Nothing like a good existential crisis to get you going in the morning. While Lilly (Lola Binkerd) is concerned about paying the rent, her roommate Katelyn (Kit Quinn), who thinks she’s a superhero, is more concerned with her other job. The one that involves beating up people and not getting paid.

SPOILERS BELOW

The bulk of this episode is set up around a robbery that is interrupted by Katelyn and Lilly. Taking down a robber and saving the damsel in distress is a stereotype of the superhero genre, but Sweethearts takes viewer expectations and, as usual, plays with them. The Victim (Krystal Caldwell) and Robber (Jordan Holmes) play as parodies of their roles. They both follow the standard superhero script for these sorts of encounters but add in plenty of snarky commentary along the way and a healthy dose of genre awareness, calling Katelyn and Lilly out on their frequent mistakes. The Victim’s utter lack of concern about the dangerous situation, with the help of one prop in particular, makes the scene.

But, that’s not to say the Victim’s lack of concern is justified. Sweethearts of the Galaxy has a habit of bittersweet endings, and, because of that, I was tense the whole episode, picturing the dozen or so things that could go wrong for our heroines. Capitalizing on those emotions, Katelyn and Lilly play the scenario seriously, which provides a brilliant contrast to the Robber and Victim’s more lax views and provides the bulk of the tension. There is a lot of great movement this episode with constantly shifting locations, sharp camera work, and the maneuverings of the characters. The latter, in particular, creates a lot of fun moments, as the girls’ array of crime-fighting tactics leaves something to be desired. They stumble over one another and bicker when really all they want is to avoid being knifed.

You can check out episode 5 for yourself here.

Four and a Half Conveniently Placed Trash Cans out of Five