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Gargoyles FAQ

XVI. Episodic Details

1. Why was the "Awakening" five-parter edited like it was for the home video release ("The Heroes Awaken")?

Greg's answer:

We had a World Premiere Screening of Gargoyles at Walt Disney World at the multiplex on Pleasure Island. This was for press and for local kids who were brought in from local schools to fill two movie theaters. We felt that our original five-parter worked great as a mini-series but that it lacked energy when played over two and a half hours on the big screen. So, while Frank Paur worked with one editor to edit the five separate episodes, I worked with a different editor to edit all five episodes down into one eighty- five minute movie. This was done simultaneously, because we had to prepare for the television premiere and the World Premiere simultaneously; they were only a week or so apart.

After the editing was done, the two versions were mixed separately as well. Frank and our sound supervisor Mark Von der Heide supervised the sound mix for the five episodes at Advantage Audio, where all the rest of the original 65 episodes were eventually mixed. The folks at Advantage are wonderful and did their usual great job. I supervised the mix of the "movie" version at the Walt Disney Studios with Disney's feature film sound people. They also did a great job (in my opinion). But keep in mind, that they were mixing for the big screen. This edited "movie" was never intended for video release. Never intended for television speakers. I don't know whether that makes a difference or not.

At any rate, there are certain editing and sound choices that I like better in the "movie" version, while there are other choices from the episodes that I much prefer. There wasn't time or money to collate all the best choices into one version.

Later, when HOME VIDEO decided to release their version of the pilot, they were very pleased to hear that we possessed a version that was already edited together without commercial breaks, teasers, etc. I tried to tell them that they were offering LESS for the money by putting out a version that had LESS material than the version that had aired. But they felt that they were adding value with the other stuff they had on and with the tape. A board game, a promotional piece, etc. They didn't feel like spending the extra money to format the episodes into one two and a half hour piece.
 

2. So did anything happen in "Temptation" that we didn't see on-screen?

Not really. What was seen was largely what happened. (Apologies to Christine Morgan fans.)
 

3. In "Temptation," Elisa ordered Goliath to act for the rest of his life as if he were not under a spell. Does that mean Goliath is now resistant to all spells?

Greg's answers:

[...] As for the spell, it would have to be a case-by-case thing. But most spells would not be affected.

[Later, he adds...] She didn't (couldn't) give him full magical immunity. She didn't have that kind of control. She simply ordered the slave to act FOREVER as if he wasn't one.
 

4. What is "Deadly Force?"

The eighth (fourth if you count "Awakening" as one episode) of Gargoyles, which Toon Disney currently refuses to air. It's available on the home video release entitled "The Force of Goliath." Greg's synopsis:

DEADLY FORCE (in brief):

Broadway accidentally shoots Elisa while playing with her gun. He drops her off at the hospital and then runs away, ashamed. Everyone assumes that Elisa was shot by Tony Dracon, a mob boss who she had encounted earlier. Goliath hunts down Dracon. Meanwhile Broadway goes on an anti-gun rampage that likewise leads him to Dracon. They attack, but Broadway admits that he shot Elisa to stop Goliath from killing Dracon.

Later, Broadway apologizes to Elisa for playing with her gun. Elisa apologizes for leaving it out.
 

5. Why don't they air "Deadly Force" on Toon Disney?

Basically, Toon Disney's Broadcast Standards & Practices refuses to air the episode because they consider it too violent and "heavy" for their audience. (Missing the entire point of the episode.)
 

6. How did Munch's painting "The Scream" wind up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in "The Edge?" It's supposed to be in the Nasjonalgalleriet in Oslo.

Greg's answer:

RE: "The Scream". I've never been to Oslo. I feel like I saw it in Amsterdam. But it doesn't really matter. It could have been a traveling exhibit. Happens all the time.
 

7. If the Archmage didn't die in his fall in "Long Way to Morning," then what caused that sound of something hitting bottom?

It was something else, but not the Archmage. (Perhaps the stalagmite he was trying to stab Goliath with?)
 

8. Why did they have the helicopter in "Her Brother's Keeper?" What happened to it afterwards?

Kenner insisted they include it because they wanted to make a toy out of it (which they never exactly did- there was a "Night Striker" vehicle that was very similar, however). Once that episode was past, the Gargoyles production crew quietly ignored it from that point on.
 

