Ed writes...

'THE EDGE' comments.

Not a big favourite. The animation is gorgeous, and the ending is sublime. But the Steel Clan echoed the Foot Clan a bit much for my tastes. I can't remember my first viewing that well, but I'm pretty sure that I didn't expect the red robot to be Xanatos. (Although I should have, because I'd seen 'FUTURE TENSE' a few months previously).

In hindsight, there are several nice touches and the writing is delightful. But it wasn't one of those episodes where the difference between normal action cartoons and 'Gargoyles' leap out and grab you.

I guess I just never liked the Steel Clan.

Blaise writes...

HER BROTHER'S KEEPER

Boy, I'm dense. I hadn't realized just how far the "siblings" idea went (Jackal and Hyena were right out of my mind--I just thought they were good villains).
Speaking of the terrible twins, they got some pretty good dialogue throughout, but especially at the beginning. I like how Mr. Reaves managed to put in some exposition on the other Pack members and make it sound organic. BTW, Hyena thinks Dingo knows how to have a "good time," eh? If what she said was true, and considering her own personality, Dingo changed A LOT by the end of the series. And I always have to say "OW" when Hyena digs her heel into Jackal's shin.
I kind of figured the gargoyles were throwing the twins out of the 'copter with the intent to kill. I pretty much KNEW you guys would slap parachutes on them, but I didn't expect the gargoyles themselves to be that "PC". Like I said, I always liked that edge.
Going to the trio--some of the best lines in the series there, IMHO. And most of them Brooklyn's! "Famous last words," "Yeah, use the Force, Lex," and "You and what Starfleet" always make me smile. I also like the look on their faces when Goliath yells at the Maza siblings at the end. A particularly memorable moment that. Excellent dialogue (Mr. Reaves always seems to have a gift for that).
Now I get to the main part of the ep. Just as the Trio and Hudson (who doesn't have a single line in this ep, hmmm) had their own ep to shine, this one belonged to Elisa. I liked the struggle she had with her brother over Xanatos. I began to notice the irony of each sibling's discussion with their parents in later viewings, but the fact that both siblings were wrong did strike me. As for that ending...I was sure he was going to play the tape and listen to it, but I did like it that the ending was ambiguous as to that event. The snow was a nice touch, too (and it actually made a crunching sound when they walked on it--this was the first animated show I saw where that happened!).
And one must admire Xanatos and his chutzpa. Love his ego in this one. Then there's Fox. When I saw her final remark, with the camera position and lighting, I knew that she loved him, or was at the very least infatuated. I didn't know if the feeling was mutual, however.
BTW, the beverage that Peter Maza was drinking...was it alcoholic?

I do enjoy watching this ep.

Todd Jensen writes...

One additional response to your "Her Brother's Keeper" ramble. You mentioned that the original idea for Catscan/Talon was to make him a scientist in Xanatos's employ who got mutated, but then realized that it should be Derek instead. I felt that the role going to Derek was a very good idea. If it had been a more or less unconnected scientist, it could still have made a good story, but making the victim Derek strengthened it. Here, it isn't just anybody getting mutated, but Elisa's own brother. Not only does that tie the victim in all the better with the main characters, but it also brought in those great scenes at the end of "Metamorphosis" where Elisa, after discovering who Talon really is, proceeds to let Xanatos have it, and then weeps back at the clock tower. I'd say that the Gargoyles Universe intuition was batting a thousand on that one.

Ed writes...

'LONG WAY TO MORNING' comments.

Just like 'TEMPTATION', I loved this first time around. It had Demona, it had the Dark Ages, it had a thrilling chase scene, loads of laser blasting, a lot of atmospheric running water (I love it when running water is used alongside high drama - I don't know why, but it always appeals to me). It's fraught, has a great graveyard scene and lots of cool flashbacks. It shows us Goliath out of action.

But as I go back to it the thing that annoys me most, is Demona. She grates so much! Her dialogue seems to be frustratingly similar throughout.

Also, I felt that the Archmage was weak here. He lacked the conviction and menace that made him such an effective villain in later episodes. Which is probably why I forgot all about him, and by 'VOWS' (which I saw months later first time around, because of the order GMTV showed it) my memory had fogged sufficiently so that I got him confused with the Magus.

Ed writes...

'TEMPTATION' comments.

Hi, Greg.

When I saw this the first time on GMTV, I was blown away. At least, for months after this was the episode I remembered. It had Brooklyn (whose name I took about 20 episodes to memorise for some reason), and more importantly - it had Demona. I loved Demona here, and I was delighted at the theme of betrayal that flows through here. There's a great sense of hurt. It's really gorgeous.

But watching it the second time and times after, I have to say that I was less impressed. Demona seems to have a stock of classic villainess threats that she doesn't really grow out of in this season. They were great first time, but I'd seen 'LONG WAY TO MORNING' just the episode previously (see my 'THRILL OF THE HUNT' comment) and heard very similar dialogue.

Also, I can't help feeling that the ending was a bit of a con. It was very clever, but the idea that all through CITY OF STONE, HUNTER'S MOON and whatever comes after Goliath is still under a spell from episode 7 (even one that is inactive) doesn't appeal to me much.

Aaron writes...

Long Way to Morning.

I love this episode. It's definately one of my top ten. Quite well done overall, but I love it for one reason above the others:

This is the last time we will see Demona like this. No, it's hardly the last time we'll see her being evil, but after City of Stone, (And Vows, to a lesser extent) our perception of Demona changes. Post-COS, Demona's a tortured sociopath who's spent the last 900 years living a painful, screwed-up life. Even if most of that was her own doing, there's still some sympathy factor there. (Of course, this is all just my opinion, others may think differently)

In Long Way to Morning Demona's just *evil*. From her casual "Ciao" to the (she thinks) dying Elisa to... almost everything she says to Hudson, she's just pure and unadulterated badness.

