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Gargoyles: Kingdom
Reviewed: 10/08/2013
Brooklyn's Job Part One: Making A Mutate Episode Not Suck!
We finally end the first half of the televised portion of Gargoyles (3/5's of the series if you are a diehard Gargoyles fan...WINK! WINK! NUDGE! NUDGE!) after a lot of fatigue and a lot of storyline. So we decide to take a break from the World Tour after two really decent episodes that actually revived me from boredom and we return to Manhattan and see Brooklyn's first day on the job as second in command. And his first task is to try to accept his role and help Talon handle a certain dissent Mutate who has Phil Palmfeather's voice. Yeah; that sounds exciting enough. So let's rant on shall we..?!
This episode is written by Marty Isenberg & Robert N. Skir. The story was edited by the late Gary Sperling. Animation is done by Toon City Inc. with additional services done by Moving Images Inc.
Opening Moment #1: We get a recap of Goliath and company leaving in Avalon Part One; then Goliath selecting Brooklyn as the second in command in Upgrade, followed by Goliath offering Talon and company a spot in the clan in The Cage. Okay.
We begin this one with a far shot of the clock tower AFTER HAPPY HOUR (after dark) as Brooklyn and Lexington return to the perch with Hudson looking on as there is no sign of Bronx nor Goliath. Hudson wonders why Goliath would leave for nights without a word. Broadway comes in with Cagney (who is Eliza's cat who has become gray since we last saw it) stating that it hasn't eaten for days and Eliza's mail has piled up. I'm sure Maria would love to know where Eliza is too?! I don't think we ever got an answer to that when Eliza came back for The Gathering; but maybe I'm wrong. So Hudson asks Brooklyn about doing something and Brooklyn stammers like an idiot on the job for the first time. Kind of like some Deviant Art guy trying to claim censorship on Don Karnage's face. Someone is claiming that Disney changed the look of Don Karnage after Plunder and Lightning and used a photo from I Only Have Ice For You because they thought that the P&L look scared little kids. Never mind that the menacing face from P&L was done by Walt Disney Animation France and the one for I Only Have Ice For You was done by Walt Disney Animation Japan. Never mind that I Only Have Ice For You was the first episode written, produced and animated; along with the very first episode to air on Disney Channel's preview of the show while Plunder and Lightning aired about four months later. Never mind that Plunder and Lighting Part Three contains the same WD-Japan face in part three. The point I am making here is that it's not censorship because WD-France's art style is vastly different than WD-Japan's style of artwork. It's just the way the art style was done by the animation company overseas. It's like Kit Cloudkicker's feet are cuter in WD-France than in Sunwoo, Wang, or even WD-Japan. It's a choice of styles. If it was censorship than the only time you would have seen such a face would be in pre-production sketches. Occam's Razor sezs so. So Hudson points out that Brooklyn is second in command and Brooklyn looks like a deer in the headlights thinking Goliath will be back which offers the question: What if he doesn't come back?
So Broadway flies off to find out what happened to Eliza from Matt Bluestone; Lexington decides to go to Eliza's parent's house to check on leads. Hudson wants to visit the Mutates in the labyrinth to check on leads and then rubs it into Brooklyn's face by saying that he's going to say hello to Maggie Reed for Brooklyn. BURN BABEE! BURN! Brooklyn stammers again and overrules him; wanting to visit the Mutates himself and flies off stage left. So we get a ground to sky shot inside the sewers as Brooklyn opens a grate and jumps down. And he cannot take one step before he hears muffled voices of someone pleading for help. Nice attention to detail there guys as Brooklyn rushes in as we cut to a white haired balding male bum wearing a lot of gray including gray mittens running away from two thugs. One is fat with an yellow shirt with a gray vest with pockets and rip off sleeves. The other one has glasses on with a brown mustache and wears all green including a green hat. I discover that Claw and Fang are chasing him and that his name is Al. The thugs chasing him are Lou and Chaz who manage to block him. So Fang is demanding goodies and Al digs from his pockets and brings out a lot of quarters which Fang's reaction is so awesomely priceless that he really face palms himself. COINS?! He gets pissed off because Al failed to take in account that Fang cannot waltz into a store to buy bubblegum. His rant was AWESOME BABEE! Al gets dropped on his ass and Fang goes for the electrical spark hands of death and shoots at Al who is against the wall as Lou and Chavez egg Fang on to kill him. Brooklyn is behind a wall as this is going on which is in the foreground on a far side shot. Then as we get a close up of Fang shooting from the front; Brooklyn pounces from behind. I should point out that Fang is wearing a SWANK black cape as they tumble on the ground like a bunch of kids. The two human thugs join in as Claw just watches on saying nothing as usual. Then in comes Talon with Maggie Reed to make the save and break this brawl up as Brooklyn gets a cheap shot punch right into Fang's face on screen with no impact flash. Bastard!
