Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for 'Creature Commandos' Episode 4.Creature Commandostakes on some of the more ridiculous DC characters. Yet, in just four episodes, it has shown a talent for taking these odd characters and giving them heartbreaking backstories. The series follows a group of unique prisoners who cannot be classified as human, allowing Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) a loophole to use them for her secretive missions and for what she refers to as Task Force M (with "M" meaning monster). The series uses the strangeness of the characters to its advantage, but more than anything else, it proves these characters are not the real monsters.
Between the Bride (Indira Varma) and G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn), the first few episodes show that there is more to the Creature Commandos than it seems, but Episode 4, "Chasing Squirrels," tackles the backstory of the most difficult character. Weasel (also voiced by Gunn) is one of the more recognizable members of Task Force M after his appearance in The Suicide Squad, where he quickly "died" by drowning before the mission really starts. Going into Creature Commandos, I considered Weasel a joke because that is what he's set up to be. But I was caught off guard when the series gave him an emotional backstory. Weasel may be the most misunderstood character in Creature Commandos, and I can't help but root for him now.
Weasel's Tragic Backstory Shows He Was Never a Monster
When The Suicide Squadintroduced him, Weasel was in Belle Reve Penitentiary for killing 27 children, though, as Creature Commandos reveals, the rumors have grown, with only eight children involved in the incident. Worse, because he cannot speak, Weasel cannot explain what really happened. Through flashbacks, the series addresses Weasel's past, showing him to be a dog-like creature, lost and alone, until several children find him — the same ones he is later accused of killing. But rather than attacking, Weasel befriends them, accepting the food they offer him and happily playing with them. Portraying him as a particularly intelligent pet instantly makes the strange character endearing. I see some of Weasel's habits and mannerisms in my own dog, making him easier to understand even without words.
Things go horribly wrong when the children sneak into the school, where they find both alcohol and matches (I feel like whoever had those lying around a school should be the one on trial). They start a fire that spreads when a man, who saw the mangy creature with children and assumed the worst, shoots at Weasel in the basement of the school, causing an explosion. Though several of the children die, one little girl is still alive, and Weasel rushes to get her away from the growing flames, yet the police arrive and shoot at him. Enduring fire and bullets, Weasel drags the girl toward the exit, only to be stopped by the police, whose interference causes Weasel to lose his hold on the girl. Tragically, she is killed in the collapsing building.
Watching Weasel's desperate attempt to protect the girl who showed him kindness wrecked me. His relationship with these children would be a heartwarming story of an unlikely hero if things ended differently. Weasel is locked up and blamed for the tragedy when he should be praised for doing all he could. Of course, Weasel cannot defend himself, and because his level of intelligence is unclear, he may not understand that he did nothing wrong.
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'Creature Commandos' Doesn't Give Weasel an Origin Story
Image via Max
While his failed heroics are clearly an important turning point in his life, Creature Commandos leaves a lot of mystery around Weasel. This is a significant change from the Bride and G.I. Robot, whose episodes chronicled their beginnings before revealing what landed them in prison. Meanwhile, it is still unclear what Weasel is. He has both animal and human qualities that make him impossible to categorize. Nor does the episode address what makes him seemingly invulnerable. His ability to fight Circe (Anya Chalotra) in Episode 3 and his miraculous survival in The Suicide Squad proves there is more to his past, but it doesn't matter. Creature Commandos made its point that Weasel is a good boy. Without exploring anything else, Weasel's tragic history shows that he has suffered enough. Now, I just need him to be loved because he deserves that.
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In "Creature Commandos," Amanda Waller assembles a covert team of monstrous operatives, including a werewolf, vampire, and gorgon, to undertake high-risk missions deemed too perilous for human agents.
Image via Max
Image via Max
English (US) ·