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!