Talon demands answers to this outrage as Fang accuses Brooklyn of being a creep (such slander there sir!! He's a goofball; not a creep.) and beating him up. Brooklyn blows him off because he accuses Fang of trying to assault Al which Talon waves off at once. Talon proclaims that everyone is welcome in the labyrinth which offends Fang as he asks who died and made him king. Talon claims that there are no kings nor rulers in the labyrinth and walks off stage right. Maggie is concerned about Fang's slow heel turn as Talon tells Maggie to relax because will get it soon enough. Fang's reaction tells me that isn't going to happen as we head back to a darkened apartment building and the door opens. In comes Matt Bluestone wearing a brown suit and tie carrying his gray trench coat. He turns on the lamp and walks over to the window and opens the drapes to reveal Broadway. Matt panics like mad and then calms down and opens the window. Matt proclaims that he is not used to them as Broadway comes in asking about Eliza and yes folks; they do explain that the police force is looking for her, so that's a thumbs up. Matt asks Broadway if there are any leads and Broadway claims that it was like they disappeared into thin air. So we head into the labyrinth on the sky shot as Chaz and Lou are playing on a crate which appears to be cards. So Brooklyn and Talon exchange notes in front of Maggie as he has no sign of Goliath either along with Eliza. Fang comes in with Claw proclaiming that it must be David Xanatos fault because Eliza has a personal grunge against him; and because Derek Maza is Talon the Mutate now who got played by David. Talon wants to teach the slime ball a lesson but Brooklyn doesn't think that is a good idea. Talon just simply walks out as Brooklyn follows him. Maggie blows off Fang for provoking him; and leading Talon to his death. Fang just mocks the situation and his acting is hilarious because he managed to get Chaz and Lou to laugh with him. Ummm; yeah.
So we head back to the clock tower as we head inside with Broadway sitting down on the loveseat while Hudson is petting Cagney. The door opens and down comes Lexington stating that he listened in on the Maza's; but they are as worried as they are. Then a shadow gargoyle figure swoops down in front of the door leading inside the clock tower and Broadway thinks it's Goliath; when the shadow clearly shows that it is not. The door opens and it's Talon with Brooklyn as Talon shows this as evidence that they didn't find anything. Although I don't know how he knew about Broadway's trip to Matt; it is still true. Talon wants to make David Xanatos talk as Talon is still nursing that grunge really well. Brooklyn is against this because what if David isn't responsible which is in fact true; so Talon asks what he should do while Hudson informs Brooklyn that he is the second in command. Brooklyn sulks and decides to go with Talon to see David Xanatos. What a pushover leader this Brooklyn fellow is?! He is becoming Drake Mallard. BLAM! HEE HEE! Missed again Drake! YOU ARE NOT...POW! OUCH! Ummmm... Hudson offers to stay in the clock tower just to see if anything comes up and Brooklyn turns around and sezs the same one word I use every time I see a scene that I don't hate; but don't care about anyway: Whatever. So we head into the skies as Talon, and the goofballs of doom are flying towards Xanatos' tower as we see David watching from the giant screen television as Brooklyn thinks this is a bad idea. Talon challenges him to be leader by speaking now or forever holding his peace. Brooklyn hold his peace as they fly into the clouds and over them; something that you see in TaleSpin a lot. They circle over Castle Wyvern as we cut back to David's office as he doesn't like pests today. We pan over to Owen who has stopped wearing his suit and I'm not going to ask if they broke logic on his stone arm from The Price because I couldn't see his left arm but his right arm is not stone; so there you go. Owen plays on the computer as we cut back to the babyfaces circling over Castle Wyvern; and then a circular trapdoor opens from the ramparts and out comes two guns. That ends the segment eight and a half minutes in. Fang being a dick is awesome by the way.
