Episode IV : Woolie Slavery

"Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves." ~ Henry David Thoreau

Synopsis:

"Jack helps free the Woolies from the tyrannical Chritchellites."

It is just another adventure in the wilderness for Jack until he meets an escaping large, very hairy animal. This beast is in pursuit by small, mysterious blue men whom thank Jack for capturing it using his own incredible super-hero-like skills. After being taken back to their village to celebrate, Jack becomes perplexed with the obvious: These blue men seem far too advanced technologically to live in such a run down place in the middle of the forest. After a trippy nightmare, Jack puts on his detective hat and discovers that these blue invaders have enslaved these "Woolie" people and then proceeds to rescue them. 

Breakdown: 

In the vast but shallow universe of Samurai Jack, this episode definitely ranks among one of the least interesting stories. Jack does not do anything particularly incredible and the character design is stale. But let us first begin with what we know. 

I think Eeyore's parties would be more intoxicating.  

Jack is comprised of the best parts of human society: Fact. Therefore, catching and eating an entire boar is child's play. Likewise, so is being dragged behind a mammoth by his leg, righting himself up after getting hit by jungle brush, jumping the beast, and driving its face into the ground. Jack, in a matter of 30 seconds, did more than any boy scout could ever hope to accomplish without meaningless merit badges. 

After these super dry, frowny blue devil dudes give the Woolie shock therapy, they find themselves mesmerized by the wonders of this tall, white faced robe man. With such cowboy daring, balance, and respect, the only honorable thing these blue people can offer is a free meal. Which jack finds to be disgusting. 

Most beings aren't as good at helping as I am. 

What... Trickery is this?!

Rare do we see Jack actually ingest food. But it is even more rare that we find him crying. What n treat have these two events diverge so soon in the series. That is just how lousy these monotonous blue men are. They all have the same nasally, complaining voice. Jack should consider this episode a success by virtue of enduring such terrible people. 

These "Chritchellites" have some pretty interesting technology. The lightning rod of ruin, the energy shackles, and the power of hate. The supposed city above is theirs. It is really difficult to find the connection. But Jack, using his keen powers of observation is already at work recognizing how sad these Woolies are and how nonchalant and vague these Chritchellites are. 

These creatures account a history of the land that seems broken and inconsistent. They describe the Woolies as "bloodthirsty creatures" whose "mind control will fry your brain!" The Chritchellites seem really aggressive to big creatures that do not retaliate in any form save from their long sad faces. 

The redeeming part of this episode is Samurai Jack's dream sequence. The styling and art continue to amaze me. Jack is a royal servant to the globe symbolized by purple. It also explains him jumping around through the unknown jungles. (In the days when people had to actually find natural resources to create dyes, purple was among the most rare - because it came from slugs found on the northern coast of Africa.) Then he comes across this gate, illustrating the passage from being a wanderer to a warrior in the struggle against terror. Even with all the terror he slays in this red washed realm, the sandman poisons his mind with a terrifying Woolie. 

But Jack is steadfast. He has no inhibitions or hesitations to prevent him from keeping a firm grasp on his own reality. He knows better than to jump to conclusions and investigates. After finding the Woolie he helped capture (sneaking around blue man group's camp while they sleep), Jack quickly learns that the Woolies are actually prisoners. The PG form of slavery. 

After dodging some guards, they find their way to the main 'pen' that holds all the other Woolies. Jack is a pro lock picker as well who can then put his hair back up instantly. It is hard to believe that his unkempt hair style is so well stylized by a simple black pick. What an age he live(s/d) in. 

It is here, while talking to the oldest (and I guess the first?) Woolie that Jack sees what a prosperous and Utopian society these Woolies used to have. That is, until these blue martians came out of space and enslaved them. However, I wish there was more information on the motives of the Chritchellites. Furthermore, how did Aku not know about them being here on Earth? How did Utopia exist on the same planet as Aku? All this and more, we are unsure. 

Knowledge is best transferred by laser vision. Schools should work on this... 

Oh Snap! Why did we outlaw giant cats and/or Gargamel?!

 So, all the power that the blue smurf people from space have comes from this giant orb that has energy enough to power all their weapons and keep the chains on all the Woolies. Jack does not agree with this, so he and his new friend go to destroy it. But first this happens.

You ever hear a thousand of the same man snore? 

Yes. Jack causes something to fall and catches the rocks with his feet. This would seem impossible, but people are awesome and can do some pretty phenomenal things - including playing a guitar with their feet. Jack just had way too much time on his hands... Feet. 

This buffoon then falls just as Jack is about to make it to the top - crushing one blue man to jelly and then waking up all of them. Jack rushes back down only to throw his sword into this foolish Woolie's side - breaking the light restraints and freeing him to throw some punches. Then they start tossing blue dude's around like confetti. 

Dear God. What have we done. 

Jack blows up the orb, a wall full of Woolies come to share in the fun of massacring a space race, and all seems right in the land. Then the mystical Woolie tells Jack that there is a way that could get him back to his home if he headed North. It is very... Mufasa-ish.

Remember...Remembe...Rememb...Remem...Reme..                                                                                   

Really? Do you know WHO I AM?

Lesson(s):

"My vision would turn your world upside down, tear asunder your illusions, and send the sanctuary of your own ignorance crashing down around you. Now ask yourself, are you ready to see that vision?" ~ Huey Freeman : The Boondocks

We all know people that suffer from extreme ignorance (with side effects of arrogance). I know that I usually do, to some degree, find myself ignorant of a great many things. What I feel separates me from many of the people I know who share this, is that I am able to reconcile my own faults to learn about what I do not know. Those individuals who simply refuse to understand, cope with, or solve the things they are surprised to learn about are the very same people that cause many of the problems in our country today. 

In this episode, some lousy bigot aliens enslave a peaceful race of mammoth men. Without considering the possibilities of friendship, or recognizing their own short comings, these blue dudes continue to to fill their own egos with narcissism. Once they are put on the level, they find themselves helpless. 

For me, this episode might be crumby, but it covers a lot of simple things that could benefit the greater good of all really easily. The golden rule, mutual respect, being symbiotic over parasitic, judging a book by its cover... the cliche's might go on, but they are cliche for a reason. How many people actually follow any of them? These things are not meant to be difficult, simply a good measure of moral standard. 

Huey Freeman's quote directly relates to this. By exposing how people abuse these basic moral and social principles, and contort them into their own distorted perception of reality, they make life more difficult for the rest of us. 

Do not hate or judge. Simply cooperate and synergize.