The Council of Evil Part 1 and Part 2

This is Man at Arms, and you are listening to

the Masters of Greyskull. Thank you, Mr. Gary

Chalk, as Man at Arms from the 2002 He -Man in

the Masters Universe cartoon series for giving

us that promo. I'm, of course, TFG, and Mike

joining me as Optimus Solo. Hello, sir. Hello.

We just want to put this at the beginning of

every episode for... Masters of Greyskull. We

dedicate every single episode of this to the

memory of Dean Stephan. Dean, who is the writer,

storyboard art, not storyboard, story editor,

all that kind of stuff, on the 2002 He -Man series,

passed away May 15th of 2018. And not only are

we doing this because we're finishing our Powers

of Greyskull series podcast, we're also, I feel

at this point, doing this in the memory of him

because the stories that he helped... create

and build for this series it revitalized the

motu franchise in my personal opinion yeah absolutely

and it's unfortunate that we didn't have a chance

to ever talk to him for the show but uh we can

at least remember him as we move forward absolutely

and now on with the show i am adam prince of

eternia defender of the secrets of castle grayskull

this is cringer my fearless friend fabulous Hello,

this is Optimus Solo, and welcome to the 116th

chapter in our Powered with Greyskull series.

With me for this journey into the Masters of

the Universe franchise is TFG1 Mike. Hello, sir.

Hello. So I realized something in watching what

we're going to be covering today. That's always

scary. I know. This episode should have actually

had three episodes in it, because... I forgot

that we're going to have to end this podcast

on a cliffhanger, because that's how this episode...

I'm like, damn it! I go back and I watch the

Council of Evil two -parter, and I'm like, at

the end of part two, I'm like, wait, what? Oh,

man. And I had to. I needed to know how the story

ended, so I went ahead and watched The Last Stand,

which is the next episode, the first episode

in 117 that we'll cover next time around. Wanted

to leave the fans and the listeners with a cliffhanger.

Yeah, yeah. So like you said, in this episode

of Masters of Greyskull, we'll be giving you

our thoughts on the next two episodes, episode

25, The Council of Evil Part 1, and episode 26,

The Council of Evil Part 2. So we hope you're

ready, because it's time to go back to Eternia.

So what are we after? Skeletor says there's a

cave down there containing a weapon that's been

hidden away for 1 ,000 years. Alright, first

up today, folks, is episode 25, The Council of

Evil, part 1, aired 8 October 4th, 2003, written

by Dean Stephan. After the Masters capture Skeletor's

evil warriors, Eternia relaxes their security,

unaware of Skeletor's true plan, as he convenes

the Council of Evil. So basically, like, we're...

Talking about before, I like the fact that you

basically have evil warriors that actually get

captured and are in jail throughout time. It

just happens that this episode, all of them are

captured, basically. So Skeletor turns to an

alternate group of evil warriors. What did you

think about this episode? I like this. I think

this is cool because you get captured and you

get captured and you get captured. No, it's one

of those things where... Looking at what this

series is as a whole, this is the two -part season

finale of season one. Sadly, we only have X number

of episodes left in the series after this, but

I understand why they did this, and I remember

back in 2002, 2003, when did you say? Yeah, 2003.

I remember back in 2003 when I saw this on Cartoon

Network, and I'm like, same thing I had. re -watching

it for this episode like really that's it wait

i need to know more i need to obviously in 2003

i couldn't have gone and said hey i need to know

i need to know what happens i need to you know

whatever they left it on a cliffhanger for i

don't know six months or so i guess i could be

wrong i don't know we'll find out when we find

out the air date to to the season two episode

one but it's one of those things where wow I

forgot how... We know this series is cool. We

know that we don't like certain aspects. We feel

that certain things are whatever. But this was

fucking awesome. This was great. This was one

of those things that you've dreamt of since 1983

kind of thing. Like you said, Skeletor basically

lets Beastman and Trapjaw and Evil -In and Triclops

and... Whiplash, Clawful, basically everybody

gets captured. And then he goes to the B -team

and enlists Stinkor. Seeing Webstore on screen,

wow. Yeah, we get Webstore, we get Marzo, we

get the three giants. So it's an interesting

collection of evil warriors that he's now enlisting.

