1. Let’s Go Genre Hopping
Niko and the Sword of Light breaks out of its epic fantasy trappings to for a different approach in “From the Tumbledowns to the Gap of Gloom.” True, the creators don’t stray far, taking the show into Wild West-inspired territory but at least director Sung Jin Ahn is trying to branch out. I think Ahn might be the weakest of the directors the show has though he does have a strong eye for individual images and designs. (Take the E.T. shot of this week’s monster busting out of the canyons.) Not so much with action or letting us linger for a moment with a character.
So we have Lyra, Niko, and Flikker rolling into town, filled with some good ole hardworkin’ folks. For some reason all of them have Deep South redneck-inspired accents instead of the Spanish-tinted dialects but that’s neither here nor there I guess. Well, except the songs they perform are difficult to get through and their overall down-home vibe is even more irritating than anything else so far on the show. I’m including Mandok on this list. Or the hyenas. Niko and the Sword of Light has not been afraid to get the most annoying characters on-screen. But it’s for kids, so either kids really do get a kick out of this or maybe the producers haven’t hung around kids for a while.
Even the battle with this week’s monster has a desert showdown to it.
In any case, Niko fights a giant toothy worm monster called the Prickletwister. It can turn itself into a tornado and spit thorns.
2. Spy Games
Of course, the episode is really trying to explore Mandok’s deception. In the last episode, in order to save his own life, Mandok struck up a deal with big bad Nar Est. Now, he’s spying on Niko and Lyra, doing whatever’s in his power to make sure they don’t reach the Pools of Destiny. This generally involves him doubling down on his cowardice and misdirection. Flikker, however, now a giant fat flying caterpillar, notices the glowing light on his shoulder and can’t seem to figure it all out.
All this comes to a head in a mid-episode sequence. One of the tumbleweed things launches into a musical number about a deceiver and traitor. It hits a little too close to home for Mandok, twisting and turning his body with guilt. So I guess he’s remorseful about his decision? And it looks like the show is trying to give him an arc, make him doing something that isn’t so selfish. Though the more time we spend with him, the more I hope his eventual redemption is him jumping into Nar Est’s volcano.
3. What were You the Champion of Again?
The real crux of “From the Tumbledowns to the Gap of Gloom” involves Lyra and Niko realizing there’s more to their world than humans. As they’re trying to climb over a giant pile of rocks, one of the tumble-creature-things asks Niko if he’s their Champion, too. Everyone on this planet suffers under Nar Est’s influence. And Niko’s accomplishments are starting to carry across the land (I mean, we’re six episodes into this thing already and a bunch of evil’s been vanquished; word is bound to spread), giving the wide array of creatures hope and inspiration. Lyra also realizes that humans aren’t able to thrive without the rest of the world working in tandem with them. These ideas are introduced but only hinted at in the episode. This is a Sung Jin Ahn episode, so there’s not enough time for moral dilemmas when a perfectly good action scene is waiting over there.
4. Enter the Wolf
Niko’s band grows a little larger with the introduction of a new character. It’s an anthropomorphic wolf guy who can only grunt and howl. They introduced his species and language but I don’t remember any of them right now. Unlike Mandok, the wolf guy is all set to assume the role of Niko’s sidekick, especially after Niko saves his life from the Prickletwister. He’s atheletic, agile, handsome, and smart. He’s probably awakened some furry tendencies in the show’s young audience, which, hey, something for them to explore when they’re older.
Continued belowI’m not sure if Mandok is legitimately jealous of the wolf guy’s relationship to Niko or just sees that he lost his chance to stay close to the Champion. Either way, I wonder how long the show is going to stretch out this plot thread.
I did get a kick out of Niko trying to name his new companion, just yelling a bunch of names and seeing which one sticks. And in pure, reckless Niko fashion, he does this at the most inopportune times.
5. Steve Blum
Just real quick: I think Steve Blum is doing a Mark Hammill impersonation with Nar Est.
