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Send In The Clones
Reviewed: 12/12/2009
Magica Makes Her Debut; Pentagrams and All!
Welcome back kiddies to Volume One of Ducktales as we return to the early seasons of our favorite web foot creatures. Many say that these early episodes are the best in the entire series. Well; let's find out shall we as we debut Magica Despell in DTVA along with Webra Walters!! Double your female pleasure; double your pentagram fun. Okay; enough of the jokes, let's rant on shall we...?!
This episode is written by Astrid Ryterband. The story is edited by Patsy Cameron and Tedd Anasti. The teleplay is done by Ken Koonce and David Weimers (The first one for the duo involving teleplay). Astrid did an episode of Moon Dreamers and Ducktales as her only two credits found at the moment.
Opening Moment #1: And so we go back to the first opening for the remainder of the rants on DVD. It also means almost all of the episodes are animated by TMS. Sadly, Disney Caption screws up the Woo-hoo part of the song. What a shock?!
We begin this one wasting ZERO time introducing Magic Despell to DTVA as we head to Mount Vesuvius (Check the kooky stone face of Magica there dude!) as we zoom in to the top of head and the volcano erupts from the top (!!!). We head inside the volcano to Magica's magic room (complete with obscured pentagram on the middle of the floor in a blue painted circle. She has created her version of the lake of fire as she laughs. She holds onto her amulet as she proclaims in her Russian accent that nothing will stand in the way of what she wants most in the world which is of course Scrooge's McGruffin...ERRR...I mean, number one dime. Poe rests on his shoulder and wants her to turn him back into a man.
She throws more dust into the fire and notice the middle of the pentagram: There is a circle around it; but if you look closely; you can see the shape of a pentagon around it (thus proving that this is a pentagram). Disney would NEVER get away with this ever again even if they sell a DVD set which contains Ducktales episodes with that symbol. The lake of fire poofs up and we see the glass case with the number one dime inside of it. Magica explains that it is the first dime Scrooge ever made and it contains psychic vibrations of every deal, every dollar and every decision Scrooge has ever made. Once she melts the dime and puts it into her amulet she will turn him back into her brother (thus he is Poe DeSpell by proxy.); but rule the world as well due to her power as the globe spins around in the case when the dime is changed. Everyone laughs so badly that Poe has to bail away. Even Magica is apologizing for getting carried away so you know that was bad.
So we go to a shot above the mansion and a shot of the Money Bin to the prison (Strange that in early episodes; it was far away and in later episodes, it was in the city!) as the sirens wail on cue which indicates that the Beagle Boys are escaping the prison again. The spotlight goes on as a prison guard at the front (Chuck McCann as the only character unique to the episode; and he is just another dogsperson) proclaims that the Beagle Boys have escaped. Then on the close shot; there are three guards magically appearing out of nowhere for the first logic break of the episode two minutes in. We then cut into the forest AWAY from the prison as we see Big Time thanking Magica for sneaking them out of jail. See he was bored of having his time run out which was actually a life sentence. HAHA! Magica tells them that he didn't sneak him out for the exercise (duh) because she wants them to steal Scrooge's number one dime. Big Time, Babyface (check the hat) and Baggy (I think; it might be Burger) turn on her and do the Gruffi pose. See; Big Time goes after the big stuff. Reputation you know. Burger wants it to be at least a half dollar or forget about it! BUTTA BING!! Big Time wants the Money Bin and Magica shakes on the deal. After all; if she gets the dime; the Money Bin should be easy pickings right? Right?!
So we do the bad scene changer as we head to the mansion and man; the color of the water is so thick, I almost thought TMS didn't animate the water on the water fall there for a second. Well; we go into the dining room as Scrooge and the nephews are sitting down eating. Huey asks about going to a movie and Scrooge states that they cannot because he needs then here and on their best behavior. UH OH! That is NOT a good way to convince them to behave Scroogie. See; a reporter from Duckweek Magazine is coming by this afternoon. I guess Newsweek wasn't interested in doing a duck-related story. Must hate CDS as much as I do. So Dewey and Louie try the sneak approch of going early to see the movie and Scrooge gives Louie dollar bills for showing them how nice Scrooge was. HAHA! Louie getting the bills seems to be screwed up a bit by TMS though. Once Louie goes with the bicycles; Scrooge finally gets it and warns them about pressing their luck. HAHA!
