Episode Review: Wonder Man Episode 6 - "Callback"

Welcome back to the blog readers. I cannot believe how much I have fallen in love with Wonder Man (2026). We are now more than halfway into this show and I cannot understate how this has made me feel. The performances are awesome, the lack of Marvelisms makes the show feel all the more like an HBO show, and the main chemistry (similar to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (2026-)) is unmistakable. What would this sixth episode, titled "Callback," written by Roja Gashtili, Julia Lerman, and Andrew Guest, and directed by Tiffany Johnson, give us? Stick around to find out.

NOTE: I will be using spoilers for my thoughts, so DO NOT read ahead if you have not seen the episode.

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This has been one of the bigger surprises I have had in the young year of 2026. As I mentioned, Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery feel like friends that you want to hang out with, and the performances of their actors are stellar. Knowing this was going to be a crucial episode could have upped the ante, and boy, did it. This might be the best episode of the show thus far. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Sir Ben Kingsley give spectacular performances and the story this week is more internal than last week's.

I want to start by talking about the performance of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. I mentioned in my review of the third episode that he was perfectly able to blend isolation and depression into Simon Williams in a way that made it seem real. I was hoping for a bit more of that in this episode, and I was absolutely not disappointed. He does it again by creating such a paranoid and guilt-ridden performance that made me do a double-take. What he was able to deliver in this episode was incredible, and it may just be the best performance of the season by any actor, and that goes a long way knowing his costar is one of the most decorated and celebrated actors of all time.

Speaking of a costar being one of the most decorated and celebrated actors of all time, Sir Ben Kingsley is someone you can always bank on to give you an incredible performance (and every inch of himself). In my review for the third episode, I also mentioned that Kingsley brings his own level of charisma to the role of Trevor Slattery, and he does it again in this episode. But this time, we see a more confident Slattery that commands the screen. As someone who has to take on the Herculean task of centering Simon Williams, Kingsley is able to ensure Slattery is up for the task.

Now, we talk about the story of this episode, because it is raw and emotional on many levels. We pick up on a scene whose time frame I cannot point out without more information. It looks like Trevor Slattery is auditioning for a role with long hair and a long beard. After not being able to nail the tone of the character for a few tries, he is given a pair of sunglasses and we learn what role he is taking when he says, "Some people call me a terrorist..." Flashing forward to the present day, Trevor and Simon Williams are in Simon's car trying to make it to Von Kovak's mansion in order to not miss the callbacks. Simon is spiraling; he is upset at Trevor for getting him involved in the previous night's antics, preventing him from getting much-needed sleep and preparation. Trevor tries his best to calm Simon, but it is all for naught. When they make it to Kovak's mansion, Simon's anxiety peaks when he notices a pair of shoes outside the mansion's door. He assumes everything, including that, is a test as Trevor attempts to implement his box breathing method to calm him down. The door opens and the two are met by a woman who guides them to the living room where they meet the other finalists.

Von Kovak (played by Superman's (2025) Zlatko Burić) introduces himself to the group and brings the six finalists into his study, where he reveals he is still discovering Wonder Man. He reveals the opening shot of the film, soundtracked to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Midnight Special." Everyone is moving and swaying to the music but Simon, who is freezing within his own head. When Trevor pantomimes a trombone, Kovak ends the immersion and decides to pair the actors off to run scenes. Simon wants to be paired with Trevor, but Kovak shuts it down immediately. The first pair performs the scene where Barnaby betrays Wonder Man, but Kovak scraps it because he feels that the actors cannot resonate with the material. He decides instead to introduce an improvisational exercise meant to blur the lines between fantasy and reality. After putting Trevor and his partner first, they are able to nail their scene of a couple in the midst of a breakup. Simon is paired with a gentleman named Manuel and they are to navigate a scene in which they are a couple and one of them is slipping away. Simon cannot improvise without a script and resorts to a scene from the film Pretty Woman (1990). Kovak is not happy and dismisses everyone to step away.

Trevor tries to entertain the room with a story about Chaka Khan while Simon begins to unravel while sitting in a corner. Kovak returns to propose another exercise and Simon immediately jumps to his feet to ask for another chance. He is paired with someone tasked with being a former classmate of Simon's. The scene begins to fall off when the man calls Simon a freak and hurls other insults at him. Simon begs the man to stop while the actor keeps going. Trevor notices something is wrong and tries to intervene, but is too late as Simon punches a hole through the man's head, shocking everyone to the point of screams. Kovak calls Simon's name and he wakes up, revealing he had fallen asleep and that it was all a dream. Simon is embarrassed and retreats to the balcony shaken. Trevor finds him and Simon confesses that Kovak wants to expose him and strip him down to who he really is so that he will never work in Hollywood again. Trevor reminds Simon that he is more than his powers, a man capable of joy, pain, fear, and love, with acting being about reflecting that truth. This inspires Simon to go back inside and perform the original Barnaby/Wonder Man scene.

The two finish and are greeted to silence. They are escorted towards the door and are dejected to learn that they most likely did not get the roles. Just before the pair leave the mansion, Kovak stops them to let them know he was close to giving up on them but now he is certain. Simon is Wonder Man and Trevor is Barnaby. The two are grateful to Kovak and leave. Simon drives Trevor home where they celebrate their victory. After Simon drops Trevor off and leaves, a black car instantly pulls up and men in suits drag Trevor into the car: it is the Department of Damage Control (DODC), and Trevor is returning back to prison. Trevor stops him with a promise: he knows Simon has powers and is dangerous, and can prove it. He just needs more time.

Wonder Man is gearing towards the end but decided to give us another character-driven episode that delves into the psyche of our now titular hero. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.