The fight in the graveyard is quite cool, especially the sequence where Demona's wings unfold from behind the angel statue, (complete with sinister flash of lightning) Hudson swings his sword, and it looks like nothing happened... until the statue falls apart, bisected diagonally.

And of course, there's the irony of Hudson's last words to Demona, about patience coming with age, which only shows up the second time through. Demona, of course, being probably nine or ten times older then Hudson, but has still never learned to think things through calmly, rather then charging off in anger.

Lexy writes...

Hey Greg,

Episode 12. Ahh, Episode 12. I guess I could ramble on about the excellent animation and such. But I'll answer your Q's;)

Derek working for Xanatos: You know..it really didn't throw me for a loop. Don't get me wrong, this isn't because you guys were being predictable. Certainly not. It was because after 11 episodes of Gargoyles already I realized that this wasn't your joe-blow plot line. The kind I can show up halfway and watch five min's and guess with dead near perfect accuracy what is going to happen. No, this was GARGOYLES we were talking about. I just got into the habit of NOT guessing at anything. That is probably the wussy no-brainer way out..infact it _is_ the no-brainer way out. But for the most part it is true. I wasn't shocked, though I was throughly (sp?) entertained. It was awsome to, again, see you guys doing unconventional things with lead characters. It's just such a breath of fresh air to see a main or basic character get pulled into the muk. I know that is probably a little crule on my part. But just because you are nice most of the time, and important, dosn't give you a free pass out of all the crud that can go wrong in life.

The Irony: Like you said..it was _everywhere_ in this episode. Just like Episode 6, it made it sparkle for me. It wasn't black and white. There wasn't one side that was dead wrong and one side that had it correct. It's cool to see characters fighting for things that arn't per say wrong..they just don't work in that perticular situation. Like you said, stuff happens.

Chucking the twins off the Chopper: Well, I guess it never really bothered me since, as you already pointed out, they had parachutes. So all is well right? But I suppose I never _really_ thought about it enough. As you had pointed out in your post, _did_ the trio _know_ they had those parachutes? Your answer is very statisfying (sp:P) to me. Just like Goliath and his whole "We defeated him, the castle is ours now" complex, it shows that they still have a lot of throw backs to their Wyvern years. Not that they just _adapt_ to this century and become modern day crime busters. Again, its just a nice touch.

Xanatos' bravado: I think you just about rounded it up for him as usual. Him telling Fox to spill the beans freely for Elisa didn't _shock_ me per-say, but it did make me shake my head and grin at that guys audacity. I mean.._really_.

David and Fox sitting in a Tree: In this episode it's pretty clear that something is really up with these two. I don't think I _really_ caught it with the force that I did untill this episode. But when I did, I didn't have any after thoughts like "Hmm wonder how long this will last." They are just _perfect_ for eachother.

Eating Jokes: Ya..it did get strung out. But it wasnt like "Oh geez, this again?" I mean, they are siblings..and sibs will be sibs. I didnt expect any of them to get really original in their come backs. Besides..it was nice to just sorta ween viewers off of the whole eating machine lable that got stuck on Broadway in earlier episodes. If he had just _stopped_ being somewhat ..well a big eater will say, or the subject was just dropped like a stone I would have been kinda thrown.

Well, I suppose thats pretty much all I got. Another contest ha? Coolies. Though I dont _think_ I'll enter.

Oh and by the way Greg. I'm sure you probably already know this. But if you gave one of us a box of used paperclips off your desk, most fans would be like "OH MY GOSH!! I have _GREGS'_ PAPERCLIPS!!! And he actually USED THEM!!!"

*shrugs* I know..but its probably true:) Were kinda insane that way.

Todd Jensen writes...

An addendum to my last post. I'm really enjoying these "episode ramblings" of yours, and thought that I'd thank you for posting them. Until/unless you get to write a book about "The Making of 'Gargoyles'" (for which, alas, there doesn't seem to be a market at present - I fear that Gargoyles fandom isn't big enough yet to offer enough sales to make a publisher happy), this counts as the next best thing.

Todd Jensen writes...

A sort of "return-ramble" about "Her Brother's Keeper". One thing that I will admit is that the first time around that I saw it, I actually believed that Elisa's tape recording of her conversation with Fox would change Derek's mind about remaining in Xanatos's employment. Of course, we know from "Metamorphosis" that it didn't happen. (The one thing that we probably never will know was whether Derek never listened to the recorder or whether he did but remained unconvinced even after listening to Fox's words on it. Admittedly, after the way that Elisa had been pushing him to leave Xanatos's service, I suppose that it's not too surprising that even the recording wouldn't have changed Derek's mind).

I agree with your analysis of the behavior of the Mazas over Derek's situation. (And I've got to add that I consider Elisa's meeting with Derek in the locker room a BIG mistake on her part; it obviously didn't do her cause any good. Not to mention that it wasn't too much fun for a lot of her male co-workers, either :)

I also enjoyed your analysis (which I thought was also very accurate) of the trio in this episode, and of Goliath. And I agree that the snow at the end of the story is a great touch in conveying mood.

I'd also noticed about why Jackal and Hyena would still be at liberty in this episode (and Dingo, too); nobody had seen them chasing after the gargoyles and their actions hadn't endangered any humans, so only Fox and Wolf would be facing charges and locked away in prison. (Of course, by the end of the ep, it's a whole different story for Jackal and Hyena).