The nephews jump up and cheer for Invasion of the Quacker Snatchers which TMS overdoes quite a bit. So we head behind some trees near the pool (How does that work since the property has very little forest to begin with?) as Big Time calls Magica toots on the MIMI JOKE ZONE PLAN. Magica goes to her bag and brings out some DUST OF SATAN and chants a spell as she dumps it onto Big Time, Burger and Babyface to reveal....the Beagle Nephews~! Okay; this plan can work if the Beagle Boys can mimic the nephew voices; but somehow I doubt that and we will have a logic break. Babyface looks into the pool after getting mocked by Big Time and he still sees his Beagle Boy reflection. Magica admits that there is a problem with the spell: Mirrors reveal themselves as she shoos the Beagle Nephews into the house.
So we head to the lobby as Mrs. Beakly is using the featherduster to dust a mirror while Scrooge arrives and looks into the mirror. Mrs. Beakly proclaims that he looks dapper and Scrooge answers as he states everything has to be perfect. Scrooge wants to look like a good family man for a good business image see. Then the Beagle Nephews arrive and Scrooge is a little surprised that they are back so soon. I guess he figures that the movie they wanted to watch was rated R and they couldn't see it. Scrooge tells them to change clothes and get ready for the reporter. Mrs. Beakly proclaims to Scrooge not to worry because this will be perfect. Scrooge changes the mirror on Mrs. Beakly and leaves as Beakly didn't like that one. Then we get logic break #2 as she was in clear sight of seeing the mirror with the Beagle Boys image on it looking for items. She turns around and orders them to go upstairs which stops the Beagle Nephews from stealing.
Big Time Nephew blows her off and goes upstairs as Mrs. Beakly praises Dewey's change of voice and growing up. Oh great; she's acting in the possible worst time now. The Beagle Nephews go upstairs and Burger Nephews goes left while Babyface Nephews comes with Big Time Nephew as they enter Scrooge's room and ransack the place. Babyface Nephew lift up a rug on the floor and notices a safe underneath and tells Big Time Nephew that they found the jackpot. Big Time comes down and gets the SCOPE OF DOOM from his cap and starts to check the safe's pulse while breaking into the safe. Suddenly; Mrs. Beakly comes in and she is SHOCKED and APPALLED at them for apparently playing doctor according to Big Time Nephew. Oh for god sakes guys; see SAW the real people on the mirror's image earlier; this makes no sense whatsoever. Mrs Beakly then gets fussy (at the five minute mark no less) and grabs the two bad nephews (oh lord; that just writes itself) and drags them out of the room. The boys call her a ninny and she blows them off for being so vulgar. It's 1987; what did you expect? For them to call her a bitch? On a DTVA show?
Nice bumping from Big Time and Babyface on that one as we go into the nephews' room as she orders them in a fussy matter to change their clothes. She puts them down and brings out the formal wear and the Beagle Boys try to bail stage right; but Mrs. Beakly blocks the way out with her fat ass. POW! OUCH! Ummm... Funny how the boys are so against wearing this gear and yet had no problems wearing it in Super Ducktales #4. Beakly doesn't want to be angry now (but fussy is A-OK with her now!) and tells them to just wear the suits until the reporter leaves. The bad nephews bail stage left; but Mrs. Beakly grabs them and we get another shuffle as Beakly wins that one easily and places them on the dresser and dresses them. HAHA! Big Time nephew blows off Babyface and calls Mrs. Beakly a crazed dame. I love real comments that aren't supposed to be real comments. Now you would think that Mrs. Beakly would GET that these are the Beagle Boys since Big Time Nephew blew his cover out right by addressing Babyface (which Dewey would NEVER say in a million years to Louie); but she only blows them off for watching a foul mouthed movie. Logic break #3 for the episode. Or Mrs. Beakly is even stupider when she's acting. No wonder Joan Gerber went so wooden in later episodes.
