DISCLAIMER: This recap of Miracle Workers: End Times Season 4 Episode 2, “The HOA,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, warlords and lone wanderers! “The HOA,” episode two of Miracle Workers: End Times, is just as delightfully bonkers as its predecessor. This series is hilariously inventive and fun, and I’m sad it doesn’t have a wider audience. It deserves as many eyeballs as possible. “The HOA” finds Freya and Sid strangely switching places: Freya takes a bite out of suburbia and domestic life while Sid kills someone who merely wants to sing karaoke. RIP, Ugulous Sleaze.
The outing incorporates plenty of grounded elements into this larger-than-life post-apocalyptic hellscape, making it all the more hysterical. BRB, I’m currently in the process of moving to Boomtown.
Ready to delve into “The HOA”? Let’s get to it.
RELATED: Check out our recap of Miracle Workers: End Times Season 4 Episode 1, “Welcome to Boomtown”
We open with Sid (Daniel Radcliffe), sleeping in blissful peace until he hears a resounding “boom.” Thinking they’re under attack, he rushes outside to warn Freya (Geraldine Viswanathan). He finds his wife decorating their yard with the severed heads of her enemies. Oh, and when you plug them in, they moan in tune to “When the Saints Go Marching In.” How quaint. Sid believes their neighbors might not like such a gruesome display, but Freya can’t understand why anyone would object to a warlord’s lawn decorations. Something tells me Freya is struggling to acclimate to her new surroundings.
Later, Scraps (Jon Bass) assists Freya with her requisite warlord bookkeeping. His glasses pair well with his post-apocalyptic, BDSM-like leather ensemble. It’s tough keeping your minions in order. Freya receives a letter from “The HOA” regarding her decapitated head decoration. If she doesn’t remove it, she’ll get a fine. Well, that simply won’t do. Meanwhile, Morris (Steve Buscemi) receives a delivery: the Gigachron, a luminous blue cube that appears to hold immense power. He plans to sell it and rake in the big bucks. Morris asks Sid, his new Number One Boy, to accompany him for this transaction.
Next, Freya barges into The HOA, aka the Homeowners Association, and demands to challenge the one in charge. Linda (Annie Mumolo) reveals the Homeowners Association doesn’t solve its problems with violence and bloodshed. There is an upcoming presidential election, though, and Freya is more than welcome to participate. As a warlord, Freya doesn’t understand the democratic process, but she’s intrigued.
RELATED: Read our favorite quotes from The Righteous Gemstones Season 3!
Meanwhile, Sid and Morris meet Ugulous Sleaze (David Dastmalchian), Morris’s buyer of the Gigachron. He resembles Miracle Workers: End Times‘ version of Baron Harkonnen (Dune). I love how this season pays homage to various sci-fi IPs. Ugulous is thrilled to purchase the Gigachron; however, Sid has reservations. He surmises that Mr. Sleaze plans to utilize the Gigachron for nefarious purposes. Evil is afoot! But Morris doesn’t care so long as he gets money from it. Let Ugulous do whatever he pleases with the Gigachron. Why get involved?
Then, Tai (Karan Soni) breaks up the party with a keg, only to find that Freya is planning her campaign to become the President of the Homeowners Association. There’s even one guy who might vote for her. Tai encourages Freya to listen to his concerns while avoiding donating to Freya’s presidential campaign by giving Scraps a very fake email address. Admittedly, this bit made me giggle.
Next, Sid and Morris celebrate Ugulous’ Gigachron purchase by taking drugs as one big happy family. Morris is about to, in his words, “bust a nut,” while Sid worries about Ugulous’ intentions regarding the Gigachron. He insists he doesn’t want to know Ugulous’ plans. Freya’s one potential voter takes her to the Battle Dome, which is currently in disrepair. Boomtown used it for fights to the death as a means of problem-solving. However, nobody has died a brutal, bloody death in ages. Freya enlists the aid of some locals to clean the Battle Dome.
RELATED: Return to the checkpoint with The Lazarus Project recaps!
Unfortunately, when Freya and the others finish cleaning it, the man reveals that Linda already won the election. Everyone always votes for her — him included. Freya falls to her knees in despair while a distraught Scraps howls alongside her. Linda!
Sid takes things too far while hanging out with Ugulous. Everything Ugulous says sounds more villainous than the last. Sid assumes all of Boomtown, nay, the world, might be in danger. Thus, he kills Ugulous. Suddenly, Ugulous’ guards turn on Sid and Morris. They try to kill him. But Ugulous’ right-hand woman plays a video of her late ruler that showcases a drastically different side of him. Apparently, the Gigachron is a karaoke machine, not a powerful tool of destruction. Ugulous wanted to blow everyone away with his rendition of TLC‘s “Waterfalls.”
In addition, Ugulous hoped to patch things up with Lord Benevolent via the Gigachron. They could’ve had a bomb-ass party with karaoke. Unfortunately, Sid murdered Ugulous before peace could be achieved. In his final video, Ugulous claims he doesn’t want his minions to exact vengeance in his name. It’s all namaste all day, baby. So, Ugulous’ crew lets Sid and Morris go free. Freya submits herself to the powerful Linda, even offering the latter the opportunity to decapitate her.
RELATED: Hit It: Best Quotes From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ ‘Among the Lotus Eaters’
However, Linda is a benevolent leader. She allows Freya to be the Vice President of the Homeowners Association. Scraps doesn’t like the idea of his master becoming subservient to that domestic life, but our fave warlord claims she has a plan. After years of infiltrating Boomtown and befriending its residents, she’ll strike when they least expect it. They’ll all bend to her will. Muahaha! Linda and the others ask Freya if she’s joining them for “wine o’clock.” Hey, it’s a pivotal step in Freya’s plan for world domination. Morris drops Sid off at his home after he commits murder. Sid’s just grateful that he’s still Morris’s Number One Boy.
The episode closes with the late Ugulous Sleaze’s (RIP) karaoke rendition of “Waterfalls.” It’s beautiful.
RELATED: New Release Radar: New Books Coming Out on July 11
Geraldine Viswanathan steals the show this go-round with her performance as Freya. She’s always had stellar comedic timing during her Miracle Workers tenure, but End Times allows her to push the envelope and go big. Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi are consistently great together, playing off each other with ease as they have been for the past three seasons. I didn’t know David Dastmalchian played Ugulous until the credits rolled, so his presence is a fun piece of the episodic puzzle.
I can’t wait to see what other sci-fi homages and comedic surprises lie in store as we barrel headfirst into the End Times.
Miracle Workers: End Times airs Mondays at 10 pm on your TBS affiliate.
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/7-great-star-trek-sequel-stories/
[email protected]
What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
- Aaron Pierre Boards DC’s LANTERNS Series in Starring Role - October 9, 2024
- Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: GALADRIEL - October 9, 2024
- 10 Predictions for THE ARK Season 3 - October 8, 2024