After the commercial break; we see the cannon shooting red lasers and the babyfaces dodge them while making sure there is lots of damage present. Brooklyn's dodging is plain goofy as Broadway lands on a tower and then we hear a machine whirr in the background and a second laser cannon beckons. Yes folks; David is using the exact same security system Macbeth's house used in The Price. The only difference is, David and Owen are controlling it; making the whole absence of Fleance and Banquo in The Price look even dumber in hindsight. More dodging and shooting as one of the shots hits the top of David's office and almost starts a cave in of the ceiling; ala the finish to Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz when Heero tried to destroy Dymcan's underground bunker. More shooting and dodging as Brooklyn is in shock because the red lasers have changed into blue lasers on the close up shot. And then when we cut to the cannon; it's shooting red lasers again. So finally; we end this nonsense as Broadway goes over to one of the cannons and does the Mr. Salty~ on it! HAHA! The one cannon that is free shoots straight forward and that shot destroys the cannon of course just as Lexington and Talon fly away unharmed. Talon is pleased with this and sezs come on. Brooklyn somehow flies over Broadway as Broadway is so stupid that he stays on the cannon for too long to allow it to explode and he flies into the air without injuring himself and bumps into Brooklyn. They free fall through clouds and manage to break the ceiling and land right into David Xanatos's office. And what does David do in this situation? He sits down at his chair and greets them. What a dick?! He might as well recruit Fang and get it over with. I'm dead certain Xanatos needs a fool anyway. ZAP! OUCH! Ummmm...Xanatos stands up as he asks what is going on as the goofballs gets up and in storms Fang and Lexington; as Owen runs in and punches Talon in the midsection with his stone hand. The curse of the stone hand strikes again! Hmmm; that sounds like a good Z-grade movie to be made...Oh wait...
Anyhow; David praises Owen's handicap (some handicap eh?) and goes into his desk and brings out a makeshift bullet shooting gun; which means he is SERIOUS BABEE! He wants answers to this outrage as Derek demands to know where Eliza is; and David has no clue what he is talking about. Lexington chimes in on Goliath and Bronx and David calls this missing gargoyle thing amazing. Yeah; I guess so. David offers for them to search the building and his files as Lexington perches on his desk and checks the computer. David and Owen smile like evil heels as David claims that Talon worked here; so he knows the way around which is insulting considering that Castle Wyvern is their former home. So we head into the sewers with Fang, Claw, Lou and Chaz (Lou is the glasses one; Chaz is the fat one with the yellow shirt in case you didn't notice) walking and making small talk for a bit. They shine their flashlights on a wall containing a space aged locked door. The story is that Lou and Chaz were digging around and found the door; but couldn't get in, so they wanted Fang to blast it open which Fang blows off anyway. Fang motions to Claw and they invokes the electrical hand blasters of death and they shoot at the door and it turns red before exploding and taking out a fair chunk of the wall. The heels all go inside as there is a storage room containing lots of electrical equipment. But in the middle of this during the flashlight pan sequence; is a glass container containing space age blasters. The human heels are all giddy for them as Fang blows them off. Fang tries to use muscle to open the door; but no go. I see Larson & Gary are afraid of Mutates. That's really stupid. So Fang tries to shoot at the glass case; but it bounces off and the heels dodge the blast as it goes straight into the shelf and destroys a tape recorder and only a tape recorder. THAT WAS WEAK! THAT WAS WEAK! Fang bangs on the glass container and gets all pissed off; when suddenly a chain containing a card key is shown and it's handled by Claw. HAHA! Grin would be proud of this tiger gargoyle Mutate.