She grabs them and takes them to the mirror which blows the Beagle Boys covers and finally gets the LIGHTBULB OF BLOODY CLAIRTY and faints dead away. All logic breaks are popped out of the episode on one swipe~! Good show Mrs. Beakly! The bad nephews take off their formal gear and run out towards the hallway and then they see Burger Nephew having tea with Webby. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Now THAT is funny! Big Time and Babyface Nephews walk in and almost blow their cover again as they ask bad Huey what he is doing and Burger Nephew claims that even thugs deserve a coffee break. HAHA! I betcha Webby has learned a new meaning to the nephew's sexism after THAT one. Burger Nephew hugs Webby's Quackerpatch doll (Aw! Burger is sweeter than the real nephews combined in Webby's eyes now and thus making them heel and Burger babyface by proxy.) and Big Time Nephew grabs onto it blowing him off and then we get the tug-o-war on the doll and it gets racked as Webby protests this outrage. I agree with her; Burger is a sweetie and Big Time Nephew is ruining the moment for them. Funny how the doll looks like a midget version of her perfectly. And then we get the triple tug-o-war which cannot end well for the doll. We get some good bump off-screen into the hallway as Webby cries for her busted doll (I smell BS&P decision here) and the Beagle Nephews run out and into Scrooge's room again. Babyface Nephew proclaims that they better blow up the safe before the nosy nanny comes to as he invokes the dynamite from his cap......
So we logically go to a shot of the door bell outside as a dogperson rings the doorbell as Duckworth opens the door and Scrooge opens it to reveal someone with their back turned. She turns around and it's good old Webra Walters (Time Is Money. Super Ducktales, Up, Up & Awry etc.) for Duckweek Magazine this time. Although she would later be known as Scrooge's PR media gal. I beginning to suspect that the Barbera crank in Up Up & Awry is a logic break now; but I'll keep listening since this is a major episode for her. Scrooge is happy to see her and offers her to come right in. Webra comes in and is already on his for trying to impress her (Read: hit on her) as Scrooge blows it off because he is a creepy old man along those lines and would never hit on her in roundabout terms. Just because it's Disney doesn't mean that crap doesn't get past the radar; even in the new Disney. How else can you explain the ADM? Webra adjusts the mirror again and blows off anyone trying to impress her because her readers deserve the real scoop.
Ironically; today's journalists don't get that anymore because the customer still want the scoop; but they don't get it due to journalists trying to impress them with their stupid dog tricks. She wants Scrooge to live in reality as Scrooge decides to do so as he wants to introduce Mrs. Beakly. Scrooge then goes all religious on her (She's the salt of the Earth...) and Beakly loves the children as her own see. And then Mrs. Beakly finally comes down the stairs and calls the nephews monsters complete with Hanna Barbera running sound effect. Well; they are the Beagle Boys so she is on the MONEY, MONEY, YEAH, YEAH there. She grabs Scrooge and shakes him calling them fiends and they are not his nephews implying that they are the Beagle Boys. Why not just say it point blank Beakly?! You are supposed to be fussy; not paranoid. Webra flashes the camera on them just for fun and laughs. Beakly finally tells him point blank as Scrooge is dropped and he calls it a wild sense of humor. HAHA! If only Scroogie; if only. Webra writes on her notepad of truth while Scrooge takes Mrs. Beakly away to inform her to take a nap and get a grip on herself.
Mrs. Beakly walks away as Scrooge talks about Webby and she is probably playing with the nephews and then we hear Webby crying (and good as well) as she is on the stairs as the Quacky Patch Doll has been beheaded. Those ungrateful Beagle Bastards~! They are as bad as when Kit pulled the head of Molly's doll Lucy in Plunder and Lightning Part Three. Webra tries the camera flashing on her but Scrooge gets in front of her talking about how playful they can be. Burger Nephew certainly; the rest....Bastards! Scrooge decides to show her his study room and goes on and on about it while going there. Scrooge opens the door and there is an explosion heard and the safe drops from the ceiling with a MAN-SIZED bump as we see the ceiling hole while the Beagle Nephews are and Big Time Beagle sezs UH OH! UH OH indeed! How did that safe stay in mid air without dropping to the floor all those years. Scrooge closes the door and decides to forget the study and blows off the manly benefits of a study. BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I see Scrooge's manhood shrinking by the second here. Scrooge shows her another room and Webra goes in as Scrooge goes upstairs and gets his sleeves up so you know that he is SERIOUS BABEE! We cut to inside the nephews room as Scrooge pushes them back to the bunk beds and grounds the nephews until Webra is gone. That's PUNISHMENT somehow?! Wow...Scrooge is way too generous if he means it. He leaves and slams the door shut. The Beagle Nephews open the door and see Duckworth standing guard beside it. The Beagle Nephew think better of it (No one screws with eye contact violence when done right.) and so we cut to a telescope shot at the window as Big Time Beagle opens the window and yells for Magica's help since they are trapped like rats. We cut to Magic near the green house with Poe and the telescope as she blows them off for being fools as she realizes that she needs to do this by herself. I just realized something: If she can turn the Beagle Boys into the nephews; why not turn Poe back into her brother now? Is there some curse that prevents that from happening or something? She then uses her book and spins around chanting a spell until she turns into Mrs. Fat Ass Beakly. POW! OUCH! Ummm....Poe drops onto the telescope screaming as Mrs. Magica Beakly proclaims that she will get Scrooge's lucky dime and NO ONE will stop her. Cue evil laugh of doom as she walks towards the mansion on her own in the far shot and that ends the segment nine and a half minutes in.
