Category: TV shows

“Whatever it is, I bet it’s the twins’ fault.”

First, my deepest apologies for the lengthy delay.  You may be aware that I managed to get distracted my new-to-me fandoms last year.  There are still some projects connected with those that I need to work on, but I am really going to try to finish the How to Train Your Dragon portion this year.  I do thank everyone who has been reading these posts in the meantime.  I am…astounded.

Anyways, on with the show!

Season Four: Race to the Edge

The second part of Defenders of the Wing opens the season with Hiccup managing to convince Mala that Viggo has used the Dragon Riders.  They were all tricked.  Mala agrees to go with Hiccup to save the Eruptadon, though she also threatens to kill him if anything goes wrong.  She starts to realize how well Hiccup and Toothless works together and marvels at their harmony in flying; it’s rather magical.  They find Viggo’s ship and attack.  But there’s no Viggo and no dragon; another misdirection.

No, Viggo is at Dragon’s Edge, with the intention of using the Eruptadon to destroy the Riders’ base going through the crust of the dormant volcano.  (Apparently a classic Maces and Talons move.)  Hiccup and Mala make it to the Edge to attack Viggo there, Mala having great fun taking out several of the Hunters.  She now understands that Hiccup and his friends are not enemies to dragons and that he recognizes the good of the many outweighs the good of the few. 

With some help from Gronkles on the island, the lava is stopped from getting to their headquarters.  The Dragon Riders and the Defenders of the Wing are now officially allies.  The village even puts up with the twins’ antics, though undoubtedly pleased when the Riders head back to the Edge.  Viggo is displeased with the outcome; he had been expecting a victory.  Hiccup keeps interfering with his plans.

We then find out that Ruffnut and Tuffnut have a cousin named Gruffnut, who comes to visit the Edge.  Tuff is excited.  Ruff sees Gruff for who he really is and is not happy of the influence he has on her twin brother.  Gruff tends to tell tall tales, that Tuff falls for.  The others make him come clean that he’s trying to take one of their dragons in order to pay off a debt.

The Riders think they’ve seen the last of Gruffnut, but he pretends to be Tuff and takes his dragon.  But Chicken knows the difference and warns the dragons.  Tuff manages to escape from being tied up by his cousin and goes with Hiccup to rescue Barf and Belch (Gruff is also now stuck with Ruffnut).  Tuff even makes use of Hiccup’s Dragon Fly suit and fights Gruff.  Gruff is sent packing and Ruff and Tuff continue to happily annoy everyone else on the island.

 Midnight Scrum is one of my favorite episodes; I oddly love my heroes in a bit of peril.  The episode opens with Hiccup running from bounty hunters.  Turns out, Viggo has put a price on his head.  But Hiccup doesn’t want to tell his father right away, partly due to the fact that a big anniversary celebration is coming up on Berk.  He doesn’t want to distract the chief.  Astrid urges Hiccup to share the burden.  That idea gets knocked on its head when Stoick tells Hiccup upon their arrival on Berk that the “needs of the many outweigh the need of the few.”  [Yes, Dragons is now quoting Star Trek.]

During the celebration, Gobber praises the youth as “some of the youngest Berkians had the guts to step up and take a stand.  The time has come to look towards the future, Hiccup and the Dragon Riders!”  They then put on a dragon show, but the stress of the bounty starts getting to Hiccup and he overreacts to some strangers.  Astrid advises him again to tell Stoick, yes he’s the chief, but he’s also your dad.

The next morning Stoick goes looking for Hiccup and cannot find him.  That’s because during the night a few bounty hunters were lucky enough to catch Hiccup unawares, knock him out, and get him on a boat.  Those two indeed got lucky, because otherwise, they’re incompetent.  Hiccup makes a break for it, but does not find his friends above deck.  Instead, it’s Savage, Alvin’s old second in command.  He’ll be glad to deliver Hiccup to Viggo.  Hiccup fights smart against Savage, but he’s saved when Throk arrives.

In the meantime, Stoick has gathered the Riders and is riding Toothless, searching for his son.  Astrid talks to him about the bounty.  Why would Hiccup not share this information with Stoick?  “He’s Hiccup.  Sometimes, his pride’s bigger than his brain.”

Throk is overpowered by a mystery cloaked man who chains Hiccup up to take him to Viggo.  But they find Ryker instead and the sack of gold is actually a sack of rocks.  The mystery man won’t release Hiccup for that.  The man must now fight the Hunters and Hiccup gets a chance to escape and use his flaming sword.  The man and Hiccup get knocked off a cliff and the man clings to Hiccup’s leg.  Hiccup is able to knock his prosthetic leg off and the man goes tumbling.  But when Hiccup slips, he’s saved…by Ryker.  “Viggo wants to kill you himself”.  [Getting a bit grim for a children’s show, though this may be geared more for teenagers and young adults.]  Stoick and Toothless have been tracking Hiccup and find him just in time.  Stoick faces off against Ryker; “you put a bounty on one of us, you get all of us.”  He knocks out Ryker, but the man wakes up in time to throw a knife at a retreating Hiccup (helped by Astrid.)  It doesn’t land because he’s knocked out by Hiccup’s leg, thrown by the mystery man, who then jumps off the cliff to remain mysterious.

On their way back to Berk, Stoick counsels his son; they are allies, peers.  The people of Berk depend on them to keep them safe.  To do that, they cannot keep secrets.

Snotlout has his own issues with his father’s teachings in Not Lout.  Snotlout is desperate to prove himself to his father, maybe not overtake Hiccup (though I’m sure Spitelout would enjoy that), but be a stand-out second.  He messes up an attack, but still tells Hiccup he wants to lead the Dragon Riders when Stoick makes Hiccup chief.  The teens are indeed looking to the future and making their own plans.  Hiccup warns Snotlout that he cannot force his way into a leadership position; everyone has their own strengths.  Snotlout should look for his.

Hiccup also shows his strength as a leader and gives Snotlout the lead on a practice mission.  He still messes up and decides to ground himself.  However, when he’s on the ground, he realizes that the mission the rest of the Riders are flying into is a trap and takes off after them.  He swoops in, messing up their plan, but revealing the trap.  Snotlout then takes charge and they accomplish a better mission.  Afterwards, Hiccup tells Snotlout that he’s proud of him and asks what Snotlout wants to do.  Snotlout decides he doesn’t want to be exactly like his dad.  But that makes him not so different after all.

The Riders return to the Defenders of the Wing island in Saving Shattermaster.  They find out that Mala and Throk were saved from Hunters by a mysterious figure.  On a fun note, it’s time for Snotlout to face a serious of trials to become Mala’s king, after he saved her life earlier.  Snotlout is not pleased with the trials, but Hiccup leaves most of the Riders there with him to keep him safe, and takes Heather to investigate whoever saved Mala and Throk.

That new mysterious man is actually Dagur (note: not the same mysterious man who kidnapped Hiccup; he had been at Viggo’s auction, so definitely not a friend).  Dagur also does not initially appear to be a friend; he seems to be with the Hunters.  Heather attacks him, and Dagur has to reveal that he’s trying to work with the Hunters because he’s trying to save his dragon, Shattermaster.  Thus, Hiccup has to remark to Heather at one point: “shall we rescue our brother?”  Heather’s not so keen.  “I’m going to kill him,” is her response.  She ends up saving him and makes her big brother be the distraction so they can get his dragon.  He tells Heather that once everything has settled, he will return and answer any of her questions.

Dire Straits is another of my favorite episodes.  The trade routes are getting disrupted to Berk, a giant whirlpool is claiming ships.  Berk needs trade in order to survive, especially since they lost their stockpile of gold to Viggo at the dragon auction.  Stoick has the Riders investigate.  It’s a Submaripper dragon, very large, and very territorial.  Hiccup makes use of his Deathsong amber goggles to investigate under the water.  There are dragon-proof chains holding the Submaripper dragon in place.  But Hiccup can’t hold his breath long enough to free him.  They have to come up with another solution.

He makes a diving cauldron and uses Deathsong amber as a lens.  Hiccup takes the risk himself, though Fishlegs is on standby.  When they make their final attempt, Viggo starts an attack to rile the Submaripper up.  The Riders don’t want to hurt the dragon, since it’s not it’s fault.  Under the water, Hiccup manages to free the dragon, but the winch to bring up the diving cauldron is damaged in the attack.  Toothless dives down to save his rider.  Hiccup tries to send Toothless away, but his friend refuses.  Hiccup admits he’d do the same.

The Submaripper helps out the one who helped him, and brings the cauldron to the surface.  Hiccup is eerily still for a minute once they get him out, but he eventually coughs up the water.  He’s weakened and can’t fly after Viggo, but the other Riders are more than pleased to do it for him.  Except they’re foiled again, because Ryker is using Seashocker dragons to escape.

Trade does return to Berk and the village is saved, thanks to Hiccup.  He still feels at fault, since it was his plan that lost Berk it’s gold and it’s his enemy who is doing this to Berk.  Stoick gives wise words to his son.  Viggo has shown his true colors now; “only a coward endangers innocent women and children as a means of intimidation.”  Bravery will triumph over cowardice.

We get a bit of a breather with The Longest Day.  It’s the time of the Midnight Sun, when Berk experiences two weeks full of days of sunlight [it is an actual phenomenon that that part of the world experiences, which, kudos to the team for putting that detail in].  Stoick is pleased because Berkians become very productive.  But that long of a time awake, makes people a little loopy, being so sleep deprived. 

Hiccup gave his Riders a very easy task for the day: wash their dragons.  Well, Fishlegs ends up paranoid, Snotlout has mood swings, Ruffnut and Tuffnut hallucinate, Heather can’t balance, and Astrid is giddy.  Hiccup, meanwhile, is on Berk with Stoick, discussing plans to deal with Viggo.  Hiccup’s first plan is “wipe the psychopath off the map, kaboom!”  Eh, kaboom is not exactly a full plan.  Okay, he wants revenge.  He wants the Dragon Eye back.  Stoick insists that Hiccup needs a plan.

