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Zarok writes...
Something I've been thinking of regarding the proposed Timedancer spin-off. If Brooklyn spends 40 years bouncing back and forth through time then after the first few years, he probably realises that the phoenix gate keeps appearing in front of him. Now the problem starts when he meets Katana and they have Tachi because they would have to keep in close proximity to Brooklyn at all times just in case. This would mean effectively zero privacy, I mean what happens when Brooklyn and Katana want to "do it", do they just toss Tachi a blindfold and tell her to stick his talons in her ears?
Greg responds...
Tachi doesn't hatch until after the ride is over, but there's Nash and Fu Dog to consider.
After a few years of this, Brook's attitude toward the Gate changes. Pretty much a 180 from the way you see it changing.
Roxz writes...
why does Brooklyn always end up alone? Im starting to feel sorry for him.
Greg responds...
Well, he doesn't in my mind. He eventually winds up with a Clan Ishimura Gargoyle named Katana. Someone he meets while TimeDancing.
ConfuZed writes...
Hello there,
All the gargoyles episodes have not been shown over here so i dont really know about some of th episodes although i have heard stuff about them....
1. Has "timedancer" ever actually been aired?
2. And what exactly IS "gargoyles 2198" is it going to be another series or what?
thanks
Greg responds...
1. No. It's a potential spin-off/sequel series.
2. It's a potential spin-off/sequel series.
Check out the archives and you'll be less confused.
Chapter XXXIV: "Avalon, Part One"
There's no memo, outline or script for this one on my computer, so we'll head right into my ramble on...
"AVALON, PART ONE"
DIRECTOR: Dennis Woodyard.
WRITER: Lydia Marano.
STORY EDITOR: Brynne Chandler Reaves.
THE RECAP
...is all over the place. So much was coming together in this three-parter. The Weird Sisters, the eggs, the Archmage, Tom, Princess Katharine, the Magus, Macbeth, Demona. This was our most ambitious story yet. Which given episodes like "The Mirror" or "Vows" and multi-parters like "Awakening" and "City of Stone" was saying something.
Of course "Avalon" was never designed to be the cohesive single story movie that "City of Stone" was. It was designed as a tryptych. Part one would bring our heroes up to date. Part two would bring our villains up to date. Part three would pit them against each other.
"Avalon I" also represented the first episode in our fourth tier. The three-parter was what we called a 'tentpole'. We knew we couldn't air it until all the Tier 3 episodes had aired. And we knew we couldn't air any other Tier 4 episodes until this three-parter had aired. Despite the fact that "The Price" aired out of order, generally our Tentpole/Tier system worked very well. Out of 66 episodes that I worked on only two: "The Price" and "Kingdom" aired out of order, hopefully with minimal damage to the continuity.
THE TITLE
The title was one of mine. But initially I wasn't sure that we were going to call the island Avalon. Now, it's mind-boggling to me, but I actually had my assistant Monique Beatty (who's now a producer in her own right) research Brigadoon to find out if that name was created only for the musical, or if it was something pulled from legends. I was thinking of Avalon, but looking for something from a Scotish tradition as opposed to British. Fortunately, Brigadoon was created for the musical. So we were 'stuck' with Avalon. Which made including King Arthur a natural.
Many series don't reveal that an episode is going to be a multi-parter until you get to the 'To Be Continued' line at the closer. "Avalon, Part One" could have just been titled "Avalon". The conventional wisdom is that people are reluctant to commit the time to a multi-parter in advance. That it is better to hook them on the story before revealing that they HAVE to come back to see the end. I always felt that was cheating. What is your reaction to seeing "Part One" attached to a title?
OPENING
Another cool shot of our gargs waking up. Always nice to reiterate that at the start of our bigger stories.
Bronx gets left behind. Of course, this often happens. It was one of the things that the World Tour would set about correcting in a BIG way. But we made his getting left behind a bit more obvious here. Usually, he just doesn't go. This time they won't take him and he's sad. We were laying pipe.
My 5-year-old son Benny asked where Hudson and the Trio were going. I had to think about it. "On Patrol, I guess."
OLD FRIENDS
Then the GUARDIAN shows up. I love his cool, Goliath-inspired armor. My 7-year-old daughter Erin immediately demanded to know who he was. I wouldn't tell her. (I'm so mean.) Did any of you guess?
Of course he immediately encounters BRENDAN & MARGOT. (What would one of our multi-parters be without him?)
Then comes the three gang-bangers from "AWAKENING, PART THREE". As usual, Keith David does the voice for one of them -- making it distinctive from both Goliath and MORGAN, who's about to come in and speak. The problem is we got a touch confused. In Awakening, Keith voices the bald white guy. Here he does the same voice, but it's assigned to the black guy. Hard to say which is wrong, except by virtue of which came first. It annoys me though.
Morgan's fun in this. I really like him. No one but Simon DelMonte will get this, and I don't know if he even reads these rambles, but Morgan kind of reminds me of Jeff Goslin, a character that Cary Bates and I created in Captain Atom.
