Krass sometimes does her business in her helmet? And wears it anyways? Then her given name is apt. What a gross Universe.

I liked the moving starfields in Sorceress' hair, costume, and wings. They remind me of Starboy's costume from Justice League Vs. The Fatal Five.

A little too "toddler moral" for my taste. But not terrible. **1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "Orko The Great"

This version of Orko SUCKS. Still "Orkining" is a great word.

That was a weird song to play at the end.

I'm starting to dig the black and white still drawings at the end of the episode teasing the next one. Bring on Beast Man! ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "He-Man, The Hunted"

The idea that the heroes can Power-Up on their own, perhaps even without the Sword being present, is a cool twist.

However I don't buy the origin story for Cringer's name. You ask, me they should have just renamed the character.

Decent. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Calm Before The Storm"

Ben Diskin is just as hammy as Skeletor should be at the beginning and the end.

Randor isn't a bad guy after all. But he is still deeply flawed. And that's where the conflict comes from.

Glad the show is ignoring the idea of Secret ID's. That was the most annoying part of the old show.

I liked that. ****.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "Cry Havoc, Part 1"

Didn't like the ending. I believe that the Sword of Power, (and the Sword of Omens from ThunderCats, for that matter) should never be broken for any reason. It became a crisis crutch on the old ThunderCats cartoon, and it's something that should never, ever happen. There had to be a better way to disconnect the heroes from the Power without breaking the actual Sword. If I had written this, I would have had them lose the Sword instead, and the idea that they could connect to the power without the Sword being present would be learned in the next episode (and they'd find a way to retrieve it to using their connection as a homing beacon to boot). The Sword Of Grayskull is one Maguffin that needs to stay whole the entire time. I firmly believe that.

You'll probably snipe at me, "Matt, that would be totally predictable, as every similar cartoon has done a variation on that. This was actually unexpected." My response to that is, "When have I ever penalized a show for being predictable if it's told right?" That would have been the RIGHT way to tell that part of the story, and I would have accepted it even if I saw it coming ahead of time. That's how good storytelling should work. If the story is being told right, it honestly shouldn't matter if it's predictable. I think people who believe differently are giving harmful feedback to TV producers that is making television markedly worse. And that's where I stand on that particular subject.

All that said, the bad guy transformations were way cool. Beast Man and Trap Jaw look particularly badass.

But that was the wrong ending. **1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "Cry Havoc, Part 2"

Not a very satisfying or fulfilling finale, which is partly why serialized television can be so hit or miss.

It did some things right. The "haircut" thing was great because it was Randor throwing unexpected shade at Skeletor right when he wants it least. He refuses to give Keldor his due, even under those circumstances. I like that about him.

The CGI animation in the action sequences at the end was quite beautiful and striking.

I also am on-board moving Castle Grayskull. It never sat right with me that Skeletor knew where it was on this show. I don't think Secret ID's are necessary, but I also don't think Skeletor should be allowed easy access to the heroes' lair either. Making it hidden in season 2 will help things.

I am going to reserve further judgment on the series for now. But those fears I had in the first episode have so far not been allayed at all. We'll see how things go in the seasons ahead. ***1/2.




He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The World Above"

Great ending. Happy hunting!

I like that Stratos won the race (although the punk cheated). It's good the show still gave him that.

I loved Stratos' comical gasp upon seeing his statue destroyed.

I was amused by the meta discussion of the mind-controlled guards over what the nature of mind-control actually was.

Cute episode back. ****.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The World Below"

I like Skeletor telling his nephew he liked it better when he was dead. I also liked him saying those urchins are almost adorable.

I laughed at Beast Man raging that this wasn't a negotiation, but a statement of intent.

Evil-Lyn just did Skeletor a huge favor at the end there, even if he's too dumb to know it.

I still love the star effects on Teela's magic wings.

Another solid episode. ****.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "Eternia 2000"

Skeletor hates today. The ballroom scene was pure silliness.

I like that Cringer acts like a cat when he sees the lights on the console.

Kicking Stratos off the team wasn't fun, but it had to be done. The guy was nothing but a liability. I noticed that at the end of the day he had no defenders left there either.

I like the word "inanities". It needs to be used more often on more kids shows.

Good. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "A Very Hungry Dragonfly"

Bobcat Goldthwaite does indeed have a hideous voice.

I laughed at the visual of Evil-Lyn sleeping with one eye open.

The animation in the climax was wonderful.

Pretty good episode. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "Meanwhile..."

Ooh, I wonder who grabbed the wish stone at the end.

I'm a little disgusted Skeletor is as spoiled over his birthday as a My Super Sweet 16 Princess. But I'm also not surprised. It's totally on-brand.

I loved him menacingly asking where the bathroom was.

Duncan trying to make sure he had a good birthday was fun. I liked Skeletor conceding it was pretty good cake at the end.

