Scott Pilgrim Takes Off debuted in November of 2023, taking the basic premise of the book series and film, and creating an alternate story in the process. Today we’re doing a dual ranking, as Colin and Rossi each rank the 8 episodes of the animated series. To make it more interesting, we’ve each viewed the episodes from a slightly different perspective, with Colin already being a fan of previous Scott Pilgrim media, while Rossi had zero previous exposure to the series. And while it may not have a huge impact on the overall views, Colin viewed it in the English language dub while Rossi watched it in Japanese with English subtitles.
Colin’s Rankings
From the first time I saw the film Scott Pilgrim vs the World I became a super obsessive fan. I immediately started reading all of the books, and even bought the side scrolling video game. I can’t even describe my excitement when this animated series was announced. The entire cast of the movie were coming back to voice the characters, and Bryan Lee O’Malley was writing, which guaranteed we would see a lot of details from the books that never made it into the movie. I definitely didn’t expect a show that would change everything we know by the end of the first episode, and yet still find a way to stay true to the original story. if anything it not only stayed true, but it worked as a sort of sequel as well. It’s an insanely complicated and ridiculous series that has surpassed all my expectations enough for me to go back to multiple rewatches.
8 – “Whatever” (Episode 4)
I genuinely love all 8 episodes of this series, but ‘Whatever’ is the only one that I feel a little “whatever” towards. It might be one of the funniest of the series, but the stakes are probably lower than any of the others, and it doesn’t add as much to the overall story, other than the setting. Setting this one on the set of a movie within a series, based on a movie, based on a book is a great and very meta idea, and supporting characters of Wallace and Young Neil are given a lot to do. One minor complaint is the ninja/skateboard chase scene, which is a great and over the top action sequence, but maybe runs on a little long. Like so many other episodes in this series, they do a fantastic job of giving a little bit of depth to Lucas as a character by showing a slightly sympathetic side to a character who on the surface might be the one with the least depth.
7 – “WHODIDIT” (Episode 6)
The alternate reality take on the Scott Pilgrim story not only allowed a chance to give more development to side characters, but more importantly many supporting characters get to be paired up in surprising duos. First we get to see Julia and Gideon together, and also Gideon and Lucas. If there is any character I could have done without having extra development for, it would be Gideon. There’s something great about the big bad just being a big bad without any complications. The second half of the episode, with so many of the supporting characters trying to get to the bottom of whodunnit (or whodidit), is where it really gets good. The show is aware of how much exposition has to be given, and has fun with it while still keeping the plot twists understandable. The final moment where you find out whodidit was a perfectly played twist that came just at the right time. The only real issue with this episode is that is really is 2 separate stories viewed back to back, and they don’t tie together as naturally as some of the others do. Makes me wish they had maybe gone for a 10 episode season just to avoid a little bit of this kind of mish mash.
6 – “A League of Their Own” (Episode 2)
The twist at the end of episode 1 made everything that came after it a surprise for audience members already familiar with the story. What I love about Episode 2 is the focus on the League of Evil Exes and their internal power struggle, which ends in another twist that makes fans question where the story will go even more. It’s as if the goal was to turn everything on its head 8 times over throughout the series. The League’s portion of the episode probably embraces traditional anime more than any others, both in terms of the portrayal of the characters and the fight scene. Much like ‘Whodidit’ there are really 2 episodes in one, with the first half set at the funeral, which was a fun way to follow up the twist at the end of episode 1, and it gave the first appearance of Envy and the Clash at Demonhead, a major character I desperately wanted to see more of throughout the series.
5 – “2 Scott 2 Pilgrim”
Every version of the Scott Pilgrim story plays a little on sci-fi, but its typically more as a parody of video games, comic books or anime. In the brilliantly titled ‘2 Scott 2 Pilgrim’ the show fully embraced mind bending sci-fi in its own original way. We get to see the future, multiple versions of Scott, and add lots of time travel complications. After nearly a 5 episode absence in his own series, Scott finally gets to fill in the blanks for the series, and even though in this version of the story Scott and Ramona were never really a thing, in one episode they’re able to write in their importance as a couple. It can’t be easy to strip away the entire premise of a story after episode 1 and then bring it all back where it should be in episode 7, and to do it by taking the story in a totally different direction was kind of brilliant. Without revealing too much, this is the episode where the show went from being a form of a reboot/re-imagining into a reboot/re-imagining/quasi-sequel all at the same time.
4 – “Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life” (Episode 1)
Episode 1 was the first and last time any die hard Scott Pilgrim fan could claim they had any idea what was going on. This is an extremely faithful adaptation of the first volume of the book series, and the first act of the movie. While I was half expecting an entire series that followed the original story, I couldn’t have been more shocked by the cliffhanger of this premiere, which completely turned the story on its head. You couldn’t call it false advertising since the title is literally ‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’ and the twist lives up to the name. Up until that moment I loved seeing the same old story told in a different medium, with all the recognizable voices from the film bringing as much, and in some cases even more personality to the characters that I always loved.
