Wellington Paranormal Review: Mobots (Season 2 Episode 6)
Wellington Paranormal Season 2 Episode 6, “Mobots,” serves as a lackluster outing compared to last week’s episode. That’s not to say it’s weak, but “Mobots” is proof that sometimes experimentation doesn’t always pan out.
Perhaps “inconsistent” is more apropos here. Most, if not all, of the jokes land; however, the energy and pacing falter when tested against past episodes.
MAAKA: Pepper spray is for assailants’ eyes, not for pies.
That said, props to Wellington Paranormal for stepping outside of the box. Robots and artificial intelligence are a far cry from werewolves, ghosts, and vampires. Some AI-related bits are hysterical — namely, O’Leary and Minogue’s battle with the vape-pen robot and the vintage cellphones playing Snake.
While the jokes are funny, the real crux of “Mobots” (and Wellington Paranormal in general) is the performances and character relationships. Karen O’Leary and Mike Minogue boast great chemistry, and it shows here. Not only that, but Lynda Topp is a fantastic addition as O’Leary’s no-nonsense yet sweet mum.
MINOGUE: Do you know he’s got a tattoo of mum’s back on his face now?
It’s great to see more of our leading trio’s personal lives, and this peek behind the curtain reveals the bare bones of a backstory for O’Leary, who’s a bit of an enigma in the series. While the show doesn’t explicitly address it, it does hint at O’Leary’s sexuality. But there’s something refreshing about a character’s sexuality not being associated as a critical quality or trait.
O’LEARY: It’s like a fruit salad that’s got diarrhea!
As per usual, Maaka Pohatu is a scene-stealer alongside Minogue and Thomas Sainsbury. Sainsbury’s appearance on “Mobots” is brief but hilariously memorable. Pohatu kicks Sergeant Maaka’s thinly-veiled know-it-all attitude into high gear to comical effect.
“Mobots” struggles with its pacing, and it hastily presents a resolution in the final seconds of the episode. It’s not uncommon for Wellington Paranormal to rush its endings, but not to this degree. Additionally, this outing is a strange one to use as a season finale.
MINOGUE: You know I can’t remember where things are when I’m panicking!
Overall, “Mobots” falls slightly flat, but it’s still a fun Wellington Paranormal installment. Season 2 is a delightfully kooky good time with all the deliciously deadpan humor, bumbling buffoonery, supernatural phenomena, and top-tier comedic performances one could want. It’s an intelligent series that deserves more recognition, and here’s hoping Season 3 will take it up a notch.
Stray Observations:
- In case you were unaware, Jemaine Clement voices the mobot and helms this episode. More Jemaine Clement is always a good thing.
- Prediction: we finally meet Minogue’s brother Adam in Season 3 (well, consider this some good ole fashioned manifesting).
- Petition to promote Parker to the Wellington Paranormal Unit (Petition hopefully granted!)?
- O’Leary and Minogue fighting vape smoke is one of the funniest scenes on the show.
- We need more of Mrs. Mum O’Leary!
What did you think of this episode of Wellington Paranormal? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Wellington Paranormal is now streaming on The CW.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.