[7.4/10] I like that we’re still on a leadership kick with Brooklyn! And I like revisiting the rest of the gang in New York City. I don’t mind the adventures of the Avalon boat crew, but it’s nice to get back to the shows’ original setting and characters a little bit, if only to see how they’ve been doing amid Goliath’s absence.
The answer is...not well? I mean, everyone’s fine, more or less, but the clan is understandably worried about where their fearless leader is and the fact that they can’t find him despite searching everywhere for him. It puts Brooklyn in the uncomfortable position of having to lead this team, when he’s not quite confident in his leadership skills despite jockeying to be second in command not that long ago.
What I really like about this episode is how Hudson nudges Brooklyn without being too forthright about it. He simply asks Brooklyn about what they should do, making clear that it’s his call, before sticking around to pet Cagney. (As an aside, I love the design and animation of Hudson and Cagney -- the two respond to one another in a very adorable way.) He makes suggestions to Brooklyn, but never oversteps his bounds, and lets Brooklyn reach leadership in his own way.
Also, fuck me, but Jim Belushi does a really good job as Fang! He’s got an outsized quality as a villain threatening to take over Talon’s turf among the mutates, but it fits! He’s fun and loose and just dangerous enough not to be trusted. It’s a bit of an outside the box casting choice for an antagonist, but it works for this kind of story.
That story is ultimately one of leadership. Brooklyn having to make the right calls for the clan. Talon trying to make the right calls for the mutuates. Hudson trying to manage it all from afar. The backdrop for Goliath missing and Talon having to stave off a coup attempt at the same time makes for a good setup.
Ultimately, I really like Brooklyn coming into his own here. He’s apt to defer to Talon and hesitant to step forward and make the calls, even when it’s clear he’s analyzing the situation better than anyone else. The show also does a good job of making you believe that Brooklyn really would throw his old crush Maggie to the wolves because she’s more attached to Talon than him, only to show that it’s all a part of his plan to free Talon and stop Fang. That sort of strategy from him, as well as willingness tod o what’s right, show that he’s the right choice to be Goliath’s lieutenant.
I also enjoyed Claw’s arc here, following Fang because he’s too meek to do anything else, but ultimately siding with the good guys. It’s simple, but effective, much like Talon’s interesting “In the labyrinth (read: abandoned subway tunnels), justice prevails, whether you’re a mutate gargoyle or a homeless human.
Overall, I enjoyed this one, not only for giving us a look at what NYC is like with Goliath (something Xanatos is eager to take advantage of), but also for doing some solid worldbuilding with the mutates and showing Brooklyn coming into his own as a leader.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-07-30T22:48:04Z
[7.4/10] I like that we’re still on a leadership kick with Brooklyn! And I like revisiting the rest of the gang in New York City. I don’t mind the adventures of the Avalon boat crew, but it’s nice to get back to the shows’ original setting and characters a little bit, if only to see how they’ve been doing amid Goliath’s absence.
The answer is...not well? I mean, everyone’s fine, more or less, but the clan is understandably worried about where their fearless leader is and the fact that they can’t find him despite searching everywhere for him. It puts Brooklyn in the uncomfortable position of having to lead this team, when he’s not quite confident in his leadership skills despite jockeying to be second in command not that long ago.
What I really like about this episode is how Hudson nudges Brooklyn without being too forthright about it. He simply asks Brooklyn about what they should do, making clear that it’s his call, before sticking around to pet Cagney. (As an aside, I love the design and animation of Hudson and Cagney -- the two respond to one another in a very adorable way.) He makes suggestions to Brooklyn, but never oversteps his bounds, and lets Brooklyn reach leadership in his own way.
Also, fuck me, but Jim Belushi does a really good job as Fang! He’s got an outsized quality as a villain threatening to take over Talon’s turf among the mutates, but it fits! He’s fun and loose and just dangerous enough not to be trusted. It’s a bit of an outside the box casting choice for an antagonist, but it works for this kind of story.
That story is ultimately one of leadership. Brooklyn having to make the right calls for the clan. Talon trying to make the right calls for the mutuates. Hudson trying to manage it all from afar. The backdrop for Goliath missing and Talon having to stave off a coup attempt at the same time makes for a good setup.
Ultimately, I really like Brooklyn coming into his own here. He’s apt to defer to Talon and hesitant to step forward and make the calls, even when it’s clear he’s analyzing the situation better than anyone else. The show also does a good job of making you believe that Brooklyn really would throw his old crush Maggie to the wolves because she’s more attached to Talon than him, only to show that it’s all a part of his plan to free Talon and stop Fang. That sort of strategy from him, as well as willingness tod o what’s right, show that he’s the right choice to be Goliath’s lieutenant.
I also enjoyed Claw’s arc here, following Fang because he’s too meek to do anything else, but ultimately siding with the good guys. It’s simple, but effective, much like Talon’s interesting “In the labyrinth (read: abandoned subway tunnels), justice prevails, whether you’re a mutate gargoyle or a homeless human.
Overall, I enjoyed this one, not only for giving us a look at what NYC is like with Goliath (something Xanatos is eager to take advantage of), but also for doing some solid worldbuilding with the mutates and showing Brooklyn coming into his own as a leader.