Blaise writes...

LONG WAY TO MORNING

A little late, I know, but we all get bogged down in RL every now and then.
I liked the Archmage. Now this is mostly because I just like magic-using characters no matter how cliched (just an odd affinity) and my like for this character increased when (on the second viewing) I finally recognized his voice.
I also like the exposure Hudson gets in this episode, and was thrilled to see that the ep showed how his eye was damaged. As far as I know, usually when an animated character is introduced with a damaged/missing eye it is not shown how that happened. I was glad that "Gargoyles" actually took the time to do that.
I must admit, although I noticed Malcolm's casual use of the gargoyles as a boogeyman to scare Katharine during my first viewing of the episode, it was in the later viewings that their long-term effects really started hitting me. Apparently, Malcolm can be quite thoughtless at times. I wonder if he lived long enough to see Katharine's growing dislike for gargoyles.
The fight with Demona, while for the most part well staged, was not quite as interest grabbing for me (always liked the characters more). In fact it's mostly in how Hudson handles that fight and views it that really grabs interest. There are a few moments in the fight that stretch credibility (Hudson cuts through a statue but Demona's gun remains [apparently] in one piece, etc.) however, Demona using the gun as a blunt instrument was not one of them. To me, she just seemed the type that would do that sort of thing.
I never really thought about the "hidden meaning" of the last exchange--I guess because I already took it for granted that the gargs were not fight-mongers. But all the same, I love the wry humor in it.

Matt writes...

Hey, I'm a big fan of the Gargoyles and I've been reading 'The Gargoyles Saga' Gargoyles. It's really cool. I was wondering what comments on the series would be?

I really like Goliath and Elisa together.

becky writes...

dear greg,
i love th gargoyles show and i've been watching on sunday on disney's sneak peek on toon disney. the only proble is they shut it off. our cable operator doesn't carry toon disney so i have no hope of seeing it ever again. please help! i really love watching gargoyles.

Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

Ahh man. Todd pointed out the Demona/Lady Macbeth connection before I did.

Since I'd rather not repeat everything he said, I'll just say that "Long Way to Morning" was a great episode.

Oh by the way, I'm glad the Archmage did return. I like evil sorcerors, even if some are cliched. And David Warner is one of my favorite voice-actors. He was great as Ras al'Ghul in Batman, and Alpha in MiB. Thanks for bringing him back to "Gargoyles". It's just too bad that we didn't get "Dark Ages".

Ambrosia writes...

Hey Greg!
This is another response to a ramble on another beautiful ep!

Like Erin said, it's not supposed to happen. The brother of our heroine isn't supposed to be in the employ of the Bad Guy. The thing that interested me most was that scene with the different reactions between the trio. Broadway and Brooklyn's lines beg some thought… Derek should trust you… but trust doesn't mean much without honesty. In a kid's show, there is usually a very clear definition between Good and Bad, but Brooklyn is subtly saying that she hasn't been entirely honest with her brother. I love my trio. Oops, there's three. And poor Lex who carries a grudge as long as any other gargoyle is inching out the Six trying to start hunting the Pack down. Great personality work. These aren't Huey Duey and Louie.

Again, the Good and Bad thing going on with Xanatos. He's supposed to be the antagonist, but he just acts so… suave! One might mistake him for a great guy… I guess Derek did.

The scene with Fox? I think the beams of light from heaven surrounding her enraptured face as she pictures "David" gave it away. :) When I first saw it, I for some reason thought that Fox was infatuated with Xanatos, but didn't know it was mutual. Silly me.

Thanks!

Andrew Warren writes...

In regards to "Her Brother's Keeper."

Great episode for Xanatos. The convuluted plan demands respect, but I was even more impressed with how his whole team worked together. While Elisa is bickering with her brother, Xanantos, Fox, and Owen are working together seamlessly to call the tune. Even Jackal and Hyena seem to be playing at sibling rivalry rather than suffering from it.

And, yes, it was obvious Fox had a thing for Xanatos here. Also that she was already pretty close to him. Not only is there that whole "brilliant man" line, but she also calls him David. Not many people in the series are on a first name basis with the guy.

The coyote diamond would be a great clue later on in the series. Was this conscious forshadowing for "Leader of the Pack" or "Cloud Fathers?" I'd guess almost certainly the former and perhaps the latter as well.

Andrew Warren writes...

A response to your ramble on "Long Way to Morning."

When I first saw this episode I was enthralled. Hudson has an easy competence about him that reminds me of my father, so I was happy to see him get his time in the sun, or out of it as the case may be. I truly enjoyed watching him be alternately crafty and amazingly physical. That spinning leap with the sword was one of my favorite moves in the series.

Unfortunately, this was an episode that didn't age well. After "City of Stone" Hudson's line about age and waiting really didn't mesh with Demona's background. I'd guess the back story hadn't been filled in when "Long Way to Morning" was written, but it still strikes me as a continuity glitch.

Todd Jensen writes...

This is sort of a brief reply to your reply to my comments on "Awakening Part One".

The "friend" conversation was the point where I decided that I liked the gargoyles - in the sense of species. (I'd already decided that I liked the series when the "Scotland - 994 A.D" segment got underway).

BECKY writes...