9. Wasn't Xanatos leaving an awful lot to chance in his plan in "Metamorphosis?"

Greg's answers:

Before Broadway and Brooklyn found Maggie in that alley, Sevarius was allowing Fang and Claw and (briefly) Maggie, to periodically escape. Xantos' security squad would give them time at night to run around and attract attention, hoping that the gargoyles would either stumble on them or here about them and seek them out. At first they had remarkably little luck. Finally, Broadway and Brooklyn stumbled on Maggie. Once that happened, the rest of the plan could be put into effect.

[Later, he adds...] I'm not saying there was no ad libbing going on, but the evening went pretty much as Xanatos had planned.

[He also adds, still later...] You're missing Xanatos' basic rule for operation. Contingency plans for everything. Owen said what he said to GET Derek interested. If Derek hadn't volunteered, Xanatos would have asked him to come.

If Derek hadn't been heading for Xanatos, Sevarius would not have shot at that point. Sevarius was aiming for Derek, not Xanatos.

But every aspect of the plan was backed by contingencies.
 

10. In "The Mirror," Elisa's reflection in Titania's Mirror freezes for a second. Is that intentional or was it an animation error?

It was intentional, intended to demonstrate the Mirror's magical nature.
 

11. Why does the transformed Fox briefly see Elisa as her human self, and then attack her in "Eye of the Beholder?"

It's both a manifestation of Fox's own self-loathing (amplified by the Eye), and an attempt for the Eye to gain control by having her symbolically destroy her humanity.
 

12. What's with the two endings of "Vows?"

Greg's answer:

There are two endings because one was a mistake that we couldn't get corrected in time for its first airing. That scene was supposed to be a flashback to them embracing at the castle. Instead it mistakenly has them embracing at the clock tower, which they've never done.
 

13. Where did Demona's clan in "City of Stone" come from?

They were the remnants of several decimated Scottish clans.
 

14. Why didn't anyone from outside New York notice the effects of Demona's stone-at-night spell in "City of Stone?"

Greg's answer:

You can't reach your mother who has an apartment in Manhattan. You drive into the city. Traffic is at an absolute standstill. It isn't barely moving -- it's flat-out stopped. You begin to worry about your mom so you abandon your car. You move toward the car in front of you. It's empty, because the person in front of you had the same impulse. But what's really weird is that the car in front of that car has a stone statue sitting behind the wheel. What is this, some kind of gag? You keep going, heading for a subway station. Cars are either empty or filled with statues. For a second, you ask yourself if these could be people turned to stone. But come on, that's just too crazy. There are a few other people running around the streets in a similar state of confusion. Some of them are hysterical. You get more determined to reach your elderly mother.

You head down into the subway station. Loaded with stone statues. No people. No trains. You wait. And wait. But it's damn creepy down here at night with all these statues. You decide to walk. It's twenty-nine blocks, but if that's what it takes....

The further into the city you go, the fewer people you see. The fewer non-statues you see. The conclusion is inescapable. Everyone has been turned to stone. Just then a woman runs up to you. Clearly homeless. You like to think of yourself as open-minded, but you can't help having a visceral reaction to her odor. You're nearly overwhelmed by the unwashed urine-soaked smell. She yells something about "the T.V.'s". And runs off. She's the only living human in sight, and still you can't help being relieved that she's gone.

Finally, you reach your mother's apartment building. Now, you know. There's Joe the Doorman. You've known Joe for fifteen years. He's a sweet old guy, who never drinks on the job, except a nip now and then when it's really cold. And he's a statue. That face. That twinkle in his eye. It's Joe. And he's stoned --literally.

Fortunately, Joe's frozen on the job. He's holding the door open for you. You swallow hard and enter. There's a little girl in the lobby with her parents and a poodle. They're all stone statues. You press the elevator button. The doors open immediately. There are five statues facing you calmly. One of them is Mrs. Vasquez, you're mother's neighbor. Suddenly, you realize that you are more pissed off than frightened. With a new determination you get on the elevator and press the button for the eighth floor.

The doors close. You've had to squeeze in, because the five statues aren't exactly making room for you. You turn to Mrs. Vasquez. "Nice weather we're having," you say grimly. Finally, the elevator opens. You squeeze out, struggling for your key ring.

