In the thirty-first episode of the second season of Gargoyles, Broadway has difficulty adjusting to life without Goliath. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Gargoyles.
Trigger Warning: For talk of violence against the homeless.
Oh, I was just so thrilled that Gargoyles decided to go back to Manhattan to show us what was happening with the characters who weren’t set on Avalon’s quest. On a purely selfish level, I just wanted to see Broadway, Lexington, Brooklyn, and Hudson again, and THIS EPISODE DELIVERS. The absence of Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx has affected them in different ways, but it’s Broadway who ends up being the focus of “Kingdom.” After being made the second-in-command, he’s tested by the disappearance of his friends. It puts him directly in command, and… well, it’s complicated. Broadway has done some leading, and he’s a great fighter and strategist. But for the most part, he had Goliath to rely on. With Goliath gone for days, what is he supposed to do?
Initially, he balks at being in command because he doesn’t feel he’s earned it. It’s like he can’t actually make any orders because it feels wrong. Instead, he just lets everyone figure out what they want to do on their own, and he hopes for the best. He doesn’t find much success, though, and neither do the others. Bluestone has no idea where Elisa is; the Maza family is torn up by her disappearance; and Talon, down in the Labyrinth, had assumed that Elisa was wrapped up in business with the gargoyles. Unfortunately, without any strong direction, Broadway can’t counter the ramifications of his visit to Talon. His fight with Fang sets in motion a wicked case of resentment in Fang that nearly upends everything.
I suppose hindsight makes this easier to analyze, but I do think that if Broadway had been more focused and forceful, he could have prevented Talon from overreacting and going after Xanatos. BECAUSE THAT CONFRONTATION WENT WELL, DIDN’T IT. I gotta worry that Xanatos is gonna try something now that he knows Goliath isn’t around. For the time being, however, Fang’s ridiculous temper tantrum spills over into the lives of all the gargoyles, all because Fang… well, here’s the thing. Fang was treated terribly, and that’s an undeniable part of his history. Xanatos turned him into this creature, and there’s no denying how awful this is. He’s taken this predicament, though, and channeled his anger and rage into destructive tendencies. At the start of this episode, we watch him lash out at one of the homeless men who has taken refuge at the Labyrinth. It was clear that Talon was trying to create a safe place, and he’d taken after Goliath after he’d spent so much time fighting him.
So I have a special place in my heart devoted towards despising anyone who treats the homeless terribly. Fang had a lot to answer for, and HE ONLY GOT WORSE. He not only rejected Talon’s leadership, but he decided to turn the Labyrinth into his own personal kingdom. He wanted all the homeless people who lived there to do his bidding. THAT’S A SERFDOM, BASICALLY. And he had no qualms harming Maggie, either, so… yeah, fuck him. He sucks. I DON’T FEEL BAD ABOUT HIS FATE AT THE END OF THIS EPISODE. I mean… I don’t think they can keep him in that cage forever, so I don’t know what they’ll do with him. I didn’t get a real strong sense that he’d be the kind to redeem himself, you know?
It’s through all of this that Broadway accepts (with some gentle nudging from Hudson!) that he’s now the leader of the Manhattan clan. I thought it was cool that this happened right as Talon became leader of the Labyrinth clan, too. PARALLELS, Y’ALL. In Broadway’s case, though, this was about accepting that as leader, he had to make difficult decisions and often at a moment’s notice. And it’s okay for him to delegate responsibilities, or to tell someone that they’re wrong or misguided! It might be awkward, but as a good leader, he can help guide people on the right path.
I JUST FEEL A LOT FOR THESE CHARACTERS.
The video for “Kingdom” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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