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Trading Faces
Reviewed: 10/01/2011
With Dukie Around; It's Always Against Your Own Better Judgment....
So we wind down the road of Gummi Bears (and start our first rant in October) with the return of Sir Victor and him getting blackmailed by Dukie. And no folks; this is NOT a body switching episode ala Trading Faces 2 a year later; it's more like Double Darkwings. Oh joy! So can the writers get this right for a change? Let's rant on and find out shall we....?
This episode is written by Duane Capizzi. I do not know who animated this episode.
We begin this one with a far shot of Castle Dumbwin....ERRR...I mean Dunwynn and then onto the path as the knights on horseback are leading King Gregor and Sir Tuxford on horseback. They are here to inspect the Grandaries (?sp) as Tuxford approves and then two trees are felled in front of them stopping the horses in their tracks and here comes Dukie and the ogres since Dukie loves an ambush. I think we have another reason why a lot of Americans hated the 1991 episodes: This ambush is so weak compared to the one in the series finale. Anyhow; Gad, Zook and ultra-cool sidekick Toadie are with him although with two more ogres as Gregor turns his horse around in a huff as Dukie doesn't want to go through the capture the king thing and shows the CONTRACT SCROLL OF PAIN which Toadie takes on the head of course. Real comment: Toadie calls it the conveniently placed dotted line. I can hear the people now saying that I stole that from Toadie. Gregor actually reads the contract and it's the waiver of the crown given to Dukie of course. Gregor of course blows it off and Dukie wraps the scroll up and it's time to do it the hard way. So we head to Gruffi picking up a cucumber sandwich and blowing off the human litterbugs. Cubbi is picking up a watermelon slice which is half eaten of course. They then hear humans and bail stage left as Gruffi calls it trouble for them.
So we cut back to the street as Zook MURDERS the horse in the face which somehow drops the knight on the ground as Lazybones calls to Gregor to watch his back and Gregor runs away as Zook and Gad have a meeting of the skulls...and it wasn't at the stinkweed moat. Dukie wants them to kidnap the king (and the ogres are numbskulls today) as Gregor rejoins Lazybones and Zook grabs both of them from behind. Gregor demands to be let go and Zook no sells it. Maybe calling him a bragard wasn't such a great idea sir. We pan east to the tree as Cubbi points out the obvious to us and Gruffi pulls the conveniently placed branch lever in the tree (WRONG LEVER!) which allows a rock to fly out of DA....HOLE (god bless Baby Plucky) onto the branch and Zook takes a MAN-SIZED bump off of it on his head. Oooooooo...He should be thankful that his skull deflected most of the damage there. And it bounces off his head and crushes Dukie's foot. OUCH! And it had a crunch sound to boot; indicating that Dukie broke his foot on that one too. Dukie pulls it out and barely sells the foot grabbing spot as his toe has swelled up like a balloon. And Zook is knocked out cold of course.
Gregor and Lazybones bail stage right as Toadie wants that kinging. That sounded more disturbing than he had intended as Gad chases them and we cut to Grammi giving the signal to Zummi who pulls the conviently placed branch lever (WRONG LEVER!) and that fires the arrow with the rope against a tree and Gad pratfalls on his face. Gad claims that it smarts; so Gregor pokes the sword in Gad's face and since this is Disney; no blood comes from it. It's 4-on-1 of course and Gad bails stage left like a scalded dog. The ogres all flee as Dukie demands them to come back; so Zook steps on his toe (which is turning black more by the second) and Dukie grabs his foot again complete with crunch sound. That foot must be hamburger at this point. Dukie stands up and hops on one foot to bails stage left with Toadie as Tuxford and the knights chase after them. Yeah; this chase is SO fair. NOT! Sadly; Lazybone doesn't see where he is going and we BO-ING him into the air and where he lands, do we really care? As long as he gets injured and advances the plot? Gummi Bears flee as Tuxford squashes Gruffi flatter than Alexander the Grape. NYUK! NYUK! NYUK! I see Gruffi is also auditioning for Darkwing Duck. Well; DW has two issues left and somehow Sunni Gummi managed to make a cameo in it so who knows. Too bad the comic book writers will NEVER have Kit Cloudkicker in as a cameo. Tuxford rises up slowly as the GANG OF GUMMI WAY pulls Gruffi away from the carnage.
