Author: jvlindorf

After 13 episodes that spanned 11 weeks we have finally reached the end of Crackle’s first animated stop-motion show SuperMansion, and we have landed squarely in developmental hell. The show performed well enough to not be canceled immediately at the end of the season but poorly enough that nearly three weeks later the show has yet to be renewed. One thing the show has going for it is one of its executive producers, powerhouse actor Bryan Cranston. In multiple interviews Cranston has spoken about how much he enjoyed his experience making the show. Even if the Crackle executives are not sold on SuperMansion itself it may be in their best interest to keep Cranston around as they try to expand as a company. If they ever want to compete with companies like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon keeping a talented well-known actor in house is a good strategy. Since we don’t know where the series is going let’s take a look back at its first season and some of its highs and lows.

Best Villain:

SuperMansion’s 2nd villain is its best overall. If you are looking for humor he provides that, if you want an effective agent of evil he may be low on your list. His importance to the show is shown in the title of the first episode “Groaner’s Wild.” It lets you know he is this worlds Joker who is the most important villain in the Batman universe. He is Black Saturn’s arch nemesis which earns him a recurring role that is well above the jailhouse cameos of the other villains.  In the final episode of the season The Groaner and Black Saturn change their status from arch nemesis to frenemies. If there is a second season I am sure that The Groaner will be a part of it taking on Saturn and the new recruits.

Worst Villain(s):

The Injustice Club that was first mentioned by The Groaner in the first episode of the series did not make a single appearance and was only referenced once or twice after. I believe that when a series is aping so much from the Super Friends it needs to include their Legion of Doom. Maybe they are trying to be clever, the initial run of Super Friends did not include the team of villains and maybe they are trying to follow that model. If that is true they should not have hinted at them and just had a random assortment of villains that would join together in a future season, kind of like Spider-Man’s Sinister Six.

Best Hero:

This is my personal choice and I wouldn’t be surprised if most people would choose Rex as the best League of Freedom member. It is his dry sense so humor and frequent sarcasm that makes him my favorite, just think of a robotic Geoffrey from the Fresh Prince. His search for who or what he is hit warp speed in the first episode compared to the rest of the season. In that first episode he went from an oblivious automaton and by the end he was a devote Jew who waited maybe 13 hours to have his Bar Mitzvah instead of 13 years. Throughout the season we got to see him bond with man’s best friend, connect with a child and struggle with the loss of his intelligence on his road to self-discovery. He doesn’t have the most heartfelt moment of the series but over the length of the entire season he is the most human and the easiest to care about.

Worst Hero:

While she is capable of having some funny moments and bringing out the best in Brad, her boyfriend and fellow League member, Cooch does little of interest throughout the season. She was the main focus of episode 5 this season which was titled “Puss in Books,” where we learn of her origin as a house cat in a trailer park and how she is illiterate. She is very loyal to the League and very sexually liberated, she hit on every member of the League except Rex when she is in heat. She preferred being the only female in the house and failed to ever embrace Lex except during Jewbot’s brief stint as Bernice. From the opening scenes till the final minutes of the season she is exactly the same, but if there is a second season she is poised for a major arch.

Favorite Episode:

This is a hard choice because as the season went on the show changed its approach. During the first few episodes it seemed that the main goal was to make jokes and riff on pop-culture topics, the later episodes however saw the league and some of its members evolving. New characters were added and relationships between team members changed for the better or were challenged by infidelity. I think I prefer the earlier episodes to the later ones, if they fit your sense of humor you will have a good time. The biggest problem with the later episodes is repetition, how many times can the same issues come up? We find out Rex’s sex drive has gotten him in trouble over and over and over again. Saturn has self-esteem issues and might care more about looking cool than anything else both of which are seen in multiple episodes. Brad is late to multiple fights because he needs to get high, and Cooch might be part rabbit because her biggest concern is when she will have sex again. American Ranger is a chronic masturbator and always upset with his marriage to the elderly Gloria, who grew old without him. The only character that isn’t constantly hitting the same beats time and time again is my favorite, Jewbot.

Season 2 Predictions:

Since there isn’t a guarantee of a second season yet I will keep this section short with a top 3 list:

We will get a superhero try out segment and or a scene like the orientation segment of the criminally underrated Sky High when they kids have to show off their abilities to the coach.

