[6.8/10] Perfectly fine first outing for the new season. There’s not a lot that really stands out or pops, but it’s a solid reintroduction to Dreamland and its goings on.
Bean’s reunion with her mom goes about how you’d expect. I like the dynamic of Bean being resistant to her mother’s welcomes given their history, while Dagmar plays the part of the caring parent, theoretically casting off the prophecy business and at least appearing like she wants to reconnect with her daughter. Like Bean, I don’t really buy it, but it nicely changes the dynamic between them and invoking their time together when Bean was a child through dialogue adds some weight to it.
I also like the worldbuilding of getting to meet the Trogs and see their world. There’s some cool designs, both for the subterranean beings and for their various caves and cubbies and mushroom forests. There’s a distinctive vibe to the whole place, a little spooky but a little inviting as a place of adventure, which is just right. Even when the show’s storytelling is shaky, there’s a lot of cool design work going on, and then extends to the fun psychedelic sequence here.
In terms of the other characters, Elfo being desirable to the Trogs is a turn that could go somewhere. Luci seems a little superfluous at this point, but presumably it makes sense for him to help investigate what’s really going on. We get hints at the Trogs’ ways of life, their ability to infiltrate the castle and other places using their tunnels, and the fact that they seem to be slaves (and food) to Dagmar.
Back topside, we get some solid character work with Zog, who is ready to die, until he finds out that Beanie is alive and resolves to sneak away and save her. There’s a touch of pathos to the fact that his guard gives a right pretty speech about how much he looked up to Zog as a father figure, only to end up with his head on a pyke by the end. And it’s genuinely pretty dark and creepy to watch Zog end up buried alive by the end of this.
We also get to see Derek being manipulated by Odval and the High Druidess. Their intent to institute a theocracy, so they can prohibit vice and rake in the cash, gives some edge to their plans beyond the usual total domination routine. I also like Derek realizing that being king means getting to do what he wants, with some prodding from Merkimer to “remember the wankers.”
That said, there’s very few laughs in this one, only a handful of mild chuckles, which doesn’t get the season off on a terrible funny foot. Still, despite a fair bit of throat clearing and establishing the new status quo, this is a good enough ramp to the new season.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-01-19T02:35:05Z
[6.8/10] Perfectly fine first outing for the new season. There’s not a lot that really stands out or pops, but it’s a solid reintroduction to Dreamland and its goings on.
Bean’s reunion with her mom goes about how you’d expect. I like the dynamic of Bean being resistant to her mother’s welcomes given their history, while Dagmar plays the part of the caring parent, theoretically casting off the prophecy business and at least appearing like she wants to reconnect with her daughter. Like Bean, I don’t really buy it, but it nicely changes the dynamic between them and invoking their time together when Bean was a child through dialogue adds some weight to it.
I also like the worldbuilding of getting to meet the Trogs and see their world. There’s some cool designs, both for the subterranean beings and for their various caves and cubbies and mushroom forests. There’s a distinctive vibe to the whole place, a little spooky but a little inviting as a place of adventure, which is just right. Even when the show’s storytelling is shaky, there’s a lot of cool design work going on, and then extends to the fun psychedelic sequence here.
In terms of the other characters, Elfo being desirable to the Trogs is a turn that could go somewhere. Luci seems a little superfluous at this point, but presumably it makes sense for him to help investigate what’s really going on. We get hints at the Trogs’ ways of life, their ability to infiltrate the castle and other places using their tunnels, and the fact that they seem to be slaves (and food) to Dagmar.
Back topside, we get some solid character work with Zog, who is ready to die, until he finds out that Beanie is alive and resolves to sneak away and save her. There’s a touch of pathos to the fact that his guard gives a right pretty speech about how much he looked up to Zog as a father figure, only to end up with his head on a pyke by the end. And it’s genuinely pretty dark and creepy to watch Zog end up buried alive by the end of this.
We also get to see Derek being manipulated by Odval and the High Druidess. Their intent to institute a theocracy, so they can prohibit vice and rake in the cash, gives some edge to their plans beyond the usual total domination routine. I also like Derek realizing that being king means getting to do what he wants, with some prodding from Merkimer to “remember the wankers.”
That said, there’s very few laughs in this one, only a handful of mild chuckles, which doesn’t get the season off on a terrible funny foot. Still, despite a fair bit of throat clearing and establishing the new status quo, this is a good enough ramp to the new season.