By this point, Mitch Williams has proven to be one of the most memorable characters across the series. He may be incredibly skilled as both a gamer and glitch tech, but he always uses it as a means to forward his ego and rub it in noobs' faces. He can show a little sympathy or kindness here and there, like letting Ridley go in "The New Recruit" or helping Five and Miko with their co-op in "BUDS", but for the most part, it's all about being the best there is. When a rival branch threatens to impede on his team's work, he'll deliberately bite back for the sake of proving himself. When an opponent wins a big gaming tournament, he'll take advantage of a glitch attack to erase it. Naturally, there's a lot to be said about him, making an episode titled "I'm Mitch Williams" one I'm sure most people going through the series would look forward to. And it's safe to say that this not disappoint.
Obviously, the main hook of the episode is to provide a more personal look at Mitch. He starts out over-determined to take a high-level glitch house after already wiping the entire town of glitches, and entirely refusing any semblance of backup (when previously he was at least somewhat open to that). You can definitely tell something's up with him, and the episode - following Miko and Five's perspective - initially wants you to believe he's simply XP-hungry. This continues during the initial exploration of the messy abode, with him recklessly handing out tech they're obviously just going to break. He also spends plenty of time belittling Miko and Five as usual, only starting to cooperate when it feels necessary for him to do so - then again standing away once the fact the residents are actually his siblings are revealed.
However, the perspective changes by the time Miko and Five get captured by the powered glitch. It's here we get treated to a heartwarming (if admittedly short) scene of Mitch talking with his estranged family, where it turns out that they intentionally break their equipment for the sake of giving him an excuse to come over. A bit messed up when you put it that way, sure, but it's clear there was no real other way he would've come with how devoted he is to the glitch tech life. Mitch then starts to turn around, embrace the value of togetherness, and let them help with the fight (through the guise of it being AR), as they help boost his self-confidence after it's brought to a low. It may not be the most major development you could've given a character like him, but it does make you care for him in ways that all the other episodes have not, thanks to the introduction of characters who genuinely love and grew up with him.
I should also mention the Furious Four themselves: along with Mitch, you have Ruf, Aud, and Speck. While they all seem to collectively share a personality, with almost no individual traits (at least none that I picked up on), the impact they leave on the story effectively distracts from such a disadvantage. The horrifically messy, cramped environment makes their living style beyond easy to pick up on, and their chummy, vivacious attitudes match the visual representation perfectly. They may not be people I'd ever want to live with, and they clearly don't think through a lot of their decisions, but their passion for gaming (complete with their catchphrase "Let's get furious!") and warmth toward their bruv Mitch are impossible not to smile at. The goodwill they share are enough to rub off on the viewer, which makes Mitch leading the climax of the episode all the more endearing.
The animation (again shared by Studio 100 and Top Draw) is mostly par for the course in regards to this show, to be fair, but there's still a lot of admirable direction to be had and the focus of this episode is more on the written relationships anyway. Greg Nix, who wrote this episode along with being the series' script coordinator, is a relative newcomer in the field, making it all the more impressive this turned out as effective as it did. "I'm Mitch Williams" may not be my favorite episode by any stretch, but it's certainly one that does exactly what you'd want to see from Mitch by this point. A-boosh.
I like that we're shown Ruf, Aud, and Speck right off the bat, giving us a taste of seeing them in proper action before we spend the rest of the episode following them in real life.
I had to mention Miko's "Boredom Dance", where she impulsively (and, as she claims, uncontrollably) flails around eager for excitement. As someone on the autistic spectrum, I relate to her so much here.
Compare this to a similar shot gathered in "The New Recruit". The teams are organized the same way (complete with the storyboard artists name-drops), but the interface is very different and the Brules are nowhere to be found.
Yeah, Mitch is even more of a cocky hog than usual at the beginning of this episode, peaking right at this smug-ass image. You're probably laughing at the [Not Five + Miko] at the bottom, but I'm questioning the logic of "Best Most Valuable Player".
Great, moody lighting as Nix and Zahra introduce the house like a horror story. Also this is the last thing we'll be seeing Zahra for the foreseeable future, so best you savor this.
When Phil first brings up the household being "perma-banned", Youngblood's inflection sounds genuinely worried - and we find out later its not because of the XP within it, but out of care for his siblings. That's some good, subtle pathos.
This exchange confuses me. Five suggests they 'ghost' Mitch, only for Miko to only to give a flat look outside the driver seat window before shouting the idea at Mitch, right alongside them. I don't get it; is she trying to prove that's a bad idea? I also gotta mention this corny yet bizarrely kind of clever reference: "Let's ghost, buster."