After the commercial break; we see Mrs. Magica Beakly walking down the hallway looking for the dime and then she tells Duckworth that she will watch the nephews now as she enters the room to see the Beagle Nephews gambling or something as she blows them off. Big Time Nephew proclaims that they are looking and looking as they run off stage left. I guess Duckworth left after all. So we cut to the front of the mansion as the real nephews walk in towards the fountain talking about the movie. They make it to the door as Louie demonstrates his alien monster moves and proclaims that you can never tell the difference between real and monster. They do not suspect a thing at all. Then we see Scrooge and Webra in the lobby talking about the nephews behavior as they go down the stairs and then just as Scrooge is about to go on; the nephews open the door and walk inside saying that they are back and had a great time watching the movie. This is not going to end well for them; I just know it.
They go inside the study room (I think) and out comes Mrs. Beakly (the real one of course) with an ice pack talking about the monsters being loose and then running upstairs...and then he come the Beagle Boy Nephews sliding down the stair railing. In any other universe; this would have blown the Beagle Boys' cover; but in cartoons, it really doesn't. Big Time Nephew takes a rather sick bump in the ass and then flops over and drops onto the floor in front of Scrooge and then gets squashed by the other nephews with sick bumps. TMS is ON today. The bad nephews see that Scrooge is PISSED off and they bail stage left into the next room; and then out come the good nephews (again in real life= logic break; in a cartoon it works) as Scrooge blows them off and orders them back into the nephews room and stay there. The good nephews wonder why and Scrooge just yells at them and they bail up the stairs stage right.
So we get the Wuzzle scene changer as Mrs. Magica Beakly is peeping through keyholes like a female pervert (How is that possible Gregory Weagle? Inquiring minds would like to know..) and she looks around and then sees the good nephews inside the bedroom and she goes nuclear on them for not working and being lazy reading books. (an Al Khan heart attack waiting to happen you know). The good nephews are confused as hell as we go to the kitchen and see Burger Nephew raiding the fridge again as usual. We then go to the far shot into the hallway as Scrooge and Webra walk right. Scrooge then notices Burger Nephew eating and is SHOCKED AND APPALLED. Now this should have blown their cover in any other universe; but it doesn't here. Scrooge blows him off for it as Burger Nephew recoils after nearly blowing his cover (pops) and then blows his cover by saying that he hasn't eaten in minutes. HAHA! And I betcha Scrooge falls for it anyway. Airhead Syndrome is catching when LP is around; even though he is not around this episode. Yet. Scrooge shoos Burger Nephew away from the kitchen as Mrs. Magica Beakly arrives as Scrooge asks her about lunch. Mrs. Magica Beakly doesn't know as Scrooge asks her about the accent as Beakly denies it.
Scrooge wants Magica Beakly to feed them in order to get them to behave as Magica Beakly gets the CHEAP HEAT OF LAUGHS for fun. Mrs. Magica Beakly almost blows her cover by calling him darlink and then recoils to Beakly's normal addressing. Scrooge leaves as we cut back to inside the nephews room with the platter of soup and cracker (broccoli soup methinks judging by the green color) and puts it down on the table as she blows them off for being homing pigeons. She is as dense as she is evil. Magica Beakly leaves as the nephews go to their seats in the small coffee table and look their faces into the bowls. Magica Beakly orders them to eat the soup while it is still alive as she slams the door shut. The nephews look again and an squid arm comes up from one of the bowls and eats a cracker from the bowl. Huey then gets scared because they think Beakly has been Quacker Snatched. BWHAHAHAHAHAHA! And that is close to being true in hindsight there Huey.
