[7.1/10] Is it just me or was the animation really good in this episode? In a way that feels out of step with the usual Gargoyles animation style? Some of the character designs were a little off, but there was so much more fluidity in the movement and expression in the poses. I was really taken aback by it! Proteus was especially cool-looking in how he gestured and made expressions. I don’t know if the show used another studio or something, but that was an unexpected treat so late in the show’s run, and it probably boosted my score more than the episode deserves.
That’s because I wasn’t terribly excited to see the New Olympians again. Their first episode was kind of a yawner for me, so seeing Taurus and Proteus back didn’t do much to excite me. Despite the cool animation, Proteus turns into a weird Riddler ripoff for reasons that are beyond me. Taurus remains a generic cop. More than that, it’s not really clear what the bad guy wants. Theoretically he’s out for revenge against Elisa and Goliath, but in practice, he has a really circuitous route to get there.
The major players also seem a bit out of character. Everyone’s a little more dramatic and breathless, but maybe I’m overstating things a bit. You can feel the script struggling to set up dramatic act breaks, and there’s a lot of random combat that doesn't really serve a purpose.
There’s something interesting about the central theme of trust. Goliath initially bristling at Angela suspecting him of being rough with robbers due to video evidence when he protests his innocence, only to accept that she was just doing her job, is a solid arc. I even like Goliath’s solution to the old “Which doppelganger do you shoot?” conundrum -- asking the Elisas whether she ever doubted him. It’s a nice test of honesty and, of course, trust, even if the whole thing veers a touch into the didactic.
Overall, I’ll admit, on storytelling alone, this one would probably rate a “fine” at best. But the animation was so unique for the show that it kept me interested and invested more than I might have expected.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-09-12T05:24:06Z
[7.1/10] Is it just me or was the animation really good in this episode? In a way that feels out of step with the usual Gargoyles animation style? Some of the character designs were a little off, but there was so much more fluidity in the movement and expression in the poses. I was really taken aback by it! Proteus was especially cool-looking in how he gestured and made expressions. I don’t know if the show used another studio or something, but that was an unexpected treat so late in the show’s run, and it probably boosted my score more than the episode deserves.
That’s because I wasn’t terribly excited to see the New Olympians again. Their first episode was kind of a yawner for me, so seeing Taurus and Proteus back didn’t do much to excite me. Despite the cool animation, Proteus turns into a weird Riddler ripoff for reasons that are beyond me. Taurus remains a generic cop. More than that, it’s not really clear what the bad guy wants. Theoretically he’s out for revenge against Elisa and Goliath, but in practice, he has a really circuitous route to get there.
The major players also seem a bit out of character. Everyone’s a little more dramatic and breathless, but maybe I’m overstating things a bit. You can feel the script struggling to set up dramatic act breaks, and there’s a lot of random combat that doesn't really serve a purpose.
There’s something interesting about the central theme of trust. Goliath initially bristling at Angela suspecting him of being rough with robbers due to video evidence when he protests his innocence, only to accept that she was just doing her job, is a solid arc. I even like Goliath’s solution to the old “Which doppelganger do you shoot?” conundrum -- asking the Elisas whether she ever doubted him. It’s a nice test of honesty and, of course, trust, even if the whole thing veers a touch into the didactic.
Overall, I’ll admit, on storytelling alone, this one would probably rate a “fine” at best. But the animation was so unique for the show that it kept me interested and invested more than I might have expected.