Ben 10’s Deep, Political Episode About Prison Injustice

[@skylerfisher4347]

“Leave my family out of this, they have nothing to do with it!” *“neither did mine.“* That line alone still gives me chills. Excellent writing.

[@limarien6405]

It's a simple exchange, elevated perfectly by incredible acting

[@bannerturtoise1219]

I like the idea of Bradley not having a name. It adds more to the themes of being treated like a threat and a prisoner. You're striped of everything, even your own name, your personal identity.

[@christianparrish3292]

Your profile picture is cool.

[@slevinchannel7589]

@@christianparrish3292 I'd love to recommend my fellow Ink-Tank-Fans civil, calm both-partys-get-criticized Coverage of Political Stuff: 'Some More News' is basically 'Ink-Tank but Political'!

[@EduardoTorelly]

i was thinking the same thing.

[@popstarprincess123]

That makes great sense but he’s one of my favorite characters

[@conradlorgar5508]

It also allows him to represent anyone

[@DigiWarriorCallum]

Bradley seeing the baby and having a very sorrowful expression as if having extreme second thoughts to killing the kid and mother... that simple expression was my favourite shot in the episode.

[@jdellabeat6245]

Me too. That moment was really good.

[@monkiking778]

That moment added an extra layer to a conflict that had already so many

[@DjPrimeVideos]

I teared up a bit when Bradley started to beg for death. The way he broke down was hella relatable. Imagine just losing everything to a point of a rampage and even when you lose that you just wanna give up...I've been there.

[@slevinchannel7589]

@@DjPrimeVideos I'd love to recommend my fellow Ink-Tank-Fans civil, calm Coverage of Political Stuff. Just saying, 'Some More News' is basically 'Ink-Tank but Political'!

[@umapessoa240]

Yeah, you can tell he shook off his bloodlust for a second there… makes you wonder if he would have gone through with it if Rozum and Ben didn’t show up to push him further down the line. It’s interesting that you can gather so much out of a character with such an oddly shaped face that should make it harder to read him

[@Classyboo123]

It’s kinda ironic how Ben explains that he shouts his alien's names to “strike fear”, but it’s when he doesn’t shout his name that does strike fear because it shows he’s getting serious. I love that.

[@ianr.navahuber2195]

Like Spider-Man If he is quipping, you are safe If he is silent, you start worrying IFHE IS SILENT AND USING THE BLACK COSTUME,then it's game over for you

[@Ginko_Sakata]

He also doesn't yell out his names in Heroes United

[@williamnguyen8663]

@@ianr.navahuber2195 if he’s laughing while not quipping… it’s venom pretending to be spider man, run

[@bloodbrawler1438]

@@ianr.navahuber2195 If he is silent, with the black costume, and horribly mutated.....pray the afterlife you are going to does not let him in

[@jmck1701]

bro I was thinking that when Kuro was playing the examples of ben NOT shouting the names. that silent waybig transformation against GWEN of all people gave me chills a lil bit

[@umapessoa240]

Bradley’s begging is even more heartbreaking in the Brazilian dub. In the original he’s sort of beating around the bush (“do it”; “finish me”), whereas in Portuguese he’s straight up shouting “kill me”

[@rocketleax5]

Damn how did they get away with that?

[@umapessoa240]

@@rocketleax5 a more lenient studio, I suppose

[@mobgabriel1767]

@@rocketleax5 its in brazil we are acostumated

[@farofa2843]

O dublador do Bradley realmente fez ele parecer desesperado comparado com a dublagem original

[@infinityalbi9840]

Acabei de checar e caramba... voce tem razao...

[@Cyberleader672]

Honstly, I think it's kind of impactful that we never find out the prisioners name. He's had no reason to use if for decades and I doubt any one in the military has reffered to him by anything other than his prision number. It just shows how much this experianced has changed him

[@krnatsu]

Not only that, but it really shows how little Rosum sees his prisoners. He doesn’t see people like Prisoner 775 as, well people, he sees them as a threat, as less than that. The truth is 775 is just as much of a person as Rosum, him being an alien, shouldn't dictate how much good he can he. Rosum simply suspects 775 is evil, because he's an alien who, could be a threat. But the same could be said about Rosum, whats to stop Ben, Max and the others from seeing him as a threat. Arguably more so than 775

[@erikbihari3625]

@@krnatsuThe episode's point is that he has good intentions, but using wrong methods in dealing with this particular situation. Even cautiousness has limits!

[@krnatsu]

@@erikbihari3625 thats what I mean, it doesn't justify Rosum, it simply explains his rationale behind his methods. He's a villain because of his actions, not necessarily what he wants to accomplish through them

[@erikbihari3625]

@@krnatsuThen I'm glad we're on the same page.

[@krnatsu]

@@erikbihari3625 dw I wasn't trying to say Rosum was right, I was saying there was nuance in his character which made him more realistic

[@ConnorTheOne_]

I actually really like how Prisoner 775 is never given a name. I think it serves to show how dehumanized he’s become and further deepens his tragedy. After all, to people like Col. Rozum, that’s all he is: just another prisoner; just another number….

[@conradlorgar5508]

It also harking back to concentration camps where people were made into nothing but numbers

[@Heraldo_Del_Mar]

My thoughts exactly. 775 had his real name stolen and assigned that number as another addition to be collected.

[@laks786]

​@@Heraldo_Del_Marnot only his real name but also his life. Even after all that, he still ends up in shackles

[@Heraldo_Del_Mar]

@@laks786 Well, at least he'll be processed by the Plumbers as he should've decades ago.

