“It is time for war.”

The war that’s been looming over the season has finally begun, and three of the Coalition’s strongest soldiers are unavailable. Unfortunately, once a war has begun, it can not be stopped. And we see how the absence of Nolan, Mark, and Oliver results in serious losses for the Coalition. Opening with speeches from Thaedus and Grand Regent Thragg, both leaders lay out what they’re fighting for, showing that though they are on different sides, the leaders may be more alike than they think, as shown later on in the episode.

With Mark out of commission as he heals after his round two with Conquest, Nolan and Oliver get a chance for some father-son bonding time. In the beginning, Oliver is visibly angry with Nolan, and for good reason. Despite Conquest trying to kill both of his sons twice now, Nolan still feels the need to build a grave for that man because of his dedication to Viltrum. Plus, he overheard Nolan’s conversation with Debbie and has been holding in his feelings about it for weeks. He tells Nolan he wanted to be just like Omni-Man, which is another great callback to Mark in season one, after he first gets his powers. Nolan is still learning how to make amends for his actions, and through their shared care for Mark and experiences together looking for food and shelter, Oliver begins to come around. With each episode this season, I begin to like Oliver more and more. When he first got to Earth, he had no regard for any life that was not his family. And in this episode, for him to stand up to Nolan to protect the life of another creature is a giant step forward for him, and maybe not something he would have done last season.

Back to the war, Allen and Tech Jacket were able to make a break for Telescria and join the Colilition in the fight. And even without some of its strongest fighters, The Coalition has been holding its own against Thragg and the Viltrumites, but not without much loss and sacrifice on the side of the Coalition. However, it causes Thragg to get desperate and order a direct attack on Telescria. Due to the mole, the Viltrumites make a successful attack on the planet. But with Mark, Oliver, and Nolan arriving the same way that Thor, Rocket, and Groot did in Wakanda in Infinity War, they minimize the damage the planet could have had. Thragg is noticeably absent in this attack, staying aboard his ship, and only caring about the survival of Argall’s skull, and nothing else. While Thaedus joined in the fighting, his lack of empathy for the lives lost in this attack, calling it a “minor setback,” drew another parallel to his adversary.

Well, the war has finally begun. And while this episode seemed like a slow start, it is sure to pick up again next week when the Coalition takes the fight to Viltrum. While not much “happens” in this episode, especially compared to the previous week, this is still a decent episode and continues to build up its characters, which will benefit future episodes and future seasons.

Rating: ★★★