And like you said, one interesting thing... about

it is because of all of the other evil warriors

being captured. Like we said in the plot synopsis

there, Eternia somewhat relaxes their security.

You know, King and Queen go on a vacation. Some

people are going back to see their people. You

know, their families are where they're from.

Some people are just doing stuff for fun. You

know, whatever it might be, but they're all kind

of splitting off and going all over the place.

So, obviously, they have become, left themselves

vulnerable to whatever Skeletor has up his sleeve.

Before we get to that, though, to lead to the

imprisoning of all of the evil warriors, there

is a fantastic, great, epic, awesome battle to

begin this episode. Yeah, the battle was amazing.

I don't know if we've had a sequence like that

in a long time in this franchise where it's just

all out. I don't know how long. I didn't time

it, but it's got to be damn near 10 minutes.

It's easily the first 10 and a half, 11 minutes

of the first 23 -minute episode, yeah. Right,

right. So, I mean, they stay with it. It's prolonged.

You get to see a lot of different one -on -one

matchups as well as, like, the team groups and

stuff like that. So that was very cool, a cool

way to start the episode. And when you get to

the palace and when everybody's relaxing, you

get to see like a sky shot almost of the palace.

You get to see how many people are actually living

there, you know, like all the different people

that are at the palace. It kind of adds a new

element because usually we don't get to see that

many people at once. And they actually do even

an announcement, you know, the state of high

alert is off or it's over for now. You know,

so apparently they've been on red alert for a

long time and now it's going off. So that was

interesting. And it was also cool because we

had a mystery of, as the viewer, you don't know

who Skeletor has left or who he is sending out.

Because you can see that he has a plan and that

he has other people that he's going to be getting

the services of. But it's like, who is he talking

about? Yeah, I was... Just based on the name

of this two -parter... Not that... Brian Dobson,

not that this Skeletor would do this. I was half

expecting him to do an Earl Hammond, Ancient

Spirits of Egypt. That's what the title reminded

me of. I'm like, oh my god, it's Mumra from the

80s all over again. It isn't, obviously. That

battle, though. There is one scene that I absolutely

love. It's the scene where, I forget who throws

it at him, but basically one of the evil warriors

throws a rock at He -Man. He just sets his feet

and puts his sword out and basically doesn't

even move, doesn't even make a motion. And the

sword just... cuts the rock in half. Like that

is by far the best He -Man thing he has ever

done in the last 30 X number of years, whatever

it is now. It's also a good timing wise because

we've had a lot of episodes where it seems like

Skeletor hasn't been a central part. So to have

this, it's like you also get a lot of Skeletor,

which we haven't got a lot of. So it's like we

were ready for that. So I think that added to

the episode. yeah it's just a good as far as

two -parter episodes go and being the first part

it does everything you need it to do don't you

know it's not polite to fight and run yeah it

sets up the story it gives you a great battle

in the beginning like you know This, that, the

other thing. It sets up mystery, like you said,

with who does he have left, who is he going to

go to, who is he going to whatever. And it basically,

the two episodes are basically mirrors of each

other because at first the evil warriors are

captured and then later all the masters are captured

and that kind of thing. So basically it's turning

it on its head or turning it on its ass or whatever

you want to say. Yeah. But yeah, part one was

just amazing. The animation was top notch. Agreed.

That battle, just the little nuances of that

battle were just so cool. Yep. For any other

talk more about it once we get to part two as

a whole. Oh yeah. No, I'm good. I have a power

sword for Skeletor just for coming up with a

plan and for being conniving and evil and great

this episode and because we finally get an episode

of him. What about you? Any awards or what rating

would you give this first part? Obviously power

swords to almost everybody. He -Man, Skeletor,

Skeletor especially, like you said, for the plan.