[@laks786]

@@Heraldo_Del_Mar now that i think about it, he should've been mentioned in the later episodes or omniverse like he was a civilian in undertown Or a friendly inmate in the plumber hq who ben talked to once in a while since his planet was overtaken by the dictator. (He could have been in the episode where psyphon and other inmates get Ben's aliens). Idk prisoner 775 deserved better

[@josephapsey9965]

I think the fact he never gets a name and is always just referred to as his inmate number really plays into how he and all the other unlawfully held aliens weren’t even seen as people,

[@Postsager]

Plus it emphasises the fact that there’s 774 more aliens that are possibly like him

[@awsomedude23456]

@@Postsager had the show been allowed to do more of this, it would’ve been cool to see an arc where some of them do return, maybe even in omniverse

[@wildste]

Yeah, that is how I always interpreted it. Just referring to Bradley as a number really hits the message home that they are just seen as a file in the system

[@blazingfire7190]

There probably wasn’t even a record of his name, as they didn’t care who they imprisoned

[@nellewoodruff6337]

Agreed. Wouldn't have minded a little trivia blurb or author comment saying what it was behind the scenes

[@Krumpins]

Bradley is probably one of the most tragic characters in CN history; he deserves way more respect and acknowledgement from the fans.

[@LostSoulSilver]

I read this comment before watching the video and I was like damn, what happened to Mr Baker?

[@matthewsimmons9277]

We know Ben ten later gains full control of alien x, think he revives Bradley’s family at some point in the future? Oh and throw in the revival of arburian pelarotta’s along with their planet. That giant space tic got annihilated in Ben ten classic by ironically enough cannonbolt.

[@izukumidoriya8600]

@@matthewsimmons9277 Doubt it since he wouldn't act as a God like that since what's done is done and he doesn't want to exercise his will over the universe

[@starcatcher9699]

I wish they at least went to his planet and helped free it. I know, Ben can't stop a war, but he could assist.

[@lorekeeper685]

he is my fav charecter chamalien should be used more

[@CallMeSaltyScorpion]

One of the undisputed coolest episodes to me as a kid. The image of this seemingly dangerous alien BEGGING for death because of the death of his family, friends, home, and life stuck with me. I loved this episode.

[@rushalias8511]

I wouldn't say it's cool in retrospect but I can tell what you mean. It's really impactful and really puts everything I to perspective.

[@CallMeSaltyScorpion]

@@rushalias8511 I have the habit of reimagining things in a more dramatic, emotion filled way. So while in the actual show, he just says “Kill me!” In my head he always goes and yells at the general about how he was a soldier and lost his family, life, and home in prison😂 All the while Ultimate Wildmutt just sits on him

[@Trunks1stApprentice]

Not giving Prisoner 775 a name was probably intentional. They don't treat him as a person and hold him based on pure suspicion, so they strip him of his name as well.

[@Enterprise-D666]

It also reminds me of how in Les Miserables, Inspector Javert almost always only called Jean Val Jean as Prisoner 24601 and not his real name as way to show that once you’ve been a prisoner in his eyes, you’re less than human.

[@gab_gabriel7091]

When you're a kid, you watch the episode because of Ultimate Wildmutt. When you're a teen, you watch the episode because of Chamalien. When you're older, you watch the episode because of literally everything else holy shit

[@Digital_Dman]

Im a teen and I watch it for everything else. I dont like Ultimate Wildmutt and honestly Chamalien would have been better if he apeard more than twice. He only apeared in this episode and the one where he finds Vilgax in his squid form. And Bradly is just an awsome character too

[@indecisivestrike501]

@@Digital_Dman ChamAlien actually makes a third appearance in the Nightmare episode

[@Digital_Dman]

Right, I remember that now. When Albedo is hiding from ben. That was such an insignificant appearance that I already forgot about that

[@MARCSEIDis]

So this episode aired when I was 14, and even back then I was like "holy shit"

[@skibot9974]

Or rather you watch as a kid for Rath

[@JoshtheOverlander]

Knowing that his wife happened to see the last moments of Bradley before he got taken away, I can't imagine the aftermath of this incident is it would spell anything good for Rozum's marriage, especially since she was close by to hear Max chewing him out and Rozum admitting he'd do it again

[@Animestar21]

@caitlyncarvalho7637 not that uncommon when you remember shows like Justice League Unlimited, Static Shock, and X-Men Evolution also existed (and most are superhero shows. Even Better)

[@connormedeiros5970]

I was nervous that this episode wouldn’t get a full breakdown. Thanks for giving this episode full attention Kuro. It’s a great one to behold.

[@KraylebStudios]

Yep I'm glad it got a full review too

[@gregtitizian2760]

I think the strength of Gwen’s barriers are based on how much power, concentration and confidence she has. That would justify why her barriers are so inconsistent

[@kermitgotthesickkicks4265]

I don't agree with that much. She legit couldn't hold back a damn blow torch.

[@fishyfishyfishy500akabs8]

It’s never mentioned

[@nellewoodruff6337]

@@kermitgotthesickkicks4265 Idk about the other times, but in this case I imagine she softened it to break Kevin's fall without him outright slamming into it but made it too soft

[@yellow_flash813]

@@nellewoodruff6337 that would make sense

[@brainstorm6142]

maybe it could be her not using full strength not expecting something thrown at her to not be that powerful

[@dakotajaster8734]

Bradley has a similar circumstance as the Dragon did with the Knights. Except Bradley somehow got confirmation that his family was gone while the Dragon basically just missed their childhood at the least.