Anyway, I like how Morgan talks Guardian down. And I like how the sword is much heavier than he thought it was going to be. His cop buddies tease him, but he maintains his sense of wonder and goodness when talking about the Guardian to Elisa.
That's kind of a cool scene. First off he describes Guardian's armor: "Real armor. King Arthur stuff." Anyone think this was a clue to what was coming in the next episode? Even with the Avalon title? Then he tells her the guy's looking for Gargoyles. Elisa of course discourages her fellow officers from taking Garg reports seriously. Everyone who's seen one must be a nut-case. These guys should form 'a club'. Then she finds out that this Guardian was asking for Goliath by name. BOOM.
BELVEDERE CASTLE
Site of our last encounter with Demona and Macbeth. Another clue.
Once Elisa got a look at the Guardian's armor, she must have thought -- yeah, there's a Goliath connection here all right.
Goliath shows with Bronx, who gets to come along and come along and come along for once. Bronx always seemed underutilized to us. We knew we couldn't bring the whole clan along. (Too many characters and no poignancy.) But Bronx was an easy addition. Of course, Bronx is also useful as a kind of living personality test. If Bronx likes you, it's a damn good sign. Bronx likes Tom. Does he remember him? What scents do you figure the Guardian carried back from Avalon. Anyway, Bronx engenders immediate trust in the Guardian for Goliath.
I love this scene. Guardian gives everyone so little time to catch up. He talks about the Archmage, reveals that he's Tom and talks about 'the eggs' being in danger. *That was a fun idea. Keep you guys thinking in terms of eggs for twenty minutes and reveal that it's just a pet name for the Avalon Clan.*
Benny asked: "What kind of Eggs?"
Erin: "Gargoyle Eggs."
Benny: "I didn't know Gargoyles hatch out of eggs." [Well, keep in mind it's been a year since he saw the first thirty episodes. And he's too young to remember the first time he saw the ones we're watching now.]
Then there's the skiff. Elisa: "Where'd that boat come from? ... To where? The other side of the lake? ... Wait for me!"
This all sounds fishy to her. Nothing makes sense. I wanted to get a clear shot in there of the pond in Central Park so that you could see objectively that it doesn't go anywhere. But I never quite managed that. I wanted you guys to be confused. Or at any rate to have a million questions. But like Elisa, no matter how suspicious, I figured you'd want to go along for the ride.
FLASHBACK
Mary, Katharine, the Magus and young Tom are all reintroduced. It's very clear that the first three have all learned their lesson from Awakening. They've all really become better people. Tom, of course, didn't need to learn that lesson. But he does learn to be a hero. He officially becomes the Guardian. It begins, I believe, as just a nice gesture on the part of the Princess. Later, of course, it'll become the truth. Then there's the long journey. I like the montage there. Hardship. We never had the time to show enough of the hardship of tenth century life.
Our gang heads into Edinburgh. Constantine's followers are all over the place. They all seem to look like Disney storyboard artists for some reason. ;)
VOICES
There's some stellar voice work in this ep. Morgan Shepard as King Kenneth II. Sheena Easton making her Garg Premiere as Finella. Ian Buchanan as Constantine. (I've already mentioned Keith's versatility.)
But as usual, real props must be handed out to Jeff Bennnett and Kath Soucie.
Jeff plays Brooklyn, the Magus and Maol Chalvim. (No Bruno or Owen or Vinnie in this ep, I'm afraid.)
Kath plays Katharine, Mary and all three Weird Sisters.
They're amazing.
SOAP OPERA
Benny saw Finella and said: "That's one of the witches."
A year ago, Tom was his favorite character. Now Tom barely registered. And he really is fascinated with the Weird Sisters. Anyway, I corrected him, but I was glad that they were appearing later.
Ian Buchanan, once of General Hospital, is playing a cad here. We have to very quickly set up a lot of politics, sexual and otherwise. This story was as historical as we could make it based on the available research, the fact that we had to fit in a few fictional characters and eggs, and screen time compression.
Believe it or not, we also had another character originally that we cut early on because it was just getting too damn complicated. Katharine and Maol Chalvim's cousin: the future King Kenneth III. The father of Bodhe. Yep. That Bodhe. The father of Gruoch.
Kenneth III winds up being made High King of Scotland after Constantine is killed. To get a sense of their relationship, at least as I see it, you might want to check out "Once upon a time there were three brothers..."
(Or to give you a hint, ten years after the events depicted here, King Kenneth III would be murdered by Maol Chalvim's operatives during a civil war. Maol Chalvim was also known as Malcolm Forranach, the Destroyer. We used the Maol Chalvim version of his name so as not to confuse him with Katharine's father Prince Malcolm. Just as in City of Stone we emphasized Malcolm Canmore's Canmore name for the same reason.)
Anyway, Maol Chalvim seems intense but right on the money here. He's even kind of heroic when he and the Magus bring Tom back to Katharine's apartment, and he begs Katharine to go. Kind of heroic. He still leaves her. We were trying very hard to balance out his minor role here with his future roll as the grandfather of and major influence on Duncan. (Of course, he's also Macbeth's grandfather, as well.)
