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The Shard
of Lightning
Following two incredibly epic episodes to open the season, we
go back to the usual formula of a Shen Gong Wu hunt leading to a valuable
lesson for the main protagonists. The
point is that after setting the bar so high, just about everything to come is
threatened to fall short by comparison.
In fact, the episode’s opening reflects this mood as the Xiaolin
Warriors believe that after defeating Wuya, the only thing worth using the Shen
Gong Wu for is chores. Of course, you
have to consider that there’s always the fact that they’ll be needed to face
enemies during hunts for new Shen Gong Wu, but that’s soon realized.
They’re off to retrieve what becomes a much less
prominently used Shen Gong Wu called the Shard of Lightning which allows the
user to travel at the speed of light.
Despite great efforts to retrieve it from a cliff during a lightning
storm, they’re surprised to find that Jack Spicer has already gotten to
it. Actually, he’s put together a
complete robotic replica of himself programmed to be his best friend and
confidante, and it makes him more competent as a villain than ever. He’s such a formidable foe here that he
actually outshines the alleged mistress of evil.
Speaking of which, this episode also sees
Wuya freed from her puzzle box by Katnappe.
The fact that it was less than one episode ago that she was imprisoned
really makes her coming back so quickly disappointing. It’s not even treated like a big deal since
while everyone else struggled to get it open in the last episode, Katnappe does
so without any trouble. Plus, the major
emphasis on Katnappe finding her seems all for naught since she turns out to be
an incompetent accomplice and quits working for her before the episode’s
out. It just feels like a waste of
build-up and drama towards this team-up that doesn’t go anywhere.
Wuya eventually going back to Jack makes a
whole lot of sense because of this. He
and his robot make a lot of progress with the Shard of Lightning in their
disposal. Unlocking the ability to use
it together by holding it, they not only move so fast they can’t be spotted,
they also manipulate time to humiliate and rob their enemies. The Xiaolin Warriors barely have anything by
the time the Jacks are through.
Through
all this humiliation, it’s still an effective wake-up call to get the Xiaolin
Warriors more attentive of the power their enemies possess. They put up a much stronger fight against
Jack during the next Shen Gong Wu pursuit to ensure he doesn’t get it. Through this comes a set of new moves related
to their elements like the Tornado Strike, the Seismic Kick, the Typhoon Boom,
and something called the “Judolette Flip.”
They’re fun to watch, but they show up without any prompting and seem
kind of confusing. They feel like moves
Xiaolin Apprentices can do, yet Raimundo can do his move despite not
upgrading. You have to wonder why time
wasn’t taken to properly introduce these moves.
Either way, just as Jack’s robot replica starts turning against him,
understanding of their enemies is put to the test when Omi faces both Jacks in
a showdown. He wins by cleverly using
the real Jack’s frustrations of the robot to his advantage and beats him to a
tee. The conclusion is kind of shallow
since the showdown scene ends before it’s won and Jack still has a lot of the
Warriors’ Shen Gong Wu though.
Ultimately, while going back to the formula does hold this episode back
from the premiere and the story has some issues, there’s still good insights
and fun to get out of here.
B+
The Ranking
1. Citadel of Doom
2. Days Past
3. The Shard of Lightning
Be sure to stay tuned for the review for the next episode where another Shen Gong Wu called the Crystal Glasses is revealed.
If you would like to check out other Xiaolin Showdown reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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