 Episode: 310 "The Trickening!” 10/5/20
Starring: Huey Duck, Louie Duck, Launchpad McQuack, Donald Duck, Della Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Dewey Duck, and Webby Vanderquack Featuring: Wereduck, Witch Hazel, Frankenstein, and Nosferatu Appearances by: Mrs. Beakley and Timmy Jenkins Setting: Duckburg (McDuck Manor, Hazel House, and Launchpad’s House) PlotTales It’s Halloween night and old demons are rearing their ugly heads, threatening to derail the McDuck family’s conflicting ideas of fun. Adult siblings, Donald and Della, squabble over the binary nature of trick-or-treating. Where angelic Donald is concerned with handing out candy, it’s devilish Della who would rather prank and scare the living daylights out of unsuspecting children. Meanwhile, Scrooge revels in the one-sided reward of outworking everyone for the most “spoils”… without spending a dime of course. Then there’s Launchpad who is haunted by childhood trauma that may or may not be Halloween adjacent. His confusion leaves him paranoid and thirsting for violence, resulting in him attempting to slash, final lad, Scrooge McDuck. But it’s Huey’s obsession with plotting out the “best Halloween ever” that proves to be the stickiest treat to unwrap. Huey has the night all mapped out. He knows which neighbourhoods to hit, when to partake in activities like haunted hayrides, and has even carved out time for bathroom breaks. If they follow his plan, they’ll “score enough candy to last all year.” But Louie has other ideas and literally stomps all over Huey’s map. Louie only cares about the candy and has devised a scheme that will undermine Huey’s “legwork” and make them all “candy billionaires.” His latest shortcut involves taking them to Hazel House - the most haunted house in all of Duckburg that’s also rumoured to harbour years worth of free candy. But it’s not just Huey’s and Louie’s difference in process, it’s their endgame and the subtle distinction between “candy for a year” and “candy for life” that creates the most tension. Huey may be overly fastidious, which can take the air out of the fun balloon, but fun is still his main goal. He wants to give everyone the best night ever. On the other hand, Louie wants to have such a productive night that they’ll never have to trick-or-treat again. He literally wants this to be their last Halloween ever. Once the jig is up with the monsters and all visions for ungodly amounts of candy are lost, Huey and Louie reach a heartfelt detente. They both agree that the candy doesn’t matter with Louie realizing he was in the wrong (despite the fact that his shenanigans led to them meeting some real-life monsters). Donald, Della, Launchpad, and Scrooge converge on the scene and scare the monsters to the point of appreciation. At Huey’s suggestion, the McDuck family, along with the monsters, salvage the night by handing out candy (full candy bars!) at McDuck Manor. Quacking Points Like with “Last Christmas!” and “GlomTales!,” the theme song gets its own, episode-specific rendition. For Halloween, the extended McDuck family’s costumes are the following:
Balor is a real life figure from Celtic mythology. He often is depicted as a giant with one eye and is the leader of a group of malevolent supernatural beings. As he leaves to go trick-or-treating, Scrooge recreates a portion of the famed jig from the aptly titled Silly Symphony short, “The Skeleton Dance” (1929). Hazel House, the most haunted house in town, is an homage to Witch Hazel who famously starred in the classic animated short, Trick or Treat (1952), with Donald and the nephews. Despite having the same name as well as also being voiced by June Foray, the Witch Hazel, who appeared in numerous Looney Tunes shorts, is a completely different character. Speaking of which, Donald’s turn as an angel who just wants to hand out candy belies his character in Trick or Treat when his main objective is to prank his nephews. Louie tries to play it cool but he definitely knows some of the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook by heart, just like the real Huey. The fake Dewey staring at the static-filled television set is in reference to the classic 80s movie, Poltergeist. Among the important dates on LP’s calendar are Burrito Day at the gas station, a Darkwing Duck marathon, a Jr. Woodchuck Meeting at 5 PM (not AM like last time), and ballet class. The gang of monsters “haunting” Hazel House are also wearing costumes due to their theory that “kids today don’t appreciate the classics” and are “scared of random kid stuff” like puppets, clowns, and little girls in wells. The monsters and their corresponding costumes are as follows:
To explain it further, “Frankenstein think it stem from latent fear of being perceived as childish and regressing to place where you no longer in control.” Instead of a costume, Frankenstein was using his dismembered extremities to control various creepy crawlies. Of course, Frankenstein is the doctor, not the “monster” but the big guy refers to himself as Frankenstein so I’m gonna call him “Frankenstein.” Nosferatu is from a German silent film of the same name. The movie and character is an unauthorized and unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula - so, he's basically a Dracula ripoff. Junior Woodchuck Rule 99: Who cares about the candy? Timmy Jenkins is among the crowd of kids trick or treating at McDuck Manor, dressed as a mummy. The closing shot of a black and white, framed photo of the McDuck family posing with the monsters hanging in Hazel House (of which you can plainly see in numerous scenes prior) is an homage to The Shining (as is the episode’s title).