After Katharine tells Maol to go, there's a weird cut of him just standing there smiling. We needed some kind of transition before he took off running, and I guess that was the best we could do. But it's still awkward as hell.
THE MURDER
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
We establish early on that Katharine doesn't think much of Constantine. You wouldn't know it from Awakening, but obvioulsy she's learned to be a decent judge of character.
Kenneth isn't quite so sharp. Everyone can see that he's a fool for Finella. And he doesn't recognize Constantine's threat (despite the fact that Constantine's father was a bitter enemy and) despite the fact that his son flat out tells him to beware. My thinking was that the crown had kept bouncing back and forth between different branches of the royal family. Kenneth had hoped that by taking Constantine in, instead of banishing him, he'd be able to be a positive influence on the boy. A nice idea perhaps, but maybe Kenneth was too innattentive to pull it off. And Maol probably was too covetous to really be a brother to young Con.
Anyway, Constantine tricks Finella and kills the king. We hear Finella sobbing, just to prove that she was neither in on it nor that she would approve of it. (Though one wonders what her reaction would have been down the road if Constantine hadn't spurned her in favor of Katharine. Would she have adjusted to the crime? Or did Constantine become an unredeemable villain in her eyes immediately? I hate to say it, but I tend to think it's the former. Actually, I don't hate to say it. She's more interesting to write that way.)
Erin asked: "He killed King Arthur? Why?"
That's a tough question. So first I had to explain that it was King Kenneth, not King Arthur. Then my wife Beth helped out by explaining that Constantine wanted to be king.
We come back from the act and we see that Constantine was ready for the takeover. The Banners are immediately changed in a scene clearly inspired by the Ian McKellan (spelling?) movie version of Shakespeare's Richard III. (A version I heartily recommend, by the way.)
We also continue to set up the Magus' own tragedy. He loves Katharine. Has loved her since before Awakening. That feeling is shown to deepen here when she is once again in danger. And when Constantine tries to coerce her into marrying him. (The astute Mary and Tom have to hold him back.) Here, we sense that maybe Katharine might some day return that love. That's what I wanted you all to think anyway. Did you?
Constantine takes his crown. Originally we wanted to stage this with the Stone of Destiny as we did with Macbeth. But again, I think we just had too many sets.
Michaelmas. I just like that word.
Constantine is fairly astute himself: "You have 36 very good reasons to obey." We kept reiterating the number of eggs for what was coming later.
THE ESCAPE
The Magus disguises broken pots as eggs and vice-versa. But it always seemed to me that the kitchen staff at Edinburgh sure broke a lot of pots. I mean a LOT!
I like the lines: "Taking the wee bairns for a walk?" and "I don't think I like Gargoyle eggs." Very menacing.
Princess K burns her wedding dress. She feels she cannot leave because C will follow her to "the ends of the Earth." So the Magus responds: "Then I will take you beyond them." Again. Very romantic moment between them.
Finella joins the troop. The WOMAN SCORNED. She's really fun now. Dangerous. I always laugh when Constantine drinks the brew and collapses so abruptly.
Erin: "The Weird Sisters". My kids are just fascinated with this trio. I wonder if they still will be by the end of this three-parter or if like many fans, they will be disappointed?
They get turned into owls. But the Magus worries about giving up the source of his power. K doesn't care about that.
And Finella and Mary agree to take the book. I love these two. I think they'd make a totally kick-ass team. I doubt it would be commercial enough, but I'd love to do a spin-off show just with these two women. At any rate, there was the plan to include them as recurring characters in TimeDancer.
Tom has to leave his mother and his childhood behind. Now his role as the Guardian is a way for Katharine to make him accept the loss. It is the start of their relationship, though neither knows it. I watch this now, and I can't help thinking of the Anakin & Padma relationship and where that's destined to go.
AVALON
Back to the present. We see the impressive shores of Avalon. Very cool painting.
Bronx reacts. Guardian: "He's found the eggs..." And the music swells and two gargs and a garg beast appear on the cliff.
Now is that a cliff-hanger or what? What was your reaction?
Erin and Benny wanted "to see ther rest!" I told them they'd have to wait a week and we got a lot of protesting. Just what I was hoping for.
Anyway, that's my ramble. Where's yours?
Lord Sloth writes...
1) I was reading FAQ and in the timedancer section you talked about an antagonist called Calaban. Who is Calaban?
2) In the FAQ for bad guys, you mentioned an antagonist named Falstaff. Who is he?
3) Thanks a bunch
Greg responds...
For both these guys, I have no intention of revealing my intentions at this time. But if you want a look at the original sources...
Caliban appears in William Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST.
Falstaff is introduced in Shakespeare's HENRY IV, PART ONE. He reappears in HENRY IV, PART TWO and is spun-off in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. He dies off-stage in HENRY V.
Gipdac writes...
What year was Katana hatched?
Greg responds...
