I'm not going to hold it so againts this episode because it's the first one and they were still figuring it out. I found Tucker and Sam annoying in this episode, it felt like the writting jumped from plotpoint to plot point. The Lunch Lady was a fine villain, probably the best part of the episode.
5/10. Thank goodness it gets better.
I'm actually surprised people hate this episode so much. It's not like it's very good, but I feel that, aside from the main villain (a nothing villain) it's fine. It develop Tucker in a decent way and I actually understood him. I feel like Sam and Danny's personality and relationshi with Tuck were exaggerated for story purposes (and the classmates of the trio were annoying, even more than usual). Like I said HotepRa felt like a nothing character, they could've made it an object that made Tucker evil and it wouldn't affect anything.
5.5/10 not so good but not so bad either.
This suddenly got me. The writting really left everything at last minute for Jax's backstory revelations (since in the bar scene he only joked about it) so... yeah. I feel we've been dragging it for forever just seeing Jax depressed and hopping one episode we'll learn something.
I just watched both gen 2 films for the first time today (yeah... they're not good), I remember when it came out everyone hated it for clear reasons (it was a very sudden change between generations). Since Gen 3 became a thing, I hear less and less about Gen 2 movies and it's few web episodes. How do y'all feel about it?
I don't know, I've always disliked it since the first time I read it. I don't really have a problem with Danny hating Christmas (although I do have to admit that Danny's parents always fighting over Santa Claus was cheesy, but I understand that his trauma comes from other things, like being peed on by a wolf as a baby).
Now, if there's one thing people sometimes get wrong, it's that they think the writer punished Danny (in the first place) just for not liking Christmas, when he punished him for destroying his work AND being happy about it when he saw it broken. What he did do was mess with his Christmas traumas, especially since he blamed him for numerous crimes. So it went from being a matter of "you accidentally destroyed my work and were happy to find out it JUST HAPPENED to be a Christmas book" to "You need to start to enjoy Christmas." Like, what Danny's parent were doing was supposed to be a tradition when it go Danny in uncomfortable situations? It's actually kind of OOC for Jazz to not call out her parents atp for that considering the flashbacks.
Damn, it doesn't even count as a "don't take out your traumas on others" kind of thing because Danny was just destroying a couple of Christmas decorations (which he assumed he made or got), but everything else he "did" was planned by the Ghostwriter, not something Danny had planned to do. That part was definitely poorly written.
I did like the ghost gathering, the fight the Ghostwriter created, and the Ghostwriter concept itself, although I feel like his powers were a bit broken. The rhymes were an interesting aspect. But it's not an episode I'd be dying to rewatch.
4/10
Skulker's debut! I really liked how they introduced him in this episode; he seems more intimidating and terrifying, and it fits. His goal at the end of the day is to hunt down/kill Danny, if you don't want to put sugar on him. I also like that Danny struggles with letting his friends help him, but in the end, that ends up saving them. The humor also worked very well. The only ''meh'' things would be the magazine biology and grade subplots, but doesnt affect much. 8/10.
I'll give it to em, that was a ballsy move
This is one of my favorite episodes. I have a soft spot for episodes that deal with any internal conflict Danny has, and this one definitely fits the bill. Both versions of Danny are very charismatic.
Tucker and Sam were also particularly understanding of Danny, and I like that Sam especially didn't show favoritism towards either side of Danny (in this episode) and that Tucker chose Danny's human side. It also makes the ending, where they confess they love both sides of him, even more touching (their friendship was actually nicer in the first two seasons).
This last point isn't a complaint, but Technus isn't really one of my favorite ghosts, but this chapter was good. Overall, 8.5/10
May I say overhated episode?
Maybe it's my bias to Jazz and Danny relationship's episodes, but I think it's a good episode. It does have cringe scenes (ehem... THAT scene), but I can get thought them. I love how it's a mix of Jazz trying to understand Danny's powers, and her being unaware of what's going the fuck up. I feel like Youngblood's character works better in this episode, now on hos own without Ember, and I find it in character for him to stay goofy even in his evil plan.
And I know I say THAT scene it's cringe, but I appreciate Jazz distancing herself from her ''adult teenager'' persona thanks to Danny. I've always feel sad she feels so much like an adult she was targered as an adult by YoungBlood in ''Pirate's Radio''.
7/10.
I have a great fondness for this episode since it was the first one I saw of the series, and I rewatched it a couple of months ago. I like that they used Danny and Tucker's friendship as a source of conflict (it's one of the early episodes, and you can see that Danny was still learning to deal with his powers).
Also, Desiree is amazing as a villain; it's a shame they didn't use her more beyond "Memory Blank" because her powers and backstory had great potential. Tucker's character doesn't feel annoyng and it kinda makes sense for him to feel lesser to Danny, and I love the way his ghost part consumed him slowly.
8/10.
I'll let You get your own conclusions on that.
(PD: I had a typo, this is #2 part)
Gonna be honest, I reaaaally don't like this one. It made Danny and Vlad's relationship as enemies feel like a joke (pulling pranks on each other when the last time they saw each other it was a LIFE OR DEATH matter kind of shit). Vlad as the mayor was an interesting concept but it felt very out of nowhere and I don't feel like the show did anything compelling with it. 3/10, at least some jokes are good.
In my opinion? It's meh, not very memorable, but it's not that bad either. 5/10.
(no hate to the authors of the whispers)