Your hands are sweating. You have trouble getting your mom's key into the lock. Then it slides in. You mentally prepare yourself. The odds are good that Mom is a statue. You turn the key. Enter the apartment. The television is on. You move into the living room. There are tears in your eyes, even before you see mom, sitting with a bemused expression on her face in front of the t.v. She's frozen in stone on the chair, which seems to be buckling under the weight. You suddenly panic that the chair will break, that your mother will fall to the floor and... and... what? Break? Shatter? You can't take the chance. You dry your palms on your shirt and then ease her frozen body out of the chair. She seems to weigh a ton, but YOU WILL NOT DROP HER. Slowly, you lower her to the ground, on her side, still frozen in the sitting position.

It's only then that you focus on the sound coming from the t.v. Gibberish? You turn to look. There's some kind of... creature, speaking, what? Latin, maybe? You move closer to the t.v. Suddenly, the video skips and the image repeats from the beginning. And that's the last thing you remember.

In the morning, you help your mother up off of the floor. She's extremely confused. Did she pass out? Have a heart attack? How'd she get on the floor? When did you get here? You don't want to worry or panic her and even as you start to form the words, it all seems too crazy to say out loud.

The television is still on. Travis Marshall is on, reporting on how everyone in Manhattan seems to have experienced blackouts last night. Your mother mumbles something about pollution in the water. A woman is interviewed. She says that everyone in Manhattan was turned to stone. You can hear your mother snort, but you don't dare look at her now.

The reporter looks at the woman. And you know what that look means. He asks her dubiously why she wasn't effected. She responds by saying that she never watches television. Marshall, nods. A nod that clearly means that he thinks she's nuts.

Interviews follow with government officials, psychiatrists, hypnotists, etc. Every theory in the world is offered up. But no one else says anything about stone statues.

So what kind of person are you? Do you make it your life's work to make sure everyone knows the truth? Do you try to convince yourself it was all a hallucination? Do you just shut your mouth and keep it shut? You're mother offers to cook you breakfast. She'll cut the french toast into a little house with a chimney, windows and a door. Just like she did when you were young. "Yeah, Mom," you say, "That would be nice." While she's cooking, you go into the bathroom and throw up.
 

15. What if you were affected by Demona's spell in "City of Stone" but not in range to see the sky "burn?"

Greg's answer:

NO ONE GOT TO SEE THE "FIRE IN THE SKY". Nobody. They were all frozen in stone. The terminal condition of the spell doesn't require a visual trigger. It just has to happen. So...

You live in Washington D.C. You turn on your cable box and channel surf around the dial. Once, twice. Man, there is NOTHING on. Wait a minute. What the hell is that? Is that make-up on that woman? Or is that CGI? It looks so real, you really cannot tell. What language is that? Great looking monster, but nothings happening. So you shut off the t.v. You've got a date tonight, so you get in the shower as the sun sets. Suddenly the water is freezing. You leap out of the shower, with shampoo still in your hair. Great. Just great. You glance at the clock to see if you've got time to run to the gym and shower there. 5:41 AM? WHAT???? You run out of the bathroom. Your answering machine light is flashing. You press the button. That's your date on the line, pissed off about being stood up. You're freaked to say the least. Eleven hours of your life, just gone.

And so on... Basically, once Xanatos met the terminal condition, the spell is broken. Anyone effected by it is cured, no matter how far away they are.
 

16. Didn't Brendan and Margot get destroyed as statues by Demona during "City of Stone?"

Greg's answers:

You're mistaken. She doesn't smash Brendan & Margot. All those Stone Statues look alike. That's my answer, and I'm sticking with it.

[Later, he adds...] I finally saw the two statues that people thought were Brendan & Margot. Certainly, they looks like them a bit. But trust me. Two different people got destroyed. That woman was a brunette. And the guy was wearing a toupee.
 

17. What was the inspiration for the Cauldron of Life in "The Price?"

Multiple Celtic cauldron legends, including that of the Cauldron of Bran (which resurrected the dead). Michael Reaves was the main person behind its creation.
 

18. What was cut out of "Avalon" Part II?

Greg's answer: Stuff with the Archmage-Plus mentoring the original Archmage and guiding the Weird Sisters.
 

19. Why are the hatchling members of the Avalon clan running around in the sunlight in the flashback in "Avalon "Part III?

The in-show explanation is that the light was actually from a combination of bright moonlight and torchlight. It was still nighttime. The out-of-show explanation is that it was an animation error they failed to catch in time.
 

20. What happened to the people and animals Jackal killed in "Grief" while he was the avatar of Anubis?

Unfortunately, they remained dead, since Anubis cannot restore anyone who has died- even if it was by his own power.
 

