Despite only catching a handful of episodes when it first aired, Exosquad left a massive imprint on my budding storyteller’s mind.
And, no, it wasn’t because of the outrageous robot suit jockeys blowing things up in fiery space battles. That pushed some of the Exosquad toys onto my Christmas wish list, but it didn’t set the show apart from stuff I’d seen before, such as G.I. Joe.
While much of the animated programming I was familiar with in the late 80s or early 90s featured recurring characters in primarily standalone episodes, here was an entire galactic conflict ready to unfold, and I had to know what happened next.
But I didn’t find out. Exosquad’s extremely early time slot was a nonstarter for my younger self, and then the show was gone.
For decades I’d forgotten about Exosquad. Now that it’s available for streaming on Peacock, I was overjoyed to give it a nostalgia watch and finally find out how the war between humanity and their Neosapien counterparts was settled.
But would it hold up to an adult viewer?
While Exosquad’s retro animation is blocky by today’s standards, the writing and deeper thematic elements are worth a tip of the hat to this day.
What is Exosquad About?
Exosquad: Season One Introduction by Universal Cartoon Studios
The year is 2119 AD. Humankind has mastered space travel and colonized and terraformed Venus and Mars. Along with Earth, these three planets become collectively known as the “home worlds.”
Sadly, the humans become known by the entirely appropriate name “Terrans,” passing up the opportunity to be “homies” from the home worlds, which I think would have been hilarious.
But back to the plot.
Since we’re even lazier in the future than we are now or because farming on Mars and Venus turns out to be just plain hard, the Terrans engineer a new race, known as the Neosapiens, to do it for us. Physically stronger and, for some reason, bright purple, the Neosapiens are successfully created in different batches known as broods.
Rather than being treated with respect and dignity, the Neosapiens are cruelly enslaved by the Terrans and forced into hard labor. Humankind puts its feet up while the Neosapiens get to work, and a “golden age” begins.
What could go wrong?
If you’ve read any science fiction, you’ve already figured out how this will go.
The Neosapiens rise up against the Terran oppression, only to be defeated by the Terrans’ creation of exoframes, robotic suits humans climb into and pilot through what I believe is a neural link (think Ripley’s Power Loader from Aliens, but armored and with kickass lasers and rockets).
50 years after the conflict, while humanity and the Neosapiens are still working towards equality, war ignites between the Exofleet (home world forces) and the space pirate clans, human exiles who occupy the outer planets.
With the Exofleet away to fight the pirates, the Neosapiens, led by Governor Phaeton, unleash a devastating surprise attack from a clandestine military and take over the home worlds, turning the tables and enslaving the Terrans of Earth, Venus, and Mars.
Outgunned and outnumbered, it’s up to the Exofleet and pockets of resistance fighters to take the home worlds back from Neosapien control.
Following the three-year war that unfolds, the show chiefly follows the missions of Lieutenant/Commander J.T. Marsh and his E-frame crew, the Able Squad; but there’s plenty of screen time for Earth and Venus resistance fighters, space pirates, and Neosapien officers.
What I Loved About This Show
Heavy Topics for Kids
Exosquad isn’t afraid to blur the lines between “good” and “bad,” exploring a sci-fi concept with unguarded realism, which is unique in the kids’ landscape.
Do you know any other children’s shows that involve concentration camps, the legacy/brutality of war, and racism?
There’s even a discussion of complex ethical issues around cloning, such as whether to punish a sleeping clone for the crimes of its predecessor.
Realism
A few laser blasts would have hit the target if not for plot armor. Still, combat in Exosquad isn’t cheesy or predictable, where the “good guys” always come out on top. Some missions fail, and characters on both sides die, emotionally affecting the leaders and squad members.
Despite being the story’s protagonists, the Terrans’ cause comes with baggage. It’s made clear, without excuse, that the humans chose to enslave the Neosapiens and that the pirate clans were also mistreated by the home worlds.
And unlike kids’ shows where heroes have perfect judgment, sometimes a member of the Exofleet makes a mistake that costs someone their life. The characters have to support each other and deal with the emotional consequences.
Lastly, the Terrans and Neosapiens often question their orders, with some Neosapiens or Terrans changing sides based on who they feel can win the war.
Working together, these realistic elements, surprisingly, don’t oversimplify morality and warfare.
Complex Characters
**Warning – This Section Contains Minor Spoilers**
Marsala
Perceptive and logical, Marsala is a lot like Spock in Star Trek. A Neosapien leader from the first war 50 years prior, this time he sides with the Terrans and fights against his own people as a member of Able Squad. Despite reluctantly taking Neosapien life, he believes defeating Phaeton is paramount and will save more lives.
