[7.4/10] This is another episode where I like the idea and the setting, but the execution feels a little rushed. A series of betrayals and romances between MacBeth, Demona, and Thailog is a good setup. But man, we go from “MacBeth and human Demona are in love” to “Demona’s secretly in love with Thailog” to “Thailog is really just playing them both” really quickly. This is definitely the sort of major development that probably should have been a two-parter. You have an interesting theme there, with the chain of love and betrayal, but it just doesn’t have enough time to breathe.
Also, MacBeth kind of seems like an idiot for not recognizing Demona. The show tries to put a fig leaf on it with him not remembering Avalon and thus not knowing that she turns human by day. (Plus that unconvincing french accent.) But even so, he seems like a total dope for not catching on.
At the same time, the show introduces the wealth/marriage/corporate entity shenanigans in a rushed manner, to where it’s not clear what the villains’ plan is and why for some time. It comes through eventually, but the story could stand to make the motivations clearer.
Still, I did enjoy the Parisian setting. The animators do the French cityscape well, and it’s particularly fun to see the gargoyles flying and gallivanting around the city. (Though I will say, I kind of winced when Goliath was climbing up the Notre Dame, thinking to myself “He’s tearing up an edifice that’s centuries old with his claws!)
The fights are all pretty solid, and I continue to like Thailog as an antagonist. Someone with Xanatos’ cleverness and ruthlessness, with Goliath’s strength and determination makes for a formidable adversary. The doppelganger routine is a bit of a cliché, but the show’s making the most of it.
I also like the moment of detente that Goliath and Macbeth have together. The experience with Demona is obviously a harrowing one for MacBeth, but GOliath points out that it taught him he’ still capable of love. They both know what it’s like to love Demona only to be betrayed by her, so the brief hint of camaraderie between them clicks into place nicely.
That just leaves the conflict of Angela wanting to consider Goliath her father and Goliath wanting her to follow “the gargoyle way” and treat all members of the clan a s her parents. I like the idea of the culture clash here, though the episode turns up the volume on the dramatics, which weakens it. That said, I’m compelled by Elisa being stuck in the middle clearly thinking that Angela’s right to want to know more about her parentage, but also wanting to respect Goliath’s wishes. The show throws more hints that Goliatha and Elisa have feelings for one another while they're in the “City of Love”, so I like the two of them playing ersatz parents to Angela here.
Overall, there’s plenty to like in this one, despite some of the same pacing problems that have afflicted prior episodes of this travelogue arc.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-07-28T02:55:34Z
[7.4/10] This is another episode where I like the idea and the setting, but the execution feels a little rushed. A series of betrayals and romances between MacBeth, Demona, and Thailog is a good setup. But man, we go from “MacBeth and human Demona are in love” to “Demona’s secretly in love with Thailog” to “Thailog is really just playing them both” really quickly. This is definitely the sort of major development that probably should have been a two-parter. You have an interesting theme there, with the chain of love and betrayal, but it just doesn’t have enough time to breathe.
Also, MacBeth kind of seems like an idiot for not recognizing Demona. The show tries to put a fig leaf on it with him not remembering Avalon and thus not knowing that she turns human by day. (Plus that unconvincing french accent.) But even so, he seems like a total dope for not catching on.
At the same time, the show introduces the wealth/marriage/corporate entity shenanigans in a rushed manner, to where it’s not clear what the villains’ plan is and why for some time. It comes through eventually, but the story could stand to make the motivations clearer.
Still, I did enjoy the Parisian setting. The animators do the French cityscape well, and it’s particularly fun to see the gargoyles flying and gallivanting around the city. (Though I will say, I kind of winced when Goliath was climbing up the Notre Dame, thinking to myself “He’s tearing up an edifice that’s centuries old with his claws!)
The fights are all pretty solid, and I continue to like Thailog as an antagonist. Someone with Xanatos’ cleverness and ruthlessness, with Goliath’s strength and determination makes for a formidable adversary. The doppelganger routine is a bit of a cliché, but the show’s making the most of it.
I also like the moment of detente that Goliath and Macbeth have together. The experience with Demona is obviously a harrowing one for MacBeth, but GOliath points out that it taught him he’ still capable of love. They both know what it’s like to love Demona only to be betrayed by her, so the brief hint of camaraderie between them clicks into place nicely.
That just leaves the conflict of Angela wanting to consider Goliath her father and Goliath wanting her to follow “the gargoyle way” and treat all members of the clan a s her parents. I like the idea of the culture clash here, though the episode turns up the volume on the dramatics, which weakens it. That said, I’m compelled by Elisa being stuck in the middle clearly thinking that Angela’s right to want to know more about her parentage, but also wanting to respect Goliath’s wishes. The show throws more hints that Goliatha and Elisa have feelings for one another while they're in the “City of Love”, so I like the two of them playing ersatz parents to Angela here.
Overall, there’s plenty to like in this one, despite some of the same pacing problems that have afflicted prior episodes of this travelogue arc.