The soup then burps and that forces the nephews out into the hallway as they slam the door and that slam was MAN-SIZED. So we head to the lobby as Mrs. Magica Beakly walks down the steps while Webra takes notes on the bottom floor. Webra grabs onto Magica Beakly's arm and asks about what Scrooge is really like and Magica responds that he is a fool. I love real comments that aren't supposed to be real comments. Magica then really blows her cover claiming that the nephews were more fools and she was a fool for springing them out of jail as she walks away. Webra doesn't suspect a thing as she writes her notes and then goes upstairs to see the nephews come down. Webra asks them about Scrooge and the nephews decline the request because they have to stop Mrs. Beakly. The nephews go nuts over their movie fantasies as Webra writes everything down. This is going to be the best article Ducksweekly has EVER done. The smoke is coming from her notes as the nephews decide to do the old split up routine as Huey searches downstairs and the rest go upstairs. They go their separate ways complete with the Hanna Barbera running sound effect. Sounds like a trend to me...
So we head to the hallway as Dewey and Louie are looking around and then they notice Burger Nephew sitting at the table eating the octopus soup. HAHA! Not even a killer octopus can stop Burger's stomach from being quenched. Dewey and Louie walk in as they question Huey's stomach as Burger Nephew claims that the soup put up a fight and he burps again. Louie then invokes the POINTY FINGER OF DEATH on his tone and Burger Nephew claims that he always burps that way. Burger Nephew walks slowly tipping his cap about taking over the world and they call him an alien as well. So they close the door and Louie blocks the way and then the nephews jump on Burger Beagle and we get some of the most violent horseplay in DTVA history. Believe me; in the wrong context, this is a BS&P nightmare. We then go downstairs in the cellar as Huey walks down and there is more mature lighting from TMS. He then gasps as he sees Mrs. Magica Beakly throwing things away from a pile of junk. Magica Beakly turns around and blows off Huey for not finding the dime because she needs it to take over the world. Huey runs away upstairs into the kitchen as Mrs. Beakly is having a sip of coffee from a mug (How in the hell did Huey NOT notice her before? Logic break #2 for real in the episode) as Huey sezs hello to her and then they turn around and point and scream. Badly I might add....
Then Huey runs away stage right as Mrs. Beakly goes to the cellar and up comes Mrs. Magica Beakly to greet her. The cover has been blown as Magica invokes the knockout spell and Mrs. Beakly slumps down cold. Huey runs into the lobby and then up the stairs calling for Dewey and Louie and then he hears book dropping down onto the floor as we head to the book room as Backface Nephew is on a wooden stair case throwing books down and ransacking the room in general. Big Time Nephew has the steel ladder on the right side knocking down books along the way. And he doesn't notice the dime is right beside him on his left either as Huey runs in and grabs the case with the dime in it proclaiming that aliens are here and they need to get the dime out of here. Big Time Nephew takes it and thanks Burger for it. Huey is confused as hell over it. Big Time does a dance as Mrs. Magica Beakly waddles in looking fussy (nice suspense there guys) as she wants answers to this and see shes the dime Big Time is showing. Magica Beakly grabs the dime and is so happy as she and the bad nephews walk out much to the confusion of Huey. Big Time yells at Burger (or Huey in this case) to move it and he gulps and walks out.
So we get another scene changer as we go to the woodshed (which Magica always uses as her hideout away from her hideout) as she unlocks the door and opens them. We get some more mature darkness inside as we see Mrs. Beakly tied up to a chair. Big Time Nephew and Babyface Nephew grab Mrs. Beakly as Magica doesn't want her to interfere or squeal about her MIMI JOKE ZONE PLAN until such plan is finished. They take Mrs. Beakly out of the woodshed (how disturbing is that?) as it's time to go back to Mount Vesuvius (according to Disney Captions) and then does her revert spell to change back to Magica so she can take over the damn world. Poe then drops on her hand and goes all Edgar Allen Poe while she laughs like a maniac as we saw in the first and second openings. Magica gets carried away as she waltzes south and Big Time Nephew blows her off as Mrs. Beakly and the bad nephews (and Huey) follow her and that ends the segment 15 and a half minutes in.
