Every Action Has a Cost in Thor: Metal Gods Episode 8

The epic metal quest continues in Thor: Metal Gods Episode 8. At the request of an old friend, Thor has once again thrown himself headfirst into a new challenge. From that moment onward, he was dealing with a journey of epic proportions – literally.

To think this all started as a quest to find and save a few humans. Now it’s the hunt for a crown full of unique properties and a man called Nihilator. And let’s not forget, dealing with Loki and all of his mischief.

Thor: Metal Gods is the first Marvel series to hit Serial Box (now Realm), and as such, it’s both creating and breaking the mold. This series has pulled in many classic elements and characters from the Marvel universe while also adding their own twists and accents here and there.

A Tale of Jealousy and Loyalties

Thor: Metal Gods Episode 8 is another action-filled episode in this series. Thor’s quest has taken several surprising turns, which has proven to put Thor entirely out of his element. These new elements are balanced out very nicely by hints of the old – references to the Kree, their warrior ways, and things of that nature. The opening reference to the Flerkens was a nice touch, but I may be slightly biased there (I love their fluffy butts).

Jay Edidin is at the reigns again for this episode, and they did an excellent job of showing us the complexity of the situation. Every character there has a past and their own motives for being there. Those motives are inevitably going to clash, as this episode has been steadily building towards it.

This episode had a lot of great things going for it. Character dynamics and interactions are coming out of every corner, it feels like. And that is going to add to the story in the long run – while creating some additional chaos in the short term.

Another highlight of this episode? The humor. That may be a bit surprising, given the next point I’m going to make. But I really felt like there were several opportunities for laughter here. Starting with that opening quip, I mentioned and ending with a very unexpected reference or two (which are merely rumors, of course).

Perhaps the shining example in this episode is that the writer was able to give some proper weight to Thor’s perspective. This emotional impact is where Thor shines, as evidenced by the last several plot arcs in the comics. It’s lovely to see that sort of depth here, and I honestly can’t wait to see how far it’ll go.

Narration

Thor: Metal Gods Episode 8 came with an audio version to listen to. That’s been the case with every episode, of course. But I can’t state this enough: I love that fans can opt to go with either (or rotate, or find any other combination that works for them). It’s created a whole new experience and one I’ve been looking forward to each week.

Daniel Gillies was the narrator once again, and I am so happy about that fact. This far into the series, there’s no hesitation in identifying his vocalization to each of the characters. It’s like second nature.

One thing I noticed in this episode (which I’m sure was a thing previously but stood out to me this time) was how they broke up each segment. There’s this satisfying guitar sound in the background, which really fits the whole theme of the series. Yet, it’s not obtrusive. That sort of careful planning is why I love this series so much.

Conclusion

Thor: Metal Gods Episode 8 was another dramatic addition to this series. I’ve got to say, Thor’s story has adapted better to this format than I would have ever expected. And while I wasn’t certain about the musical theme of the series, it’s really grown on me. Now I’m actively looking forward to seeing how it’ll come together for the conclusion.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.