"Samurai Jack" was a staple of my childhood, prominently featured on Malaysia’s Cartoon Network channel during the early 2000s. I recently embarked on rewatching the series from the beginning to fully grasp Samurai Jack's journey and Genndy Tartakovsky's overarching vision.
Though I've watched the preceding episodes, I chose to start my reviews with Episode XII: Jack and the Gangsters, an episode that delves deep into 1940s crime movies and heist narratives. Reviewers from Razorfine and Nerdist have lauded its action sequences and the creative homage to nostalgic crime scenes.
This episode primarily features human characters, with the exception of the elemental guardians and the antagonist, Aku.
I found this episode particularly intriguing, albeit odd. It portrays Samurai Jack as unusually impatient, straying from the very ideals he embodies. In his quest to defeat Aku, he compromises his principles, engaging with crime syndicates and stealing the Water Crystal, actions that starkly contrast his usual righteousness.
While not the strongest episode in terms of thematic consistency, the crime boss's distinctive speech adds a quirky, enjoyable element.