[7.1/10] Cards on the table -- I know fans dislike Gargoyles’ third season, titled “The Goliath Chronicles”. I know head writer Michael Reaves left the show after season 2, and these last thirteen episodes are considered a step down. So that colors my view here, and makes it hard for me to judge these episodes independently.
That said, this season premiere, which was written by co-creator Greg Weisman, feels like a pretty normal Gargoyles episode, albeit a middling one rather than a great one. There’s pieces that are off: Goliath seems angrier, the Quarrymen are a tad generic, the Shakespeare quote is a little shoehorned in. But on the whole, this feels like some fairly standard meat and potatoes storytelling from the show, albeit a little paler in execution.
I like the premise of Goliath having an injured wing and needing to return to the castle without the ability to glide. The impediment challenges Goliath and makes him more vulnerable than he usually is, which is a good thing. Though why Elisa needs to come is a bit beyond me. She’s nominally there to help him, but seems like she’d just make things harder. Still, maybe they just want to be together.
The Quarrymen have an inauspicious start. I’m sure we’ll learn more about Castaway’s origin story eventually, but for now he and his crew come off as pretty generic antagonists. The Hooded Justice masks and electric hammers don’t do much to distinguish them. That said, a xenophobic blowhard trying to rally support for his grudges has a greater resonance today than it even had in 1996, so I like the concept of this kind of bigoted reaction to the gargoyles’ existence being made public.
That said, good lord, why in god’s name did you have to bring a joke character like Vinnie? Trying to invest so much energy into him in a season premiere seems like a waste. You can tell the show’s going for the “meaningful change of heart” shtick with him, but the character’s too thin and comical to support it.
Otherwise, we get glimpses of the new status quo which are intriguing. Broadway and Angela are together, to Brooklyn’s chagrin. Lexington has bonded with li’l Alexander Xanatos, despite some residual ill-feelings for Fox. MacBeth is a pundit now who defends the gargoyles on late night discussion shows. It’s a little odd and quick all around, but there’s potential in each idea.
Overall, I’m going to try to give “The Goliath Chronicles” season a fair shot, despite my knowledge of how fans have reacted to it. This isn’t the best start, but it’s not the worst one either. It remains to be seen whether Gargoyles can do better from here.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-08-26T18:15:19Z
[7.1/10] Cards on the table -- I know fans dislike Gargoyles’ third season, titled “The Goliath Chronicles”. I know head writer Michael Reaves left the show after season 2, and these last thirteen episodes are considered a step down. So that colors my view here, and makes it hard for me to judge these episodes independently.
That said, this season premiere, which was written by co-creator Greg Weisman, feels like a pretty normal Gargoyles episode, albeit a middling one rather than a great one. There’s pieces that are off: Goliath seems angrier, the Quarrymen are a tad generic, the Shakespeare quote is a little shoehorned in. But on the whole, this feels like some fairly standard meat and potatoes storytelling from the show, albeit a little paler in execution.
I like the premise of Goliath having an injured wing and needing to return to the castle without the ability to glide. The impediment challenges Goliath and makes him more vulnerable than he usually is, which is a good thing. Though why Elisa needs to come is a bit beyond me. She’s nominally there to help him, but seems like she’d just make things harder. Still, maybe they just want to be together.
The Quarrymen have an inauspicious start. I’m sure we’ll learn more about Castaway’s origin story eventually, but for now he and his crew come off as pretty generic antagonists. The Hooded Justice masks and electric hammers don’t do much to distinguish them. That said, a xenophobic blowhard trying to rally support for his grudges has a greater resonance today than it even had in 1996, so I like the concept of this kind of bigoted reaction to the gargoyles’ existence being made public.
That said, good lord, why in god’s name did you have to bring a joke character like Vinnie? Trying to invest so much energy into him in a season premiere seems like a waste. You can tell the show’s going for the “meaningful change of heart” shtick with him, but the character’s too thin and comical to support it.
Otherwise, we get glimpses of the new status quo which are intriguing. Broadway and Angela are together, to Brooklyn’s chagrin. Lexington has bonded with li’l Alexander Xanatos, despite some residual ill-feelings for Fox. MacBeth is a pundit now who defends the gargoyles on late night discussion shows. It’s a little odd and quick all around, but there’s potential in each idea.
Overall, I’m going to try to give “The Goliath Chronicles” season a fair shot, despite my knowledge of how fans have reacted to it. This isn’t the best start, but it’s not the worst one either. It remains to be seen whether Gargoyles can do better from here.