Gregor comes over to check on him and Tuxford yelps and sells a left leg injury which makes no sense whatsoever since most of the damage was to his back. I don't understand why BS&P won't let him sell a major back injury here. Gregor supports Lazybones as he clearly stops selling the leg when they carry him stage left. Oh COME ON guys! It's clear his back was broken and you BS&P'ed that? An injury is an injury. Just let him sell the back. It's not like Lazybones doesn't have a bad back to begin with. Anyhow; we cut to the bushes as Grammi feels bad for Lazybones. Sadly; it's not the lack of selling from Lazybones as Gruffi blows it off and sits down on a log declaring that sometimes humans are not worth saving. Well; he almost did get MURDERED by an armored Tuxford; so I can see his point. Zummi asks who would defend Dumbwin if they can't. For international fans; that's good foreshadowing. Otherwise; WE FREAKIN GET IT ZUMMI GUMMI! So we go to Castle Dumbwin as we get the horn flourish inside the throne room as we see Lazybones sitting down in a chair with his right leg in a cast. WHAT THE HELL?! He was clearly selling the left leg. It's bad enough that you won't sell the leg injury; and not sell a back injury since it took the front of the blow, but now you won't even sell the correct leg? Oh lord; why do you test me so? Anyhow; the flourish ends and the doors open and here comes Sir Victor and his horse Destiny. And on the next shot; the correct leg is bandaged now. And he's in a wheelchair with Cavin pushing it. We meet, greet, and make Princess Calla faint dead away...AGAIN! Damn; stop that already Calla.
Calla gets carried back stage left as Victor wishes he could do that to evildoers. Sorry; but the writers are a bunch of losers, so don't count on it happening. So Gregor informs Victor that Lazybones is injured and he needs a protector until he recovers. Of course it's Sigmund (Dukie's real first name) and since they are blood brothers; Victor agrees to it without a second thought...and taking out his sword as he cuts his valor promo. So we head back to the forest as the GOGW is resetting the trap Lazybones sprung. Gruffi continues to blow off getting too involved with the humans as Zummi continues to defend their honor. We head horse noises again and Cubbi pops from the bushes and notices that it's only a wagon filled with dirty clothes. Strangely; the driver looks like Dukie dressing up like Deadaleus again. Sadly; Gad sneezes inside the wagon and Zook tells him to bless you. That would be changed in a 4Kids dub to “cover your nose” or something like that. We cannot have religious references in our shows because saying that would make children pray to Allah; or something. Anyhow; Cubbi notices the blown cover and Zummi and Cubbi run stage left because Dumbwin needs protecting again. Gruffi doesn't like this at all and he gets BO-INGED into the air and where he lands, do we really care?
So the wagon enters the castle without incident as Dukie proclaims that this is fullproof. Of course Victor notices that ultra-cool sidekick Toadie is dressed like a grandmother and has green skin. So he rides and wants the wagon to halt right now. Toadie notices Victor right away as Dukie stammers when Victor asks about getting his lindens whiter than white. Toadie claims that it's soap, water and a touch of goat's milk which Dukie elbows him to leech the heat out of. Victor of course stops selling since it's a scorch of goat's milk and pokes his sword into the wagon causing Gad and Zook to pop out of the wagon and drop on their asses. You seriously cannot get anything past Victor at this point. Dukie blows his cover and brings out his sword claiming that he can cook and clean. I wondered if David The CLEANING BARBARIAN OF LAUGHS was a spiritual successor of someone; but I didn't think it was Sir Victor. So we get the SWORD FIGHT OF DOOM to waste some more time. We cut to the castle trapdoor as Gruffi, Cubbi and Zummi pop up as Gruffi goes through his Krackpotkin Plan; but Zummi cuts him off because Sir Victor is squashing the heels in short order. Dukie and Gad get popped out of the castle by Victor while Destiny mule kicks Toadie and Zook out of the castle into the moat. The heel pop from the moat as Victor tells them to stay out. Good luck on that one Victor! Mother nature has been trying to do that to Dukie for decades without any success.