I haven't yet done the research necessary to give an exact date. Sorry.
Gipdac writes...
1) Will Fu-Dog have a mate?
2) Who will she be?
3) What clan will she be from?
Greg responds...
1. Probably.
2. Don't know at this stage.
3. See the answer to Number 2. Above. Right up there. It's very similar to the answer to this question 3. Right here.
Bruno writes...
Hi, Greg,
Some little questions about TimeDancer:
1a-When does Brooklin finds Mary and Finela, in old Scotland?
1b-They timedance together to which year in 20th century?
2-When does Xanatos and Demona first met?
3-How old are Katana, Nashville, Tachi and Fu-dog, rigth after the Timedance?
4-A tricky question: If the Phoenix Gate is out of control, why is it always popping in front of Brooklin?
Thanks.
Greg responds...
1a. You mean what year? Late 995 or early 996.
1b. I'm not saying.
2. By 1993.
3. Katana is Biologically 40.
Nash is 19 (bilologically 10).
Tachi is an egg.
4. Why indeed?
Aris Katsaris writes...
How old do you think a hatchling would need to be before the Manhattan clan allowed him/her to take part in the patrols around the city? Would 13-year old Nashville (of the older conception) take part in patrols? The 9-year old one of the current conception?
Greg responds...
I don't know. Honestly. I think that gargoyles (traditionally) as in most quote-unquote primitive societies expected children to take on adult responsibilites at an earlier age than we generally do these days. But I haven't thought that out.
Of course, the interesting thing about Nashville is the notion of permission. You have a kid who's spent literally his entire life as a virtual temporal fugitive, it's going to be a little difficult to get him to just sit at the castle once he's in the relative safety of a static environment surrounded by an extended family of protectors.
That tension interests me. But I won't pretend to have worked out the details yet.
Gipdac writes...
This is a second post because you might never see it, but why forty years of timedancing?
Why an entire series? I personally think that the timedancing would go over much better as a mini-series where you have him gone for maybe fifteen twenty years. From what I know about the series (and, granted I don't know much) to me it sounds like there would only be a few changes. Thanks for your time.
Greg responds...
Matter of opinion, but I feel like it would work.
Gipdac writes...
When Brooklyn gets back from his timedancing he'll be about biologically forty years old, Goliath is only biologically twenty-nine years old as of 1996. I thought the second was supposed to be young because s/he would take over command of the clan. So…
1) Will post-timedancing Brooklyn still be second-in-command?
2) Will Goliath choose a new second after Timedancers?
3) If so who will it be, Angela, Broadway, Lexington and Nashville?
Greg responds...
1. For the time being at least.
2. Not saying.
3. See 2).
Gipdac writes...
While answering a question from Lord Sloth you said "Initially, Katana is not with Brooklyn when he first arrives in 2198".
1) Does this mean that Brooklyn will do some timedancing in between his stay on G2198?
2) Will Katana be with Brooklyn during any of his stay in the year 2198?
Greg responds...
1. Not clear on what you mean here.
2. Not saying.
Gipdac writes...
Were you ever planning to show on screen the original Magus casting the spell of humility on the gargoyles at the request of Caesar Augustus?
Maybe in TimeDancers?
Greg responds...
Exactly. Maybe. That is, I would have liked to. Depends on the S&P situation, probably.
Anonymous writes...
Trio
Is any of the trio alive in 2198? How about the trio¡¯s children?
Greg responds...
You mean not counting Brooklyn who TimeDanced there? No.
Not saying.
Anonymous writes...
Foreshadowing in Future Tense
Does the Alexander of 2198 own any exo-suits like the one seen in the Future Tense episode?
Does Brooklyn and Demona look like the Demona and Brooklyn in Future Tense?
Greg responds...
Generally, I try to avoid making 'decisions' here that will inhibit the artistic freedom of future collaborators, but...
Alex. Potentially, yes. But since, Alex is kidnapped and put in stasis in the first episode it's going to be a non-issue for some time.
Brooklyn. Initially, Brooklyn would look very much like Brooklyn from Hunter's Moon. Later he may wind up with a look similar to Future Tense -- though with one major change.
Demona. Potentially.
Anonymous writes...
What does Katana look like?
Greg responds...
I have a vague notion, but I'm consciously trying not to design her in my head, so as to give potential artists the freedom to come up with something, someday.
John writes...
Hi Greg,
OK, OK, I know, that you've been asked this question before, but we've never get a real awnser out of you for this one. But I'll try it again: Why does Katana and Brooklyn name their son Nashville? Well, we know, that the name was Brooklyns idea ( why should Katana name her son by a city, she (probably) never visited or even never knew? ) but why to hell Nashville???
Oh, by the way, are Nashville and Tachi twins? I allways thought of them as.
Anyway, hope you'll awnser these two. Damn, this time I'm really a pain. LoL
CU, John
Greg responds...
No they are not twins.
There's a very specific TimeDancer reason. But I'm just not in the mood right now cuz you swore at me.
Audra writes...
Hi Greg!!!