Trapjaw's jaw is legit scary.

The idea that Panthor is a flying motorcycle is super dumb.

I like Orko Polo. SO dumb and funny.

Cute episode. ****.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "Divided We Stand"

"Orkoning" is my favorite word invented by this show.

I actually don't care about Man-E-Faces' self-doubt and pathos.

Good cliffhanger. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Battle Of Avian"

I love that the finale's gonna be down to Ram Ma'am.

I liked Man-E-Faces saying he didn't like the patron but didn't have a problem with the venue. What a neat way to put that. I am also amused he thinks Evil-Lyn is his new muse.

Teela being able to suck up laser blasts in her portal wings and redirect them back at her enemies might be my favorite superpower ever.

I love when one of the robots says he aspires to be a disappointment Ork-O says cheerfully "Exactly!"

I love that Stratos and his heroes get their own lame theme song.

Good stuff. Not GREAT stuff yet. But we're getting there. ****.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Fifth Nemesis"

Never mind. Didn't dig it. It played up the big dramatic moments very well, but I'm not happy about Ram Ma'am turning into a villain.

A disappointment. **1/2.
 

RoyalRubble

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New episodes premiere today!


He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Season 3
Debut - August 18, 2022 (on Netflix)

Synopsis: Everything has led to this- the final war as He-Man and the other masters must stop Skeletor from spreading havoc and save the cosmos! Don't miss the epic conclusion of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe!

Comments?
 

Mandouga

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I only have one comment:

I hope that He-Man is also able to save Krass from herself. Otherwise, this story won’t really have a happy ending…

Either way, what the writers did, but especially the setup for it, is just bad writing (in my opinion). It may even by that “fake pathos” John Kricfalusi (Ren and Stimpy) talked about.

Okay, make that two comments…


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Fone Bone

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He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Haunting Of Castle Grayskull"

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

Sorceress is back!

Good premiere. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "Frozen Solid"

Oooh, George Takei as Mer-Man!

Bold opinion: I think Ben Diskin has wound up the best Skeletor voice. Come and get me.

I like Man-At-Arms as the bug on the windshield.

Cool. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "Wrath Of The Mer-Man"

King Grayskull being a bad guy was hinted at before, but essentially confirmed here.

Good arc for Teela.

Mer-Man very much reminds me of a Gremlin.

Skeletor seems to be having fun as a ghost. "King Blandor" is a total Skeletor pun.

Gettin' good. ****.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Tomb Of Grayskull"

I love that there appears to be an in-canon explanation for Thunderpunch He-Man.

They can give Mer-Man the embarrassing death because it's a different continuity. I found the implication that Mer-Man doesn't like the texture of wetness either amusing too.

Big ending too. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "A Leap Of Faith"

I knew it would be Ork-O at the end, if only because he had yet to appear this season.

I didn't much like the episode. Tell me if I'm crazy, but he's freaking He-Man. It shouldn't take this much effort to make him give up Havok. Part of him should already be fighting against it the entire time. I don't like the fact that it's such a struggle for him. That's a failing of both the character and the entire show.

I DO however like the idea that Trapjaw is secretly smart, and his dumb-guy routine around Evil-Lynn is partly done to lower her expectations so he can put his own plans into motion without her interference. That's an interesting notion.

But I didn't much like the subtext of He-Man being swayed to the Dark Side so easily. **1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "In-Can't-Ation"

Skeletor's new design is totally badass.

The original Orko's design is pretty old-school cartoon, but I didn't dig Wallace Shawn for the voice.

Speaking of cartoons, it was funny seeing everybody in the 2D Revelation designs.

Pretty good (if a bit heavy on the preachy toddler morals). ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Beginning Of The End"

We have a problem. Having Krass switch sides only upon realizing Skeletor wasn't going to keep his word about reviving her parents is a narrative mistake. Now, no matter what happens, I won't be able to forgive her. If she was forced to make a tough decision to rejoin the good guys I could have eventually done so. Now I can't.

I liked the scene where Man-E-Faces asks Randor how he can be sure his brother is responsible for the storms, a giant laughing skull pops up into the air, and Randor dryly says, "Context". That was a cool moment. Also kinda literate for a kiddie show.

For the record, whatever his intentions and plans turn out to be in the next episode, you'll never convince me He-Man giving up the sword and letting Skeletor win is anything but a tactical mistake. The show thinking it shows a message about the power of friendship instead is crazy.

I liked Skeletor and Krass poking logic holes in He-Man's dumb entrance line. For the record, every thing they stated about its lameness and nonsense was actually true. I like that on this show, Skeletor is literally cooler than He-Man. That's kind of funny.