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 Episode: 309 "They Put a Moonlander on the Earth!” 9/28/20
Starring: Penumbra, Webby Vanderquack, Dewey Duck, Launchpad McQuack, Flintheart Glomgold, and Gibbous Costarring: Della Duck, Zenith, Timmy Jenkins, and Louie Duck An Appearance by: Johnny Ottoman Introducing: Good Boy and the Safety Inspector Setting: Duckburg (McDuck Manor, Duckburg Pier, and Morning Joe) PlotTales One of DuckTales’ strengths is that it always manages to circle back to the characters and plot points that could just as easily have been forgotten or ignored. In this episode, we get to say “oh yeah, the Moonlanders… so, that’s what happened to them after their wayward invasion of the Planet Earth!” But it’s not just a superficial “check-in.” Nor is it a rote, fish-out-of-water story. Captain Penumbra’s and her fellow Moonlanders’ tale is deeper than that - it delves into the concept of assimilation, the experience of an immigrant/political refugee, as well as the transition from military life to that of a civilian. Since being marooned on Earth, Penumbra has established temporary residence in McDuck Manor’s backyard. But she’s become increasingly aggravated by her delay in returning to the Moon, due in part to her struggles in reassembling her rocket ship. Meanwhile, unlike Penny, fellow Moonlanders Gibbous and Zenith have successfully assimilated to Earth life, completely shedding all semblance of their Moon culture. And, they have no intention of ever returning to their homeland either. They, along with a number of other Moonlanders, have put down roots - they throw parties, own pets, wear 90s clothes, and own smart phones. Gibbous has even taken employment as Flintheart Glomgold’s assistant. However, this proves to be problematic as he’s begun going so far as to parroting his boss’ inflammatory and inaccurate rhetoric against the Moonlanders, referring to himself and his people as “moon scum.” There is, indeed, such a thing as over-assimilation. When you’ve spent the entirety of your life as a hammer, everything is a nail. Poor Penny can’t even part with her Moon armour, let alone enjoy a cup of coffee with friends or play with slinkys. She’s even turned the simple pleasure of having fun into something she must “conquer.” Like so many others from military backgrounds, Penumbra is struggling with transitioning from the life-or-death, task-oriented intensity of war and combat to that of the mundanity of life. If she can’t be the “fearless protector of her people” who is constantly fighting and “destroying her enemies” then who is she? All of her friends keep accusing her of being scared and they’re right. But Penumbra is also suffering from a lack of purpose and direction which is a far cry from the strictly regimented and structured existence of a career soldier. It’s not until some sage advice from “best friend Webby” about leaving her comfort zone, exploring the world around her, and accepting the duality of her own identity (all with the support of her friends and family) that Penny has an epiphany of sorts and actually breaks her self-imposed hunger strike, allowing herself to indulge in some of Earth’s finest delicacies - hamburgers and ice cream. Then she finally finds her purpose thanks to Glomgold who, like another deplorable, millionaire conman from our world, attempts to divert blame and attention from himself and onto Penny, an innocent immigrant. It’s not fighting that Penny loves, it’s protecting her friends where she finds her proverbial “barrel of monkeys.” Penumbra quickly springs into action with the help of pals, old (Gibbous) and new (Launchpad), to thwart Glomgold and save the “Little Dellas.” When we see Penumbra next, she’s hanging out with both Earth and Moon friends alike. She’s abandoned her war helmet and is wearing an “I Survived the Glomwheel” t-shirt while also still donning her Moon gloves and wrap. It looks as if she’s learned to strike the delicate balance between assimilating to Earth life without abandoning all semblance to her culture. When the episode begins, Penny