HI! I'VE RECENTLY GOTTEN INTO GARGOYLES AND I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE SNEEK PEEK OF TOON DISNEY THAT DISNEY SHOWS BECAUSE IT HAS THE GARGOYLES SHOW. BUT THEY'VE STOPPED SHOWING IT AND OUR CABLE OPERATER DOESN'T HAVE TOON DISNEY SO I HAVE NO WAY OF EVER SEEING THE SHOW AGAIN. I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR WEBSITES WITH SUMMARIES OF THE EPISODES BUT THERE AREN'T VERY MANY WHEN A WEBSITE DOES HAVE THEM. CAN YOU HELP?

Matthew writes...

Hi I have to find some pictures and information on Gargoiles and I was wondering if you could please send me some info at perks57@hotmail.com
Thanks

Todd Jensen writes...

A comment on Pyro X's "Gummi Bears" question.

I actually saw a slight similarity between the two series myself, but more in terms of the overall situation of the title characters. Both Gummi Bears and Gargoyles were portrayed as non-human sentient beings who once lived alongside humans, until that came to an end through human hostility (in the Gummis' case, driving most of them overseas, in the Gargoyles' case, destroying most of their clans), leaving only a few scattered communities/clans left, which would only gradually begin reconnecting with each other and recovering what was lost.

(I might add that I recall the presence in the latter part of the series of some Gummmis from the Barbic Woods who were portrayed as particularly suspicious and unsympathetic towards humans, and can easily imagine many gargoyles in the Gargoyles Universe having a similar attitude).

Todd Jensen writes...

A sort of "ramble-reply" to "Long Way Till Morning".

I'll have to confess that the only part of my "first time I saw it" response to this episode that I now remember (other than my delight at another medieval sequence - the 984 scenes in this case) was that I initially believed that Prince Malcolm would actually succumb to the Archmage's poisoned dart, and that this was how he'd died. (It was obvious that he must have died at some point before the 994 events in "Awakening", naturally, since Katharine's ruling Wyvern by then). So the fact that, in the succeeding flashbacks in this episode after the initial one, he does live in the end, surprised me.

I certainly agree with you on the Katharine-and-Malcolm scenes; I'd also felt on my own before reading that ramble that Malcolm was unwittingly planting the seeds of bigotry in his daughter when he used the gargoyles as a means of frightening her to be good. (Kind of reminds me of something I'd read once in either "Dear Abby" or "Ann Landers" about a policeman protesting the way that a few parents use police as "bogeymen" to scare their children into being good similarly). Indeed, Prince Malcolm's judgement really does come across in this episode as a bit on the poor side beyond Katharine; he's overly confident about the Archmage no longer being a threat, while Hudson correctly recognizes that the sorcerer could return for revenge - and indeed, the Archmage does.

Demona's ambitious streak in the 984 scene reminds me a bit of Lady Macbeth similarly urging Macbeth to dispose of Duncan in Shakespeare's play - which, when you stop to think over her future, is rather appropriate. (Indeed, in "Sanctuary", Demona actually becomes "Lady Macbeth" in a literal sense - and if you ask me, she fits the Shakespearean character far better than Gruoch ever did).

I must admit that I've always had a certain fondness for Hudson, and he certainly comes across as a sympathetic figure here. One can't help but admire his dogged persistence in keeping Goliath safe from Demona in the present day. He may think of himself as all washed up, but he still does his duty in protecting Goliath against a very determined adversary.

Two scenes I particularly like in this episode, both near the end: the sight of Demona slowly approaching through the graveyard in the distance, and the bit where she emerges from behind the stone angel - both positively creepy.

Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

I read your rambles on the episodes of Gargs so far, and here are some of my comments.

I was definetly surprised by the clan losing the castle in "Enter Macbeth", it seemed improbable that masssive changes would happen like that. I liked how "Gargoyles" did things like that. I was constantly pleasantly surprised.

Another point in "Enter Macbeth" I'd like to comment on is that I think it's good that Macbeth was not wearing exo-armor. It shows how skilled a warrior he is.

The Edge is one of my favorites. Xanatos is so cool in it. I did think the exo-frame was a robot. You fooled me. Another reason i want to see the show back is so I can see whether or not I know all your tricks.

Can't wait to read your other rambles.

Aris Katsaris writes...

A brief thought on the Edge.

I was indeed quite surprised when the red robot was revealed as Xanatos... I had thought it was just an very advanced robot, possibly a recurring character, but I never thought it was Xanatos himself...

And ofcourse in 'Leader of the Pack' you used that eralier episode to your advantage... Now *everyone* expected Coyote to be Xanatos, and noone expected him to be a very advanced robot... Very intentional, I suppose?

Weirdly enough, though quite a bit older than Erin, I also felt a bit nervous in the Statue of Liberty battle... I tend to do that when in TV monuments/antiquities are casually endangered... A bit silly perhaps, but there you have it... :-)

Chris writes...

No question this time, just a comment.

Love the show, I love the animation and how well drawn everything is, I also like the originality of the show, the storyline is awesome, and very well thought out.
"Hunter's Moon" is my favorite episode, I love the battle scene between the gargoyles and the hunters inside the cathedral. And then it gets canceled, what the HECK were they thinking? Were they unaware of the show's popularity?
And on top of that I don't have Toon Disney! Oh the agony!
Looking forward to the movie though.....well anyway, just wanted to say thank you for such an excellent show, I can't say that enough, and i'll continue to hope to God that the show comes back.

Andrew Warren writes...

Here's a response to your rambles on the episodes.

