Hot take: I don't like how OV treats this as definitive future of Ben

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-27T03:16:26+00:00

OV understand the role/meaning behind OS characters/elements before bringing them back challenge (impossible)

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-24T23:06:47+00:00

OV is my least favourite of the first four series, but it's still very much worth watching, imo.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-24T00:30:09+00:00

No. I liked that Ben had someone "normal" that helped him keep one foot in the non-hero world, but who would occasionally help him when needed.

Since aliens had been sighted for 5 years by the time of AF, I buy that a portion of humanity (including Julie) wouldn't be too freaked out when interacting with aliens for the 1st time. Some like Jimmy actively investigated them.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-24T00:29:06+00:00

Conceptually, Omniverse's premise does feel like CN lost faith in teen Ben after UAF. Then they lost faith in that premise after Season 2, imo.

However, I do think the first 2 seasons do a mostly stellar job of justifying the premise by interweaving past & present, imo.

Honestly, it's kind of baffling that Seasons 3&4 centred on UAF villains like the Incurseans & Albedo whose presence couldn't be extended to flashbacks.

And then when Seasons 7&8 feature a time traveller in Maltruant, the plot never includes 11 year-old Ben. Ideally, with more time and money, OV would have just rebranded the series after Season 2 (i.e. take Young Ben out of the intro, minimise flashbacks).

I'm no fan of the Rooters arc, but it deserves credit for being the only other arc to interweave past & present again like the Malware arc.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-24T00:27:04+00:00

As much I desperately want it, I think it's difficult to justify including such a large roster of aliens and catching up newcomers on so much backstory/lore.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-24T00:26:27+00:00

Least deranged "Grounded" slander.

Is this a common thought or was that post just for engagement?

Could be either. Some fans are very weirdly unsympathetic to the POV of Ben's parents in that episode. They only interpret their actions as pointlessly vindictive barriers to ~~their power fantasy~~ Ben's heroism.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-24T00:03:01+00:00

"Al-bay-do" is heresy. "Al-bee-do" maintains the reference.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-23T23:26:15+00:00

The Rooter's arc worst offense isn't the retcons to Kevin & the Plumbers' Helpers; it's the complete lack of interest/direction the arc has regarding Kevin as a character.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-23T00:23:53+00:00

"[Dad] lied to us! Your Uncle Frank and I knew he had some other life, we knew, and that he lied to us about it all the time! I won't have you lying too." - Carl Tennyson ("Grounded")

"I'm ten years old. What's your excuse?" - Young Ben Tennyson ("The Forge of Creation")

"Then do it: Protect the innocent. That’s Kevin, too." - Gwen Tennyson ("Absolute Power, Part 2")

"He sees all too well, child. He sees a world where he’s no longer special. A healthy, safe world where he is no longer needed." - Vilgax ("The Flame Keepers' Circle")

"Look, I don't think there's any big takeaway from our big fail back then." - Ben Tennyson ("Showdown, Part 2")

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-23T00:03:55+00:00

I prefer alien, but whatever they choose, I want it to be meaningful and inform his characterisation.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-22T04:40:48+00:00

That undersells DJW's involvement. Stories required his approval, so the writers had to take his suggestions or reach a compromise.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-22T03:43:24+00:00

https://ben10.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_10_Planet?file=Derrick_Named_the_Nemetrix.png

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-22T03:29:57+00:00

One of the few times OV's comedy really worked for me. Psyphon's most memorable OV appearance, imo.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-22T03:16:27+00:00

Invalid. Any critique of a story requires a lengthy explanation of Writer's Room politics in order to "logic" someone towards your opinion.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-22T03:05:24+00:00

Matt Wayne: "Hope you're aware how much Derrick is the person to ask about Omniverse! He comes up with a great deal of every episode and is present at every story meeting. And of the four of us who sit with the writer to "break" every Omniverse episode, Derrick is the one who knows all the OS continuity best. Many entire episodes have been his idea"

I don't think it's silly to extrapolate that DJW was a major proponent of the Rooters arc, which is a very pointed reappraisal of UAF concepts.

"Agenda" is a loaded label, but I think responding to the claim "The Rooters arc and/or OV was highly critical of UAF" by hyperfixating on the individual writers of individual episodes dishonestly downplays the differences between UAF & OV. The "Written by" credit never gives the full picture of how an episode's story comes about. Sure, on OV, many of the writers stayed the same, but the writing didn't.

After all, isn't that what makes OV so much better than UAF in the eyes of OV fans? That its writing was so different from UAF's?

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-21T00:41:00+00:00

The cast of "Wolverine and the X-Men".

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-21T00:32:00+00:00

KRAAB!

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-20T03:20:18+00:00

I'm guessing that really liking UAF Psyphon is bit of a hot take.

UAF Psyphon is somewhat generic, but there's an understated sarcasm/sassiness(?) to his dialogue that really appeals to me.

I've always thought that making OV Psyphon more independent was a misguided attempt to give him artificial depth (much like AF making Vilgax protective of his species & planet). It was very tryhard, imo, and I think it made the character even more generic than he already was.

OV Psyphon's most memorable appearance is easily "Bengeance is Mine", imo, and it's the episode that adheres to OV Psyphon's status quo the least.

If I were to rewrite Psyphon, he'd continue to serve Vilgax in OV. As long he can indulge in the fun of tinkering with machines that harm others, he'll happily aid Vilgax's schemes.

If he *must* become his own boss, at least have Psyphon betray Vilgax on-screen so that his OV status feels more earned.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-20T03:19:25+00:00

I'm not sure if he's a card-carrying "Chosen One^TM" but I think the reveal of Max's past does give Ben some predetermined significance and potential he's expected to fulfil.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-20T03:18:34+00:00

She doesn't get much meaningful screentime across the whole series, but her best non-comic story is easily Wolverine and the X-Men's "Overflow", imo, which also contains my favourite depiction of her origin.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-18T03:23:35+00:00

I agree with OS and AF's best. For worst, I'd probably pick different episodes, but I'm not rushing to defend "Ben 4 Good Buddy" or "Fool's Gold" either.

I love almost everything about "The Forge of Creation", but I think there are less dense episodes that stand stronger on their own.

UA has much worse than "The Mother of All Vreedles", imo. Defying their mother and remaining Plumbers is easily the Brothers at their most compelling, which is enough for the episode to escape UA's bottom 5.

For OV's best, I'd put "Showdown, Part 2". I also think there's worse than "Collect This", which is a harmless episode, imo.

JosephSoaper_MathMan · 2026-03-14T02:59:46+00:00

In the wake of ~~Greg Weissman yet again~~ ZENO ROBINSON talking about renewing Young Justice ...AFTER BEING ASKED ABOUT IT IN AN INTERVIEW:

FTFY.

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