The teen does manage to find a new dragon, well, one large dragon that has a squadron of smaller dragons that cling to its wings to provide firepower [reminds me a bit of guns on a warplane].  He ends up quoting Dagur while he figures out how to deal with the dragons: “trappers trap can trap the trapper.”  That’s when he knows he’s losing it.  When he returns to the Edge, he finds that the dragons have dumped their riders into a hole to get some sleep.  Toothless follows suit.

Hiccup starts trying new moves with Toothless during Gold Rush, telling himself he’ll rest when Viggo’s gone.  His plans are derailed when Dagur returns, searching for his father.  The tales that Dagur killed his father to take over the Berserker tribe were lies.  Oswald had gone on a trip and never returned.  Dagur wants his sister to join the search, and he has news for his “brother,” Dagur knows where Viggo hides his gold.  It will be the perfect strike against Viggo.

Hiccup, Astrid, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout end up captured and discover that Viggo’s new ships are metal underneath the wood, essentially making them dragon-proof.  Until Shattermaster shows up (to the theme played on bagpipes, very cool).  The Riders get free, Hiccup quickly jumping on Toothless.

Later, he realizes that the gold was hidden in Viking ruins on the island.  The hint had been there were no ruins on the map.  Heather decides to accompany Dagur on his trip to find their father, but manages to give Fishlegs a kiss before they leave.

Mala returns again in Out of the Frying Pan; the Eruptadon has laid an egg, but it needs transported to its ancient hatching site inside the volcano.  But the Eruptadon is very old and spent a lot of energy bringing about the egg.  So Hiccup volunteers to help Mala with the egg.  As does Fishlegs.  But the two, who usually work on the same wavelength, are now disagreeing.  Time is running out.  Mala tries to run off with the egg, dodging small dragons that attack her.  Fishlegs and Hiccup realize that the smaller dragons are actually guardians of the eggs and are meant to take the egg to its site.

Throk and Astrid descend into the volcano as the lava rises, hoping to rescue Mala, Hiccup, and Fishlegs.  But Meatlug can’t carry them all.  Luckily, the Eruptadon comes to their rescue.

It starts with a broken Macey in Twintuition.  Hiccup won’t fix her/it in the middle of the night.  But Tuffnut doesn’t want to fly all the way back to Berk either.  Instead, Tuff and Ruff head to the Northern Markets and encounter lots of Hunters.  And decide it’s a good idea to claim they took out Hiccup.  Through their escapades, Macey gets stolen, the twins find Viggo and discover he’s working on a Project Shellfire.  Then Viggo sees Macey and is smart enough to recognize the Gronkle Iron mace and knows that the twins are on his island.  Tuff is actually brave and goes for the project plans instead of his mace, but he gets Macey back in the end (after Viggo tries to drown the Riders.)

The Triple Stryke dragon returns in Blindsided, with Hiccup now trying to train Sleuther.  Their training is interrupted by storms rolling in (not that it was going well to begin with).  Astrid checks on the dragon pens and lightning strikes, causing a fire.  She’s knocked out in the commotion and the dragons fly off.  Hiccup rescues Astrid and they find out when Astrid wakes up that she is blinded.  Hiccup promises to stay with Astrid.  But, Astrid being Astrid, she wants to help find Stormfly and the other dragons and will not take ‘no’ as an answer.  “I’m putting my foot down,” Hiccup tells Astrid.  Two seconds later, they are both on Toothless.

Hiccup is also desperate to protect Astrid, particularly since she is vulnerable without sight at the moment.  “Of course she’s not going to hide, what was I thinking, she’s Astrid,” he grumbles.  At one point, he does get Astrid behind a rock because the Triple Stryke is all riled up now.  “You, stay,” he orders.  Astrid obeys, for now.  Then she catches on to a sound Sleuther makes before making a strike.  She uses that sound to distract Sleuther and they get all the dragons calmed down…and back with their proper owners.  Now, they have a way to train the Triple Stryke and Astrid does get her sight back.  She gives Hiccup a hug and they go sit together.

Earlier, Hiccup assured Astrid “you have me.  Okay, whatever that mean, whatever you want it mean.  I am with you.  There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid.  Always.”  And Hiccup had been ready to kiss Astrid, but it wasn’t quite the right time.  Astrid brings it up as they sit, watching the sunset.  Hiccup wanted it to be the perfect moment.  Well, now seems pretty perfect.  Indeed it does, and the two young adults share a kiss.  (So romantic!)

The two-parters Shell Shocked finishes the season.  The Riders are on Berk, preparing for Hiccup’s plan to attack the Hunters.  They’re joined by Berk’s A-Team as well as Heather and Dagur.  Hiccup and Astrid share a secret kiss; they haven’t told their friends yet.  All the dragon riders carry out Hiccup’s plan, but find the Hunters’ camp destroyed and Viggo in a hole, happy to see Hiccup.  Stoick would rather punch the man who has threatened his people and his son, but Hiccup holds him back.  Viggo says that Ryker has turned on him and betrayed him.  He plans to wipe out the Riders and their allies using Project Shellfire.  Viggo offers to give Hiccup more information if they will help him take out Ryker.

Hiccup has to act.  He brings Viggo with him and sends others to check on their allies.  Fishlegs gets to see the hatched Eruptadon baby and knows to keep the baby safe.  Viggo then manages to escape during an attack at the Edge.  Hiccup and Astrid have to learn how to balance their care for each other and being in danger.  Ryker runs up a white flag and talks to Hiccup, spinning the same story as his brother, that Viggo betrayed him.  Ryker is willing to give Hiccup the Dragon Eye in exchange for Viggo.  Now Hiccup is a bit confused on who to believe.

Meanwhile, the twins and Snotlout realize something is going on between Hiccup and Astrid.  The twins believe Hiccup is dying, but Snotlout thinks he has a gambling problem…so no one correctly guesses.  They do find out what Project Shellfire is.  It’s a ship on a dragon.  And Hiccup of course, goes after it, but it swims too fast and dives too deep.

Viggo shows back up, with the Dragon Eye, and Hiccup happily locks the man up.  Ryker uses the Shellfire to attack the Edge’s volcano, again.  Fishlegs brings the baby Eruptadon to help eat the lava.  Hiccup is a noble hero and won’t let Viggo die in a fire, hoping he’s not making the biggest mistake of his life.  Viggo, trying to be Hiccup’s friend and advisor, notes the conundrum Hiccup is in, to be in love with a girl who is his partner in battle.  It looks like Viggo is going to stab Hiccup, but the knife is dropped in the water to bring up the Submaripper, who attacks the Shellfire.  The two dragons are natural enemies.  Viggo continues to sweettalk Hiccup: “we may be adversaries, but my respect for you is beyond what I can put into words.”  [And I kind of respect Viggo, as a villain, for respecting Hiccup as a worthy adversary, for not simply dismissing him as a young kid with no brains.]

Dagur now bonds with the Triple Stryke, and Hiccup continues to call the crazy man his brother [a bit sweet.]  Ryker goes down with the ship and for a moment, we think all is well.  Until Viggo shows up with a captured Astrid, demanding Hiccup return the Dragon Eye.  Is the young man willing to “sacrifice your future, all the wonderful years ahead” for the Dragon Eye?  Hiccup throws the Eye into the volcano.  Viggo falls and Hiccup is ready to grab him, but it’s too late.  Now, it’s over.  Finally.  Definitely.

Hiccup and Astrid share a sweet moment, and then a kiss, witnessed by everyone.  Fishlegs remarks, “this changes everything,” (which is the catchphrase of the show, used in the opening).

And nope.  Not over.  The volcano erupts.  End of season.

Another season full of adventures, and the storyline is getting tighter.  There are still side excursions, but the focus is on the battle going on between Viggo and Hiccup.  Hiccup is gaining allies.  Dagur is firmly on his side, as is Heather, even if we don’t see them every episode.  There are now the Defenders of the Wing and we learn a lot about them this season.

I like how Stoick is dealing with Hiccup now.  Hiccup and Stoick are both leaders; Hiccup has proven himself as a leader of the Dragon Riders, is keeping an outpost going.  Has made allies of his own, as well as enemies.  But he’s holding those enemies at bay.  However, Hiccup is still young and needs to learn when to depend upon all his allies and recognize that he can go to his father for advice, as a leader, not simply father and son.  And Hiccup is shaping up to be a worthy heir to the chiefdom of Berk.  While he lives away from the main island, he is still worried about the people.

Viggo is ramping up his actions against Hiccup because Hiccup keeps thwarting him.  Again, he takes Hiccup as a serious threat.  Not like Alvin the first time; oh, Hiccup is small and skinny, he’s such a disappointment.  No.  Hiccup was brave enough to face a dragon and befriend it.  Hiccup has grown as a character and his opponents grow as well.  Viggo tends to come off as classy; he has multi-faceted plans, he treats this as a game of Maces and Talons (kind of like chess), and he tries to teach Hiccup lessons.  Now those lessons have bigger consequences.  Hiccup has a bounty put on him, Viggo goes after Berk.  Stoick is now involved in this fight.

Not surprised that Ryker and Viggo seem to turn on each other.  There has always been a power struggle between the two.  Ryker is the older brother, but Viggo is the one in charge, supposedly brains versus brawn.  But both want Hiccup dead.  Ryker was fine with taking Hiccup from the mysterious man because Viggo wanted to kill him.  When their plans no longer align, Ryker still attacks the Edge.

The twins still have their moments of brilliance.  Snotlout is maturing, a bit, but really just trying to figure out what his role is in the Riders.  Fishlegs becomes sweet with Heather and it’s reciprocated.  And Astrid and Hiccup finally, officially get together!

Next Time:  I have a schedule I’m going to try to keep this year, to finish the How to Train Your Dragon section by the end of the year.  But I’m also going to try to work on completely a full draft of two major stories I’m working on (all to feed into the larger fantasy series I have planned).  Hopefully, a schedule will work.  After Dragons, there will be Chronicles of Narnia, and then finish it off with Lord of the Rings.  I do actually have some further plans after that, but we will see how everything works out.

