Monsters at Work is back with a brand new episode this week after an average episode last week. This week features a returning character that can either make or break the argument I’ve made every week regarding nostalgia. Will the return succeed in bringing a fresh episode or will it be another nostalgia-induced excuse? Let’s find out…
In this episode – titled “Adorable Returns” – Tylor’s (Ben Feldman) mistakenly allows the banished “Adorable Snowman” to return to Monsters, Inc., while Val (Mindy Kaling) searches for the reason the snowman was banished in the first place. I have to admit, I have never been a big fan of the Adorable Snowman character, so his return really made me curious as to how it would work. My fear however involved this return being another case of nostalgia for no reason. I’m thrilled to say that it worked in many ways, making this episode one of the best ones.
This episode of Monsters at Work was very organic in everything it did. From the Adorable Snowman’s reintroduction to Tylor’s character growth, there really were many things it went for and landed. The main focus was the Snowman’s return and why he got banned in the first place. I thought this worked great and the actual reason as to why he was initially banned was surprising.
The featuring of the Snowman worked really well because it served a purpose. The introduction featured a great Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back reference and also expanded the lore of the franchise. It was fun to see everyone at Monsters, Inc. speculating as to why the Snowman was banned. It just worked and I’m ecstatic to see that it wasn’t just for nostalgia. That said, there was something else that surprised me from this episode greatly as well.
READ: ‘Monsters at Work’ Episode 6 Review
Monsters at Work has done a great job at developing its new characters throughout the season. The best showcase of this was this episode with Tylor. The growth that he has shown has been massive and this episode shows who he truly is as a character. His dream was to become a scarer and that was shattered when the company switched its focus. Now working with MIFT, he’s trying really hard to become a member of the laugh floor and this episode brought him that chance. He stepped back from it because he knew what was really important and I thought that was brilliant for his character. Duncan’s my favorite but Tylor is now slowly climbing up there in the rankings as well.
Overall, Monsters at Work’s seventh episode is the second-best offering of the season so far. The show is at its best when the show strays away from nostalgia and tries new things like expanding the lore. It also features some great character development for Tylor and a Star Wars reference, and that is always a formula for success. – Kenneth Colon
Rating: 9/10
New episodes of Monsters at Work premiere Wednesdays on Disney+.
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