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The Tick
"Funeral"
Episode 1.02
After such a sparkling start, it's understandable that the second episode would seem a bit lackluster by comparison. Like I said in my previous review, the pilot episode of a series is often very different than the rest of the series. The same goes for the Tick, apparently. No major character changes, really, but costumes were altered slightly and performances were kind of off.
Patrick Warburton, who had so skillfully captured the childlike exuberance of his character in the first episode, seems to have lost grip of the personality ever so slightly. It may have been simply been sophomore jitters, but I just kept wondering why Warburton sounded like he had a killer chest cold during the taping.
The Tick from the pilot and the Tick in this episode are technically the same, but with a different role in the story. The Tick in the pilot acted as a driving force, propelling the story from one scene to the next. This time around, he's almost a side character as Arthur, Janet and Manuel deal with their personal freakouts. Even in the scene where Tick learns everything dies, his antennae did half the acting.
Anyway, about the episode itself -- Arthur's hero, the Immortal, is visiting the City on a book signing tour. Captain Liberty has been assigned as the Immortal's personal escort during his trip. In a barely-hinted-at subplot, there's a really cute girl that's been casting flirtatious glances at Arthur but when presented with the opportunity to ask her out, he chokes. While Batmanuel gives Arthur some tips on how to deal with his social awkwardness, he gets a call from Captain Liberty.
Seems like Liberty and Superm- I mean, the Immortal got their superhuman groove on at her apartment. As if his sexually excited heat vision scorching her ceiling wasn't bad enough, Immortal up and dies in the act. The scene in her apartment with the corpse wrapped in Janet's star-spangled blanket and Batmanuel on crisis control really gave me the heartiest laughs of the night. So Batmanuel has to impersonate the Immortal while Tick and Arthur dump the body at the Immortal's hotel. By the end of everyone's harrowing adventures into fanboydom and existential ponderings of mortality, Arthur gets the girl's phone number and Tick comes to an understanding of death. Hooray for resolution!
I'm not really feeling this episode. I'm glad the series isn't following a villain of the week format, but the body-hiding gag is so trite it would make Jack Tripper groan. There weren't even any particularly memorable Tick-isms. "Mr. Mope"? No thanks. Hey, I just got a theory on why Warburton's delivery was a bit stiffer this time around.
The costume.
I don't know how snugly those sculpted muscles hug his form, but I'd be surprised if Warburton can ever get a full breath in that thing. It isn't the most flexible thing in the world either, he can't even turn his head, I'm amazed they can get the man to walk let alone throw a fake corpse into the wild blue yonder. Of all the costumes that could use some augmentation, it's the Tick's.
Most everyone else's costumes were altered a bit -- Arthur's remained the same as far as I could tell, but Captain Liberty's tiara was moved back, leaving her bangs down which almost made me think she was a different actress. And Batmanuel's collar has to go, I'm sorry.
And I can't think of a way to properly conclude this review so I think I'll just end it with this sentence.
Episode Rating: 5 out of 10.
Daniel Solis had a case of writer's block. Could you tell?
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