Review: The Cyanide & Happiness Show “Mega Prom”

OVERVIEW

After many years of Mega Mom using her child as a source of her powers, he’s finally grown up and is ready to attend prom. However, Mega Mom soon finds her concern overpowering her and ends up in league with many other parental figures also attempting to stop the prom from getting out of hand. But is Mega Mom truly doing the right thing for her boy with this much parental guidance?

OUR TAKE
The penultimate chapter of this season once again gives us what seems like the closing act for one of the show’s most consistent characters. Much like Lunk or Star Spangled Bastard, Mega Mom was a relatively simple idea that came out of a second season episode about a bunch of rather mundane superhero concepts. In this case, Mega Mom came out of the idea that mothers will sometimes gain a dose of adrenaline when protecting their children, but taken to the nth degree. In fact, she started out as the widow of another superhero, Superdad, who later became Superdead. A shame he didn’t get to make a cameo, actually, since it would have been a great bookend for her story. Anyway, she went on to make a few more appearances as her bit escalated as far as it could go in its original form.

Now we get to see the logical conclusion of Mega Mom’s story, as her son, the source of her powers, must break free of her literal tether to become his own man (or at least a teenager). But in the process of attempting to let go of both her control of her child AND her ability to fight crime, she runs into a series of dark mirrors of herself, most notably being Helicopter Mom, through which she learns that her son will actually be fine without her protection AND could even take care of her with his own strength, which itself is also powered by his need to protect her. It’s a poignant message beneath the ridiculous imagery and over the top characters, but it’s in those sorts of balances that I think the most enduring kinds of stories shine. I don’t think I would be exaggerating that this is probably one of the best of the season, along with “The Animator’s Curse”.

Next week is the season finale, though the title doesn’t seem to imply anything in terms of finality or…really anything other than a weed-powered robot. That definitely sounds like this show’s brand of humor, though hardly something fitting the supposed theme of closure I’ve been getting with half of the season’s episode. But for all I know, that could be a misnomer and I could be in for the most amazing finale ever. Literally everything could be possible with Cyanide & Happiness, so I’ve got about a week to predict what’s in store for this show’s dedicated viewers.