How Zeke Got Religion

No spoilers

Fantastic, over the top, gory, classic LDR episode that tickles an ADHD brain. Pulls you in one hundred different directions and not for those with a weak stomach. Not the first episode I would recommend to an LDR newbie but still wildly drastic and imaginative. Animation artistry on point as always, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and would recommend to those that have already experienced the mind-eff that is season one and two.

My only complaint it that it's a complete steal of mid-war Howl from Howl's Moving Castle and No-Face from Spirited Away. I know most episodes are a nod to another smash hit, just my personal taste that wishes there was a moment of gratitude to Ghibli.

Blood, limbs torn apart, eyeballs popping out, men's screaming, monstrous angel, faith, all Cthulhu-sorta elements mingled in an enjoyable and fast-paced short film. I can turn my brain off and on simultaneously while watching. It is the best because it delivers. You start "to realize we don't really know what this world is made of". If you believe it's about aesthetics of violence, sit tight for its breathtaking tense and relief. If you believe it has realistic concerns. The Nazi occult then can be other forms of violence and freneticism we are seeing nowadays. The house of faith can be another projection of solidarity and sacrifice. Overall, it showcases the spirit of Love, Death, and Robot, pinpointed and critical, not just some meaningless word salad or mediocre storyline.

During World War II, a lone bomber is sent to take out a church where Nazis are performing an occult ritual.

This is a nice mix of Hellboy story and the B-17 story from Heavy Metal. I don't know that I would have made such an incredibly strong callback to Heavy Metal, but it turns out to be different.

The primary difference is the monster. Whereas B-17 featured zombies, this one is a lot more in line with Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics set during World War II. You've got occult Nazis, evil Lovecraftian things summoned from hell, and a plucky group of good guys.

The art is good. The animation is pretty jerky, and it seems to have a low frame rate. The art draws more parallels back to B-17, though, which does make me wish the story stood on its own two feet a bit more.

However, the characters have names, which I don't think B-17 even really bothered with. There's also quick characterization and a bit of plot. Zeke, the title character, is an atheist, so we get to see how he deals with fighting a demon.

The design of the demon is pretty cool. Some of it is pretty horrifying. Lots of extra arms and mouths, certainly more Lovecraftian than the final episode. There's quite a bit of gore once the demon appears. The action sequences and kills are fairly creative for such cramped quarters, though the frame rate is a bit distracting.

I think it distinguishes itself from B-17 while also homaging one of the more memorable animated horror shorts. If you're a fan of that, you'll probably like this, too, though you may wish it were a bit more original.

From the beginning, I immediately got flashbacks to the early 80s Heavy Metal movie and the bomber scene. This one has a different twist and not as lasting, but a fun episode. Not as many memorable episodes in season 4, so this stuck out as a bright spot for me. Hopefully the writers get back on track for season 5.

This is the only good episode of the season, I think. CEL shaded animation, but has the look and feel of a Mike Mignola Hellboy comic, especially due to the lighting - everything being shades of red, most of the time.

The story is simple - a lone US Air Force bomber is sent on a special mission to bomb a church in France, where occult nazis are performing a blasphemous ceremony. The characters are simple and most of them are just monster fodder, but it works well, with the focus being on two - Zeke the devil-may-care atheist who fears nothing, and grizzled veteran Pat, as well as Preacher the religious young irishman. Soon they find out that what has been summoned in the church is "one of the Fallen", a fallen Angel, and I absolutely love the horrifying, indescribable look of the monster - yes, it has wings, and a golden Cherub mask, but it has no distinct shape, has way too many arms, that seem to reach out from anywhere and stretch to insane lengths, and when shot, instead of bleeding grows screaming mouths that scream so loud it makes people's nose bleed.

Most of the action is set on the plane, which is portrayed accurately to the era, with spotters and gunners, and the cramped environment against a monster that can almost fill the hull is claustrophobic. The weakness of the creature is fitting, and while it takes a while for them to take advantage of it, I quite liked how it was finally brought down. Overall, a very gory but nice action flick with some great lovecraftian imagery.