Season 1 - 10 episodes (2023)
Rent Unicorn: Warriors Eternal on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Genndy Tartakovsky
Starring: Hazel Doupe, Demari Hunte, Tom Milligan, Paul Tylak
Rated: TV-PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
An evil force is looming across the streets of industrial revolution London when a group of heroes dubbed Unicorn are accidentally reawakened in the bodies of teenagers instead of adult hosts they’ve embodied in the past. With distorted memories and their magical abilities weakened, the trio must work together to unravel the mysteries of their pasts and present that will reveal their path to defeating a timeless threat.
Verdict
I was excited for this show due to the creator, and while it's a solid show it didn't grab me. I would definitely watch a second season, and I think that could provide an opportunity for this show to have a tighter focus. This season boasts heroes and a villain, but the villain seems perfunctory, just there to give the heroes something to do. The crux of the story is Melinda and Emma who inhabit one body, but warring personalities aren't a new idea. It's the depth of that character and this show that prevent this from being too childish or simple. One aspect I really liked is the exploration of collateral damage the heroes create. They do harm people albeit for the greater good. I want to see what season two does with that.
It depends.
Review
From Genndy Tartakovsky, I was first introduced to the creator through Primal. That's an incredible show that's also a difficult act to follow.
The heroes are Melinda, a powerful sorceress, Seng, a cosmic monk, and Edred, a warrior elf. Their souls live forever by inhabiting others' bodies, reincarnating to fight evil through eternity. The group has a magic robot Copernicus that is awakened in late 1800s London and implants the souls of the heroes into bodies of its choosing. The reincarnation of Melinda doesn't quite work. She has no memory of her past, and the person's body she overtakes is still aware in her head, leading to a split personality. This doesn't happen with the other warriors.
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| Copernicus, Seng, Melinda/Emma, Winston, Edred |
Melinda must deal with two personalities, hers and her original bodies, Emma. I like the character depth with Melinda as her two personalities clash. I wish Seng and Edred had as much development.
While the group is fighting a villain, they do cause collateral damage and I appreciate the show addresses that. Emma's fiance Winston and what happens to him is a direct result of Melinda overtaking Emma's body. That's not the only damage left in the warriors' wake, and Melinda wrestles with the repercussions throughout the season.
I wish this had a plan or something more specific. The villain is generic, existing apparently only to balance the show and provide tension. We discover more about the evil in the second half of the season, but while it's a neat tie-in it still doesn't provide an overall trajectory. This show really seems to be about Melinda.
I expected more body jumping based on the premise. I like how this focuses on the damages heroes cause, but the show didn't grab me like I expected. This show certainly has potential, but I hope it focuses more on the Melinda/Emma dynamic. This show certainly has it's moments, but the overall narrative doesn't work as well as the parts.
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