I will never forget the first time I saw Enter Macbeth. I had just returned from a Winter Break in which my brother had introduced me to this fascinating new series. That first Friday in January I gathered as many friends as I could and we crammed into a friend's dorm room to watch. We were enthralled. For months afterward we quoted "Bzzzt . . . Ow" and "Actually, yes." Even Bronx's myterious ability to rescue Brooklyn and Lexington somehow played positively with us. Watching the show became a minor ritual for us, indicating that the weekend had truly begun. We even went so far as to rent Akakening when the show was preempted by a local sporting event. good times indeed.

And a nod at the continuity. I loved the Steel Clan battle in the Edge. The Gargs are sublimely self confident as they wade in, only to be forced to concede that their foes are a lot tougher than they used ro be. Courtesy of Xanatos' security cameras watching Macbeth demonstrate proper techniques for Gargoyle hunting, of course.

Wing writes...

Aboot the Digimon scheduling> What I meant to say about it was that it has two runnings. One where it goes from beginning to end continuously. This is good for first time viewers and viewers that may have missed an episode. Then, it has another running (sort of) where they can show new episodes without having to run through however many episodes there are first. Plus there's advance warning about the airing of new episodes. I just thought that was an effective airing method. I wanted to share. Sharing is good. I should stop before I go Barney on you.

Blaise writes...

THE EDGE

This is always a fun episode for me to watch just because of Xanatos. To me this seems very much to be his episode. Agreed, the fact that he didn't penalize Owen for having beaten him at sparing was very refreshing (and totally in-character for him, I thought). The scene between him and Goliath is priceless. Usually in "animated action/adventure shows" it is the villain who blows his top and rants while the hero remains cool. Here, just the opposite occurs. It's very nice to see the villain not falling prey to the usual pitfalls and cliches.
And no, when I first saw this I didn't think that Xanatos and the Red Steel Clan were one and the same. When the "robot" began ascertaining the status of his comrades, my siblings and I (we were all watching this episode together) remarked that Xanatos had apparently created a robot that could think. Then our jaws hit the floor when we came to the Tag at the end.
The cliff-hanger of Act I did have less of an impact on me because I knew the thief was Steel Clan, but I still did wonder what Elisa might do, and how she'd explain herself out of it.
Matt left me intrigued. Not so much from his little spiel on the Illuminati, but from the fact that he DID make a good point about partners (you already gave the quote). One would almost expect his type of character to be an idiotic bumbler and/or a complete jerk--comedy relief. I'm glad he wasn't just a one-note character, but actually got to grow and develop along with everyone else.
I also enjoy the scenes of the clan adjusting to their new home. Goliath reading Dostoyevsky (however the heck you spell that). I haven't read any of his works yet, but maybe when the mood takes me.... (Considering what Goliath ruminated on while reading the book--Xanatos, the castle, and so forth--I think I can guess the title of the book).
And of course, SUPERB animation.

VF writes...

My two young daughters prompted me to watch "Gargoyles," and now I'm hooked, too--just for different reasons. Hmm, then again, maybe not for different reasons. ...

I think it's great that you incorporated elements of Shakespeare, Arthurian legend, etc. (My kids really impressed their preschool teacher when they started name-dropping Shakespearean characters left and right.)

And I am especially impressed with how you and your colleagues were able to make me care so much about animated characters--a definite tribute to the quality of the storytelling and characterization is my guess. The romantic in me just loves the careful development of the Goliath/Elisa relationship. Subtle-but-emotion-filled glances, touches and comments (sometimes even unbeknownst to the characters themselves) make it all the more romantic and all the more regrettable that there are no more episodes to see it play out further.

My question relates to "Hunter's Moon, Part III." How does Goliath internalize his failure to save Elisa since he had promised that he would always be there for her (I think in "The Gathering")? Now, granted, I don't think Elisa would ever expect ANYONE to always be there to save her (although it's a nice and loving concept she can appreciate). But I think Goliath expects it of himself and would have a difficult time, at some point, accepting that he was not able to save her (not to mention that he was in part responsible for causing her to fall, albeit accidentally) and would not be able to just put that behind him.

Of course, I'm the first to cheer when their relationship does move to the next level with the kiss and all (and later in "The Journey" with the mutual statement that neither of them regrets their chosen path). The earlier "Hunter's Moon" scenes involving Jason, as well as the revelation that Elisa is OK after all, certainly provide the two with plenty of compelling motivation to more openly acknowledge how they feel about each other. But still, I can't help feeling Goliath's characterization would not allow him to simply consider all that happened while he was caught up in seeking vengeance as a lesson learned and move on. Your thoughts? (And thank you.)

Lexy writes...

Hey again:)

Episode Ten..The Edge..man..one of my faves. The animations was AWSOME. *gets all girly* AND they drew Lex's face just perfect!! Not to angular, not to large. His eyes were great, and his head shape was perfect! Ooooh And I just LOVE the sceens between him and Broadway. When the show a quick shot of Broadway helping Lex out of the ruble. Broadway is talking to Goliath saying something like, "But why? I thought they..blablabla. Lex gives Broadway this really fast smile. I just love that moment. They really are good friends. *stops being girly* OK anyway

I think it was pretty obvious that it was David the whole time..but I didnt really care much. It was still cool to see him and G-man duke it out. I loved when David said, "I'd fire you if you did." That was the best.

As you mentioned, the whole robot/Goliath thing was rather annoying. I did find myself saying, "well duh" during it. It is too bad. But we know you had good intentions ;) Sometimes the animation gets away from ya.

The shots of the Trio on and around Lady L. were excellent. The animation was just..stunning..gee have I said enough about the animation in this ep? Well. I loved it. I suppose I should shut up now:) see ya!

Todd Jensen writes...

A sort of "ramble-response" on "The Edge".

