 Episode: 305 "Louie’s Eleven!” 4/25/20
Starring: Donald Duck, Louie Duck, Dewey Duck, Jose Carioca, Panchito Pistoles, and Falcon Graves Costarring: Mark Beaks, Manny the Headless Man-Horse, Scrooge McDuck, Webby Vanderquack, Huey Duck, Gyro Gearloose, Duckworth, Jane, Percival P. Peppington, Harpy, Gabby McStabberson, Hack Stabnikov, and Slash Stabnikov Featuring: Daisy and Emma Glamour An Appearance by: Officer Cabrera Setting: Duckburg (McDuck Manor, Gyro’s Underwater Lab, and the Duckburg Museum) PlotTales While the nephews are among the more famous trios in animation history, the series has done some of its best character work when pairing them off (+Webby). With Huey on the sidelines, Louie and Dewey get the opportunity to collaborate and clash in their efforts to sneak the Three Caballeros into Emma Glamour’s exclusive IT List party. But it’s Daisy’s introduction that truly crashes the DuckTales party, adding some much needed vim and vigor to Donald’s life. The Caballeros bid for superstardom has stagnated as they are in some desperate need of a kickstart. When their plot to solicit funds from Scrooge to pay for a global tour reaches its predictable endpoint, Louie steps in to offer his services with a ready-made caper called “Louie’s Eleven” (an homage to Ocean’s Eleven). This “super elaborate scheme” will ultimately lead to the Three Caballero’s inclusion on “famed tastemaker,” Emma Glamour’s annual blog called the IT List... that is, once they manage to sneak into her party where they will perform and charm her with their talents. However Louie’s biggest obstacle proves to be coexisting with an overzealous Dewey. Even though Dewey’s expertise and knowledge of all things Glamour far outpaces Louie’s, “the evil triplet” makes sure to establish that he’s in charge. He even goes so far as to cruelly scold his brother after successfully donning the DJ Daft Duck helmet in helping them gain entry to the party, “no more improvising, no more showboating!,” he snaps. Louie’s myopic, vice-like grip on the proceedings won’t allow for any spontaneity or collaboration. Even as Dewey begs for more responsibility, Louie curtly dismisses him and insists that “they just do it my way” before banishing him to the roof where he’s been tasked with wrangling an unruly Harpy. But in much the same way that Louie comes through for a dejected Webby after their squabbles in “The Lost Harp of Mervana!” (S3, E4), Dewey does the same for Louie. It would be all too easy and satisfying for Dewey to say “I told you so…” after Glamour sniffs out his scheme and completely eviscerates him, hissing “you’re not original, there’s nothing IT about you!” Poor Louie is broken but Dewey won’t be deterred and refuses to let his brother’s scheme die in vain. He gets on stage and performs a “grotesque but fascinating” yoyo show that leaves the party goers slack-jawed and ends with Glamour declaring his theatrics “IT.” This inspires Louie to start plotting a new con dubbed “The Dewey Dozen” at which point Dewey gets dewy and responds “our “brotherhood is the greatest scheme of all.” Aside from being “The Talent,” Donald’s responsibilities as a key cog in Louie’s Eleven include swiping Glamour’s personal assistant’s stage pass. His encounter with Daisy puts the iconic couple together for the first time in DuckTales history. Unlike their contemporaries, Mickey and Minnie, Donald’s and Daisy’s showmance has been one of tumult and strife ever since her first appearance in the classic animated short, “Mr. Duck Steps Out” (1940). And based on this version of Daisy’s short temper and “rassafrassin’” roundhouses, their pairing here will be no less explosive. Even then, Daisy’s rough edges belie a certain softness. When Donald sheepishly confides in her that “nobody listens to me, they don’t understand me,” she sweetly responds, “I understand you perfectly.” Donald and Daisy are kindred spirits. Both are creative types who are attempting to break through and have their talents noticed; Donald, as the member of a band, and Daisy as a fashion designer. And while they’re in full appreciation of each other’s skills (Daisy inexplicably says she could listen to Donald’s nasally drone “all night”), it’s Daisy who earns a spot on Glamour’s IT List. This leaves Donald and the Caballeros at the same place they were at the beginning of the episode. One might wonder how much more time Donald