Gargoyles is such a great TV show. It's my favorite TV show. And it shows cartoons are not just for little kids. Anyways, I remember reading about your plans about Brooklyn's mate. I was just wondering, did you, or any or any other creators plan on what she was going to look like? Does she kind of have a "beak" like Brooklyn? It's ok if you don't want to answer, but I just wanted to know. But I am glad that Brooklyn would get a mate. I felt very sorry for him after Maggie rejected him when he was trying to help her and Anglea chose Broadway. I was just wondering if you guys planned what Katana was going to look like. Thanks for reading this. ^_^
Sincerely,
Audra
Greg responds...
Not yet, no. I have a few vague ideas, but that's it.
matt writes...
1. as gargoyles in Japan have been living with humans for centuries, have they been using names throughout most their history, or all of it?
2. was there ever a time that the Ishimuran clan didn't use names? if so, when?
3. did Katana have her name when Brooklyn first meets her?
Greg responds...
1. "Most of their history" would be a hell of a long time. But some of it.
2. Yes. Long ago.
3. Not saying.
Vashkoda writes...
Referring to that Tootsie Roll quote, did you mean "my sympathies" to those who know of it because it would mean that we're old, or were you apologizing to us for using that quote as your answer? Anyways, like Sapphire said, it's not *that* old--in fact, it played when Gargoyles was still part of The Disney Afternoon (I know because it's on one of my tapes, though it's a version with a robot and a dinosaur monster instead of "Mr Owl" and "Mr Turtle").
I know I had a question to insert in here somewhere.... Ah yes:
You also just said, "Tachi will also get some individual rearing, because B&K will be the only parents in range." Maybe I misheard you, but I thought that at the Gathering you said that from your timeline calculations, it turns out that Tachi will still be an egg when Brooklyn returns from his timedancing. So did I misunderstand, or did you do some re-calculating?
Greg responds...
Tachi will be born after they return. But she'll be the only egg to hatch in 1998 and thus the only set of rookery parents will be Brooklyn and Katana. She'll have a lot of rookery aunts and uncles though.
But basically, I was splitting hairs a bit.
Cabal writes...
Ok, again my question. I heard that many fans wrote their own story about timedancer... But how can I read the official Story about Timedancer... Or excist only fanworks about that? Who is the author from Timedancer? .. And at least... will Timedancer be shown on TV anytime?
Thanks :)
Greg responds...
I came up with the idea for TimeDancer while I was still at Disney. I'd love to do it someday, but there are no current plans. I have a few TimeDancer stories and significant events in my head and in my timeline, but I haven't written any of them out as prose fiction.
matt writes...
1. Brooklyn and Katana will return from the Timedance with their two children and Fu-Dog, right?
2. are those two children their first two children? will they have another child in Manhatten? that would make Brooklyn's last child be in the same generation as Broadway and Angela's first.
Greg responds...
1. With one child, one beast and one egg.
2. There's no reason biologically why they wouldn't have a third kid. But I'm not answering this question by confirming that they do. Lots of things MIGHT happen. As to the generational thing, I believe you are right in theory. But I don't have my timeline with me and I'm nervous about making mistakes. My memory for numbers is NOTORIOUSLY awful.
Lord Sloth writes...
In 2198, should I take it that Katana Isn't with Brooklen at that point? And, does Brooklen stay with the resistance for the magority of the spin off?
Also, sence eggs take 10 years to hatch, do Brooklen and Katana have to lug each of their eggs around with them always to be sure that the egg time dances as well?
Greg responds...
Initially, Katana is not with Brooklyn when he first arrives in 2198. Though Fu Dog is.
And yes, Brooklyn and Katana had to lug Nash's egg around for ten years. Tachi's for almost as long.
Lexy writes...
Hey Greg!:)
Brooklyn TD's to 2198 so he knows some things that are going to occur. But by him being in that time line, and not gone TDing doesn't that change things? I guess with Goliath and Griff the events that had to occur did, they just came about in different ways, because Goliath was there to change things. Is this correct?
By the time Brooklyn returns from TDing would he be resigned to letting things happen as they would?
Just keep his mouth shut, and let things occur?
Or at least warn ppl if he felt it necessary?
(IE: They can't stop a bomb from dropping, but they can at least be prepared to deal with it, in the very least, emotionally?)
I hope this wasn't too messy..
Greg responds...
Uh, Lexy, I'm just not following your first paragraph, which may mean that you aren't getting the rules of time travel in the Garg Universe... or am I just dense?
What I will say is that Brooklyn intentionally does NOT learn much about the immediate future of his friends and family. What he knows of the future is of events two centuries removed. He doesn't go back and research the time between.
JEB writes...
During TimeDancer, would Brooklyn et al visit future time periods beyond 2198? Or the truly distant past (pre-dinosaurs)?
Thanks.
Greg responds...
No plans for him to go beyond 2198 (or 99 or so). No plans for him to go pre-dinosaur either.
Lord Sloth writes...
What is the year, and month, that Brooklen starts, and finishes, his time dancing? What happens in the 5 minutes he is gone?