The revelation at the end that that "red Steel Clan robot" was really Xanatos in "gargoyle-armor" certainly did surprise me when I first saw the episode; up until the end, I had thought that it was just a more improved Steel Clan robot with some proper artificial intelligence programmed into it so that it would know when would be a sensible time to retreat. But it certainly did make sense, particularly in the context of Xanatos's explanation at the end (which did indeed nicely fit in with his judo match with Owen at the beginning).

I definitely sat up and took attention at the inclusion of a jewel named "the Eye of Odin", being a big Norse mythology fan, but I must confess that I never suspected that it was literally that until I saw "Eye of the Storm".

One of my favorite parts of this episode remains the exchange between Goliath and Xanatos at Castle Wyvern, which I feel so effectively captures their respective characters; Goliath's passionate nature, Xanatos's calmness and arrogance. (His "You're taking this way too personally!" line has to count as the ultimate chutzpah).

Thanks for the filling in a bit about Travis Marshall, by the way. (He seems to have gotten promoted near the end of the series, by the way; in "The Gathering" and "The Journey", he's been advanced to anchorman, and even serves as moderator in the debate between Macbeth and Margot).

Jeffrey Chow writes...

Not a question but a comment. I had thought that this show was just a kids show. I was proven wrong. The complex plot lines, the mix of magic, medieval history, Shakespearean characters, old English myth. It was great. I am only sorry I didn't video tape the series and that I didn't have a chance to see them sequentially.
Just some Kudos to the creators and people responsible for the series.

LSZ writes...

If Goliath ripped off Macbeth's leg with Macbeth's full consent and agreement, and beat Demona to death with it, would that count as Macbeth killing Demona?

Ambrosia writes...

Ah, The Edge…
I just adore that scene where Owen and Xanatos are sparring. The first time I saw that episode though, I thought it was laughable: Owen Burnett in a gi, his glasses and electronic organizer set aside so he can be beat on by his employer. I was quite surprised when he actually won. I looked at Owen a lot differently from that point on. He is, as Demona likes to say, "A force to be reckoned with."
I'm afraid I did guess that the red robot was Xanatos. Still, the part at the end where he removes the helmet is wonderfully dramatic.
It's been a long time, so I don't remember for absolute sure, but I think, since the museum was so dark, I thought it *was* Goliath stealing the Eye. You're right, it seems obvious, but after that scene with him roaring at the news report and the whole clan looking at him in that, "uh oh, he's lost it," kind of way, I thought he was enraged enough to do it.
About Munch's "The Scream" (and this is straight from my art history text): it's in Nasjonalgalleriet, Oslo. Don't ask me where exactly that is… but it's not in Manhattan. Sorry.
Absolutely amazing that the Emir was mentioned this early in the series but wouldn't physically appear for another season or so. Were you planning the Avalon eps in that much detail, that much ahead?
I *love* Travis Marshall. He always seems to tell it the way it is… whether it's against public opinion or not.
I'm with Erin. I was on the edge of my seat in the battle scene, seeing this ep for the first time, not as much because of the danger and action, but because I was sure someone was going to damage Lady Liberty. Why did Xanatos choose her as their battle field anyway? Goliath had said before that he probably didn't want anymore damage done to his city…
Thanks, Greg. We love ya!

Phil writes...

He Greg,

Last week I posted a treatise on the current status of Disney TV Animation. I just learned that Disney/Pixar is working on an animated series called "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command." So much for my stagnation theory.

No question, just comment.
Thanks

Kalara of Athiria writes...

Mr. Weisman,

I would just like to say Sir. that you and the team at Disney did a fine job when you created Gargoyles. It was a great show with indepth characters and interesting plots. Each time I watched a episode I always looked forward to the next episode.

maggie wright writes...

I am sure that you must know of many gargoyle sites,so I was hoping that you might know of a place to obtain patterns for making stuffed versions of gargoyles (not the ones from Disney but general gargoyles).

Nick writes...

Hey hey. I still remember seeing the first episode of Gargoyles. I guess I was about 9 or so. I still get goosebumps when I watch the intro. And I wasnt surprised to read that you work on the ST series. I've watched it too from its first broadcast (in my area anyway). I think I've only missed it 3 times but seeing how they dont play the episodes in any specific order odds are I havent missed anything I havent already seen. But onto my question. Can you sum up the Goliath Chronacles for me? I never saw them since for a while I didnt have cable and dont currently have toon disney. Thanks.

Heather N. Allen writes...

Jeez, I guess it was a subconscious want for a response, when I threw that little 'Bone' comment in with my last question. *blushes* But really, I didn't expect you to; in fact I thought you'd say more about the Canmore brothers than you did. Oh well :Þ

By the way, Jeff is getting his movie made. Nickelodeon pictures is fronting it (for an undisclosed six figure sum), but he's directing and writing and producing...in other words, everything he SHOULD be doing in order to get the job done right. This should be a VERY good film, scheduled to come out some time in 2001/2002. Character Builders in Columbus, OH, which Jeff helped to found, is doing the animation.

But then again, he owns his creation. If only you owned Gargs...well, we always contribute it you anyway. When I think of Gargoyles, the 'D' word never pops into my head, until it's blared out at me during the dumb ToonDisney commercials.

Well Greg, keep on keepin' on, and hope all goes well with the future (for both you and Gargs).

~H\A~

Scott Iskow writes...

Hi, Greg.

Just last night, I was talking to a few of my floormates, talking about childhood cartoons, toys, and the like, when the subject of the Disney Afternoon came up. After going through each cartoon in the order that they aired, we came to "Gargoyles," at which point I was surprised to learn that it was pretty much a consensus that the show was "amazing." I say "surprised" because I didn't figure these types of people to appreciate a show like that, yet here they all were, in the same room.

