[8.4/10] This one can basically be split into three parts, and I liked all of them! We’ve (seemingly) reached the long-awaited end of the Avalon boat cruise arc. As much as a pain as that arc became, the culmination promises to be worthwhile, if this episode is anything to go on.
The first part of it is basically table-setting. We see Oberon invoking the famed “gathering” of his children, and lay out the two main plot concerns for the episode. After all of the international tourism, I’ll say it’s cool to see all of the magical folks our heroes have come across joined together in one place for the coming grand events. There’s some less-than-great symbolism to the creatures of legend from around the world all coming to pay fealty to one from English tradition as their king, but what can you do?
To complete the Gathering, Oberon sets out in search of Puck, who’s as slippery as ever, a search which brings him to his once and future wife, TItania, who also has a role to play in the Gathering. This all exists mainly to give Oberon a little more development and to set the premise. You can see the seams a bit, but it all functions well and makes for an interesting setup.
The second part is the business with the Xanatos-Fox family, which serves to introduce the conflict and raise the stakes. We get the big reveal here -- tha Fox’s mom is TItania. It’s not much of a surprise, but it still works as something that gobsmacks all the mortals involved. I also like the idea behind it. You can only pull so many “such and such magical creature is actually connected to the people we already know” unveilings, but the “god consorts with mortals and humans have to sort out the complicated aftermath” is a venerable strain of storytelling for a reason.
We also get the major issue, that despite Oberon’s pledge that he and his children will not interfere in human events, Fox and Xanatos’s son has magical blood, and so he and TItania want to abscond with the child to Avalon. That creates both a pragmatic reason for the oncoming fight: both sides are fighting to retain custody to their offspring. But it adds an emotional component to this as well. It’s parents versus grandparents, each believing they know what’s best for a little baby and wanting to hold onto their connection to him. It’s relatable for hero and villain and antihero alike, which is a good place for a story to be.
Last but not least, we get reunions and introductions and resolutions at the end of Goliath and company’s journey. Again, the Avalon travelogue arc went on too long in my book. I got impatient and at times it felt like the show was spinning its wheels. But the benefit of an overlong journey is it means even more relief once our heroes return from whence they came.
It’s adorable when Bronx leaps on top of Hudson and gives him a big lick. It’s sweet when Broadway spins Elisa in the air. It’s...a little awkward but still pleasant when the Trio give Angela the leftovers from a box of chocolate. And it’s especially heartening when Husdon and Goliath share their wrist-based handshake, an affirmation of their trust in one another despite the time away. The core team has been split for some time now, and watching them reunite is heartwarming as all hell.
At the same time, the show plays it coy about the forbidden love between Goliath and Elisa. I honestly really like how the show underplays this, where the feeling and devotion between them is clearly there, but the differences between them in terms of species is too great, and both are a little broken up about that, even if they don’t want to show it. This trip has only reinforced that bond, and I like the way the show gestures to it without going too far. (Granted, the rain is a little much)
But then we get setup for the big confrontations to come, with Titania asking our heroes for help and being rebuffed, Xanatos setting up a defense perimeter put together by Owen, and Oberon himself turning giant in an effort to take his grandson. There's some big time stuff in the offing. The first part of “The Gathering” mostly sets the table for that, rather than delves into it directly, but I like these “calm before the storm” episodes.
I just have to mention Owen. I’m intrigued by how he apparently knew that Fox’s mother was Titania and prepared for it, even if he’s unwilling to fight. He’s always had an interesting quality to him, and I like the idea of exploring that a little. (Right down to Renard’s assistant seeming to be cut from the same cloth, not to mention the assistant of that gangster guy who’s threatened Elisa.) That said, I really hope it doesn’t turn out that he’s Puck, which feels like it would be one twist/secret persona too many after Titania.
