That's
the end? Afraid so, my friends. This is the final recap for the final season
of Jem Reviewed. And let's
just say that there's a lot to talk about.
Season 3 was an abbreviated one where parts of the show didn't make much
sense. We also had the Stingers replace
the Misfits as the main antagonists of the Holograms, which had mixed
results. And unlike the previous season
reviews, I think I'm going to present this a little bit differently.
Before I do that, I should probably give you some links to any and all the previous links to past reviews...you know, in case you missed some along the way. Click on the different looking text to access the links to SEASON 1 and SEASON 2.
Before I do that, I should probably give you some links to any and all the previous links to past reviews...you know, in case you missed some along the way. Click on the different looking text to access the links to SEASON 1 and SEASON 2.
And
the following twelve links below will take you to all of the episode recaps for
season three.
04/28/17 - Episode 58: Homeland, Heartland
05/05/17 - Episode 59: Midsummer Night's Madness
05/12/17 - Episode 60: The Day the Music Died
05/19/17 - Episode 61: That Old Houdini Magic
05/26/17 - Episode 62: Straight From the Heart
06/02/17 - Episode 63: A Change of Heart
06/09/17 - Episode 64: Riot's Hope
06/16/17 - Episode 65: A Father Should Be...
05/05/17 - Episode 59: Midsummer Night's Madness
05/12/17 - Episode 60: The Day the Music Died
05/19/17 - Episode 61: That Old Houdini Magic
05/26/17 - Episode 62: Straight From the Heart
06/02/17 - Episode 63: A Change of Heart
06/09/17 - Episode 64: Riot's Hope
06/16/17 - Episode 65: A Father Should Be...
Now,
because the third season was so short (and because the Misfits only appeared in
like four episodes), I'm going to do the character profiles over the course of
how they improved (or devolved) over the course of the series. I'm going to rank them from worst to best,
and I'm going to do main characters.
That's all the Holograms, Misfits, Stingers, and I'll even throw in Rio
and Eric Raymond for fun. By my
calculations, that's a total of fourteen characters. (I thought about including
Synergy here, but let's face it, she'd be an easy #1 anyway). Let's begin by the character I can't stand
the most.
14th Place: Rio
Gee...no shocker here, right? I mean, I've only practically made fun of him this whole series and inserted plant kicking references at every opportunity. To be honest, I have no use for Rio. Even though in every opportunity, Rio was dating Jerrica, it's hard to excuse the fact that he'd cheat on her with Jem (and Jaime in "Midsummer Night's Madness") at a drop of a JemStar earring. His jealousy towards every male who got near Jerrica/Jem got tiring after a while, and he really just comes across as an arrogant jerk most times. Sometimes I think he'd be better off chasing after Kimber.
13th Place: Eric Raymond
I
know...how can I rank Eric above Rio?
His personality is so slimy that you'd think he was born in a vat of
motor oil! This is true. But unlike Rio who always tries to make
excuses for his jerky behaviour, at least Eric owns up to the fact that he's a
complete jerk. That honesty is why he's
ranked higher than Rio. Make no mistake
though...I still can't stand him.
12th Place: Rapture
There
isn't really anything wrong with Rapture of the Stingers...but there's not a
whole lot right either. She's
just...there. I mean, yes, she has the
ability to use hypnosis, she's skilled with magic, and can read tarot cards
like nobody's business. But that's
really all she did. Easily the Stinger
with the weakest sting.
11th Place: Jetta
On one hand, Jetta does personify the real meaning of the term Misfit. She's such a Misfit that even her own parents seem ashamed of her and vice versa. The problem is that Jetta is such a Misfit that she almost seems sociopathic in comparison to the other three. From hiring people to smash Raya's dad's greenhouse to trying to scam her own bandmate out of millions, Jetta's unlikable personality leaves me wondering how she managed to stay in the Misfits in the first place!
On one hand, Jetta does personify the real meaning of the term Misfit. She's such a Misfit that even her own parents seem ashamed of her and vice versa. The problem is that Jetta is such a Misfit that she almost seems sociopathic in comparison to the other three. From hiring people to smash Raya's dad's greenhouse to trying to scam her own bandmate out of millions, Jetta's unlikable personality leaves me wondering how she managed to stay in the Misfits in the first place!