Fang grabs the card key and blows Claw off because Fang is a dick. Fang opens the glass container using the card key and everyone grabs weapons and cocks them. Oh man; that was more disturbing than I had intended it to be. I don't get the point of Fang and Claw using weapons since they already have laser beams coming out of their hands anyway. The humans I can understand, but Claw?! The store is open indeed as I realize that Fang is no longer wearing his SWANK black cape and looks more uncool by not wearing it. The heel walk out as Fang grabs the glass container and also walks out. So we head back to David's office as Lexington goes through the computer while David stands there with the Gruffi pose. David asks if he got what he wanted and Lexington admits that other than the usual shady deals; there is nothing on Eliza and Goliath. HA! The rest of the babyface enter and admit that they found nothing; which Brooklyn completely blows off because he allowed you to look after all; so there had to be nothing. Brooklyn is now a logic freak. Lovely! So the babyfaces fly over to the perch as David and Owen come out and inform them that they will use their resources to track down Goliath and Eliza. Talon blows off David and they all leave. David proclaims that he is surprised that he needs their permission now. What a prick this Talon fella is?! It's like he has some grunge against him for screwing with his life...Oh wait...So we head to outside the clock tower as bad logic rears it's ugly head again as it's clearly sunrise, but the gargoyles are not stone now. Everyone gets on the perch as Talon proclaims that he'll return to the labyrinth to get some rest and he flies away. Hudson then asks Brooklyn about their next move and Brooklyn is pissed off and blows him off because he doesn't know. Good thing he is not on You Cannot Do That On Television; or he would have gotten slimed. To be honest; that would have been exactly what happened; only it's Lex and Broadway pouring it over his head. And of course; before anyone can react, they turn to stone. Bad logic break there with the sunrise scene guys. Which is only the second mistake of this episode.
So Talon is flying in the labyrinth and makes it to the steel door; which is guarded by Fang. Talon lands in front of Fang and wants him to open the door because he's not in the mood. Fang acts like a total asshole and mocks protecting the weak and mocks Talon as a king because he points out that while Talon claims that there are no rulers; he is dishing out orders. Talon asks Fang to please open the door as he tries to grab the handle to the steel door; but Fang proclaims that he's tried and weak. Fang shoves down Talon; and proclaims that he is now the leader of the Mutate World Order and he's taking over. If only he would have said it like Stevie Richards; and then we can laugh at ECW's laughable attempts to try to not sound like a R-rated cartoon. Talon asks who and what army; and the doors open as we see Lou, Chaz and Claw with laser guns set to profits as Fang declares Talon is their first prisoner of war and that ends the segment 14 and a half minutes in. I am digging this episode and all it took was turning Fang into a heel. Great job writers! Now can you seal the deal to this final episode of 2013 (for rant purposes)? Okay; deep breath...Here we go...
After the commercial break; we return to Fang giving Talon two choices in this matter. He can join Claw, Lou and Chaz; and take orders from Fang; or he could live in a glass container with Maggie Reed as we see inside. Talon is pissed off because Maggie is his new girlfriend and he goes over Fang and they fight in the air flying like bats. Now there's a useful skill the babyface gargoyles should learn and I hope this happens in storyline. I just realized that Fang was not wearing a SWANK black cape; those were his wings. Still SWANKY though. So we discover that there are hobos and street urchins living with the Mutates which makes sense since Maggie Reed was a hobo herself as explained in Metamorphosis; and they scatter away. One is wearing a blue sweater by the way as Talon and Fang do a knuckle up and they channel energy through their bodies in midair and then violently repel each other so much that Fang whacks onto the floor and is knocked out. That was a really awesome spot by the way. However; now Talon has to dodge laser fire from Lou and Chaz as we pan over to Claw standing on the railway looking scared to death as we hear Maggie Reed in the glass container yelling for Claw to help her get out as Claw has the card key. Claw ponders this over because he is scared of Fang; but then he decides to walk over with the card key and opens the glass container to free Maggie. Maggie kisses him on the cheek and runs out to get help as one of the red lasers nails Talon and he knocked to the ground out cold. Lou and Chaz dogpile on Talon for fun as Fang gets up and he's angry as hell. When Fang is pissed off; he sounds a lot funnier as Claw is shaking like a leaf on the tracks. Fang demands answers to this outrage because he discovered that Maggie was freed from the glass container. Claw does some excellent impressions to explain that he was knocked out by someone in the fight which makes no sense since Claw was the only one who was near Maggie Reed and NOT fighting. Fang comes over and steals the card key from him as Claw covers his body with his own wings shaking in fear.
