michaelopez-60624 Reviews

Rick and Morty: One Crew over the Crewcoo's Morty (2019) Season 4, Episode 3

Where things get stale...

[6/10 · 4 September 2022]

Rick & Morty has always had a penchant for deconstructing classic sitcom tropes and movie cliches, as is a staple of Dan Harmon's work. However, everything about this particular "deconstruction"/parody of the heist genre just feels completely tired and seldom funny.

The Simpsons did it 10 years ago with "The Book Job", an episode that wasn't perfect but at least was fairly funny and interesting. The numerous twists and attempts at subverting tropes here are just so confusing and convoluted and just bad. And that's not even to mention the fact that pig Elon Musk appears. Mr. Poopy B-hole deserved a better episode to return to.

Though generally I still feel the show is more hit than miss, this is one of the first examples of the show punching below its weight and was a warning of mediocre episodes to come, such as the Voltron episode and the Thanksgiving episodes in season 5.

Bob's Burgers: Boywatch (2018) Season 8, Episode 16

Tina is horny...what else is new?

[6/10 · 21 May 2022]

One of the best things about this show is that I feel the characters became reverse-Flanderized - in that they became well developed past their basic character traits as the series grew. However...this is one of the worst examples of Tina being defined by her lust for boys. It's not funny, it's obnoxious, and it has little in the way to offer of humor.

The B-plot with the wifi is interesting though, I do like when the show is anachronistic and feels like it could exist at any time period (ex: the characters still using VHS tapes).

Bob's Burgers: Wag the Hog (2016) Season 6, Episode 13

Meh...

[6/10 · 23 April 2022]

One of this show's biggest flaws is bringing back one-off characters and treating them like they're old friends. It's a natural thing to do for what is essentially this generation's The Simpsons - an animated sitcom that basically exists in a bubble with its own oddball characters popping up at random intervals, but with Bob's Burgers, it just doesn't work as well.

The show has great "one-off characters who become recurring characters" like Mickey, and then there's ones like Critter and Mudflap. "Ear-sy Rider" was a good episode, but this episode just feels so uninspired. The B-plot with Linda taking care of Sidecar similarly had potential that it just failed to reach comedically.

All in all, one of the weaker efforts of this great season thus far but not one of the show's absolute worst.

Bob's Burgers: Sacred Couch (2016) Season 6, Episode 9

Too dang silly

[6/10 · 21 April 2022]

Do they want the couch or not? What's the whole point of this episode? It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense, even if there's a few good jokes in the mix. The first dud of season 6, imo.

Blindspotting: The Ordeal (2021) Season 1, Episode 1

Welcome to the ordeal...

[7/10 · 15 June 2021]

Blindspotting was one of the best films of the last decade, let alone one of the best films of 2018. So naturally, hearing that they were continuing the story on TV as a spin-off gave me pause. Although seeing as both Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal were still on board, maybe it can't be all that bad! Ashley, after all, was certainly an interesting character.

Well, the series premiere puts us back into Diggs and Casal's interpretation of Oakland and it feels like a natural progression of the story in the feature film. It doesn't have too many bells and whistles, but the episodes' most interesting moments derive from the spoken poetry segments from Jasmine Cephas-Jones as well as the dance sequences. There has been a lot of talk of people wanting to see Black art that isn't strictly focused on Black suffering and it seems like Blindspotting may fill that void.

Although as of right now, it's hard to judge the series based on what is just groundwork being set. Though, I do have high hopes for this series and confidence that the writing, directing, and acting will be as top notch as it was in the feature film. Also, a surprised Anthony Ramos cameo is always welcomed.

Rick and Morty: Big Trouble in Little Sanchez (2015) Season 2, Episode 7

One of season 2's weaker moments

[7/10 · 6 June 2021]

So far season 2 of Rick and Morty has been an absolute blast. However, this episode feels like more of a one trick pony than anything else. Seeing Tiny Rick is funny at first and makes for a few good gags but they don't really do anything all that special with him.

The B-plot with Beth and Jerry, imo, is completely disposable if entertaining nonetheless. That being said, the end and post-credits scene and really funny and the Elliott Smith reference is based and indiepilled.

Rick and Morty: The Ricks Must Be Crazy (2015) Season 2, Episode 6

One of the weaker season 2 episodes

[8/10 · 31 May 2021]

Car battery plotline just feels like retreaded ground for a show that very rarely retraces its steps (at this point). However, the B-plot with Summer really makes the episode and is super funny, thus I can't really rate it lower than a 7. Still though, it feels like a step down from most season 2 episodes.