Thank you again, for hanging with this blog series, it has grown larger than I first imagined and I am simply grateful for every view I get.

“How did you get Magnus to let Jace leave?” “Traded him for Alec.”

Random Fandom – Shadowhunters:

This must be the year I distract myself, because it keeps happening; but considering it is a fandom, I will share what takes over my brain.  I swear, I am about halfway through the next season of Race to the Edge, but I decided one evening to put on The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie and remembered, hey, I like this movie.  I should re-read the book series.  Oh yeah, I remember liking these books.  Then telling myself, you’re not getting into the show.  I remember when the show premiered and had told myself then I was not watching it, which I did not.  But seeing enough things about the show on Pinterest, I decide to give it a whirl…slightly bad idea because I’ve gotten completely distracted. 

It is a bit odd to be reading the books while watching the show, which does not fully follow the books, but integrates a lot of the books in different ways.  I love sassy Jace from the books, yet Jame Campbell Bower perfectly portrays Jace in the movie, yet, Dominic Sherwood brings his own spin to the character in the show that I also love (and want to wrap into a hug…he gets a sad look on his face and I want to give him all the love).  And my brain which has not given up on developing essays and academia wants to write a paper comparing how both actors bring elements of the character to life; maybe the same aspect, but in different ways, yet they work.  And I utterly adore how Matthew Daddario and Henry Shum Jr portray Alec and Magnus; there were times I was watching simply to watch Malec (the pairing of their characters and completely canon).  I also have another set of brothers to add to my future project of brother relationships in different fandoms (Francis and Bash were also recently added…this project is going to end up being a book, lol).  And there are some wonderful videos about the two, just like Francis and Bash, often using some of the same music (oh my heart).

I will admit, it was a bit odd to see so many familiar faces in the movie that I did not know when the movie came out.  Well, I knew Aidan Turner as Luke since he’s Kili in The Hobbit and Mitchell in Being Human (the BBC version; I think an American version came out later).  And I will always see Henry VIII from Tudors when I watch Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who plays Valentine.  But Lena Headey is Jocelyn, but we know her as Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones.  Jamie Campbell Bower is Young Grindelwald in Harry Potter [opposite Toby Regbo as Young Dumbledore…we just saw him as Francis in Reign], Caius in the Twilight Saga, and King Arthur in a short-run Camelot series (that show was a bit odd and dark).   We know Jared Harris, who plays Hodge, as King George VI from The Crown and as Moriarty from Game of Shadows with Robert Downey Jr.  Dorothea is played by CCH Pounder; I’ve seen her as Loretta Wade in NCIS: New Orleans.  And we’ve seen Kevin Durand in Robin Hood with Russell Crowe.  It was further strange to see Alan Van Sprang in the show as Valentine after just watching him as Henry de Valois in Reign; he wasn’t a great father in either show.

I honestly like all three; the books, the movie, and the show.  Each has their pros and cons.  The relationship development of Magnus and Alec is wonderful in the show.  I did really enjoy Jace in the movie and Clary wasn’t quite as annoying as she gets in the books and the show.  Jace was also wonderful in the show and well developed, particularly his emotional storyline in season 3.  And I now want to get my own copies of the books and get the other series Cassandra Clare has written in the universe.  Which, a thanks to my cousin for lending me the books, and I guess I should apologize for getting you back into the series *wink. 

The show has inspired some more writing; it doesn’t quite fit into my series as well as elements of Reign.  But it is helping me develop another character.  And since it features the Seelie Court and Queen, it makes me stop and think about how similar or different my Faerie Realm will be from traditional version of the Seelie.  And how I’m going to have to properly work in a Library/Archives type institution.

I should stop saying what is Up Next, because anymore, my brain says no, let’s go on a side quest.

“No, it’s about your good heart.”

So, I have finished Reign, which has kept me from several other projects (such as Season Four of Race to the Edge), but mainly because it’s lead me to writing my longest story yet and the greatest interest I’ve had in writing something in years.

So here are some of my thoughts and reactions to the show:

First, what many people argue and what kept me from watching it for several years (the show is older than I originally thought; but I wasn’t really watching CW as a channel when it was on), is the historical inaccuracy.  They’re right.  A great many liberties are taken.  There’s an age lift (though they might be portraying them at the correct age, but since the actors are older, I tend to read it as the characters are older…and considering some of the scenes shown, the network should believe the characters are older).  I’m personally fine with the age lift. 

The costumes…I tried watching the show once about a year ago and couldn’t get past the first episode because the dresses were so wrong.  I’ve since read that the budget was tight the first season, so they literally used prom dresses…we can tell.  The men’s costumes are fairly typical for a historical series, lots of leather, but female viewers tend to like that (guilty).  Costumes did get better as the series went.  I do rather like some of Lola’s dresses.  Catherine has some gorgeous dresses and Mary’s get better in season four.

In addition to historical inaccuracy, they forget about geography some times.  They never actually name what castle the French court is residing in; I think the fandom has named it Fontainebleau.  It’s often commented to be about two or three days from Paris.  Fine.  Then, in season four, the writers claim that men can make it from Edinburgh in Scotland to London in England in a single night.  Even more, they can get there, kidnap someone, and return to Edinburgh by morning.  Then return him the same day.  Nope.  Not possible.  (And we are expected it’s supposed to be a single night because Elizabeth is not more concerned, nor sent search parties after the man.)

As for characters, Francis and Sebastian quickly became my favorite.  I quickly loved their brotherly relationship; they’re close despite one being legitimate and the other illegitimate (they will certainly make it into my brothers in fiction essay).  And Bash never truly wants to usurp Francis’s place.  (As noted below, I disliked the love triangles.)  They’re best when they’re working together and supporting each other.  That hug at the end of Season 1!  Loved by all! 

I have mixed feelings about Catherine.  The actress did a superb job, because you root for her, even though she does absolutely terrible things.  Her love for her children triumphs over all.  As with many other relationships in this show; I like it when the characters work together.  She’s a nicer character when she supports Mary.  Still does horrible things because she thinks it’s helping, but they often come back to bite her.

Clarissa is not my favorite character and it’s more the working in the shadows.  I’m not sure how she’s motivated; I don’t think you can trust her.  Mary seems to, but that’s not a smart idea; don’t trust someone you don’t know or can’t see.  Of course, she tries to hurt her younger brothers after gaining their trust.  I also don’t always trust Nostradamus.  He has good intentions, but relying so heavily on visions and prophecies brings chaos.  I certainly don’t trust Diane, especially when she’s trying to get Bash legitimized. 

There are times I like Mary; she’s a strong queen and someone who doesn’t take what is thrown at her lying down.  However, she also makes some dumb choices.  I am not fond of any of the love triangles that pop up throughout this show.  Mary can’t seem to make up her mind on whom she wants to love.  She and Francis work well together, when they actually decide to work together.  I would have been happy to watch just their love story; and once Francis was crowned, there’s plenty of political drama that they did not need to add personal drama.  King and queen can disagree about how they want things done and that’s suspense.

An argument I have between Mary and Francis; Mary doesn’t like that Francis wants to put the needs of France first.  However, she does the same thing for Scotland.  Honey, you can’t have it both ways.  You’re each the sovereign of a different country, so your priorities are going to differ.  As with Bash, Francis makes a great team with Mary when they settle down, but the show is determined to throw hurdles in their way constantly.  The scene in the field where Francis proposes is utterly romantic.  Several of their scenes get hot and heavy.  And then it all goes to pot shortly after that.

The plotline with Lola and Francis comes out of nowhere and is a monumentally dumb idea.  They both know things are out of whack at the moment, but let’s do this thing that has potential consequences.  And now they have to deal with those consequences.

The first episode feels off from the rest of the show at times.  They had Bash give odd looks to the camera that made one wonder if he was plotting something as well.  That luckily went away.  I was utterly taken by the show by the fourth episode, when Bash came back wounded (don’t ask).  I was intrigued by the pagan plotline and think they could have done more with it, but the show had too many storylines they were trying to juggle.  (However, gives me lots of ideas for stories of my own.)

Henry going mad was an interesting plotline because it brings added danger to everyone.  He tries to kill Bash, more than once.  He oddly ends up working well with Catherine, which is nice, but still odd because we don’t know what’s going on.  And there are dead girls to contend with.  He’s so consumed with glory and gaining control of England.  Then he wants to kill Francis, his heir, and marry Mary.  So Catherine and Mary want to put an end to him.  Franics argues, until he realizes how dangerous his father is and takes the responsibility himself and rides against his father.

I have mixed feelings about the pairing of Bash and Kenna.  They seem good for each other, because Bash comes to care for her, even though he’s also focused on defeating the Darkness.  Some of their scenes are steamy.  And Kenna encourages Bash that he is enough, just himself; he doesn’t always have to prove himself.  Having Pascal around humanizes her, because she’s typically selfish.  Then…that plotline gets destroyed in the second season.

I never trust Narcisse, even when he tries to do something good.  I almost want the relationship between him and Lola to work out, because maybe she’ll bring the good out in him.  Nope.  Still is a complete jerk.  Yet, he oddly pairs with Catherine well.  Except they can’t trust each other enough to go far.

The triangle with Louis of Conde was unneeded.  A love triangle almost destroyed Francis and Mary before, so what do they do?  Bring in another one.  I mean, at first, I thought he was a nice guy, helping out his cousin.  But then I want to hit him as the season goes on.

The rape scene and plotline in the second season was unnecessary.  Yes, it brings drama, but all it does it throw Mary towards Louis.  She already has the mindset that if Francis won’t do what she wants, she’ll go to Louis to get it.  Not a good idea.  The only decent thing out of that scene was Catherine’s support of Mary.  I don’t know if it could have been avoided if Francis had told Mary the truth about his father’s death earlier; he was on the cusp of it at the end of season one when Mary sent him to Lola.  And he was on the cusp of it when he broke her heart by telling her he was upset she wasn’t pregnant.

I expected Mary’s pregnancy to Francis to last longer than one episode. Even though I knew, historically, Mary and Francis never had children, I was still happy that Mary was pregnant. And to have her miscarry so suddenly and so soon after it’s introduced was a bit heartbreaking. Catherine’s response was a bit funny, barging into their room with things for Mary.