Lou acts like an ablest on Claw (what a shock?!) as we discover that Maggie Reed is now called Maggie The Cat. Wait; what?! Fang isn't too upset as the heels place Talon into the glass container because in his own mind; she cannot go out in public. Never mind that Maggie has already pointed out in front of Fang and Talon that she was at the clock tower with the babyface gargoyles. IDIOTS! So we head outside BEFORE HAPPY HOUR (sunset) as Maggie is shown in the foreground wearing a black robe with hood in as she walks towards the clock tower in the background. So we get the night shadow of doom spot as we head up to the perch and it's nightfall as the gargoyles live again! Cagney gets all pissy because he slept on Hudson's head and the stone chippings pissed him off. That was great. Cagney jumps off Hudson's head and goes into the clock tower as Brooklyn walks in and asks about the commotion and we see Maggie show up. Brooklyn swoops down and Maggie tells him that Fang has taken over the labyrinth with weapon welding goons and she hugs Brooklyn saying that she couldn't help Talon. Brooklyn tells the gang that they need to come in and save Talon. Hudson asks why since he didn't like being leader; and Brooklyn blows it off because it's not about him anymore. He also orders Hudson to come along because he needs all the help they can get. Hudson asks if that was an order; Brooklyn goes to the door, turns around and states that he guesses that this is an order before he walks out. Hudson has that smile that sezs "I think he's getting the hang of this now" and everyone walks out of the clock tower. They all fly off the perch stage right and we head back to Talon roaring and pounding on the glass container. He tries his electrical hands; but that gets thrown back in his face and Talon drops on his ass once again.
Fang comes in and mocks Talon like he's some bottom feeding denizen hobo as Talon claims that he never claimed to rule the place; and thought they could work together. Fang mocks him for it and orders Lou and Chaz to give the hobo the point of his rule and following Fang's order as they shoot right in front of the denizens causing some of them to scatter. Then we get a neat spot as the babyface gargoyles all storm in from panels in the ceiling; along with Maggie Reed. I refuse to call her Maggie The Cat in good conscience. So we get the wicked fight of death as Brooklyn tackles Fang into the tracks; while Lou and Chaz continue to laser fire on Broadway and Lexington. More dodging from the gargoyles and more shooting and scattering of denizens ensue. And the clotheslines get involved as Broadway and Lexington each grab an end of one and trip up the heels as Lou and Chaz do some MAN-SIZED bumps on their bellies. Broadway and Lexington swoop down with rocks and they smash the guns with them much to the horror of Lou and Chaz. Brooklyn and Fang are on the ground as Fang goes for the electrical hands which is F'N stupid because he has a perfectly fine laser gun and the electrical waves cause the gun to turn on and explode causing Brooklyn to fly into the air and land in a large box. Remember that for later. And there's a hole on Fang's shirt. Remember that for later as well. So Fang is out again as it's down to Claw and Hudson goes after him; so Claw panic and manages to nail Hudson's sword away. Claw ducks under Hudson and then turns around and nails him in the back and Hudson goes down in a heap. Maggie goes over to Talon; but Fang somehow teleports over to Maggie and grabs her. Fang claims that he has no beef with Brooklyn; but he wants him to back off; and if he does, Maggie goes free. Brooklyn agrees to the terms and than blows off Talon like a prick. Huh? Fang likes the giving out orders thing and pushes Maggie over to Brooklyn. Brooklyn offers her hands to leave; but Maggie is in tears and blows off Brooklyn for being a dick like Fang and leaving Talon to the wolves. That was almost a literal statement actually.