3 – “Lights, Camera, Sparks” (Episode 5)
No other episode in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off crams more story into half an hour than ‘Lights, Camera, Sparks’. This episode features everything that I believe made the series great. We get some unexpected pairing of characters, primarily putting Wallace and Todd together in what might be the funniest relationship of the series. We get a lot of development for side characters that weren’t given a lot of screen time in the movie, with bits and pieces of Envy and Todd’s storylines from the books being given a different spin. And we get more of the meta movie shoot within the series to feature a lot of material absent from this version of the story. And on top of all of that Young Neil again gets to shine with so many ridiculous one liners. Several comments and screen gags that seemed almost specifically written for the Canadian viewers really made me laugh as well. And while every episode did well in emulating different genres, it was an especially memorable addition to tell this story from the POV of a documentary on the film set.
2 – ‘The World Vs. Scott Pilgrim’ (Episode 8)
Right off the bat the show continues in the Scott Pilgrim tradition of making you think you’re going in one direction only to have a joke played right at the start to setup a completely different direction. The previous episode teases a massive fight scene that is more or less joked away in the opening sequence, with nothing coming of it and Scott even commenting “This finale sucks”. After that this lives up to being a big finale in every way. There are big battles, a lot of jokes, and closure for so many characters. One of the most impressive things they were able to do in Episode 7 was develop the entire relationship between Ramona and Scott in less than 30 minutes, despite it being absent for the entire series. Here we wrap up the love story across multiple timelines, and the show manages to bring a lot of depth to the Scott and Ramona characters. While the movie only had so much time to deal with, the books at the core were really a thoughtful and deep depiction of how complex even a simple relationship could be. Everything in the finale perfectly sells that theme. Many fans of the books and movie often theorized that Scott may have been the real villain of the story, and the show finds an interesting way of addressing that with his character.
1 – Ramona Rents a Video (Episode 3)
Repeat viewings can add a lot to your appreciation for a series. I couldn’t pinpoint why my opinion changed so much on episode 3 ‘Ramona Rents a Video’ but off of my first viewing, I would have ranked this in my bottom 2-3 of the season. On a second watch, this was #1 with a bullet. Speaking first just on the fight scene between Ramona and Roxy, it’s extremely cleverly staged. They switch genres as videos switch genres. There are some fun nods to the books that never made it into the movie, such as the video store setting itself. What I think really works here is holding Ramona accountable for why the villains in the League are as bitter as they are. Throughout the show all of the exes are given some context to explain how they were mistreated by Ramona, but Roxy’s side is given the most screentime. A lot of people appreciated that Scott Pilgrim Takes Off looked at the story from the point of view of Scott being the villain, but here we also get to see the point of view that Ramona was a bit of a villain as well. This is just as crazy and entertaining as any other episode in the series, but along with the finale it delivers complexity to the character relationships that is rarely seen in comedy, animation, or any genre. And how can you not love jokes about the evils of Netflix in a Netflix produced show?
Rossi’s Ranking
The main draw of the review of the series between myself and Colin was the fact that I was completely unaware of Scott Pilgrim whereas Colin has a very intimate understanding of the material. My intention going into the show and this ranking was to keep it as focused on the episodes alone and not attempt to intermingle potential ideas from the comic or the original movie. With all that being said, here is my episode ranking of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off!
8 – “A League of Their Own” (Episode 2)
As I was still getting acquainted with the characters, I struggled to get behind this episode. I was meant to learn about the collection of the League of Evil Exes, but seeing as they were just introduced I struggled to get behind the cause. A large portion of the episode was dedicated to the power dynamic between Matthew and Gideon and with next to no basis for these characters or their motivations, I lacked the ability to get behind them. However, a real credit to this episode was the fight which took a bulk of the screen time. The fight was executed really well and it totally took me by surprise. I enjoyed seeing the different powers and work and how it amped up as the environment was destroyed. Also, having to rely on only seeing Young Neil in the church for the funeral was less than desirable given the context. All in all, a decent episode but was stacked against tough competition.
7 – “2 Scott 2 Pilgrim” (Episode 7)
We spent all season long trying to figure out what happened to Scott in the first episode and while the reveal was very entertaining and dramatic, the episode didn’t hold my attention as much as the rest. It was cleverly written and had plenty of jokes, but sadly, they didn’t match the caliber presented in the rest. However, this episode had a joke that actually made me laugh out loud when Scott took control over the robot with the video game controls and continually ran into the railing (Highlight of the episode). Another aspect that I struggled with this episode was the cliffhanger. I repeatedly praised this show for hooking the audience with great cliffhangers, but this one was the weakest, especially because this was meant to lead into the epic finale. And as a huge Young Neil fan, his content was too limited.