Claude was genuinely affectionate with Francis and I wish we saw more of that.  And not the weird previous relationship between her and Bash.  However, her storyline with her mother was interesting, and played into the ghosts Catherine started seeing, same as Henry.  Once Claude settled down from trying to make Bash uncomfortable, they worked well together uncovering the truth of her sisters’ death.  And Diane’s back, and still making a mess of things.  Am I surprised that Catherine took the opportunity to kill her?  No.  I do like that we start seeing Bash and Catherine work together and be nice to each other.  (Diane’s death will surely become a problem later.)

Louis has a brother Antoine, who also needs hit.  The whole issue with their oldest brother being killed, they think by Bash, is never fully solved.  They think it’s Bash.  Bash admits it may have been him, but I’m not wholly convinced.  Antoine also tries to break up Bash’s marriage.  So it’s not wholly Kenna’s fault, but she’s still fairly selfish and is more concerned with nice things.  She also did not trust Bash enough at the end to be honest with him and instead tries to trick him.  Like, she had to have known it wouldn’t work well.  I had wanted the marriage to go well for Bash, for his sake.  For something happy and good in his life.

Which leaves the door open for Delphine.  Who I also don’t trust.  I am grateful for her powers when she saves Bash; which that scene was a total shock and I just sat silently for a few minutes when it went to commercial (and wished my mother would stop talking.  I have not recovered emotionally yet, leave me be).  But she strongly claims she is not a witch.  Honey, you can mystically heal people; yes it has a price, but magic often does.  You have visions.  You can bind yourself to someone, which was just a bit creepy.  I have no problem with you being a witch, just, admit it.  Don’t be frightened of it, but take advantage of the power.  You can’t have it both ways.  Is she a better match for Bash than Kenna?  Maybe.  That plotline needed better developed just the two of them.  But Bash is so often investigating things for Francis.

Odd as it sounds, Catherine kidnapping Lola and John and making Francis think John is dead goes a long way in bringing Mary and Francis back together.  Mary doesn’t attempt to take to Louis’ side and is instantly by her husband’s side and quite willing to help in whatever way she can.  Thankfully, John is safe, and Narcisse finds Lola and her child.  Though I do think the reveal that Franics is still not wholly well goes far in Francis’s desire to easily reconcile with Mary.  And a pairing between Catherine and Elizabeth I is not for anyone.

Catherine gets her comeuppance for that in the beginning of season three, easily getting captured and taken back to France to be thrown in the dungeon.  But Francis’s lingering illness makes that beginning of the season heartbreaking.  Charles has certainly grown up in the few intervening years and then grows up with the events of the season.  Hurrah for Narcisse doing the decent thing and helping Charles and Claude.  Now he has Francis’s permission to pursue Lola.

I like that England began to play more of a role in the politics and drama of the series.  There are still some historical inaccuracies, but Elizabeth I did have a very well-known affair with Robert Dudley.  (I don’t think it resulted in a child, miscarried or not.)

That dance in episode three is utterly beautiful and utterly heartbreaking.  The tune is Stay with Me, which suits the mood, and is so pretty played on violin.  The choreography is perfection.  I wish we had more scenes like that throughout the show.

Delphine saving Francis, even at the possible expense of Marie de Guise, gives us a spot of hope.  We’re happy; Bash has a love interest, Francis and Mary can plan a future.  Even Greer is happy with her new career, and having favor at court again.  Francis plans to whisk Mary away to Paris for a romantic getaway, then they stop to be a happy couple.  And it’s utterly ruined by the attack.  Even though I knew it was coming, I cried when Francis died.  The heartbreak that everyone plays; gosh, look at Bash’s face, and having to carry his brother away.  Placing the sword and crown on his casket.  Mary kissing the casket farewell, after her screams.  Not a dry eye at the end of that episode.  Then a few episodes later for Catherine and Bash to bring his casket back in order to clear Catherine’s name.  The audience knows that Catherine would never kill Francis.  And Catherine telling Mary not to look.  We’re not so happy with Narcisse after that.

Now Mary has to marry again, for the sake of her crown and country.  Most of the French court is still nice to her, even Catherine.  A pox on Narcisse for trying to force her out.  Don Carlos is kind for a moment, then manipulative.  I didn’t initially trust Gideon Blackburn, but he turns out so kind, and Mary is so sweet to his daughter.  Mary even saves Elizabeth’s life from a Vatican plot and gives Robert Dudley back to Elizabeth, even at the expense of sending Gideon.  Mary just needs a hug at the end.

It’s a tangled mess when Catherine takes a lover who turns out to be a killer, but being blackmailed into nonaction.  Her actions against Claude are terrible, but at least Charles is behind Claude (and Claude using what she learned from Leith was great).  Christophe was creepy from the moment he came on screen.  He attacks Delphine and later kills her.  I may not have trusted Delphine, but I didn’t want her dead; poor Bash.  Then he has to confront her killer.  And then confront Catherine.  Gosh, the heartbreak for him.  He’s already confessed he still has feelings for Mary, and will follow her to Scotland to continue to be in her service and protect her.

They’re shipwrecked on the shores of Scotland and Narcisse is not impressed and leaves Mary as soon as he honorably can.  Bash is almost killed, but we get to meet the Druids.  (Though that bit with the snakes was…gross and a bit weird.)  And find out that Bash may have a connection to them as well.  Mary gets revenge for Francis by killing the clan leader (John Barrowman, who is Scottish and is Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who).  Except, now she has to deal with John Knox, who dislikes female monarchs (not something I knew about the man) and even tries to get James to disband the monarchy.

James Stuart is probably portrayed nicer than he was in life.  I was fine that; I’m familiar with the actor from Good Witch and several other Hallmark movies where he tends to play royalty.  Actually, the number of Hallmark men who are in this show is just shy of absurd.  Torrance Coombs (Bash) is in Royally Ever After, Jonathan Keltz (Leith) is in Once Upon a Prince.  Will Kemp (Darnley) is in three movies with Lacey Chabert: Love, Romance, & Chocolate, The Christmas Waltz, and The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango, amongst others.  Steven Lund (Luc Narcisse) is in three of the Heart Around the Table movies [fairly new, and Torrance Coombs is the male lead in the fourth] and at least three other Hallmark Christmas movies.

It’s Knox who arranges word to get to Lola that Mary wants Elizabeth assassinated.  Mary gave no such word, but Knox doesn’t care; he just wants both women off their thrones and Protestant men put in their places.  Lola is caught and her friendship with the queen does not save her from being executed.  Narcisse was there, hoping to rescue his wife, and is forced to watch her beheading.  Mary is devastated.  Her only companion left is Greer, who returns to Scotland after Lola’s death.  She brings her young daughter (from a fling with a privateer.  Her husband is rescued from prison, but ultimately finds other companionship.)

I was terribly sad when Bash left.  I understand the actor left to pursue another show, but story wise it seems so odd for him to travel all the way to Scotland to be by Mary’s side, then leave her.  I mean, at least, they try to explain it with him pursuing his own supernatural talents.  Then, he’s mentioned in the fourth season that he’s had a vision, which he passes on to David Rizzio that Mary may have love, or an heir that will unite Scotland and England, but not both.  David oddly comments that it’s Bash’s spirit that leads him to Mary.  Uh, does that mean Bash is already dead?

This news just affirms that Mary will marry Darnley, who has a claim to the English throne himself.  Elizabeth fears this and even allows Gideon to return to Mary and propose marriage.  Again, they’re so sweet together and happy.  But Mary is afraid that the match will make her a prisoner in England.  So she breaks Gideon’s heart.  In England, Gideon ends up close to Elizabeth and the queen is kind to his daughter, particularly her last few days before she passes. 

I want to smack Darnley on a constant basis.  He’s arrogant and flippant and a jerk.  He’s only concerned with his position and not helping Mary as the current monarch.  He has a few charming moments, which is how Mary is able to conceive a child, but then the man goes along with a plot to rid the court of Bothwell, whom Mary has grown close to (admittedly, the man is handsome, and a right spot kinder than Darnley).  When the council can’t get their hands on Bothwell, they stab Rizzio in front of a pregnant Mary (that is historically accurate).  Mary does help Darnley escape the castle because she figures the other members won’t stand behind him long.  Then, the man, after several pledges to protect her, leaves his pregnant wife in the woods, alone. 

Meanwhile, in France, Catherine’s eldest daughter, Leeza (actually Elizabeth, but goes by a nickname so as not to be confused with Elizabeth Tudor) visits from Spain.  Yet, she wants Spain to have more influence in France and since Charles has been traumatized by an attack from the Red Knights, he’s not a strong king.  He gets better, with a bit of help from Claude’s new husband, Luc Narcisse.  Luc is actually a decent guy, unlike his father.  He tries to be understanding of Claude’s state of mind after Leith was killed.  Though, Leith returns, briefly.  He survived, but can’t stand that Claude is now married, so he leaves, hoping they all might find new happiness.  (Nothing can be straightforward, can it?)

Catherine is not happy that Leeza is home, or what changes she tries to make.  Catherine is trying to keep hold of the regency, though that too slips from her grasp.  Leeza eventually leaves, but also has instructions that Charles’ younger brother, Henry (who oddly looks older than Charles now), should take the throne.  That pits the two brothers against each other.  Further complicated by Charles’ female companion, Nicole.  Nicole is fairly kind, but wants more out of life than her humble beginnings.  She pursues Narcisse, who goes along with the affair so she’ll help control Charles.  Then, Henry arrives and is interested in Nicole, who is interested in return.  Then…Charles wants to marry her.

Catherine arranges for her death so the boys will unite against Spain.  Which involves making a deal with a witch…you know, for someone who spouts that France must remain Catholic, Cathreine sure makes use of magic a lot.  That whole deal, and Narcisse’s involvement just becomes last episode weirdness.  We finally see Catherine’s other daughter, Margot.  They almost seemed to be setting up another season, but the show definitely ended.

