TV Review: ‘Twisted Metal’ Season 1, Episode 7
by Frank Martin
It’s become abundantly clear that the best episodes of Twisted Metal are the ones revolving around cars and living on the road. So, an episode about its two main characters resting at a pit stop obviously doesn’t fall into that category — nevertheless, it does its best to increase tension and action. It is a notable attempt, but shows these days need to stand out from the crowd. They need to do something that gives them a unique signature that makes it worthwhile to watch. Seeing a bunch of drivers in a bar fight just isn’t it, regardless of how silly the show tries to make it.
After finally reaching New Chicago, John (Anthony Mackie) and Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz) pick up the package and head back on the road. They decide to stop at a milkman pit stop to fill up on gas. There they meet one of John’s old flings, who has a lot to say about him. Everything is more or less fine until she discovers that John’s package will get him into New San Francisco. She then orchestrates an all out bar fight in order to steal it from him. Meanwhile, Sweet Tooth (Samoa Joe and Will Arnett) reveals his origins as a child actor turned homicidal maniac.
Besides John and Quiet at the rest stop, there were two other notable issues with this episode. The first was just how quickly they arrived and left New Chicago. Of course, this is what life is like as a milkman. They picked the package and left, which is more or less what they were supposed to do. It just felt strange having such a brief scene after spending so much time to get there. Also, revealing Sweet Tooth’s origins was probably a mistake. Although it was interesting to see, characters like him are just better when their origins are shrouded in mystery. Detailing who he was years earlier removes a lot of the mystique from Sweet Tooth’s aura. All of this combined made this episode one of the show’s weakest.
Twisted Metal is now streaming on Peacock.