has with the band since his voice truly is terrible and may be what’s been holding them back. With the Caballeros’ time together possibly coming to an end and the responsibility of raising his nephews having been lessened, the door is wide open for Donald to embark on a new adventure all for himself. Let’s just hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Donald’s and Daisy’s crackling chemistry - whether it’s fighting each other or teaming up to terrorize another woefully outmatched foe. Quacking Points Previous episodes featuring triplet/Webby pairings where they clash/bond are “Terror of the Terra-firmians!” (S1, E5) (Webby and Huey), “The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks!” (S1, E7) (Huey and Dewey), “The Lost Harp of Mervana!” (S3, E4) (Webby and Louie), and this one. The only couplings left unexplored in such a manner are Webby/Dewey and Huey/Louie. Louie remains a con-artist schemer but he doesn’t mention Louie Inc. once. Maybe it really is dead. The different categories of the IT List include:
The featured blog post on the IT List is titled “Hat-Hats: Hats for Your Hat.” It details the story of Philip Terrier, hat-maker to the stars, who realized his hats needed hats too! In the triplets’ room, they have a poster on their wall of The Featherweights, an all female punk band. Kat, the band’s percussionist and “punk rock princess” is seen wearing a sweater that’s identical to the one Lena always wears. In fact it was in Lena’s debut, “The Beagle Birthday Massacre” (S1, E4), where she brags to Webby that she “got it off the lead singer of the Featherweights after a gig in Paris.” Kat, along with being the inspiration for Dewey’s signature hairstyle, is described as being an “ever changing iconoclast” whose previous personas were “Iggy Astronaut, a far out rocker from outer space,” and “Lady Insane, an in-your-face shock rocker with elaborate face paint.” Jenny Karma is another member of the Featherweights while the third bandmate’s name is still unknown. The members of Louie’s Eleven include:
Louie’s alias for the party is Luis P. Canard. The word “canard” has an interesting and fitting backstory. In French it’s the word for duck. But it was in 16th-century France that the phrase "vendre des canards à moitié" was born which is a colorful way of saying "to fool" or "to cheat." While that particular expression has lost all meaning, English speakers adopted the word and its definition of being a “hoax.” Daisy’s role as Glamour’s PA, is evocative of the movie The Devil Wears Prada where Anna Wintour’s plucky assistant struggles to gain her favour. Is Daisy's last name still "Duck." They may change it or ignore it altogether (like they did here) since it would be a strange coincidence for her and Donald to share the same surname. This is the first time we’ve seen Falcon Graves since he tried to sabotage Mark Beaks in “The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks! (S2, E7). Or as Dewey puts it, “the last time I saw him, I cost him millions of dollars and threw him off a building.” This is the second time Dewey has assumed the alias of DJ Daft Punk (“Mystery at McDuck Manor!” (S1, E13)). Although unnamed, we first saw Jane working as a waitress at Funso’s in “The Daytrip of Doom” (S1, E3). Now she works for Bird’s of a Feather Catering Service. The sculpture of the Hippo ballerina is a reference to one of the Hyacinth Hippos from Fantasia (1940). Even though he was easily disposed of by Graves, Manny’s appearance is a high point of the episode as he remains the best new character of the series. If Donald and Daisy climbing out of an elevator and crawling through an air duct wasn’t an obvious enough reference to Die Hard, Donald’s “yippee ki-yay, Mr. Falcon” brings to mind the movie’s iconic expletive. It’s revealed that Glamour is none other than the mother to Mark Beaks. Beaks is also the “highest bidder” when Graves steals Glamour’s phone with the intent of selling it. With the phone in his possession, he plans to finally make it on his mom’s IT List. The curious case of Gabby McStabberson continues. The henchwoman-for-hire returns to her roots after a brief face turn in “Moonvasion!” (S2, E24). Hack and Slash Smashnikov also return to the fray after not being seen since they were in the employ of Flintheart Glomgold in “Woo-hoo!” (S1, E1)
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