Narcisse briefly returns to Scotland to exact his revenge on those responsible for Lola’s death.  He castrates Knox, especially angry that Mary is not able to legally capture him for his wrongdoing.  He also arranges for Gideon Blackburn to die in Elizabeth’s arms, so the queen will know the loss of love.  Elizabeth is still not keen on marrying, so she makes use of Francis Drake (that is partially historically accurate; they mess with timelines again).  Then she has to prepare for the Spanish Armada.

Mary continues to have problems in Scotland; she almost dies in childbirth, but Bothwell calls her back.  That tender scene with Bothwell, Mary, and her newborn son is sweet.  And interrupted by Darnley doing something stupid.  A little later, what do we expect from the man who abandoned his pregnant wife in the woods?  He leaves his newborn son in the woods, on the word of the vision of his dead lover.  Darnley was killed and history points to Bothwell, possibly with Mary’s knowledge.  Just, not only a few days after her son’s birth.  Hurrah for seeing her brother again, for about ten minutes.  Mary asks for Elizabeth’s help and the time skip of two decades shows that that did not end well.  Yes, Mary was prisoner in England for many years before she was ultimately executed.

I do love the final scene, reuniting Mary and Francis.  Since this show portrays their love story, as up and down as they wrote it, I was happy to see Francis again.  Maybe their time in the afterlife will be better.  There’s a montage of bits through the seasons while Mary smiles to be back with her love.

In general, I liked the show.  I have to suspend my knowledge of history for a bit.  But the characters are compelling.  And I wanted to know how the twists and turns worked out.  I agree with a comment I read that the show might have done better if they had tossed the historical connection out and just placed it all in a fantasy universe.  Will I watch it again?  Yes.

There are some YouTube mixes that I keep going back to, that mainly deal with the brotherly relationship between Bash and Francis; they do tend to be a bit bittersweet, considering how their stories end.

Say Something by Ariana moreau

See You Again by LongMayYouReign

Brother (Kodaline) by Julia Defávari is wonderful.  The music has been used in other videos for other brotherly relationships [which leads to more videos and all influence the essay I will someday write]

Hey Brother by Dragon Wishes is also in that category.  [Side note: there’s an excellent version of this song done by D’Artagnan]

Some of the fanfiction stories I keep going back to:

The Favourite Son by Beserk

I really like It takes a boy to live but it takes a man to pretend he was there by lorarawr

I’ve Got You, Brother by MarieBloom is rather nice

My Brother’s Keeper by OUATLovr is good as well, there are more chapters in the version on fanfiction.net.  The author has several other stories for Reign as well.

I have read several of MissWhitneyBex’s stories, which are modern takes and they’ve honestly given me ideas for modern takes on my story, but I usually end up wanting to hit her characters for being making consistently stupid choices.

“Hi, I’m looking for a one-legged Viking and a Night Fury. Tell me where they are!”

As promised, the actual posting:

Season Three: Race to the Edge

Enemy of My Enemy starts with Astrid catching Hiccup and Toothless sneaking out, intending to go on a recon flight alone.  She tells Hiccup it’s far too risky and points out it’s been months since the Viggo episode (bit of fourth-wall leaning there, love it).  Hiccup appears to agree and let Astrid come, but as soon as she goes to get Stormfly, he and Toothless fly off alone.  Hiccup is eager to test out Toothless’ new tail and really enjoys the flight, until they come across a ship with seemingly unconscious men.  More like a trap.  Toothless gets hit with an arrow, but Hiccup manages to get them to an island.  He has to hide his dragon and keep him safe.  Hmm, maybe Astrid had a point.

Someone is secretly helping Hiccup.  And to everyone’s surprise, it’s Dagur.  Who swears he is not there to hurt Hiccup.  We’re all a bit skeptical.  Hiccup remains calm, though weirded out and wonders if he’s in an alternate archipelago.  Turns out, Dagur went through a major learning experience, discovering he was dispensable to Viggo, then getting stranded on the island for months alone.  All that alone time has given him time to think, though he’s still got his crazy laugh.  Dagur is calmer for the most part and also wants to do right by his sister.  Heather is blood, which makes her closer to Dagur than even Hiccup (still weird).  Dagur continues to be helpful to Hiccup, with knowledge of the antidote to Dragon Root.

It’s Dagur who counsels Hiccup on seeking revenge and obsession.  It’s a dark road to go down.  Paranoia is a terrible existence, the older boy tells his ‘brother,’ and it’s not Hiccup.  However, the guards discover the young men.  Dagur protects Hiccup and Hiccup even defends himself with a mace, lifting it with ease (remember back at the beginning of the first movie and he could barely lift an axe?).  But Hiccup is still mistrustful of Dagur and when it appears that the antidote may not be working, Hiccup attacks Dagur.  They fall in front of guards again and again, Dagur tries to protect Hiccup, especially when it looks like the Hunters will brand the younger man.  Dagur manages to get free and has to leave Hiccup.  The younger man shouts after his adversary “I hate you!”

But Dagur holds to his word to help Hiccup and comes to the rescue on Toothless.  And now he understands the crazy stunts the two pull and is impressed, and queasy.  The two shake hands and go to destroy the Hunters’ ship.  They’re separated and Dagur sails off alone, eager to find Viggo himself and rid the archipelago of the man.

The Fireworm Queen arrives on the Edge, looking for Hookfang in Crash Course.  She persuades the dragons to come to Fireworm Island.  But it’s not a hunter threat, it’s a creepy new dragon that’s eager to destroy her nest.  Fishlegs pulls out his dragon cards to figure out what the new dragon is (similar to fantasy cards…I guess.  Not quite into that), calling is a Cavern Crasher.  This thing oozes mucus out of its body to allow it to squeeze through impossibly tight cracks; it’s also wicked fast.  All accurately pointed out by the twins; they do have their moments.  Hookfang and Snotlout stand with the Fireworm Queen to defend her nest while the other riders try to figure out how to get rid of the new dragon.  They dry out its mucus and it runs off.  Hiccup even praises Snotlout for his actions, this after he encourages the twins.  He’s becoming a good leader.

This gets tested a bit in Follow the Leader by Fishlegs, who was put in charge of the twins and Snotlout.  But they walk over him and he doesn’t put up much resistance, instead daydreaming (in a different animation style) of being renowned by Berk and Hiccup and named the next leader of the Dragon Riders when Hiccup starts training to be chief (by a more Scottish sounding Hiccup).  When Astrid and Hiccup return to the Edge and find things on fire due to the rambunctious riders, Hiccup expresses his disappointment in Fishlegs.  This sort of thing can’t happen out here; they’re on their own and Viggo is certainly a threat. 

So Fishlegs wanders off and discovers a new cave with some interesting finds, such as a sword and writing on the wall.  He also discovers albino Night Terrors, who seem to make him their new leader when he closes an opening that was letting too much light into a big cavern.  They like him so much they don’t want him to leave.  Meanwhile, Hiccup is feeling guilty, that maybe he was too hard on Fishlegs.  Meatlug alerts the other riders to Fishlegs’ plight.  Fishlegs helps all of them get out of the cavern, with a little help from his favorite Terror, Darkvarg.  They close up the hole, so the Night Terrors can’t get out.  Then Fishlegs and Hiccup both apologize.  Fishlegs points out that Hiccup leads by example, not fear.  Hiccup also admits he struggles with containing the twins and Snotlout as well.  The friends then eagerly geek out over Fishlegs’ discoveries.

Hiccup is working on his ‘Dragon Fly Two’ in Turn and Burn.  Toothless is not amused, even when Hiccup talks about the precarious situations that it gets his rider into that he also has to rescue him from.  Snotlout and Hookfang want to help their leader, but end up lighting Hiccup’s hut on fire.  Before Snotlout and Hiccup can truly get into an argument, Stoick arrives, to speak to Snotlout.  Spitelout is driving the chief nuts, now wanting to improve everything.  Stoick feels they are out of Spitelout’s place in the tribe, or station in life.  His relationship with Spitelout is very similar to Hiccup’s relationship with Snotlout [a lot of the fandom hold that Snotlout and Hiccup are cousins, which is inspired from the books, from what I’ve heard].  Spitelout’s main idea is an off-Berk secret cache.  Now that man hasn’t been seen in a month.  Stoick has come to get Snotlout to help look for his father.  Hiccup joins them.

The men find Spitelout’s building and dragon traps, but not Spitelout immediately.  They do discover a new dragon, a Singetail, which Spitelout appears to save them from.  Stoick and Spitelout argue and Stoick appears to have a double standard.  “Stoick is allowed to take whatever ridiculous chances he likes.  It’s the rest of us who have to stay in line.”  Hiccup tries to get everyone back on track; they can work together to drive the Singetail off and save the storehouse.  His suggestion, since it is an unconventional dragon, is to fight it unconventionally.  They soon discover the dragon can also fire from its belly.

Fed up, the chief lays down the law and both sons hesitate to follow their fathers.  Hiccup talks to his father, pointing out that Snotlout and Spitelout both just want to prove themselves to the Haddocks.  They fly back to the storehouse to find more Singetails.  Hiccup realizes that the fires the one has been setting have been a call for back up.  Spitelout agrees to give up the structure, though Stoick does save the ‘S.’

In Buffalord Solider, Astrid is checking the perimeter and comes across an abandoned ship.  It’s filled with bodies, mostly dead.  One that still has a bit of life in it scratches her arm.  She and Stormfly quickly fly back to the Edge.  Her description of the bodies reveals that they died from the Scourge of Odin, a deadly plague that “swept through the archipelago centuries ago, wiping out entire Viking villages.”  Tuffnut’s solution is moldy bread [which is technically how penicillin was discovered.]  Astrid doesn’t mention the scratch.  It’s Stormfly who gets Hiccup in the middle of the night when her rider becomes very sick.  Astrid still protests there’s anything wrong with her, until she faints into Hiccup’s arms (we love Hiccstrid!)

