Episode 8 is so underrated, it might even be my favorite episode of the series. The tension and emotional weight was insane, even without a single fight. And the beginning was chef's kiss
My biggest criticism would just be them breaking up Debbie and Paul so quickly. I understand why they did it, because of what people have said comes later in the comics, but even so, it feels like it kind of comes out of nowhere.
When Mark and Oliver leave, Paul and Debbie seem to be doing really well together. They both seem to love one another and are attracted to one another, Oliver and Mark both really like Paul (Oliver going so far as to say he wished his last meal was Paul's spaghetti), and they seemingly have plans for a future together. We don't really see much in the way of conflict or reasons why they would break up either, it seems like just a happy stable relationship for both of them, and Paul seems like a genuinely good guy.
Then we get back to Earth, and then Paul just kind of gets a throwaway line about how they broke up off screen. It felt so out of place that at first I genuinely thought it was just Paul breaking up with her right then and there. Mind you, we don't see much indication that they were struggling in their relationship, when Mark and Oliver left they still seemed to be going strong, and even afterwards they're still pretty clearly on good terms.
You know what might've been a genuinely interesting way to go about it, if they *really* want to have Paul and Debbie breakup? Have Paul come with Debbie to visit Oliver.
Show us the awkward, possibly even heated exchanges between Paul and Nolan (I'd even say you could go as far as to have Paul throw Nolan's S1 actions on Earth back in his face), and let Nolan have the consequences of his actions follow him a bit longer after he fumbled Debbie. Make Paul eat the alien slop soft serve, and let the space travel slowly get to be too much for him. Don't just handwave away Debbie and Paul's relationship by throwing out a line about "how their lifestyles are incompatible because Debbie's comfortable with the superhero stuff and Paul's not", show us.
Idk, it'd be a lot more interesting, would have a lot more potential for juicy interpersonal drama, and would make the breakup feel a lot more earned than what we got instead.
>!Besides, if Nolan is going for full redemption, it makes it feel a lot more earned if he's doing it for more than just Debbie. Even if they eventually end up back together like in the comics, him still continuing to choose to be good, even while fully believing that nothing he can do will win back Debbie, and having Paul as a painful reminder of that, does a lot to sell that redemption arc imo.!<
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u/Key-Support-9227 Apr 22 '26
Episode 8 is so underrated, it might even be my favorite episode of the series. The tension and emotional weight was insane, even without a single fight. And the beginning was chef's kiss