ALL DADS ARE DEAD

I don't imagine this two-parter is anyone's favorite, but I thought it had some positives. Namely, I really enjoyed seeing this Scooby-Doo gang run through what's basically a dumber version of a Drive story. (Shinnosuke would've cracked this thing top to bottom in about one scene. Stick to ghostbusting, kids!) Each Kamen Rider series has a pretty strict premise/aesthetic, and I think it's neat to see one cast deal with a different cast's dilemma. I don't remember that happening a lot on other shows, and I think it's actually a really good idea? Execution matters a lot, and I don't know if there's enough meat on this particular bone to last two episodes, but, like, I appreciated the attempt.

And, maybe it's Stockholm Syndrome, but I actually enjoyed Takeru's naively optimistic view of a man he'd never met, and his instance that all people are basically good. (Speaking of Stockholm Syndrome, even the theme song is growing on me. What have I become?!) It's very, very weird that he's trying to tell a girl he just met that her workaholic father is a super-great guy that she should have unwavering faith in, but it's also so Takeru. He's got more belief in people than nearly any other Rider I can think of outside of Fourze, and while it's not the most compelling character trait ever, I do like how the show has at least committed to it.



What I do not like is the super-clunky shoehorning in of Oh Did We Not Mention That Alain Has A Mysterious Dead Brother Well Let's Do That Now, nor did I enjoy the introduction of Makoto Is Unbelievably Mad At His Father Who Disappeared Mysteriously But He's Never Mentioned Before. (I'm less mad at the latter, since how everyone felt about their dads was the theme of the story, but it was still pretty hamfisted.) The poor writing aside, I'm mostly just not into the idea that at this late stage in the series (ten episodes left!) it feels like we are going to have to deal with some new antagonists/obstacles, rather than any sort of escalation of the ones we've already seen. (I could be wrong, but I've got a bad feeling about it.) I don't think Adel's a great villain, and the Ganmeisers are dull as dirt, but having a new endboss just feels like a weak solution. Hopefully I'm wrong!