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The Darkwing Squad
Reviewed: 02/24/2008
Don't screw with Vlad The Russian Stereotype Impaler!
Well; it was going to have to happen at some point in this DARKWING..DUCK volume in that we would have an episode involving Stealgeek...ERRR...I mean Stealbeak. It took 27 episodes (according to DVD order; 21 according to rant order) in volume two to reach him and it's the episode I was waiting for since Volume One: Vlad's chance to MURDER Drake...for real. Does this episode succeed or will it fail like Vlad's plans to MURDER Drake? Let's rant on shall we....
The episode is written by Dev Ross and the story editor is Tad Stones.. The animation is done by Wang Films which is a real departure from the animation studios being used at this point..
We begin this one in THE STREETS OF AN INDIAN CITY as we do the pan over towards a wagon and out pops a FOWL EGGMAN with a loaded gun. Oooookkkkkaaayyy. The FOWL EGGMAN tries to practice the art of not being seen; but someone is doing the leg walking pot spot behind him to show him how it's really done. Judging by those legs; I would say that is Drake Mallard. Drake drops conveintly in the middle of three pots just as the FOWL EGGMAN turns around and he's confused as heck. Then we proceed to the pot selection spot which annoys me to no end since it's been done to death and there's no twist that could make it funny in any realm. Of course he finds nothing and tries to leave; but Drake pops out of the middle pot of course (What an idiot?! Both Fowl Eggman and Dev for such a contrived spot) and MURDERS him with it. Well; there's the only entertainment I got from that spot and it was violent. What a surprise?! Fowl Eggman is flatter than an pierced poached egg. Then the FOWL EGGMAN spins around and then falls backwards because apparently; overselling is cool.
Drake cuts the first full of himself promo 90 seconds in just to make the whole thing seem more lame than it needs to be. Then suddenly; another FOWL EGGMAN swings like Tarzan; so Drake steps on the FOWL EGGMAN'S foot and flips him up to allow the second one to collide into him. Nice spot there as the Fowl Eggman crumble to pieces which is apporos since they are FOWL EGGMAN of course. Then Drake dodges rockets as three more Fowl Eggmen blitz him with rocket launchers. Well; the animation is good; but the background artwork sucks. Typical Wang Films who can be as bad as Sun Woo is when they want to be. Drake charges which leads to the Bugs Bunny & Sam Train blitz which I don't like; but Drake jumps over them easily and does some flips into the banana wagon. The FOWL EGGMEN turn around and run back; but Drake pops up and throws the banana bomb (Oy vey Drake!) and one of them grabs it. What a bunch of idiots?! It explodes of course and they lose their bodies over it. Sadly; their feet and heads are still intact; so they bail like scalded eggs naturally. Drake blows them off; but then someone grabs him by the legs and he's upside down.
That bear looks like Vlad dressed up in a REALLY STUPID Steelbeak outfit that just spells complete tool. Drake gets flexed up by Vlad and shot like an arrow; but Drake manages to recover and he invokes the GAS GUN OF DOOM that shoots a parachute with a wooden box....which opens to drop the ANVIL OF NEIDHARTS right on his head. Vlad better work on his endurance skills; his running sucks badly. Oh; and the anvil bump was ultra wussy and the sound effect sounded like a badly done steel rod. Vlad peels the ANVIL OF NEIDHART off his head and it lands on the bump with the correct sound effect. STOP BEING SO CUTE WITH THE SOUND EFFECTS GUYS! Vlad then realizes that he is a complete tool in that outfit and pulls it off...and growls. OOOOOOO ..Now this is SERIOUS BABEE! Drake growls in kind and he sucks doing it of course. They blitz each other (complete with anime background) and then it's the always FCC friendly DUSTCLOUD FIGHT OF DOOM. Oh; this fight has some FEELING too; but it all comes to an end as Gander shows up OUT OF NOWHERE to tell them that the test is over and they stop selling and decide to stop. Huh?! I was hoping for them to fight some more and then have Gander do something. Drake then whines like a small child saying that Vlad started it. Then we see the background hoisted into the air; and we are really at SHUSH headquarters for another episode of the battle between SHUSH and FOWL.
