He didn't destroy it though, did he? And even if he did, then he should have used Ryu's or opened the present. Like seriously, there were options here. It wasn't a do or die scenario.

Emotionally I liked the way episode 48 ended, but I found the whole scenario painfully contrived.

Yup, used "Unicron" Mazimum Drive and vaporized it.

Ryu was hospitalised, and he didn't have time to go running around the city. It was do or die, as the Gaia Impact was almost finished when he "beat" Utopia. Had he wasted any time he wouldn't have made it.

Plus, the only way he beat him was untransformed. When he took Narumi's hat, and the emotion it personafied, that was what Utopia couldn't overcome. Utopia easily dispatched Accel before.

How was he supposed to know what was inside? he still didn't want to believe the only way to win involved losing Philip, so he never opened the present, and Philip never told him what it was.

Plus, Philip and Shotaro transformed because Shotaro didn't beat Utopia by himself. There was only one way they were gonna end it, and Shotaro couldn't avoid the truth anymore.

Just wait, he gets worse.

How many secondary riders have been assholes right out of the gate?

'Cuz really, I only think Birth was actually a cool guy when he first appeared. Everyone else has been butt-chinned. Even Accel to an extent.

Oh I didn't realise it got vaporised.

Sho had the time to go to Shroud for help, so it's bullshit to say he couldn't have taken the time out to do other things. The whole charging up the Gaia Impact thing was a contrived device in a contrived scenario.

But he didn't beat him untransformed? I don't get it? I just thought the hat blocked the attack? Is this a scene that appears in the next episode or something?

If Phillip had communicated, this could have been avoided, thus it was contrived. Given that it's Kamen Rider I can't wait for him to come back to life next episode and render this all pointless any way.

He has his own day for a reason :lol

Everything is contrived if you put it that way.

Things may not have gelled perfectly, but it's hardly so unexplainable that it falls to pieces, especially consideirng Shotaro always acts impulsively, and without full thought. He plays it by ear. It's still, IMO, the most solid KR finale next to OOO, and more satisfying in the grand scheme because OOO was a lot of nonsecical repetition before it's finale, verses W's penultimate episodes being more solid.

When I say "beat" I mean "he didn't destroy him in the building when the Gaia Impact blew up." He set him back, beat him in battle, but not the war. Philip and Shotaro did kill him, though, as Xtreme.

And that's why, to me, 49 is not the real ending. I know I'm spoiling, but you're smart, you can tell this death isn't permanent. I don't think anyone seriously thought it would be. The way he comes back isn't horrible, and actually kind of touching with the Sonozakis, and Shotaro sort of growing in comparrisons to Narumi Soukichi, but yeah they go for a happy ending with all the heroes back together.

Which is not to say I don't like happy endings, but W had the perfect ending in 48. If they wanted to bring Philip back, they should've done it in a movie, and had lots of build up and it be something that didn't happen an episode later. A proper revival, seperate from the series, so you could choose to keep the "original" ending intact if you wanted.

W had quite a few good movies, but still not as many as it deserved. Especially with Eternal's ridiculous "Oh but he was a good guy says this one girl who comes from nowhere" flick taking up what could have been.

I dunno. I really haven't enjoyed W's lead up, or the pay off either. It isn't quite as terrible as Fourze was by the end, but it's no OOO.

"had lots of build up and it be something that didn't happen an episode later." this piece of sentence, kinda sums up my feelings of W in general. I liked W, more often than I didn't, but I find the show this feels closest too is Wizard and I'm just a little more attached to Wizard than I am this.

Both were shows that weren't defined by having one strong half, one weak half as both shows were ultimately mediocre but a sort of admirably consistent mediocrity that at least meant you always knew what you'd get, which means you could never really be disappointed - I guess sorta like McDonalds.

The problem is though, when W did things well it did it SO FUCKING WELL that the mediocrity of everything else became frustrating because it showed how good this show could be, if it actually wanted to be. But instead it was just tripping over piles upon piles of terrible creative decisions.

Ultimately, like a lot of shows, W's problem was pace. W knew how to create good pay off, but the show never seemed to have a clear idea of how to get to it and was often tripping over itself to provide pay off, forgetting these things are all in the build up. And when the build up is bad, we lose investment in the proceedings and then even good pay off falls flat because we just don't care.

And that is kinda the thing. We had a few filler arcs, the Sonozaki's started dropping like flies without putting up any kind of fight, not that it mattered as they were a mixture of never being relevant in the whole show, or not being relevant for a long time and then there was this stuck on with masking tape final arc, which was bound so tightly in contrived storytelling that the regular good moments were strangled to the point of lifelessness.

I think it's best if I just pretend this show ended when Weather was defeated.

Faiz 39-44

39 and 40 really felt like the end of an arc with Takumi becoming Faiz again and gaining Blaster form. And that badass line transformation.

I like the new villain introduced in 41, he had a different motive then Smart Brain and actually used his resources rather then relying on the whims of random Orphnoch street thugs and his Lucky Clover buddies.

The most awkward thing I have ever seen in Kamen Rider was when the orphan kid was freaking out and wanted to be left alone and Osada pulled up her skirt because she knew that would calm him down...... the fuck Inoue?

Also, Mari in a bath. (Yes, I'm 15 and she's 15 in the show and I find her cute now shut up about me being a pedo.)

Osada's death was actually really well done for not showing Lucky Clover-bitch attacking her. Although I find it odd that Inoue used the "death before going on a date" just like Ryuki with Zolda. I just find that trope weird because it seems like to set up for a positive payoff because twists it into a different direction and I really find it odd.

They really did cut down on the Kusaka bullshit this time around because THANK GOD, that was unbearable at points earlier in the series.

So, I presume the series is going to end with the Riders beating the Orphnoch King? Since if the Lucky Clover shit from a majority of the series is what we're ending on, then I won't be satisfied.

Well that's the best part about the forum, it's all personal opinion. You say it's pacing is bad and certain things fall flat, I disagree because personally I never felt that way. Actually I rarely ever agree with you on any points you make in your episode reviews. But once again that is because I am me and you are you. Sad you didn't get into it as much as I or some of the others do, but hey, apples and oranges.