Everyone works together, Snotlout having flown to Berk and back with Gothi’s notes.  There is a cure for the Scourge, a solution made from the saliva of a Buffalord dragon.  Except, those were hunted to extinction during the last plague.  The twins start seeing a pattern in Dragon’s Eye notes and help discover a map to the Buffalord.  The team sets out to find the dragon, Hiccup using Flightmare Algae for tracking and Deathsong amber glasses he was working on to see in the bright sunrise.  There’s one dragon left.  Pretty calm, but when the riders try to fly him back to the Edge, it freaks out and puffs up.  Very well, they’ll get the solution and take it back.  But it evaporates too quickly.  Thanks to the twins, they also figure out that the saliva must be mixed with the herbs that the Buffalord eats.  Snotlout retrieves Astrid.

She falls into Hiccup’s arms (and we hear a quiet, slow version of Romantic Flight) and he pleads with her to hold on.  “I can’t imagine a world without you in it.”  Hiccup is prevented from getting the cure for Astrid by the arrival of Viggo, Ryker, and other Hunters.  This was all part of Viggo’s plan, to create supply and demand; Astrid just stumbled onto his test ship.  Hiccup at first refuses to let them take the Buffalord dragon, until Viggo and Ryker are willing to kill it.  Hiccup then begs for enough of the cure to save Astrid, “that’s a loss I’m not willing to take.”

Hiccup is able to cure Astrid and keeps his word that Viggo may take the dragon.  But Hiccup also knew that the dragon would not travel with Viggo.  The Hunters are forced to release the dragon, who flies back to his island and peacefully eats his herbs.  The riders give the boat a proper funeral [which echoes a scene that comes up in How to Train Your Dragon 2, so if you’ve seen that movie first (which came out before the show), this is a very poignant scene].  Astrid then tells Hiccup, “I can’t imagine a world without you either.”  The couple is well on its way to becoming an official couple.

The riders work together in A Grim Retreat to produce Gronkle Iron.  They have a production line going.  Except, they keep at it all day, which drains everyone.  Most of the riders want a vacation.   Hiccup is more concerned about having the iron for weapons and defense against Viggo.  Even Astrid counsels Hiccup that they need rest in order to perform better.  She and Fishlegs find a nice island that they can visit and pick up more sandstone even.  Stoick and Gobber arrive to keep an eye on the Edge, and babysit Tuffnutt’s pet ‘Chicken.’

The teens enjoy an afternoon of swimming.  At night however, the dragons turn feral, except Toothless.  They all have to hide from their dragons; Snotlout at one point annoying Astrid so much she tells him “if you don’t shut your piehole, I’m going to leap out and plead with them to eat us both.”  Hiccup eventually figures out there’s something in the water that’s affecting the dragons.  Tuff throws salt when he runs out of weapons against their attacking dragons, which actually causes the dragon to stop.  Tiny bugs leap out of the dragon; grimora.  They are parasites that affect dragons.  Salt drives them out, so they have to find a saltwater source.  Toothless gets infected for a second time and traps Hiccup on top of a cliff.  They both fall off, into the water, but there is a plasma blast.  Could Toothless have fired on Hiccup?  A minute later, the grimora fly out and Toothless and Hiccup burst out of the water.  Hiccup now agrees that they will take breaks as they need so he doesn’t work them too hard and have to repeat the incident.

When arriving back on the Edge, the teens find out that Stoick and Gobber both think that Chicken was eaten by the other and have found replacement chickens.  Chicken is of course fine.

Everyone is suspicious of the notes that Fishlegs keeps receiving in To Heather or Not to Heather.  They find out they’re from Heather and urge Fishlegs to have her stop at the Edge.  Everyone also wants to ask Heather to join the dragon riders permanently.  But Heather worries she has the Berserker insanity in her.  Hiccup is quick to assure her she is nothing like Dagur.  Heather also spends time with Astrid as two warrior women.  Until Heather brings up the subject of Hiccup; she feels that the two are perfect for each other and they should stop wasting time and express their feelings.

Heather and Fishlegs are rather cozy; Heather was more open in her letters to Fishlegs and readily agrees to take a tour with the young man, much to Snotlout’s dismay.  Their mood is ruined once Meathlug and Windshear start fighting.  Windshear is not used to spending so much time around other dragons, or other people being so near her rider.  Hiccup is willing to work with Heather and her dragon, again, in the hope that Heather will stay with the riders.

There is a skirmish between Hunters and Riders; Fishlegs and Heather end up switching dragons and that seems to work.  Windshear will still protect Heather, but not attack the riders’ dragons.  Heather decides to stay.  The mood is ruined when Hiccup receives a letter from Dagur, asking for his help to find his sister.  Hiccup promises that Dagur won’t find Heather.

Styke Out centers on dragon fights run by Ryker and other Hunters.  The matches have low attendance since one champion outperforms the other.  When Snotlout and Hiccup go to rescue dragons, Hiccup is trapped by a knock-out gas and ultimately taken to the dragon fights, where Toothless as a Night Fury will be a new star and drum up business.  Hiccup is also chained alongside the dragons.

Hiccup ordered Snotlout to go get help and Snotlout is very keen to get Hiccup back.  The twins decide to become Thorston and Thorston, Sleuths Extraordinaire.  What works better is using Heather’s knowledge of the Hunter organization.

Hiccup watches Toothless’ match against a Razorwhip and urges his dragon not to kill.  After winning that match, the Night Fury will face the Triple Stryke champion dragon.  Ryker finds out about the match and warns his underling, who won’t call it off, that if the Night Fury dies, he faces an unhappy Ryker and Viggo.  Ryker also wants Hiccup.  Said Viking the meantime, befriends the other dragons, though very carefully.  “Call my old fashioned but I prefer not to lose another limb.”  (Yay, the lad has some self-preservation.)  Again, Hiccup urges Toothless not to kill the Triple Stryke, though the dragons are evenly matched, and is freed by Astrid shortly afterwards.  Toothless shows the other dragon mercy and the rest of the dragons are set free.  Ryker is forced back and the other riders chase the crowd away.

The Triple Stryke, which Tuffnutt suggest be named ‘Sleuther,’ follows them back to the Edge.  All the riders are happy Hiccup is back, though Fishlegs points out that “Astrid would have killed you (Snotlout) if we hadn’t found Hiccup.”

I like that this episode focuses more on Toothless as a strategist and a glimpse what a Night Fury might be like in the wild.  Hiccup still uses his brains to help dragons, but this wasn’t a problem to be solved from the air.  It’s also a bit sweet that the riders all care so much about Hiccup that they get very angry when trying to find him.

The riders rescue a dragon egg in Tone Death.  It’s a very cute dragon when it hatches.  Until it starts screaming, and spitting amber.  It’s a baby Deathsong.  Hiccup still wants to train it.  Heather figures out the way to calm the baby, named Garff now, is to sing to it.  Commence all the different riders singing their lessons; it’s rather hilarious.  But they decide it’s best to take the baby to be with its own kind.  Things are a bit tense, hoping that the adult Deathsong will bond with a baby not its own.  Garff has to echo that dragon’s song back and forget what the riders taught it.

Hiccup is also working on a new gadget; a flaming sword using Nightmare gel he calls Inferno.  [Spoiler, this is a prototype to one he carries in the second movie.]  It’s inspired by figuring out that a lit dagger will cut through Deathsong amber.  He excitedly talks about modifications with Astrid, who comments “that will be the last we see of him for a week.”

Between a Rock and a Hard Place has the riders tracking a convoy of marble blocks.  Turns out that the Hunters are using Catastrophic Quakens to mine the marble.  Viggo is using it to create an impenetrable roof for his hide out.  But the mining has made the island unstable.  Hiccup does get to show off his different tails for Toothless, but Fishlegs is a big help.  They free the Quakens, then use them to tear down Viggo’s roof (you can hear a bit of the battle theme in the background).  Viggo is extremely displeased with Hiccup after that stunt.

When the riders return from a practice run at taking out a fleet, they find Dagur at Dragon’s Edge in Family on the Edge.  He’s come in person to ask Hiccup for a dragon so he can find Heather.  Hiccup and Toothless owe him; he saved their lives.  Hiccup points out that Dagur also tried to kill them.  Well, maybe deep inside, Dagur didn’t actually want to kill them.  Hiccup eventually relents, mainly so Dagur doesn’t go wandering around.  Dagur hugs his “brother,” and calls him “small and cuddly.”  We agree with Hiccup, that Dagur should never say that again.

Hiccup on the side has to get Heather to leave so the siblings don’t see each other.  He picks a sturdy and safe dragon for Dagur, a Gronkle.  Also not terribly dangerous and less of a threat to the riders.  Dagur still names the Gronkle ‘Shattermaster.’  Dagur is an enthusiastic student, but tries to do too much too fast.  He ends up barreling into Hiccup and breaking his prosthetic leg.  Hiccup takes Shattermaster to get a spare.  While they’re gone, the other riders find Dagur with Toothless and fear he’s done something to Hiccup.  Hiccup shows up to set them straight and admits he didn’t tell them about Dagur saving his life because he honestly doesn’t know how he feels about it.

There is still their plan attack on Viggo’s shipyard.  Astrid finds it very strange that Dagur shows up right when they’re getting ready to strike.  And unfortunately, Heather returns early and finds Dagur on the Edge.  She is not happy.  She calls Dagur a spy.  Points out that he set her adrift as a child and killed their father.  Dagur pleads that he is trying to change.  He decides to leave since the riders don’t trust him.  But he comes across Hiccup’s plans.  He guesses what Hiccup’s attack plan will be and calls the young Viking gullible.  Astrid sees them and Dagur agrees to be locked up, though he warns Hiccup that if anything happens to Heather on the mission, he’ll hold Hiccup personally responsible.

Dagur then escapes and heads out for the shipyard.  Heather races after him, intent on killing him.  Dagur starts the attack and reveals that it was indeed a trap.  He flies alone into an ashy cloud where explosions go off.  The rest of the riders have to hang back.  Hiccup wants to go save him, but Astrid stops him.  It’s too late.  Hiccup is genuinely upset that Dagur is dead.  On the Edge, Heather finds a letter her brother left for her.  He has her “tell our little brother” (that is kind of sweet) to hit Viggo’s auction and release all those dragons.  He also wants to set the record straight; he never killed their father.  He just used his disappearance so the tribe would think he was tough enough to be chief.  It starts to rain, but the letter gets wet from Heather’s tears.  All accompanied by bagpipes and mournful music.  I wanted to shed a few tears myself.

