Miracle Workers: End Times Season 4 Episode 6 Review: Olympus

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

While Miracle Workers: End Times Season 4 Episode 6, “Olympus,” does produce a few laughs, the overall episode falls a bit flat. Once again, it feels as though the writers are trying too hard to be as obnoxious as possible.

From harvesting Sid’s organs to odd sexual tension between Tai and Morris, this episode gives quirky new meaning — and not in a positive way.

Even Scrapps is unable to save the day this time around because his story is just as bizarre.

Move to Olympus and Die

First and foremost, the sudden mention of Freya’s parents might have been fun and funny if the story had proceeded to take place in Boomtown. However, moving the narrative to this bougie elite city in the sky called Olympus pushes the narrative into something that has been way overdone in recent years.

We don’t need any more stories about scrappy people being forced into proximity with rich folks who live in a higher society than them. The whole culture shock aspect of Miracle Workers: End Times Season 4 Episode 6, “Olympus,” is tired and unnecessary. 

Watching Sid be shoved into this world of plenty that he’s never experienced, only to be ridiculed in ways he doesn’t realize, is terrible. It’s not that funny and, at times, borders on cringe more than anything.

While using Sid to harvest his organs to keep Freya’s father in tip-top shape is something that hasn’t been explored before, it’s still not quirky enough to overpower how disturbing it is.

Anyone that has ever been the butt of a joke without realizing they’re the butt of the joke can relate to Sid’s situation and therefore doesn’t find it funny in the slightest. In the year 2023, haven’t we moved past creating comedy at the expense of someone else’s shortcomings?

Meanwhile, Freya and Scrapps are being thrown to the wolves and pressured to change in order to “fit in.” And while Scrapps’ moments teeter on the edge of comical, there is still way too much to unpack about the “other pets” to truly laugh at the exchanges.

Freya is a perfect example of a child who has passions the parents just don’t understand, so they are trying to pressure her into a different life option. Thankfully, the writers create an opportunity for Freya to stand up for herself, her husband, and their happy future together.

This whole portion of the episode is meant to be a satire of rich people but ends up being a wasted opportunity for growth for Freya or Sid. Instead, Freya once again shows that she might be shortsighted with regard to Sid on occasion, but ultimately she does love him more than anything.

What is Going On With Tai and Morris?

Based on the funny, slightly quippy RomCom-esque moments between Tai and Morris and the two bond over a ball pit repair, you’d think something substantial would come from this experience. Instead, we end up where we started, with Tai looking down his nose at Morris and Morris hating robots once more.

When growth, like we see with Tai and Morris, starts to happen, it makes no sense for the writers to veer left and put the characters right back where they were when we started. Which makes this whole scenario a waste of time.

Morris didn’t really gain any brownie points for evolving even slightly into a better person. And Tai continues to prove that he can’t commit to anything, not even friendship.

What is the point of that highly charged scene where Morris helps Tai replace his ink cartridge so that he can finish painting Morris? Every inch of that exchange screams romance or at least the softening of their edges.

Instead, by the end, it’s as if Tai has wiped everything he just did from his memory and can’t fathom ever doing it again. 

The writers have missed a major opportunity here to allow both Morris and Tai to look their commitment issues straight in the face and defy them. 

As it stands, Miracle Workers: End Times once again presents big ideas that could be fun, but end up unproductive and bizarre. We are 4 episodes from the end of the season, and we have yet to see a purpose to this season as a whole or an ending point.

Maybe if they took the time to give these characters goals, we could care about their growth and development more.

 

What did you think of this episode of Miracle Workers: End Times? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Miracle Workers: End Times airs Mondays at 10/9c on TBS.

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