Brooklyn blows off Maggie telling her to stay for all he cares and Maggie relents. And as this is going on; the card key appears in Maggie's hands. See; when Brooklyn and Fang destroyed the gun; Brooklyn grabbed the card key and then acted like an asshole in front of Maggie just so she would get the card key. Which was extremely convincing to me because I thought it was Maggie getting the card key away from Fang when Fang grabbed her to use as a bargaining chip. Brooklyn is glad that Maggie has shut up as it's clear that Fang is only wearing the chain containing the card key. Brooklyn orders her to say goodbye to her boyfriend and Maggie casually walks over and tells Talon goodbye and as this is happening; she puts the card key into the slot and opens the glass container just as Maggie sezs that she'll never forget him. Fang is happy for this and before he can act like a slimy heel and have the gargoyles all killed; Talon nails him from behind. Damn; I was hoping that Fang was lying about not having a beef with Brooklyn. Talon has a full-nelson on Fang as Fang calls for Claw to help him and stop acting weak like them. Claw is angry and he destroys the laser cannon which Fang groans right on cue. This would have make more sense if Claw just zapped Fang with his hands to accent the moment. So Talon and Brooklyn are going over to the glass container and they shove Fang into the glass container while Fang claims that this was Mutate humor. After all the months of BS Derek Maza had to endure with David Xanatos and all the years Brooklyn had to deal with BS from the humans; these are the last two being you want to play a prank on Fang. You are like that grade school student who farts during class and then does it again and again; and it ceases being funny to even the children who were supposed to be amused at all. So Talon goes over to Lou and Chaz and basically tells them that they are banned from living here again. Lou and Chaz get up and bail stage left as Fang proclaims that all weapons are banished; and justice prevails even if some people don't believe it which Fang looks on in shame and fear. Yeah.
So Brooklyn looks upset and is about to leave; but Fang thanks him for the save and admits that neither of them can escape leadership. Brooklyn admits that he is right as Hudson asks Brooklyn what is next and Brooklyn proclaims that he'll be the leader the best he knows how; but he refuses to give up hope on Goliath and Bronx; he swears to find them. Talon states that until there are new leads to that; they are going to protect the people who are here right now. Both Brooklyn and Talon agree and do the TEDDY RUXPIN HANDSHAKE OF DOOM (the one with the handshake close up) and that ends the episode, disc three and volume 2 part one of this set at 21:18 approx. Well; we finally got a Mutate episode that not only did not suck; but it thrived as one of the better episodes in the series. Fang provided the attitude, Brooklyn provided the intensity, the gargoyles provided the support and Owen provided the curse of the stone hand. What more could you want?! A few mistakes marred it; but hey, an awesome Mutate episode is an improvement from the usual crap involving Derek Maza. **** 3/4 (95%).
THE REVIEW LINE
Finally; a great Mutate episode that made sense and was awesome. Fang as a dickish heel was a sight to watch as James' acting deserves a lot of credit for convincing me that Fang sounded like the most cocky, dickish heel in the series. Even more so than David; who is a lot more reserved than Fang. The story was really great as they did an awesome job of making it sound like the gargoyles were worried about Goliath and Eliza's disappearance. I like David's sweet evil smile and all the Mutates didn't look useless or weak here. Talon was great, Maggie was good, Claw was good in his role as the weakling who redeems himself, Brooklyn's resentment as being leader was well done and I felt the convincing asshole act he pulled on Fang was perfect. I was convinced that he didn't give a damn about Talon until Maggie had the card key in her hands; and the animators pulled the key swiping with a hitch. I was convinced Maggie got the card key from Fang instead of Brooklyn grabbing it from Fang and then handing it to Maggie. The ending was fine and with the exception of two animation errors and a couple of mistimed spots; this was a perfect episode that Derrek can finally hang his head up high. It's just too bad the Derek/Eliza story was contrived and had no heat. Overall; one of the best episodes of the series that got bogged down with a few mistakes.