They take Dagur’s advice in Last Auction Heroes and have Trader Johan steal a map for them to the next location.  Hiccup goes to his father to ask for Berk’s cache of gold to get Snotlout into the auction.  He tells his father, “Viggo Grimborn is the most ruthless Viking we have come in contact with…. No dragon will be safe and eventually, he will set his eyes on Berk.”  Snotlout is the only rider that Viggo hasn’t seen.  He’ll still go in disguise and Gobber will go to keep an eye on the gold.  Snotlout enjoys his assignment of being a rich businessman a bit too much; he’s gleeful to order other people around.  The riders sneak in in the belly of Johan’s ship, with their dragons as the bait.

Eventually, the riders are caught, though Heather and Astrid make a kickass double team.  Viggo intends to sell Toothless, as the only Night Fury in existence.  There is a stranger at the auction, keen to buy the rare dragon.  Viggo brings Hiccup out so he can watch.  Gobber comes to the rescue, with his new dragon, Grump.  He fights Ryker to protect Hiccup.  Astrid is the one to saves him, but Viggo still gets away with their gold.  Hiccup thought they had a chance to get it back, but Viggo switched the chests.  The other riders tell Hiccup to look on the bright side, they saved the dragons.

The season ends with the first of a two-parter Defenders of the Wing.  The riders continue to rescue dragons.  But now, Viggo wants to meet.  All of the riders, even Hiccup, is aware that this can be a trap.  He lets Heather and Astrid come to the meeting spot with him, which is full of blue oleander, which is poisonous to dragons.  Viggo calls Hiccup a worthy opponent and wants to offer a truce.  They divide the map.  Everything north of the line, the Hunters will have free rein, the riders may stay to the south, and neither side will cross the line.  Viggo even signs his name to the map.  He has no desire to rule the world, unlike some [big old hint drop].  He’s a business man and all this fighting is bad for business.

After the meeting, Hiccup notices that there is an island he doesn’t recognize as Viking or Hunter just inside the line on Viggo’s side.  Hiccup is trying to work out what Viggo is thinking.  So, they need to investigate this island.  At first, all seems fine, though there is a large statue of a dragon.  Then, the riders start disappearing and getting drugged.  They eventually meet Mala, Queen of Defender of the Wing Island and her right-hand man, Throk.  (Ironically, Mala is voiced by Adelaide Kane, who plays Mary Stuart in Reign, along with Ivy Belfrey/Drizella in the last season of Once Upon a Time.)  Mala thinks that Viggo sent the riders to their island, that they are Hunters.  They’re enslaving their dragons.

But when her Defenders try to release the dragons, they don’t fly away.  Instead, Mala holds a trial and asks Hiccup questions.  Tuffnutt does not help matters when he points out things that Hiccup has done, like shooting down Toothless and crippling him.  Hiccup tries to argue that they could be allies against Viggo.  He is willing to earn their trust.  But Mala feels that the map Hiccup carries makes him guilty.  Hiccup again will do anything to save his friends and their dragons.  He bets their lives he can train a dragon in front of Mala.  Of course, there are three Speed Stingers, but Toothless comes to his rescue.  Mala trusts the dragon and releases the riders.

She explains that their island is home to a volcano and their Great Protector.  An Eruptadon eats the lava and keeps them safe.  But they find the Great Protector gone, with evidence that Hunters had attacked.  Now Mala is angry that Hiccup has led the Hunters right to their home and taken their treasured dragon.  Mala vows to kill Hiccup. 

And that is how the season ends!

I like how the storyline is advancing.  There are new challenges for the characters.  They learn to work together and everyone has a skill to bring to the group.  I of course like that Hiccup and Astrid are growing closer.  Astrid still is the voice of reason in their friendship and continues to act as his right hand.  Snotlout, while still reckless, is tempering it a bit.  He wants to be helpful.  He listens to Hiccup more.  The twins are crazy, but do we expect any different.  Stoick listens to his son as a leader and again, as the future chief.

As I commented in Season 2, Viggo is a smart opponent.  Hiccup has his victories, but he can’t easily outsmart this man.  Viggo has to work harder to counteract Hiccup.  I like that Dagur is now on Hiccup’s side.  Honestly, the boy doesn’t need that many enemies, and a Berserker is a good weapon in the arsenal; he’s got crazy ideas and enough guts to back it up.  As showcased by taking the suicide mission.

The Defenders of the Wing will be a great group to keep an eye on.

Up Next: Season Four

A Continuing Historical Fandom Update

First, another apology for the delay in posting Season Three of Race to the Edge. It will actually be posted imminently. However, as stated in the last Random Fandom Update, I’ve been distracted by Reign. About halfway through the series at this point (I’m aware of most of the highlights.) However, it sparked a massive amount of inspiration and creativity with certain elements. Love several of the characters and some of the fantasy elements play well with ideas in my head. And thus is born the longest piece of fiction I have ever written (actually, longest anything I’ve written). At the time of this posting it is 37,000 words. Making it officially novella length. And it’s not complete. It’s shaping up to be the sequel to the book that I should be working on, which itself is the fourth in a series. – I cannot explain how my brain works, I just go with it. It’s a continuing saga.

A Historical Random Fandom

Just a brief update. I have gotten back to the third season of Race to the Edge and will work on that post. As usual, life has its own ideas. I decided to start reading some historical fiction that I’ve had on my shelves for years, mainly dealing with Tudor England including a series by Laura Anderson that takes on “what if Anne Boleyn gave birth to a son who lived and eventually became king.” I’ve also started watching “Reign,” a CW show from 2013. Yes, I’m late to that party.

Honestly, I tried to watch it once before since it deals with Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, but I could barely make it past the first episode because the girls’ costumers are grossly historically inaccurate and it was distracting. Now that I know they are incredibly inaccurate, I try to ignore them and pay attention to the story line (that yes, plays fast and loose with history). One comment I read said that they should have just set it in a fantasy realm and it would be just as good, and that’s honestly correct.

I’m only one season in, but I’ve done some other reading and if you know history, there are some foregone conclusions. I like it, for the most part. The leads are believable (and yes, Torrance Coombs [he’s been in some Hallmark movies, The Tudors, and an episode of Supernatural] as Sebastian and Toby Regbo [grown up Jack Blackfriars in Discovery of Witches and young Dumbledore in Crimes of Grindelwald and Deathly Hallows] as Francis are cute) and I care about what happens to them. Megan Follows as Catherine is amazing; you don’t want to root for her character sometimes, but she pulls it off and has some of the best dialogue.

For those of you who have not watched the show, it follows Mary, Queen of Scots (played by Adelaide Kane, who voices a character in Race to the Edge and is in the final season of Once Upon a Time) in her life at French Court, engaged to the heir to the French throne (given the title dauphin), Francis. She has ladies in waiting (including one played by Anna Popplewell, who was Susan in Chronicles of Narnia) who get into their own drama. It’s a royal court, so there’s always intrigue and secret plans going on. But there is a wonderful love story between Mary and Francis, that has its own ups and downs.

It’s also given me some ideas for my series (another generation of characters that yes, exist, but didn’t need a story yet). I’m also continuing to work on other writing projects. But I promise I will be back to the Dragons blog. And yes, I still have mixed feelings about the upcoming live action movie.

“Diabolical combination of Lancelot and Superman”

A Random Fandom Update

I always manage to lose track of how many posts I’ve made and how long I’ve been blogging.  I’m now over two hundred and twenty posts and coming up on my six-year anniversary and it remains incredible to me.  I recently had to look back through my posts for something and was shocked at how much I’ve actually covered.  When I started, I didn’t really think I would be blogging for this long.  I’ve got some topics I want to do deeper dives on because I’m really passionate about them, so those will take more time.  But this is also a thank you to everyone who has joined on this journey.

In between blog posts, I’ve been working, of course, but I’ve also been reading and watching other shows. 

I’ve been reading some mystery series, mostly book-centric.  There’s the Secret, Book and Scone Society series by Ellery Adams, though I’ve only gotten through two so far.  And A Scottish Bookshop Mystery by Paige Shelton (not surprised I’m liking those).  And I’m almost caught up with the Bibliophile Mystery Series by Kate Carlisle.  I’ve read some memoirs as well, but I still have a lengthy list of to-be-read books as well.

I recently finished the All Souls’ Trilogy by Deborah Harkness, which contains A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life (gifted to be by a family member) and recommended by said family member and another friend (who got me started on the show).  And I 10/10 would highly recommend these books [that is where this post’s title came from]!  They are a wonderful tapestry of science, magic, and history.  My cousin has lent me the next book about Marcus and the guide that Harkness has published; that will be fun to dive into.  I’m sure I’ll get even more ideas and help for my series.  I’m eager to get back to the show.

In the meantime, my thoughts on the most recent season of Bridgerton: SPOILERS for the book series!

Well, it’s certainly deviated from the book, which is the growing trend in Netflix’s adaptation.  Colin and Penelope’s story is fourth in the series, but they’ve upstaged Benedict (also a consistency in the show).  They increased the drama of the secret of Lady Whistledown’s identity.  I’m obviously not opposed to the match between Colin and Penelope and I’m glad that someone appreciates Penelope for herself.  I’m not opposed to her wardrobe this season, that was even part of the book.  But the costumes became a bit much this season.  Cressida is like a Regency Barbie.  The shapes are shifting very far from Regency era (i.e. Kate’s dresses were not always flattering and yet she was stunning in what they put her in last season).  I also don’t mind the arrangements of pop songs into string pieces.