Dukie blows him off with the clothes washing insult as Victor trumps him by doing a insulting tongue twister. And you know it's funny when Dukie is mad as hell and his ogres simply cannot help themselves; but to giggle at Dukie's expense. Siggy Soggy Shorts?! Dukie walks up and proclaims that he'll be king and Victor will pay for this. Victor blows it off proclaiming that he is the protector of Dumbwin every day and night from now on. So Victor walks back into the castle as Cubbi asks if we saw that. Yes Cubbi; we saw it as the GOGW goes back down underground as Gruffi proclaims that they don't need to protect Dumbwin anymore and he won't get MURDERED anymore. So we head to Gummi Glenn as we head to the table as Zummi claims that they made the decision to defend Dumbwin. Gruffi blows it off as he bangs the table and states that it's too dangerous and Dumbwin must learn to defend itself. End of discussion. Grammi decides to accept it after all; on one condition....Gruffi must go to Dumbwin and inform Cavin and Calla that decision. HAHA! Gruffi stammers like an idiot as Grammi reminds him that this was HIS idea. Gruffi finally decides to go tell them as he walks out protesting having to do all the dirty work. Zummi calls this terrible and Cubbi doesn't want him to go. Grammi states that Gruffi is all bark with no bite and when he sees them; he won't have the heart to tell them that. I beg to differ Grammi.....
So we head to Drekmore BEFORE HAPPY HOUR (Sunset) and then inside Dukie's living room as he paces around admitting that taking Dumbwin will not be easy since Victor is defending it now. Toadie is blinded to everything; thanks to the red whoopie cushion ice pack on his head. Toadie calls it painfully obvious. I love real comments that aren't supposed to be real comments. Dukie then uses Victor's voice to mock him sarcastically and Toadie claps as he calls it a nifty impression. Toadie proclaims that outside of the beard and mustache; they could be identical twins. Dukie seems pissed off and Toadie recoils before getting grabbed and Dukie...kisses him? Now you know Dukie has gone off the deep end now as he calls the Krackpotkin plan brilliant. He throws Toadie into the wall as he looks in the mirror and then bails stage left to get a shave. So we scene change to Castle Dumbwin as we head to the horse stables after a long pan shot to discover that Gregor is worried about Sir Victor. Victor is on the haystacks wondering about wanting to trounce a villain for once as he cosplay with a hay stalk and then an arrow with a note attached to it sticks to the wall and destroys the stalk. ZOUNDS indeed! Victor reads the note and it claims that a maiden is in trouble with a green dragon and probably the same one that nearly burned Dukie in Tummi Trouble. Oh come on! This has to be a setup. It will fill the deed of the week and Gregor foolishly allows him to go. And people are surprised when I call Dunwynn; Dumbwin? I mean; how did the arrow and note get there and what maiden would willing want to meet up with a dragon? Like I said; setup....
Gregor reminds him to return tonight for the banquet in HIS honor as Victor tells him not to worry as he gets on his horse as he'll make good time. That shouldn't take too long since we KNOW that note is a fake. So Destiny rides out of the castle and we scene change to the forest as Sir Victor is riding and we clearly hear Toadie's voice in the distance trying to sound like a girl. I mean; the voice is clearly male and Victor falls for it when we clearly see Toadie in pink with his back turned against a clearly fake dragon suit worn by Gad and Zook I wager (check the mass and height; I'm not fooled guys.) . Sadly; since the plot requires Victor to be the dumbest knight in history as he rides forward and we see Gad pumping something into the tail of the dragon and Zook invokes the flamethrower of death; nearly burning Toadie in the process. Yes; Toadie is the princess “in distress”; why do you ask? Victor cuts his usual protector promo and brings out the sword and the dragon sets it on fire and it heats up and is forced out of Victor's hands. Ogres? Grew a brain? What's that? Me not know how those two go together. So Victor jumps on the back of the neck of the dragon (which looks like a badly designed dinosaur) and we pump cheeks as he's a rank reptile as the balloon pumps up and the tire pump (WHAT? In this era? Riiigggghhhttt.) and we blow up like a exploding fart. Heh.