is angrily attempting to reassemble her rocket ship. At it’s end, she’s revealed that she’s dismantling it with the help of her best friends, Della, Webby, and Launchpad. I think it’s safe to say that Penumbra has become the newest member of the McDuck extended family. Quacking Points I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk more about Launchpad’s role in all of this. He may seem like a dim man-child (he is) but he’s also got heart and a surprising amount of maturity. When his crush on Penny goes unrequited, LP shifts his attentions towards maintaining a friendship. A lot of guys in this situation would hold a grudge and show hostility towards Penumbra but Launchpad does the opposite (though, evidence suggests that LP may have learned this behaviour after implied rocky relationships with exes, Ziya and Oceanika). Then, even though it’s obvious he still has feelings for her (did you see the way he looks at her as she’s flying towards the Glomwheel?), his efforts are rewarded when Penny goes so far as to make clear her admiration for him as well as firmly establishing their budding friendship. On Ottoman Empire, Johnny is still hosting solo with him and his brother, Randy, still yet to reconcile. Gibbous and Zenith finally get ther dog, a rottweiler named “Good Boy,” in what’s a callback to “The Golden Spear!” (S2, E11). When the couple imagines what it would be like to go to Earth, Gibbous says “we can get our very own dog!” with Zenith replying “and dress it in slap bracelets!” - AND THEY DID! This is the first mention of Zan Owlson since quitting her post as CEO (not assistant) of Glomgold Industries to become her own billionaire in “The Richest Duck in the World!” (S2, E23) (although, she did briefly appear in “Moonvasion!” (S2, E24/25)). I’m guessing she’ll make good on her aspirations and likely become a new rival for Scrooge. Gibbous’ physical appearance has to be based on that of famed character actor, Ned Beatty, right? While not appearing, Palus is mentioned as one of the Moonlanders who has remained on Earth and also has become quite the party-hoster. Much like last week’s episode, Webby once again takes up the mantle of the “best friend” who helps a friend through a personal crisis. Also similar to “The Phantom and the Sorceress!” (S3, E8), we get another musical montage that is reminiscent from that of an 80s or 90s movie The Shromp Shromp Express makes another appearance coming off of last week’s introduction. Albeit, it’s a different location, at the pier, and has been graded as a B by the city’s health inspectors. It’s just a throw-away gag but Penumbra’s double take at the anatomically correct ducks juxtaposed with the anthropomorphic Dewey and Webby is a joke that’s 86-years-in-the-making. The Hamburger Hippo, where Penumbra has her first dozen hamburgers, was also a chain of quick-service restaurants in Darkwing Duck. Despite everything that happens, Gibbous looks to have retained his employment with Glomgold as his assistant. Among the press gathered around Timmy Jenkins is a female, adult Dewey - blue sweater, same hairdo, and strikingly similar face. Penumbra drops a subtle hint that her romantic proclivities lie with, not males, but females. We’ve already been introduced to Violet’s dads as DuckTales’ first gay characters but it’d be awesome to have a more prominent character, such as Penny, also provide that perspective and representation. It’s not lost on me that Timmy Jenkins, a pig, hogs all the press. Timmy also first appeared in "Daytrip of Doom!" (S1, E3) in a non-speaking role as a background character at Funso's. Speaking of the media, it’s notable that they’re a minor point of Dewey’s “Dew-saster Day” C-Plot yet, there’s no appearance from Roxanne Featherly. At episode’s end, Lunaris’ ship can be briefly seen in the sky, still acting as the Earth's "second moon."  Episode: 308 "The Phantom and the Sorceress!” 9/21/20