21. Why is the episode "The Hound of Ulster" so inconsistent with the Cu Chulainn legends?

Greg's answers:

Are you sure that Cuchullain and his "hound" weren't actually combined and confused in the legend? Are you sure our version wasn't the true truth? :) :)

To be honest, I'm not that familiar with the Cuchullain legends, so I didn't double check Diane, Peter and Michael's version. Also I asked for some changes from their early drafts. They told me they had problems with some of the changes, so we compromised. (Or at any rate, we found something that I liked which they didn't object to.) Maybe they compromised too much, I don't know. But I do take full responsibility for what got on the screen. Ultimately, I was the guy in charge of story, so the buck stops with me. I just wasn't aware we were making serious errors. I'm still not. Where did we go wrong, besides adding a gargoyle beast to the legend (a logical extension in our series)?

[Later, someone explains Cu Chulainn's background and theorizes that maybe the legend isn't entirely accurate in the Gargoyles Universe. Greg responds...] I know the Cuchullain story now. I didn't then. Diane didn't call me personally to fill me in. Maybe she or Peter told Michael Reaves, but Michael didn't tell me. I think the "answer" is more or less what you said. The truth and the legend may not match up. We may also have added a legend to the "Gargoyles Universe" that doesn't exist in our universe. I do know that I had the whole thing confused in my head with the Barghest, if that helps. At one point, I suggested titling the whole script "The Barghest" and using Barghest for "Great Beast" occasionally. Diane, Peter and Michael objected to that, so we didn't do it. But no one brought up the rest of it.
 

22. What's the source of the Panther Queen legend from "Mark of the Panther?"

Greg's answer:

Mostly, I made it up. (Lydia wrote the words.) I did base the tenor of the myth and the personality of Anansi on other stories and research that we had done, but the tale itself is original.
 

23. How did Anansi survive his destruction in "Mark of the Panther?"

He never died. He really turned into a normal-sized spider, the one seen crawling away at the end of the episode.
 

24. What was that stone dragon in the episode "Pendragon?"

Greg's answer:

The stone dragon in "Pendragon" was a magical construct. Or at any rate it was brought to a semblance of life by magic. It wasn't truly alive.
 

25. What would have happened to Goliath if Jackal had carved his face in "The Green?"

Greg's answer:

He probably would not have woken up. It probably would have killed him.
 

26. What happened to the Mayan sun amulet from "The Green?"

The Manhattan clan still has it. Zafiro would have eventually come to New York to retrieve it.
 

27. What was the source of the episode title "Ill Met by Moonlight?"

"Ill met by moonlight" is a line spoken by Oberon to Titania in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. He says this because he's not happy to see her (she refuses to turn over a young human boy, a changeling, to him). In the same way, Oberon's not happy to see the gargoyles and humans on Avalon when he arrives.
 

28. Was that young lady with the picture of Maria Chavez in "Future Tense" Maria's daughter?

That was the implication and intent, yes.
 

29. Who is that guy in the trenchcoat who walks offscreen just before Odin greets Oberon in "The Gathering" Part I?

He's Nought.
 

30. Why weren't the Xanatoses, Halcyon Renard, and Preston Vogel affected by Oberon's sleep spell in "The Gathering?"

The Xanatoses were protected by Owen's energy shield; Renard and Vogel were outside Manhattan when the spell was cast, and Fortress Two's bridge was protected by an energy shield as well (thanks to a warning from Xanatos).
 

31. How could Oberon have tossed Xanatos in "The Gathering" Part II when he was in his iron armor? How could Titania have paralyzed him?

In the former case, Oberon grabbed his uncovered head. In the latter case, paralysis is mental, and again, Xanatos' head was uncovered.
 

32. Where did Demona get that battle-suit in "The Reckoning?"

She had just stolen it from the Golden Cup building.
 

33. What happened to the vial with the plague from "Hunter's Moon" Part III?

It could only be released on a Hunter's Moon, so it was destroyed after that night.
 

34. When Goliath stroked Elisa's hair in "Hunter's Moon" Part III, was that a kiss equivalent? (See FAQ XVII.2.) Did Elisa realize that?

Yes. And yes, Elisa read it as such.
 

35. I've heard of some scenes that were cut from "Hunter's Moon." What were they?

Greg posted three of the cut script fragments. Click here to read them.
 

36. I've heard of a scene that was cut out of "The Journey." What was it?

Click here to see it.
 


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