So Victor goes over to console the “maiden” and tries to kiss the hand; but smells it since it's so familiar to him. Toadie then invokes the KNOCK OUT SCENT OF DEATH (the same one used to undo Monty's cheese addiction in Many Love Is A Splintered Thing) as Victor dances like a goofball muttering to mother before being completely knocked out. Dukie comes in looking like Victor (sort of) as he strips Victor of his white boots and Zook pulls on the reins of Destiny as Dukie steals the hairpiece and puts it on his head as we turn around to look at our DARKWING...DECOY the heel edition. Okay; this is much more convincing; except for the fact that the animators broke logic with the face. Dukie has a goatee and a mustache; but the animation acts as if Dukie had a full beard that was recently shaved. If Gregor wasn't so dumb; he would notice the difference right away anyway. At least this can be blamed on the animators not looking at Dukie's face and realizing the reality of shaving a goatee and a mustache wouldn't produce a full beard shave. Dukie tells the ogres to do away with Destiny and return it to Drekmore as he has a date with Gregor. Cue evil laugh and we end the segment 11 minutes in. Okay episode thus far.....
After the commercial break; we head inside Castle Dumbwin's halls as Vukier (my running name joke for the rest of the episode) is in the halls looking for something. WHAT? No buildup; no meeting with Gregor? Passerby servant with tray ensues and Vukier has to force himself to do Victor's voice which he blows off in kind. Then Cavin and Calla walk in as Vukier kisses Calla's hand and she is instantly repulsed by it which makes no sense whatsoever. Cavin wonders if she's all right and it's clear that it's Kit Cloudkicker's voice moonlighting here. Calla doesn't know what to say as Vukier wants to be excused and it's clear that Dukie's voice is cracking through as he bails to the right once Cavin informs him that the king is in the hall preparing for the banquet in his honor. Yeah; they don't a suspect a thing Dukie. Keep telling that to yourself. Anyhow; we cut to Gruffi proclaiming that they cannot defend Dumbwin and that is that, and of course he's talking to the door. Oh swell; he's stealing all my “It didn't sound funny at all even at age nine when I recorded it on tape” jokes now. Gruffi doesn't like this at all; but he has to do this as he opens the door and Cavin's room is empty. Heh. So we head back into the hallways as Vukier as he checks the rooms and of course we can't have a cartoon without a female in a wooden tub taking a bath and screaming. I wonder how TaleSpin AVOIDED that joke?!
Thankfully for Vukier; Gregor finds him first as he was looking all over for him. Vukier claims that he was doing the same; allowing Gregor to question his voice. Geez; I wonder why it sounds so odd. Maybe Dukie should reconsider getting constructive criticism from ultra-cool sidekick Toadie. Vukier claims that it was a cold as a result of the dragon and Gregor lets it go as it went well. Vukier claims that it did as he grabs the conveniently placed mace on the wall with Gregor's back is turned. So Gregor opens the doors to the hall as Vukier sneaks up from behind and tries to MURDER Gregor with the mace; but the cheers stop him as all the nobles and Calla welcome Sir Victor to the banquet in his honor. Vukier claims that the castle flies were annoying Gregor and he swings the mace and barely misses Gregor and then bashes the mace against the castle wall claiming that he MURDERED that fly. Oooookkkkkaaayyyyy. Gregor motions to Vukier to walk down the carpet aisle as we replay the entire song from The White Knight (sung by Rob Paulsen, the Gusto voice gives him away.) as he dances singing and playing the stringed instrument (he's the one with the brown mustache and looks like the noble version of the Purple Pieman). Vukier is PISSED and I have to agree with him. That dancing in front in his face is so annoying!