Starring: Lena Sabrewing, Webby Vanderquack, Magica DeSpell, Gladstone Gander, Phantom Blot, and Violet Sabrewing Costarring: Scrooge McDuck, Huey Duck, Dewey Duck, Louie Duck, and Della Duck Introducing: Pepper Setting: Duckburg (McDuck Manor and the Duckburg bog/swamp) PlotTales Lena Sabrewing has been through a lot. Since being conjured by her “aunt” through dark magic only to be weaponized against her arch nemesis, Lena has spent much of her angst riddled existence facing one existential crisis after the next. Am I good or am I evil? Can I escape the shadow realm? Can I extricate myself from the literal (and figurative) shadow of my creator? After conquering this litany of bugaboos, it’s high time to move on. But first (*sigh*), Lena must get a handle on her “out of control” magic… by seeking out the very source of her issues (and existence), Magica De Spell herself. Lena’s journey isn’t completely dedicated to one of self-discovery though. There are actual stakes besides just getting her magic right. The urgency lies in the sudden attack from the Phantom Blot, in his attempt to drain her magic, as well as his subsequent trapping of Scrooge and his nephews in the mystical realm of Goat’houl. With that, the sleepover party (plus Gladstone) pop-in to Magica’s creepy swamp lair and manage to convince her to help Lena hone her magic and face the Phantom Blot. As it turns out, Scrooge isn’t the only one Magica is in a generations old blood feud with. Decades ago, she mercilessly destroyed the Blot’s village and most of its inhabitants but he survived and has spent his vengeance-fueled existence developing various devices to drain Magica (and the world!) of her magic. And, since Magica’s magic is already gone, she will once again weaponize Lena to fight her fights - albeit, by Lena’s own choice and with the help of a poppy, 80s style, music montage. Once Lena is able to “harness the magic in (her) soul” by learning to “burn it, turn it, just learn it,” she is able to make not-so-short work of the Blot, reimbue Gladstone with his luck, and free Scrooge and the nephews. But all that plottiness buries the lead. Lena is now a fully operational sorceress, overflowing with “silly disgusting, blue friendship magic”... COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT FROM Magica’s amulet. Is this it? Now that Lena is demonstratively claiming her magical legacy as her own, has she finally untethered herself from her fraught and codependent relationship with Magica? Look, I like Lena, she’s probably the best original character the series has given us but her presence is starting to suck the air from most of the episodes she appears in. I understand the need to give her a fully developed arc and the show has done a wonderful job of it but I think it’s time (like the episode suggests) for her to stand on her own and just exist as the magical badass we see at the end of the story. Quacking Points The front page of Scrooge’s Woolstreet Journal reads “Shearholders Fleeced!!!” The back page headline is “Lorem Ipsum Stone Finally Translated.” The joke here is that “lorem ipsum” is nothing more than dummy text that’s commonly used as a placeholder when laying out and editing a newspaper. The “video graphical game” come-to-life that the kids are playing is called “Legends of Legendquest” and first appeared in “Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake!” (S2, E18). Although not physically appearing in the episode, the Goat of Goat’hool returns after making his first appearance in “The Golden Spear!” (S2, E11). This is McDuck Manor’s fifth(!) sleepover (“Jaw$!” (S1, E14), “The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck!” (S1, E19), “Friendship Hates Magic!” (S2, E14), and “A Nightmare on Kilmotor Hill!” (S3, E, 19)) and the third to feature the trio of Webby, Lena, and Violet. However, instead of Magica interrupting the festivities, this time the girls seek her out. In a very meta, self-referential moment, Violet seems to channel the audience’s frustration in the series’ lack of on-screen treasure hunting (it’s become a common trope for most of it to occur off-screen). In lieu of traveling through an interdimensional portal to adventure in the mystical kingdom of Goat’houl, an exasperated