ep70: enter marlene


you darn tootin, she enters.

also on this VHS tape: original TV ads for the action figure series "Rambo: Force of Freedom."

(How did kids play with the Rambo toys? What were his missions? How did he act as a "Force of Freedom?" Did he always start off captured, or on the run from the U.S. Govt? My point here is that Rambo's opponent was everybody, including mostly all military leaders and representatives of all armed forces in every nation he got dropped in. If Rambo saw the G.I. Joe team, he'd probably find a reason to fight them. And I guess that would be awesome.)

Anyway.

Some fanservice (that's the otakus' polite word for Totally Gratuitous T&A) as Marlene enters, of course naked. With big hair covering her parts. Yawn. OK, OK, you guys win. Little boys' imaginations captured everywhere. Sigh.

They also find the BETA FIGHTER! Which, as discussed below, is basically the Alpha Fighter's knobby bitch.

Not really feeling this ep. In kind of a bad mood. Marlene's screaming freakouts ain't helping any. The problem with Marlene is that just as the gang was starting to cohere as a team, here comes the moody alien spy-girl who's gonna be mysterious and awkward and need all the attention, and constantly get it by being naked at inappropriate times. I guess she's a necessary character to give Scott something to do besides launch 196 cluster missiles at everything he sees. I just don't remember liking her.

2 comments:

Michael Colin Mah said...

I'd agree, though I remember liking Marlene by the end. A lot of art-of-the-screenplay issues with her. She seems to me to be a good character fighting her way through being a bad character. The amnesia trope doesn't do a whole lot for me, neither the Alien Other. Green blood? Who cares--she's clearly drawn pretty. I just recall some good moments with her, which might come up later. Or I could have been sentimentally attached to Lisa's voice actor. Do you remember thinking: what is Rook doing wearing that jacket? Is it cold?

dm said...

well, you gotta figure that Rook's gonna accessorize now and then, if you consider that she otherwise wears the exact same red uniform for the ENTIRE JOURNEY TO REFLEX POINT.