The minstrel finishes and bows allowing Vukier to kick the annoying guitar out of his hand and it breaks. HAHA! Good for Vukier; he should have done that twice in The White Knight. Vukier gleefully lies about the apology and in the immortal paraphrase of the late Macho Man....
Macho Man: Your apology that you didn't make; for the intentional “mistake” you made, was very, very weak!!
Calla wants to hear some stories as Vukier sits in between Calla and Cavin as Cavin wants to hear the story on how he smoked the beast of Venzinghurst. Vukier of course blows him off as he used a very big stick. Very direct and to the point indeed Sir Vukier. Then a woman dressed all in brown runs in with a brown feather and paper and she outruns James Storm and even Earl F'N Hedner if that is humanly possible and she wants an autograph and then four others join in as apparently the animation is so choppy that at least one human teleports out for no reason whatsoever. Vukier calls this torture as we cut to inside the dungeon (I think) of Drekmore as we see Destiny and Victor (san his clothes minus the blue spotted underwear) tied up together as he calls this torture. Toadie is at the dummy of himself as he cosplay's Dukie as now Toadie will soon be a royal boot licker as he shoves the dummy into the wall which it shatters into pieces. Victor wants mercy as he would rather die in the pit than deal with Toadie's cosplaying. Hey dumbwad; take his medicine and LIKE IT! Toadie gleefully blows him off. Victor demands to see Dukie; but Toadie no sells because Dukie is fighting to get Gregor removed which gives Victor the LIGHTBULB OF BLOODY CLAIRTY. Wait; Victor just NOTICED THAT NOW?!
So we head back to the halls as the Victor Fan Club of Doom is being pushed out the door by one knight. Yes; 35 people can be pushed back by one knight. And it's not even Lazybones on the juice so what kind of logic is this?! Oh wait; Vukier is doing it, my mistake. And he's no longer trying to mask his voice now. He at least is being nice here as he slams the doors shut. Vukier thought they would never leave as Gregor goes over to exchange notes. Gregor turns his back like an idiot and Vukie grabs a drapery from beside the door and sacks Gregor with it as this one is an ending Gregor will not like. Wait; where's everyone in the room? Shouldn't there be Cavin, Calla and Lazybones still in the room? Bad, bad logic break there guys. Vukier ties up Gregor and we head back to Cavin's room AFTER HAPPY HOUR (after dark) as Zummi tries to reason with Gruffi who has the trademark pose on of course. Zummi's stuttering does not help Gruffi change his mind in anyway as Gruffi claims that they have been through this already. So Cavin comes in noticing Gruffi and Zummi inside and Gruffi is about to explain to him that they cannot defend Dumbwin anymore; but Gruffi stammers like an idiot.
Grammi: I AM SO SMART! I AM SO SMART! SM----OUCH! MY BACK!
Cavin claims that something has been bothering him too since Victor is acting very strange. YOU THINK CAVIN?! Gruffi claims that he's overworked like him and Cavin has a plan as he wants to help him as he runs out. Zummi wants to join in; but Gruffi stops him because they helped enough already. Then we hear Cavin's voice as the bears run out and Cavin is on the bottom of the steps proclaiming that Victor is gone along with Gregor. Wait; How in the hell did Cavin know that just by being on the bottom step?! There is no indication that he saw Victor and they are nowhere near the banquet hall. And shouldn't Cavin still be in the banquet hall with Calla as I mentioned earlier. This episode is falling apart and I mean really falling apart. The bears look at each other and that ends the segment sixteen minutes in.
After the commercial break; we see Vukier riding his black horse with Gregor wrapped in drapes. Hey Cosmo; there's the real LORD OF THE DRAPES! HAHA! We pan east to the far shot of Drekmore as we see Cavin, Gruffi and Zummi hiding behind a tree. Zummi is confused as to why Victor would ride to Drekmore as Cavin wonders who is in the drapes. Gruffi decides to find out as they walk in and we head outside the hallway as Victor struggles like mad and wants this mockery ended for the right to decency. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You expect that from the ultra-cool sidekick Victor? No chance in hell as Toadie is still making me laugh until Dukie ruins it all by yelling outside and he shakes like a leaf complete with Hanna Barbara teeth chattering sound effect. So Toadie finally puts the candle underneath the rope because he forgot to murder Victor and Destiny with it. Victor of course blows it off because no one calls his horse stupid. HAHA! At least Victor is being honest here.
