And after our long break, we come to the 3-parter "Avalon." This is another masterclass in epic and intricate storytelling. Just as with "City of Stone," it is the culmination of several episodes' worth of stories and characters that builds on the mythology of the show. I like how the first two episodes really work to set up the final battle. Part 1 not only introduces the concept of Avalon, but it catches us up on what happened to not just the gargoyle eggs, but to The Magus, Princess Katherine, and Tom, a young boy now a full grown guardian. We see their struggle to safely ferry the gargoyle eggs that they have taken full responsibility of (what a big change for Magus and Katherine who originally despised the gargoyles' mere presence). This episode really underscores just how tragic the story of Castle Wyvern has been mostly through the actions of its own inhabitants. Yes, Hakkon and the Vikings were the ones who sacked the castle, but it was Demona and the Captain who allowed him in. It was Katherine's distrust of the clan that pushed Demona's hatred of them. And it was Magus' anger at them that cursed them to sleep for a thousand years. And now, we see how they deal with the consequences of their actions. What's fantastic is how they contrast with Demona. Katherine and Magus take full responsibility for what they did and dedicate their lives to making up for it. It shows that though the characters may make mistakes, there is always opportunity for redemption if they seek it and accept it. Part 2 then reveals that the Archmage did not die all those years ago. He lived thanks to the laws of a stable time loop. His machinations have such a wide range of influence across the centuries. It's amazing to think that as epic as "City of Stone" was, so much of it--the betrayals, the vendettas, the battles, the triumph, the tragedy--was also a millennium-long plot in the grander scheme of the Archmage's plans. David Warner, who is always just great, returns as the Archmage in what is easily the character's best story. Warner brings a sense of dignity, gravitas, and just the right amount of weasel factor to the Archmage that makes him a great villain. It was fun getting to see certain scenes from past episodes play out from different perspectives. It's very similar to what the MCU did with Endgame or what was done with Back to the Future Part 2 if you're older like me. The Phoenix Gate, Eye of Odin, and Grimorum Arcanorum are all brought together and fused with the Archmage, very much like Thanos collecting all the Infinity Stones, to create the Gargoyle's most powerful enemy (at least until Oberon shows up). Once again, the show really manages to wonderfully pay off its various set ups across the two seasons. Part 3 brings finally brings us to the big battle across several fronts, which makes it feel much grander. Elisa and Katherine help protect the Gargoyle offspring from Demona. Arthur Pendragon (Yes, that Arthur Pendragon) battles Macbeth in a clash of kings. The Magus takes on the Three Weird Sisters in a duel that actually costs him his life. And Goliath sets out against the Archmage to finish it once and for all. Every fight is a part of the larger battle for control of Avalon and the world. But in the end, The Archmage falls for every villain's biggest downfall: his desire for revenge. Instead of laying waste to the Tom, Magus, Katherine, and the gargoyles immediately, instead of taking control of Avalon and its magic right away, he allows them to bring Goliath to the island. Then, instead of killing Goliath the first chance he gets, he allows him and the rest of his enemies time to regroup and wage an assault on him on their time and their terms. All just for revenge against Goliath. All this arrogance cost him his life as he's incinerated by the power of the Grimorum, which he can't control without the Eye of Odin, which Goliath ripped off his head, which wouldn't have happened had he not been so eager for vengeance. Xanatos was right: it really is a sucker's game. This was a great arc because it not only paid off the culmination of so much storytelling across both seasons, but it opens up the mythology of the show like never before. Tom, Katherine, and Magus' adventures are shown. King Arthur awakes. Avalon is introduced to us. And this will now lead us into the Avalon World Tour that introduces even more characters and magic than we'd seen up to this point. All things are real.
