[6.6/10] The idea here is an interesting one. I like the idea of each region having their own variation on Gargoyles and different traditions surrounding them. Exploring how indigenous peoples in the Americas related to their own Gargoyles could be a really neat idea to explore, especially coupled with Elisa’s own Native American heritage.
But “Heritage” doesn’t really do that, at least not well. We see a couple indigneous spins on Gargoyles, but they turn out to be elves who have merely taken on the guise of Native Americans, which is a...weird direction to take. There's also a strange undercurrent of, “Stop trying to solve our problems with science and medicine, Harvard Boy, and instead start using magic!”
Look, Gargoyles is a show heavily steeped in magic, so a certain amount of its utility is unavoidable. Likewise, you can read parts of this one as a metaphor for not losing your people’s traditions, even as you participate in an evolving world, which is laudable. But the episode muddles the message, and has a strain disdain for “Nick” and his empirical approach to problem solving in lieu of his grandmother’s mysticism.
It’s also just not a great story. The audience knows pretty much from the jump that Raven is lying to the gargoyles, so the mixup between them and Elisa has very little in the way of stakes or surprises. There’s a bit of a twist when it turns out that Grandmother is a shape-shifter, but everything else is fairly predictable and overly-telegraphed in terms of who’s on the side of good and who’s a secret villain.
Some of the designs here are cool, and it’s firmly watchable, but it’s hard for this one not to feel like a missed opportunity. The Gargoyles themselves are indigneous peoples displaced by other cultures. Exploring the common cause and common issues with similarly situated peoples is something this episode gestures toward, but never really engages with in a meaningful way. Throw in a basic, vaguely wrong-headed story, and you have an episode that’s fine, but which can’t help but disappoint.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-07-24T18:22:16Z
[6.6/10] The idea here is an interesting one. I like the idea of each region having their own variation on Gargoyles and different traditions surrounding them. Exploring how indigenous peoples in the Americas related to their own Gargoyles could be a really neat idea to explore, especially coupled with Elisa’s own Native American heritage.
But “Heritage” doesn’t really do that, at least not well. We see a couple indigneous spins on Gargoyles, but they turn out to be elves who have merely taken on the guise of Native Americans, which is a...weird direction to take. There's also a strange undercurrent of, “Stop trying to solve our problems with science and medicine, Harvard Boy, and instead start using magic!”
Look, Gargoyles is a show heavily steeped in magic, so a certain amount of its utility is unavoidable. Likewise, you can read parts of this one as a metaphor for not losing your people’s traditions, even as you participate in an evolving world, which is laudable. But the episode muddles the message, and has a strain disdain for “Nick” and his empirical approach to problem solving in lieu of his grandmother’s mysticism.
It’s also just not a great story. The audience knows pretty much from the jump that Raven is lying to the gargoyles, so the mixup between them and Elisa has very little in the way of stakes or surprises. There’s a bit of a twist when it turns out that Grandmother is a shape-shifter, but everything else is fairly predictable and overly-telegraphed in terms of who’s on the side of good and who’s a secret villain.
Some of the designs here are cool, and it’s firmly watchable, but it’s hard for this one not to feel like a missed opportunity. The Gargoyles themselves are indigneous peoples displaced by other cultures. Exploring the common cause and common issues with similarly situated peoples is something this episode gestures toward, but never really engages with in a meaningful way. Throw in a basic, vaguely wrong-headed story, and you have an episode that’s fine, but which can’t help but disappoint.