6 – “Whatever!” (Episode 4)
Our introduction to the film set as a character (I wonder who will play them) in this story has finally been introduced both in the actual show and this list. The lot becomes a central location for a fair portion of the episodes and this episode isn’t able to shine as bright as the others, not to say there isn’t good material to be had here. I was charmed by all the film antics, especially those pertaining to Young Neil as he was driving Ramona around the lot sharing facts about Mario Karts. The real reason this episode rests toward the bottom of my list is for the episode’s fight, while this fight is visually stunning and cool, it plays no real merit on the rest of the story and left me wanting more.
5 – “Whodidit” (Episode 6)
This episode can best be summed up by a quote from the episode “This info dump was inevitable”. Much of the episode plot points tie back to characters debriefing the others on what they know so far, which doesn’t really leave for a lot of exciting moments to be had. What really salvages this compared to the ones ranked lower is the clever writing, how the characters interact with each other, and the dramatic reveals that build upon one another. At the end of the episode during the debrief is where they provide all the cute and funny moments with Young Neil calling it a Whodidit, Ramona whipping out a TV out of nowhere, and getting sidetracked by the personal drama blended into all of this. If the intensity of the second half of this episode was present throughout, maybe this would have been ranked higher, but sadly it was a tale of two parts.
4 – “Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life” (Episode 1)
It’s the one that started it all, my journey into this series, but also my journey into the world of Scott Pilgrim; and I couldn’t have been more grateful for it. Coming into this, I had no expectations and I was immediately impressed, from the vocals to the visuals, all these aspects married into this episode that captivated me. A real strength of this episode is its ability to hook the audience in whether you were familiar with the original story or not. Providing the character names and their characteristics was a clever trick that a newbie like myself really benefited from, seeing Ramona, Knives, and Young Neil for the first and learning about who they are grounded me in the universe. Throughout this episode, I was continually invested in how it would unfold and while I felt that way about the entire series but was most apparent in the premiere. Set the tone for a great show and what followed were some knockout episodes.
3 – “The World Vs. Scott Pilgrim” (Episode 8)
Very fitting for the finale to immediately follow the premiere as it was able to end the storylines in a clear way that was appropriate for the characters and their journeys. Not only was this episode a culmination of the larger overarching story but a clever response to the original story that was told in the comics and movie. Having an epic fight that included every major character was an unexpected but really fun touch and incorporating the romance in such an odd way left me stunned but in a positive way. Throughout, I felt so connected to the stories of all the characters and how much we were growing with them along the ride, it all felt right. The episode also left some potential breadcrumbs that could be picked up for season two, which is always a good sign. I want more Young Neil on my screen!
2 – “Lights, Camera, Sparks?!” (Episode 5)
THE BIGGEST YOUNG NEIL EPISODE! How could I not like it? Even if I choose not to base my liking for this episode on how much Young Neil content there is, this episode is absolutely brilliant. The entire storyline / love triangle between Todd, Wallace, and Envy was so unexpected but provided great drama and intrigue into what was not only happening on the film lot, but these characters in general. I am now a hardcore Todd x Wallace shipper and I will not be hearing otherwise. Outside of the brilliant love story there were soooo many clever jokes that almost had me losing it, from Young Neil needing glasses then getting sunglasses, thinking they were mixing explosives on the set, and having the city of Toronto be played by someone. Another standout element of this episode was the mockumentary style that it was shot in, it stood out in comparison to all the rest and gave a unique flair. This episode for me is where I saw the sparks!
1 – “Ramona Rents a Video” (Episode 3)
My top spot had to go somewhere and shockingly enough, it was not a Young Neil centric episode, but that just goes to show how special this was. It really had it all, there was an epic fight, emotional backstories, interesting plot twists and future features. One noteworthy aspect about this episode compared to the first two of the series is the fact that we are not acclimated with all the characters and don’t need to spend time on background details. Instead of worrying about catching the audience up on the details of their lives we can focus on the current situation and that drove the intensity for this episode up a lot. Not only did the pace pick up but the episode also made stylistic choices that were unique to the show up until this point but that really added the manic energy felt throughout. Nestled in this crazed presence was a beautiful and sad love story between Roxy and Ramona that was told through these various movie genres, it was so powerful that I was almost moved to tears about it. Between the emotional growth from all these characters and the further development of Knives as her own stand-alone identity, it just came together to make the most engaging and exciting episode of the series.
Finally, if you’d like to hear more in depth discussion on the series from Rossi and Colin, you can download all of our recaps from The Oz Network podcast here:
Episode 1 ‘Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life’ Recap
Episode 2 ‘A League Of Their Own’ Recap
Episode 3 ‘Ramona Rents a Video’ Recap
Episode 5 ‘Lights. Camera. Sparks?!’ Recap
Episode 7 ‘2 Scott 2 Pilgrim’ Recap
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