The Avalon World Tour is officially underway with "Shadows of the Past." The first thing I noticed is that this episode's animation was on point. Damn, it is smooth and beautiful in certain parts. Very impressive. It was neat to see the return of Hakkon and The Captain of the Guards as spirits trying to exact revenge on Goliath for their deaths. It's been a while since we've seen just how much guilt Goliath carries over the death of his clan. Though he wasn't responsible, it still hurts him that he was unable to protect his family. I like that hatred kept Hakkon and The Captain from moving on, yet the Captain's hatred was towards himself. It took him realizing his fate was his own doing through being a traitor in order for him to move on. I like how once again, the show demonstrates the futility of revenge. Goliath learns to let go of his hatred and desire for revenge as well and can once again think of The Captain as a friend. I have no doubt, this is not something that would be easy to do for anybody. "Heritage" isn't one of my favorites of the World Tour, but it did have it's moments. It introduces some new Children of Oberon with Grandma and Raven. We get to see Goliath's optimism that there are more gargoyles out in the world. I'm surprised Elisa's Native American heritage wasn't brought up in this episode though. It's still surprising anytime some blood is displayed on the show. Violence is not shied away from even on smaller episodes. And hey, we got an episode that takes place in Canada. That's a nice change of pace for the show. I know I won't have a lot to say about some of these episodes, but I really do enjoy most of the World Tour. I like that even though it's part of a larger arc with a bigger pay off later, most of the episodes are just self contained stories that feature some good old fashioned good versus evil battles.
That was a fun read. I'm glad Weisman stuck to his guns because I have no doubt I would've noticed those discrepancies. Lol "Kingdom" returns us to Manhattan after several episodes away. I'm glad to see little touches of continuity such as the clan searching for Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx, as well as bringing Elisa's cat to the clock tower and contacting Bluestone to see if he's heard from any of their missing friends. Derek Maza (or Talon) and his mutates make a welcomed return. I like that he's adjusting to his new life by taking on a similar role of protector. The gargoyles protect the city above and he protects those living below in the labyrinth. It's a nice contrast. The most important part of the episode though is Brooklyn having to succeed Goliath as leader. He's not just a lieutenant at this point delegating orders from Goliath. He is fully responsible for the clan, and the pressure's getting to him. Now he sees what being a leader truly entails. It's difficult, stressful, and doesn't just automatically imbue him with the ability to know what to do for every situation. But he takes on the responsibility when he realizes there is no other choice. He needs to step up and take command. I think Rodimus Prime could've learned a thing or two from Brooklyn. Lol. My favorite part is Hudson playing the wise mentor and constantly probing Brooklyn on what they should do. No doubt, Hudson knows what to do, but Brooklyn is the one who needs to develop the confidence to make the call. Another great part is Brooklyn not wanting to confront Xanatos because he knows that if Xanatos isn't behind the disappearance of Goliath, et al. then they're just handing him valuable information that'll give him an advantage. And dammit, he was exactly right. It's one of the first moments when he realizes he needs to take charge and go with his gut instincts. Overall, just a solid episode from the rest of our Manhattan clan, who we unfortunately don't get to see enough of during the rest of the Avalon World Tour. "Monsters" features the Loch Ness monster. What?! I get a kick out of this episode because it's just such a wild concept. Who'd've thought Nessie was real. And that there's more than one to boot. A few minor notes about this episode are the return of Dr. Sevarius, who is always a hoot. Tim Curry is a national treasure when it comes to voice acting. We see Elisa try to contact Matt, but his answering machine is full. Nice one, Matt. Elisa's role in the World Tour is actually quite important. She's the only one that can really go out and explore where they land and interact with the populace without frightening them away. It's nice she serves an actual purpose. And we're finally given definitive proof that Angela is Goliath's actual daughter. I haven't really discussed her much, but I really liked her inclusion into the show. It helped provide some new dynamics between the characters, not just with Goliath and Elisa during the World Tour, but most obviously with the trio back in Manhattan. It was fun to get to explore another area of Scotland beyond just Castle Wyvern and what we've seen in flashbacks. A fun episode with a revelation that I'm pretty sure we'd all already worked out before. But it was still nice to have the show state it out right. And finally, for today, we have "Golem." Now this one was very interesting because it focuses on a character from Jewish folklore. The characters even speak Hebrew several times. That's a really great change of pace from all the traditional Christian imagery we usually see on tv. Halcyon Renard returns in a story that sees him engaging in a similar goal to Xanatos: extending his own life at any cost. He'd rather place his soul into a being of clay than face aging and dying. It really rounds him out as a person. Yes, he's honorable and reasonable, but he's also a person who is facing his own mortality and fears it. Goliath reasoning with him was another great change from violence usually being the answer to all their problems. He's able to talk him down and make him realize what he's doing is wrong. That death should not be something to avoid regardless of the collateral damage. The episode also provides a great in-universe excuse as to why the group doesn't just hope on a plane or call someone for a ride. Goliath comes to the conclusion that Avalon has a purpose for everywhere they've been and that he must see it through to the end.