After the commercial break; we head back into the hallway as Webra Walters is taking more notes as Scrooge is following her looking more happy than normal in this episode. Scrooge tries to convince her that this is not a typical day around here. BWHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! After watching 50 episodes of this series; I cannot believe Scrooge would say something like that. Webra is not buying this one bit I wager as Scrooge wants to hear a pin drop and he gets a nasty thud sound instead. Man; the animation feels a little wooden in this sequence. Scrooge then opens the door to the nephews' room and Dewey and Louie have Burger Nephew tied up to a chair. HAHA! Scrooge is SHOCKED AND APPALLED of this (Huh? For most kids; this is a normal Saturday night for them. Why be so surprised?) as he slams the door in Webra's face and goes inside as he wants answers to this. Oh please; this is normal behavior for a child Uncle Scrooge. Okay; accusing Huey cart blanch that he is an alien is a wee bit abnormal for the nephews; but come on! Scrooge has had enough of this nonsense as he tries to untie Burger Nephew and then the real nephews blitz Scrooge and we get another scuffle this time with Scrooge. Okay; that is too creepy for me to handle. They drop down as Webra opens the door (I think she has been waiting to gotcha Scrooge all along methinks) and takes another picture as Scrooge gets up and pleads that it's only Cowboys and Indians. I betcha that doesn't past muster anymore with the new Disney. Scrooge does the Indian spots just to annoy some native Americans.
So we head back to Magica's Satan 666 Jet of Death (Now there is something Don Karnage should have stolen; just to be cool) with the scene changer as Big Time and Babyface fly the airplane (while still in their nephew forms; but since they are real adults in disguise; it's all okay to BS&P) as we pan left to behind the chairs as we see Mrs. Beakly still tied to the chair while Huey sits on the red sofa near the organ. Big Time wants Magica to zap them back to normal because the feathers are starting to itch. Magica decides that they have been punished enough and casts her usual revert spell...and then we cut back to the nephews room as Scrooge proclaims that this would make a nice cover for Duckweek Magazine. Webra gets the camera ready as the nephews and Scrooge get into position. We cut back to Magica on the cockpit shot as she completes the spell and her spell works as Babyface and Big Time are back to normal. And apparently the spell has the powers to find Burger as well because when we cut back to the nephews' room and the picture is taken; it's Burger Beagle tied to the chair for real. HAHA! Scrooge calls it Beagle Boys and Indians..and then gets the LIGHTBULB OF BLOODY CLAIRTY on that one. HAHA! Scrooge wants answers to this outrage as Webra continues to take pictures for fun. Burger proclaims that his lips are zipped. Scrooge then invokes the most heinous torture in Burger's own mind: No supper! HAHA! Burger is screwed right there as he confesses to Magica's plans to take his dime away. Scrooge is horrified and Dewey and Louie run away as Webra does the whirlwind spot just to annoy me. Who does she think she is...Butterbear?! Burger whines about not having supper as Webra follows the trio out.
So we get the clock scene changer as we see the Satan 666 Jet of Death climb above the clouds. We then go to inside the organ room as Magica tries to zap Huey back into Burger Beagle; but it fails again and again. Babyface wonders why he cannot change him back into a duck and Magica then states the obvious and Huey waves gleefully for the camera. So we head back to the launchpad as Louie, Dewey, Burger and Scrooge hop into the helicopter (with Scrooge driving showing how pointless LP is without the funny that he brings to the table.) as Duckworth closes the door and backs up. Then Webra shows her stones by grabbing onto the helicopter as she still wants the real scoop because her readers deserve it see. Man; she could go to a war and not care about her safety. She gets dumped on her ass though with a really good bump; but then recovers and makes the leap of faith onto the bottom of the helicopter. The helicopter rides away into the skies with Webra in tow as we head to Magica's lab complete with another smoke to be a chain smoker from Canada. We even get the ravens flocking around as we head inside the lab as Magica and The Beagle Boys (Minus Burger of course) having fun with the lake of fire inside the pentagram of course.
