In the seventh episode of the second season of Gargoyles, THIS WAS A WILD RIDE FROM START TO FINISH. Intrigued? Then it’s time for mark to watch Gargoyles.Â
Holy shit, BRAVO. This episode is challenging and a shocker because, as we learn by the end of it, Xanatos genuinely had no idea what to do. For the first time in the series, he appears to have ACTUALLY CARED ABOUT SOMEONE.
That doesn’t mean I like or trust him, and the script makes that important distinction, too. Right up until the end, Goliath and Elisa do not offer him anything other than a guarded suspicion. Why should they? The man is manipulative, and every time he’s tried to appeal to their generosity or sense of duty, he’s burned them. It’s what he does! Why would things be any different this time around?
The answer to that is in the opening of this episode, though. Initially, I saw Xanatos’s proposal to Fox (and her acceptance) as horrifyingly detached. They spoke of love and commitment as if it was a business transaction. However, what if that’s really how they express love and affection? What if Xanatos really thought that giving Fox the Eye of Odin was a good gift, albeit one that he believed that he could control? If you accept that hypothesis, then Xanatos makes a bit more sense here. Granted, it doesn’t excuse what he does, nor does it account for how truly fucked up it was that he wanted to test out the Eye of Odin ON HIS FIANCEÉ. He had no idea what that amulet/necklace thing would do, and he didn’t warn Fox at all. He just gave it to her like it was a spectacular piece of jewelry, nothing more.
AND LOOK WHAT IT DOES TO HER. She’s transformed into a wolf every night. She is filled with a near-insatiable hunger when this happens. Everyone sees her as a threat and a danger. And then, each morning, she’s transformed back to a human, her clothes have been torn to shreds, and she can barely remember anything of the night before. In one sense, that’s a classic werewolf narrative, but it’s not quite the same here, is it? This isn’t like Derek’s transformation to Talon, which is, for the moment, permanent. It’s the only example we’ve seen that comes off like a true “curse,” and the show portrays this as a horror story. Look at how Elisa’s first interaction with Fox is framed. It’s a dark bodega; something is rummaging out of sight; Elisa’s framed just like she would be if she were in a monster flick. Throughout this episode, we’re never given a positive aspect to Fox’s transformation. Everything about it, from how it affects her body to how Xanatos deals with it, is a negative thing.
For once, Xanatos appeared to recognize that he’d truly messed up. Oh, he still tries to manipulate Goliath and Elisa, though it’s more out of desperation than anything else. He really did need them! In a refreshing twist, however, the writers have Elisa convince Goliath that he’s being manipulated AND THEY REFUSE TO HELP HIM. It’s one of a number of great moments here, but it’s my favorite of all of them. I expected Goliath to help because that’s what he does. It’s part of his characterization, you know? Goliath does eventually assist, but not out of a respect for Xanatos, and I doubt we’ll ever see a moment where Goliath respects him. HE’S SO GROSS. However, Goliath does realize that Xanatos, in his own fucked up way, loves Fox, and it adds depth to the character that wasn’t there.
I also just want to acknowledge the brilliance of all of this happening on Halloween. I LOVED THE GARGOYLES’ COSTUMES. I loved all the little references to other Disney properties. (Which suggests that the Disney films are canon within the Gargoyles universe.) But it’s the whole Beauty and the Beast motif that takes the cake here. Look, I would not have thought that the show would actually feature the burgeoning romance between Goliath and Elisa, BUT HERE WE ARE. I ship it, I don’t care. And can we finally just talk about Elisa’s removable skirt/dress thingy??? ICONIC.
The video for “Eye of the Beholder” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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