"Sanctuary" brings back not only Demona and Macbeth, but it also reintroduces Thailog as Demona's new love interest. This was a good twist that shows just how much Demona still longs to love and be loved. I feel she genuinely loves Thailog and no doubt wishes it was Goliath who'd be flying by her side. Macbeth's desire to just give up a life of battle still stirs in him. If there's any antagonist that deserves a happy ending, it's him. The ending is so heartbreaking for Angela. She's come to the realization that her biological parents are mortal enemies, neither one of them willing to give the other the benefit of the doubt. It makes for a great allegory of divorce. Not to mention, this is the episode where Goliath really starts his "The whole clan are your parents" mentality with Angela. She looks absolutely devastated by episode's end. Elisa intentionally killing Demona to fool Thailog into thinking his plan to get her and Macbeth to kill themselves, while brilliant, does seem kinda dark if you think about it. It's quite a coincidence that Thailog takes the name Alexander as an alias as that will be Xanatos' actual son's name. Alexander the Great has no shortage of homages. "MIA" was a fun Phoenix Gate centered episode. It reinforces that time travel and history are immutable. What was shall always be. But it doesn't mean we can't bust up some SS along the way, which is quite surprising to actually hear a children's show not avert using the word Nazis all throughout. Good for the cast and crew not shying away from it. The best part of the episode though is that we finally learn along with the characters that the Wyvern Clan are not the last of gargoyle clan. There are others out there, and we'll get to meet more along this tour. I like the varying design of the gargoyles; here, we get to see them styled after a lion, unicorn, and griffen. Very cool.
Hopefully NECA eventually gives us a Thailog figure in the armor. But yeah, he's fun and this episode demonstrates how messed up and not over Goliath that Demona is. From her perspective, this is about having a Goliath she believes shares her world view... he doesn't, he's too capitalistic for that. The text is he's using her for her resources, the subtext is also that he's using her for sex (and from what I understand, that was intentional on the writers' parts). Goliath is making a mistake here with Angela. He's so afraid of her focus on biological parentage leading her to Demona that he's forgetting to be a parent of any kind to Demona... which he was doing on Avalon when he was beaming with parental pride when he first met her and the rest of his children. I have a feeling that if Hudson were here, he'd pull Goliath aside and let him know that he's letting his paranoia get the better of him. Weisman posted the memo he sent to episode writer, Cary Bates, years back... I just found it and... wow. It definitely shows why it's a good idea to have a showrunner take a firm and strong hand to guide the show. I mean, I knows shows from earlier eras like Transformers and Joe had story editors, but I wonder if they gave their writers memos like this.
Santuary is one of my favorites of the world tour stuff. Just wait until you get to the Egypt episode... OH DAMN!!!!!
