Sarcastic Fan
King of Hell
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"THE GATHERING" is the second to last multi-part episode in the canonical "GARGOYLES" animated series, and is not only a one-two punch of action, characters, revelations and battles, it is also the culmination of at least 22 episodes of development and storyline since "AVALON PART THREE". It is the official end of the "world tour" arc in that the Manhattan Clan are finally reunited, and it creates a status quo which will carry the series through the rest of its run and, as the Slave Labor Graphics comics showcased, even beyond.
It's a big episode... and it was almost a single-parter... "The Reckoning" was almost a two-parter.
There are guest stars galore and if I had to come up with a crude summary of this two-parter, it would be "a Shakespearean summer action blockbuster".
I want one of those so much now.

There are also probably a few New Olympians there as well.
Or as Weisman would say "we were on a tight schedule, so we had to re-use some character models."
Regardless, one notable figure who is missing is Puck, who is apparently Oberon's court jester.
His servant, actually. Just like in the play.
Simply put, I think these "court of Avalon" scenes perfectly set up the major conflict to come. Thus, when Puck refuses to arrive in time for the gathering, we know this is not something Oberon is going to shrug off; he's going to move heaven and earth, quite literally, to make sure he complies.
"Stay put, this won't take long."
Considering that Xanatos has a higher net worth than many countries, the media is all in a frenzy about the birth of his heir apparent.
More important than the British royal baby, if you ask me.
Regardless, Oberon wastes no time revealing himself to all present, as well as exposing quite a secret - that Anastasia Renard is not who everyone thinks she is.She's revealed as his ex-wife Titania in her mortal disguise.
Actually, his current wife. They re-married at the end of "Ill Met By Moonlight". No big ceremony, they just said they were wed... I ain't arguing with them.

She also tells Halcyon she re-married her first husband.
This would not be the first time "GARGOYLES" capitalizes on such a thing, and it's yet another wise move that only respected the intelligence of its viewership as well as continued to forge quite a family history for the Renards and the Xanatos'.
The only people I know who disliked it admitted to having short attention spans. I like to think that says something.
Suddenly it's revealed that David Xanatos' mother in law is literally the queen of the gods, and that makes his son with Fox a member of the "third race" destined to have incredible magical powers. Since Fox apparently never properly manifested her own magical powers despite a similar heritage, Oberon cannot entrust one of "his" people to be raised by "lowly" mortals.
Xanatos, walking among the gods. It feels right.
As an act of "compassion" (suggested by Titania, of course), he gives Xanatos and Fox 24 hours to bid their son Alexander farewell before Oberon comes for him
Two things, Titania didn't suggest it... that was all Oberon. And it was one hour... and yes, Oberon thought he was being nice.

By now, the roots of Owen's own revelation have been well planted and have sunk deep into the earth, and as "THE GATHERING" goes on its a revelation that only becomes more inevitable.
I think the first time I watched it, so much was going on that I was successfully distracted from asking "WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!" .... really successful at misdirection, this show.
This is naturally the first time we're seeing Fox since "WALKABOUT" and David Xanatos since "CLOUD FATHERS", and this appearance is drastically different from how that episode left things. Just two episodes ago, Xanatos was being his usual self; manipulating all ends seeking immortality and willing to sacrifice others to these goals. That affair ended with him being the most frustrated he'd been in the series.
I loved that, it was vague enough to make the audience believe a final conflict was coming, that Xanatos was fed up with Goliath... when in fact, he was fed up with their feud, not Goliath personally.
Meanwhile, the Manhattan Clan is finally reunited for the first time since "AVALON PART ONE", as Goliath, Bronx, Angela, and Elisa make it back to the clock tower. There are hugs all around, as well as a sign of things to come as Angela is introduced to the trio, who haven't seen a young gargoyle woman since the middle ages.
"BOOBS! BOOBS THAT AREN'T TRYING TO MURDER US!"

Of course, long term romantic subplots are difficult things to do, especially between two "species". Drag it out too long, and people get bored. Climax too soon, and it feels like a waste or melodrama. Overall, I think "GARGOYLES" handed it perfectly and scenes like this at the apartment are to why. You know where its going, but the show isn't out to cheat you. It'll get there when its worth it, and not waste it a moment sooner.
I think it was also handled realistically, because interspecies romances are something that are often taken for granted in fiction like this. According to Weisman, gargoyle/human pairings are so rare there isn't even a taboo against it. And he says that on his entire timeline, he only has one other in mind... and no he isn't saying who or when (it could be the past, it could be the future).
After all, if fans wanted to see some awkward romance attempts, the trio's efforts to woo Angela are coming soon enough.