The rating... I'd rather just rate it overall

for the entire thing, but basically it's two

fives. It's going to equal out to a ten for the

whole damn thing because there was nothing in

this... There wasn't any story beats that were

missed. Do I agree that they should have... Lighten

their security? No, not at all. But that was

the point. That was the point of Skeletor luring

them into a false sense of security, that they

could do that. So that is, again, why this episode

gets a 5 from me. And for some reason I'm at

a 4 .5. I don't know, I didn't quite give this

one a 5. I just left a little bit of... an opening

so i'm at a four and a half probably because

it's the first part and there's a cliffhanger

and i don't i wanted to see how everything ended

but four and a half for me five for mike it's

still real good the joke's on you because it

doesn't end it cliffhangs again right right so

we're gonna take a quick break and we'll come

back with this part two of this deceivingly titled

uh series all my evil warriors captured Isn't

it, Panthor? Alright, last up today is episode

26, The Council of Evil, part 2, October 11th,

2003. Dean Stephan, He -Man, and Battle Cat are

overpowered by Skeletor's newly formed Council

of Evil, but manage to escape capture by transforming

back into their other selves. So this is a second

part of here because we're going to find that

the Masters are now all captured. Well, so it's

basically Prince Adam against the Council of

Evil. What did you think of the second part of

this? I have been waiting 25 episodes for Cringer

to do something. And he finally did it. Like,

don't get me wrong. I said at the beginning in

episode 108 when we started this, I'm so happy

he doesn't talk. I'm so happy that isn't a part

of the persona here. But Battle Cat almost...

He almost doesn't... Yes, the two personalities

are there. Cringer is the timid, the fearful

one, and Battle Cat's just going to do whatever.

But I haven't really seen him do too much other

than when he's carrying He -Man and He -Man's

fighting and whatever. And the moment in this

when Cringer... You know, goes to protect Adam

and goes to, you know, save him and all. I was

like, yes, Cringer! Yes! About time! I love that

this is, again, a complete mirror, a complete

reverse of the first episode. Of the part one,

I should say. And how, you know, basically the

sorceress has to tell him. And that I find is

a little weak because why couldn't he think of

that on his own? I mean, I get it. It's, again,

a thing to show that she's in the episode, even

though we see her before this and after this.

But she had to tell him to have the power return

for him to escape. That's a little weak, but

I love that they did it because I love that,

again, you're seeing both sides of the same coin

and using them in different ways. It's not just...

I'm just going to lay here and be lazy and fish

and whatever. Right. Yeah, no, it's definitely

interesting. We get the reverse transformation

in this episode like we're talking about. So

that's something you don't get to see all the

time. You also get the transformation interruption

where he's about to transform and he gets interrupted.

You also get some interesting things as far as

his identity because you have at one point Orko.

I don't think it's Orko, says, but Adam, is he

man? Yeah. And there's that drone that's flying

by. Uh -huh. So that almost reveals his identity.

Yeah. Then they're teasing. Yeah. Then they're

teasing if Adam's going to tell Teela. Mm -hmm.

As he comes real close to doing that. Mm -hmm.

And we also get, not that this is the first time

we've seen this or anything, but we get the whole

fact that Adam loses his power sword. Yep. What

I love about this is it's so funny. Two -parter,

next time on He -Man and the Masters of the Universe,

previously on He -Man and the Masters of the

Universe, next time when they do the clip, he

goes to tell her when they do the teaser. And

then immediately, as soon as he tries to tell

her, it cuts away to sorcerers, and she's like,

no. It makes it seem like it's part of the same

scene. She's telling him, no, don't reveal your

identity to Teela. I'm like, oh, God. But that's

obviously two different scenes, and that's a

testament to whomever, I don't know if it's in

-house at Mike Young Productions or if they farmed

it out. You look at trailers in general. how

scenes are cut together, but when you watch a

film or whatever, they're not anywhere near each

other kind of thing, and I kind of like that,

but I'm like, oh, God, don't do that. Right.

