Ultraman season 1, episode 6 recap: The Curse of Ultraman

In episode 6 of Netflix series Ultraman, Shinjiro has a crisis of conscience, being unready to kill aliens. Will the moral high ground lead to more danger?

Previously on Ultraman, Shinjiro/Ultraman (Josh Hutcherson) just couldn’t get a break! He faced off against a potentially killer alien and learned of yet another serial killer “visitor” on the loose. This episode hardly eases up, either, as Shinjiro’s tasked with fighting off another creature that killed 7 people. To trigger more confusion, this one turns into a woman, causing Ultraman to relent. Later, Hayata (Fred Tatasciore) appears in better health, telling son Shinjiro that Bemular (Matthew Mercer) must have mysteriously held back during their battle. He adds that Shinjiro is not yet ready to face such a powerful foe.

Ultraman isn’t the only one facing alien miscreants, though. Soon we learn of another Rena Sayama (Tara Jayne Sands) critic who was destroyed. Inspector Endo (Chris Edgerly) concludes that all his victims made “mean” comments in a Rena-themed blog. We see that Endo is actually Rena’s father, which explains his deep interest in the case and his unwillingness to hand it over to SSSP (Science Special Search-Party). She tells him that a strange man in a hood has been following her occasionally. We already know it’s the alien Rena Sayama super-fan, being overzealous in protecting the pop star from insults. Meanwhile, Jack (Robbie Daymond) appears to be tracking the hooded alien.

Shinjiro put to the test

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Shinjiro tells his dad that he doesn’t like killing, adding that Moroboshi (Liam O’Brien) should be Ultraman instead. He expresses his naiveté, saying that “saving the world should be fun. Hayata says that, although he protected Shinjiro from Bemular, he understands the pain of the burden, wishing his son could have a normal life unlike his. However, he also emphasizes that his son must become Ultraman.

Baiting the line

This Ultraman episode soon offers two different baiting scenarios. The first is with Inspector Endo, who’s writing nasty messages about Rena — his own pop star daughter — to draw the ire of an uncertain, hooded and murderous alien. Interestingly, though, a different alien altogether shows up.

So does, Moroboshi, who tracks it down while claiming he’s Ultraman. To be fair, he makes a quick job of killing the alien, lacking the crisis of conscience that holds Shinjiro back. On that note, the episode ends with Shinjiro encountering the giant alien Jack had fought previously, and it seems like Jack set up Shinjiro to battle it.  Yes, Shinjiro seems to be live bait!  The question is, will Shinjiro have what it takes?

What are your thoughts on this Ultraman episode? Let us know in the comments!