In the forty-fifth episode of the second season of Gargoyles, The Gathering is complete. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Gargoyles.Â
HOW. HOW MANY CLUES HAVE THERE BEEN. HOW MANY TIMES HAS THIS SHOW HINTED AT OWEN’S REAL IDENTITY AND IT JUST WENT STRAIGHT OVER MY HEAD. OH MY GOD, I CAN’T DEAL WITH GARGOYLES, Y’ALL. I JUST CAN’T.
Where do I even start????
- The scope of this episode is so immense, y’all, which is why I’m still reeling from it. SO MUCH HAPPENED IN TWENTY MINUTES.
- Like, even trying to analyze this chronologically feels intimidating because the story itself relies on a flashback, callbacks to earlier episodes, and one preposterous ending: the apparent promise that Xanatos will actually do something for the gargoyles.
- I CAN’T EVEN DEAL WITH THAT ONE REALITY ALL BY ITSELF, DIVORCED FROM EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENS.
- Oh my god, Owen knew all of Oberon’s weaknesses. He knew how to construct that force field that would drain Oberon’s energy. HE ALSO WILLINGLY TURNED HIS OWN ARM TO STONE IN THAT ONE EPISODE. Oh my god, he knew it wouldn’t matter because his physical form was just a construction. OH MY GOD.
- I am not going to recover from this reveal, am I? I’m just NOT.
- I wrote about Oberon and the tension that comes from the very nature of his antagonism. At the end of “Ill Met By Moonlight,” however, I thought he had transformed into… well, not really a protagonist, but his humbling certainly moved him away from the Villain category. Truthfully, though, he’s an immensely powerful god, so he’ll always be in a category of his own. Humanity is so distant to him, and it’s why he can’t possibly fathom why Xanatos or Fox refuse to hand over their child. He’s a god, you know? Everyone bows to him. Why would anyone not obey Oberon?
- And yet, everyone defies him. The gargoyles try to stop him. HALCYON RENARD SHOWS UP TO FIGHT HIM. Oh my gods, it’s that trope where people who normally would fight each other ally together to go up against a common enemy. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
- This is just one of a thousand plot twists, y’all. I was just thinking, “Wait, what should I talk about next?” And I realized I still have barely made it halfway through the script. Just… this is Too Muchâ„¢, okay? Way too much.
- I am also realizing how much the power of family – found or otherwise – plays into the story as a whole. Goliath is able to understand Xanatos’s behavior through this lens, but you can view all of the episode this way! Why else did Renard show up? Because he was determined to protect his grandson, even if he didn’t care for Alexander’s father.
- I’d say that Oberon’s Children qualify for this, too, and it’s fascinating to examine Puck as a rebellious child rather than a trickster. He flouts his father’s orders, his father’s desires, his father’s power. Look how often he undermined Oberon while disguised as Owen! At the same time, he chose to wear humanity as a mask so that he could satiate his curiosity, and it was through that act that Puck became enamored with pretending to be human. He was cast out of his father’s home, yet found a way to thrive. Why would he want to suddenly be under Oberon’s control for who knows how long?
- Look, the Puck reveal snatched the spirit out of my body, but THAT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THIS EPISODE. Because then, in a moment of terror and desperation, Fox discovers she DOES have magical powers, and SHE ZAPS OBERON AND IT’S SO INCREDIBLE.
- Oh, Goliath, you’re so brilliant. It’s because of Goliath’s quick thinking that a solution is offered to Oberon that pleases his ego and prevents Alexander from being taken against his and his parents’ will.
- EXCEPT EVEN IN THE END, THERE IS TRAGEDY. OBERON TAKES PUCK’S POWERS OUT OF SPITE.
- So now, Puck is banished from Avalon and can only use his magic to teach Alexander or protect the kid.
- FUCKED.
- UP.
- Oh my god, this arc was so incredible and shocking and I feel blessed to get to watch Gargoyles.
- OWEN WAS PUCK THE WHOLE TIME.
The video for “The Gathering, Part Two” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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