That was quite a memo. Very detailed. I'm glad to see just how meticulous Weisman was with the show. No wonder it's stood the test of time for almost 25 years. And on that note, we come to "Grief." I've been waiting on this one for a while. I've always liked it because Egyptian myth and iconography has always fascinated me ever since I saw The Mummy starring Boris Karloff. I liked how the show integrated The Sphinx and Anubis into the Gargoyle mythology. Anubis is incredibly powerful with his mastery over life and death. I feel his power could revile Oberon's despite being one of his children. Wolf, Hyena, Jackal, and Coyote all make their return. As I've mentioned before, The Pack was always my favorite antagonists for the Gargoyle Clan. I like that in a show full of well-rounded characters with real human motivations and personalities, there's still room for some good old fashioned bad guys to fight. There's nothing deeper to them. They're bad guys. Very cool bad guys, but bad guys none the less, and I love that. Coyote just gets less and less human with every iteration, and once again, is destroyed in brutal fashion. This time beyond recognition as he's reduced to rust and ash, much to Hyena's dismay. She's certainly got a kinky fascination with him. Wolf is his usual gruff, animalistic self. But the real standout of this episode is Jackal. We learn just how truly omnicidal he is deep down when he inherits the power of Anubis. He kills plant life, animal life (poor crocs), and turns a whole city into a dead zone. In a nice bit of continuity, we finally get to meet the Emir that Owen mentioned way back in season 1. Looks like Xanatos might've been looking for a path to immortality even as far back as "The Edge." The best part of this episode is that not once does it shy away from mentioning death. Death is the main theme of the episode, and it is handled in a very mature way. The biggest take away is that death is the ultimate fairness. It comes for everyone. Rich and poor. Young and old. Good and bad. It plays no favorites. This is incredibly nuanced for a children's show, yet it's a very important life lesson. One moment that surprised me is Goliath pleading with the Emir to stop what he's doing or else he might lose his daughter, just as the Emir lost his son. It shows that despite his insistence that Angela think of the clan as her parents, deep down, Goliath really wants to embrace her as his own child. It's a hopeful moment for them that really contrast just how upset he was in both "Monsters" and "Sanctuary." "The Hound of Ulster." Well, well, it looks like even Bronx gets to have an episode centered around him. That's great because he's too often overlooked during the World Tour. He's mostly just used as the attack dog, and though that's sort of his purpose here, he also rallies an ally and takes point in attacking the big monster at the end. That's a good boy Bronx. This was a jaunty episode that visits Ireland. The Banshee was always another personal favorite character from old folk lore. There was always something about that character I liked. Whether it was in an episode of Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers or Darby O'Gill and the Little People, she's always fascinated me, and I'm glad gargoyles gave us their interpretation. Now we start getting a few seeds of a much larger story coming. The Banshee specifically mentions the coming of The Gathering and asks if Oberon has sent Goliath et al. to come take her away. As with all things in Gargoyles, this will all pay off at a later point. Of course, Goliath has no idea what she's talking about, and it all ends in a donnybrook with our travelers and a reincarnated Cuchullain against the Banshee in the form of Crom Cruach. On a side note, having watched the Secret of Kells, I almost jumped for joy when Banshee transformed into Crom, something I'd never really caught on when I watched the show before. Sometimes, it's the little things that can make an episode more enjoyable.
That first episode with the Quarrymen is the only one Greg accepts as canon. In his continuation comic, he redid that whole episode. And yes, their leader is THAT Hunter. I mean why else would they even have the same hood as the Hunter? Thailog is great because he is basically a "what if Goliath was raised by Xanatos" alternate universe version. Sort of like Superman: The Dark Side. And he really outdid even his own father. I... hope your girlfriend isn't called Medusa... These are hilarious (yet frightening, because we know people exist in animation who would do this). Who is the artist who does these?
