All in the Villainy
It seems that Boxmore is going through more than one major change this season. Initially starting out with Darrell taking over, it’s around the middle of this season when control goes back to Lord Boxman after permanently allying with Professor Venomous. This way, even if things kind of go back to how they were, there is still a new perspective on the lifestyle of this villain company. While they do attack the plaza and our heroes, and are legitimately evil, they’re also a family, and that dynamic is on perfect display for this cartoon. In fact, it makes it one of this show’s most interesting works.
It’s fascinating to see this more humane side of the series’ bad guys at the forefront. There are several family sitcom parodies, the Boxmore robots and Fink doing activities like getting takeout and putting on recitals, and discussions on making the family work. The latter especially has huge weight with Lord Boxman and Professor Venomous seeking what can be best described as parental advice. They sound so worried about making the family work, you’d swear they were a newly married couple.
The big cause for their distress is how one of Lord Boxman’s robots, Darrell, and Professor Venomous’ assistant, Fink, are the only ones who can’t get along. They’re both thrown into typical sitcom ideals of settling conflicts with Darrell and Fink sharing a bedroom. As for Darrell and Fink themselves, there’s really no good reason for them to be this bitter with each other besides not liking change. Normally, I wouldn’t want to stand for petty fights that make both sides look unlikable and annoying, but a few things make this work for entertainment’s sake. Darrell and Fink are already unlikable as they’re both some of the bad guys. Also, their insults, attempts at dividing the room, and their general fighting comes with hilarious facial expressions and passionate vocal performances. It’s like a funny comedy routine with characters who are supposed to be total jerks and is enhanced by commentary from the likes of Raymond and Shannon.
Conflict resolution also has a nice hint of humorous villainy. When Lord Boxman and Professor Venomous see that Darrell and Fink are still at odds, they decide on settling things the easy way by getting them presents. That’s the worst thing to do with bad behavior, but again, it’s not an issue because they’re the bad guys. There are also specific restrictions when Darrel and Fink are told to only use their new gifts to attack the plaza. They set out to do that on K.O., Rad, and Enid, who spend most of the cartoon waiting to finish the fight from the beginning before deciding to just skip things. During the fight, Fink finds a compromise by using her gift to attack K.O., but also save Darrell, and the thrill of excitement is enough to bring them together. The villains are beaten once again, yet the cartoon ends with Darrell and Fink on good terms, a perfect sitcom episode ending, especially for the parental villains.
One thing for
certain is that this cartoon is successful at showcasing another side of the
lives of villains.
A+
Season 2
Rankings
1. Your World is an Illusion
2. T.K.O.’s House
3. Final Exams
4. CarolQuest
5. All in the Villainy
6. Dendy’s Power
7. Crossover Nexus
8. Lord Cowboy Darrell
9. Bittersweet Rivals
10. Red Action to the Future
11. My Fair Carol
12. Are You Ready for Some Megafootball?!
13. Boxman Crashes
14. Wisdom Strength and Charisma
15. Mystery Sleepover
16. Super Black Friday
17. Point to the Plaza
18. Special Delivery
19. Seasons Change
20. The So-Bad-Ical
21. Monster Party
22. Plaza Film Festival
23. Let’s Watch the Boxmore Show
24. Be a Team
25. Plaza Alone
26. Soda Genie
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where K.O. learns what it's like to have a sidekick.
If you would like to check out other OK K.O.! reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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