[@guilhermemarinho9861]

Dwayne is just something else man. Dude really knew how to write great political analogies on his stories

[@darrylbonner7208]

I’ll take notes

[@levydeat]

Gwen shouting Wildmutt for Ben might be the funniest gag in Ben 10 for me

[@Juli_is_Online]

Hell yes, this was always one of my favourite UA episodes that remind me why I love this show so much. THIS is what people mean when they say "this show got darker", I mean the main "antagonist" of the episode literally begs to be killed at the end because he has nothing left to live for. That's...a lot. I especially love his exchange with Rozum just before "Leave my family alone, they had nothing to do with this!" "Neither. Did. Mine."

[@yashjoshi6168]

This is one of the most tragic in franchise the only other which rivals with this episode is showdown two parter of omniverse

[@yashjoshijee2294]

Agreed

[@Morphos7460]

An interesting idea for the bigger Plumber involvement in Omniverse is the fact that they needed one to better monitor Earth so nothing like Area 51 couldn't happen again under their watch. They justified it to the planet by bringing up the Casey-Kelly Accords and the fact they broke them so they need to allow this or face bigger consequences on the galactic scale.

[@funtimedingus8048]

I think Rath's initial transformation in the episode is evidence for BOTH the choice and instinct part of the name shouting thing, Rath is a very instinctual and aggressive alien, so of course HE would go all in on shouting a name, weather it be right or not, and Ben probably doesn't care in most situations

[@JAYDOG1337A]

14:29 A big sign of maturity in Ben here is that he actually counted how many prisoners were there, 774 of them.

[@eljordinio7647]

Big chill must be pretty fast to get through all those cells so quickly

[@preferno4263]

Always loved the prisoner wished he came back in omniverse. Especially as a prison warden for the null void who is fair.

[@yashjoshi6168]

Dude, what if ben with his team would go with Bradley on his planet to save others in Multiversal road trip arc of omniverse?

[@preferno4263]

@@yashjoshi6168 that would have been a perfect little episode story until a big finale team up with everyone throughout all 4 series

[@yashjoshijee2294]

@@preferno4263 True

[@infinitypercival5958]

Would've been nice, but at the same time I feel like Omniverse just would've ruined him because he doesn't fit the tone of the show anymore.

[@subhasishghosh6924]

No way dude. Omniverse couldn't dream of writing anything as deep and complex as this, it would 100% ruin Bradley

[@jdellabeat6245]

This episode is really one of my favorites from all of the series. Prisoner 775 is one of the great one-off characters that really impacted me, even when I was a kid. Such a great episode and I love the VA performance for Prisoner 775. Also, Col. Rosum is a really a good one-off villain that was needed in the plot. I wish Prisoner 775 came back for Omniverse as maybe as a civilian of Undertown after he was released. It could be great to see him deal with the Incursean Invasion

[@monkiking778]

They could have made an entire ov episode just around him and his trams and how he is doing

[@jdellabeat6245]

@@monkiking778 It would be a spiritual successor to this episode too. Like, his experience of getting out of prison mirrors real life as people who were out of prison who don't have no job security and prospect and social and mental faculties avaliable. It would be to see him and maybe Mr. Bauman or Pakmar help him rebuild his life together on Earth. Maybe, he could on date with either a male or female, but is nervous as the trauma of his deceased family still haunts him to this day.

[@monkiking778]

@@jdellabeat6245 there is so much potential with him and i am a bit upset that he was never seen again

[@jdellabeat6245]

@@monkiking778 I feel you. But, that's why fan works are a blessing. We could create these scenarios without the impediment of a network Also, it's a great pass time where you develop your skills as a writer or maybe help create your own story.

[@monkiking778]

@@jdellabeat6245 true as fan works don’t have the same restrictions

[@MillionBitGamer]

I think Bradley's mystery teleportation can be explained by the possibly more ridiculous power of double jump

[@soomitsunami5936]

Ye maybe their species evolved to have little springs on his feet

[@jazzbee9857]

Gotta say I really love how blatant and surprising Ultimate Wildmutt's transformation was. I wish it wasn't spoiled through toy leaks, cos that would have been awesome to experience without any knowledge that it was coming.

[@awsomedude23456]

This being an ultimate version of him suggests that an adult vulpimancer is almost this level, since Ben 10000 as wild mutt is almost the same. Maybe it’s suggesting that an evolved one gets its tail earlier

[@damiansaturday6788]

@@awsomedude23456 so the vulpimancers are essentially the sharks/crocodiles of their homeworld, so much so that all that the only thing a millennia of evolution within a simulation of the worst case scenario is a voice and a tail

[@awsomedude23456]

@@damiansaturday6788 from what we’ve seen they appear to be at the top of their respective food chain, so not much evolution is likely needed, plus adult ones already have a tail, so likely part of the evolution is to be able to be apex predators at a younger age. Similar to cannon bolt their design doesn’t need much modification, in cannon bolts case his species is a defensive one with a just about indestructible shell, Ben just uses it offensively bc when he got it he didn’t know the abilities of the species. So the only logical evolutionary step would be to give the shell attack functions

[@damiansaturday6788]

@@awsomedude23456 cool

[@skibot9974]

I was surprised

[@zyro7756]

It’s episodes like this that really make me appreciate the care that went into the writing Things like this or the Lex Luthor talk with Amazo in justice league really do just get better and better as you get older

[@Ashley-ce6gp]

I feel like not giving Bradley a name was intentional, allowing him to be a substitute for every Guantanamo Boy prisoner. He can of course still work as a substitute regardless of if he had a name or not, but its a little trick some movies and shows pull, like Ryan Gosling in Drive or Christopher Nolan's Tenet

