Spoilers below!
Shows like this one make me feel like a kid again -- and that's a priceless experience. I don't care how late I'm up on Friday night (4am last night because sometimes you just can't put down the controller, you know?), I set my alarm to make sure I'm up in time to watch Green Lantern: The Animated Series while enjoying a bowl of cereal. This show has been absolutely killing it the past few weeks and the quality of the episodes have been staggeringly impressive. While this is certainly something worth celebrating, it comes as a double-edged sword because we know it's likely the show will soon come to an end as well (thanks for that, Cartoon Network). Anyway, enough of my grumpiness over CN's alleged choice, I'll get back to the episode you came in here to read about.
'Larfleeze' is all about... you guessed it, Larfleeze. The trio of Kilowog, Hal and Razer fly to Okaara to obtain the orange power. Why, you ask? They're desperately seeking a means to help in their struggle against the insanely powerful Anti-Aya-Monitor. Fans of the comics know Larfleeze won't be parting with his battery anytime soon and the result is an action-packed and sometimes hysterical episode.
This episode managed to juggle visceral battles with one-liners very, very well. Razer nailed it with his deadpan delivery twice ("Oh, I get it now. That's hilarious."), Larfleeze's parting offer gave me a chuckle, and the final remark from "Lame-o" plastered a goofy smile on my face. The show has consistently been delivering some really sharp humor.
But when this show wasn't making me grin, it was dropping my jaw with intense fights and really impressive visuals. Yet again the show properly illustrates how powerful these characters are. Every strike sends the victim propelling and the impact is nothing less than brutal when the character smashes into or through a wall and the dust kicks up around them. As usual, the constructs look great but they're particularly impressive when orange ones are destroyed and the energy disperses.
If I had to have one complaint about this episode, it's that the mini-cliffhangers before commercial breaks were a bit silly. Twice we're given the generic "the hero is in trouble! Will he make it out of this one?!" moment and of course, they're easily resolved in mere moments.
The "re-introduction" of Aya gave me the chills. Last time we saw her she said she'd find a way to wipe out all life in one strike... it looks like she wasn't kidding. There was once a time where I was cautious about the Razer/Aya relationship. I can now confidently say I was a fool for thinking that and it absolutely looks like we're going to be treated to a gripping and emotionally powerful conclusion to this story.
Gregg Katzman is a freelance writer for Comic Vine and IGN Entertainment. This is the part where he shamelessly plugs his Twitter page in hopes of getting a new follower or two.