Overall though, this episode is exciting, portends epic conflicts to come, and is rife with emotion for hero and villain alike. Can't ask for much more than that.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-08-13T01:07:29Z
[8.4/10] This one can basically be split into three parts, and I liked all of them! We’ve (seemingly) reached the long-awaited end of the Avalon boat cruise arc. As much as a pain as that arc became, the culmination promises to be worthwhile, if this episode is anything to go on.
The first part of it is basically table-setting. We see Oberon invoking the famed “gathering” of his children, and lay out the two main plot concerns for the episode. After all of the international tourism, I’ll say it’s cool to see all of the magical folks our heroes have come across joined together in one place for the coming grand events. There’s some less-than-great symbolism to the creatures of legend from around the world all coming to pay fealty to one from English tradition as their king, but what can you do?
To complete the Gathering, Oberon sets out in search of Puck, who’s as slippery as ever, a search which brings him to his once and future wife, TItania, who also has a role to play in the Gathering. This all exists mainly to give Oberon a little more development and to set the premise. You can see the seams a bit, but it all functions well and makes for an interesting setup.
The second part is the business with the Xanatos-Fox family, which serves to introduce the conflict and raise the stakes. We get the big reveal here -- tha Fox’s mom is TItania. It’s not much of a surprise, but it still works as something that gobsmacks all the mortals involved. I also like the idea behind it. You can only pull so many “such and such magical creature is actually connected to the people we already know” unveilings, but the “god consorts with mortals and humans have to sort out the complicated aftermath” is a venerable strain of storytelling for a reason.
We also get the major issue, that despite Oberon’s pledge that he and his children will not interfere in human events, Fox and Xanatos’s son has magical blood, and so he and TItania want to abscond with the child to Avalon. That creates both a pragmatic reason for the oncoming fight: both sides are fighting to retain custody to their offspring. But it adds an emotional component to this as well. It’s parents versus grandparents, each believing they know what’s best for a little baby and wanting to hold onto their connection to him. It’s relatable for hero and villain and antihero alike, which is a good place for a story to be.
Last but not least, we get reunions and introductions and resolutions at the end of Goliath and company’s journey. Again, the Avalon travelogue arc went on too long in my book. I got impatient and at times it felt like the show was spinning its wheels. But the benefit of an overlong journey is it means even more relief once our heroes return from whence they came.
It’s adorable when Bronx leaps on top of Hudson and gives him a big lick. It’s sweet when Broadway spins Elisa in the air. It’s...a little awkward but still pleasant when the Trio give Angela the leftovers from a box of chocolate. And it’s especially heartening when Husdon and Goliath share their wrist-based handshake, an affirmation of their trust in one another despite the time away. The core team has been split for some time now, and watching them reunite is heartwarming as all hell.
At the same time, the show plays it coy about the forbidden love between Goliath and Elisa. I honestly really like how the show underplays this, where the feeling and devotion between them is clearly there, but the differences between them in terms of species is too great, and both are a little broken up about that, even if they don’t want to show it. This trip has only reinforced that bond, and I like the way the show gestures to it without going too far. (Granted, the rain is a little much)
But then we get setup for the big confrontations to come, with Titania asking our heroes for help and being rebuffed, Xanatos setting up a defense perimeter put together by Owen, and Oberon himself turning giant in an effort to take his grandson. There's some big time stuff in the offing. The first part of “The Gathering” mostly sets the table for that, rather than delves into it directly, but I like these “calm before the storm” episodes.
I just have to mention Owen. I’m intrigued by how he apparently knew that Fox’s mother was Titania and prepared for it, even if he’s unwilling to fight. He’s always had an interesting quality to him, and I like the idea of exploring that a little. (Right down to Renard’s assistant seeming to be cut from the same cloth, not to mention the assistant of that gangster guy who’s threatened Elisa.) That said, I really hope it doesn’t turn out that he’s Puck, which feels like it would be one twist/secret persona too many after Titania.
Overall though, this episode is exciting, portends epic conflicts to come, and is rife with emotion for hero and villain alike. Can't ask for much more than that.