Episode V : JAAACK IIIN SPAAACEEE

"The best things in life make you sweaty." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

Synopsis:

"Jack and a group of scientists join forces to try to escape the wrath of Aku."

Robots, rockets, scientists, and more! Jack haplessly walks through woods and suddenly finds himself battling praying mantis kill-bots. Their target, a group of scientists trying to leave Aku's planet, are simply helpless. Fortunately, Samurai Jack rescues them all. The scientists had constructed a rocket to propel themselves through space to a new home. However, with the destruction of the robots, Aku sends an even larger army - to both cut of their escape in space and on land. Samurai Jack has no choice but to help them again and fly through space. They had a plan to send him back to the past, but when duty calls, Samurai Jack must help others before himself. 

Breakdown:
Having started breaking down every episode, I have found a common trend: Each episode begins with Jack in the wilderness peacefully wandering around looking for his way home. This is already a terrible curse. Then, he will randomly find himself in the middle of a scuffle of some kind and inevitably help whomever he comes across. Here is no different.

Except today, he found a rocket ship. 

Now, this may not seem like much of a surprise given all that he has found already on this new developed planet. However, it should be noted that he Never Goes Back Into Space Again. Ever. He sees all kinds of technology, but this is the first and the last time he will have an adventure quite like this one.  He finds all kinds of scientists.

And just like any team of scientists, all they can find is trouble. That is why Samurai Jack has to fight the killer mantis robots - who only assess the situation after they arrive. Here is what goes down: 1) Jack gets chased by missiles. 2) Jack finds a rocket. 3) Scientists. 4) Kill-bots arrive and assess the situation.

These bots look directly at Jack and view him as a non-threat. Then they look at the rocket and say that they have broken Aku laws 101 and 203 - "Habitation in unauthorized facility" and "Construction of escape vehicle." Aku needs to have his hardware up to date. There should never be a time when Aku does not know where Jack is on his planet. If Jack is there, it is not like he will ignore the robots either. He will destroy them. So it isn't even like Aku is saving himself trouble by just going after the scientists.

Aku is not saving even a lil' trouble. (Jack's got some mad hops.) 

The kill-mantis-bots say the only punishment is extermination. Jack disagrees and flips his way to victory. One of the beheaded robots is actually a homing beacon that blasts off into the distance in order to alert Aku something is up. With this, the scientists ask Jack for his help because there is no possible way they can fight anything off. Even with all their science. They even admit to having been the ones to make Aku's bots...

"Our odds of survival are now 6,352,271 to 1!" 

We also get some other odds presented to us. That purple dude with the glasses points out that it the odds of Samurai Jack saving them in the first place were 6,923 to 1 and that Jack can be victorious fighting a space battle is 5,437 to 1. Little did they realize that Jack never has a chance less than 100% of helping people. These scientists haven't even asked him if he will help yet. Fortunately, simply mentioning Aku and he's all game.

Yep, Aku is definitely coming for us... 

If Samurai Jack didn't just randomly find peoples/species of the world whom needed his help, then that means Aku is just ransacking the globe constantly - murdering everyone and anything that tries to stand up against him. This makes Samurai Jack even more of a thorn in his spine because it doesn't matter what Aku does - he just simply can't make Jack bend. Furthermore, there is no real timetable that discusses how far apart these instances are - they could be days, weeks, months, years, hours and sometimes, minutes!

After some meaningless tests, they equip jack with a space suit and attach a nuclear fusion jet-pack to him. Instead of taking their petty instructions, Jack flies around trying to figure out what he's doing. However, this is no test for him as he is quickly able to learn the controls and pull off some intense acrobatics - such as cutting the tops of trees off as he flies and using his sword as a pivot to turn him around.

Once Jack is situated, we learn about what the problem is with these scientists. Aku has been abusing their intelligence to create robots. They describe it as slavery. They only wish to go to their "new home" (which exists somewhere I guess?). They wear space suits all the time to deal with the pollution. Jack doesn't seem to mind it at all - and he is from a time when pollution was not even a thing. Then they party.

An interesting thought - if there is a planet willing to take these scientists, then surely there is a whole group of planets that are all against Aku. Perhaps there is a legion of planets simply working to bring this crazed demon down. The universe of Samurai Jack is likely very complex - but Jack is a simple man with a simple life. We see only what he sees.

The following morning, they all blast into space. Then Jack starts fighting robots. Again, in space. He is able to fly around without getting disorientated and continue to fight all kinds of bugs-like robots. This is literally Galaga. They were able to devise a place to send Jack back to the past: When their ship hits sub-light speed, they can shoot Jack in a pod in front of them so that he goes past light speed and travels through time. Though Steven Hawking has already described how this is impossible (because instead you just approach the speed of light but never reach it), we all wish the best for our hero.

