‘Twisted Metal’ Recap: ‘NUTH0UZ’

9/21/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

TWISTED METAL -- "NUTHOUZ" Episode 107 -- Pictured: (l-r) Joe Seanoa as Sweet Tooth, Mike Mitchell as Stu -- (Photo by: Skip Bolen/Peacock/Sony TV)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Seven of ‘Twisted Metal’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve celebrated two key storytelling elements present in the Peacock series, Twisted Metal, often. Specifically, the show’s phenomenal worldbuilding, and its incredible work with revealing the character’s backstories and what makes them tick, and well… there’s good reason for these celebrations to happen on a regular basis. Simply because the show continues to display its prowess on such matters by consistently helping us to understand these characters better, and by continuing to expand this world and how it functions and well… it is time for us to celebrate this once again. For the next episode of this magnificent series took the time to lean into both storytelling elements once more and that made ‘NUTH0UZ’ quite the compelling tale.

One… that expanded even further upon the madness that lurks within the man known as Sweet Tooth. For this story opened up with Sweet Tooth’s origin story. Wherein we came to learn that his name is actually Marcus Kane, and he was once a sitcom star of a show called Billy and 2 Scoops. A reveal that immediately informed us of the genesis of his love of theater and his love of performing, and it also promptly revealed to us… what brought forth his madness. For he was a troubled child actor that craved the same attention and adoration he desires in adulthood and when that was taken from him, by his new golden retriever co-star… he snapped. He did the unthinkable and spent the rest of his life in institutions and well, in essence this re-telling of his life, was brought to bear for one important reason.

For ST wanted to find closure regarding the past at last. Which was why he brought his convoy to his former mental health facility, so he could go back to his cell, bid farewell to his television parents, who he locked away in his cell at some point, to punish them for not doing enough to keep him in the spotlight. And well, this twisted pilgrimage worked, and gave Sweet Tooth peace and once again… gave the audience so much to work with and so much to learn about this iconic character, and truly we understand him now, and his fury. It doesn’t make any of it right, but it does indeed give us the context we crave, and this was critical, so that the next chapter in Sweet Tooth’s life could come to fruition. Because a healing Agent Stone and his lackeys made their way there as well… to take Sweet Tooth and his people out as revenge for their attacks on so many of the law’s outposts. But alas, while they got everyone else, they missed Sweet Tooth and Stu, and now Mister Kane is ready for revenge and that’s bad news for Agent Stone.

But while that character study was downright amazing, there was mention of this episode featuring some world-building as well, and that was handled by Quiet and John. Who made their way to a Milkman outpost, which allowed for us to see… what the world of the Milkman looked like and as it turned out… it was f*cking miserable. Because Milkmen we now know, are supremely selfish, and so many were eager to stab another in the back to get ahead and potentially find peace, and that meant Quiet and John had to battle John’s ex and people John thought were friends when the payout for his cargo was revealed. All to survive to complete their mission, which was the only bright spot in this part of the story. Since they did get the item from Chicago and stood victorious in the end, and really, this vignette helped us to understand how desperate and broken this world is at the moment, and why John and Quiet need to get out now.

In the end, this was just an amazing episode. Because this particular tale really showcased the quality of the writing of this series, and how much care went into creating this show, and how much the creative team wanted to give us something familiar, yet something new, and well… they have done a tremendous job, and we haven’t even hit the season finale yet. Which means we get several more episodes that will undoubtedly wow us with more context and backstory, and more world-building, and more incredibly twisted moments that will drop our jaws and leave us in stitches and well… you really cannot go wrong with that. Because we are simply on a rollercoaster ride at this point, one no one wants to get off of, and well… all this amazing episode does is push us to hit play on the next episode. To see what challenges await John and Quiet, next and what will become of Stone… now that he has pissed off a killer clown. Until next time.

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