Is the Concept of Masters of the Universe: Revelation a Good Followup to the Original Series?

[phantom000]

As someone who enjoyed the original series, I have very mixed feelings about any reboot/sequel. A lot of times most reboots tend to fail because they can't seem to decide what they are trying to do. Do they want to be something new and different or are they trying to be just more of the same? I feel like this is the issue with MOTUR because it had a great setup for taking the story in a different direction, but then seems to derail it in the last 5 minutes of the last episode.

When I heard that this new series was intended as a direct continuation of the original, I felt as if this was going to be a bad fanfiction, because the original series was made for television in 1983, not Netflix of 2021. Still, like with She-ra & The Princesses of Power I wanted to give it a fair chance and like with She-Ra I was intrigued enough to want to see where the series was going. Unlike She-Ra where "The Battle of Bright Moon" made me excited for the next part of the story, "The Forge at the Forest Forever" left me less than optimistic about the rest of the story.

If they were planning to have the series set up the next generation of Champions picking up where the previous left off, they did a fantastic job of setting it up in the first couple episodes. They end one story while setting up the next one. Killing He-man and Skeletor, was handled perfectly with them dying together in their final battle and He-man giving his life to save the rest of Eternia is how his story should end. Even Skeletor goes out in a blaze of glory, destroying his long time enemy while being on the very edge of his ultimate victory. Orko's arch is so beautifully tragic I wanted to cry. Even the first half of the last episode works great in this way because we see all the champions that came before Adam and implying that there would be champions after Adam.

It's a good idea, its well setup, every step Teela and Andra take in this journey fits as this bridge between what came before and what will come after. But then it falls apart in the last 5 minutes by having Adam come back to Eternia to resume his role as He-man, only for Skeletor to come back and kill Adam and assume the power for himself. It made me angry because it feels like Kevin Smith is deliberately messing with older fans like me because it was perfect PERFECT!!!!! I tell you, until it all falls apart, literally at the last minute.

Its like a practical joke on fans of the franchise, giving us this glimpse of a beautiful future, only to spit in our eye.

[Al-1701]

I actually think this is a great concept for a limited series. I think ten episodes of He-Man and Skeletor fighting with no actual resolution like the original wouldn't have flown. There needs to be a beginning, a middle, and an end for something like this. This feels like something the original series would do (how many shows had "The hero is dead only to not really be or is resurrected" episodes?). It's just extended over the course of 10 episodes.

And it being centered on Teela makes sense. She is the person with the most emotional stakes. She loses her best friend and learns he and her adopted father had been lying to her for years. Her adopted father was also banished. And, as the Sorceress's daughter and eventual heir as the Guardian of Castle Greyskull, her being tasked with retrieving and building the Power Sword makes sense.

That said, Kevin Smith shouldn't have lied to the audience. He should've come out with the fact He-Man has died and Teela will lead the quest to resurrect him. I want to believe the audience would be mature enough to go in knowing this. Though, I've been frequently disappointed by various fandumbs lately.

As for the actual execution. The fan service is laid on thick and heavy which is a treat. Teela has always been cantankerous, so her being a bad attitude incarnate fits her. I do think the cliffhanger was forced to be a cliffhanger. Given how dour the arc had been so far, ending the first half on a triumph of Adam becoming He-Man would have the audience chomping at the bit for the second half. How they did it just pissed already angered fans off further.

I'm curious how the second half will play out. But only curious.

[clearspira]

I actually think this is a great concept for a limited series. I think ten episodes of He-Man and Skeletor fighting with no actual resolution like the original wouldn't have flown. There needs to be a beginning, a middle, and an end for something like this. This feels like something the original series would do (how many shows had "The hero is dead only to not really be or is resurrected" episodes?). It's just extended over the course of 10 episodes.

And it being centered on Teela makes sense. She is the person with the most emotional stakes. She loses her best friend and learns he and her adopted father had been lying to her for years. Her adopted father was also banished. And, as the Sorceress's daughter and eventual heir as the Guardian of Castle Greyskull, her being tasked with retrieving and building the Power Sword makes sense.

That said, Kevin Smith shouldn't have lied to the audience. He should've come out with the fact He-Man has died and Teela will lead the quest to resurrect him. I want to believe the audience would be mature enough to go in knowing this. Though, I've been frequently disappointed by various fandumbs lately.

As for the actual execution. The fan service is laid on thick and heavy which is a treat. Teela has always been cantankerous, so her being a bad attitude incarnate fits her. I do think the cliffhanger was forced to be a cliffhanger. Given how dour the arc had been so far, ending the first half on a triumph of Adam becoming He-Man would have the audience chomping at the bit for the second half. How they did it just pissed already angered fans off further.

I'm curious how the second half will play out. But only curious.

Kevin Smith could have avoided literally every problem he has faced so far by having the death and resurrection of He-Man be within one continuous season. Putting that break in-between? Nah. Dumb. My sympathy is limited.
The man sells himself on being ''one of us''. Well, I could have seen this coming a mile off as I have spent more than five minutes on internet forums. You would be forgiven into thinking that he has no experience with modern fandom at all.