[7.3/10] It’s nice to get a Gargoyles episode that feels momentous. I’m all for episodic adventures, but the boat cruise material had been getting tiresome, so having our heroes return to Avalon to do battle with Oberon himself is a small treat.
The conflict is rooted in bits and pieces that have been alluded to in the past. The Weird Sisters alert Oberon and Titania that there are interlopers on their island. The kind of the third race is irked at these mortal squatters and demands they get out, only for Titania to offer him a bargain. Mortal yourself up to fight them, and if you win, I’ll remarry you. It’s weird, but in keeping with the Midsummer Night’s Dream and general Shakespearean vibe the show’s aimed to evoke for some time now.
The catch is that a lot of the material plays like filer. Oberon chases Goliath, ANgela, and Gabriel across the island for a series of action set pieces. THese are mostly fine: an attack by animate trees, a spin through an active volcano, and other dust-ups. But there’s nothing much to them beyond Oberon cheating a little despite supposedly giving up the bulk of his powers to Titania to make it a fair fight. These sequences aren’t eye-catching enough on their own to justify their existence, and they don't have much relevance to the plot.
On the other hand, I like the other (mostly) human characters working smarter, not harder. Elisa picking up on Oberon’s flinch when she pointed her gun at him is a good clue. That said, it seems a little random that Oberon and the Fey Folk are vulnerable to iron, but no more random than werewolves being vulnerable to silver bullets, I suppose. Likewise, the team figuring out how to use iron to make a bell seems a little out of nowhere, but Titania’s riddle is at least in line with other Shakespearean riddles (see: “No man born of woman”), so I’m inclined to let it slide.
Mostly I appreciate the broad strokes theme here. Titania is inclined to show our heroes mercy, because she’s lived among the humans for a thousand years and so understands them in a way her comrades don’t. (Based on the fact that she’s voiced by Kate Mulgrew, I assume she was Fox’s mom?) Our heroes mull over who’s in the right, acknowledging the moral and legal complexities over their living on Oberon’s island, combined with the fact that he abandoned it for a thousand years, mixed with the fact that he attacked them.
In the end, they show him mercy too, when they could use the iron bell to totally neutralize him. It helps him to see humans differently and they broker a peace. It’s a nice sign that the good guys have good moral character that makes them worth appreciating. Having the resolution rest on cleverness and integrity rather than just brute strength or magic is something I always appreciate.
All-in-all, this was a pleasant stop along the way of this overextended boat tour, and a return to their launching point is hopefully a sign that they’re close to getting home.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-08-10T20:39:21Z
[7.3/10] It’s nice to get a Gargoyles episode that feels momentous. I’m all for episodic adventures, but the boat cruise material had been getting tiresome, so having our heroes return to Avalon to do battle with Oberon himself is a small treat.
The conflict is rooted in bits and pieces that have been alluded to in the past. The Weird Sisters alert Oberon and Titania that there are interlopers on their island. The kind of the third race is irked at these mortal squatters and demands they get out, only for Titania to offer him a bargain. Mortal yourself up to fight them, and if you win, I’ll remarry you. It’s weird, but in keeping with the Midsummer Night’s Dream and general Shakespearean vibe the show’s aimed to evoke for some time now.
The catch is that a lot of the material plays like filer. Oberon chases Goliath, ANgela, and Gabriel across the island for a series of action set pieces. THese are mostly fine: an attack by animate trees, a spin through an active volcano, and other dust-ups. But there’s nothing much to them beyond Oberon cheating a little despite supposedly giving up the bulk of his powers to Titania to make it a fair fight. These sequences aren’t eye-catching enough on their own to justify their existence, and they don't have much relevance to the plot.
On the other hand, I like the other (mostly) human characters working smarter, not harder. Elisa picking up on Oberon’s flinch when she pointed her gun at him is a good clue. That said, it seems a little random that Oberon and the Fey Folk are vulnerable to iron, but no more random than werewolves being vulnerable to silver bullets, I suppose. Likewise, the team figuring out how to use iron to make a bell seems a little out of nowhere, but Titania’s riddle is at least in line with other Shakespearean riddles (see: “No man born of woman”), so I’m inclined to let it slide.
Mostly I appreciate the broad strokes theme here. Titania is inclined to show our heroes mercy, because she’s lived among the humans for a thousand years and so understands them in a way her comrades don’t. (Based on the fact that she’s voiced by Kate Mulgrew, I assume she was Fox’s mom?) Our heroes mull over who’s in the right, acknowledging the moral and legal complexities over their living on Oberon’s island, combined with the fact that he abandoned it for a thousand years, mixed with the fact that he attacked them.
In the end, they show him mercy too, when they could use the iron bell to totally neutralize him. It helps him to see humans differently and they broker a peace. It’s a nice sign that the good guys have good moral character that makes them worth appreciating. Having the resolution rest on cleverness and integrity rather than just brute strength or magic is something I always appreciate.
All-in-all, this was a pleasant stop along the way of this overextended boat tour, and a return to their launching point is hopefully a sign that they’re close to getting home.