Episode
                  23: Duo, The Great Destroyer Once Again. 
                  Airing Date
                  2000-04-05

                  
            I like Duo. I know I shouldn't play favorites but I can't help 
            myself. I'll freely admit that taking a shine to Mr. Maxwell isn't 
            that surprising a move since, let's face it, the other four Gundam 
            pilots are often as personable as Ben Stein. Heero, the nominal star 
            of the show, was tragically born without a sense of humor. Wufei has 
            his hair pulled back so tightly that his personality is being 
            deprived of adequate blood flow. Trowa can't see where he's going 
            with all that hair in his face plus the guy's doing an awful good 
            impression of Heero half the time. I really like Quatre, though. 
            He's almost too sweet and innocent to be a Gundam pilot. Get him 
            behind the controls during a battle, though, and he kicks arse like 
            there's no tomorrow. But Duo, well, the guy's a stud. 
            First of all, who else in the entire Alpha Quadrant could pull off 
            wearing a priest's threads and make it into some kind of cool 
            fashion statement? Secondly, he's the only one of the Gundam boys 
            who seems to enjoy himself on a regular basis. Admit it -- if you 
            were gonna hang out with any one of them, Duo would be the guy you 
            could just shoot the breeze with. He's easy like Sunday morning. 
            Thirdly (because I don't think anyone should ever say "First of all" 
            without having at least three points up their sleeve), he's not 
            carrying some giant chip on his shoulder. Now to be fair, neither 
            does Quatre, although some therapists might disagree especially 
            since Mr. Winner basically committed suicide a few episodes back. 
            Whoa. So I think it's safe to say that Duo carries the least baggage 
            into his cockpit on a daily basis. Which all adds up to why he gets 
            my vote as Coolest Gundam Boy, After Colony 195. 
            Now that I've gotten that off my chest (and thanks for listening), 
            it's a pleasure to report that "Duo, The Great Destroyer Once Again" 
            lays the tracks for what promises to be a cool string of episodes. 
            I'm not making any promises here but, with three of the five Gundam 
            kids locked up in the same cell on the lunar base and the 5 
            scientists rebuilding new Gundams just down the hall, well, it just 
            feels like something's good just around the corner. Know what I 
            mean? 

                  You explain this show to me right now or I'll blow you away. 
            Duo also gets to meet Hilde, a cute Colony-born OZ pilot who's 
            buying the company line a little too seriously. Duo straightens her 
            out, though, and the woman winds up risking her life to save Duo's 
            butt. You know these two will see each other again, probably with 
            cheesy Japanese disco music behind them. 
            So overall, this wasn't a great episode but Duo got some major 
            screen time, we learned that the Gundams will make a comeback 
            (surprise) and, in the series' best curtain line, Duo tells us he 
            needs some sleep. Hey, even a fun-lovin', fightin' machine with a 
            sense of humor needs his beauty rest. 

            --Ross Brooks wants to be Duo when he grows up.