Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Shard of Lightning (Xiaolin Showdown Season 2 Episode 3) - 'Toon Reviews 35

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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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