In the first episode of the second season of Gargoyles, this season is already not fooling around. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Gargoyles.
JUST KIDDING, I’M BACK. Turns out I had an extra day before leaving town for a convention, and I could not wait any longer. The first season of this show as a revelation, and by gods, I need more. MORE I SAY.
And what an opening! The new opening narration over the credits is a welcome addition to the show, but it’s not the only thing I enjoyed about this. Y’all, this episode relies on SO MUCH SERIALIZATION to fully understand its depths. I imagine it would be entertaining regardless because the story here is so ridiculous. “Leader of the Pack” opens with a prison break orchestrated by Xanatos, who now possesses a wolf-themed robotic armor. BECAUSE WHY NOT, OF COURSE. Yet his plan seemed so deceptively simple: break out the Pack out of prison, then goad the gargoyles into a fight, all so that Xanatos could destroy them once and for all. Except… Xanatos doesn’t want to kill the gargoyles, does he? He wants to control them. Xanatos only eliminates things when he has no use for them, and the gargoyles offer up untold potential to him.
So I was suspicious – to a point, that is – while I was also busy appreciating the emotional intensity of this struggle for Lexington. After he’d been fooled by the Pack last season, he’s left with a lot of pent-up rage. His betrayal hurt, which is also why he was more susceptible to Demona’s influence in “Temptation.” Ultimately, his feelings weren’t resolved, which is why he’s so eager to go after the Pack in this episode. But at what cost? I was glad that the other gargoyles didn’t tell Lexington not to be angry. Instead, the focus is on what he does with his anger. Unfortunately, he’s reckless! He rushes into multiple confrontations without a plan. After being beat once (and taken to that tanker), his anger gets the best of him again. Revenge is more important to him, but only until he realizes that he’s been prioritizing himself over his brethren.
But y’all. Y’ALL. Let’s talk about the big fight between Goliath and Xanatos. Those two have BEEF, and I love that they throw down without much said at all. Xanatos has already been established as a formidable villain, and here, he reveals a new trick: HE HAS CREATED HUMANOID ROBOTS THAT LOOK EXACTLY LIKE HIMSELF. Do I now have to wonder if every appearance of this man is a robot or the actual person??? OF COURSE I DO. Not only that, but Fox wasn’t joking about her affinity for Xanatos’s genius. YEAH, THEY’RE IN LOVE. So that means we have to take into account both of these characters in the future!
What I love about this premiere is that it continues stories told in season one while showing us just how messed up things may get for the the gargoyles. There might be no usage of Demona here, but she still haunts these characters. Elisa is used sparingly, but what of her? And her partner? And the rest of the NYPD, who now know that the gargoyles exist? There are all sorts of stories to tell at this point, and I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the Pack either. (Or Macbeth. Where is he?) As Xanatos’s technology continues to improve, the gargoyles are going to have to continue to adapt.
And I can’t wait to see how they do that.
The video for “Leader of the Pack” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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