[@iridiumSerpent]

Yeah I always saw him as a placeholder for the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay

[@bulldog4037]

29:00 The reason why he comes out of invisibility for a short period of time/makes atleast part of his hand semi-transparent before throwing a punch is because I would imagine it would be pretty difficult to hit anything or even grab something without being able to see your hand. It's actually a very overlooked aspect when it comes to invisibility powers in fiction where characters that can turn their body invisible have no problem with even everyday tasks let alone hand to hand combat (I can refer to one instance in super hero media where invisibility was handled fairly well. A part of Toru Hagakure's/Invisible Girl's costume in anime "My Hero Academia" are fighting gloves and a pair of shoes which are the only 2 parts of her wardrobe that are actually visible to her because it would make sense for Toru to see her fists to be able to throw punches and her shoes to not trip over her own feet ). Imagine you had to pin point something infront of you with your finger. Pretty easy right? Now imagine your finger is invisible. In that instance you have to rely on your intuition rather than your senses which would end up in you probably not being accurate in what you had to point at (unless you were lucky). That's why the alien turned visible before throwing a punch, to be more accurate. I'm guessing a completely different species that went through years of evolution wouldn't have a problem with stumbling over their own feet (maybe because they developed to walk on all 4 limbs) and with everyday tasks while being invincible. I have a theory that his eyes that look like a sick ass RGB visor let him see anything including his own body while its not visible to the naked eye.

[@cameronjohnson-tw7vv]

You can sense the direction and position of your body

[@cameronjohnson-tw7vv]

Ever heard of Preprioreception? We can feel where are bodies are in relation to our own bodies

[@bulldog4037]

@@cameronjohnson-tw7vv Yes. But apply that logic to hand to hand combat. Not being able to see your own limbs seems pretty disorienting in the heat of the moment.

[@רועימעוז-ז2ל]

it's really interesting to see that the government does to these aliens the same as the knights did to the dragon. perhaps if we got the dragon plotline that could have been a major theme in that episode and would play a big role

[@calvinmatthews1527]

I think Rozum is one of those kinds of people who knows they've gone too far but are in deep now, kinda like Charmcaster's descent into madness. Also, they should've at least given half of Ben's aliens Ultimate forms.

[@JohnWilliams-wl9px]

His line of "I just go where they sent me" pretty much implies that.

[@lavendermarshmallowplant3229]

"she cute?" Oh, Ben 💀 Jokes aside, wow, I love the bittersweet ending but it's also a bit shocking how much this leans into the "bitter" side. There's Rozum NOT changing his mind despite everything he saw with Bradley and the story of Bradley himself. It's so sad how Bradley never found a proper resolution to his arc--he lost his family and was wrongfully imprisoned, and after escaping he lashes out while also breaking down over how he had no one and nothing to live for anymore. And then the episode ends with him not finding one AND getting imprisoned again. What a tragic character. And it kind of leaves a hollow feeling. His only reprieve is that he'll probably be treated more fairly by the Plumbers.

[@dust8286]

​​@Paulo SM i mean they could try to help him take back his home world or this could have oppened up later as an episode for omniverse or ua where ben and rook or gwen and kevin are called to help take it back or it could be part of a miniseries where bradly is set free by the plumbers and takes back his home world becoming it's leader or something

[@TheSpencermacdougall]

Given his lizard like shape, I'm calling P-775 "Randall" Cause he kinda reminds me of that guy from Monsters Inc., being a reptilian with camouflage powers.

[@eljordinio7647]

Love that

[@namesdontmattergaming2756]

Colonel Rozum honestly reminds me of the military guy from Justice League Unlimited, the one who hated super powered beings so much he became a super powered being. Both are set in their stubborn ways, and both are just hypocrites in the end. Rozum wanted Bradley to spare his family, but would Rozum have done the same for Bradley? Nope….

[@ghostchannel4766]

General Eiling?

[@namesdontmattergaming2756]

@@ghostchannel4766 Yeah him

[@SplashCity46]

I think the name yelling is an impulse, but sometimes Ben can control it. His default is to shout though. When he yells the wrong name, he’s playing into the “strike fear into enemies” and going along with the yelling, but ends up yelling the wrong name

[@Heraldo_Del_Mar]

31:47 That line hit the hardest in the whole episode: "Some 'threat', huh?" Prisoner 775 was never a menace until he was locked up and driven insane for decades over a blatant disregard for his exile.

[@fresh10]

RIP Kevin Conroy, the Voice of Bellicus in Alien X's Debut Episode and Batman's Voice🙏🙏🙏

[@christianparrish3292]

Amen

[@GenUrobutcher]

No matter what side of the political Isle you are in, the real life analogy of this episode should be equally horrifying. No moral human being can deny what happened to the prisoner (s) was utterly wrong and it's such a great episode.

[@chrismic8087]

As a European Ben 10 fan as a kid, I remember watching this and thinking damn this is horrible, growing up to find out it referenced a real thing that was happening in the US for decades absolutely shocked me. There is no political wiggle room when we're talking about human rights violations of the worst degree possible

[@maninthemask6275]

Like people care about human rights now a days.

[@thedarknessinthelight9824]

@@maninthemask6275 The comment of someone who has never seen any political post on any platform

[@maninthemask6275]

@@thedarknessinthelight9824 damn I guess people really are up in arms about dhs leaks or Epstein or the Urgur genocide in China or how there is more slavery in the world now then ever before or the abuse of the Canadian trucker protesters or the Jan 6th protesters, oh wait no one cares about any of that? Funny that huh?