Gander clears his throat to annoy me some more and proclaims to the camera that this is a dramatization of Drake's abilities to bury SHUSH as we pan forward to see the backs of heads of certain officials. What they are; we don't know and probably Dev Ross doesn't care so let's move on. Vlad protests that Drake is basically a vigilante more or less. I love real comments that aren't supposed to be real comments. Drake of course sees Vlad as a heat leeching machine and trips Vlad allowing him to fall flat on his face while Drake stands there like he doesn't care. Vlad called that shot lucky which Drake blows off with another full of himself promo complete with the MIRROR OF VAINITY. Vlad then grabs Drake by the neck (YAY!) and tries to roll him into the tightest ball in furry kind as Gander admits that it's time to retrain the best SHUSH agents that they have under DARKWING..DUCK's command. Vlad drops Drake like a bad habit and protests this because they were under his command. Gander then comments on Drake's ability to disguising himself as a furry bowling ball. Yeah; Gander is THAT dense. Drake pops up and tells Gander that he's not really much of an expert since he works solo. Vlad is getting angry of this as Gander reminds him of his genius and the importance of world peace. And since Drake is so full of himself and causing world peace would boost his ego a hundred fold. Gander explains the whole thing with Drake as they both leave Vlad high and dry as usual. Drake agrees with the deal and that makes Vlad growl in pain and anger. Well; I think we know where this is going...
Scene changer beckons and we go to the SHUSH agents roundup which includes a female deer, a male jackass (which will be called a donkey for obvious reasons.), a male bulldog with a crew cut and the Velma glasses, and a male toucan. Nice to see SHUSH is an equal gender, equal furry organization. No causal day sadly; as they are wearing the same outfits as Vlad does. Drake has the CLIPBOARD OF DOOM and wants to see if they are the best that SHUSH has to offer. They sell by saying Yes sir in the most zombie filled version of strength. Drake tells them to relax on the coffee and they sell it as if Vlad is around. Launchpad then makes his contractual appearance and brings out the Steelbeak dummy which is a real dummy and not one that Drake buried earlier...Wink! Wink! Nudge! Nudge! (GRRRRR....) Okay; let's move on. Drake tells them that they have ten second to dispatch the dummy and he sezs go.
The SHUSH agents then do their thing to really screw Drake good by using the machines to calculate everything and then they go over to Drake and give him the papers; enclosing him into the paper tomb we know will happen in about five seconds from now...Too funny as Drake calls this peachy. I love real comments that aren't supposed to be real comments...and in a SHOCKING twist; Drake pushes the papers away and they fly in the opposite direction as Drake blows them off making sure to get off death reference #1 (death by paper cut?!). SHUSH Deer tries to explain SHUSH rules and Drake blows that off because he wants action and not filler paper. He then asks for questions and they have lots to give. Drake then recoils and basically tells them to watch what he does. So he goes over to the dummy and does some lame melodramatic moves before invoking the LEAD GRIP KUNG FU ACTION KICK OF DOOM to take the dummy's head off.
Shush Dog pops his first question: what if the subject was wanted for questioning? Good question there pal which Drake just puts the dummy's head back on and then throws the dummy away off screen with a good bump. Wow; Wang is FEELING IT TODAY BABEE! Drake then goes over in summary that the SHUSH agents need style, grace and DARKWING..DUCK masks. The SHUSH agents are taken back by that response. Circle fade in scene changer and we head in the WRONG PART OF TOWN streets of Saint Canard as Vlad and Gander exchange notes. Gander is happy to see these result; Vlad is not happy as we see a gun fight taking place in two cars. I think Mythbusters killed that myth years ago so they are not fooling me. Vlad wants this demonstration taking place at headquarters which Gander blows off because Vlad is a fuddy duddy and apparently a woman's scream scares him to death. What was Dev Ross thinking on that spot?! It's so out of character for Vlad. Gander uses the scream to prove that this demonstration requires realism. And right on cue the DREADED VOICEOVER OF DOOM beckons at 6:32....
Darkwing: I am the terror that flaps in the night. I am the principal you were sent to see.
If the principal was Vlad; Drake would have been MURDERED long ago. But he is not so Drake's demonstration MUST BEGIN!! And it begins as Drake uses the smoke cloud (AND THAT'S BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH AND MOVIE RATING!) to appear and then thanks the fourth wall breaking crowd (or it's mental illness with voices inside Drake's head depending on what mood I was in when writing this rant.) and Vlad gleefully blows off Gander's realism. Drake then reveals the DARKWING..SQUAD~! The camera pans up and to the left and the SHUSH agents appear all in matching DARKWING ...DUCK costumes because tool making is what Drake does best of course. I was hoping for Darkwing Donkey to be Darkwing Jackass just for a laugh; but Disney censors have their fingerprints on this episode so no dice. We cut over to Launchpad changing the LP turner. Get it?! LP...LP...Ah forget it! The joke is too old for anyone under 30 to get so I'll just move on. And of course the toucan gets the honor of being DARKWING...DODO.