"Walkabout" is clearly one of those Weisman spinoffs we always hear about, and while I honestly wasn't really all that interested in the further adventures of Dingo and Matrix, I do enjoy this episode for bringing back not only Dingo and Fox, who is now actually visibly pregnant since the last time we saw her, but now we get to meet her mother, Anastasia Renard, who will also play a much larger role in episodes to come, though we don't know her full story yet. This was probably the first instance of the "grey goo" apocalypse I ever saw as a child, and it's still an intriguing concept that other shows like Justice League Unlimited also used. I like the way Dingo actually wants to be a hero again. I guess the mercenary life just ain't what it used to be. He did seem to be the only Pack member that was showing some bit of remorse or distaste for what the Pack was turning into, which solidifies that the Pack is truly now no more. If I'm not mistaken, "Grief" may be the last time we'll ever see them together in force, and even that episode didn't have Dingo. I was so surprised during the ending credits to see that James Avery was the voice of the Shaman. I did not recognize Uncle Phil or Shredder's voice at all in that character. As a bonus: take a shot every time somebody says the phrase "the Dreamtime." You'll probably be out cold before the credits roll. "Mark of the Panther" is a great family episode. We get to learn a little more about Elisa's mother Diane and her African heritage. Funny that we get two mother episodes in a row. Elisa clearly feels smothered by her mother, which in her defense, yes, Elisa is an adult living on her own and is certainly entitled to some privacy and independence. But in her mother's defense, Elisa did seem to just disappear for who knows how long. I'd definitely be worried. It made for a great contrast to Angela. Elisa wants less attention from her mother, and Angela just wants something, anything, from Goliath that would make her feel like his daughter, not just the clan's offspring. So it made for a good lesson for Elisa to learn and appreciate the love of her mother, and just as important in this episode, we get to see Goliath grow closer to his daughter and learn the importance of being a parent. Goliath's insistence that he can't show special attention to Angela is beautifully shot down by Diane Maza when she informs him that all children crave special attention from their parents. It's a great moment for Goliath to show that he is still willing to learn. Our heroes, just like our villains, are fully rounded characters that make mistakes, yet still have the capability to learn and grow from them. I liked the opening narration featuring the Africanized/Aboriginal animation when recounting the story of Ansani and the Panther. It reminds me of the opening narration to Watership Down and its rabbit mythology. And with Nichele Nichols providing the voice of Diane and Levar Burton providing the voice of Ansani, it feels like a neat Star Trek and Star Trek the Next Generation crossover.
I think it was around this time of their first airings as a Pre-Teen that the show was teaching me about world mythology through these episodes. I'm certain I never heard of Anansi until I watched "Mark of the Panther". Maybe an unpopular opinion, the world travel episodes are among my favorite episodes of Gargoyles for those reasons. I remember being legitimately interested in Dingo's character for the reasons you listed, so as a kid I liked seeing his story progressed without The Pack.
Dingo's character arc continued in the SLG comic, they did a spin-off titled "Gargoyles: Bad Guys" which was sortof similar to Suicide Squad...
There were also a couple other Banshee appearances I remember; the one from an episode of Tiny Toons where Plucky & Hamton encountered it in the old castle they were staying in, and of course the most famous iteration of the Banshee…
For my childhood, the most famous Banshee was Shanna from the Real Ghostbusters episode "Banshee Bake a Cherry Pie?" Though when I started college, friends helped me discover another banshee
"Pendragon" is a return to Manhattan. This was fun to see a variety of characters all coming together. King Arthur, Griff (from the London Clan), the Manhattan Clan, and Macbeth. It's certainly a group I wouldn't have imagined, but the episode is fun. Macbeth is looking for a new purpose now that he's given up his suicide missions against Demona. Arthur explores the new world, and we learn that the gang in New York at least has an idea that Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx are alive thanks to word from Diane Maza and Halcyon Renard, though I don't think they've been told about Angela yet. I think more episodes like this would've helped out the World Tour with the viewers. As much as I like the World Tour, the Manhattan clan is missed throughout these adventures. Even Goliath obviously misses them, when he creates stone avatars of them in "Walkabout." Having more episodes with them would've helped with that, and we could see how much they're growing, especially Brooklyn as he takes on the role of leader. I would've liked to have seen him (particularly in this episode that is all about being King and ruler) step up as more as a leader to try and calm things between Arthur and Macbeth. And despite both clashing for control of Excalibur, Macbeth once again shows his honorable side by acknowledging that Arthur is the one true king. In the end Griff takes off with Arthur on further adventures, which to me seems odd considering how he'd technically been missing for 40 years. I wonder how Una and Leo feel about that. "Eye of the Storm" gives us a peek at Goliath's dark side as well as wrapping up the Eye of Odin story line that began all the way back in "The Edge." We get some fun Norse mythology shout outs with Odin himself taking center stage along with his horse Sleipnir. We even get a glimpse of Bifrost at the end. It's funny how Odin actually proclaims himself as a god, much like Anubis, yet they are both children of Oberon. Just how powerful they are compared to him remains a mystery. I liked how Goliath realized the attacking polar bear and old man both had one eye missing and so they must be one and same. Nice to see our heroes aren't dummies who miss the obvious. The two biggest takeaways from the episode are of course Goliath donning the eye of Odin and being overwhelmed as his desire to protect consumes him and transforms him into a tyrannical protector. It was a shocking turn to see our hero go so far and imprison those he wants to protect, for their own good of course. The other takeaway is Goliath embracing Angela more and more as his daughter. In fact, it's that love for her that manages to snap him out of his Eye of Odin power surge. I like how the resident human locals Gunther and his son take the existence of gargoyles and Odin in stride. Sure, why not? Lol.