We then cut to a corner as Huey and Mrs. Beakly are tied up in the corner. Mistake By The Beagle Boys #1: If you are going to tie up a member of the Junior Woodchucks; TIE THE DAMN KNEES~! Huey as expected gets out of it easily as he talks about his knot busting skills. Of course if they had tied his knees together; he wouldn't have any way to get leverage to free himself like that and he would be a sitting duck. And no; it's not a BS&P decision either. Huey unties Mrs. Beakly and tries to wake up Mrs. Beakly. Mrs. Beakly wakes up and screams and backs up; accusing him of being a Beagle Boy. Logic break #3 for the episode since Magica and the boys should have clearly heard that one. And they don't obviously as Huey tell her that he is the real Huey (and with Russi's voice would you bet against him?) and that he is going to get them out of here. So we return to the lab table as Magica places the dime into the amulet as Huey and Mrs. Beakly look on from a broken pillar. Magica plays fishing for melted dimes in the lake of fire. How did Hot Spells not be on DVD is beyond me. Huey proclaims that they need to stop her and get the dime back. They sneak to the lab table from the left side as the amulet glows violet. Huey wants to fight fire with fire and Beakly gets all fussy on him with the using matches. So it's Mrs. Beakly who got all the match lighting scenes cut from TaleSpin then. It all makes sense now. POW! OUCH! Ummm...okay it doesn't. Huey gleefully corrects her (I see figural speech is not Beakly forte either) as he grabs a blue bottle with a cork on it and then backs away.
We then go to the scene changer back to Magica at the lake of fire inside her pentagram as Babyface and Big Time watch on from outside the circle like good little Christian thieves. POW! OUCH! Ummm... As she drops some pixie dust into the lake of fire; some magical dust comes down from the ceiling and bursts into Magica's kisser giving her electric green hair. HAHA! She gets all pissy on the boys as the boys just shrug and then they look up and see Huey with the bottle on the rock cliff. Magica demands who let him loose. Memo to Magica: Never forget to tie the knees up dammit! Magica does the standard get him goons promo. The boys goon squad goes up from Huey OUT OF NOWHERE (there's a magic staircase there or something?) as Huey climbs up complete with HB running sound effect as Huey cries for Mrs. Beakly's help. We then get the awesome Huey climb up spot from the opening (that is no small feat of climbing by Huey there) and then unpops the cork and douses some magic potion on the big bully (Huey's words not mine) and Big Time turns into a Beagle Bull. HAHA!
Big Time Bull slips and slides (HB scratch sound this time) and then drops Babyface on his ass onto the ground and then takes a MAN-SIZED bump to his kisser with Big Time Bull's ass. OUCH! That is going to leave a mark. Huey laughs his ass off on that one as Big Time Bull sits around wondering what went wrong. I'll tell you; you should be away from the pentagram circle; not INSIDE of it. Logic break #4 for the episode as Babyface pops out from the carnage and does a cute backflip and throws a green bottle of magic right above Huey's head. Well; Babyface is no ninja; but the green tornado spell changes Huey into a chicken anyway. Huey hiccups and drops the blue potion bottle while flying around as the Big Time Bull and Babyface play catch the blue bottle and Babyface manages to get it, duh. Magica runs in pissed off (and with that hair; can you blame her?) as she wants the magic dust and Babyface turns on her (!!!) and throws it point blank right in Magica's kisser. I guess kids cannot get that spot according to BS&P as Babyface's ninja throwing skills are getting better. Now all he has to do is throw a dildo behind his back like Gadget does in Kiwi's Big Adventure and he's all set. She changes into a female raven and flies around as Poe mocks her for THAT one.
Mrs. Beakly cuts to the table and finds the SPELLBOOK OF SATAN left over from Zummi's rummage sale and flips the pages while Huey gets chased by Big Time Bull. She finds something in the carnage and invokes the tea cup saucer of magic on Chicken Huey and he changes into a bullfighter. Well; you knew that one was coming as Huey looks a lot more bad ass then Monty does in When Mice Were Men with that outfit. He dodges Big Time Bull as Magica Raven and Poe watch on from the pillars. Magica Raven does the hell diver move and Mrs. Beakly ducks; which allows her to grab the yellow potion sack of doom and then fly up and then descends into a tailspin (BWHAHAHAHAHA!) and then drops the yellow magic potion right on Big Time Bull which creates yellow dust. This is Gedo's wet dream come true as he turns into Big Time Green Dragon. Huey panics (what a shock since Feats of Clay is basically the same thing; only a lot less contrived and a lot more awesome) and he bails stage left (seen in the opening) with no sound effects this time but the HB looping effect. Big Time Dragon breathes fire and chases Huey as he pleads for Mrs. Beakly's help before he gets a rump roast. Okay; that was lame. It should be roasted duck rump. Better flow that means the same thing. Mrs. Beakly gives up on the book and just closes her eyes and points to random bottles with magic words. Sadly; no Gummi Bear spells involved here as she grabs the blue flask of magic and throws it down and then starts throwing magic bottles dozens of times over everywhere for more fun. She finishes with a purple flask and then realizes that she screwed himself as there is a purple dragon (Big Time), Huey the furry creature and Babyface the Moose. HAHA! Magica Raven has had enough of this dumbassery and just simply uses the REVERT MAGIC OF DOOM on everyone as she, Huey, Big Time and Babyface are back to normal.
