In the sixth episode of the second season of Gargoyles, Broadway tries to assist Elisa with a case. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Gargoyles.Â
Oh, this was a lot of fun, even if it felt a bit non-sensical at times. (Seriously, why did Elisa throw the bag full of marbles out onto the silver falcon head? Just for the sheer drama of it? Actually… that’s probably exactly why she did it.) The entire episode is a giant love letter to the noir genre, and we’re told as much from the opening. The animation is awash in shadows and darkness, in flashes of lightning that reveal our determined characters and their targets. But we’re also aware of the tone of this episode because of Broadway’s continued interest in the wide variety of dramatic films that are at his disposal. From westerns to film noir, Broadway learns about the world through movies, and he (sometimes unfortunately) wants to emulate the things that he sees. Last time, this had a disastrous end: he shot Elisa by mistake. (There’s a nice nod to that here where we learn that Elisa now locks up her gun. Safe gun ownership, y’all!)
Here… well, it’s kind of a mess. Broadway assumes a lot when he invites himself onto Elisa’s case to track down her partner. At times, he does help her, and once they sync up their actions, they’re actually quite a good team. Yet while he does provide assistance, I thought it was important that the show demonstrate that Elisa didn’t actually need Broadway. She’s capable on her own, and her ultimate deception of Dominick Dracon is all of her own design. That’s Broadway’s lesson here: when he barges in without consulting Elisa, he makes a mess of things. Like blowing up Bluestone’s apartment. WHOOPS. Or getting in the way of Elisa’s shot! Or distracting Elisa, which allowed one of Dracon’s henchmen to get away.
But I also adore this episode because it’s yet another example of Gargoyles being willing to highlight a secondary character. Matt Bluestone has personality, y’all! He’s got his quirk – his belief in conspiracy theories – that ACTUALLY AFFECTS THE STORY. The whole reason this case gets set in motion is because Bluestone is convinced he’s found an important clue that will lead him to the Illuminati. (I still can’t believe this was ACTUALLY ON THE SHOW.) Instead, he unearths a decades-long feud between an old thief and the Dracon crime empire, and OH NO, HE’S RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. It’s a classic noir story, but we don’t experience it through him. No, Gargoyles is so much more clever than that. By sticking this whole thing within the context of Elisa and Broadway, we get THREE STORIES. Yes, there’s still Bluestone’s awkward obsession leading to a nightmare. But Broadway learns how to be a real partner to someone. Elisa discovers the value of having a partner, even though she is perfectly capable of being alone.
AND SHE ALSO CLIMBS UP THE SIDE OF A BUILDING. I can’t even imagine the sheer strength and dexterity that woman has within her, what the hell. Basically, I left this episode not only enjoying that I got to spend time with Broadway and Bluestone, but thrilled that I just got to watch Elisa be BETTER THAN LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE. Bravo, Gargoyles. I love that this show can be super serious and super fun at the same time.
The video for “The Silver Falcon” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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