TV Show review
Review basis: 1 season, 8 episodes · through November 17, 2023
November 17, 2023 · TV-MA · Ended
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
This animated series reimagines the famous comic and movie about a slacker named Scott who must fight a girl's seven evil exes. In a major twist, Scott disappears in the first episode, shifting the focus to Ramona Flowers as she travels to find him. The show features very strong and visible themes of female empowerment, girl power, and emotional healing. It also heavily showcases queer and bisexual relationships, making these identity elements a central part of the story.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
Woke representation / casting
The show features highly visible queer and diverse representation. Wallace Wells has a major role as an openly gay character, and the show introduces an explicit gay affair between him and Todd Ingram. Ramona's past relationship with Roxie is explored as a serious bisexual romance, and other female characters like Kim and Roxy share experimental queer kisses. This strong emphasis on LGBTQ+ identities elevates the representation score significantly under the scoring guidelines.
Woke political dialogue
While there are no direct political lectures about real-world parties, the dialogue heavily uses modern therapy-speak and relationship deconstruction. Characters talk constantly about emotional accountability, closure, and the toxicity of traditional male pursuit, shifting the dialogue away from classic action toward modern social-emotional themes.
Identity-driven story themes
The entire narrative is rebuilt around modern identity themes. It rejects the original male-centric "save the girl" premise to focus on Ramona's journey of self-discovery and agency. Major plot points revolve around queer romance, exploring bisexual and gay dynamics, and examining emotional baggage. The heavy integration of central LGBTQ+ elements adds substantial weight to this factor.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The show critiques traditional masculinity and male entitlement. Future Scott is depicted as a bitter, toxic older man who represents the flaws of male ego and codependency. Classic romantic pursuit is reframed as unhealthy and toxic, while the female characters are shown as highly mature and competent, often leaving the male characters looking emotionally stunted or pathetic.
Woke character or canon changes
This is a total departure from the established source material and the 2010 film. It sidelines the male lead in the first episode to make Ramona the protagonist. It changes Roxie's role from a brief comedic battle to a deep queer relationship. Todd is rewritten to have a gay affair with Wallace, and other characters are given modern, identity-focused updates that alter their original logic.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
There was strong backlash from fans who felt the trailers tricked them with a "bait-and-switch" setup that removed Scott Pilgrim. Many complained that the show pushed modern feminist tropes, replaced a classic hero's journey with therapy-style lectures, and forced unnecessary LGBTQ+ relationship changes onto established characters.
Creator track record context
Main creator Bryan Lee O'Malley has a strong track record of centering queer characters and has publicly committed to increasing diversity in his works. This is balanced by co-creator BenDavid Grabinski and producer Edgar Wright, who have more moderate or non-political creative histories.
Production
