天下制覇

Oh hell yes. Angsty flashbacks brooded over for two thirds of the episode.

Impressions:

On paper, you'd think the simple premise of being forced to swap partners because… SHUT UP JUST DO IT… could add some dimensions to some of the obnoxious side cast, especially with two of them doubling down this week on being horrible, obnoxious, douche rags. Problem being that it's not the premise of the episode. It's not even introduced until halfway through, whereupon they spend nearly five more minutes crying into their pillows and wringing their hands about it. I guess at least the action this week both existed and was animated, two things that the show's struggled mightily with in recent weeks. Faint praise, I'm aware.

The actual content of the episode is pretty easy to divine by the soundtrack alone of the first fifteen minutes, a neverending wallowing of sad echoing violins and solitary pianos. Which is what we quickly return to a minute or two into the partner swap. For you see, the angstiest one had a flashback bad dream, the best of all plot devices. And the angst was too much for him to beat until someone gave him a pep talk. Which is all he really needed. Chubs and his newfound obsession/bawling fits? No even ostensible lessons learned there. It's cute, or gallant, I guess.