What I liked about this was seeing Macbeth filled with hope. He competed for Excalibur hard and probably because he felt that being the new Once and Future King would make his centuries of suffering have meaning, have some purpose to it. But he still acknowledged Arthur as the One once it was over. They have a fun reunion in the SLG comic.
That's a very good point. He's hopeful to have something to do with his long life than just hunt Demona. In fact, despite his goons, I don't feel Macbeth would've been a malevolent king. I feel he could be honorable in that role. I'm glad to hear a lot of these characters and stories got some form of continuation in the comics.
"The New Olympians" is another personal favorite from the World Tour. I've always loved Greek mythology. The ancient Greek stories are probably the first mythology I was ever introduced to by my dad as a kid. I knew all about the Cyclops, Odysseus, Achilles, Apollo, Zeus, Medusa, Perseus, Theseus, and all those ancient Greek heroes and gods growing up. Seeing their descendants reimagined for the show was a definite treat. Michael Dorn returning to the show, this time as Taurus, was cool. He brought some real authority to role, and his character had some legitimate motivation for distrusting humans. His Minotaur ancestor was imprisoned in a labyrinth and killed by humans. I liked the sci-fi elements they added to the various characters. Very 90s. The best of the episode on this rewatch though was the fact that this time, Elisa is the outcast feared and hated by the population. She's in a land where humans are not welcomed. It made for a great twist in the show for Elisa to experience what her friends have experienced all their lives. Hell, they were even shunned in their own home a thousand years ago. Though, ironically enough, as a half-black, half-Native American, I'm sure Elisa has experienced here share of discrimination. Also, I was genuinely shocked to hear Proteus so casually mention he "murdered" Taurus' father. I know the show isn't coy about mentioning death, but hearing a character gleefully say he murdered someone is quite horrifying. In the end, of course, though, everything works out, and we've got another backdoor pilot. "The Green" is another episode I'd been looking forward to. A classic green aesop message episode, but with a Gargoyle's twist. The story being split between Guatemala and New York was a brilliant way to bring back the Manhattan clan as the action was split over two hemispheres. Jackal and Hyena are as fun as ever, and I loved Jackal's incredulity at constantly being followed around the world by Goliath. The Mayan/Aztec designs of the new gargoyle clan are beautiful. I'm loving how the show is insinuating that gargoyles and/or the children of Oberon are the direct inspirations for so many of our ancient myths and legends. Truly magical and fantastical beings did once walk among us. The ability of the Mayan clan to be able to stay in gargoyle form during the day was a clever surprise, as was the fact they were named after their respective magical gems. I wonder if Goliath considered asking them if there was a way to duplicate the gems' magic, since the last time he actually got to see the sun was in "Eye of the Storm." I liked how Elisa makes an argument for some local farmers actually needing to cut down some trees for their own well being. They weren't part of some deforestation scheme or some big corporation. They just needed some wood. Despite the theme of the episode being the importance of preserving our natural resources, this was still an important point to make. Some times, we do need to use to natural resources. As with so many other themes and stories, the answer is never a simple this thing good, that thing bad. Except Hyena and Jackal. They're always bad, and they relish every moment of it.
It's weird how quickly Jackal and Hyena recovered from their ordeal in Egypt and went to Guatemala to cause trouble.
Ha, that's true. She forgave him pretty quickly after he turned her into a baby and reduced her robotic boyfriend to rust. I guess the family that slays together, stays together.