Marsala’s bond with his exoframe co-pilot, Nara Burns, is quite touching. Although Neosapiens do not have the same emotional depth as their terran counterparts, Marsala admires Nara almost as much as a lover or a relative, offering perspective and comfort at her most difficult moments. Throughout the war, Marsala’s guidance keeps young Nara moving forward despite many emotional losses.
But the most moving part of their bond is perhaps the final episode, in which Marsala encourages Nara to marry, bear children, and rebuild her family’s farm on Venus – acknowledging for the audience that love is incompatible. Still, a deep friendship and mutual admiration have grown.
With his wisdom and complicated morality, Marsala is one of my all-time favorite characters in a children’s show.
Sean Napier
Sean Napier is the Earth resistance leader, eventually gaining command of all allied resistances.
In his introduction, Napier saves Phaeton from assassination by a human who is bitter over the war of 50 years ago. Yet Napier refuses to shake Phaeton’s hand afterward, referring to him and other Neosapiens as the slur “Sape” (the Exofleet members actually point out that “Neos” is an accepted term and that “Sape” is a slur).
But in the final episode, when the war is over, history repeats itself. Now a politician, Napier is saved from assassination in almost the same fashion he was by a reluctant Neosapien, a former general named Shiva. Shiva offers hope for the future by saying he wishes to be glad he saved Napier’s life someday, but it’s not exactly a warm “you’re welcome.”
I love the idea that Napier, a man who bore deep hatred for the Neosapiens and now working to unite them with the Terrans, is forced to see his past behavior reflected back at him.
Complex and captivating, both Marsala and Sean Napier have character arcs befitting adult audiences.
Storytelling Techniques I Learned:
A Cast of Characters
Between the core characters of Able Squad, Exofleet at large, resistance fighters of different planets, Neosapiens, and pirate clans, Exosquad creates a large cast of characters to keep track of. However, it manages to balance screen time among them and keep them easily memorable for kids.
How does it do this?
Scott McCloud (writer of Understanding Comics) says to create memorable characters in a comic, one technique is to play up one or a few traits. In this animated TV show, that advice is working beautifully.
For example, for Able Squad member Wolf Bronski, his belching, unkemptness, and complaining build a quick-and-easy picture. For Sergeant Rita Torres, it’s her scolding and tough-girl attitude. For pilot Kaz Takagi, it’s his constant bragging and risk-taking. All the contrasting personalities blend together nicely into a cohesive whole.
The character design can be curious at times. The animators have taken space pirates a bit too literally because they are dressed an awful lot like pirates of the -16 or 1700s, complete with skulls ‘n bones.
And, of course, it couldn’t be an Exosquad write-up without mentioning the questionable but exciting hairstyles. Space mullets? Futuristic undercuts? Whatever they are, they’re definitely fierce.
Real-World Inspirations
This space war feels realistic and mirrors tactics from WW2 and other conflicts. Planets and moons are fought over as staging points for future invasions, like the island hopping of the Pacific Theatre of WW2. There’s a mix of skirmishes, large-scale battles, counter-invasions, and espionage.
There’s also plenty of in-fighting and double-crossing not just among the space pirates but also from the Terrans and Neosapiens, adding depth and realism to the story.
Time Manipulation
The narrative could have been muddled with many characters to keep track of and a three-year war to write.
But the pacing of the show is fantastic. Just the right amount of time is dedicated to each planet’s invasion, with a few episodes of espionage before a fight thrown in to help reveal what the next tactic will be.
The young audience should be able to follow the conflict because, rather than flipping back and forth between resistance fighters of a planet or Able Squad or the Neosapiens, each episode is siloed to one mission that builds a character and contributes to the overall narrative at the same time.
By Exosquad’s end, the audience, too, feels how long and draining this war has been for both sides.
Your Homework: Go Watch Exosquad
While the creation of Exosquad was as much about selling kids’ toys as it was entertainment, along with Batman the Animated Series, I’d rank Exosquad as one of the best shows for kids from the 90s.
Emotional and compelling, its depth and realism engage children while giving them plenty to contemplate. As an adult, I enjoyed it both for its entertainment value and storytelling prowess.
As of this writing, you can stream all 52 episodes of this seemingly overlooked classic on Peacock.
And for more on Exosquad, check out:
Exosquad Archive – Everything related to the show, including concept art, coloring pages, promotional materials, and more
Toy Galaxy – Exosquad: An exploration of Exosquad’s creation and legacy
If you enjoyed this post and would like to be notified when our next one is up, you can subscribe to our newsletter below.
Be First to Comment