Greg responds...
My current thinking is that Brooklyn vanishes in 1997. (I haven't pinned down the month.) And he's probably gone less than five minutes actually. Broadway and Angela (and maybe Lex) just have time to say something like, "Oh no, will we ever see our dear friend again?" (only better dialogue) before he reappears.
Lord Sloth writes...
When Brooklen became leader for a short time, did he choose a 2nd in command from Lex or Broodway?
Does Katana have a beak like Brooklen?
Greg responds...
Not saying.
Not saying.
Gipdac writes...
1) Will Angela and Broadway raise their kids like humans, by only two parents, or will they be raise like gargoyles, in a collective rookery?
2) If so, will that trend continue into the future?
3) What about Brooklyn and Katana's children will they raise their children collectively or individually?
Greg responds...
1. Like gargs.
2. Generally.
3. Nash will be raised individually, initially, or communally if you consider that his TimeDancing parents represent the complete community of adults. Tachi will also get some individual rearing, because B&K will be the only parents in range. But both kids will get a lot of community parenting from the Manhattan Clan.
Laura 'ad astra' Ackerman writes...
I was looking over the [finally] completed description of the future series and after happily ooing and aahing, I had a few questions.
-1- I noticed that Broadway and Angela's biological children had similar sounding names, (arthurian in my mind). Since they were not named specifically by the parents but rather as clan children, (I assume), I was wondering if this was intentional. Are rookeries intentionally named with similar names, like the angel theme with the Avalon eggs? Do near rookeries share somewhat similar names and distant ones more different ones? Am I reading way too much into a statistical sample of three?
[Side question- Broadway, raised by Gargoyles would not care who was his biological child, but Angela was raised by humans, even if they did try to follow the gargoyle mode. Does she care a little, or at least think about it?]
-2- Nicolas Natzilani Maza, (please excuse my spelling, I am composing this offline): From which of the current Maza siblings does he descend?
-3- Alexander Fox Xanatos IV: I have a feeling I am being a bit dense here, but is he the same Alex as Alexander Fox Xanatos I but covering for extreme longevity?
-4- I don't remember any mention of the New Olympians. Do they play a notable role? If not, where are they?
-5- Logistically I am confused about something- In a perfect world all the Gargoyle spin offs would be running at the same time for an indefinate amount of time. More specifically Time Dancer and Gargoyles 2198 would be running at once. [Which leads to another side question: What you call the series after the first year?] As I see it the first year or two wouldn't be a problem- Timedancer Brooklyn would be a couple of years younger than future Brooklyn and we just wont see him describing in detail events that haven't happened yet in Time Dancer to people in 2198.
The problems start when it comes time for Time Dancer Brooklyn to go to 2198. The easiest way I can see it is, we see him leave, we see him return ten years older all in one ep, "wow! I just spent ten years fighting aliens in the future! But I wont say anything more as not to let you know too much about what will be." Then we have a Time Dancer Brooklyn ten or so years older than the Future one and a massive, sustained chuck of time that he can't give away to the audience. It seems like it would be a very awkward.
Thanks... And enjoy the con!! I hope you give a passing thought to those of us stuck on the other side of the continent. (This whole being an adult with a job kinda sucks sometimes.)
Greg responds...
1. You probably are reading a bit too much into a statistical sample of three. Plus, keep in mind that the Manhattan Clan doesn't exactly have deeply held traditions in naming. The whole concept is fairly new to them.
1a. I think Angela does think about it. But keep in mind, she was group raised. This way, as a parent, she has more children to love. That suits her fine.
2. I'm SO not telling.
3. Yes.
4. They will eventually play a roll. Technology-wise, the rest of the world has caught up to them. I wouldn't fully re-intro them right away, although their leader will be kidnapped along with Alex.
5. You worry too much. I should have such worries.
Cabal writes...
mmm, sorry, i'new here.. i have one question about Timedancer... Were can i read the orginal about that?
Greg responds...
The original what?
Justin writes...
Greg,
I have a few questions about Brooklyn and Katana's relationship.
1) How long are they mated before Nashville and Tachi come along?
2) How long did they know each other before they fell in love?
3)Given the traditionalistic upbringing that Bushido would offer would she at first find Brooklyn to be a fool?
Greg responds...
1. I don't have that info with me at the moment.
2. Depends on how you define "fell in love".
3. There's conflict. I once described their relationship as Sam & Diane-esque. No one got that, but the intellectual crowd here did understand a Beatrice & Benedick reference. Made me feel old and young, simultaneously.
Jessica Cotten writes...
Hey Greg,
Well, either I can't find my answered questions(there are a lot)or I just asked them in a way that wasn't appropriate. Oh well. Anyway, if you ever get to do gargoyles again would you use Timedancer or would you maybe use a different idea if a better one surfaced? Timedancer is good, but I wouldn't put Brooklyn with someone so different. Maybe, but then again; you are the one writing the shows not me.
Since I can't find my questions. Could you e-mail me at Alexlyons3@hotmail.com
Greg responds...