Brad is not dead, he was shown to be virtually invulnerable while under the influence of his serum. He was also driving a vehicle that is made to drive around deep inside the earth, I’m guessing these two factors equal a premature funeral.

Rex will die, with Bryan Cranston being in constant demand for screen and stage jobs, and he has recently expressed interest in writing and directing a movie. I’m guessing a second season would be his last, but he would probably stay on as a producer.

 

Episode Title: Lex As A Weapon
Original Aired: 12-16-15

The season finale of SuperMansion is finally upon us and like the team the show has evolved over the last 13 episodes. The first few entries in the series relied heavily on pop culture jokes and references, however as the show has continued it has found its comfort zone. While still being topical and making the occasional reference it is telling its own story and not merely aping what Super Friends, the overall inspiration for the team, had done in the past.  While the show is not as funny as it once was it is probably a better “show” than it used to be. While not everyone experienced major change or growth each character is a little different than they were when we first met them. Jewbot and his quest for humanity and Rex with his sudden fatherhood have the largest changes, but they are the Kirk and Spock of this series. Perhaps other viewers will have a different experience than I did and continue to pick out references that are more obscure or less in your face than I am able to.

The title of this week’s episode is an obvious nod to the 1985 Pat Benatar song Sex As A Weapon. Which is about someone who knows the person they are with is bad for them but they are unable to overcome their physical attraction. Your first thought is probably that the main story of this episode will be focused on Lex and Black Saturn,

and you’d be wrong. Lex is the person who kicks off the events that take place in this episode but it is Rex’s relationships that relate back to the song. We know about how his libido and lack of self-control has lead him to having sexual relationships with two team members’ wives and we were shown at least a 3rd illicit affair during a flask back in episode two. We were given a hint of Lex’s parentage in the closing seconds of last week’s episode when Jewbot mentioned that her DNA showed many insect markers. If you remember back to episode two  from 10-8-15 or are currently binge watching season 1 you might be able to guess who her mother is.

The league is a mostly effective team of superheroes but they could be much more effective if they would stop developing personal relationships with their villains. Saturn has an ex that is a cat burglar and his arch nemesis might just be his best friend, and Rex while always thwarting her evil plots could not bring himself to truly stop Frau Mantis. It is the teams’ relationships that are used against them in this episode as they are taken out one by one until only Rex is left to take on Dr. Deviso and the rest of the villains he freed from the underground prison.

Is this finally the formation of the Injustice Club, which I’ve waited for all season? Unfortunately we may never know as they appear to be just a collection of villains and not a team of any sort. I wonder if the Injustice Club was just used as a reference joke and then dropped or if they will show up in season 2. The villains should be able to easily overwhelm Rex since we saw him have issues with several of them in a one on one situation if he is unable to free the rest of the League.

In order to save the world and defeat Dr. Deviso the team may need to take actions that only Harry Stamper would approve of. Do they have what it takes, and who will survive the villainous onslaught, find out on an internet connected device near you.

 

Episode Title: Lexanity
Originally Aired: 12-10-15

After last week a poll says 95% of Americans want to know why Lex is not a full member of the League of Freedom yet. We get the answer to that question in this entertaining episode that is at least 95% filler.

It’s time for the teams’ yearly physicals and because Rex has gotten fatigued of constant prostate exams from traditional doctors the physicals will be handled internally by Jewbot. While he has downloaded all the information any doctor could ever know Jewbot still needs to work on his bedside manner and discretion. We see him walking out of the exam room announcing that their insurance does not cover birth control to Lex and the rest of the waiting room.

Everyone on the team other than Ranger is fine with Jewbot being their doctor, we learn that Ranger is still uncomfortable with modern medicine and technology. There are people who have not traveled through time that have issues with the things science is now capable of doing. Commonly it’s because they don’t understand the process or feel it is unnatural to prolong life or create life in certain ways. One can only imagine how this would affect someone who jumped forward in time by approximately 70 years. We do learn that some of his anger that is directed at Jewbot in this episode is misplaced as he and Gloria are having continued marital issues. After her recent offer of a hall pass to Ranger to make them even for her affair, she has come up with an even worse idea to help their marriage. After Ranger quit the league and then decided to return but then going out while they tried to make sure Dr. Deviso didn’t escape all the tension between Ranger and Rex seems to be gone. I don’t know if this is a side effect of poor writing or time elapsed off screen. Either way it is probably an event that should have been shown to use, especially in an episode that has so little meaning going into the finale next week.