10th Place: Shana
I hate to rank Shana so low, mainly because she's probably one of the nicest characters in the whole show. Her placement at #10 is merely because she was always shoved to the side in favour of Kimber and Raya quite often. When she was heavily featured in a show, it was in a fashion themed one, like when she designed clothes in Venice, or helping Regine Cesaire out. I wish that there was a way that they could have incorporated more of Shana into the show because she really deserved more.
I hate to rank Shana so low, mainly because she's probably one of the nicest characters in the whole show. Her placement at #10 is merely because she was always shoved to the side in favour of Kimber and Raya quite often. When she was heavily featured in a show, it was in a fashion themed one, like when she designed clothes in Venice, or helping Regine Cesaire out. I wish that there was a way that they could have incorporated more of Shana into the show because she really deserved more.
9th Place: Minx
Minx was one of the more complex characters in the whole series. Even when she tried to be good after Rio saved her life, you could tell that it was either misguided, or that she really was causing mischief behind the goodness. But I will give Minx a lot of credit. She's fiercely loyal to those who respect her. After all, she left a successful group to form the Stingers with Riot because she opened her heart and trusted him. She didn't get a chance to do a whole lot in the series, but what she did was noticeable. I mean, she even got to touch Techrat without him curling up into a ball!
Minx was one of the more complex characters in the whole series. Even when she tried to be good after Rio saved her life, you could tell that it was either misguided, or that she really was causing mischief behind the goodness. But I will give Minx a lot of credit. She's fiercely loyal to those who respect her. After all, she left a successful group to form the Stingers with Riot because she opened her heart and trusted him. She didn't get a chance to do a whole lot in the series, but what she did was noticeable. I mean, she even got to touch Techrat without him curling up into a ball!
8th Place: Jem/Jerrica
I actually considered ranking her much lower than 8th, to be honest. After all, she annoyed me in both of her identities and suffers from so much insecurity she has to adopt a second identity to boost her self-confidence. And at times, she can be as selfish and pig-headed as a Misfit or a Stinger. But you know, I have to give her props for being a foster mother to twelve kids (even though CPS should have taken them away on like seven different occasions), and running a successful record company. And despite all of her flaws, she does have good intentions a lot of the time. Though, I have to say that Rio and Jerrica deserve each other as do Jem and the person at #7.
I actually considered ranking her much lower than 8th, to be honest. After all, she annoyed me in both of her identities and suffers from so much insecurity she has to adopt a second identity to boost her self-confidence. And at times, she can be as selfish and pig-headed as a Misfit or a Stinger. But you know, I have to give her props for being a foster mother to twelve kids (even though CPS should have taken them away on like seven different occasions), and running a successful record company. And despite all of her flaws, she does have good intentions a lot of the time. Though, I have to say that Rio and Jerrica deserve each other as do Jem and the person at #7.
7th Place: Riot
Riot really surprised me. He is one of two characters (the other one is at #5) who as the show progressed, I liked more and more. He began the show as an arrogant rock god who believed that he could use manipulation to get anything and anyone he wanted - but by the end of the show, he became almost the polar opposite. Sure, he still had confidence and swagger...but he also had humility and compassion - especially after Jem reunited him with his estranged father. And as much as I hate to say this, I think Riot brought out more of the best in Jem than Rio ever could.
Riot really surprised me. He is one of two characters (the other one is at #5) who as the show progressed, I liked more and more. He began the show as an arrogant rock god who believed that he could use manipulation to get anything and anyone he wanted - but by the end of the show, he became almost the polar opposite. Sure, he still had confidence and swagger...but he also had humility and compassion - especially after Jem reunited him with his estranged father. And as much as I hate to say this, I think Riot brought out more of the best in Jem than Rio ever could.