I'm sorry, I don't respond with personal e-mails. Defeats the purpose of this forum.
I'm always open to using the best possible idea at my disposal at a given time. But I'm pretty sure that would include TimeDancer. I'm not sure what you mean by 'putting Brooklyn with someone so different'. You don't know enough about Katana to know how different or not she is.
Michelle S. writes...
Hi Greg, I just started watching gargoyles a few mo. ago so i'm not fully awear of ever thing that has happened so i was just wondering if you could ever see brooklyn getting a girl friend?
Greg responds...
Yes. (Check out the TimeDancer Archive here at ASK GREG for more info on KATANA.)
matt writes...
given that Mary (Tom's mother) will do some time-dancing with Brooklyn and Tom has had a long life on Avalon, have they or will they ever be reunited?
Greg responds...
That would be telling.
Anonymous writes...
If the Brooklyn is able get his hand on the gate and get home then why doesn't he keep the gate?
Greg responds...
I never said he got his hands on it.
Anonymous writes...
Why did you send Brooklyn on a forty-year journey? Why not Broadway or Lexington?
Greg responds...
On at least one level, because that's how it happened. That is, the characters seem to tell me what happens to them next. It just seems right.
But basically, I felt Brooklyn needed to get away, break out. This was symbollically the most extreme way. BW and Lex don't need to leave.
Anonymous writes...
In what period would Timedancing Brooklyn arrive in Xanadu, China?
Greg responds...
Not telling. Neener, neener, neener.
Anonymous writes...
Why does Brooklyn stay so long in 7th century Ishimura? Was it because of Katana or was it because of something else?
What is Brooklyn's mate Katana like?
Greg responds...
When did I say 7th century?
WereFox writes...
Hi Greg
I wonder how Goliath would have reacted to some of the other
tennets of Bushido. We saw how the code teaches redemption of honor through acceptance of personal responsibilty for your actions. However, this is pretty much a universal creed.
There were other aspects of the Bushido code, practiced by the Samaraii, that were very alien to western ideals. For instance, an unredeemable failure is seen as such an affront to the Bushido code, that ritual suicide or Seppaku, was often the only way to restore ones honor. The samarai disembowels himself with a curved knife. Then his "second" decapitates him.
Vengeance is a highly valued right among the practicers of bushido, as evidence by the classic story of the 47 Ronin. When a feudal lord was killed due to treachery of another, his 47 samaraii were shunned and disgraced as warriors without a master. There sense of honor demanded that the offender and his family be hunted down and killed, so the 47 Ronin dedicated the remainder of their lives to this task. Upon completion, the surviving Ronin committed Seppaku.
Surrender was also not tolerated by the bushido code. The samarai would fight to the last man, and enemies who did surrender were executed on the spot.
Were the Japanese gargloyes more selective in their practice of Bushido. I think it would have been interesting to see how Goliath would have reacted to ideals practiced by Japanese gargoyles which would have been so at odds with his own sense of what honor demanded. Dedicating ones life to vengeance? Summarily killing a helpless enemy? Failures so great that ritual suicide is a reasoned expectation, rather than an expression of anguish? There have certainly been instances where his anger or grief might have driven Goliath to these actions. Yet, Bushido enshrines such behavior as honorable and necessary.
Greg responds...
All good points. All stuff I had hoped to explore in TimeDancer with Brooklyn and Katana.
Anonymous writes...
Why exactly is does Brooklyn name his son Nashville? Does he name him after the city or does he name him after something else that bears the name of the city?
Greg responds...
Not answering this now, but you might do a little research.
Justin writes...
Hi Greg
Ok now am I too assume correctly that when the 78 ( 39 biologically) year old Brooklyn returns from his dances he is stronger than he was when he left right? I mean he had been fully grown by that time and plus the perils of the dance could cause for a greater need to thicken up.
So the big question,
Can the (39) year old Brooklyn hold his own or maybe even win in a fight against the (29) year old Goliath?
Thanks
Greg responds...
Why would they fight?
Anonymous writes...
Why are Brooklyn's travels in time called dances?
Is something or someone controlling where he goes?
Could you tell us who or what it is?
Greg responds...
Again, control is executed or not, depending on the extent (if any) of YOUR PERSONAL BELIEF in a HIGHER POWER.
As to the name TimeDANCER, well, mostly, I just like the way it sounds. And it sort of indicates the way he SKIPS around from era to era. Just seemed right, I guess.
Justin writes...
Ok forgive me if this is confusing but this is the only way I could figure out how to word this question. You have mentioned that a Time Dancing Brooklyn would be a character in 2198. Now, since Brooklyn come home eventually, wouldn't a ver old Brooklyn also be present? or at least Nashville and Tachi? What I am asking is during his Time Dancing wouldn't Brooklyn encounter older versions of himself, Katana, Nashville and Tachi? Seeing as how they do come home, thus are a part of the timestream from 1996 on?
Thanks again!
Greg responds...
They did come home, but do the math as to whether it's feasible that they'd still be alive in 2198.