So we head to a room as Gregor is tied up to a chair and Vukier finally blows his cover for real as Dukie and thus I can stop stooping to calling him that silly, absurd, pointless name. In comes ultra-cool sidekick Toadie as he calls Dukie the master of disguise and Dukie is angry as he calls him two faced. I love real comments that aren't supposed to be real comments. Dukie throws him into the wall and loses the mustache and cowl. Dukie asks him if he deposed of the horse and annoying brother and Toadie states that he has. Close enough I guess. Dukie shows Gregor the papers and wants him to sign the contract so he can be free and crown less. Gregor no sells of course. Dukie rolls up the contract and proclaims that there are other ways to convince thee. So we head in the hallway as the bears and Cavin look around; but find nothing. Cavin thinks Victor is hiding the king somewhere and Gruffi proclaims that they might as well ask an ogre. And just as he sezs that here comes Gad, Zook and orange ogre right in view allowing the SCOOBY DOO CHASE SEQUENCE THE VICTOR EDITION~! Cavin wants to split up as he takes the left fork (Democrat) and the bears go right (Republican). The ogres stop and Gad wants to split up as he goes right and the ogres follow him anyway. Heh.
So we cut back to a shot of the candle burning the rope as the door opens and in comes Zummi and Gruffi as they barricade the door; but the ogres manage to knock them down completely into DA...HOLE and we discover that the hole leads to water filled with blue gator monsters. Geez; I wonder why they didn't just jump up and try to snap on Victor's ass earlier? They must be Gummi eaters. AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Thanks to the wooden platform the ogres want to know where they are and the rope finally burns through and Victor and Destiny drop down and hell dive right on their heads. We get the FCC FRIENDLY DUSTCLOUD OF DEATH as we see Victor on his horse Destiny (and almost totally naked at this point) as Victor thanks her and he rides stage right. The ogres are not pleased to see that they got jipped. So we head inside a room as Dukie is calling for Toadie to bring out the torture device of the day: The finger smash and stretcher complete with spiked mace that he tried to MURDER Gregor with earlier. HAHA! This episode is recovering nicely as Cavin runs in and he still think it's Victor instead of Dukie in a somewhat clever disguise. Cavin wants to find the king as Dukie motion to him towards the closet which he opens and Cavin points out. Dukie claims that he knows and throws Cavin in the closet and locks the door shut.
We cut back in the hallway as Victor and Destiny ride as Victor notices the room Gregor is tied up and runs in and unties him proclaiming that he has found thee. Now you would think that Gregor would have realized by now that this is the real Sir Victor on the count that Victor freed him and he's almost naked. So how does Gregor thank him? By punching him in the face... ONSCREEN ...WITH NO IMPACT STARS! HOLY CRAP! That deserves * for that spot alone. Gregor blows off a halo wearing Victor for impersonating his brother. I laughed my ass off witnessing that moment. Yes; Gregor is REALLY STUPID! But it's also a nice reminder of a time when you could punch someone in the face and see the punch actually make contact without some contrived impact stars. Anyhow; in comes Dukie and Toadie with the torture device. How he didn't notice Gregor until he sees Victor is beyond me? Bad form there guys. So Toadie gets his ass kicked for that gaffe as he lands on Victor's belly as Dukie runs off to get the ogres to grab the king. Victor wakes up and blows off Toadie as Toadie gets his ass kicked again and he takes a MAN-SIZED bump into the door. I'm digging this episode now after the bad logic breaks in the second act. Victor runs out and Toadie splats his back on the ground and proclaims that they are brothers all right. HEE HEE!
