Puck’s Saga (Oh, what fools these Gargoyles be) [Part 2: The Gathering]
[All images are owned by Disney. Please don’t sue me]
In my last review, I showed Puck’s first appearance, as well as his attempts to circumvent King Oberon’s edict to return to Avalon. While this is not his final appearance, it is his most important. We get a glimpse as to what Puck is up to when he’s not transforming Gargoyles into humans.
This is also a two-part episode that takes place immediately following Future Tense. If you would like to see part one, it’s available on Disney+.
PREVIOUSLY ON…
Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx have been brought to the mystic island of Avalon (where time moves much more slowly than in the mortal world), where they discover the Gargoyle eggs from 1,000 years ago have hatched and grown up, including Angela (Goliath’s daughter. Three guesses who her mother is) Upon leaving Avalon, the group (along with Angela) are taken on a journey via the Mists of Avalon to wherever the island thinks they are needed.
For 19 episodes, the four are brought through the Mists to locations that are definitely not Manhattan. Along the way, they discover that Gargoyles have survived not only in Manhattan and Avalon, but England, Japan, and Guatemala as well!
After returning to Avalon to keep the King and Queen of the Fair Folk (Oberon and Titania (voiced by Star Trek: Voyager alum Kate Mulgrew)) from destroying the Avalon Clan and the survivors of Castle Wyvern, Oberon makes peace with the mortals and decides to call the Fae home and the travelers continue their journey.
On the mortal side, David Xanatos and his wife Fox are expecting their first child. (Who knows, maybe fatherhood will mellow Xanatos’s more wicked ways. I mean, probably not if the events of Future Tense are more than Puck’s manipulations…but we can hope!)
We open on Avalon where Oberon is welcoming his children home.
Unfortunately, not all came willingly, as the Weird Sisters drag the Banshee (voiced by 80s pop singer Sheena Easton) home. The Banshee lashes out at Odin (yeah, he’s Faerie too) and the two scuffle until Oberon has had enough entertainment for now and puts a stop to it.
(Thanks to Igneous Abercromby)
The Weird Sisters report that all of Oberon’s children have returned, save Titania and Puck. Oberon excuses Titania (she is royalty, after all), but decides to go looking for Puck, borrowing Boudicca (a Gargoyle hound similar to Bronx) from the Avalon Clan to assist.
Oberon holds a flute that was made by Puck as a basis for Boudicca to track him down. Once Boudicca has the scent, Oberon uses Titania’s Mirror to journey to the mortal realm (three guess as to what city the trail leads)
Meanwhile at Xanatos’s building, Fox’s family (Halcyon Reynard (voiced by I Spy and The Greatest American Hero alum Robert Culp), his ex-wife Anastasia (also voiced by Kate Mulgrew…hmmm) and Reynard’s assistant Preson Vogel (who bears more than a passing resemblance to Xanatos’s assistant Owen Burnett)) are waiting for word regarding Fox’s labor.
Owen then brings in Xanatos’s father Petros, who notices the similarities between Owen and Preston as asks if they’re related.
When Owen introduces Anastasia, she mentions she had reunited with her first husband.
Now there’s an “Oh shit!” face if ever there was one!
Suddenly, Owen excuses himself and hurries away. At that point…
…Xanatos introduces everyone to his newborn son, Alexander Fox Xanatos.
Eventually, the sun sets, awakening the Clan from their stone slumber.
Nice that the Clan is looking after Elisa’s cat Cagney while she, Goliath, and Bronx are away.
Meanwhile in Central Park…
Oh, you knew he’d be coming to Manhattan! Quickly slapping on a mortal disguise, Oberon continues the search for Puck.
As the family coos over mother and son in Fox’s bedroom, Owen enters and tells Xanatos that Anastasia should not be left alone with either Fox or Alexander.
In the lobby of Xanatos’s building, Oberon charms the guard into letting him pass. Oberon takes the elevator to Castle Wyvern. Boudicca signals he’s caught Puck’s scent (in Xanatos’s inner sanctum? That can’t be good…), but Oberon catches the scent of Titania nearby and apparently that takes precedent.
In Fox’s bedroom, Anastasia shoos the elder men out as she holds the baby and offers to watch Alexander while Fox rests.
…but Xanatos insists on watching Alexander himself. Fox wonders what is happening.
Oberon would like to know as well…Titania!
When I first watched Gargoyles many years ago, I wondered why Kate Mulgrew was doing double duty on voices. Now I know!
Titania admits she’s here to claim Alexander to train him in magic (however thin his bloodline may be, given Fox never showed any magical aptitude), however…
…Xanatos respectfully refuses (never thought I’d see the day I was rooting for Xanatos!) However, Xanatos’s weapon is no match for Oberon’s magic, so he decides to get physical.
Yeah, you knew that wasn’t gonna work. Oberon shows a touch of mercy in allowing Fox and Xanatos an hour to say their goodbyes to Alexander.
At the clock tower, the Clan hears about Alexander’s birth on the news as they hear someone enter the tower and prepare for battle.
Well, I suppose Bronx could lick Hudson to death…
Yes, the Clan has finally been reunited as the travelers have come home!
Goliath introduces Angela to the Clan and tell the Clan of their journey.
Meanwhile, Xanatos and Owen have much to discuss. It turns out Owen knew about Titania’s secret and had been preparing for the possibility of the Fae having an interest in Alexander as soon as she became pregnant. After briefing Xanatos on his best chance to defeat Oberon, Owen removes himself from the coming battle.