We'll see how things shake out in the finale, but Krass' arc here is making me even more unhappy than it did last year. ***.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The End Of The Beginning"

It's clear the show was intended to run for at least another season (Kevin Conroy as Hordak / Evil-Lynn's father is NOT where you want to leave things) but also it's clear it was canceled during Netflix's recent animation purge. A shame, although I thought the episode itself was a bit shady.

I mean, it turns out He-Man trading Skeletor the sword for Krass wasn't part of some larger plan, he just really IS that stupid. After learning that I partly believed the heroes didn't even DESERVE to win. Similarly disappointing is learning Trapjaw's cunning in a recent episode was a one-off and the dude actually IS that dumb too.

I thought returning Skeletor to Keldor at the end was a just punishment, but since it's clear the series wasn't supposed to end, it's less impressive realizing they would have eventually undone it.

Like the last episode, the animation in the battle sequences was quite impressive. No denying it.

It was decent, but I wish the show hadn't been canceled and forced to leave us on THAT. ***1/2.
 

StellaMagic

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He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Haunting Of Castle Grayskull"

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

Sorceress is back!

Good premiere. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "Frozen Solid"

Oooh, George Takei as Mer-Man!

Bold opinion: I think Ben Diskin has wound up the best Skeletor voice. Come and get me.

I like Man-At-Arms as the bug on the windshield.

Cool. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "Wrath Of The Mer-Man"

King Grayskull being a bad guy was hinted at before, but essentially confirmed here.

Good arc for Teela.

Mer-Man very much reminds me of a Gremlin.

Skeletor seems to be having fun as a ghost. "King Blandor" is a total Skeletor pun.

Gettin' good. ****.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Tomb Of Grayskull"

I love that there appears to be an in-canon explanation for Thunderpunch He-Man.

They can give Mer-Man the embarrassing death because it's a different continuity. I found the implication that Mer-Man doesn't like the texture of wetness either amusing too.

Big ending too. ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "A Leap Of Faith"

I knew it would be Ork-O at the end, if only because he had yet to appear this season.

I didn't much like the episode. Tell me if I'm crazy, but he's freaking He-Man. It shouldn't take this much effort to make him give up Havok. Part of him should already be fighting against it the entire time. I don't like the fact that it's such a struggle for him. That's a failing of both the character and the entire show.

I DO however like the idea that Trapjaw is secretly smart, and his dumb-guy routine around Evil-Lynn is partly done to lower her expectations so he can put his own plans into motion without her interference. That's an interesting notion.

But I didn't much like the subtext of He-Man being swayed to the Dark Side so easily. **1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "In-Can't-Ation"

Skeletor's new design is totally badass.

The original Orko's design is pretty old-school cartoon, but I didn't dig Wallace Shawn for the voice.

Speaking of cartoons, it was funny seeing everybody in the 2D Revelation designs.

Pretty good (if a bit heavy on the preachy toddler morals). ***1/2.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The Beginning Of The End"

We have a problem. Having Krass switch sides only upon realizing Skeletor wasn't going to keep his word about reviving her parents is a narrative mistake. Now, no matter what happens, I won't be able to forgive her. If she was forced to make a tough decision to rejoin the good guys I could have eventually done so. Now I can't.

I liked the scene where Man-E-Faces asks Randor how he can be sure his brother is responsible for the storms, a giant laughing skull pops up into the air, and Randor dryly says, "Context". That was a cool moment. Also kinda literate for a kiddie show.

For the record, whatever his intentions and plans turn out to be in the next episode, you'll never convince me He-Man giving up the sword and letting Skeletor win is anything but a tactical mistake. The show thinking it shows a message about the power of friendship instead is crazy.

I liked Skeletor and Krass poking logic holes in He-Man's dumb entrance line. For the record, every thing they stated about its lameness and nonsense was actually true. I like that on this show, Skeletor is literally cooler than He-Man. That's kind of funny.

We'll see how things shake out in the finale, but Krass' arc here is making me even more unhappy than it did last year. ***.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe "The End Of The Beginning"

It's clear the show was intended to run for at least another season (Kevin Conroy as Hordak / Evil-Lynn's father is NOT where you want to leave things) but also it's clear it was canceled during Netflix's recent animation purge. A shame, although I thought the episode itself was a bit shady.

I mean, it turns out He-Man trading Skeletor the sword for Krass wasn't part of some larger plan, he just really IS that stupid. After learning that I partly believed the heroes didn't even DESERVE to win. Similarly disappointing is learning Trapjaw's cunning in a recent episode was a one-off and the dude actually IS that dumb too.

I thought returning Skeletor to Keldor at the end was a just punishment, but since it's clear the series wasn't supposed to end, it's less impressive realizing they would have eventually undone it.

Like the last episode, the animation in the battle sequences was quite impressive. No denying it.

It was decent, but I wish the show hadn't been canceled and forced to leave us on THAT. ***1/2.
What about Hordak?
 

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