In the forty-ninth episode of the second season of Gargoyles, Puck decides to kill two birds with one stone. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Gargoyles.
Trigger Warning: For consent.
OH MY GOD, HOW DOES THIS SHOW KEEP DOING THIS TO ME??? For an episode about magical possession, I liked this way more than I thought I would! With the exception of the possession of Lexington, everything here is explicitly voluntary and consensual. It has to be for Puck’s “lesson” to work and for the magic to return these people to their respective bodies. Well, it’s more complicated than that, and that is the most understated commentary on all of “Possession.” The writers devise a clever way in which to spread Othello, Iago, and Desdemona into other characters while Puck and Alexander CONFUSE THE HELL OUT OF ME.
Part of that came from the means by which Puck circumvented the rules set in place by Oberon. I didn’t know exactly how powerful he would be while giving Alexander his first lesson in magic because… well, could Alexander even do anything? He wasn’t even a year old! Yet it’s with the consent of Broadway, Lexington, and Angela that Puck is able to remove the three “souls” within Coldstone, plant them into different bodies, and get them to agree to stay where they belonged. It is a convoluted and twisting journey to get to that point, but holy shit, it’s so entertaining.Â
Firstly, Othella and Desdemona get to be in physical bodies for the first time in ages, and that adds a meaningful aspect to their interactions. Granted, it’s strange because they’re actually in the bodies of Angela and Broadway, but thankfully, there’s not much that happens here aside from some physical affection. As the two of them reacquaint themselves with the physical world instead of the digital realm of Coldstone, Iago schemes to make it so that all of them remain outside of Coldstone and in the bodies of the gargoyles they inhabit. THUS BEGINS THE SHENANIGANS. I use that word because for a moment there, “Possession” becomes almost comically chaotic. As Iago tries manipulating the others through mistaken identity and trickery, I started to worry: would Othello and Desdemona buy this plan? Did they really think that they “earned” the right to live in physical bodies because they suffered so long without them? It’s a creepy moral dilemma because on one level, I can sympathize with these two lovers, who have gone ages without an experience that others take for granted. Of course, Broadway and Angela gave their consent to a temporary possession, so it’s horrible for these other gargoyles to take over their bodies.
Meanwhile, THIS WAS ALL ONE GIANT CON. Puck, who resides within Coldstone while Alex is in Lexington, utilizes the robots that Xanatos built for Iago and Desdemona to make it seem like Xanatos is attacking the gargoyles again. But nothing is what it seems with Puck, and I SHOULD HAVE FIGURED IT OUT. Puck used those robots to give Iago a taste of what his life could be like on his own without the constant struggle with the other two gargoyles. Thus, Iago willingly chose the Coldsteel robot, while Desdemona willingly chose to reside in Coldfire. IT WAS ALL A WAY FOR THEM TO GIVE CONSENT TO ENTER THESE BODIES. Now, given that this is Puck we’re talking about, that consent is gained through manipulation. I don’t want to forget that. The end result is that Iago has gained freedom in Coldsteel, but that price also includes freedom for Othello and Desdemona, too. This is probably the last time we’ll see them, too (SOB), since they’ve decided to dedicate their time to catching Coldsteel. BUT WHAT AN EXIT. I’m happy for them, even if it would have been cool if they’d joined the Manhattan clan.
AND PUCK. PUCK GAVE ALEXANDER HIS FIRST LESSON. It’s so weird!!! Yet it’s the kind of weirdness we’re used to from this show, and I dearly wish this wasn’t going to end. I would have loved to see Alexander’s development as someone with magical powers. WHAT NEXT?
The video for “Possession” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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