Is it just me, or did "Pokemon" go through this essential scenario nearly a decade before this series?
I use the term "melodramatic" a lot to describe "Data Squad" and here we have another chapter that merits it. One of the more noteworthy problems with this season is the habit of introducing characters and immediately bombarding the audience with heavy emotional stuff, which rarely feels real. To be fair, this can be done within the space of a half-hour episode, but it requires masterfully paced introductions; the anime "Monster", for example, does it for a good chunk of its duration. "Data Squad" doesn't really have that asset, although the boxer from earlier was on the right track.
The Crier family, in my opinion, is a particularly unfortunate example of this, as this episode would have been much more effective had we actually gotten to know them beforehand, perhaps as active members of DATS. With nothing more to go off of than Sampson's brief comments, we are quickly subjected to a rundown of the (partially) bereft couple's tribulations, all delivered in a patently heavy-handed manner. But even this can be recovered from. What really cements this misstep is that after the first five minutes or so, the Criers are relegated to the background to make room for Keenan's wallowing, which prevents them from becoming established as the legitimate characters necessitated for this intended level of emotional heft.
The embarrassing mishap with Hagurumon is woefully contrived and a little too silly for my taste. Seeing that giant golem (for all intents and purposes) cry out for its mother makes it impossible for me to take any of this seriously. What's worse, by excising this obligatory action sequence, room would have been made for a more detailed, thoughtful reunion between Keenan and his human parents. In other words, instead of confining the actual reunion to the end and building up to it with a bunch of expository melodrama and subconscious memory/residual emotion drivel, the entirety of the episode could have been about the Criers trying to reach out to Keenan, who only begins to accept them towards the end. Such a route would have better demonstrated the Criers' determination to reconnect with their son and played to the strengths of Keenan's story: the way everyone reacts to him. Can you imagine how much more poignant it would have been for Keenan to flee after actually meeting Michelle?
There are, however, 3 very good moments. First, Falcomon gets some serious sympathy points by encouraging Keenan to meet his mother; you can really hear the concern in his voice. Second, when Michelle embraces Keenan, her blend of disbelief and joy is palpable. It's perhaps the strongest moment delivered by the Criers because, unlike their later dilemma in "The Beginning of the End", it's completely unique to their situation. Third, Keenan taking the blame for the digital gate to protect his parents is, in my opinion, his best action in the series.
I use the term "melodramatic" a lot to describe "Data Squad" and here we have another chapter that merits it. One of the more noteworthy problems with this season is the habit of introducing characters and immediately bombarding the audience with heavy emotional stuff, which rarely feels real. To be fair, this can be done within the space of a half-hour episode, but it requires masterfully paced introductions; the anime "Monster", for example, does it for a good chunk of its duration. "Data Squad" doesn't really have that asset, although the boxer from earlier was on the right track.
The Crier family, in my opinion, is a particularly unfortunate example of this, as this episode would have been much more effective had we actually gotten to know them beforehand, perhaps as active members of DATS. With nothing more to go off of than Sampson's brief comments, we are quickly subjected to a rundown of the (partially) bereft couple's tribulations, all delivered in a patently heavy-handed manner. But even this can be recovered from. What really cements this misstep is that after the first five minutes or so, the Criers are relegated to the background to make room for Keenan's wallowing, which prevents them from becoming established as the legitimate characters necessitated for this intended level of emotional heft.
The embarrassing mishap with Hagurumon is woefully contrived and a little too silly for my taste. Seeing that giant golem (for all intents and purposes) cry out for its mother makes it impossible for me to take any of this seriously. What's worse, by excising this obligatory action sequence, room would have been made for a more detailed, thoughtful reunion between Keenan and his human parents. In other words, instead of confining the actual reunion to the end and building up to it with a bunch of expository melodrama and subconscious memory/residual emotion drivel, the entirety of the episode could have been about the Criers trying to reach out to Keenan, who only begins to accept them towards the end. Such a route would have better demonstrated the Criers' determination to reconnect with their son and played to the strengths of Keenan's story: the way everyone reacts to him. Can you imagine how much more poignant it would have been for Keenan to flee after actually meeting Michelle?
There are, however, 3 very good moments. First, Falcomon gets some serious sympathy points by encouraging Keenan to meet his mother; you can really hear the concern in his voice. Second, when Michelle embraces Keenan, her blend of disbelief and joy is palpable. It's perhaps the strongest moment delivered by the Criers because, unlike their later dilemma in "The Beginning of the End", it's completely unique to their situation. Third, Keenan taking the blame for the digital gate to protect his parents is, in my opinion, his best action in the series.