I Have the POWER!
FLAME OF UDUN!
Flameo. 

From ticks, then to mosquitos, and finally bees. Jack does not care. It is hard to determine, but I have the inclination that Aku could have a moon base. All of these bugs simply appear in the sky and are already out in a perimeter in front of them. If Aku deals with trans-planetary traders and smugglers and people trying to escape, it would make sense that he has some sort of system in place to keep everything in line.

After scaring the rest of the hornet space kill-bots away, Jack takes his place in the ship preparing for light speed. However, the robots wise up and form a giant gun to blast them. The odds are "325 to 1" that they actually hit them, but the best way to ensure the outcome you want is to not take the chance. Samurai Jack pulls out of the space ship in order to ensure that the scientists make it safely. Mortality be damned.

Just as the scientists blast off into space, Jack defeats the mega bug gun and explodes - cartwheeling his way back through the abyss. Fortunately, he sets himself on a collision course for Earth by some bizarre chance. And crashes.

Is now a good time to fart?

Again, Jack does not care. He simply accepts his fate and turns it into what he wants. There was never a doubt in his mind he wouldn't survive space or re-entry or crashing onto Earth. He just ... DOES.

Here is one of the most incredible moments for Samurai Jack. He is crossing the gray area from Myth to Legend and it is only episode V. This was an excellent turnaround from the last episode... all 'pain' from watching this series is really trivial. Jack is just so good.

Lesson(s):

Mr. Smith - "Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Yes? No? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. [...] You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?"
Neo - "Because I choose to."

Matrix Revolutions 2003

Why does Jack continue to fight? How does he know he will ever succeed? He talks a great deal about meeting his destiny and fulfilling his fate - but Jack actively decides the outcome of every situation he comes across. Here, he took what could have been a grim situation and morphed it to the outcome he was satisfied with - helping others. In the fight against Aku, where Jack's death could be the ultimate end of the universe, the best way to deal with chance is not to play. Instead, change the game. 

It is difficult for a lesser man accept what he has been given. It takes a great man to question why he has what he has. However, it takes a tremendous man to make a change and give back more than he was given. Samurai Jack only knows how to give. This series blames modern society (and Aku I guess), for us not sharing this mindset. 

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. 

Episode III : It's a Dog Eat Dog - Conclusion

"Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. There is no why." ~ Kurt Vonnegut

Synopsis:

"Jack attempts to beat back Aku's army and save a race of canine archaeologists." 

Another rare moment of continuity, as the beginning of the episode opens with another brief montage riding a techno beat, summarizing the last two episodes in possibly thirty seconds. Upon the news that Aku is sending an army of robotic drones their way, Jack concocts a plan to defend their position. After working all through the night, Jack is ready to fight and the dogs are hiding in the ruins of an older human society. Jack brow beats the robotic drones and goes super saiyan to finish them off. Aku is not pleased, but recognizes the opportunity to plan another fight on his own terms. 

Breakdown:

Having no thumbs, these dogs are incredibly versatile to handle all the different kinds of machines they have at their disposal. It is thanks to the incredible ingenuity of Jack that they are able to create a plan to defend themselves. 

What is most important here, is the level of ingenuity that Jack actually has. His ability to be dropped into any setting, understand the technology, and use it in a creative way to fight off an enemy he does not know is a simply unfathomable task. He does not know what robots do, hardly understands guns, only spent a brief time in a rocket, and has to defend around 100 canines by himself. He did not understand how to use a ball point pen, but he knew the best means to protect their position in a resourceful and creative way. 

Most ridiculous machine ever. 

While the dogs are making trenches, licking rock (yes, they have licking machines), setting traps, and fixing armor for Jack and his incredible 6 legged steed, Jack is busy working on things he knows. For example, checking to see that sharp looking crystals are actually sharp. Then promptly turning them into weapons - spears, arrows, and pungee pits. With his strong affinity for exotic alien animals (which looks oddly like the horse things in James Cameron's Avatar), Jack tames this beast with an apple. 

The Whiniest Dog In the World

Jack also is able to make a bow and arrow from a bar he takes out of a machine, some wire, the legs of another machine, and the crystals easily found everywhere. As I mentioned, Some dogs fix him some armor, Jack makes a war banner, and then the sun rises. That is when the Aku's army arrives. 

"You will pay for my pain in the past with your pain in the future" - Aku

And just like with LOTR, with the rising of the sun - in the east - a new day breaks. And it will conquer over evil. 

I realized watching the sun rise that Samurai Jack has been awake for literally two days. He had traveled to Japan, got his sword, met his father, rode straight on to Aku that night and fought him. Aku then flings him into the future where he jumps from flying car to flying car to safety. Following his run in with lizard men, he is greeted by talking dogs and whisked away by rocket-mo-car to their community, where he devises a plan to help them fight off Aku. He spends all night creating defenses so that once the sun comes up, he can fight this vast robotic army by himself by way of hell storm of swords, spears, arrows, rockets, and other traps. When his job is done, he simply says, "There is no need for thanks." 