[@thedarknessinthelight9824]

@@maninthemask6275 Maybe those people are too busy with the Russian war with Ukraine? Or the russian cyber-attacks on the US Government? Or the Russian doomsday device that's missing from it's harbor? Or the battle for LGBT acceptance in countless countries like Texas and Ohio? Well, I suppose those don't exist now.

[@machipachis123]

The only disappointing thing about this episode is that there aren't consequences to Rosum keeping all those aliens prisoner. We never see any mention of it again and we never see earth face any consequences about it aside from Max saying it.

[@fishyfishyfishy500akabs8]

Tbh that makes it even sadder that this is realistic

[@therestinghornet6906]

@@fishyfishyfishy500akabs8 damn :/

[@devildolphin2102]

I mean Ben and Max have done worse than Rosum. They literally locked multiple aliens up in the null zone without trial. Hell they left Kevin a 11 year old child in the null zone with vilgax. This whole Area 51 plot line is just so hypocritical

[@devildolphin2102]

@Paulo SM How do you know they are Innocent. They are in prison. Most Criminals are guilty

[@zodiac5403]

@@devildolphin2102 mofo they were thrown into prison with no basis other than them being "not human". Maybe not all of them are innocent but they clearly aren't all guilty either. The prison isn't even legal cause the general clearly had no authority over such things and is also clearly in violation of some inter galactic space law.

[@fresh10]

Wildmutt's Return was awesome, and his Ultimate Form may have looked pretty similar to base Wildmutt, but I still enjoyed his fight against the Chamalien!! However Upgrade and Stinkfly could've also been in UA, since their voice actors are in the UA Cast... Dee Bradley Baker voiced Stinkfly and Yuri Lowenthal could easily voice Upgrade👽👽

[@thefifthhorseman2363]

Upgrade did appear in the ultimate alien timeline but it was not on the official show, it was on the Heroes United crossover. Yuri did voice him.

[@fresh10]

@@thefifthhorseman2363 true but he definitely could've been useful in the show

[@zohebrafi]

@@fresh10 And Stinkfly also appeared voiced again by Dee , albeit not used by 16 year old Ben but 10 year old Ben.

[@HaydenWood-uc1yb]

Thank you Kuro. I’m glad you actually did a full breakdown of my favorite UA episode.

[@theamazingspooderman2697]

this was a top tier episode and I love how all 3 Wildmutt transformations (OG, UA, OV) are somewhat similar

[@ChazzDiBianco]

10:00 This really shows how much Ben has matured as a character. It shows you how Ben isn’t as impulsive as he used to be.

[@theking8347]

And when he was asked for an in-universe reason for why Ben doesn't shout his transformation's names out anymore in Omniverse, Matt Wayne said that Ben just got tired of doing it.

[@kermitgotthesickkicks4265]

seems like a ben thing to do.

[@RAINBOWNIGTHMAREPRODUCTIONS]

I like there is an explanation.

[@alexbellon1892]

I mean, considering he is going to have 10000 aliens in the future, trying to remember all their names in order to just shout their names would be pretty pointless and tiring.

[@JAYDOG1337A]

Yeah, I really would've liked to see serious political consequences for this episode, like hundreds of alien civilizations threatening an actual war with earth unless they hand over Rozum to be tried for his crimes, with the caveat being that they already know he's guilty, the trial is deciding whether he gets life in prison, or is instead executed. Ben tries everything he can using his own credit of saving the universe, but even then it's not enough to get Rozum free, but he does just barely manage to get him life in a Plumber prison cell rather than in any individual species jail so he wouldn't suffer any "accidents" while in prison.

[@marocat4749]

It could be running in th backround even. An max could talk about annoying lawyers and demands and what else.

[@therestinghornet6906]

that would have been fucking incredible

[@TheRealNekora]

I would love a smaller arc based on it. especaly Rozums reaction getting notified that an army of ships big enougth to swarm earth spaze like ants on an ant hill. all of those ships broadcasting "surender Rozum" or "Give is Rozum". add to it his "trial" being broadcasted all over earth would be icing on the cake when the only two exists for him is eather public execution or lifetime prison/isolation

[@JAYDOG1337A]

@Paulo SM I think it's because earth technically isn't an interstellar race, as such they are not technically subject to most interstellar laws, the capture of the aliens would be viewed in the same light as someone on earth getting caught by primitive tribesmen, the tribesmen would not be held at fault, the one who intruded on their territory would be. The only humans who go to different star systems are Plumbers like Max. Without Plumber interference there would be no humans in deep space at all.

[@JAYDOG1337A]

@Paulo SM That's because Animo couldn't be contained in a normal prison.

[@AMIR.S.Y]

i like to think that some aliens like canonbolt big chill and wildmut are already advanced enough and that's why their ultimate form doesn't have much of a difference

[@acmeanvil3022]

Both Prisoner 775 and Subdora are honestly ten times more memorable in their appearances than Ben's own Merlinisapien transformation, ChamAlien.

[@CallMeSaltyScorpion]

I can’t remember a time Ben used the transformation💀

[@epicfail7874]

@@CallMeSaltyScorpion I think he used chamalien to spy on the dagon cult

[@acmeanvil3022]

@@CallMeSaltyScorpion Aside from the ending of this episode, he only appeared two more times. One of which was in a dream.

[@erikbihari3625]

@@acmeanvil3022Yeah, the power to turn invisible could be applied in almost any scenario. You'd have to try for not making it interesting! Would be a funny challange.