6th Place: Roxy
I was really indecisive about Roxy when she first appeared on the show. At first she was a sociopathic woman who didn't care who she hurt. She was the second in command of the Misfits; she had more power than Stormer, but was portrayed more as Pizzazz's lackey a lot of the time. But it wasn't until Roxy's secret of being illiterate came out that we learned just how rough Roxy really had it. And it was Ba Nee's gift of a children's book that set Roxy on the path to self-improvement. Roxy was already considered the most street smart of the Misfits...here's hoping that by the end of the series, she could improve her book smarts as well. If any character deserved it, it was her.
I was really indecisive about Roxy when she first appeared on the show. At first she was a sociopathic woman who didn't care who she hurt. She was the second in command of the Misfits; she had more power than Stormer, but was portrayed more as Pizzazz's lackey a lot of the time. But it wasn't until Roxy's secret of being illiterate came out that we learned just how rough Roxy really had it. And it was Ba Nee's gift of a children's book that set Roxy on the path to self-improvement. Roxy was already considered the most street smart of the Misfits...here's hoping that by the end of the series, she could improve her book smarts as well. If any character deserved it, it was her.
5th Place: Kimber
I DESPISED Kimber during the first season in which she changed boyfriends more than I change my underwear. I mean, seriously, if you looked up indecisive in the dictionary, her photo would be right next to it. Over the course of the series though, she went from being incredibly annoying to a character I felt major sympathy for. Still not over the passing of her father, I can see how Kimber would have a hard time with finding a commitment with a man. By the time she settled down with Sean Harrison, I have a feeling that moment was the one in which Kimber finally matured. How outrageous is that?
I DESPISED Kimber during the first season in which she changed boyfriends more than I change my underwear. I mean, seriously, if you looked up indecisive in the dictionary, her photo would be right next to it. Over the course of the series though, she went from being incredibly annoying to a character I felt major sympathy for. Still not over the passing of her father, I can see how Kimber would have a hard time with finding a commitment with a man. By the time she settled down with Sean Harrison, I have a feeling that moment was the one in which Kimber finally matured. How outrageous is that?
4th Place: Pizzazz
I'm really surprised I have Pizzazz ranked so high on this list - mainly because she's the quintessential spoiled brat (a type of personality I cannot stand). Ah, but it's the reason why she became that way that makes me understand why she is the way she is. She feels that if she can finally make something of herself, she can please her ungrateful father. Her story is very tragic, and I feel like I have to rank her high just because her character is so complex. That, plus she has some awesome one-liners.
I'm really surprised I have Pizzazz ranked so high on this list - mainly because she's the quintessential spoiled brat (a type of personality I cannot stand). Ah, but it's the reason why she became that way that makes me understand why she is the way she is. She feels that if she can finally make something of herself, she can please her ungrateful father. Her story is very tragic, and I feel like I have to rank her high just because her character is so complex. That, plus she has some awesome one-liners.
3rd Place: Stormer
Ah, Stormer. The nice Misfit. The pushover Misfit. The Misfit that is secretly good. It's a brilliant concept, don't you think? Anyway, Stormer is probably even more complex than Pizzazz, because in many ways she is forced to hide who she really is in order to gain acceptance from the other Misfits. When in actuality, if she just would be herself, she'd ironically be loved even more. Both Ashley and Kimber can testify as to what a great person Stormer is, and even Aja has to admit that she's a good gal...after all, Aja is dating her brother. Stormer is far from being a perfect angel though, and it's hard to excuse the fact that she makes mischief with the other Misfits...but deep down inside, anyone who knows the real Stormer knows that they've made a friend for life.
Ah, Stormer. The nice Misfit. The pushover Misfit. The Misfit that is secretly good. It's a brilliant concept, don't you think? Anyway, Stormer is probably even more complex than Pizzazz, because in many ways she is forced to hide who she really is in order to gain acceptance from the other Misfits. When in actuality, if she just would be herself, she'd ironically be loved even more. Both Ashley and Kimber can testify as to what a great person Stormer is, and even Aja has to admit that she's a good gal...after all, Aja is dating her brother. Stormer is far from being a perfect angel though, and it's hard to excuse the fact that she makes mischief with the other Misfits...but deep down inside, anyone who knows the real Stormer knows that they've made a friend for life.