(yes, Owen has a stone hand; no, I don’t remember the events that caused it)
At Elisa’s apartment, Goliath drops Elisa and Cagney off and once again the pair lament that biology is against them (seriously? I seriously doubt anyone who knows either of you will care about an inter-species relationship)
As a storm begins, the fire alarm chimes at Xanatos’s building and everyone evacuates (except Xanatos and his family) Goliath comes home before the worst of the storm starts when…
Titania asks for the Clan’s help in the coming battle to claim Alexander, but Goliath refuses to be involved in taking a child from his parents (even if that parent is Xanatos) Therefore, Titania warns Goliath to stay neutral…or else!
Yeah, like that’s gonna happen! The Clan takes flight to Xanatos’s building.
Speaking of…
Xanatos activates Owen’s defenses, placing the building under a force field.
Looks like it effective (at least for the time being, but I do not wanna see his electric bill when this is all over) Oberon is through playing games. After putting all of the humans in the city to sleep (except those in Xanatos’s building…at least I hope it was just the humans or else the Clan’s gonna be in for a rough landing!), Oberon grows to the size of Xanatos’s building!
That is one hell of a cliffhanger! If you would like to see part 2, it’s (obviously) also on Disney+.
We open to find that Oberon did indeed only include the humans in his spell (of course, that means Elisa’s out of the fight)
…as the Clan approaches Xanatos’s building. Brooklyn notes that if Oberon is powerful enough to put an entire city to sleep, why is the Clan risking themselves to defend their enemy? Goliath explains that he doesn’t wish to see any family separated…not even Xanatos’s.
At the building, Oberon is hammering the force field, attempting to break through, as the Clan approaches. Oberon then bear hugs the force field, overloading the building’s generators. However…
…Oberon begins shrinking as his energy begins to fade. Xanatos remembers Oberon’s weakness…
…iron. Xanatos’s “Steel Clan” attacks Oberon, further weakening him, as the Clan joins the fray.
…and fare about as well as could be expected.
Angela and Brooklyn grab shards from a wrecked steel gargoyle and attack Oberon’s hair, freeing Goliath (yes, that’s his hair binding Goliath in the picture above)
From the skies, Reynard’s flying fortress (how is he not affected by Oberon’s spell?) joins the fray (despite Preston questioning his boss’s actions, since Reynard hates Xanatos)
Couldn’t have a better answer than that! Reynard launches his own drones to engage with Oberon (you certainly can’t say they aren’t throwing everything they have at Oberon!) Unfortunately, Oberon can control the wind, meaning Reynard is vulnerable…but keeps fighting on to save Alexander!
Goliath sees Reynard’s fortress under attack…
…and distracts Oberon to give Reynard a chance to regroup. Oberon tires of the Gargoyles…
…so animates nearby statues to deal with them…
…while he deals with Goliath!
Fortunately, Reynard has regrouped and sends another wave of drones to attack Oberon. Additionally…
…it seems as though Xanatos is willing to aid the Clan (as long as they’re on the same side)
As the drones approach, they don’t immediately attack…
…but try a different tactic as they form an energy cage around Oberon. The cage further leeches Oberon’s energy, causing him to shrink further until he’s small enough to pass through the cage.
He then summons sheets to freezing rain, icing up the drones, as well as the Clan and Reynard’s fortress (forcing it to crash land in Central Park…hope no one fell asleep there!) Then Oberon sinks beneath the surface…below the force field!
Oberon has breached the building!
Xanatos, Petros, and the Clan prepare for a final stand. Petros fires an iron harpoon at Oberon…
…injuring Oberon, but also pissing him off!
All too soon, the defenders fall, giving Oberon a clear path to Alexander.
…except for one small detail. Oberon laughs that one man with a stone fist could stop him…until Owen starts spinning faster than any human could…
(Thanks to dtaina)
Oh, you knew he’d have to show up eventually! And yes, Puck has been Owen the entire time! But you ask how this could be. Allow Puck to tell the tale (Fae love their stories, after all) while fending/pissing off Oberon (who, if you recall, was looking for Puck when this episode began)…
Puck spotted Titania posing as Anastasia courting Reynard. Curious, he also donned a human disguise to see the appeal.
As a model, Puck used Preston Vogel, a more (heh) wooden man you’ll never find. Puck decided to play a role he never played (a straight man) and became…
…Owen Burnett. However much fun he was having out-Vogeling Vogel, he found working for Reynard boring, and then he fell into the orbit of…
…Reynard’s daughter Fox and her then-boyfriend David Xanatos. He enjoyed working for Xanatos so much that he revealed himself to Xanatos, offering either a single wish from Puck or a lifetime of service from Owen. I’m sure you know which he chose (and given how well Demona’s wishes turned out, I think it was the right choice)
With his tale concluded, Puck implores Oberon to give his leave to stay with Xanatos and work with Alexander.
I’m sure you can guess how well that goes over…
With that he teleports into Alexander’s nursery, swatting Fox aside. Xanatos and his allies (insofar as you can call Goliath an “ally” in this case) burst in to defend mother and child…
…but Titania stops them cold. Just as Oberon reaches for Alexander…
Remember how I said earlier that Fox didn’t show magical aptitude? I think she just tapped that potential! With that, Goliath sees an opening. He pleads with Oberon that if Fox could use her untapped abilities, surely Alexander could learn to use his in the mortal realm…with the right teacher (to which he volunteers Puck) Oberon agrees on one condition…
Puck may only use his abilities to train or defend Alexander. Otherwise, he shall be…
With that, Oberon is more than ready to return to Avalon (don’t forget Boudicca!), releasing the spell of slumber over the city. But first Titania would like to say goodbye to her daughter and grandson…
…and lays some pretty heavy hints that this was her plan all along.
With that, Goliath gathers the Clan to head home, but is stopped by Xanatos.
While Goliath is skeptical, he is hopeful that this experience has changed Xanatos.
Thanks for reading, and as always let me know if there are any other minor characters that deserve the spotlight.