I knew Steelgeek would get into Drake's full of himself promos at some point. I betcha they'll do a spot using him at some point in this episode. Mark my words. Gander is amused; Vlad is not. Pretty simple to figure it isn't it?! Vlad blows it off for being a cheap show and Gander blows him off in kind. More popping from the crowd in Drake's own mind as the squad walks in opposite directions from him and Drake sets up the cheap show with the VOICEOVER OF DOOM. At least it's apporos for this sequence so I'll let it slide this one time. The city is crawling with FOWL EGGMEN which hide behind the lamp post. DARKWING...DOG then appears from the smoke and does a nasty kick that misses about three inches; but the power of suggestion knocks them away like they got nailed with a boat. Drake is narrating the whole thing and it's getting annoying fast. Sadly; like Drake, they have got the REALLY STUPID genes and Darkwing Dog gets crushed with the safe. Good bump there guys. But; wait!! That was a trick to allow Darkwing Deer to swing like Tarzan and MURDER the FOWL EGGMEN from the building window ten stories up with the DOUBLE KICK OF DOOM which doesn't miss and they take a MAN-SIZED bump off-screen. Darkwing Deer then forces the two FOWL EGGMEN out of the window and all three free fall.
The FOWL EGGMEN take wussy splat bumps onto the pavement; while DARKWING...JACKASS (it's better this way knowing Drake) saves Darkwing Deer from death; but not getting a bucket on her head. Two FOWL EGGMEN blitz DARKWING ...JACKASS so he puts DARKWING...DEER down and invokes a really good mule kick which allows DARKWING...DODO to be in perfect position to get bumped by the FOWL EGGMEN (knocking them out) and allowing Dodo's hard head to bend the lamp post with a MAN-SIZED bump. Don't tell me that Dodo is going to be used as the useless lump of the team. I have to put up with Seth's sadistic thinking of using Meg Griffin as the butt of jokes since she's so useless in Family Guy already as it is. And the bending allows the lamp post to MURDER the remaining three FOWL EGGMEN who blitzed Dodo like the bunch of idiots that they are. Drake ends his narration while the DARKWING... SQUAD and the fourth wall breaking crowd pops for them. Cartoon Duck Syndrome: Makes fourth wall breaking look like a bad joke.
Then we find out that the crowd cheering came from LP's LP player which he stops. Too funny as Vlad is REALLY PISSED. However; J. Gander loved the performance because despite making the SHUSH agents look REALLY STUPID; they actually got the job done in stopping the villains. Gander decides to give DARKWING...DUCK the full keys to the castle so to speak as they shake hands. Drake then hurls one more insult to Vlad and that's enough for Vlad to take as he hands in his resignation and he storms off. Drake then starts having feelings for him because he was a half-decent agent. WHAT THE HECK?! Drake NEVER cared about Vlad and now he shows feelings for him?! That was contrived and forced. How can I care about what Drake thinks when he hates Vlad with a passion. Drake attempts to stop him; but Gander stops him in his tracks because Vlad made his choice and SHUSH doesn't stop for hurt feelings. Also; SHUSH is going into war against FOWL due to a major robbery that is going to take place. We pan over to Vlad walking off in shame as the binoculars beckons and it's Stealbeak looking on as he blows off SHUSH for being a disgrace and doesn't blame Vlad for taking a powder.
We cut to see Stealgeek for the first time since Smarter than A Speeding Bullet (that's 27 episodes ago if you follow the DVD order.) in his chair getting his hair combed by a FOWL EGGMAN. He's still not real funny as you can imagine. However; he then gets the LIGHTBULB OF BLOODY CLAIRTY and sees something in Vlad that is too good to pass up. We then cut to inside Vlad's bedroom as he has a mug of coffee and sits on his bed harping about the good years he had at SHUSH; all ruined because of DARKWING...DUCK. I would have had more sympathy for him (I do have sympathy for him) but Drake's sudden urge to CARE about him ruins it quite a bit.). He then throws the mug right into the door and it shatters on impact. Vlad then recoils and ponders what he has done because that was his favorite mug as he tries to recreate it again; but it crumbles on him. This is just sad folks as Stealgeek voice beckons and tells him that it is history.