2nd Place: Raya
I was torn between whether to have Raya and Aja as my favourite character of the whole series. Both characters are awesome. But I think the reason why Raya get the silver is because she sometimes has the tendency to be a little bit too much of a yes woman. When Raya first came on the scene, she was a little timid, but had a fighting spirit that came out when she was really fired up. I wish we got to see more of that in Season 3. But Raya is definitely a loyal friend, a kind-hearted individual, and a talented drummer. Easily the best choice the Holograms could have made to replace the then-departed Shana.
I was torn between whether to have Raya and Aja as my favourite character of the whole series. Both characters are awesome. But I think the reason why Raya get the silver is because she sometimes has the tendency to be a little bit too much of a yes woman. When Raya first came on the scene, she was a little timid, but had a fighting spirit that came out when she was really fired up. I wish we got to see more of that in Season 3. But Raya is definitely a loyal friend, a kind-hearted individual, and a talented drummer. Easily the best choice the Holograms could have made to replace the then-departed Shana.
1st Place: Aja
Aja is the most valuable player the Holograms have...and she's also my favourite character of the whole series. She was calm, cool, and collected most of the time and only brought out the badass side of her whenever needed. She could be counted on coming up with most of the brilliant ideas that the Holograms executed, and she's sort of the female version of Techrat - only better dressed and less creepy. For someone who can take Synergy apart and find all the secrets inside of her, Aja would make a great detective. And if you have kept track - aside from Raya, Aja is the only Hologram that NEVER LEFT THE BAND. Extreme loyalty there.
Aja is the most valuable player the Holograms have...and she's also my favourite character of the whole series. She was calm, cool, and collected most of the time and only brought out the badass side of her whenever needed. She could be counted on coming up with most of the brilliant ideas that the Holograms executed, and she's sort of the female version of Techrat - only better dressed and less creepy. For someone who can take Synergy apart and find all the secrets inside of her, Aja would make a great detective. And if you have kept track - aside from Raya, Aja is the only Hologram that NEVER LEFT THE BAND. Extreme loyalty there.
All
right, now it's time for the music portion of the recap...and like I did for
the character profiles, I'll be posting songs that I loved, and songs that I
didn't love. This time around, I won't
exactly be talking about the songs. I
figure the videos are more than enough.
Instead, I'll post links to all the videos, and you can click on them to
see what the cream of the crop were...as well as the worst of the worst.
I've selected fifteen songs in total for my like list (five from each season), and ten from the worst. Agree with my lists? Please comment on it below.
MY PICKS FOR BEST JEM SONGS (15-1)
I've selected fifteen songs in total for my like list (five from each season), and ten from the worst. Agree with my lists? Please comment on it below.
MY PICKS FOR BEST JEM SONGS (15-1)
15. Let Me Take You To The Mardi Gras (Jem) - Episode 45
14. Mind Games (Stingers) - Episode 61
13. Music and Danse (Jem) - Episode 58
14. Mind Games (Stingers) - Episode 61
13. Music and Danse (Jem) - Episode 58
07. A Father Should Be (Ba Nee) - Episode 23
06. Something Is Missing In My Life (Jem) - Episode 33
05. I Like Your Style (Misfits) - Episode 27
06. Something Is Missing In My Life (Jem) - Episode 33
05. I Like Your Style (Misfits) - Episode 27
04. Makin' Mischief (Misfits) - Episode 2
03. Top of the Charts (Misfits) - Episode 60
02. When It's Only Me and the Music (Jem) - Episode 13
01. Designing Woman (Misfits) - Episode 12
03. Top of the Charts (Misfits) - Episode 60
02. When It's Only Me and the Music (Jem) - Episode 13
01. Designing Woman (Misfits) - Episode 12
Yes...I
make no apologies...I LOVE the Misfits.
80% of my Top 5 are Misfits songs.