Like with most good times, it doesn't last. They are barely united when Titania appears within the clock tower and implores upon the gargoyles to help Xanatos defend his son Alexander (who the clan heard about on TV and was one of a few things Puck's dream sequence in "FUTURE TENSE" was right about) from Oberon's wrath.
Watch it again, she was trying to get them to help her remove Alexander... or was she?

With a bellow, he puts every human outside the force field to sleep and grows to giant size, GODZILLA style, and is set to rampage as if he's in the middle of Tokyo up against a pagoda. I mean, come ON, now that's how you end a two parter! It was one of those moments where I fully embraced and appreciated the opportunity to be able to enjoy the episodes for the first time on DVD. No waiting a week or so for a conclusion; there's no way I could have stayed sane waiting a week for the rest, not this deep into the series.
It was a day, actually. This one, I DO remember my feelings the first time... school couldn't end fast enough the next day.
Having a villain assume giant size is something which has to be done sparingly; it is ironic considering at the time, "GARGOYLES" arch nemesis on afternoon TV was "MIGHTY MORPHIN' POWER RANGERS" which turned the seemingly awesome feat of an enemy assuming giant form and made it a routine joke. "CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN" years later would end with the Red Skull assuming giant form in an attack on Washington, D.C. and to this day I am not sure if that's awesome or ridiculous.
Both?
This was all the spectacle of a season finale with seven more episodes to go. Fans of action have to be pleased with what the episode delivers. Want to see the Manhattan Clan united again? You got it. Want to see Xanatos in his cool armor fighting something he's never faced before? Check. Want to see Angela fight alongside Hudson, Brooklyn, Lex, and Broadway for the first time? You get that in spades.
All it was missing was Demona... but she didn't belong in this story. Trivia, since Oberon made Goliath's clan immune to his arts (which is why they didn't fall asleep... although, Oberon doesn't seem to interpret Elisa as being part of the clan), Demona and Thailog were awake and in Manhattan at the time... to this day, I wonder if they witnessed this from a distance.
And because of the "world tour", now Angela doesn't seem as if she is a "Scrappy Doo" or someone inserted into the show to appeal to some demographic midway through a season, because she had that time to be developed without having to directly upstage the trio, or Hudson, who got many episodes to develop before her. Now she joins them as an equal.
I just re-watched the Poochie episode of "The Simpsons" and every time I watch that one, I always think of Angela and how awesome it was that she didn't fall into this trap. Nowadays, adding to the cast is common... but back then, it just didn't happen all that often.
Naturally, the "enemy mine" situation makes for some entertaining moments as now the gargoyles are on the same side as their robotic doubles. In the end, Oberon proves to not be completely invincible, but still be pretty damn tough. The shields weaken him, but barely stop him. He can animate statues around the area to come to life and do his bidding, and summon ice storms on a whim. Even his HAIR is alive and able to occupy Goliath's attention (in a bit like "THE TICK VS. DINOSAUR NEIL", only played straight). Not even the iron robots or the shards they leave behind when destroyed slow Oberon for long.
Imagine how ****ed the gargoyles would be if Oberon were attacking them directly with his magic. Good think he declared them immune.
Even in weakened form, none of the gargoyles or even Xanatos are a match for Oberon. Yet it's Petros who seems to land a telling blow, sticking Oberon right in the chest with that harpoon in a scene I have to imagine the Disney Channel edited out of reruns.
They did. And even with the episodes up legally on YouTube, they are the edited down versions. The only way to see this moment is on DVD.
This of course leads to one of the biggest reveals of the entire "GARGOYLES" animated series - that the sprite Puck was posing as Owen Burnett this entire time.
The first time I saw this, when it first aired, I had to call a friend of mine who I knew was watching during the commercial break to scream about it. It was a shock... because I was successfully distracted.
Not only does it lead to another great guest performance by Brent Spiner, but is one of those moments that screams "REPLAY VALUE" once you see it. Not only does it explain how Owen knew all the weaknesses of Oberon and the "third racers", but there are some little tidbits from previous episodes as well. One is that bit in "CITY OF STONE" where Demona makes sure to bind Owen to a chair with metal cables and says, "You always were the tricky one". There are probably more but that's the biggest one I recall right now.
When she summons Puck in "The Mirror" she says "you serve the human, now you can serve me."
But I have to ask, were you aware of this reveal going in? It's floating around out there and I wonder if this is a "Rosebud is the sled" moment.
I also liked the bit where Puck says that he revealed himself to Xanatos some time ago and offered him either a lifetime of service as Owen, or to be granted one wish as Puck, and Xanatos chose the former. It says a bit about Xanatos's own wisdom as well as loyalty - which aren't usually traits you see highlighted in one of the lead antagonists in an action cartoon. No end of animated villains of the time - Magneto, Lex Luthor, the Joker - are hardly very wise, forward thinking, or loyal.
Which makes him awesome to most, but sadly boring to some. The Xanatos detractors I've met tend to prefer villains in the vein of Cobra Commander, or 90's cartoon Kingpin.
But just when you think "THE GATHERING PART TWO" is done with turning point moments, it seems another comes out of the woodwork when Fox manifests that magical energy everyone said she never had to knock Oberon's ass through a wall to save her son. Frankly, the clue that she had it all along was how her "fox" face tattoo seemed to change shape in many shots. Hey, if the show is explaining away some standard animation techniques or formalities as a key part of the narrative, I can choose to give a "no-prize" answer for when studios struggled to keep the face tat on model if I want, can't I? Rorschach can have a mask that changes its ink blot formation to fit his mood, and he didn't have magic in his blood.
If it makes you happy.

