For a while, this show eased up a bit on the movie references, but the homages are back in full force for this one, which reminded me a whole hell of a lot of VIDEODROME. Anybody of you lunatics who enjoyed the RING movies should check that out, as it was a huge influence on all of them. Deceitful Dr. Londes is basically VIDEODROME's Prof. Brian O’Blivion, although with a bit less creep and a little more Indian guru.
I got a special chuckle over how Spike handled Londes' pamphleteers. Back in college, I had to go through a gauntlet of crazy kids from Lyndon Larouche's street team. I wish I could've handled them with as much wit, but I was usually running late to class. You need some time to be witty..
Knowing that previous episodes weren't broadcast in America for a while because of their proximity to the World Trade Center attacks, I can't help wondering if this episode might’ve had similar trouble when it first ran in Japan. I know that cults have been an especially touchy subject there ever since the Aum Shinrikyu sarin gas attacks and this was broadcast only a few years after all of that. Then again, they do have that sly comment on the kids program where the cutesy host says they're subject to the same rules and restrictions that everything else on the network is. Maybe the Japanese networks are less squeamish about this.Then again, I remember reading about how EVA ran into problems regarding its content, so maybe one of you more knowledgeable lunatics needs to educate me on this.
The told-in-ones are interesting with their set-up and follow-up. We just see that Faye’s in the cult, and have to infer how she got there. Then, we don't really get to her (presumed) deprogramming. I imagine we’ll see her as she usually is, next episode, without any further explanation.
Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE . Order them on Amazon here & here .