That said, I do have some Jem and Stingers songs on there. I even have Ba Nee's ode to her father. Love the show or not, Britta Phillips, Ellen
Bernfeld, Gordon Grody, Vicki Sue Robinson, Diva Grey, Florence Warner, and all
of the other talented vocalists did a phenomenal job!
Even
on the tunes that I really didn't like so much...they sang their hearts
out! And the ten songs that I didn't
like from bad to worst are as follows...
MY PICKS FOR WORST JEM SONGS (10-1)
MY PICKS FOR WORST JEM SONGS (10-1)
10. It's Fun To Be Scared (Jem) - Episode 42
09. Hollywood Jem (Jem) - Episode 52
08. I Can See Me (Ashley & The Starlights) - Episode 23
07. Star-Spangled Fantasy (Misfits) - Episode 43
06. The Stingers Theme (Stingers) - Episode 54
09. Hollywood Jem (Jem) - Episode 52
08. I Can See Me (Ashley & The Starlights) - Episode 23
07. Star-Spangled Fantasy (Misfits) - Episode 43
06. The Stingers Theme (Stingers) - Episode 54
05. Midsummer Night's Madness (Jem) - Episode 59
04. Deception (Jem) - Episode 4
03. Happy Ever After (Jem) - Episode 53
02. We're The Misfits in Hawaii (Misfits) - Episode 18
01. I'm Taking a Train (Jem) - Episode 44
04. Deception (Jem) - Episode 4
03. Happy Ever After (Jem) - Episode 53
02. We're The Misfits in Hawaii (Misfits) - Episode 18
01. I'm Taking a Train (Jem) - Episode 44
Interesting
how I find some of the worst songs of the series to be from the latter half of
the show as opposed to the beginning.
Nothing against the singers, but perhaps the songwriting took a nosedive
as the show headed towards cancellation?
Who can say, really? Just
something I noticed.
And
now we come to the episode discussion.
And since we had an abbreviated season for the final one, I'll go ahead
and do three episodes I liked and three episodes I hated.
SEASON 3 EPISODES I LOVED:
1. Episode
64: Riot's Hope - This was the episode that
made me start to see Riot as more than an arrogant rock star. The story behind how the Stingers formed was
very interesting, and unlike Jem and the Holograms, the Stingers really had to
work hard to get their success. That's
to be applauded.
2.
Episode 61: That Old Houdini
Magic - Okay,
so maybe my love of Harry Houdini is clouding my judgment here, but I will say
this...the storyline was very unique and presented well. I really liked the climax of the show where
Astral saved Rapture from drowning after the trick went out of control and
Rapture had to eat a giant slice of humble pie.
3.
Episode 65: A Father Should Be - All right, so this
episode was far from being the perfect finale...however seeing Ba Nee finally
reunited with the father she dreamed of finding. That moment was easily one of the most touching moments of the
whole series.
SEASON 3 EPISODES I DID NOT LOVE:
1. Episode
59: Midsummer Night's Madness - This episode was one hundred percent crap. I mean, it's bad enough that I had to be subjected to the
Riot/Jem/Rio/Jerrica rectangle that was really only a triangle. But having Synergy transform Jerrica into Jamie
to teach her a lesson only served to cause even more confusion and totally
wrecked the episode. The Stingers'
B-plot was lame as well.
2.
Episode 60: The Day The Music Died - Okay, so
maybe hate is a strong word to describe my feelings about this episode. The episode did have the strongest music of
the lot. But the whole way that the
Starlight empire crumbled after Riot took Jem on an island getaway where they
became Survivor contestants...it just seemed way too unbelievable. And it made everybody look like a complete
moron.
3.
Episode 56: Video Wars - The Misfits got hosed this season.
I mean, they really did get forced back to background status so that the
Stingers could be featured more. And on
the one rare occasion that the Misfits headlined a show, they were overshadowed
by Clash, who came up with a plot so twisted that in the end, she was left all
alone without a friend in the world.
It's really one of the few episodes with a bitter ending, and honestly,
it could have been done so much better.
And you never know...I might begin another cartoon review series before you know it. But not now. After 65 episodes, I'm exhausted!
So, once again...this is farewell...but not goodbye.
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