One person in particular appreciated the "Avalon" storyline. He loved the mythology, and didn't know until a chance encounter at the library after "Mark of the Panther" that Anansi existed outside of the show.

Just letting you know that there must be tons of people you reached with "Gargoyles" that aren't even part of the fandom.

Mike J. writes...

ENTER MACBETH

A series like "Gargoyles" is build (in my opinion) on the strength of its villians, and Gargoyles had some of the BEST villians going, especially Macbeth. Even Xanatos, in armor, didn't try to take on all the gargs at once (The Edge) much less succeed the way Macbeth does. Throw in the character's phenomanal personality and history, and you have one very engaging and dangerous guy.

As to the episode itself... I'm forced to agree it was the worst animation in season one. Did you notice in the final shot of Macbeth (in the tape Owen shows Xanatos) that he's got a mustache! Personally that bugged me more than the other probelems. At least keep the character's LOOK right! :)

My favorite part of the episode, amongst many cool moments: While Goliath battles Macbeth, Bronx frees Brooklyn and Lex by CRASHING BODILY STRAIGHT THROUGH THE ELECTRIFIED BARS! This time without the benefit of diveted current. This feat is so impressive it even shocks Brooklyn and Lex. Just look at their faces! I think their actually scared of him at this moment. In my mind, this established Bronx as being, pound for pound stronger than all the gargs, including Goliath.

My two cents... thanks for listening, er.. reading.

Alex Destine writes...

THE THRILL OF THE HUNT comments
You said we take for granted such things as Continuity & Real Ramifications. Well maybe in Gargoyles we do, but that's cause you've spoiled us! :P
But I think that's one of the main reasons Gargoyles is so loved by it's fans. Things don't just happen, everything we see has a reason for it and in turn everything we're seeing will be a base for future actions.
At the end of that ep. I also loved it when Lex mentioned that it was nice to know there were a few heros left (implying Goliath was his hero). I found that beautiful since it would explain Lex's disapointment on Future Tense. (seeing as how the whole clan felt abandoned)
About the change in POV, (could you believe I hadn't noticed till now) but now that I did, I loved it!
Great Job Mr. Weisman! ^_^

Todd Jensen writes...

A ramble-reply to "The Thrill of the Hunt".

I liked reading your comments on it. I will confess that I can't remember now what my response was, when I first saw this episode, to the fact that Xanatos was still in prison or to Elisa's indication that the gargoyles would have to leave the castle (although looking back on it now, I'd say that I appreciate both - and the bit at the end where we get that look at Xanatos again and that taste of his character). A few bits that do stand out to me:

1. I always get a bit of a chuckle at the way that the announcer shouts, "Oh, no, it's the Evil Ninjas!" The guy sounded there as if he'd taken the same acting class that Sevarius did :)

2. That little bit where Lexington enthusiastically calls the Pack "defenders of the realm". I liked that touch as fitting in with the gargoyles' medieval origins and the fact that, so soon after their awakening, they'd still be seeing the world in such a light.

3. The bit where Billy and Susan show up was extremely funny, particularly the groans and facial expressions from Fox and Hyena over the timing of their arrival. (And I must confess, I hadn't even given that much thought to Wolf showing a bit more smarts in that scene in coming up with a way of explaining the gargoyles to those kids. Thanks for pointing it out).

I'm looking forward to the rest of your rambles on each individual episode.

Bengali writes...

In response to your recent {though you're probably reading this a few months from when you posted them} rambles about the gargoyles episodes. You asked for responses to the episodes "Awakenings" so heres mine. I loved Awakenings parts 1-5, they were very well animated and written, when I first heard about Gargoyles I figured that it was another dumb cheap cartoon that lasts for ten episodes before being cancelled because nobody likes it but needless to say Gargoyles proved to be the best animated series I have ever seen. It had everything I liked in it, from mythology to Shakespeare to history to wonderfully unique characters to great animation etc, etc, etc...Awakenings was not the first episode of Gargoyles I saw but it was great nonetheless. Xanatos's quotes were great {finally a main villian that isnt a moron, another thing I liked about the series is that the villians were not a bunch of idiotic side-show freaks}. You, Frank, Michael Reaves and everyone else always did a superb job on the show.

Pyro X writes...

Awakening 5:

Demona's name revelation got me interested in thw hole series. I had heard that they were adding this show to the dis afternoon, and I thought "What a horrible title,". Boy, was I wrong! It was the first ep I'd seen, and at that point, I turned on the TV to "See" what the show was about. That was the first scene I saw... and it got me hooked. It was very dramatic... Walking through the smoke, eyes glowing... very cool. I loved the Animation!

Coldplasma writes...

Here are my comments on Ramblings of Awakening (1-5)

I must admit, when I first saw Gargoyles, I thought it just another Ninja Turtles clone. Strange creatures in NY, a pretty woman vow to help the creatures. But Goliath made the difference; he never smiled, he was way too serious; he wasn't like other heroes.

I wasn't hooked up on Gargoyles yet, but I kept watching. I couldn't tell why. (Maybe because it played only on friday at that time). Anyhow, I still admit that animation, dialogue, characters were great, but I found that action was so-so.

But later, I'll learn that there are things more important than action in cartoons. Thanx for changing my views Greg!

Ambrosia writes...