Stealbeak appears (with two FOWL EGGMEN) OUT OF NOWHERE (first logic break of the episode by the way) and offers him a job at FOWL while filing his nail. You know; Vlad should turn full heel because he was better off this way. Vlad does the annoying Gruffi pose (and he's a bear which makes it more silly) and refuses; remembering to speak Russian on the third word to show that he is a Russian bear stereotype. Steelgeek recoils and does the sales pitch which is not funny until the FOWL EGGMEN start showering him with perks.Then it is officially too funny. Without the EGGMEN; Stealbeak sticks out like a sore boring thumb. Vlad throws away the perks and refuses to join of course. Stealbeak gets a face full of red sweater for his trouble as Vlad proclaims that there is NOTHING... AND THE ROCK SEZS NOTHING that could make him join. So; Steelgeek offers him the chance to terminate DARKWING...DUCK. And of course Vlad agrees to it as the segment ends 11 minutes in with Vlad's eyes and mouth still showing in the fade to black. This is a solid episode thus far; but the lack of sympathy for Vlad due to Drake's sudden (and contrived) sympathy for Vlad is ruining the experience for me.
After the commercial break; we head to J. Gander's office as Gander twists the chair around and thanks Drake and Launchpad for doing such a great job as the SHUSH agents have done a remarkable transformation. I guess being more violent and wearing stupid outfits would be a remarkable transformation. Drake thanks himself of course and sees the stop watch beeping which means that it is more training gullible fools for the full of himself mallard. Drake tries to leave; but DARKWING..DODO enters the fray and MURDERS Drake with his swinging Tarzan entrance. Okay; that was pretty funny despite the fact that Dodo is really the old man's Meg Griffin at this point. Gander praises his work and Drake is seeing stars and a splitting headache. We head to the SHUSH gym as Drake reappears with the ice pack on his head. Well; that explains why Drake has more sympathy for Vlad since he's using Kit's Ice Pack from The Idol Rich.
Darkwing Dodo is in karate gear and he does karate yelling which is a million times better than Drake's and manages to do the LEAD GRIP KUNG FU ACTION KICK OF DEATH right into the left wall. HAHA! Drake goes over and blows off Dodo's planning skills. Yeah; like you cared about procedure. Dodo gleefully answers that one for me and Drake stammers like an idiot trying to explain that it is not completely true; and then the smog which is pink. If this is a sign that DARKWING...DEER is doing this then that is the lamest form of stereotyping I have ever seen. And of course it's Deer powdering herself with makeup. Rebecca Cunningham she is not but then she only appears in this episode so it's of no consequence. She's searching for smoke color to set off the blush in her cheeks. That just isn't funny for some reason. Drake blows it off and then the camera flash beckons and Drake is really upset now as we cut over to Darkwing Dodo taking pictures of Darkwing Jackass. Sadly none of the photos of him in compromising positions with Drake.
Hey; if that knocks Drake's ego to zero then I'm game. Sadly; this only boosts Drake's ego as DD tells Drake that they cannot skimp on the 8 X 10's which are plastered on the cork board on the wall. Drake is so screwed and he knows it. See; this is why Drake fights solo and this is why Vlad didn't want Drake being SHUSH's teacher. DD goes over and nudges himself against Drake talking about fan support which Drake kindly blows it off. Then the really funny spot occurs as Darkwing Dog has the ANVIL OF NEIDHART on his head as Deer blows him off for now showing enough feeling. Drake goes over and shudders to think what Dog is doing. Dog proclaims that he's merely practicing all of Drake's techniques. That's enough for Drake to blow them off because they are all accidents! Suuuuuurrrrrreeee Drake Mallard; because you're the accident. I had to say that at some point because he is. Drake then pounds his fists on the conveniently placed green button on the console while telling the squad not to have any accidents..which allows Drake to look up and get squashed with the dropping ANIVL OF NEIDHART. Yeah; Drake is REALLY STUPID. Deer applauds Drake's selling of the anvil in a really funny spot and we finally get the bubble scene changer as we head to the fish museum (check the fish tanks in the background) as Vlad and Stealbeak are walking down the walkway. Steelgeek is eating an apple to show that his steel beak doesn't rust I guess. Vlad wants Drake badly and hates this stalling from Steelgeek.
