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In my last review, I discussed the origins of The Tick before focusing on the self-titled 2001 TV series.

Last we left out heroes, Tick applied for a hero license.  He ran into a snag when he needed an identity in order to apply.  Arthur came to his aid by filing a missing persons report on Tick.  One day, a woman claimed that Tick was her long lost husband.  She took him home, and Arthur went back to living a normal life.  Arthur and his friends found out about the woman’s true agenda, while Tick tried to find a way to return to his old lifestyle.

Our series continues…

“Arthur Needs Space”, episode 1×05
Written by: David Sacks
Directed by: Bo Welch
Original Air Date: December 13, 2001
Guest Starring: Missi Pyle as Stacy Waxman

Arthur runs into his high school crush named Stacy Waxman.  She suggests to go out for dinner so they can catch up on old times.  Tick is confused when Arthur refuses to tag along.  Captain Liberty and Batmanuel discuss sex with Tick.  Sadly Tick doesn’t understand until he later views a segment on the mating rituals of mantises.

Meanwhile, Captain Liberty is trying to destroy any evidence of her centerfold photos her ex-boyfriend sold to a magazine company.

Side Notes: This was a hilarious episode.  I mean, Tick was taught about sex from watching a segment on the mating rituals of mantises!  He rushed to save Arthur from falling into the same fate as the male mantis on television.  Tick showed that he still retained his innocence and blocked out anything that would break that spell.  Also, I enjoyed the extended cut of Tick screaming into Stacy’s mouth during the end credits.

“Couples”, episode 1×06
Written by: Ross Venokur
Directed by: Danny Leiner
Original Air Date: December 5, 2001
Guest Starring: Patrick Breen and Ron Perlman as Fiery Blaze

Tick and Arthur meet the superheroes Fiery Blaze and Friendly Fire.  The group quickly become friends and set up a date to spend time with each other.  The duo soon realizes that their new friends have an abusive relationship. and the situation escalates when Friendly Fire walks out on Fiery Blaze.  As Tick’s personality changes, his relationship with Arthur starts to become strained.

Meanwhile, Captain Liberty tries to buy a dog to prevent her feelings of isolation.

Side Notes: There were three types of relationships illustrated in this episode.  Tick and Arthur treated each other as equals, unlike the relationship of Fiery Blaze and Friendly Fire.  Their relationship felt domineering and emotionally abusive.  Captain Liberty and Batmanuel were not specifically paired with anyone, yet, despite their flaws, complimented each other.

“Couples” had a running joke about being in a homosexual relationship. Throughout the series, Tick and Arthur’s relationship reflected that insinuation whenever they interacted with each other.  They are clearly friends, but their relationship could look somewhat romantic when it’s taken out of context.

“The Funeral”, episode 1×07
Written by: Christopher McCulloch
Directed by: Andrew Tsao
Original Air Date: November 15, 2001
Special Guest: Sam McMurray as The Immortal.

Captain Liberty is chosen to accompany the infamous Immortal while he’s in town.  Things take a turn for the worse when the Immortal dies while having sex with Captain Liberty.  Her friends help her return the Immortal’s body to his hotel, while she uses Batmanuel to impersonate the dead superhero.

Meanwhile, Arthur tries to bite the bullet and ask a young artist out on a date.

Side Notes: “The Funeral” was a great episode.  It was cut with scenes of Tick giving the Immortal’s eulogy at his funeral.  I was delighted to hear Batmanuel impersonating an American accent, and it’s hilarious that Nestor Carbonell is a Cuban-American from New York.

The Immortal was an egotistical superhero who used people.  Despite his faults, his personality gave me an illustration of a superhero’s ego in a real world setting.  Also, T.J. Thyne from Bones gave a hilarious and borderline creepy performance as an Immortal groupie.

“The Tick vs. Justice”, episode 1×08
Written by: Ben Edlund & Larry Charles
Directed: Mel Damski
Original Air Date: January 17, 2002
Special Guest: Kurt Fuller as Destroyo

Batmanuel gives Tick and Arthur a ride into town.  When they leave, Batmanuel accidentally backs into another driver’s car.  The driver turns out to be the villain Destroyo, who is furious about the accident.  Batmanuel notices illegal substances in Destroyo’s car and turns him in to the authorities.

Destroyo is put on trial and is capable of persuading the court case  in his favor.  Once Tick is arrested for inappropriate courtroom behavior, Arthur and Batmanuel try to gather evidence for the prosecutor to use.  Time is running out, so the pair must act fast.

Meanwhile, Captain Liberty watches over Destroyo at the jail.  It is there that she opens up her feelings to the villain, against his wishes.

Side Notes: “The Tick vs. Justice” was a thrilling episode.  The circumstances left me worried about the cast, and the outcome of the case.

Destroyo was a very fearful figure, played by Kurt Fuller, from Wayne’s World.  His outfit was created by using parts of the robot from “Pilot”.  The Destroyo character was very interesting to me.  I felt bad for the villain, and wished that he hadn’t given up on his dream.

Captain Liberty’s issues, which were hinted at throughout the series, were finally addressed.  I sympathized with her issues and hoped she would overcome her problems in the future.

“The Big Leagues”, episode 1×09
Written by: Lon Diamond
Directed by: Bo Welch
Original Air Date: December 21, 2001
Special Guest: Jonathon Penner as The Champion

Tick and Arthur are invited to join the League of Superheroes.  As the duo goes through the League’s invitation process, they become distant with their friends.

Meanwhile, Captain Liberty is angered by the League’s discriminative ideals.  She gathers other superheroes, who were harshly treated by the League, to file a lawsuit against the organization.  Her case is handled by the lawyer Steve Filbert, who surprisingly looks very familiar to the audience.

Side Notes: “The Big Leagues” was an extremely frustrating episode.  I was happy for Tick and Arthur’s success, yet the organization who invited them was based on bigoted and misogynistic ideals.  The episode’s resolution was satisfying, because it exposed the League’s true personality.

The main cast were the only characters who didn’t appear egotistical like other superheroes on the show.  I’m unclear if this was done for easy identification amongst a crowd, or to illustrate the cast’s uniqueness.

The Tick was a great television series that was canceled before its prime.  The show was a reflection of the hard work the cast and crew accomplished in order to entertain the masses.

The complete series of The Tick is currently available on DVD, and online to watch from sites like YouTube or Hulu.

“When society says jump, we say pass the salt.”

Princess Powerful
princesspowerful@comicattack.net