Netflix’s seminal animated seriesLove, Death + Robotsmakes its return with 10 new stories. Volume 4 presents a lot of variety through amix of sci-fi, fantasy,action, post-apocalypse, comedy, and horror, with a bit of existentialism thrown into the mix. It is safe to say Tim Miller and the animation studios responsible for the new season have truly outdone themselves with stellar animation.
While not as strong as the previous three volumes, the new season still has some incredible episodes. However, not all the episodes are as good as others. Read on to find out which episodes from Volume 4 are most worthy of attention.
10Can’t Stop
Just A Red Hot Chili Peppers Promotion
“Can’t Stop"reimagines the Red Hot Chili Peppers as string puppets as they perform their titular song at the iconic 2003 concert at Slane Castle. While the animation is good and the direction is great, there is nothing else going for this episode.
This is by far the weakest episode of Volume 4.Love, Death + Robotsis known for highlighting science fiction and fantasy stories. “Can’t Stop"falls completely outside this format. While fans of the band might appreciate it, this episode is simply a glorified music video, and feels like a waste of David Fincher’s talent.
9Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners
A Hit And Miss Attempt At Comedy
“Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners” is a collection of short snippets of smart appliances describing their existence. The voice cast for this episode includessome great comedians.Unfortunately, it isn’t very funny, and the snippets are far too short to allow any cast to truly shine.
This episodecontinuesLove, Death + Robot’sspotty record of comedy. While the series has some hilarious episodes, “Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners” will likely not be included in the list of the show’s most memorable comedy episodes.
8The Screaming Of The Tyrannosaur
A Half-Hearted Attempt At Commentary On The Class Divide
This episode is set on an orbital station in the midst of a wedding ceremony while a group of warriors battles on the backs of Triceratops for the entertainment of the rich guests. This is a great premise on paper, let down by one crucial element.
Mr. Beast plays the host, likeness and all. This might sound interesting enough, but it’s let down by the fact that he is not an actor, and it really shows. The class commentary, while pertinent, is also let down by the casting of Mr. Beast, a controversial capitalist profiteer.
7Close Encounters Of The Mini Kind
A Fun Alien Apocalypse
“Close Encounters Of The Mini Kind” follows in the footsteps of Volume 3’s “Night Of The Mini Dead”, this time playing out an alien invasion of Earth in miniature animation. The first meeting between humans and aliens goes awry,leading to an alien invasion as mayhem ensues.
This episode closely follows the template of its predecessor. It is a fun, chaotic, and silly episode that somehow manages to comment on police brutality and human tendencies towards violence without sacrificing the humor expected of a miniature episode.
6Golgotha
The First Live-Action Episode In The Show
Love, Death + Robots’first attempt at a live-action episode follows an Australian priest who claims to have witnessed the resurrection of a dolphin. He is brought to a beach at the behest of a visiting alien civilization.
“Golgotha” is a suitable first live-action entry for the show. The premise is intriguing and presents an interesting philosophical question about faith, and the characters are funny and charming. The special effects don’t always look great, especially the ending. But it is a very good episode, apart from this one minor complaint.
5The Other Large Thing
A Cat’s Quest For World Domination
“The Other Large Thing” is the story ofa cat seeking world domination, as cats often do. He isn’t having much luck achieving it, though. That is, until his humans bring home a robot butler. Together, the two seek to put their schemes into action.
Although not officially confirmed at the time of writing, “The Other Large Thing” feels like a prequel to the “Three Robots” episodes. The jokes are well written, and the humor works perfectly, making it essential viewing for fans ofLove, Death + Robot’scomedic episodes.
4400 Boys
Post-Apocalyptic Gang Warfare
“400 Boys” is set in a city in the aftermath of an apocalyptic event. Gangs survive underground as what remains of the city above isset upon by giants.The remaining gangs band together to defeat the new, bigger threat.
This is a great episode. The animation and art style here are immaculate, as is expected from the award-winning Passion Pictures animation studio behind “Zima Blue” and “Ice” from previous seasons. The story is also interesting, and the action is fun and gory.
3Spider Rose
The Price Of Companionship
Set in the reaches of far space, “Spider Rose” follows the traumatized but highly competent titular character. She is hellbent on revenge after surviving a massacre that killed her husband. Spider Rose lives by herself in a space outpost until a deal brings her a genetically modified creature as a pet.
“Spider Rose” is the kind of episode that fans ofLove, Death + Robotshave come to expect.The hard sci-fi premiseserving as the vehicle for a deeply emotional tale of revenge is right up there with the best the show has to offer.
2How Zeke Got Religion
Occult Nazis Unleash An Ancient Evil In World War 2
This episode follows a unit of US soldiers in World War 2 as they are sent on a secret bombing run behind enemy lines. They must bomb a church before the Nazis awaken an ancient evil. What follows is one of the series' best horror episodes.
“How Zeke Got Religion” feels like a spiritual successor to “The Secret War” and even manages to surpass it. The story includes a cast of great characters.It is genuinely scary,with a great creature design for the main antagonist. The animation is smooth, and the action is spectacular. They don’t get much better than this.
1For He Can Creep
Some Cats Challenge The Devil
A poet struggles to write a divine poem as the devil attempts to steal his soul and get him to write a poem that will bring about the end of the world. However, the poet is protected by Jeoffry the cat, who is rather fond of the poet, much to Satan’s chagrin.
“For He Can Creep” is an unsurprisingly brilliant episode written by Tamsyn Muir. Everything here, from the art style to the characters to the dialogue, oozes charm and personality, and the cats are absolutely adorable. This episode is easily the best of Volume 4.