Ranger isn’t the only one having relationship issues, during his physical Brad finds out that he is allergic to cats. Which is really bad when you are dating one, especially one who believes in sex more than conversation.

His allergic reaction is delayed, because the couple has been dating for a few episodes now, but once it begins it progresses quickly, forcing the couple to adapt or let this development be their relationship’s death knell.

One thing that may or may not be filler is the introduction of billionaire defense contractor Ivan Whiff, this universe’s Iron Man, who shows up at the mansion to recruit Lex to his own superhero team. There are two reasons it may not be filler: 1, Lex could leave the League because she’s tired of being an intern and 2, Whiff may be the final villain to be introduced this season. Maybe I am the only one who is smelling a rat when it comes to Whiff but I think he looks very similar to the final villain silhouette in the opening credits.

Lex is unsure about accepting Ivan’s offer, but Black Saturn is ready to join the team immediately even though he wasn’t invited. I don’t know if it is just because Ivan is a rich guy with no powers of his own just technology like Saturn or if team Whiff is known in the universe just not by the audience.

During this episode Jewbot learns a new ability, his appendages are detachable and he can still control them. This new power is only useful for a reoccurring joke in this episode but may be important next week.

While this season has had a few plot points carry over from one episode to another overlap has been kept to a minimum. The penultimate episode this season however ends on a cliffhanger and promises a very exciting finale. One team member could be a traitor and another may be dead hopefully this will all be explained next week on an internet connected device near you.

Episode Title: The Inconceivable Escape of Dr. Devizo
Original Air Date: 12-3-15

Finally in episode 11 of 13 we have been introduced to the biggest villain the league will have to face in season one. Dr. Devizo, voiced by Chris Pine, appears to be safely locked up in the prison under the mansion, along with every other villain from this season, and has 24 hours to escape. On the one-year anniversary of his imprisonment, the super villain has escaped each prison to which he has ever been sent.

Trying to prevent the escape of Dr. Devizo has Rex demanding all hands on deck, with everyone being given a task that could help prevent a breakout. Half of the team is unhappy with the jobs they are assigned. Lex is told to do an inventory of everything in the mansion to make sure Devizo hasn’t gotten his hands on anything he could use as a tool. Saturn is initially happy with his job but becomes irate when he learns he was insulted by Devizo and demands to be more hands on with the villain. Rex denies Saturn’s request, because he wants to be the only one dealing with Devizo directly for two reasons: Rex knows he is the most powerful and feels he could stop Devizo. He also doesn’t want the rest of the team to learn that Devizo was once a member of the league. American Ranger refuses to take Rex’s order to stay and help. Instead, he heads out to use the hall pass Gloria gave him to sleep with another woman as payback for her affair with Rex. The three members that accept the tasks Rex has given them have the least to do in this episode. We see a scene or two of Cooch and Brad searching other inmates cells, just in case they are planning on helping Devizo. Jewbot has the least important task of just standing watch at the entrance to the prison level.

While the rest of the team is back at the mansion, we see Ranger struggling to adapt to dating for the first time in around 70 years. Apparently all of his cable watching and internet searching hasn’t prepared him for hipsters, girls with tattoos and women who are sexually adventurous and okay with one night stands.

Since it has been so long since he went to a bar to try and pick up a woman, Ranger may have subconsciously chosen a bar that makes him feel like he did back then. He decides that his first stop to meet someone will be at the bar called Adolf Churchill’s.

Saturn is originally tasked with patrolling the perimeter of the mansion and making sure no one gets in or out. His inability to get beyond the insult Devizo paid him leads Saturn to go undercover as a new villain named Mange. Mange is nearly an exact copy of Bane from the Dark Knight Rises, complete with mouth piece, a fuzzy coat and an interesting voice.

Saturn ends up sharing a cell with his greatest “frenemy”, the Groaner, who shows him the ropes of living in the league’s prison.