[@Digital_Dman]

Thats his species name? Wow, I did not know this

[@cis22]

As already pointed out in other comments, Prisoner 775 not having a name also adds to the theme of dehumanization of prisoners. Not knowing his name at all also ties into how he is still not free by the end of the episode, because in the real world, the problem still persists. What I found interesting is that the episode also tackles Ben shouting his aliens' names. But since that part of the episode is more of a comic relief, I'm not sure if that is deliberately included in the episode so that Ben's aliens' names could be juxtaposed to the namelessness of Prisoner 775.

[@duskframe7331]

Obviously prisoner 775 is based on Randall from monster's inc but he also reminds me alot of the experiments from lilo and stitch

[@Rose-yx6jq]

Bradley asked if he had a family and upon answering yes showed mercy. I forgot how emotionally driven in this episode was.

[@theflameviper2154]

Glad to see this episode go so far with such a heavy topic, and I'm SUPER glad you gave a lil bit of history on the background of Guantanamo Bay and it's status currently. Oh and Colonel Rosum not learning at the end of the episode is such a realistic way to handle it. Many of the people who don't see criminals as people really are stubborn enough to just not sympathize no matter the cirumstances and it's nice to see that honesty.

[@calinzavoi]

When I was a kid I considered this episode awesome because of the new aliens and the return of Wildmutt, but now realising how deep it is the main reasons I love this episode have changed.

[@seecunning]

Kuro: how is it we can't here the other aliens in there Me: it could be his intangibility could have his voice phase through the walls, best explanation for it, even if it's stupid

[@TheInkTank]

That’d be a neat power!

[@yashjoshi6168]

@@TheInkTank Kuro, it would be so great if ben travelled to Bradley's homeplanet with gwen, kevin and rook to save other merlinsapians from that dictator and to establish equality in that Multiversal road trip arc of omniverse

[@harshizzle]

I think sometimes Ben forgets mis-transformations happen or gets used to the Ultimatrix/Omnitrix working and so is ready to shout the name immediately so gets it wrong but other times remembers to check what he is before saying it. Also I could be wrong but because he was running as Rath he might have been able to tell from his physiology. It could be easier to tell you’re Rath than Humungousaur when you’re in motion and perceiving the differences muscle resistance, stride, etc than when you’re simply standing still.

[@viggieok]

I'd have love to see Ben use Chamalien in Omniverse...he did have a villain of the same species tho

[@yashjoshi6168]

He was supposed to use him in universe v Tennyson but due to cartoon Network this plan was cancelled

[@thatoneanime176]

One thing I really like about Ben getting Camalien was that it was a species that was already in the Omnitrix database. All of the scanned aliens (excluding the Anur trio) were from the andromeda galaxy and the Ultimatrix didn’t have any choice but to scan them. But Bradley is from the Milky Way, so Ben scanning him was purely his choice. It was also really cool to hear how the Ultimatrix responds to an already cataloged alien.

[@anthonyrodriguez8788]

I mean for all we know he could be from the Andromeda galaxy or some other galaxy.

[@axelninjagamer9090]

Poll response: An episode revolving around PTSD may have been interesting, not only is it a really a serious issue that can result in many issues, mental, physical, and social, but can also be hard to relate to, as everyone has different experiences. Kevin having visions/dreams of the Null void or mutating Ben developing fear of halloween cuz of ghostfreak Retired Plummer attacking people he thinks are aliens It would be interesting to see what kind of toll this life style could have on people. The trio are teenagers and have seen all sorts of messed up stuff over the years.

[@jermonejackson8437]

Yea but also kinda silly when Ben 10 has Alien X and Clockwork (lets be real some of these things could be fixed or changed not all so as not to break the timeline or whatever but ya know?)

[@stellarsteel6557]

I never knew that was based on guantanamo bay but now that i know much more on it i can see the connection very nice to see a series relate real word problems into episodes because this one hits hard and makes your really feel for prisoner 775 great work man

[@ATVPokemonMaster_02]

I was 10,000 percent sure that we would get full Breakdown of this episode. This deserves it 😭😭😭 make me emotional

[@MercenaryX84]

It's episodes like this and The Enemy of My Frenemy that really make you ask the questions of who are the real villains and if circumstances were different who would these people be.

[@yashjoshijee2294]

So does trouble helix and showdown part 1 &2 of omniverse

[@Mana_Mania_Rider]

This episode was definitely one of, if not, the darkest episodes of the series due to its tone and storytelling. I was really hoping this would get a full breakdown because there is to much to explore with it. I agree with every point except the fact of the name, I feel as the reason he never got a name and is always referred to by his inmate number creates the separation that he and the other aliens aren't seen as people, the way prisoners irl are. In regards to Earth breaking interstellar law, they might be sanctioned and face consequence, but given how Humans act, they wouldn't give a shit and still find some way to validate their actions. Unrelated, loving the hair.

[@wisconsinking323]

I think the stockholm syndrome episode is the darkest.

[@Mana_Mania_Rider]

@@wisconsinking323 that too, one of a handful of dark moments in the series

[@anotherjason]

I love the immediate noticable tone change from your voice this episode. Also love the lampshading on the shouting names thing this episode.

[@El_Keck]

Great episode, prisoner is a great character, interesting and sad backstory, and Wildmutt got a cool but strangely underrated Ultimate form.

[@axelnilsson5124]

Ultimate alien’s biggest crime is to not have a hand-to-hand fight between Cooper and Animo

[@bosskaiju4834]

For the playlist thing, don't forget that when Ultimate Ben 10 restored the Omnitrix after the losses of Way Big and Swampfire, he also gave Ben several new transformation. That mean that Eatle, Clockwork and Jerry Riggs are all already in the watch, so one of them must already be at the last place of the 4th playlist, so it make sense that Chamelien is in the playlist 5.

