black_sluggard | Gargoyles Re-watch (or First-watch): Episode One

My best friend and I suffer from a rather hefty age gap, which means that some of the cartoons I enjoyed the most when I was in the ten-to-thirteen range were a bit before his time. Thanks to DVD and internet magic, some of these gaps have been filled, but to date one glaring exception has been my favorite cartoon of all time: Gargoyles.

During my late-elementary/early-middleschool years, this cartoon was my obsession, and has had a long-lasting effect on many areas of my life. It slotted in very nicely with my established love of fantasy, and science fiction. It was, as far as I can remember, my first exposure to the genre of contemporary urban fantasy (which has since become my long-running favorite). It inspired an interest in Shakespeare, and prompted me to pay attention to the voice acting credits of every cartoon I watched thereafter (there is an old joke that Gargoyles is where Star Trek actors go when their series die). It helped hook me on the concept of the Fair Folk as powerful, dangerous creatures to be feared (as opposed to the more common twinkly pixie-fairies). It had a not-insignificant influence on my drawing style. The writer of the show provided some of my earliest lessons about the value of characterization, character progression, foreshadowing, and continuity...

And it was also just a solidly fun, well-written, bizarre, actiony sci-fi-fantasy series.

Having recently discovered that Gargoyles' entire first and second season are available to watch free online (the only two seasons before changes in production and management that lead to a contested and generally inferior third), I've managed to talk him around to giving it a try. Unfortunately, due to my limited net, I've been forced to limit myself to a viewing schedule of one episode a week.

So I figured, why not attempt to make this a regular feature in my newly-revived LJ postings?

Today we watched the first episode, "Awakening" Part 1:

( Slight warning: The opening action sequence includes imagery of falling architectural debris which might be triggering to individuals sensitive to the events of 9-11. )

"Awakening" is a five-part episode. The series was very fond of multi-part episodes and had a handful of them, usually three or four parts long.

In this episode...

During a sequence of distant aerial destruction atop an incredibly tall skyscraper in Manhattan, we are introduced briefly to Detective Elisa Maza of the NYPD, as well as some visual evidence that the action overhead may be stranger than it appears.
Meanwhile, back in Medieval Scotland, Castle Wyvern is under siege by viking invaders, lead by a man named Hakon. Come sunset, the inhabitants of the castle are aided in their defense by the sudden awakening of the demonic-looking statues lining its walls into flesh-and-blood creatures. After the attack has been repelled, everyone in the castle rejoices—though as the Captain of the guard invites the chief of the gargoyles, Goliath, to the dining hall to receive recognition, it becomes quickly apparent that relations between the two races are less friendly than he would like.

Goliath and the Captain discuss the possibility that the vikings might return the following day, and Goliath's second in command suggests that they mount a pursuit to scare the vikings into fleeing. Goliath chooses instead to go alone, save for his own mentor, reasoning that the gargoyle clan's full strength would be unnecessary. Just before he leaves, a peaceful encounter between a boy and a trio of young gargoyles causes panic among the human refugees sheltered in the castle. Goliath orders the three to stay in the caves beneath the castle where the gargoyles keep their eggs until he returns to handle the situation properly.

Goliath and his mentor follow the vikings' trail. Unfortunately, they realize only too late that the trail was a decoy drawing them away from the castle, and the sun rises, turning them to stone before they can return.

Back at the castle, the vikings unleash their second assault—this time aided by signs of obvious treachery. It is quickly revealed that the Captain of the guard has conspired with Hakon to allow the vikings to take the castle. The surviving human inhabitants, including the Magus and Princess Catherine, are taken prisoner. Afterward, Hakon prepares to dispose of the sleeping gargoyles. The Captain protests, attempting to convince Hakon that the gargoyles wouldn't seek reprisal so long as his men were out of sight before sunset. These pleas fall on deaf ears, however, and Hakon proceeds to shatter the helpless gargoyles where they sleep.

(To be continued...)

Notable Voices:
Detective Maza - Salli Richardson (of Eureka fame)
Goliath - Keith David (John Carpenter's The Thing, They Live, Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick and numerous voice roles)
Goliath's mentor - Ed Asner (numerous film, voice and TV roles)
Goliath's second in command - Marina Sirtis (of Star Trek: TNG fame)

Hakon - Clancy Brown (Highlander, Justice League, Cowboys and Aliens, and numerous voice roles)

Themes:

Right away, this episode displays several elements that will continually reappear throughout the series:

Betrayal is a common recurring theme, and it's not difficult to see why. The gargoyles are clearly helpless during the daylight hours, leaving them entirely at the humans' mercy. The plot of many of the most memorable episodes were driven by such related subjects as loyalty, responsibility, hatred, vengeance, forgiveness, trust, and regret.

Deception is another frequent motif. The series like to play around with expectations—the heroes look like monsters, and many of the villains at first appear to be allies. As well, for an action series, a great deal of the conflict actually takes place in the form of shifting alliances, manipulations, and reversals.

Personal Thoughts:

The attack on the castle is one of my favorite scenes in the series, and during this watch it seemed just as impressive as I remembered it.

I've always enjoyed the period sequences a great deal. For a children's fantasy cartoon, you can tell they've put a great deal of thought into accuracy. The vikings mostly have fairly simple helmets (without horns), and fight with a variety of weaponry.

Between the modern day scenes, and the flashbacks, this episode only hints at the tip of the iceberg as far as the variety of elements woven into the show. With the general fantasy feel generally established, it won't be until parts 2 or 3 that we start to see the science-fiction start to creep in.

It's going to be so hard to resist the temptation to watch them all ahead of time. T_T

Gargoyles Re-watch (or First-watch): Episode One—"Awakening" Pt. 1