Later episodes of "THE GOLIATH CHRONICLES" would of course butcher Fox's bad ass motherhood skills, but thankfully that's not canon so I can ignore it.

So many cartoons have tried to have resolutions where the hero saves the day by talking it out with the "villain" of the week and it almost always is hammy, corny, and usually used to try to teach some blunt lesson to the audience. Here, on the other hand, it works out marvelously without being blunt or corny. Oberon still looks powerful because he was still not defeated outright.
I cannot think of a scenario where he can be defeated.
Yeah, how about that? At the end of "CLOUD FATHERS", the show teased with the idea of David Xanatos becoming frustrated by Goliath and his allies' meddling in his affairs. It at least raised the sheer possibility that Xanatos might make more of an attempt against them in revenge or at least to prevent further meddling.
He was frustrated with the feud, not with Goliath. He's such a wise man.
Yet instead in their next appearance together they'd team up to fight a god and wind up reaching a truce. In theory this might mean the end of drama or strife, but that's only if it's handled poorly. Goliath is wary of Xanatos and slow to trust him after all of his exploits and manipulations, and that's perfectly in character. It also is in character for Xanatos to still manipulate the gargoyles even if he does consider them allies; just ask the Pack. There still are skeletons in Xanatos' closet, more schemes from the past of his coming home to roost - which is essentially part of the premise of "POSSESSION". When done properly, it isn't just Xanatos and Goliath having a handshake and them punching the LEGION OF DOOM together. And even if Xanatos has made a truce with the gargoyles, that doesn't mean his own personal goals have changed; goals which often conflict morally against those of Goliath and his comrades. Becoming a father does change Xanatos - which is should, since fatherhood is an experience which should leave some impact. But that isn't the same as domestication. If anything, a truce between the Xanatos clan and the Manhattan Clan doesn't end tension or drama for them; it increases it in a different way than them being enemies for another dozen or so episodes. It also showcases how Goliath and Xanatos are different from Demona - for whom there is no compromise with an enemy, even when vengeance is against her best interests. Neither Goliath or Xanatos are the same now as when they first began their play together at the start of "THE AWAKENING", and in a way fatherhood (for both) is a reason why. How many animated action series give almost equal character growth to their male lead and main (or one of the main) antagonist(s)?
And that's just one reason why this show still rules. I know "Batman" is considered the best... but Batman and Joker or Two-Face or Ra's al Ghul are in the same place the last time we see them as they are the first time we see them.
So, "THE GATHERING" are two episodes with what seems like the ramifications of half a season or more of stories coming to roost, as well as laying down the seeds for many more exploits. It is an "event" which promises that things won't be the same after it is done, and lives up to that promise. It delivers on offering up one of the biggest action set pieces the show has ever seen as well as living up to the usual high standard of dialogue and character development as well. It sets up the last phase of the animated series and offers up some new dynamics to freshen things up. It united almost every major character on stage at once and mingled elements of technology and mythology seamlessly. All the high quality the show seems to allow to be taken for granted is present and still improved upon. Countless action cartoons offered multi-part episodes which promised the moon and the stars but in the end things always went back to a status quo; "X-MEN" in particular did this a lot. "GARGOYLES" never did and "THE GATHERING" stands as evidence as to how blockbuster events don't have to mean checking your brain at the door or a lower standard of narrative quality.
And somehow, "Hunter's Moon" is even bigger... but I'm getting ahead of you.