Episode 4 - It’s Been a While
Mark answers the call to save an alien species, but the mission has unexpected personal consequences.
Full cast, crew and characters
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I was a bit underwhelmed by the Thraxan parts of this episode, in part because I had such high expectations. One of the things the comics did well was the sheer terror of Mark going against an adult Viltrumite other than his father, from the chase by Lucan to the ass beating he was getting from the random Viltrumite. Here, Mark is somehow able to get the better of Thula and only loses because of his hesitation. It reduces the future tension if he can already hold his own against an adult Viltrumite, a veteran no less.
From a narrative standpoint, I also don’t like how they changed Nolan’s motivation for staying on the planet. In the comics, he thought that he could make Thraxa a part of the Viltrum Empire. It showed the even though he was changing, old ways die hard. Considering how he’s more cruel and brutal in the show, the redemption comes a bit too quickly. You’d expect the show version to be more set in his Viltrumite ways.
As for Debbie, I always had a problem with her show character. Comic Debbie is meek and co-dependent, exactly the type of person who would get with an all powerful being with anger issues and not question his past too much. The type of woman who would welcome back an ex-husband who almost killed her son. Show Debbie is a lot stronger and smarter. This makes her more palatable and likable for a mainstream audience, but the relationship no longer rings true, especially if the two later make up. The actions and characterization don’t quite match up, which has been a problem for the show series in an attempt to sanitize the “problematic” elements of the comics.
Anyways, this has been a great adaptation overall, so this criticism comes from a place of love.
I don’t think she needs to be meek and codependent to fall for Nolan, I mean no Superhero girlfriends really are (think of MJ or Lois Lane), maybe she’s a bit naive but that’s a trait that carries on in this as well. I genuinely hated what they did with her in the comics, like by far the worst part of the book for me, this show is doing her so much justice. Honestly I really hope they don’t make up.
It’s not just about getting with a superhero, it’s about getting with a being like nolan and not questioning his past, just readily accepting how cold and arrogant he is, forgiving him for everything he did and said, etc. Guarantee most superhero love interests would not have been able to last in a relationship with Nolan.
Changing Nolan’s motivation really undercuts his confusion later at the deaths of the Thraxans. If he simply conquered them as an offering to the empire then it makes sense that he would be confused at his feelings towards them, they are nothing but chattel. But if he was acting as their protector, then of course he would be angry at them being slaughtered by his own people, the Thraxan’s were his.
I think that it is really a limitation of the media and they really want to speed run Nolan’s redemption arc for the wider audience. Could have definitely cut Donald’s arc to give Nolan and mark some more time.
Not to say I didn’t love the episode, it was still pretty fantastic, especially that opening montage.