THIS IS HOW I ROLL

If Jack gave a F#@$ before, he certainly does not give one now. This fight literally takes up 2/3's of the episode. We are looking at literally 13/48's preparation and 1/16 montage. The fight sequences for the conclusion of these three episodes sets the bar at a new level. We glimpse the possibilities of this show from an action packed stand point. Later, we learn about the philosophical, symbolic, and dramatic properties of this show. 

It is not often we see Jack with a bow and arrow. But this episode shows that he is never off the beat. It was probably years ago that he shot around with Robin hood (or centuries, however you decide to look at it), and it still does not matter since he can shoot his crystal arrows through rock. Riding 6 legged horse monster beast horseback, he is able to shoot buttons like it's his job - activating catapults. Jack sets his level of acrobatics down in the episode too - jumping from pillar of rock to another pillar of rock to set off another rocket jet. Did I mention that the robotic drones couldn't make the leap? They are robots of war and they can't keep up with him. 

And the robots are beginning to understand what it means to be 'Terrified.'

Samurai Jack simply accepted what had happened to him, stepped up to the plate, ignored the pitch, and ran around cutting down the basemen. His steed rams robots with its head, smashing them to bits, his spears can kill five at a time, and he hasn't pulled out his sword yet. 

The dogs are helpless and practically useless. They don't know which is more scary: Jack or Aku. 

The world had yet to see a true good step up to fight Aku. Samurai Jack is just as dangerous as the shapeshifting master of darkness as he is the essence of all ancient history embodied and trained into one man. And when his sword is unsheathed - the most concentrated instrument of righteousness ever created on this Earth - there is no stopping him. 

The longer he fights, the slower the action becomes - emphasizing his acute senses and raw passion to defeating Aku. Soon, there are no longer exploding bug drones, but oil leaking exoskeletons of robotic failures. It is a bloodbath. Naturally, there could not actually be blood in the series unless you are a robot or a battle scar. 

This is simply the breaking point for Jack. He is overcome with emotion for his family, for the horror and oppression Aku has brought to the world, and his own plight. He recognizes that it will be a long road ahead of him if he wishes to return to the past and undo this future. (I would almost argue that a future with Aku might be better off than the political and economic state we are in presently... but that seems to be a different topic.) 

I have emphasized Samurai Jack's incredible genius, might, and skill. What I have not addressed is the retarded nature of the bug drones. They are of a great number, but obviously not too many that a single man cannot handle with creative effort. The drones have some very serious flaws - which are directly (I presume) the fault of Aku (unless he bought them from a third party). For example, they have no special sensors, guns, or mobility. They simply run, stand up, and swing their arms around. Fortunately for Jack, they do not self destruct, they do not shoot lasers, nor do they communicate with each other. Jack is better than them in every way; outrunning them, out maneuvering them, out smarting them, simply beating them. 

There is an instant, when there are only a handful left, when Jack closes his eyes, and a drone takes a step backwards. He flashes his eyes back open and calmly says, "No. There is no escape." 

"He is stronger than I remember..." ~ Aku

And Aku is really pissed off. If his incredibly lousy drone army can't stop Jack, then what will it be? Aku begrudgingly accepts his long forgotten problem; "My eyes and ears are everywhere - Nothing you do shall be unseen: The world is mine. We shall meet again when I see fit, in a time and place of my choosing." 

What this shows us is that Aku is seriously unprepared. He had thousands of years of uninterrupted rule with plenty of time to plan out how to best fight Jack. He came up with nothing. Furthermore, it seems that he did not know exactly when Jack was going to come back... It was surprising for him. Aku is a very well designed villain, who does as every villain does - plans only for the short term. That is why I believe Skeletor from He-Man is the best villain. Period. But that has no room in the universe of Samurai Jack. 

Lesson(s): 

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." ~ Gandalf; LOTR 

Samurai Jack's character has expanded every episode thus far. Starting as a child, he became a fighter, a time traveler, a tourist, and finally a nomad - traveling the earth in hopes of finding a path to fight for the salvation of the Earth. Jack recognizes that what is the past will stay that way unless he is able to move forward and make due with what time is left to him. This is the ultimate test of endurance. 

It can be very difficult to seize every moment to its maximum, or continue to push forward when things seem to be at their bleakest. But everyone on this Earth has a different challenge specific to them and it is up to them to make the most of everything that happens. In the grand scheme of things, the only person we really have to blame is ourselves. This is a fundamental truth that is among the hardest to learn, especially when it is so easy to push blame. Moving past these notions, past regret, past yourself, are harder than any individual challenge someone might face. Focus on what will make you stronger and don't lose sight of your goals.