I had down just like you did that Cringer comes

through. Yep. You know, it's the first time we

got to see really Cringer be active in something,

and it's interesting because obviously in the

filmation, He -Man, Cringer was always very cowardly,

didn't want to be involved. They don't emphasize

that a lot in this series. So it is interesting

that we get to see him kind of have this brave

moment to come through. I'm not going to try

to spoil anything because I do know something

is obviously from when we watched it originally

that are going to happen. But you get to see

the snake men in this episode and you get to

see them interact in and possibly forming some

type of an arrangement with evil in. Well, evil

in is locked up and whatnot. And, man, so you

got Skeletor, and he is approaching Castle Greyskull

towards the latter half of this episode. And

he is with his Council of Evil. So he has, you

know, the giants. He has Webstore. He has Count

Marzo, et cetera. And Count Marzo decides to

try to double -cross him. And it leads to a badass

moment for Skeletor to survive that strike. Oh,

yeah. And the way they do it is so cool from

the animation because he does this strike, and

it's, like, very powerful, and there's some smoke

involved and that type of stuff. And then you

see Skeletor just hovering. Yep. Floating in

air. Yep. Like, you thought that was going to

hurt me? Yeah, exactly. So that was a badass

moment for Skeletor. We also get to see something

that's very rare. We get to see the sorceress

actually getting hurt, and not just getting hurt,

but screaming. Yep. Like, that's something we

don't get to see a lot of, so that was intense.

And then we have Prince Adam standing there with

no power sword. He is in between Skeletor and

Greyskull. Skeletor has his Council of Evil,

and then here come the Masters. Oh, wait. Oh,

wait. It is actually evil. And Beastman, Merman,

Trapjaw, Triclops, and now we have all of the

evil warriors with Skeletor and Adam. It's the

only thing that stands in between all of them

and Castle Grayskull, and that's where the episode

ends. Yeah. And I'm like, oh, damn it, you've

got, like, how could I not immediately go? Like,

because, again, I mentioned last episode, I think,

that I've... woke up and watched these on my

phone kind of thing just to watch them. So I

got the content before I go back and record the

audio. Um, and I'm like, how can I not hit the

next arrow to see the next episode to see how

it really ends? Because damn, I'm telling you,

these people really knew how to use the cliffhanger.

Cause yeah, I don't think so. That's not. Thankfully,

we live in a day and age where we can actually

go to the next episode immediately and not while

it's airing and whatever. Yeah, for sure. So

that was a great cliffhanger. A great second

part of this Council of Evil two -parter. I don't

know why they didn't just call it Council of

Evil Part 1, 2, and 3, but such is life. We will

have to wait until the next podcast to tell you

guys how this ends. and then to see where it

goes from there. But for this episode, I give

a power sword to Skeletor for surviving that

strike from Marzo. Also, a power sword for Cringer

because he was cool in this episode. Any other

awards that you have? Skeletor, Cringer, He -Man,

or Adam, I should say. Because, I mean, again,

character development for Adam. Like we saw in

that one episode where the king wanted him to

pay more attention to affairs of state, like

learning the things of the palace and whatever.

Here, he has to rely on being this part of himself.

He can't become He -Man and just muscle his way

out of it this time. Yeah, for sure. I absolutely

love that. Again, for me, it's a five. It was

awesome. I'm still at a four and a half. What's

wrong with you? Four and a half. I thought there

was some slow moments at the beginning when everybody's

captured in this, that, and the other, and some

of the Adam stuff was a little bit maybe not

as exciting, but a very Meyerman nitpick there.

So I'm still at a four and a half. I think these

have been two very good two -part episodes, and

we'll have to see how it all concludes next time.

So we're going to take a break, and then we'll

talk about what's coming up next. And so they

scatter. Who was it that said divide and conquer?

Oh, me. I have done the dividing. Now go conquer.

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and just to reiterate to everyone, this is the

end of Season 1 of He -Man and the Masters of

the Universe from 2002. It will be a full six

months, as I said before, from April to October

in 2003 that Season 1 and Season 2 ended and

began. So, yeah, now that I know that it was

almost a full six months, pretty much, I remember,

like, that whole summer, I'm like, fuck, what

am I supposed to do? I gotta wait till October

to see what happens, really? But that's why we

ended it like we did, since it was the end of

season one, so it wasn't a mistake, even though

they kind of titled the episodes in a strange

way. That's why we were ending on this two -parter,

because that... That was the end of season one.

Absolutely. And it was a way to end, that's for

sure. Oh, yeah. Complete way to end. Well, an

incomplete way to end, but yes, very cliffhanger

-y, very cool, very awesome. Thank you for listening

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Forget what the hell that was off the top of

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Very, very cool. Of course, you people won't

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last stand to walk with dragons and out of the

past. For now, I am TFG1 Mike with... The Optimus

Solo one. What the hell was that? By the power

and for the honor of Greyskull, we have the power.