Gargoyles: Hunter’s Moon part 2 – Episode Review


Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but no matter what temperature it is, it tastes good. For a minute, then it turns sour. But Goliath is willing to take that risk in order to avenge his daughter Angela, whom the Hunters attacked. In the meantime, Elisa is deepening her bond with her new partner Jason. On the opposite end of the vengeance spectrum, House Xanatos offers its assistance to Elisa and the gargoyles.

Miss last week’s? Read The Hunter’s Moon part 1 episode review.

Spoilers are in the 20/20 moments. Info from Ask Greg is in the According to Greg bits. 


Season 2, Episode 51: Hunter’s Moon part 2


Reason(s) for existence: To further the Hunters’ and Demona’s stories. To further the idea that revenge is detrimental. To show loyalty among the clan mates.


Main antagonist(s): Demona, Hunters


Time(s):  October 24th – 25th, 1996; 1495


Location(s):  Florence, Italy; New York City, New York, USA


Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - title
It’s everything I love about nighttime in the gargoyles universe.

In Florence, in 1495, a nocturnal pigeon is flying past the full moon.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - demona on roof
There’s always time to look cool.

Demona strikes a pose before she launches off a building. She breaks into a library and starts throwing books around until she finds a tablet. Um, the stone kind, not the digital kind. She says that at last she can have her revenge. It’s a dish best served cold. I remember Macbeth saying the same thing.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - demona steals tablet
If Demona wants it, it means trouble.

Her getaway isn’t flawless, though. A guy in a Hunter’s mask and an old-school hang glider like the one in Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, swoops after her. He shoots spears from the hang glider. I don’t know how. He has an abundance of them, too. Like, an unlimited-ammo cheat abundance. He’s also an excellent flyer, despite the thing really being a glider, and a heavy one at that, if I judge by the wooden sled that he’s lying on.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - hang glider
Phft, physics? Aerodynamics? Bah!

He gives her a good run for her money. He actually manages to net her. She falls into the water. He lands, but by this time, she’s escaped.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - demona escapes
Pretty crappy hunter if he can’t see/hear her.

He vows vengeance on her.

At the clock tower, Angela is not doing well. She goes into respiratory arrest just as Elisa shows up. Elisa proceeds to perform the worst CPR ever: Too slow, not enough depth with the compression. And she does four compressions at a go before breathing. What nonsense is this? Even in the 1990s this wasn’t the AHA standard.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - elisa cpr
Just hope you never pass out in front of Elisa and have to rely on her to provide CPR.

I guess the sternal rub worked, though, because Angela awakens. I don’t know why this would work. It’s not like they had a defibrillator to reset the rhythm of your heart. They didn’t really treat any injuries she sustained. But anyway. We’re back in business.

Goliath explains to Elisa that three Hunters in black attacked them. He neglects to say anything about their masks. Demona also attacked, but she took out a warehouse. Goliath then vows to make the Hunters his prey.

Outside, Jon with WVRN accosts Matt. He asks for a statement on the recent gargoyle sightings. Matt says instead that aliens created the Easter Island heads. So smooth.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - jon reporter
Blasted drive-by media.

Elisa drags Jason off before he can get involved. They jet out to the warehouse. Elisa reveals she’s frustrated because her friend was assaulted.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - jason and elisa car
You’re so comforting, Jason. You’re totally not about to put a move on.

Jason says that he knows exactly how she feels. In fact, he’s still feeling the same. She doesn’t pursue the source of his feelings. She probably figures he’ll talk about it when he’s ready. Or she’s too distracted to care.

In the warehouse, Owen is taking stock of what’s left of the D/I-7 inventory.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - owen explains to elisa
Honey badgers care more about her opinion than Owen does.

Elisa of course accuses Xanatos of working with Demona. Why on Earth would this make sense? If they’re working together, he would’ve just handed her the D/I-7. She wouldn’t be blowing up his warehouses, now would she. But Elisa ignores this and instead only remembers the Hunters’ attack on the gargs.

Owen remains impassive. He states that Xanatos bears no animosity toward the gargoyles (I don’t think he ever did bear “animosity”). In fact, he feels he owes the gargoyles a debt of gratitude for saving his son.

Elisa’s skeptical, to say the least.

Owen takes the high road, though, saying if either of them – meaning himself and Xanatos – can help, that she should let him know. I find it really nice that he offers his help as well as David’s.

