Head’s up: Detailed analysis of the ‘Secret Level’s’ Pac-Man episode follows.

The episode of ‘Secret Level’ called ‘Pac-Man: Circle’ is undoubtedly one that will stick in the memory of viewers.

The new gaming anthology series from Amazon has been generally cautious, but the episode ‘Pac-Man: Circle’ dares to venture into uncharted territory. The central character is an extraterrestrial-looking figure known as the Swordsman, who is liberated by a mysterious round entity named Puck. Puck, though evidently intended to represent Pac-Man, is given a unique twist by Emily Swallow’s brilliant performance, sounding more like Hal 9000 from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. Puck constantly reminds the Swordsman of their entrapment in a labyrinth they must escape and the rule of survival—eat or be eaten.

‘Pac-Man: Circle’ offers a brutal, violent, and rebellious version of the game, which is widely admired for its universal appeal. It might seem unlikely that Bandai Namco would endorse such an interpretation for Pac-Man, but according to Dave Wilson, the executive producer, the company fully supported this brave undertaking.

“They certainly challenged us,” Wilson remarks. “As translated, Bandai’s directive was: We want viewers to question what on earth we’ve done with Pac-Man.”

Delving into the creation of ‘Pac-Man: Circle’, Wilson explains how the writers of ‘Secret Level’ distilled the essence of Pac-Man into single lines that feature in the episode, serving as the foundation for its poignant, mature narrative. Visually, the episode is influenced by artists such as Moebius and Pascal Blanchet, employing vibrant colors and not shying away from grittiness.

Wilson and co-executive producer Tim Miller confessed that many aspects of ‘Pac-Man: Circle’ were established early and remained consistent throughout development. Swallow, known for her role as The Armorer in ‘The Mandalorian’, and Aleks Le, who played Luke in ‘Street Fighter 6’, provided the voices of Puck and the Swordsman from the early stages of the story reel process and were never substituted.

‘Pac-Man: Circle’ stands out in ‘Secret Level’ for its audacity. The series’ weaker moments are the slower, dialogue-heavy episodes that might seem like promotional strategies for games like ‘New World: Aeternum’ or the PlayStation brand. Episodes that embrace action or take substantial creative risks, like ‘Pac-Man: Circle’, are the most gratifying to watch.

The wide range of adaptations in this anthology might seem unusual, but for its creators, this diversity is part of ‘Secret Level’s’ charm. Miller appreciates the collaboration between various companies, from Bandai Namco to console publishers, in the creation of ‘Secret Level’.

Miller also appreciates the freedom gained from not trying to connect all the episodes together narratively or thematically. “If I only get one chance, I want to have the liberty to do whatever the hell I desire or think might contribute to an engaging story.”

This approach has led to some misses, but also some extraordinary episodes like ‘Pac-Man: Circle’. Despite the show’s inconsistent quality, it’s comforting to know that some episodes dared to reinterpret the classic franchises they were based on. This makes an episode like ‘Pac-Man: Circle’ that does just that absolutely worth watching.

‘Pac-Man: Circle’ and other episodes of ‘Secret Level’ are now accessible on Prime Video, with another set of ‘Secret Level’ animated shorts set to launch on December 17.