Review: Arby ‘N The Chief Episode 16

arby

Spoilers Below

Alas, I can finally say I review a show where I honestly look forward to each week’s newest episode. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy most of the shows I write about, but I wouldn’t say I’m eager to watch their latest installments, a statement I can say for Arby n the Chief. It’s not just the witty or silly banter, but lately it’s the storyline as well. As the show gets darker, I find myself drawn to it even more, which is odd considering the general lightheartedness of the show’s previous seasons. Of course because I feel so strongly about it, this will conveniently be the show’s last season. Great.

Honestly though, whodathunk I’d enjoy a show about Halo so much? (Although I also enjoy Red vs. Blue, so technically it’s two shows.) I was never an avid gamer, though I played a decent amount of video games in elementary and middle school. Nowadays I generally stick to my Wii, N64, or Sega Genesis. My experience in Halo was limited to the occasional random times in college when my buddy gave me his Xbox controller to hold while it was his turn to hit the … books?

Anyway, now that I’m used to it all, I enjoy it – the Halo premise and the animation. I haven’t said this before, but visually Arby n the Chief is beautiful, and this episode shows it. The animation is smooth, with never an awkward movement by the characters – unless of course it’s intentional.

Speaking of characters, this 13-minute episode takes over seven minutes to get to Arby n Chief in the thing. Once they appear, there’s a bit of humor peppered in.

The scene of the duo vomiting due to a bad hangover for Arbiter and, well, pure revenge for Chief, was funny and if I’m not mistaken, the show’s first use of vomiting. It also continues my ongoing confusion in regard to how many human capabilities and bodily functions the action figures can carry out. They clearly drink a lot, and apparently can vomit, but they don’t really use the bathroom, aside from an occasional hiding place or a bathtub to get drunk in. How odd…

And just when you’re thinking about all this – BAM! – out of nowhere (again!) the show knocks you on your ass. I swear this shit is all-of-a-sudden the Breaking Bad of Halo-based Machinima. No matter how drawn out the episode is, or how much they seem to be setting up plot or having drawn-out conversations, the show always seems to pull the rug out from underneath you sometime in the last 30 seconds. And then you want more, but you’re watching it week-to-week, so you must unfortunately wait. I won’t spill any details, but the Arbiter is the Walter White of Arby n the Chief, and you can run tell that, homeboy.

See you next week!

(7.5/10)