The season finale of Creature Commandos is now available on Max, and it’s the best episode of the series. However, what could have been a perfect episode is once again bogged down by James Gunn’s politics. Is this the future of the DCU—cool stories injected with Gunn’s personal touch? Likely.
Recall how the first few episodes portrayed right-wing incels as part of Circe’s army, which made no sense. Then, in the Weasel episode, the cops don’t save the girl but instead arrest Weasel. Welcome to clown world—and bad writing.
In the season finale, Gunn takes another jab at the cops with Nina’s origin story. A closer look at her story reveals that it makes no sense. However, Gunn’s goal seems clear: to push his woke agenda by portraying cops in a negative light. Nina’s story, much like Weasel’s, is crafted to serve that purpose.
I’ve previously questioned why Nina is even part of the Creature Commandos, and this episode does nothing to explain it. Once again, it all seems to revolve around Gunn’s woke, anti-police agenda. Think about it: Gunn’s DCU is already packed with metahumans, so what did Nina do to deserve being arrested, sent to Belle Reve, and forced by Waller to join the Creature Commandos? She has no powers, contributes nothing to the team, and apparently hasn’t even killed anyone. In a world where Aquaman exists, Superman regularly flies around, and Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern looks goofy AF, this is what happens to Nina? Make it make sense, which it does not.
The episode reveals that, after being bullied, Nina decides to abandon her human life. She runs away and finds a new home in a nearby lake in Star City, becoming something of a legend, akin to the Loch Ness monster. Eventually, she’s photographed eating a fish, which causes a public frenzy, leading to her capture. A mob gathers at the scene, including the police. Her father shows up, pushes a cop, and gets shot in the back by a white officer—right in front of his daughter. He wasn’t armed, and his back was turned.
So again, why does Nina end up at Belle Reve? Someone please run to Gunn on Threads and ask.
Another thing that bugged me about the episode is something I’ve mentioned before: Pokolistan’s army. In the first few episodes, we see Circe and her incel army invading Pokolistan, which apparently lacks any defense—hence the need for the Creature Commandos. Yet later, when the Creature Commandos turn on the princess, we suddenly see Pokolistan’s army, complete with tanks and other defenses.
But in this episode, Frank the Simp gets a ride and is dropped off right in front of the castle with no guards in sight and no sign of the army. Meanwhile, the Creature Commandos, who are actively trying to kill the princess, are still on the loose. Make it make sense—because it doesn’t.
Despite my gripes above, the episode is really good. Following last week’s monstrous installment for Phosphorous, I’d argue this episode is even more monstrous. I found myself laughing while also shaking my head—like when they showed Nina as a baby. WTF, LOL.
I also appreciated how Gunn concluded the series. With Creature Commandos Season 2 already announced, he leaves us with a fantastic tease for what’s to come. The episode delivers a very satisfying ending packed with cool twists and “holy shit” moments. The Bride is, without a doubt, the breakout character of the series, followed closely by Phosphorous, who stands out as the most monstrous and is truly the SOB of the bunch.
The Verdict
Creature Commandos is a fun series and well worth the watch. If you can look past Gunn’s at times agenda-driven, lazy writing, you’ll love it. Even with its flaws, it’s still an enjoyable show. The animation is top-notch, the characters are all really cool, and the voice actors are perfect. I can’t wait to see their live-action counterparts—how goofy will David Harbour look as Frank the Simp?!
I’m also looking forward to Season 2 and hope it’s longer than seven episodes, but sticks to the same short, punchy runtime that delivers lots of cool action and story. The season finale gets a solid 9/10.
Mr. Gunn, the DCU would be far better without the blatant politically driven content that undermines the story.
