This is episode 1 of the Goliath Chronicles. It’s the only episode of TGC I’m going to review, because really it’s the only one that follows cannon. The gargoyles are slowly adjusting to their new life under House Xanatos’s roof, but the populace of New York is not about to adjust to the idea of gargoyles existing. Jon Canmore takes advantage of this, calling himself John Castaway and forming the Quarrymen, a homicidal group bent on killing the gargoyles. It’s basically a scene-for-scene, shot-for-shot, word-for-word play of the first two SLG (Slave Labor Graphics) comics.
Miss last week’s? Read The Hunter’s Moon part 3 episode review.
Spoilers are in the 20/20 moments. Info from Ask Greg is in the According to Greg bits.
Goliath Chronicles, Episode 1: The Journey
Reason(s) for existence: To launch a new chapter in the gargoyles’ life. To introduce the Quarrymen. To continue Canmore’s story. To show the struggle of protags living with former antags.
Main antagonist(s): Quarrymen
Time(s): October 29th, 1996
Location(s): New York City, New York, USA
We start with a new opening. It’s got some computer graphics, but otherwise it’s inferior to the original. It doesn’t have Goliath’s recap of the gargoyles’ history, btw.
The first shot of this new, um, series / season is the first scene from Awakening: The stone gargoyles, panning left onto the Eyrie Building, which is half obscured in clouds. Lightning is flashing in them. In the original, it was gunfire.
Oh, and we get a voice over by Goliath. Something about will hate win.
On TV, Travis Marshall is talking about gargoyles. They’re real! And people are freaking out. There are “man on the street” clips, including a lot of our favorites, such as the jogger and that blonde chick. And Vinnie. Vinnie says he lost a job because of them, but he hunted them down and got his revenge.
Travis has Matt Bluestone, who is conveniently the head of the gargoyle task force. Travis asks if there’s any truth to the rumor that “Industrialist David Xanatos” (Travis’s favorite way of referring to him, other than as a convict) is sheltering the Gargoyles. Matt just says the task force is investigating all angles.
Travis reports they could not reach Xanatos for an interview. Shocker.
We pull back the camera to see Hudson is watching the broadcast. Pulling back farther, we see Xanatos is also watching. Hudson asks David what he’s going to say when they do reach him.
Unfazed and confident as always, Xanatos replies, “I’ll think of something. I always do.” Yes, he certainly does. I love how David handles trouble: calm and collected all the way. You know that when he’s working on a problem, he’ll turn it into an opportunity.
A helicopter is circling the building. I’m pretty sure that the Xanatos Enterprises security forces know this happening. The airspace around the castle must be carefully monitored. The chopper’s occupants are scoping the place out. Literally. They’re looking for gargoyles. But there are none, so the chopper flies off to make a meeting. Oh great, there are more of these masked idiots?
Goliath, Hudson, and Brooklyn head up to the tallest turret. Fortunately, the chopper is gone. Brooklyn is wondering if it’s safe to be here with House Xanatos. They trust him not to destroy him them while they sleep, but even that is only because they know he’s not going to waste resources. But what choice do they have? Goliath points this out, rather pissed off.
It irks Goliath massively to be somewhat dependent on a former antagonist. Yes, Xanatos is doing it as a thank-you, which keeps them from feeling like they’re inferior to him or in his debt – or even his guests.
But still, it’s pretty awkward. I’ve been a roommate before, and it’s never something natural. Then again, the gargoyles are used to living with humans in the castle. And there’s a heck of a lot fewer people than there used to be. But you can’t erase the past.
Goliath flies off to see Elisa.
Somewhere in town, Vinnie is going to a Quarryman meeting. John Castaway has invited him after hearing about the revenge story.
When Goliath meets Elisa, she says he probably shouldn’t risk being seen.
But when is it a safe time? Goliath and Co have busted their butts to save the city multiple times, and this is the thanks they get? No good deed, mate…
Meanwhile, Castaway is getting everyone whipped up. It’s not hard. He plays on their fears of the unknown, as well as their feeling of general frustration and helplessness in life. He gives them an outlet for their anger: gargoyles.
Goliath turns to stone on Elisa’s balcony. That’s a really bright thing to do! Why don’t you just advertise that you’re here? Then again, I get the feeling he is just over this crap.
At the Quarry meeting, John has brought out the masks and hammers. It’s open season for them.
After the meeting, the lead thugs go hunting for gargoyles. They see G, but they can’t be sure it’s a real gargoyle. Oh well, Quarrymen smash!
John is going to help. Vinny shows up to the deployment late. He says he’s got a job in Japan. Somebody offered it to him after they him on TV. I don’t know why they would do this. But anyway. He explains that while he hunted the gargoyles, he only hit them with a cream pie when he found them.
John drags him along anyway.
At Elisa’s house, she’s just getting ready for her and Goliath’s date. The sun is starting to go down.
Outside, a helicopter hovers. And out of it comes a Quarryman. Oops.
The thug raises a hammer, but Elisa tackles him. That’s apparently the end of her ninja skills, though, because he grabs her first when she throws a weak punch. This is the same Detective who took out the Xanatos Enterprises security forces and all kinds of other stuff along the Avalon tour?
She does manage to get him down, but he’s got reinforcements.
Fortunately, the sun sets. Goliath takes the masked toadies out, but the helicopter comes in to support them with a minigun. It seems to be shooting just little dots of light, though, because it’s not doing any damage to the building. And Goliath and Elisa appear to fly through the fire.
On TV, Margot of Margot and Brendan – by the way, she’s an assistant district attorney – and Macbeth, who’s calling himself Lennox MacDuff again and is an expert on Medieval history, are on TV. Not sure how either of them got there. But they’re discussing gargoyles. Perhaps arguing would be a better word. Macbeth says they should reach out to them with tolerance. Margot says they should capture them and study them. They’re monsters!
We cut to the helicopter shooting Goliath in the wing as he tries to fly away with Elisa.
Halftime!
Halfway through the last episode…I don’t know if I should feel sad or accomplished. Well, we’ll figure that out later.
So, we’ve got newish enemies, who are upping the ante. They’re doing what I always said a person should do if they’re really serious about finding the gargoyles, much less taking them out: track down every gargoyle statue in town. These guys aren’t playing around, either. They’re here to smash.
How can the gargs fight these guys? Open war in the city isn’t gonna fly.
And what about Xanatos? He’s under scrutiny now, a place he does not like to be.
Tune in Friday for the end of the end. Or is it the beginning?
Thoughts? Comment!
I prefer the comic version. Elisa’s punch was censored on TV due to ABC S&P, she actually does land one in the comic version.
Plus there’s Art shooting at Goliath from his window.
Minus side, that art. Oh, this story was destined to be poorly drawn…
So do I, actually. The scene with Bronx licking Alex was well done in them, too.
I’m gonna tackle the comics after the last half of this ep. Thanks to your awesome link, I can read them online! Thanks again.
Too bad Bad Guys isn’t online, anywhere. I have scans, but no where to post them.
I saw readcomicsonline, the link you gave me, has some of the Bad Guys scans, but a lot of the pics don’t show up. Maybe they’d upload your scans there?