The New Kid
Episode #06 (385-556) - The New Kid
Original Airdate - November 18th, 2000
Science whiz Virgil is sent to a school for gifted students funded
by billionaire Alva, where he works on a fantastic robotics project,
not realizing that the robot is a sentry specifically designed to
locate – and destroy – Static.
Media by Bird Boy
Review by Matt Zimmer
Sketch: Daisy |
Credits:
Supervising Producer Alan Burnett
Producer Scott Jeralds
Associate Producer Shaun McLaughlin
Story by Stan Berkowitz, Alan Burnett
Teleplay by Rodney Vaccaro
Directed by Denys Cowan
Music by Stanley Clarke
Animation by Koko Enterprise Co., LTD.
Voices:
Phil LaMarr as Virgil Hawkins/Static
Jason Marsden as Richie Foley
Kerrigan Mahan as Edwin Alva
Crystal Scales as Daisy
Bever-Leigh Banfield as Ms. Wepman
Patton Oswalt as Specs
Michael Rosenbaum as Trapper
Kevin Michael Richardson as Robert
Mguel Sandoval as Principal Aguilar
Marcus Toji as Duncan/Henry
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Review
Virgil attends a school for the gifted while Edwin Alva aims to capture
Static.
Virgil learns that he has been accepted at the Vanmoor Institute, a
school for gifted kids. He is ecstatic when he meets a cute girl there
named Daisy but quickly sours when he learns that two arrogant
upperclassmen, Specs and Trapper, will be running his science class.
They instruct the students to build an electronic eye to track static
electricity. Virgil completes the assignment easily but doesn't realize
that Specs and Trapper are being told to find a way to track Static and
capture him so that Edwin Alva's scientists can study him. Virgil and
Daisy go back to the class to find out something and overhear Specs,
Trapper, and Alva's plans. They are seen and run off while Virgil tells
Daisy he will go for help. Static shows up and spirits Daisy away as a
giant robot that Specs and Trapper created chases after them. Static
lures the robot to Alva's headquarters and uses Alva as a shield to
protect himself from Specs and Trapper who are controlling the robot
remotely. Daisy and two other kids from her class manage to short out
the robots power supply by cutting power to the school and Alva, Specs
and Trapper are defeated. Virgil goes back Dakota High but realizes his
experience wasn't a total lost when he finds out Daisy was transferred
there too.
This was a decent episode and a good introduction to Specs and Trapper.
Though I love Patton Oswalt and Micheal Rosenbaum their constant
addressing of each other by their names preceded by Mister is highly
annoying. Still, Alva is a great villain as we aren't exactly clear what
his motivations for wanting to study Static are and we want to learn
more about them.
Another good thing about the episode is the introduction of Daisy who
makes a much better love interest for Virgil than the dull-as-dirt
Frieda.
The story itself was good. I think the idea of kids having to fight
their teachers is a good one and I'm sure the younger kids in the
audience sympathized with Virgil this episode. One thing most Static
bashers, who insist Static should not be a part of the DCAU, forget is
that Static Shock is a show designed to appeal to much younger viewers
than Batman: The Animated Series or Justice League. I think the series
manages to find the right balance between producing stories that younger
children will enjoy while not really dumbing it down for older viewers.
I think that if people watch the show with that in mind it's much easier
too like.
The animation in this episode had a few errors and was choppy in places
but I still think it got across what it needed too. Honestly, an episode
about a robot chasing Static doesn't really NEED top-tier animation.
This was a good episode, I thought and I am glad we got to see more of
Alva in the future.
Story: ****
Animation: **1/2
Average: ***
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