Oh hey, here's the poses that are used in all those promo images. And the "understanding" text behind them would make for a good meme template.
"I don't need backup!!! I'm! Mitch! WILLIAMS!"
I complimented Luke Youngblood's vocal performance in BUDS, but this episode consistently tops it with gold like this.
"Why ladder when you can bird?" Cute.
From the first establishing shot of the hallway, you know exactly what they're dealing with here. Game-obsessed party people with no regards for organization or upkeep. It takes what we previously know about them being a glitch nesting ground and makes it somehow more depressing than those watching were probably expecting.
First time we get all of the Furious Four together. I enjoy their tall, strong designs... if a little wide from the pizza, chips, and drinks lying all about. The design of this room is also pretty well fleshed-out despite how little time is actually spent in here.
Miko's had a lot of overdramatic fantasy sequences, but this has to take the cake in at least bizarreness. She's literally imagining a funeral for the Furious Four, with the cliched umbrellas and black suits and everything.
This is a unusual case where the glitch threat in the episode is in root form the entire time. The way its pure-light nature stands out in these dim hallways is a smart visual trick to make it carry more of a presence than it normally would.
The animation isn't too special during this portion, but I definitely enjoy the constant momentum going on with Miko hopping around and the many visually exciting camera shots like the one above.
Note that the only reason the root glitch isn't stopped here is because Mitch and Five are fighting for capture dibs. Mitch is obviously being his greedy self, while Five has a clear eagerness of his own, partly out of seeking justice for Mitch stealing all the work earlier. Giving him this kind of character flaw is definitely needed for this story, so that he and Miko have more of a role to play in the story beyond just the example to follow.
This episode is home to many first-rate Mitch expressions, particularly of the frustrated variety. This is probably my favorite of them. He's just so damn tired of dealing with all this crap, and who can blame him at this point?
I like how Mitch is being all sarcastic while Miko and Five formulate their plan. May seem condescending of him, but in previous episodes he'd probably outright interrupt them or insist they keep doing everything his way. Thus, it stands to reason that by this point in the story he's starting to warm up to them a little.
More chibis, this time with a gratuitous glow for some reason, and I don't know what the hell's going on with Five. The shocked look on the glitch chibi is cute though.
I love all the ominous glows present throughout this sequence, from the mini-Fives summoned from the gauntlet to the sudden power coming from the back room. It's a bit basic all things considered, but compared to the more saturated colors we saw for the rest of the episode, it definitely succeeds in making everything look more spooky.
The Furious Four poster, complete with Mitch. I'm not sure how Five, a fan of the group, doesn't know this fact (especially since he only parted ways a year ago), nor how did anyone question why there were only three people in the Furious Four, but screw it, cool reveal ya'll.
This is another scene where Luke's vocals exceptionally stand out, doubting Five and Miko's danger by making fun of their saccharine moral values... only to solemnly put himself down. The way Youngblood starts all confident and sarcastic, only to trail off at "understanding" and enter earnest mode is so believable with how it's paced and delivered. Not only that, but his drop in confidence means he does see legitimate skill in them but chooses not to acknowledge it.
Ruf, Aud, and Speck ready for a little "augmented reality", as Mitch enlists them to help with the mission. The fact he's able to get others involved through this kind of trick is such a fun idea, and the fact characters like these are able to kick serious butt is also highly satisfying.
A little peek at what the sibs see as they contribute to the battle. I wish they were a little more imaginative with this, but I guess you can't have everything.
The way they rope the glitch down on both ends definitely brings to mind "The New Glitch Techs", but that episode was actually made after this one, plus it's ultimately destroyed in a very different way. As much of a griefer as he can be, it'd be wrong if Mitch didn't get to deliver the final blow here.
I like this tech specialist. Very cold and strict, enough to pose a serious threat in the story, but he doesn't overstay his welcome. Plus they give him a chuckle-worthy moment with him tripping over a cord.
When most people think of Mitch Williams, this is the first image they think of. And with a profile and layout this great, why wouldn't they?
That said, it's only made better when followed up by him triumphantly joining his sibs for some long-overdue time off (accepting Five and Miko as his backup for good measure) and a final utterance of "Let's get furious!".
And that's very apt, as there's one more episode to go in this lineup, and we will not be seeing him in that one. While I sure hope this won't be the last time we get graced with Mitch's presence, this would certainly be a really bittersweet note for him to go out on when you think about it.
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