‘Koala Man’ Recap: ‘Deep Pockets’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘Koala Man’. To revisit the series premiere, click here.
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Something that each and every one of us search for when we finally obtain our dream job, is validation. Validation that we are in fact, the right person for the job and that we are indeed the professional we've aspired to be. Because a touch of imposter syndrome comes into play when we finally settle into our dream role. And that plays with our minds and our hearts and leaves us in an insecure place. To the point where we need to hear from someone in the field, that this is indeed where we belong. But even then, there are no guarantees that will solve our problem.

Because imposter syndrome is quite powerful in nature. Which in turn begs the question… how then do we defeat it? Which is a question that oddly enough, the next episode of Koala Man on Hulu works to answer, in the most hilarious ways imaginable of course. For when we caught up with Kevin/Koala Man in ‘Deep Pockets’, he was in fact… struggling with imposter syndrome. Something brought on by the local tradies in his town since they slammed him for not having some kind of certification as a superhero, and for trying to do their job whilst helping others. Which left Kevin beside himself and wondering just how on earth he could find some kind some kind of validation regarding his dream role.

Of course, Kevin thought that perhaps speaking with Big Greg might help with that. Since he could have deemed Koala Man, Dapto’s Official Protector. But he sure as heck didn’t and that only helped to sink Kevin further. And to make matters worse, his Koala Man hotline was either silent or filled with hate voicemails and it just seemed as though, Koala Man would soon be forgotten, because Kevin was beginning to believe he was nothing more than a joke. Which was a brilliant way to subtly explore the power of imposter syndrome in a lighthearted and funny manner. Since it did put those worries on display in full in a palatable fashion, and thankfully… a powerful case is what allowed for Kevin to overcome it, with a strange assist from his family no less.

Because at school, Vicky found a way to get all soda banned. A move that pushed Liam and Alison to work with the tradies to smuggle in soda and make a killing in the process and of course, Koala Man was kinda, sorta, not really assigned to the case. But he searched for the culprits as is, and eventually, with Vicky’s help… came to learn at least one of his children were indeed smugglers. Which led to the most hilarious sequence of the episode, wherein the tradies and Koala Man duked it out Anime style, in a manner so over the top that it took soda to defeat them and left the family in a wild place since the tradies had powers untold. 

But above all, that fight and that investigation, is what taught Kevin and the audience, how to overcome imposter syndrome. And what it boils down to, are two key things. A support network that is honest with you and will inform you that you’ve made it, and a sense of self-worth. Which is a little harder of course, but when you have it… you’ll believe in what you do and who you are, and you won’t need the town’s mayor to sign off on your talents, nor will you have to fight a Mighty Morphin’ Power Tradie to find it. If anything, all of these elements make this, a wonderful episode. One that informed us that this season of storytelling, will be full of depth and fun and everything we can ask for and more from an outlandish and wonderful story that continues to ponder upon… what life might be like if we decided to try and become a superhero. Until next time.  

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