[7.6/10] The moral for this one is a little odd. The implicit message seems to be “If a mysterious stranger asks you for the magical object that’s made every other person who’s possessed it into a dire threat, you should probably give it to them.” But setting that aside, I really liked this one! It seems strange that bartering, combative, outright threatening Odin should get his eye back after all of that, but I guess it’s his after all...
And the path to get there is pretty darn neat. We get to see Team Avalon Travelogue drop anchor in Norway, another unique setting for the series. We’ve gotten hints of the gargoyles operating in wintery environments in New York City, but this is a horse of a different color. Traipsing through caves and snow-covered hills gives these adventures their own character.
So does the real (or at least, more deliberate) moral of the episode, that you can have too much of a good thing and go too far in service of a good cause. The Eye of Odin is retconned to amplify one’s true self. It’s questionable how well that works with what we saw of Fox and the Archmage, but I don’t mind the change because of the story it allows “Eye of the Beholder” to tell for Goliath.
Goliath is a protector. All gargoyles are by nature. So when he puts on the Eye of Odin, not only does he grow three sizes and get a fancy, sparkly new outfit (hello toy manufacturers!) but he becomes uber-protective of his friends and family. He decides he needs to don this magical amulet to defend them from the attacks of a literal god, and initially it pays off. He’s able to fend off Odin and find shelter for his allies new and old.
Except Goliath takes it too far. He finds excuses to keep the amulet on for longer. He stretches his concern to variable future threats to justify his actions. And he even does a supernatural “munchausen by proxy” situation, creating harsher wintry weather so he can persuade Elisa and company there’s a threat from Odin he needs to stand guard against.
I like it because it’s a reflection of real psychology, albeit of a kind that’s supersized for dramatic effects. Folks can have genuinely good intentions to want to protect their loved ones, but restrict their agency in ways that are less than great in the process. Folks can also secretly (or not so secretly) enjoy a position of power and privilege, but justify it as a necessity for preserving security. It’s the sort of character flaw we don’t normally get to see in steadfast Goliath. I appreciate taking one of his good character traits -- his sense of responsibility to protect those he cares about -- and showing him taking it too far, to where it becomes a failing.
The episode also works well on the pure cool factor. Getting to watch a super-charged Goliath do battle with the Norse god Odin who rides a flying horse above the clouds is pretty awesome. Their exchanges of energy beams and epic clash has more character to it than the show’s usual amorphous punch-and-kick fests. The vocal performances add to that, with Goliath’s usual booming baritone matched by Odin’s weathered but no less commanding tone.
I also enjoyed the resolution. Angela makes the smartest (albeit riskiest) choice yet, hoping that Goliath will snap out of his megalomania and urge toward wrath when his daughter is in mortal danger thanks to his choices. Luckily, it works, and it speaks to the same key character trait for Goliath, the same urge to save and protect that led him down this path also pulls him back from it. There’s great poetry in that.
I still find it low-key bizarre that they end up giving the Eye to Odin after all he’s done, but I guess it belongs to him. And Goliath’s epiphany through the experience, in a snow-draped setting, makes for a mighty fine episode.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-08-04T22:13:50Z
[7.6/10] The moral for this one is a little odd. The implicit message seems to be “If a mysterious stranger asks you for the magical object that’s made every other person who’s possessed it into a dire threat, you should probably give it to them.” But setting that aside, I really liked this one! It seems strange that bartering, combative, outright threatening Odin should get his eye back after all of that, but I guess it’s his after all...
And the path to get there is pretty darn neat. We get to see Team Avalon Travelogue drop anchor in Norway, another unique setting for the series. We’ve gotten hints of the gargoyles operating in wintery environments in New York City, but this is a horse of a different color. Traipsing through caves and snow-covered hills gives these adventures their own character.
So does the real (or at least, more deliberate) moral of the episode, that you can have too much of a good thing and go too far in service of a good cause. The Eye of Odin is retconned to amplify one’s true self. It’s questionable how well that works with what we saw of Fox and the Archmage, but I don’t mind the change because of the story it allows “Eye of the Beholder” to tell for Goliath.
Goliath is a protector. All gargoyles are by nature. So when he puts on the Eye of Odin, not only does he grow three sizes and get a fancy, sparkly new outfit (hello toy manufacturers!) but he becomes uber-protective of his friends and family. He decides he needs to don this magical amulet to defend them from the attacks of a literal god, and initially it pays off. He’s able to fend off Odin and find shelter for his allies new and old.
Except Goliath takes it too far. He finds excuses to keep the amulet on for longer. He stretches his concern to variable future threats to justify his actions. And he even does a supernatural “munchausen by proxy” situation, creating harsher wintry weather so he can persuade Elisa and company there’s a threat from Odin he needs to stand guard against.
I like it because it’s a reflection of real psychology, albeit of a kind that’s supersized for dramatic effects. Folks can have genuinely good intentions to want to protect their loved ones, but restrict their agency in ways that are less than great in the process. Folks can also secretly (or not so secretly) enjoy a position of power and privilege, but justify it as a necessity for preserving security. It’s the sort of character flaw we don’t normally get to see in steadfast Goliath. I appreciate taking one of his good character traits -- his sense of responsibility to protect those he cares about -- and showing him taking it too far, to where it becomes a failing.
The episode also works well on the pure cool factor. Getting to watch a super-charged Goliath do battle with the Norse god Odin who rides a flying horse above the clouds is pretty awesome. Their exchanges of energy beams and epic clash has more character to it than the show’s usual amorphous punch-and-kick fests. The vocal performances add to that, with Goliath’s usual booming baritone matched by Odin’s weathered but no less commanding tone.
I also enjoyed the resolution. Angela makes the smartest (albeit riskiest) choice yet, hoping that Goliath will snap out of his megalomania and urge toward wrath when his daughter is in mortal danger thanks to his choices. Luckily, it works, and it speaks to the same key character trait for Goliath, the same urge to save and protect that led him down this path also pulls him back from it. There’s great poetry in that.
I still find it low-key bizarre that they end up giving the Eye to Odin after all he’s done, but I guess it belongs to him. And Goliath’s epiphany through the experience, in a snow-draped setting, makes for a mighty fine episode.