[@wisconsinking323]

Some fans think he also got Gravattack.

[@frankmcgee236]

@@wisconsinking323 ...Shocksquatch maybe?

[@firstnamelastname8006]

In classics the names were in the commercials. The spelling for aliens like XLR8 caught me off guard. They also did the same thing for Rex’s machines. “I call this BFS, my Big Fat Sword!”.

[@Yig_al_Gaib4242]

I absolutely love this episode and really enjoyed the design of the Merlinisapiens and wish that Prisoner 775 or Chamalien would’ve shown up in Omniverse. I do have a theory on the reason Prisoner 775 doesn’t have a name in the show however. It ties to the idea of being imprisoned for so long that you loose part of yourself, that’s just obliterated from being isolated. Thus, at least to represent that, he is never named in the episode, to show that some part of himself was irrevocably ripped away.

[@farofa2843]

As other people said in the comments, it might be because of the whole dillema of being considered a prisoner, you are not treated like a living being anymore, they take your freedom, your rights and most important: your identity. to them once someone is considered a criminal, there's nothing more attributed to them besides a serial number demonstrating that they are a criminal. Intentional or not, this is one of the highest points of the episode to me.

[@andydurand8559]

This episode is one of the best from Ultimate Alien imo. Prisoner 775’s pain really stuck with me his voice gave me chills. I wouldn’t getting more episodes like this and Ultimate Sacrifice

[@lincolnkeilen2244]

I think UA is my favorite because of how well it balances light and dark very well. You get some good classic lighthearted ben 10 adventures but you also get episodes like this, Ultimate Sacrifice, and Catch a Falling Star that deal with dark and mature themes that you probably wouldn't see in the classic series.

[@yashjoshi6168]

Then you would love to see omniverse

[@vesha6274]

@@yashjoshi6168 Omniverse and dark episodes? Doesn't really line up

[@yashjoshi6168]

@@vesha6274 Omniverse do have many dark episode like So long and thanks for all smoothie, showdown part 1&2, TGIS, And then there were none, new dawn etc. Infact And then there were none was the darkest episode of entire franchise

[@kermitgotthesickkicks4265]

@@vesha6274 yeah you ain't seen omniverse then because it has it's fair share of episodes.

[@yashjoshijee2294]

@@kermitgotthesickkicks4265 Agreed

[@elliotnutella8044]

Dope to finally see a breakdown of what might be my all time favorite UA episode

[@firstwaddledee9182]

This episode is probably why I like Chamalien so much, because I loved how interestingly dark and sad it was and heavily sympathizing with Bradly.

[@TorturedMongoose2003]

He's literally voiced every single clone trooper in the clone Wars with the exact same voice and that's genius because you can't just change the voice of a single clone trooper because they're clones they have to have the exact same voice, face, even muscles.

[@azhairbalconor3534]

12:15 a good sign of a political based story is that i didn't even notice it was politically charged(granted i was kinda young at the time i watched it first) but everything made sense and was engaging even though i had no idea about what it was referencing

[@SmashingPichu]

You’re right. I think political episodes of shows are really good when you can draw conclusions without realizing it was political. It’s subtle and nuanced, and that makes it work really well.

[@Peasham]

That's not a good thing. The point of the show was to showcase a problem in the real world. That you missed that is a fault of the episode.

[@azhairbalconor3534]

@@Peasham im not sure i understand, the point of the episode about prison injustice came across despite me not knowing what inspired the episode, i didn't have to know what the real world examples were to understand the message

[@devildolphin2102]

I feel like the episode kinda takes the short path though it refuses to call the Plumbers or Ben out for their crimes to. I mean Ben and Max have done worse than Rosum. They literally locked multiple aliens up in the null zone without trial. Hell they left Kevin a 11 year old child in the null zone with vilgax. This whole Area 51 plot line is just so hypocritical

[@azhairbalconor3534]

​@@devildolphin2102 Rosum locked up refugees and travelers who pleaded innocence with no proof, kevin, a mutated alien monster was actively trying to kill Ben while he was 10 years old and Max obviously wasn't going to let that happen(plus he's a high ranking plumber, i'm sure he has enough authority to make these kinda calls) but Rosum didn't have any reasonable justification, he just shoved hundreds of aliens in boxes completely isolated, leaving them to go insane

[@epicfail7874]

It's pretty fucked that rosem never gets any punishment for imprisoning countless aliens

[@Hearts_forklara]

Cause it wasn’t rosem who started the prison he’s just part of the operation it likely the entire government

[@strongerthanever2039]

7:34 Yeah, makes sense for me too! It's like a war cry, and war cries are a thing since like the beginning of humanity, because they just work! Doesn't even matter what you are yelling as long as it's loud and sudden. There are cool variations of war cries, like f.e. husars who had the famous wings flapping on the wind wich made for a very loud charge, or samurai yelling the names of their attacks (yes, anime is real!), and of course Ben yelling names of his aliens counts too.

[@zcgamerandreacts2762]

Maybe there could be a short story where Bradley is taken into therapy. After talking about what his life was like and even details about going against the opposition. Then afterwards he meets his old friends who were also effected by the war but managed through the trauma with therapy.

