Catch up on Silver Surfer
What was this 90’s cartoon from Marvel Entertainment and Saban Entertainment? What is Silver Surfer about? Who stars in Silver Surfer Season 1, Episode 13?
This is a review and recap for “Silver Surfer” – Season 1 Episode 13, ‘The End of Eternity.’
Viewer beware – Spoilers below!
Missed our Silver Surfer Episode 12 recap? Head here.
Silver Surfer Season 1, Episode 13: Recap
We finally see Pip and Drax return as they cruise through the galaxy and are surprised when they come across another universal library, this one evidently a lot easier to access than the last. Pip is excited to use the knowledge inside to free all the trolls, only to have his hopes shaken as the ship is.
Drax decides to go learn what happened the only way he knows, which is evidently to just fly outside and take a look. He is suddenly reversed back inside and the pair are reversed all the way back to the start of the episode, then we see a bunch of planets reverse back into the centre of the galaxy, and then Eternity and Infinity seemingly explode.
We then jump to Silver Surfer talking to Galactus. It seems Surfer has decided to work for Galactus again, so long as he gets to spend a single moment with Shalla-Bal. This seems like it is both a terrible idea general and also awfully worded on Surfer’s part, though it seems he took a hard turn into desperation after last episode.
Galactus agrees but Surfer’s celebration is cut short by an interruption by the Watcher. Looks like Surfer was just asleep and having a dream (though it seems he would happily accept that deal in real life) and was awoken by the Watcher. Uatu the Watcher was evidently hesitant to wake Surfer (which seems odd given he soon after explains everything is going to end), but summons Eternity and Infinity (apparently not exploded) to talk to Surfer.
The pair explain how they are the personified existence of reality, created from the minds of every living being that ever has been, and then fill Surfer in on Thanos’ time reversal weapon (showing it being used on Beta Ray Bill’s home of Harmony, seeing his people devolve). They explain how it will eventually end everything and Surfer implores them to stop it, forcing them to explain that if they could the whole meeting would be pointless.
They explain that they want him to be their champion. Apparently his ‘time and place’ have already been taken from him and that makes him immune to the reversals, which is rather convenient really. They explain that he must use both the power of Galactus and the soul of Zenn-La to stop Thanos, and they vanish.
Meanwhile, Thanos is still trying to impress Lady Chaos with what he’s doing and getting a tad angry that the statue is apparently ignoring him. He then runs out of power for his weapon and becomes immediately depressed declaring he has failed then immediately notes that he has to return to the source for more power, suggesting Thanos really has some self-worth issues he needs to work through.
Surfer immediately turns to angsty thoughts as he doubts how he could be the champion. He then heads for Galactus to use his power to save the universe, now easier to find with the whole of reality shrinking. Nova greets him, but every time she tries to leave Galactus she gets reversed back, and Galactus’ last meal is reversed as well before time moves forward again.
Galactus is evidently aware of the time-loop, and not happy at all to learn that Silver Surfer is free of it and immediately accuses him of being behind it. Galactus then blasts him several times before we cut away.
Thanos returns to the power source, weirdly freaking out for a bit before returning to his usual self, and talks to a still inert Lady Chaos about how he stumbled upon and studied the most destructive force in the universe, an interdimensional nexus. He refills his batteries and again becomes upset that she doesn’t praise him. He then evidently hears her suggest he stops playing around and just destroy the entire universe.
Galactus and Surfer blast it out for a bit, until Nova tries to stop Galactus and the World Devourer manages to knock Surfer down. Nova points out that Surfer saved him and Galactus notes that when hungry all creatures are his enemies. Then time reverses again as Surfer watches on.
Silver Surfer then retreats back to watch as the time-loop becomes more erratic. He unnecessarily man-handles Nova as he demands to know how it started, which seems kind of pointless given Eternity and Infinity already explains what was happening and who was behind it. Galactus then goes hunger mad and starts blasting planets into debris. Surfer tries to fly away with Nova, but gets smacked by some debris and the moment she is out of his grasp the time-loop strikes again and she is reversed.
Now ready Thanos starts a time-reversal field to destroy the universe, then hides in the core so that he and Lady Chaos shall be free from its effects. Surfer watches as the universe reverses towards the void, including the Kirby-Lee quadrant, as he doubts he can stop Thanos (despite doing it before a couple of times). Infinity and Eternity appear to hurry him up, so he has them guide him to Thanos.
Surfer only now seems to fully grasp that he is immune to the time-reversal, and we get some interesting sequences of time-reversing (though the exact amount of time and how that plays out varies a bit). We even see Shalla-Bal crying before Zenn-La seems to explode, and Surfer mourns everybody in a rather trippy void and he finally understands his value.
Silver Surfer gives everything he can to destroy Thanos’ field, and so Tanos himself comes out to face him as he destroys everything. We then get a card of ‘THE END?’ and the show was cancelled, so it seems that it was.
Silver Surfer Season 1, Episode 13: Review
Well, this was certainly a series that didn’t know it was going to be cancelled until it was too late. Even ignoring all of the plot threads that failed to get resolution throughout the season itself, ending on a cliffhanger with the big ‘THE END?’ certainly shows they weren’t given any chance to tidy anything up. I will say though, in some ways it adds an interesting bit of mystery and almost mythos to the series.
This is such a massive event that would be difficult to add fully satisfying closure to, so in some ways allowing us to imagine it ourselves is even better. Perhaps Surfer does succeed and put everything back. Or perhaps Thanos simply destroys everything. Or even the result is the birth of an entirely new universe. We get to decide based on what feels right for the story for us.
On that note though this episode did simply give me more questions than I would like it to leave me with. Such as, if the universe would have been doomed if Surfer never made the deal with Galactus, or if Thanos would never have developed this weapon if not for his encounters with Surfer. Also, why would Lady Chaos want the end of the universe? Isn’t that the ultimate state of order? There’s no chaos in a void. Is that simply Thanos misunderstanding her wants, and thus explains her silence? Again, these answers could be left to each of us, though I cannot deny a desire to know if there were official answers to these.
I will say that considering this is a finale without an end, the pacing is stronger than most other episodes. We never rush through things, perhaps in part because there wasn’t a big battle to get to. The only issue I have with the pacing was the scenes with Galactus. The initial arrival was fine, but quickly it lost any momentum and only provided unnecessary information. Though it was a nice way to see exactly how the time-loops were playing out, so that was interesting.
Ultimately I do feel this finale kind of encapsulates the show as a whole; a lot of potential undermined by some weaker moments and trying to do a bit too much. I have to assume this show was intended for older fans, rather than the kids it was eventually pushed towards, given how much of it touched on larger concepts and had a tendency to jump around rather than give it a singular focus.
I also definitely feel it would have benefited a lot by cutting back on Surfer’s angst and having a singular companion, like Pip, with him for the vast majority. Still it is a very fascinating show and should be applauded for trying to do this kind of cosmic story.
Who are the Silver Surfer Voice Actors?
The voice actors who appear in this episode of Silver Surfer include:
- Paul Essiembre as Norrin Radd /Silver Surfer
- Colin Fox as Uatu the Watcher
- John Neville as Eternity
- Elizabeth Shepherd as Infinity
- Gary Krawford as Thanos
- Tara Rosling as Nova
- James Blendick as Galactus
- Robert Bockstael as Pip the Troll
- Norm Spencer as Drax
What did you think of this Silver Surfer Episode?
Did you enjoy this Silver Surfer episode? Do you wish there had at least been a cleaner finale if not a second season?
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