The Return of Master Monk Guan
I’m always up for a change of scenery when it comes to principle locations, if only for a time, so that’s a point of intrigue for this episode. However, premises can’t save a lackluster story with off character moments, and that’s what’s on display.
It’s worth noting how much our heroes have been getting beaten about by the villains lately. They’ve let loose the most powerful being of evil and lost a lot of their Shen Gong Wu as well as the powerful Treasure of the Blind Swordsman. Speaking of the latter, in Hannibal Bean’s possession, it gives the Xiaolin Warriors more humiliating defeats than average. With the forces of evil growing stronger, it’s decided that the Warriors must go to a different temple for more advanced training. The chosen temple is run by fellow ally, Master Monk Guan. Being a character who’s only been shown once, there isn’t much to expect from him, but this episode leaves impressions that are very hard to make out.
At first, Guan acts as a generic wise monk offering the Warriors great pampering when they first arrive. Then the next day, he’s instantly acting as a drill sergeant grilling the Warriors like they’re in military school. Shouting orders, grueling exercises, and belittling anyone who dares to ask questions is as unjust and frustrating as one may imagine, and a lot of appeal is instantly drained. It hardly even feels like a natural shift in behavior given how convincingly warm and inviting Guan was introduced as. It’s a total mood whiplash, and not a welcome one.
He gets especially hard to watch when it comes to Raimundo who always seems to get the worst of Guan’s grilling. Through an open mind, one can argue that all this is in the name of preparing for ultimate evil, but Raimundo’s humiliation still feels unwarranted. Not only does he get the worst exercises, but he’s even open to humiliation, and unfairly leads to his friends suffering whenever he has to suffer. In regards to his friends needing to suffer with him, it’s honestly honorable that this is what drives Raimundo to quit as opposed to intense exercises and even an embarrassing name change. However, any honor of this decision seems compromised when Raimundo runs into Hannibal Bean who appears to convince him to join him and betray the Warriors. This is when the most sympathetic character can’t even remain likable, especially since this isn’t the first time Raimundo turned on his friends.
He goes on to steal his friends’ Shen Gong Wu, and Omi has to face him in a Xiaolin Showdown that’s largely uneven in fairness. There’s a brawl where Raimundo has the bigger advantage, and Omi gets beaten badly. It’s only when a sudden loophole that ups the wager for the Warriors to get back more Shen Gong Wu and the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman if Omi wins when things fall into place. In fact, sudden is a good word to describe the resolution when it turns out Raimudo was faking going bad again the whole time, and it was a ploy to beat Hannibal. The same is true for Guan’s psychotic drill sergeant ways that was set up by him and Raimundo the whole time. All of this is partially believable, but it’s also too convenient to fully buy, especially with how genuine everything felt. If that’s not enough, even Guan’s first appearance is made worse in the end when he turns out to have several Spears of Guan instead of just the one he gave Omi. So we see that he almost traded Dojo’s life for nothing.
There may be meaning behind
what happens in this episode, but story directions make it one of the most
baffling of the series.
D+
The Ranking
1. Bird of Paradise
2. Oil in the Family
3. The Treasure of the Blind Swordsman
4. Finding Omi
5. Omi Town
6. The Life and Times of Hannibal Roy
Bean
7. The Return of Master Monk Guan
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where things get deeply fascinating in a look into Raimundo's dreams and insecurities.
If you would like to check out other Xiaolin Showdown reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
I believe this makes for your lowest-rated episode in the entire show so far, if I'm not mistaken.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this was a very unpleasant episode to watch. The worst part is the retcon with the spear. It just totally crapped all over the earlier episode.