This episode is appropriately titled because Dr. Devizo’s plan is truly inconceivable. Usually when you watch a prison escape or heist movie every detail is planned for, but they need one thing to break their way through, or the plan won’t work. Dr. Devizo’s plan has a strong foundation of taking out one of the heroes, but everything after that is based on luck and coincidence. Even though we are told the Devizo was a member of the league in this episode, we get a hint to that fact in the opening scene. We learn that Devizo likes to drink Subtopian scotch, which is something he could only get from Rex. Rex (the only Subtopian to ever make it to the surface) must have brought it with him in his pod when he drilled to the surface. Not only does Rex provide Devizo with his drink of choice, it is also Rex’s actions that created the super villain. Devizo vowed to one day destroy Rex and the league because Rex had an affair with his wife. It seems that Rex can’t help but take part in extramarital affairs with his friends’ wives. This affair is much less excusable because Devizo was around, unlike Ranger, where Rex and Gloria didn’t know if they would ever see him again.

Will Dr. Devizo keep his streak alive and escape from the mansion? Will Ranger get to use his hall pass? Will Saturn be stuck in prison? And will Cooch ever get to go to Red Lobster? Find out on the latest episode of SuperMansion on an internet connected device near you.

Episode Title: Babes In The Wood
Originally Aired 11-26-15

Babes in the Wood is a children’s story from 1595 that has been reworked and remade for centuries, and is a tale of innocent people in an unexpectedly dangerous situation. This episode is the latest retelling that combines aspects of that children’s story mixed with story lines of hidden relationships all with a twist of Deliverance.

The original plan of this episode is for Rex and Ranger to go camping alone, away from technology and the rest of the league but due to several unexpected encounters the entire league will be joining them. There are no super villains present in this episode but there is enough conflict within the team and with the locals that I didn’t notice the lack of a big fight. The catalyst for the camping trip is Rex’s desire to connect with Ranger and remind him of all the great times they had together back during WWII, and then tell him that he has had a decades long affair with his wife Gloria.

In the spirit of unplugging Jewbot decides to sever the connection to his processing servers and the internet. With only the basic knowledge and computing power he was built with Jewbot struggles with a newfound lack of intelligence. His struggle is short lived however, after a run in with some locals he decides to embrace the lifestyle of replacing intelligence with anger, and resorts to punching things every time he is confused. He  also adopts other rural stereotypes such as the ability to track animals and a willingness to eat roadkill.

The writing is a bit inconsistent because he can speak eloquently about a person’s motivation but doesn’t know what his own hands are.

It seems that the only newcomer to camping is Cooch who is evolved house cat. Cooch can fight super villains putting her life on the line for her teammates and strangers alike in an effort to protect their city and the world; in the woods she is afraid of every branch and gust of wind.

Her increased level of fear is forcing her to become feral in a record amount of time.

Even though she has super powers and is surrounded by her boyfriend and her friends all of whom are heroes she is unable to overcome her fear and her instincts. I think this is something everyone can relate with, there are times when all the facts are pointing towards A but for reasons we are sometimes unable to articulate with choose B. Brad has the least to do in this episode as he tries to sooth Cooch’s fears and then must chase after her once she has become wild. Any member of the team could have taken on those responsibilities but I like having everyone involved, plus we do get to see Brad’s secret commune with nature drug kit which includes: marijuana, mushrooms, cocaine, heroin and probably much more.

The Saturn and Lex relationship that started last week is a major part of this episode. Lex is trying to convince Rex to tell Ranger about his affair with Gloria, while Saturn is trying to hide the fact they are dating from Rex. Saturn is afraid of Rex who is very protective of Lex and won’t hesitate to throw someone face first into the side of a vehicle if they hit on her in a manor he doesn’t approve of.  The relationship will come to light in one of the worst ways possible for Saturn and Rex alike. The one bright side to the way it is revealed is that we learn that Saturn is not completely selfish.

After learning of Rex’s betrayal Ranger is furious and decides that they are they are no longer bffs and that he is leaving the league of freedom. With Jewbot on their side the locals make their move holding Saturn, Cooch Lex, Rex and a drugged out Brad at gun point.

With only a few minutes left in the episode we are left with several questions. Will Rex and Ranger be friends again, will Rex kill Saturn, will Cooch be able to resist the call of the wild and will Jewbot chose to remain angrily ignorant? The most important questions are will Cleb and the other locals get their revenge on Rex and why does he want Rex to drop his pants? To find out the answer to all these questions and more tune in to an internet connected device near you.