So we head back to the room with the closet moving like Cavin on speed. Oh wait....Zummi and Gruffi open the closet door as Cavin explains that there is a fake Sir Victor in Drekmore. Zummi wonders how to tell them apart and Gruffi proclaims that the real one has no clothes. Too bad Gregor's too dumb to notice even THAT, Gruffo!! So we head in the hallway with Destiny galloping and Victor blowing off the embarrassment of feeling an actual draft. HAHA! So the ogres surround him and Destiny walks in stage left through the conveniently placed door and the ogres (who are chanting someone I cannot make out) have a MAN-SIZED meeting of the skulls..and it wasn't at...you guessed it. We discover that he is in the same room as Cavin as the bears bail into the closet. Move along; nothing to see here. Please ignore the bigoted writers behind the curtain. Victor is glad to see Cavin as Cavin points out that Dukie is impersonating him. Victor wonders if he can turn the tables on Dukie and Gruffi notices that they are in Dukie's room. The suits he wears in the closet give that away. So Gruffi hands Cavin one of the suits and Victor calls it the solution to his problems. I'll be so disappointed if Gregor doesn't punch him in the face again.
So we head out as Gregor is looking for help as he looks in the door of a room; but here comes Dukie and Toadie with the spiked mace. Gregor addresses him as Igthorn just to make the punch look even dumber than before in hindsight. So Gad and Zook run in and tackle Dukie down. HAHA! At least you can expect the ogres to be REALLY STUPID. Gregor being stupid equals feature that we don't want. Ogres being stupid equals bug we don't want squashed. And they punch him about five times in the face onscreen to boot! So Dukie yells at them and the ogres finally catch themselves and apologize. Dukie tells them not to mangle anyone who looks like Victor or him until he gives the order. So Vickie (oh lord Victor dressed up as Dukie) walks in and gives the order to mangle Dukie. Dukie panics and runs away stage right like a scalded dog as he rips off the blond hair and that's enough for Gregor to notice that it's Victor in Dukie's gear as Victor pulls the cowl away. Well played Victor, well played. So we go to Gregor's throne as Tuxford is on crutches and Gregor presents a kneeling Victor with another medal as he puts it over his neck for service beyond the Call of Duty. We cut to a balcony as Cavin proclaims that Sir Victor couldn't have done it without the Gummi Bears and Gruffi agrees with that wholesale. So Gregor hopes he comes back soon enough as Victor proclaims that it will not be soon enough as he kisses Calla's hand again. Calla blushes and then faints...AGAIN!! Yes folks; we end on that note at 21:06. A really brutal middle dragged this episode almost down to hell; but it rose up like a Phoenix and became a respectable episode due to the good finish. *** ¼ (65%).
THE REVIEW LINE
Well; this could have easily been a bad episode thanks to some really bad writing in the middle as the writers made no effort in making the kidnapping plot make sense. When Dukie got the autograph hounds out of his hair; I would have thought that Cavin, Calla and Tuxford would still be there and would have noticed the napping and stop it. Oh course; all three got written out as if nothing had happened and Cavin didn't even make the effort to go into the hall to notice that Victor and Gregor were gone since that's the last spot they were in. They should have had Cavin leave the hall during the autograph scene and maybe Calla helping Tuxford to his room and then show Cavin going to the hall and taking a peek before returning to the Gummi's to inform that they were gone. That looked like a real rush job. The same major break is Gregor punching Victor in the face even though he clearly was naked and also without the full shaved beard job (the only thing to tell Dukie and Victor apart; a bad mistake by the animators). Oh; and there was Tuxford's weird selling of injuries at the start. Other than that; the story was more than solid; the animation was pretty dead on and Toadie was his smooth self. I love the cosplaying scene as Dukie by the way just to get under Victor's skin. Overall; I enjoyed seeing Sir Victor again; but I would have liked it a lot more if they didn't rush through the second act. Next up is May The Best Princess Win; which I dread since Princess Marie is back to torture me. So.....
Thumbs in the middle for this episode and I'll see you all next time.