And that ends Gargoyles for 2013 (mainly because I don't have the second half of the second season on DVD; and Toon Disney did some editing on par with TaleSpin) and I must say that while this show is overrated; it doesn't have the stink of "overrated and awful" that a lot of modern cartoons and even many of the popular old ones have. For this disc set; we had three thumbs up, five in the middle and one down; making a grand total of 20 thumbs up, 15 thumbs in the middle and four thumbs down after 39 episodes. That is actually a really good ratio and is better than Ducktales in some respects; but you have to remember that I ranted on the pilot in Volume 2 first; then finished that set, then went onto Volume 3 and then back to Volume 1. While four thumbs down in 39 episodes is really good; it is a disappointment in another respect because the Gargoyles fanbase upped the expectations so much that every time I see a flaw; I get really upset because I was promised that the writers would not pull out such crap; and they then proceeded to do the same things these people hated. It's not hard to see the standouts in terms of awesome episodes: The Mirror, Deadly Force, Most of Awakening, City of Stone (until the last five minutes of it), and this episode. However; these standouts allow the fanbase to completely ignore Metamorphosis, A Lighthouse In The Sea Of Time, The Cage and even the end of Avalon which looked like a mess despite being a fun episode. I thought Temptation was going to be great and it was a disappointment. And while the first season was very good; it wasn't the epic show that it was supposed to be and once City of Stone ended; the serial fatigue factor set in and I stopped caring about the characters. There is a good reason why Greg decided to create the Avalon World Tour: Because he needed the show to be whacky because the storyline was suffering for serial fatigue which is really, really bad because it makes everyone involved turn into a country song. It's not that I hate anyone in this show (other than probably the Archmage, Fleance and Banquo); I just didn't care as much as the writers wanted me to. I couldn't feel the heart of the show anymore because the backstory took over in most cases when the storyline was great; and in the bad moments, it felt like I was feeling conned with animation mistakes that TaleSpin almost never makes and even stupid continuity mistakes that the TaleSpin team would have noticed as well most of the time. I hate to say this; but episodic episodes are better than serial episodes. That doesn't mean we automatically abandon them because serial stories are not awful; but they are at their best in smaller doses than episodic episodes. Which is probably why execs like episodic episodes because they can fill the large order of them and not have the fatigue I suffered watching this. Forget the "poorer ratings in rerun" stuff because even if that is false; you still have to get great ratings on your first airing anyway.
At the end of the day; Gargoyles ended up being a great show that was overrated because of desperation of the Disney fans wanting Disney to be dark like Batman and it failed on that count. Batman is still on television (in it's own whacky way; but still), Gargoyles is not. True; Gargoyles did get comics recently, but it didn't last long. I think this proves that sometimes; discriminating your tastes can be a bad idea. Because now I look forward to ranting on Kick Buttowski and Fish Hooks after Canadian Thanksgiving because I got burned out by this show and not in a good way. TaleSpin drained me emotionally; but in the end, I still cared about that show. I cannot here. So I have said my peace for this cartoon; and once I have the DVD sets for the remaining 26 episodes; I'll gladly return once I don't feel burned out. I will continue to say this though: the pacing is still awesome and it did cushion the fatigue that was setting in. I'll give it that much. So I'm taking a week off from ranting to do other things and I should return the week after that with Fish Hooks first (I might do Fish Lips Sink Ships and South Fishpacific first during Thanksgiving weekend if I have nothing else left on my plate; just to get that out of the way); then Kick Buttowski for the remainder of the year along with Recess: School's Out sometime in November. So....
Thumbs up for this episode and I'll see you all next time.