In the ninth episode of the second season of Gargoyles, EVERYTHING HAPPENED and I AM CONFUSED and WHAT IS THIS. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Gargoyles.Â
HOW IS THIS ONLY A SINGLE EPISODE??? Where do I even start? I have to split this up by timeline because I CAN’T.
The Flashbacks
Look, “Eye of the Beholder” gave Xanatos some depth that he did not have before. Not much, mind you, but enough that he at least has another layer going for him. Here, however, the writers delve deep into Demona’s past, and I am finally getting a chance to understand why she is the way she is. I figured we’d see a bit more of her past, BUT THIS IS SO MUCH MORE THAN I EXPECTED. Let’s start with the events that set her on her path towards her current anti-human self. Y’all, she saw the Vikings coming, and she could have warned Coldstone and the others, but she didn’t. It wasn’t a malicious decision, but it was a mistake nonetheless. It’s far more compelling than simply making her evil outright and running with it. I love stories where misunderstandings or tiny events spawn epic outcomes, and here, we’re given context. Demona was devastated to learn that everyone she cared about had been killed… except it wasn’t everyone. She could have told Goliath the truth, but she chose to hide and lie in order to mask her mistake. By the time she got the chance, the spell had already been cast. The humans had betrayed the gargoyles and stolen their remaining eggs.
It makes sense, then, to see how this was instrumental in her journey! Demona was alone for a time, and without other gargoyles to help her out, she was constantly on the receiving end of distrust and violence. It’s because of this that she lashes out at a random farmboy, which inadvertently causes the beginning of the Hunter. Or Hunters. I can’t tell if it’s the same person over a thousand years (like Macbeth) or if it’s passed from one Hunter to the next. Regardless, it complicates her life further and pushes her to hate humans more!
When we see her again, she has FRIENDS. Other gargoyles!!! She must have found them elsewhere, I’m guessing… like other castles? Were they also persecuted by humans? Had they been running for their lives, too? Oh god, what if Demona unknowingly created the Hunters, the Hunters spread to other parts of Scotland, and that is why the gargoyles had to fear for their lives? LOOK, I DON’T KNOW, but this show is already so tragic that I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the case. I say that because we know that not all humans hate the gargoyles; indeed, many view them as friends or necessary to the world. What of Macbeth, who is shown here to be a young man SAVED BY DEMONA? Look, I wasn’t ready for the history here, and it’s a welcome addition to the show. The rich conflict between these different castles and political families makes for great entertainment all by itself, BUT LET’S THROW MORALLY-CHALLENGED GARGOYLES ON TOP OF IT ALL. Oh my god, I thought Macbeth hated Demona??? But Demona saved him after his father died??? Wait, why am I assuming this Macbeth is the same Macbeth we know in the future? I suppose anything is possible, y’all.
The Present
All of what we witness through Demona’s flashbacks informs the present-day nightmare, which is mostly couched in mystery until that final sequence WHICH WAS NOT OKAY BY ANY STANDARD. Unsurprisingly, Xanatos was after power, and this time, he had allied with Demona again in order to exploit a spell that would steal a minute of life from every person who heard it recited. It’s such a devious idea, isn’t it? Taking just sixty seconds from one person seems so small and inconsequential, yet it would have granted Xanatos and Demona a near-infinite life. Yet again, the show combined fantasy with science fiction, and I fully expected the gargoyles to thwart Demona at the last second.
But oh my god. It wasn’t devious enough. It wasn’t evil enough. Even though I watched Demona fool Owen and tie him up, her true intentions weren’t even on my radar. I still don’t know what she plans to do with her spell, which TURNED ALL HUMANS TO STONE AT NIGHT. Just!!!!! What the fuck??? The Hunter is also around in modern times, and I don’t understand how that is possible. I’ve also completely ignored the three sisters who are faeries? Witches? I DON’T KNOW. What are they doing???
I was not ready, y’all.
The video for “City of Stone, Part I” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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