Unlike the last episode, which established its subplots early and ultimately converged them, this one is just divided into two halves that, while technically not unrelated, don't complement each other very well. Much of the running length is devoted to Keenan's situation, which obstructs the far more important matters. Were I convinced at any point that this kid is of consequence, that wouldn't be much of a problem. But, alas.
The first 10 minutes or so mostly concerns the question of where to keep Keenan after what transpired in the last episode. More often than not it just seems to be spinning its wheels, a problem only accentuated by the seeming disconnect with the later battle. The scenes in Marcus' home are characterized by light moments and Keenan's continued fish out of water role, neither of which are helped by the Damon family's continued role as window dressing; 22 episodes in and still nothing impressive has been done with either Sarah or Kristy. Had we seen the Data Squad deal with the public ramifications from the last episode and try to anticipate the next move of the Digimon army, everything would have flowed better.
While I maintain that Edgy Mowgli's wrestling with his feelings of not belonging has overstayed its welcome, it does yield a couple of good things. Marcus gets to demonstrate concern for his well-being, which helps endear us to the former even though it doesn't have the weight of Davis' efforts to help Ken in "Digimon 02". Perhaps this is because showing his more compassionate side never proves to be a major aspect of Marcus' character arc. The scene where Keenan mistakenly believes Sarah to be Frigimon is poignant, largely thanks to the music and lack of dialogue. Seriously, Keenan's speech impediment demolishes any line he delivers.
Kurata makes his first formal appearance and his snaky, two-faced nature is instantly on full display. However, he has some inexplicable allergy to digimon, which I find annoying. It's not part of his amiability ruse and the audience already knows he's a villain, so the only conclusion is that the writers thought it would be a good idea; remember how well that worked for the earth queen in "The Legend of Korra"?
SaberLeomon's part in the story is particularly frustrating, not only because it feels tacked on, but also for unabashedly marginalizing him for the benefit of Kurata. The glimpse of the original attack on the Digital World is brought up perfunctorily (as if we couldn't remember the one from a few episodes ago), and clearly crammed in purely to further build up Kurata's malevolence. Ironically, this would have been a good basis for lending credibility to SaberLeomon's actions but, because he meets his unceremonious end here, it's as much a waste as anything.
That being said, the actual fight is, in and of itself, pretty dang good. Not only is the giant smilodon a force to be reckoned with (heck, he dissipates incoming projectiles with a simple roar!) but this is the best showcase for the abilities of this particular species. And, unlike another imminent one-sided fight, this one doesn't make a complete joke of the ultimates, since it is expected that they be unable compete with a mega level digimon.
Unfortunately, all of this makes SaberLeomon's demise all the more embarrassing. In the end, his only purpose was to facilitate the introduction of the Gizumon, which is entirely unnecessary; the imminent demise of Merukimon would have been sufficient for that. Kurata's entry and comments after the fight are foreboding, largely thanks to the background music.
The first 10 minutes or so mostly concerns the question of where to keep Keenan after what transpired in the last episode. More often than not it just seems to be spinning its wheels, a problem only accentuated by the seeming disconnect with the later battle. The scenes in Marcus' home are characterized by light moments and Keenan's continued fish out of water role, neither of which are helped by the Damon family's continued role as window dressing; 22 episodes in and still nothing impressive has been done with either Sarah or Kristy. Had we seen the Data Squad deal with the public ramifications from the last episode and try to anticipate the next move of the Digimon army, everything would have flowed better.
While I maintain that Edgy Mowgli's wrestling with his feelings of not belonging has overstayed its welcome, it does yield a couple of good things. Marcus gets to demonstrate concern for his well-being, which helps endear us to the former even though it doesn't have the weight of Davis' efforts to help Ken in "Digimon 02". Perhaps this is because showing his more compassionate side never proves to be a major aspect of Marcus' character arc. The scene where Keenan mistakenly believes Sarah to be Frigimon is poignant, largely thanks to the music and lack of dialogue. Seriously, Keenan's speech impediment demolishes any line he delivers.
Kurata makes his first formal appearance and his snaky, two-faced nature is instantly on full display. However, he has some inexplicable allergy to digimon, which I find annoying. It's not part of his amiability ruse and the audience already knows he's a villain, so the only conclusion is that the writers thought it would be a good idea; remember how well that worked for the earth queen in "The Legend of Korra"?
SaberLeomon's part in the story is particularly frustrating, not only because it feels tacked on, but also for unabashedly marginalizing him for the benefit of Kurata. The glimpse of the original attack on the Digital World is brought up perfunctorily (as if we couldn't remember the one from a few episodes ago), and clearly crammed in purely to further build up Kurata's malevolence. Ironically, this would have been a good basis for lending credibility to SaberLeomon's actions but, because he meets his unceremonious end here, it's as much a waste as anything.
That being said, the actual fight is, in and of itself, pretty dang good. Not only is the giant smilodon a force to be reckoned with (heck, he dissipates incoming projectiles with a simple roar!) but this is the best showcase for the abilities of this particular species. And, unlike another imminent one-sided fight, this one doesn't make a complete joke of the ultimates, since it is expected that they be unable compete with a mega level digimon.
Unfortunately, all of this makes SaberLeomon's demise all the more embarrassing. In the end, his only purpose was to facilitate the introduction of the Gizumon, which is entirely unnecessary; the imminent demise of Merukimon would have been sufficient for that. Kurata's entry and comments after the fight are foreboding, largely thanks to the background music.