Violet feigns excitement in once again “exploring the complex realm of interpersonal relationships.” The Phantom Blot is a thief, a magic hunter - he hates magic and thinks it’s dangerous. Wherever the Blot goes, all magic disappears. His village was destroyed by Magica and he’s vowed to destroy her. It’s a wonder that Phantom Blot never attempted to exact his revenge on Magica while they were both under the employ of Funso’s Fun Zone. Since the Blot was able to expunge Gladstone’s luck, Violet suspects that Gladstone’s perpetual string of good fortune is a form of magic itself? If so, what’s the story there? Gladstone Gander’s dismay at not being named the 1,000th customer and given a free meal at the Shrimp Shromp is in homage to the DT ‘87 episode, “Dime Enough for Luck,” where he receives a year’s free meals for being the one-millionith customer at a fancy breakfast joint - complete with confetti and balloons! We meet a new Egghead by the name of Pepper, who looks to be the Blot’s personal, F.O.U.L. assigned henchwoman. Magica’s bog-lair is decorated with framed crochet art with quotes such as “Vengeance will be mine” as well as stacks of half-eaten pizza boxes from Papa Swans. Gladstone is so checked-out during the montage that he’s reading a “Duckburg Transit Timetable” pamphlet. After a very brief and one-sided flirtation between Gladstone and Magica, it makes one wonder if this could be a pairing in the future. Perhaps, with his luck probably being magic, they’d have a reason to “explore” that therein…  Episode: 307 "The Rumble for Ragnarok!” 5/9/20
Starring: Scrooge McDuck, Dewey Duck, Huey Duck, Launchpad McQuack, Louie Duck, and Webby Vanderquack Costarring: Mrs. Beakley Featuring: Jormungandr Introducing: Strongbeard, Hecka, and Fernomir Setting: Valhalla PlotTales While Scrooge and co. wrestle with the fate of the universe, the family is faced with their own, more personal Ragnarok: the notion of legacy once Scrooge sheds this mortal coil and takes up permanent residence in Valhalla. As reigning “Champion of the Earth,” Scrooge must choose his successor and begin training them for their annual battle against the transmogrified snake monster, Jormungandr, and his barbarian minions. Because of the Millionaire Miser’s untimely back injury, Scrooge’s hand is forced early in regards to the torch passing. With Louie’s attention focused on merchandising and Huey opting to reprise his role of announcing with Launchpad (harkening back to their pairing in The Lost Links of Moorshire! (S1, E,12)), Scrooge must look elsewhere. Of course, Webby is Scrooge’s first choice but that’s too easy and leaves much to be desired in terms of narrative tension. So, thanks to circumstance, the spotlight shifts to Dewey, the nephew whom Scrooge has the least amount of confidence in and, of course, is also the one who is most desperate to make it happen. Dewey is all too ready to soak up the fame and adulation that comes along with saving the world. But he’s woefully ill-equipped in understanding the psychological and selfless nuances of professional wrestling. The idea of playing your part doesn’t jibe with his “impossible to hate, hero persona” of Champ Popular. The raucous crowd immediately turns on his cheesy moniker, shaking his confidence but, instead of rolling with it and following Scrooge’s advice of “embracing the boos,” he stubbornly declares “No. I can win them over. I can make them like me!”… and fails miserably. Despite the fact that professional wrestling is rife with gimmickry and role playing, the fans feed off of authenticity and can sniff out a phony in a second. Meanwhile, it’s Launchpad who finds himself completely at home in this wackadoodle, mythological realm of wrasslin.’ So much so, in fact, that you may have noticed that he even LANDED the Sunchaser without incident! This lies in stark contrast to his announcing partner, Huey, who is trying to force the issue in much the same way Dewey is. LP recognizes his struggles and even tries to help as he gestures towards the action in the ring and says “you don’t have to make it sound great, it already is.” Huey is an overachieving, control freak who likes to think he has all the answers and not being able to wrap his head around wrestling is driving him nuts. After retreating backstage with his pin feathers tucked between his legs, Dewey is joined by Scrooge who impresses upon him that “doing the right thing is not always easy or popular.” Being both the Richest Duck in the World and/or the Champion of the World isn’t without it’s hardships, nor is everyone always going to love you for it all the time. That much responsibility requires striking the perfect balance between selflessness and bravado. Huey soon joins his brother to commiserate over their respective failures as well as their shared feelings of inadequacy and anxiety in taking over for Scrooge. But Louie will have none of it. First, he encourages Huey to stop overthinking things or, more simply put, “be LP.” Then he reminds Dewey of his penchant for heroism and convinces him to just “Dewey this.” That proves to be the kick in the pants they both need. Once Dewey returns to the squared-circle, he deftly gets under the snake’s skin by calling out his own need to be loved and then finally gets the pop he’s been waiting for by displaying a brand of grit that’s commensurate with both the Norse and McDuck spirit. The barbarians are so taken that fellow wrestler, Strongbeard, tosses him a tuft of his magical beard for that extra bit of “umph” that gets Champ Popular the pin, sending Jormungandr back to his rightful station, encircling the earth, and sucking on his own tail. Even Huey manages to rattle off a few well-worded and wrestling appropriate puns. Then, Dewey’s turn as baby face hero is complete when the Millionaire Miser double crosses him and steals his belt (showing Scrooge isn’t going anywhere anytime soon) - a classic move to create a new angle and rival for Champ Popular to contend with at next year’s Rumble for Ragnarok CI. Quacking Points As a HUUGE wrestling fan in my youth, I have to point out the similarities between Dewey’s condensed path to baby-faced stardom and that of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s own meteoric trajectory in becoming one of the biggest stars in wrestling history. Like Dewey, The Rock also comes from wrestling royalty with both his grandfather and father having had storied careers in the business. The Rock’s first character was named “Rocky Maivia” - a constantly smiling, happy-go-lucky fop with floppy hair and flashy outfits that was meant to be a fan favourite. However, the fans HATED Rocky and would regale him with constant jeers and chants of “Rocky Sucks!” It wasn’t until his heel turn and name change to “The Rock” that he was finally able to find his footing and eventually regain face status as the self-proclaimed “Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.” Many of the characters we are introduced to are, indeed, actual figures from Norse Mythology.
There are many references to professional wrestling (not including my rambling Rock/Dewey connections:
Scrooge first mentions Jormungandr in "Last Christmas" (S2, E6) when he describes one of his many responsibilities as "keeping the world-eating serpent Jormungandr at bay." Scrooge is NOT considering Donald and/or Della to take over for him because he sees the nephews (+Webby) as the “new generation” and doesn’t trust D&D to cooperate on a jigsaw puzzle together let alone carry the title of Champion of the World. Dewey's Champ Popular character is a version of his previously unnamed Big Man on Campus, High School Musical persona from "Nightmare on Kilmotor Hill!" (S2, E19). Beakley’s turn as the Shield Maiden harkens back to the DT ‘87 episode “Maid of the Myth” where she is abducted by Vikings and plays the part of an opera singing damsel rather than the brawny and capable badass seen here. The freeze frame ending stopping just short of Champ Popular and the Millionaire Miser coming to blows is an homage to Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed striking that same pose in the closing scene of Rocky III. |
