We come now to Gargoyles‘ season 1 finale, “Reawakening,” which aired February 3, 1995. The episode sees Demona and Xanatos reuniting to resurrect one of the Gargoyles who was smashed to pieces by the Vikings in the very first episode, and directing him into seeking revenge on Goliath.
1. Winter is Here
I absolutely adore the snowy setting of this episode. It really emphasizes how much time has passed since the start of the season, and it really lends the story a distinctive appearance. I imagine the writers struggled a lot with making every episode look unique given the Gargoyles can only appear at night, and I think it really made the finale a lot more memorable, not least because the cold and dark does factor into the story. It really makes me long for more superhero movies set during Christmas – I can count the number of those set during winter on one hand, which is absolutely bizarre.
2. Retcon Brother
Near the start of the episode, there’s a flashback to the events of the very first episode in Scotland, 994, as Goliath remembers the fateful night before his clan fell to the Vikings. We’re introduced to a new slim, blue Gargoyle, voiced by the distinctive Michael Dorn (Star Trek‘s Worf), one of the many background members of the clan who did not have speaking parts in that episode.
He’s resurrected by Demona and Xanatos as an unholy amalgamation of magic and cybernetics that she dubs Coldstone. The whole reanimation sequence is designed as a massive homage to the 1931 Frankenstein movie, and Coldstone is as sympathetic and menacing as Boris Karloff’s creature. Even after his appearance is revealed, the animators obscure his hideousness in shadow, reflecting his inner torment and self-loathing as much as to emphasize how shocking his appearance is.
Speaking of the reanimation, I absolutely love Xanatos’s boyish exclamation of “It’s alive!,” followed by his churlish explanation that he always wanted to say that, and Demona’s dismissal. These two really are an odd couple, and I love that Demona’s age is reflected by how she seemingly has no idea what he’s talking about.
3. To Protect and Serve
Hudson’s statement in the past, that “a gargoyle can no more stop protecting the castle than breathing the air,” weighs heavily on Goliath’s mind in this episode, so much so that he offers to accompany Elisa on her patrol that night when she mentions the phrase “To Protect and Serve.” It’s a little strange that Goliath is only hearing the motto just now, but it illustrates he’s still new to the world, and therefore still rather homesick. Because of Elisa’s new partner, Matt Bluestone, Goliath has tail her instead, remaining in communication with an earpiece she gives him: I must say, I find the sight of Goliath wearing it as a necklace, like some male model, very amusing.
4. Who is my Castle?
Needless to say, Coldstone, Demona and Xanatos get into a big fight with the Gargoyles, leading Goliath and his vengeful brother to tumble into the river. It leads to a beautiful moment as the two sink into the freezing water, when they both remember Hudson’s words, and Coldstone finds it in himself to forgive his brother and fly them out: in losing everything, these brothers realize they are the castle they are meant to protect. In contrast, Demona and Xanatos may possess Castle Wyvern, but their callous and xenophobic natures mean their home is just a pile of bricks.
At the end of the episode, Goliath realizes he has no reason to be homesick, for as long as he has his friends, then Manhattan and its people is the only castle they need to defend. Overall, the episode is surprisingly thought provoking one that asks, what makes a home a home? Is it a nice place to live because it’s an imposing personal fortress, or because it’s warm and inviting? In this episode, Goliath recognizes it ought to be the latter. It may be a bit on the nose, but I love it, especially as the world feels like it’s shutting itself off more and more each day.
Continued below5. Secret’s Out?
Throughout the season, the Gargoyles have struggled with balancing secrecy, seeking new allies, and battling their enemies. During the initial phase of this episode’s battle, I had to wonder if the secret would finally be come out with the countless police and fire brigade on the scene, as well as Bluestone’s presence. It doesn’t, but it’s clearly leaves the public aware there’s something more going on than what they were led to believe in “The Edge.”
I think the clearest parallel with how the show presents public awareness of the Gargoyles is the notion in ‘90s and early ’00s comics that Batman was somehow an urban legend. It makes a lot more sense here though that the general public would be skeptical of criminal reports of being assaulted by winged monsters, unlike the goofy notion that the coolest looking member of the Justice League could be considered a myth.
Bonus thoughts:
– Magus cameos in the flashback to remind us how much of a jerk he was.
– I like that the young Gargoyles are calling her ‘Lisa now, it’s endearing.
– “I don’t remember any explosions in Bambi.”
Join us next week as we begin looking at the supersized second season, which aired almost daily from 1995 to 1996.