Steelbeak tells him to be patient because they are going to set a trap for him using the pearl inside the clam. Thankfully; this one doesn't cry when his feelings are hurt or I would MURDER that clam from Spongebob SquarePants so he never cry again. Vlad is impressed by Steelbeak's plan; but he wonders about the DARKWING..SQUAD and Steelgeek throws the apple he has eaten to the core and throws it into the tank which gets eaten by the shark. It always warms my heart to see villains thinking their MIMI JOKE ZONE PLANS through. See; FOWL is going to steal the pearl so there would be no budget cuts which may or may not include Steelgeek should he fail. Well; he's failing in being funny so we are halfway there. Steelgeek laughs as the sharks swim around in a frenzy. I guess the color red has a certain effect to them and it's not blood. So we head to Drake's hideout as Drake complains on his red loveseat with Launchpad.
I guess complaining and cutting full of himself promos go hand in hand. Drake steps onto the shelf wondering where they get egos like that and then the camera pans up to show the biggest picture of DARKWING...DUCK in captivity. Too freakin gfunny as Launchpad just stands there knowing where they get it from. Drake makes the lame excuse of claiming that this is a simple display of his healthy self image. A note; when you need to do the clearing throat spot to say that; then you have a huge ego problem. Don Karnage has NOTHING on this guy and that's a good thing. Drake then jumps onto LP and demands the answer to the question: Is there?! I'm glad Dev Ross is deflating his ego here because he deserves it. This logically leads to inside the SHUSH garage as the DARKWING...SQUAD has created their own Rat Catcher with ego heads on the front of each. This is basically the same episode as all of those episodes where the world starts acting like the babyface involved..With one major difference; they still have some personality in spite of the similarities.
Drake and Launchpad come in OUT OF NOWHERE and Drake is LAYING DOWN THE LAW BABEE! UH OH! He's got the goad stick and SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT so you know that he is SERIOUS BABEE!! Launchpad has the clipboard. Launchpad states DA RULES (FAIRY GODPARENTS!!) and Drake blows off DA LAST RULE (FAIRY ODDPARENTS!) because it's REALLY STUPID. Launchpad responds to that because you can NEVER be too careful with Drake's fragile ego around. Drake is screwed again as he goes over and demands if he has made himself perfectly clear and the squad sells it with RESPECT BABEE! Sadly; the training will have to wait because the SHUSH television is on and J. Gander informs the squad that the Saint Canard Aquarium is about to be robbed by FOWL. Drake tries to cut his dangerous promo; but the squad is already on the Rat Catchers and they run right over Drake and leave the garage without further incident. Launchpad helps Drake up as Gander then gets completely out of character calling them blockheads. WHAT IS DEV.. Oh wait; it's really Stealgeek with a very convincing puppet of Gander. Sadly; the lame name calling continues to annoy me along with the bad laugh so I cannot win them all. Steelgeek tells him that the trap is set and the squad is headed to it. Drake isn't licked yet as he runs to his own Rat Catcher; but he has a meeting of the minds with Vlad THE DUCK IMPALER OF DEATH and it won't be at the water cooler here. Vlad calls him Deadwing as Drake gulps and is at Vlad's mercy to end the segment sixteen minutes in.
After the commercial break; Drake is at Vlad's mercy as he grabs Drake by the neck (where else?) and folds him up into another tight ball. And this time; there is no Gander to stop him from doing that. Vlad plays soccer with Drake's rolled up body as Steelgeek watched the whole thing from the Aquarium in his chair eating a bowl of popcorn. Now he's talking my kind of violence here! Vlad plays some basketball as LP does absolutely nothing of course and kick balls him into the camera which breaks Steelbeak's television set. Steelgeek has got to get a better television set there. Steelbeak shrugs and decides to have a date with Pearl. We then cut to see DARKWING...DUCK with his head inside the television. If the toxic stuff inside the television doesn't kill him; then he is truly Satan. Vlad blows him off in a mocking matter (YAY!) and Drake pops his head to allow him to be dizzy and blows Vlad off. Drake flops to the floor and Launchpad helps him as he calls this better than WrestleManiacs VII. Just to note: This episode was written when Wrestlemania VII was hyped up at this point.