Elisa of course blows the offer off. She’s “had enough of Xanatos’s help,” she thinks.


20/20 Moment: Oh the foreshadowing!


Outside, Jason has found claw marks in steel. What could be so strong? Ah, it’s a callback to Elisa’s line in Awakening, when she finds claw marks in solid stone.

At the Nightstone Unlimited building, Demona is introducing Robyn to Anton Sevarius. Anton says that his project will be ready before the Hunter’s Moon. It’s a mutagen (Sevarius’s favorite word!) that will travel through air, water and even mammalian vectors.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - cv 1000 virus
That’s not a virus, that’s a molecule model.

It’s a virus, Robyn realizes.

A harmless one, Sevarius assures her. At the moment, anyway. It’s called CV 1000, a carrier virus that will bond with antigens.

Robyn picks up on the potential. She says that you could also bond with a pathogen. Um, yeah, he said antigen, not antibody.

Both Dominique and Sevarius are thrilled that she’s one of them in this regard. That is, she has no issue unleashing a plague for profit.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - demona pleased with robyn
Could you guys at least try not to look obviously villainous? Play it casual.

Dominique goes into a secret room within her secret room. There she keeps the D/I-7, a praying gargoyle statue, and the tablet she stole. We’ll have to wait and see how these objects work together.

Sunset. Everyone wakes up, with Angela feeling much better.

Jason and Elisa decide to have dinner at Elisa’s place. They actually kiss. It is a little bit quick, don’t you think, Detectives? You’re not even permanent partners. You’ve been on a few calls, but…I mean, really? After all the Avalon Tour, you turn this quick from Big and Purple?

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - elisa and jason kiss
These two don’t waste time!

Outside, Goliath is being a Peeping Tom. He is obviously disappointed seeing this development.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - goliath at window
Welp, Goliath, you have horrible luck with females.

Elisa pulls away, saying they shouldn’t do this. Jason is smart enough to realize that there’s someone else. She replies that she has a good friend, but it would be impossible for her to get involved with him. This breaks Goliath’s heart even more.

Jason departs, saying that there hasn’t been anyone for him in a long time.

Disney Gargoyles - Hunter's Moon part 2 - elisa sad
Wow, Elisa, way to let down two guys at once.

Halftime!

I like where we’re going with the character relationships. I like seeing them grow.

I never thought I would see Elisa abandon or even question her relationship with Goliath. And this Jason guy, despite the fact that yes they have been together on a rough call or two, has only been with her for a few days. After the Avalon trip, I wouldn’t think she would look twice at anyone ever.

While there was no Xanatos in this episode, there was some Owen, and I do love the Owen and Elisa interactions. He’s always so chill, while she’s so screechy. This time was no different. I like that he’s accepted wholeheartedly the dropping of antagonism toward the gargoyles. Remember, he’s the one who’s always ready to pull out a sledgehammer and annihilate them. But Alex changes hearts.

On the topic of Owen offering House Xanatos’s aid, this is another instance of them showing interest in the gargoyles’ situation. The former antagonists seem anxious to help, really. Foreshadowing?

The nefarious scheme of Demona’s is finally revealed. Sort of. We don’t know what exactly she’s going to do with this virus. I’m thinking she’ll make a new plague. But what is up with the praying gargoyle and the tablet?

Goliath’s new-found love of vengeance is a bit odd. It feels forced. We spent 50+ eps learning how counterproductive and downright destructive revenge is. It’ll be interesting to see what’s going to happen with G and his grudge.

Tune in Friday to see who helps Goliath in his quest for vengeance, and the price of said revenge. It’ll be a blast!

Thoughts? Comment!


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2 comments

  1. “Elisa of course accuses Xanatos of working with Demona. Why on Earth would this make sense? If they’re working together, he would’ve just handed her the D/I-7. She wouldn’t be blowing up his warehouses, now would she.”

    Well, in the past Xanatos has been known to make himself appear the victim for a larger manipulation. The second episode comes to mind… I don’t think she’s being unreasonable. But she is wrong.

    1. True, but he hasn’t used that tactic for a looong time, as far as I can remember. I think the last time was what, Her Brother’s Keeper when he set up his own assassination attempt?
      I wonder, how much did Goliath tell Elisa about the Gathering events or Possession’s doings?

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