Chapter 5 is the chapter that directly follows the biggest plot reveal in the game, and the stakes are higher than ever. And they went all out on writing this one.
Before we even get to Keelhaul Key, we're taken through an entire emotional moment getting Admiral Bobbery in the crew, helping him overcome his life's greatest regret and earning a charming sea bomb to eventually join our party and quickly worm his way into being one of the most lovable rogues in the crew. Scarlette's story started from pretty trivial circumstances- a common cold and a moment's hesitation- but the impact it had on Bobbery robbed him of twenty years of his life. The bomb we see today- staring Keelhaul Key in the face, fighting fuse and turnkey for the safety of the crew, and helping Mario blast his way through the pirate's den- is ready to do more living in a single half-finished quest than he has his whole life. Bobbery's such a popular character, and while his story is relatively basic and a little bit forced- Podley has a lot to answer for- the presentation and Bobbery's power as a brand new party member helps to cement that impression.
And then we get to Flavio. Flavio is the Kolorado of TTYD, a hapless character we got forced to babysit while looking for our shiny in Chapter 5, and while Flavio probably wasn't a response to Kolorado the same way many things in this game are, he does embody strengths where Kolorado saw weaknesses. First of all, of all the Chapter 5 partners, the reason we bring him is more than just "he's here too": He's the only reason we got to come at all. Second of all, he is fully aware of what his limitations are, and his uselessness is his insistence on conforming to them, rather than bravely leaping into the fray and accomplishing nothing anyway so we have a chance to laugh at his misfortune. He's still comic relief, but with intentional jokes and opportunities to laugh at Flavio when he deserves it. And thirdly, he gets the chance to do the right thing in the end. Flavio's problem, the whole time, was that this expedition was mismatched to his comfort zone- somewhat intentionally, but he was probably expecting something less dire than he got. In the end, when Crump subverts the expedition and our only solution turns out to be diplomacy, Flavio proves that he's not just an idiot born into wealth- he's earned every Coin he's added to his family fortune. Of the three Chapter 5 dunces, I think Flavio is the best one, because his contributions match his reputation. He's not just a fool because we need somebody to laugh at- he is a fool for specific reasons, those reasons make sense for someone in his position, it makes sense we brought that fool along anyway, and his hidden depths match the situation we encounter. Plus, having a dynamic with Cortez- if only through his ancestry- helps keep everything folded up neatly.
What about Four-Eyes and the X-Nauts, then? Crump's literal paper-thin disguise was probably the best trick to do- the X-Nauts really have been taking a back seat these last two chapters, why not the chapter right after their ambitions come to light to really bring them back in a big way? Crump's biggest issue is, well... the fact that he's Crump. He's actual comic relief and he is incapable of being a sinister presence in the story on his own. In Chapter 2, this was less of an issue, because we had the wonder of dealing with the X-Nauts and their impressive technology for the first time, as well as them having secured victories over the Punies before and during the chapter's story. Crump, on his own and in disguise, loses all of the intimidation factor. Even him telling us he's Crump doesn't get us to be scared of him- even if he did have the X-Naut's assets (good luck bringing those to a deserted island ravaged by pirates), we can trust he'll somehow fail to exploit them. The X-Nauts are a villain with no business in a Mario game, and Crump's job is to drag them down to Mario's level. They'll come at us outmatching us to force Flavio's hand, and Crump will laugh like a child given a shiny toy to stop us from thinking about the peril of the situation. I will give him credit for the quiet moment where Crump stops Mario from helping Bobbery while not being suspicious at all, though- whether or not he knew Bobbery would be a powerful ally to Mario directly, he knew that getting Mario away from any situation where he could win more would help the X-Naut cause.
Mechanically, this chapter is... honestly kinda more dull than Chapter 4? Keelhaul Key itself expresses largely as backtracking ahoy, crossing the jungle screens multiple times to save Bobbery and open Pirate's Grotto with Flavio in tow. Flavio's mere presence is comical enough to justify one of the trips, but the initial mood of survival against the odds is pitted against a bunch of enemies that only mostly scare you, and even then only because we're fighting them in numbers. Pirate's Grotto itself is a plunge into a dungeon worthy of Mario's name as a platformer, but Bullet Bills are not fun to fight in this game and the extended backtracking with no enemy refreshing really lets the area's rather dull theme settle in. Cortez himself is bulkier than Doopliss, but the fact it's so easy to dismantle him by beating him fast and taking away his turns makes him lose the intimidation factor. Chapter 4's massive criss-crossing of Twilight Trail, as the first standout instance, makes it the scapegoat for this game's mechanical flaws, but Chapter 5 really expands on them. By this point, however, you either turned away after Chapter 4 or are ready to allow yourself to set aside the issues to focus on the compelling narrative- one that manages to live up to the standards set by Chapter 4's, at least.