Vlad then admits that he wasn't trying to MURDER Drake (WHAT?!) which Drake has a hard time believing. Well; he's back to him old hating Vlad self. Very convincing there Dev. Vlad and Drake exchange blow off like Baloo and Ignatz from Polly Wants A Treasure and it's a lot less funny then those two doofuses. And there's no Kit there to make them stop thinking about their egos. Drake calls them unruly and Launchpad suddenly has a brainstorm as to what Vlad was talking about. Drake stammers in an attempt to justify his actions; but he is screwed as Vlad gets off the Gruffi pose (which works here by the way) and Drake gives up and admits that he was a poor teacher. Well; I'm glad we finally got that out of the way as we head to the shark tanks as the three guards so apparently found the FOWL EGGMEN during the fight are tied up and gagged together. Either that; or it's Logic Break #2 for the episode.
The FOWL EGGMEN use the crane to attempt to lift the pearl from the clam. The Pearl lifts to above the water's surface as Steelbeak checks his watch (complete with FOWL EGGMEN timer in tribute to Daffy Duck's version of it) and the DARKWING...SQUAD makes their overblown entrance right about now..which is the quad window smashing spot (which creates window angels and no additional damage to the window) . The dust clears and the Rat Catcher disappear without a trace giving us Logic Break #3 for the episode. QUAD VOICEOVER OF DOOM beckons at 17:39....
Squad: We are the team that fights in the night. We are the beater that scramble your Eggmen.
I see that they got the promo cutting down to an art form as Steelgeek is unimpressed and they get caught in the net and get raised up. Wow; that was quick and pointless. I was hoping that each one would beat up the EGGMEN on their own before that spot happened. Steelgeek calls it really dumb; but I call that really funny until he ruined it of course. We then go to the anime background racing sequence as the Rat Catcher races to it's destination. Drake wants to barge in; but Vlad uses the LONG ARM OF SHUSH to grab the lamp post and that allow them to take an off-screen MAN-SIZED bump into it. Vlad tells him that Drake's at fault for this mess and it's time to do things his way. He offers to have a MIMI JOKE ZONE PLAN which Drake thought his plan was such. We cut back to the GOOFS WITH GAY ATTITUDE being placed over the octopus tankwhile Steelbeak looks on and laughs...badly.
Steelgeek loves making me and people suffer as the octopus plays tentacle tag with the babyfaces. However; here comes Vlad as he is holding a tied up Drake AT GUNPOINT! Best.....MIMI.... JOKE...ZONE... PLAN...ever!! If this didn't get cut on Toon Disney; then Disney should be ashamed of itself for all the shameless pointing gun TaleSpin cuts that they did. Steelgeek isn't selling the plan though as Drake tells Vlad that the jig is up. However; Vlad doesn't care as he'll prove that he wants to MURDER DARKWING...DUCK and he throws Drake right over and into the shark tank. TOTAL MARKUP CITY FOR THAT SPOT! Nice spear throwing there Vlad! Drake tries to run out but the sharks bite onto Drake's Zorro Cape and it is ON BABEE! Drake manages to get free and it's the “Can The Sharks Eat Drake Mallard Before This Episode Ends” spot.
Steelgeek calls it 20:1 odds and the FOWL EGGMEN decide to throw their money into the pot. Nice to see that gambling is still allowed in a DTVA cartoon. We head back to the octopus tank as Dodo calls Vlad a traitor while the squad hangs around. However; Vlad saves them by swinging the crane around and dropping them on their butts before blowing them off for calling him a traitor. Well; he did accept a deal with Steelgeek; so the charge of treason does have some evidence here. However; since Vlad would MURDER me; there is no evidence at all. None whatsoever. Pay no attention to what happened at the ten minute mark of this episode. Since Steelbeak and the FOWL EGGMEN are too distracted with Drake to care about the SHUSH agents; they are going to beat then the SHUSH way and the squad sells it like they were tired of Drake's way too. They salute and then change into their SHUSH clothes. We cut back to the exciting action (and amusing entertainment for me) of Drake swimming for his life against those mean and nasty sharks while the SHUSH Agents do their CALCULATIONS OF DEATH while Vlad tells Agent Jackass to watch the typos.