I'd never thought about it until you said so in your rambling about Awakening 5, but it does seem strange that right after he is reunited with his love, Goliath goes, "Well, it's been nice seeing you, but I have to go meet Elisa." The crash of the airship affected him much more than he let on from the outside. Perhaps they were DONE far before Vows… maybe before even Demona knew they were…

BTW, I *always* use my thumb, index and middle finger to say "three." Oh, and get this, I use all but my ring finger for four. I'm just weird like that.

That line, "There is good and evil in all of us. Human and gargoyle alike," has always been my favorite. It says so much with so few words… and it's a universal truth for so many scenarios…

Adam writes...

Hi Greg

Once again thanks for the opportunity to chew the fat.

One thing that always bothered me was how easliy the surviving clan memebers pick up their lives after the sudden murder of almost everyone they cared for. When they wake up in Manhattan for the first time, by their reckoninging, the massacre occurred the day before and would be fresh in their minds. I couldn't even imagine getting out of bed or even wanting to go on if I lost my family. Yet the trio are resilient enough to go exploring. I know they are in a brave new world and all but would they be so thrill seeking after so recently being rocked with grief. I hope I don't sound overly critical here, I don't mean to be. It just appears that the emotional impact of the massacre on the clan isn't as pervasive through the series as I'd expect. I just keep coming back to the notion that grief over a loss of that magnitude would be almost paralyzing. Would they even want to be alive?. Obviously, for the show, yes but ..... uhhh .

And then there is Tempatation. I know Brooklyn is grateful to Demona for saving him from the bikers, but you have to think that in the back of his mind he's thinking, "My family and friends were killed because of what you did !" I'm surprised he didn't go for her throat. How angry are we at the drunk driver who unintnentional kills. I certainly wouldn't want to be in the same room with that individual let alone take a tour of the city them.

If the clan is capable of getting on with their lives so quicky and still not give into to hating Demona then they are certainly better than I am.

Todd Jensen writes...

My little "return-ramble" to your "Awakening Part Five" ramble.

One part of this that I especially like is Xanatos's response when Goliath's holding him over the edge of the castle, correctly pointing out that "without me, you'd still be gathering moss". It's refreshing to see a major villain in an animated series who doesn't start whining for mercy in such a situation but maintains his sang-froid. That's one reason I find myself having that sneaking fondness for Xanatos: he defies so many of the cartoon master-villain cliches. (Other examples of that are his complete lack of interest in getting revenge and his having the highly efficient and capable Owen for his chief assistant in contrast to the conventional "bungling sidekicks" that most cartoon villains seem to be saddled with).

Your remarks on the little ironies in Goliath and Demona's conversation surprised me: I hadn't even considered the fact that Goliath's remark that the people responsible for the Wyvern massacre was deliberately intended by the writers to be wrong because of Demona's part in it, but it makes sense to me at once. I've got to admit, I think that Goliath must have afterwards had a very hard time believing that he'd actually argued that Xanatos was proof that there are good humans out there :)

One certainly can't help but feel a little sorry (or maybe even more than a little sorry) for Goliath; first he thinks that his "Angel in the Night" is lost to him forever. Then he gets reunited with her, only to discover that she's become lost to him in a much darker sense, turned into a vengeance-driven would-be genocidist. At least he has the rest of the clan and Elisa; that must be some consolation there.

I must confess that I never made the connection between Goliath's "Giants?" line at the end and Oberon's gigantic form. (There do seem to be giants apart from that in the Gargoyles Universe, since I remember spotting a couple in Oberon's throne room in "The Gathering Part One"). I did see that line, though, as another good little example of how Goliath is still seeing the modern world through his 10th century eyes. (One of my favorites, which I forgot in my earlier "Awakening" responses, was that bit where Xanatos has to describe the "stolen" disks in terms of "magical talismans filled with hundreds of spells". I thought that the production team did an excellent job of showing the gargoyles' response to the modern world).

Bud-Clare writes...

"Anyway, to indicate three she holds up her index finger, her middle finger and ... her thumb."
It's part of the secret Illuminati handshake. They had a member working at Disney Japan. (Didn't Roy work on Elisa? No one trust him...)

Personally, I liked the part where Demona announced her name... although I had already seen The Mirror by then, so I'm not sure if the fact that I already knew her name and what she was like affected my impressions of that scene in some way.

Um... I have no idea which topic Gore will archive these under, so I don't know if they should have be submitted separately or not. He needs to add a "Random Comments From Fans" topic to the archive, so I won't have to be confused about it anymore.

Ambrosia writes...

Hi Greg!! I was just reading your interview with Lexy. You said that you hoped Gargoyles would inspire people to learn more about sujects you touched on... and I realized that it has done exactly that for me. In fact, I don't know if I realized the magnitude of an impact Gargoyles has had in my life until I thought about that...
In The Mirror when the clan is trying to explain to Elisa who Oberon's Children are (I thought everybody knew this??), Brooklyn says, "Yeah, that guy Shakespeare wrote a play about them: A Midsummer Night's Dream." The next day after I saw that episode, I had the play in my possession and began poring over it. This began a love/obsession for Shakespeare- particularly that play.
Also, I read your ramblings about Theseus and decided I needed to learn more about him. Mary Renault's The King Must Die stuck out in my memory one day between classes and I found it in the library. I'll post again when I'm finished with it.
In ancient history 103, I could be tired and completely tune out my professor, but I'd hear the word "Scotland" and snap back awake and pay perfect attention.
I never really thought about these things as they were happening, but looking back I can see that so many things I've learned or done came from gargoyles: I'm teaching myself to draw, I want to visit New York... stuff like that. I wanted to say... thanks!