Magica is beside Huey and Huey tries to run away stage left; but Magica grabs him by the shirt. Huey struggles like mad and calls her a witch. And unlike most BS&P decision; this one fits in the perfect context for the character Magica plays; so you hardcore babies should just can it. And in comes Scrooge, Dewey, Louie, Webra (with a bad hair day I see) and a tied up Burger as Scrooge invokes the POINTY FINGER OF DEATH and threatens violence with the blue bottle of doom. Poe flies over to annoy Scrooge some more with his mocking of Edgar Allen Poe again. HAHA! He even bought the purple sack of pixie dust; just because he is SERIOUS BABEE! Magica threatens violence (or tickling; does it really matter) by Big Time and Babyface on Huey as Huey struggles like a good little boy should. Scrooge begs Magica to let him go and he puts the bottle on the table and puts out his number one dime as he will give it to her. Magica looks at her dime and asks if it is phony. I wouldn't buy this if I were you Magica Despell. Scrooge mocks the fake dime as Magica agrees to the terms for the kid and the dime. Scrooge puts his arm out to give Magica the dime; Huey then manages to let himself go (WHAT? That renders the entire threat pointless right there. Logic Break #5 for the episode. ) and then messes up both of their shots as the dimes go into the air and both Magica and Scrooge grab their dimes as Huey gets the embrace from Huey. Magica is cheering for victory as she tells her Beagle Boys that it is time to take over the world. The Beagle Boys (even the tied up Burger) agree with this.
So we go back to a front shot of Mount Vesuevious (whatever I said) BEFORE HAPPY HOUR (sunset) as the helicopter flies away from the volcano as Scrooge flies the helicopter and is relieved that everything is safe and sound. He introduces his real family to Webra and she is thrilled of this story as she proclaims that Scrooge gave up his most prized possession to save his family. Scrooge then shows the real dime to her and admits that it was the old switcheroo as the one in the case WAS the real dime after all. We do a flyover shot as Scrooge proclaims that it only cost him a dime and that he didn't get rich by being stupid as the volcano completely explodes right on cue in the background. HAHA! Well; only the head as we cut back into the lab as everyone is down and complaining with pain. All except Magica who is PISSED off as she now has punk electric black hair as she realizes that it was a phony dime and throws the amulet down as it is less than ten cents worth now. We then get a outside shot of the volcano as the helicopter flies away and Magica proclaims that he hasn't seen the last of her. And he hasn't by a long shot as we go into the front shot of the helicopter as Magica laughs badly and they blow her off for being so carried away. HAHA! We cut as the helicopter flies slowly north towards the sunset to end the episode at 21:16. Oh man; minus five logic breaks this episode was AWESOME! Great debut for Magica and Webra. **** ¼ (85%).
THE REVIEW LINE
So we begin the first season of Ducktales with a really good cloning episode and a great debut for Magica and Webra Walters. I ended up liking both of them when it was all said and done; also I liked Babyface Beagle a little more for his ninja skills with magic bottles. The animation for the most part was awesome as was Huey's performance overall (as I always see this as his focus episode) once he started noticing what was really going on. Still; this episode should have been perfect and it wasn't due to a few logic breaks and a pretty silly finish which on paper was well done; but was ruined quite a bit when Huey wiggled free anyway and it negated the point of threatening him. Of course the coin switch was a bit forced; but it worked out good enough as a booking decision. I also found Mrs. Beakly's acting is a lot better in this episode than her later episodes. I'm a little surprise Astrid didn't get another writing role after this because it was a really good episode; and five logic breaks in DTVA is pretty average. I'm guessing having 60+ writers does have it's problems. So this was a really enjoyable episode to watch and I look forward to more early episodes as we go with Sphinx For The Memories next. So.....
Thumbs up for this episode and I'll see you next time.