[@crunkledunkle9981]

I like to think shouting the transformations name is an impulse, but he can kinda override it if he focuses enough, and say either no name or the wrong name if he was focusing on who he was trying to turn into

[@CathTish]

This isn't related to the video but I just wanted to say I love reading 5 Years Later. More specifically, I love the character of Lula, how you brought back Fasttrack's species (which is my favourite alien) and gave them lore and put in a rivalry with XLR8's species. Her backstory and her drive to be great is really amazing and well thought-out. 👏

[@idkibk7]

Like you said, it’s such a crime that Bradley never even got a canonical name.

[@jakubgodyn7413]

I am from Poland and yes. His name in polish is "Przeginka" (Overkill in polish) and they never change it. I never knew about his second name until I started watching the series in English. Also, kinda funny thing the word "rozum" means "mind" in polish so I always thought that this is some kind of translation from English.

[@zgredczwartyniesamowity363]

Jezus christ przeginak sounds soo much worse and less threatening than overkill

[@akdrzllol1698]

One of my favourite episodes from the show bradley was memorable and wildmutt was one of my favourite aliens from classic🤝I like to think it’s an impulse thing when he shouts his aliens name but i don’t mind bens reason though😂

[@ToxinWolffe]

"just a tease of a potential that will not be fulfilled combined with a pretty lame design" is the entire Ultimatrix gimmick summed up in one sentence.

[@breestringham1063]

I'm convinced that when he realizes he's the wrong alien, he mentally corrects to say that alien instead, but sometimes he messes up

[@alejandroangel998]

Is it me or prisoner 775 reminded me of Randall from Monsters Inc? Such a great episode that represents reality so good.

[@Drag0nk1ngmark]

I have been hoping this episode would get a full breakdown, and thank god it happened. This was one of the beat episodes that still has stuck with me ever since i saw it, and i am glad this had been given the breakdown treatment.

[@juanhaines7295]

This is the saddest episode in all of Ben 10. Especially with him begging to be killed.

[@eljordinio7647]

Pretty sad stuff

[@comicalpeculiarity6174]

Man, McDuffie’s writing hit different. I miss him so much sometimes

[@TheEverythingEnthuiast]

Ben's Horni levels never have an off-switch -Kuro The Artist November 12th 2022

[@RedDragonForce2]

Not giving “Bradley” a name is done on purpose. It’s like Link in the Legend of Zelda series. We input our own ideas into who he is. It makes the character more relatable the less restrictive we associate a name to him.

[@owenmcdonald1736]

I always thought that Ben called out his alien's names was because while they all are Ben, the same memories and thought, they [the transformations] differ in their emotional responses, so the reason I think that Ben calls out names is to better identify who he now is because of the differences between Ben as a human and Ben as an alien, like Kuro said Ben wouldn't fight the ground but Rath would. Continuing with Rath, he is definitely the best and most obvious example due to how the Appoplexian species are natural angry/easy able to get angry, and, for though who don't know, a person's emotions are heavily influenced by your hormones (however they are the expression NOT cause of the response) so going back to Rath's species they would likely have a much higher concentration for a hormone are associated with anger such as adrenaline, or possibly even a hormone that humans don't have. I alway reasoned Ben calling out the wrong name to either; Ben focusing/concentrating on the transformation he wants, allowing him to ignore the instinct of the actual transformation, or, the transformation not being enough of a difference to Ben as a human, thus he can bypass the new instincts of the transformation. This inversely is also why I think when he gets the wrong transformation Ben is still able to instantly know who is he (or which alien he is).

[@dynosgarcia7645]

Damm... I never even realized everything that goes on in this episode when I first watched it back in the day, this hits different

[@monkiking778]

This was the episode along with absolute power,that solidified that uaf area was my favorite era of ben 10 I still love ov,os and the reboot but this era just… Something else despite it’s flaws

[@d2cool165]

This 100% deserves a 5/5 at least in plot. The only problem i have is with some of the jokes feeling badly timed. Like naming his alien right after arresting Bradley, with the episode, as you said, not even giving him a proper name

[@NM-io3bk]

I have been waiting for this review, It stuck with me a lot as a kid and I was really sad we didn’t see more of general rosem and get a arch/evolving plot with him as the antagonist. It felt like they were setting him up to become a bigger bad but we never see him again. Still a great episode

[@arthuralexander1449]

31:59 this thing about the aliens playlist is something i wish was explored more, like for example it could be used to explain why Kevin's mutations are always composed mostly by the new aliens of the time, since he would be absorving more the aliens of the more recent playlists, it would fit perfectly as to why young kevin mutation from omniverse especifically had only the newer aliens Ben had and not any of the original ten, although there are some outliers like diamondhead in Ultimate Kevin and feedback in OV mutated kevin

[@mikerenois2220]

I have always considered this to be one of my all time favorite episodes. I dont fully know why but it's just very enjoyable to me. It's also kinda a shame that we dident get more chamalien in the series because hes actually one of my all time fav aliens. His simplicity goes a really long way to me. Good break down of one of my fav episodes kuro. Good job

[@andreweisenberg5770]

This is one of my all-time favorite episodes. Glad it got a full breakdown.

[@Andrei-13831]

I love that we get see wildmutt this episode, kinda disappointed that they didn't include Dee's iconic wildmutt roar/growl from the classic, glad that omniverse brought it back tho

[@chrisbailet8940]

what confuses me is how nothing seems to happen to rozum after this episode. some of max's lines in the episode are just telling rozum how he was in deep trouble with intergalactic authority for severe war crimes, but he's in later episodes without area 51 ever being mentioned again

[@ThisguySL]

Funnily enough, that's life.

[@HelenaSan425]

This episode is tragic as hell poor bradley he needs help