Jim R. writes...
I'm still a little baffled about Timedancing Brooklyn and the story behind him. You state that when Goliath threw the Phoenix gate into itself without a mind to guide it, it would be forever lost in the time stream. Then you went on to say that it lands in front of Brooklyn.
1. Why did you choose Brooklyn?
2. When does it land in front of him, in what time?
I was reading through the archived responses about this, and you say that he never lays a finger on the gate.
3. But how is it possible for him to travel forty years leaping in and out of random time shifts the gate creates? The gate is just a talisman, without a mind or the incantation it really can't go anywhere, which leads me to my next question.
4. If Brooklyn is susceptable to random time shifts, how long does he or can he stay, in one time?
5. Why couldn't he lay a finger on the gate? I mean surely he would eventually find out how the gate works in some time, grab it, speak the incantation, and boom! he's back home again in his own time exactly when he left. Brooklyn isn't that stupid, he surely would have had some pre-existing knowledge from Goliath about the dangers of the gate.
Please. Maybe you could explain this whole Timedancer mess in better detail or in a nutshell, or at least point me out someplace online I could go to read more about it in further detail.
Greg responds...
No, I stated that Goliath threw the Phoenix Gate into the Timestream -- not itself.
1. He chose me largely. He was ready for the next step in his character's evolution. And I felt he could carry a series.
2. In "the present". Originally, that meant 1996. I'm not sure now. I'm leaning toward '97 though. Not 2001.
3. No, it goes everywhere and everywhen. It seems to be random. But the timestream itself may have currents and eddies guiding it.
4. There's no consistent rule.
5. He can never get to it in time.
The only place I can point you for more detailed info is the TimeDancer archive here at ASK GREG. (This doesn't seem that complicated to me, however. I certainly wouldn't call it a 'mess'.)
Adam writes...
1. When he returns from Timedancing, is Brooklyn aware of the time and place of his own death?
2. If so, is he also aware that there is nothing he can do to change the circumstances of his demise?
Greg responds...
1. No.
Adam writes...
If I understand Timedancing correctly, it occurs at unpredictable intervals. The Phoenix Gate suddenly appears and whisks Brooklyn off to a new time period. So my question is: when Brooklyn does his final Timedance, the one that brings him back to just minutes after he originally left, how does he know that his Timedancing is over? Does he know that the Gate will not appear again, or does he expect to be Timedanced(?) away again at any moment?
If he knows that his journey has come to an end, is it because he has gained control of the Gate? If he does have control of the Gate, why did he choose to come back just a few minutes after he left? Didn't he have anyplacetime better to go after forty years of Timedancing? What does he do with the Gate once he gets back?
Greg responds...
I'm not answering any of this. If you think about it, you'll see why.
Justin writes...
Here we go again...
1) Will Goliath and Elisa ever have kids?
2) Will Brooklyn and Katana have kids in the 2008 rookery?
3) Will Lexington?
Thanks
Greg responds...
1, 2, and 3. They will be parents to all the children of the clan.
Anonymous writes...
Were you inspired in someway by Quantum Leap while making Timedancer?
Greg responds...
Not really. Plenty of time travel stuff pre-dates QL.
And I'm much stricter about time-travel rules than that show.
Bruno writes...
Hi Greg,
Thoughts about time travel:
There is a little controversy about time travel vs. free will. If the past is unchangeable -and also the future, for consequence- then there is _no_ free will?
On the contrary; The events in the past can't be changed, but they WERE and ARE done by us. That's easy to guilt the others or the timestream, but, quoting Rorschach, from Watchmen:
"That's not God who kill the children, nor the chance who shred they, nor the destine who feed the dogs with they. They're us. Only us". (I'm translating to english from a translation to the portuguese. :-)
Plus, on the contrary of the common sense, change the past is not use free will, but kill it: Demona betrayed Wyvern. If she came back and change this, she should be obstructing her OWN free will. And her responsability, to boot. And responsability is one of the series' themes.
This is a paradox, but, with time travel, what else did you want? The unchangeable past universe IS the free will universe. :-)
Oh, well, now back to my time travel questions:
1- Roughly, when was the Phoenix Gate "created"? Meaning when it droped in Avalon, starting the time loop.
2- If the Phoenix Gate is a "steam valve" and it exists among two time points (??? or before and 2198 or after), what was the steam valve before the Gate? And after?
Ps. I just wanted to say that I fully understood the time loops in Vows, Avalon II and M.I.A. and I loved then. Vows and Avalon were amazing and smart, and M.I.A. was just too fun: Goliath couldn't change the history, but he was so smart that he could trick it! Great work.
Greg responds...
Before we get to your questions, Bruno, let me just say that I agree with you on your time travel/free will thing.
1. I don't want to reveal that yet. It's intrinsic to the whole TimeDancer story.
2. Stories for another day.
Thanks.
LSZ writes...
Would the Loch Ness Monsters ever be featured in Dark Ages or Timedancer?
Greg responds...
Maybe.
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