Yeah; they brought their big machines along which is a huge logic break; but I don't care. It's too bad Drake has to live in this one as he is still swimming for his life while Steelgeek (and I) amuse (our)himself The SHUSH agents pass the SV/88 form to Vlad and Vlad gives him the A-OK to MURDER FOWL TO HELL. Drake is still swimming like a doofus and I'm loving this. He finally swims right into the shark's mouth and gets eaten. YIPPPIE! Drake is finally dead....at least I hope so. Now Fenton Crackshell can take his place and not suck and blow at the same time. Drake tries to escape (BOO! HISS!) and that leads to the sharks doing the eat themselves spot. Evolution: It is such a pain in the Drake's if you know what I mean. Steelgeek steals the money from the FOWL EGGMEN since they lost the bet and the FOWL EGGMEN groan like idiots. Steelgeek decides it's now time to MURDER the DARKWING..SQUAD. However; the squad is dead and Steelgeek has been setup. Steelbeak tells the FOWL EGGMEN to sick them and they sell. Agent Dog grabs the conveniently placed sword fish and uses it as a dart to eliminate the first FOWL EGGMEN as he sails right into the wall. No damage done to the wall however.
Agent Jackass uses the mule kick (another good shot too) and the second FOWL EGGMEN flies over and into the clam tank which allows the clam to eat him. No crying still from the clam though so it's all good. It does belch however. Steelgeek isn't liking this as Dodo grabs three needle-puff fish; puffs them up and throws them at the FOWL EGGMEN who ducks. Even as a SHUSH agent; DODO is useless. Agent Deer covers for him by swinging for the fences just as Eggmen #3 does a poor raspberry. So he is punished with some puff needle fish right in the ass. OUCH! Steelgeek's hope chest is gone as Vlad rolls the pearl towards Steelgeek. Rats! I knew that plot device would be used at some point as a finish. Steelgeek goes splat on the squash and it crashes right into the fish tank; causing all the sea animals to flow out of them with lots of ease. Steelgeek rides the waves and is at the mercy of Vlad as he and squad look down at him. Vlad proclaims that the SHUSH way can beat Darkwing's way everytime. But can it beat THE GUMMI WAY?! You the viewer decide! Besides; it's basically calculated violence vs. chaos violence so I say that it is a draw here. Agent Dog then is worried about the bait which is DARKWING..DUCK.
Thankfully; the sharks do the reverse eat spot by sneezing out Drake which was pretty funny on itself. Sadly; the final bump Drake takes is wussy. Cannot win them all with Wang Films I guess. And of course; duck feathers tickle. We then cut to outside as the police show up and we quickly cut inside to see the FOWL agents taken away by the police. Drake then realizes that the whole thing was a setup all along in order to capture Steelgeek. Gander then admits that Drake training SHUSH agents was REALLY STUPID because no one can beat Drake's method so why even try?! Okay; that finish actually makes sense since it's the only one that does in this world. Gander boosts Drake's ego and Drake cuts a full of himself promo proclaiming that he knew it was a setup all the time...Circle fade out and Drake winks to admit that he was only kidding. That ends the episode at 21:10. I love this one better than the first time it aired as it made sense and it was very clever using Vlad as a fake FOWL agent. It allowed us to see Drake get what he deserved for his inflated ego and Ross kept the suspense up until the very end. **** ½ ( 90%)
THE REVIEW LINE
Well; despite Steelbeak's appearance and the out of nowhere contrived sympathy trip Drake showed near the end of the first act; this was a really excellent episode overall with few logic breaks and a solid performance from Wang Films (and with the assembly animation that's a good thing to say). I came out respecting Gander the most at the end after we found out that it was all a trick to outsmart FOWL and that Drake was really a sucker in an attempt to deflate his ego. Gander has been mostly cannon fodder for SHUSH looking quite dense and taking good bumps for Ammonia Pine; but at the end he looked like the smartest guy out there. Kind of like King Amok in Road to Macadamia. Vlad of course who he awesome self to foil Drake Mallard and Drake was more than willing to play ball for him which the best thing you could ask for him.
The Darkwing Squad was actually quite interesting for it's one joke purpose as the characters had personality (albeit 1D type; but what can you do). Dodo was used much better than I hoped despite basically getting the Meg Griffin role of being useless. Again; their one track minds made things really funny most of the time and screwing Drake Mallard all this time. That was really the only clue into the fact that it was a setup; but it was so funny that I didn't notice until it was too late. And that is what makes a great episode tick. Steelgeek wasn't too bad either; but he DEPENDS too much on the FOWL EGGMEN to get him over and if the Eggmen aren't on task like they were in this episode; Steelbeek ends up looking like a lame villain. Overall; this was a great episode and better than I expected. Next up is In Like Blunt which sounds like sound rib on Don Blunt for some odd reason. So....
Thumbs up for this episode and I'll see you all next time.