As much as we find Lady Featherington annoying and blind to her youngest child, she did make points that were historically accurate.  As harsh as the remark she made to Penelope that “ladies do not have dreams,” it’s not that outrageous for that period.  A woman’s duty was to marry and care for her husband.  Her husband has dreams and she supports them.  We, as modern watchers, want Penelope to have her own dreams, and for her husband to care about them just as much and to support her.  And I don’t mind that the family becomes more supportive and happier at the end.  Lady Featherington admits she is proud of Penelope and Penelope even supports her sisters.

And sadly, Benedict keeps getting sidelined and they took away his art.  I certainly hope his story is next (which we have to wait two years for).  It was nice to visually see Francesca and John meet and I was looking forward to her tale with her second husband, but not sure how that will go with changing the gender (the sticking point is going to be, Francesca wanted children and John died young, so Michael was eventually able to give her children).  Overall, I’m game for genderbending characters and the trio that Benedict ended up in worked.  I’m a bit upset of how far the show is stepping away from the books.  However, his talks with Eloise are adorable.

Dear Netflix, we like Jane Austen etc, so the formula works, why are you changing it?

For now, I am going to work on my fantasy series (hopefully aided by some ideas that have popped in my head recently), and then jump into How To Train Your Dragon (it’s hard for me to pick between this series and Lord of the Rings which series I love the best).

“You are my partner, not my mother.”

My apologies; I got sidetracked after watching the various Batman movies, recalling that Chris O’Donnell is a lead in NCIS: Los Angeles.  And I have a couple seasons on DVD.  So, I had to start watching them again.  And decide that I need to catch up on that series (I am terribly behind).  (I also took the time to work on some writing, inspired partly by reading fanfiction associated with the show, but also typing up scenes I had written elsewhere into their corresponding document on my computer…there are a lot…and I’m not finished yet.  But hopefully they’ll all be in one place soon, which makes finding a specific scene a spot easier…maybe…there’s one that’s disappeared).

I did watch the first show, JAG for several seasons.  It then spun off into NCIS, which is still going strong, but I’m also several seasons behind on.  Then they created NCIS: Los Angeles (and had a show based in New Orleans as well for a few seasons, and now Hawaii…that’s because they got rid of Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. but probably felt like they still needed a Hawaii show…I do not have plans of watching it).  I’ve always likes Los Angeles a bit more than the original NCIS, due to pacing and the characters.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Gibbs and Abby was amazing.  Ducky has great stories and it was fun to watch Tony and Ziva bicker.  But it’s even more fun to watch Deeks and Kensi bicker in Los Angeles and the bromance between Callen and Sam is strong.  And Hetty is intriguing.

We know that NCIS: Los Angeles and Hawaii Five-0 are part of the same universe; they even had a crossover episode. And MacGyver (the rebooted series) is in same universe as Hawaii Five-0 because there was a crossover episode between them as well. So, what I really wished had happened was a crossover between NCIS:LA and MacGyver because they both take place in Los Angeles (technically, MacGyver is filmed in Georgia, I believe, but they could have worked out the logistics. Sadly, with MacGyver off the air, that will not happen. But…that is where my brain has decided to play.)

(The car is also cool)

There are some hilarious quotes I recall from the show (and these only scratch the surface):

Callen and Sam back-and-forth: “Is that a frog?” (referring to an origami figure) “It’s a swan.”  “From where, Chernobyl?” (this always makes me laugh)

Callen (referring to Sam): “Seals are inoculated for everything, except suicidal tendencies.”

Callen to Hetty: “See, I see the glass as half full, Sam sees it as half empty, Kensei drinks the glass, Nate wonders why it has to be glass, and Erick knocks it over by putting his feet up on the table.”

Callen: “No.  Hetty + Mechanical Bull + Tequila = Bar Fight.”

Callen to Sam: “You are my partner, not my mother.”

Callen to Hetty: “No doubt. I mean, you never know when a horde of murderous Mongols are gonna come galloping over Laurel Canyon.”

I have also discovered some entertaining fanfiction stories:

NotARedHead has a story focused on Being Callen on fanfiction.net

Then I discovered a whole slew of stories on AO3, such as Trust and Blurred Lines by justfandomthings.

And definitely check out In_Dee’s stories like Come Hell or High Water and Endure and Prevail.

Sweet Dreams Though the Guns are Booming by OrionLady is a good read as well, a bit sad at points.

There are about a dozen stories by ifwednesdaywasaflowerchild that pair Callen with Nell Jones, which is a fairly common pairing in the fandom. They’re rather sweet and I’m okay with that pairing because Callen is a caring guy and Nell is someone who can hold her own.

And Zathara001 wrote a rather fascinating crossover with Batman entitled G is for Grayson

Just thought I’d share some fun things I discovered while my brain took a detour. 

Next Up: Wonder Woman  (within the week, I swear)

The Legacy of Batman

Return of the Joker

Batman gets to work and interrupts a heist by the Jokerz; a new group we haven’t seen in the show.  There’s a spot of gentlemanly behavior, when he hesitates to hit the pair of girls.  There’s no such hesitation after they taser and kick him.  Of course, Batman stands out from other heroes and saves one of the girls when they start to plummet to their death.  Her twin sister rescues her.  Destruction is caused, but one of the Jokerz gets away with a computer component.  When they meet up with their mysterious boss later, it’s not enough.  When one of the gang members speaks out on his frustration with their current jobs for the mysterious boss, the boss shoots him.  Okay, this is something new…and made a bit worse by the revelation that the original Joker is back and he is ready to give Gotham a wedgie.

Back in the Batcave, Bruce can still throw a batarang with precision.  And his company has dropped “Powers” from their name, returning to Wayne Enterprises.  Bruce is taking more control of his company again.  He keeps an eye on his protégé and questions Terry’s decision to go out that evening; he’s sore and tired, but Terry quips back, “the night is young and so am I.”  That lasts all of a couple minutes once he hits the club with Dana; he falls asleep on her.  Later, at a Wayne Enterprises party, the Joker’s laugh interrupts the festivities.  Terry, as Bruce’s assistant, tries to head off some of the Jokerz gang.  Once Bruce is fine for the moment (he takes out one member with a cane), he tells his assistant to “go to work.”  A minute later, Batman swoops in to save the patrons.  The Joker rises out of the floor and causes mayhem, but ultimately escapes.  Terry grouses to Bruce later in the cave that he should have gone after the Joker, but Bruce reassures him he did the right thing by saving the people.  However, he won’t talk about the Joker.

Terry switches tactics and goes to Barbara Gordon; “what do you know about clowns?”  “In this town, they’re never funny.”  And she refuses to talk.  Terry comes back to the cave to see Bruce going over the Joker’s file.  He is listed as deceased, yet when Bruce runs an analysis on the voices from the archive and from the previous night, they are a match.  When Terry asks again, Bruce calls the man a psychopath and a monster; and he wants Terry to give back the suit.  He has no right to force this life on the young man, or anyone.  Terry disagrees; Bruce didn’t force the life on him, Terry stole the suit.  And they come from two different worlds.  For Terry, Batman is a way for him to make up for past sins (running with a gang, etc), this appeases his soul and is a chance for him to be a worthwhile human.

  “It’s what I want, Bruce.” 

“Stupid kid.  You don’t know want you want, none of you did,” Bruce retorts as he walks away.  Terry throws the suit as his feet and runs out.

With his new free time, Terry meets up with Dana at the club again.  Bright side, more time for her.  Bad side, less pocket money.  Their evening is interrupted when the Jokerz gang shows up and goes after Dana.  The two girls attempt to distract Terry while Dana is grabbed, but he fights them off.  Dana is hurt and Terry puts Chelsea in charge while he finishes off the gang.  He heads to Bruce, who has been working on Joker anti-toxin.  The clown himself shows up in the cave and greets Bruce “hello Batman.”  A gas fills the room.  By the time Terry arrives in the cave, the clown is gone, but he left graffiti and a mess.  Bruce is frozen on the floor, wheezing out a few words between a weird laugh.  Terry administers the anti-toxin in time and calls Barbara for help.  She finally opens up about what last transpired between Bruce and the Joker, still adamant that it’s not the real Joker, but Terry deserves answers. 

Dick Grayson had already left; Tim Drake was Robin.  He was abducted and she and Bruce spent three weeks searching for him before a clue was delivered.  The Joker and Harley Quinn had taken Robin to Arkham Asylum.  They decided they wanted a family of their own and decided to “borrow” one of the kids that Batman had lying around.  The Joker molded Robin into “Joker Jr” and not pleasantly.  He tortured the kid (and shows Batman a video) and now know who’s under the cowl.  Barbara goes after Harley, who falls several stories, though they never found the body.  Bruce goes after the Joker.  The Joker gets a lucky cut on Bruce and holds Batman up for Robin to kill.  Robin ends up shooting the Joker amidst laughing, then crying.  Barbara tells Terry they buried the Joker and Tim was able to put the events behind him after extensive therapy, but Bruce forbade him from ever donning the Robin costume again.  Tim eventually left as well.

Terry decides to pay Tim a visit while in the Bat suit.  Tim is adamant that he knows nothing about the Joker’s reappearance and he as much as anyone wishes the clown gone.  Besides, he was so sick of the crime-fighting that he never wanted to see his suit again.  Terry goes searching for other clues, Barbara sitting in the chair in the cave this time.  She does suggest that Terry look up Nightwing for more stories if he wants.  Batman checks on a disgruntled Wayne Enterprises employee, thinking he’s behind it, but finds the Jokerz gang there, ready to waste him.  Yes, the employee had been in on the one attack, but the man behind the scenes decided to tie up loose ends, sending a laser weapon after the man and Batman.  Batman saves him, but is more than happy to turn him over to the commissioner. 

Bruce is up and around a bit more now and apologizes to Terry; he never wanted the young man to go against the Joker.  Terry notes that he is a completely different Batman, he never was a Robin.  And it’s then that they notice the only costume the Joker completely shredded was Tim Drake’s old costume.  And Terry puts together the parts he knows the Jokerz have stolen and they align with Tim’s expertise.  Bruce tells him to suit up, and take Ace with him.  The Joker is not pleased that Terry has figured it out shoots down the Batmobile. 

Between Ace and Terry, they take out the Jokerz gang.  Terry finds Tim face down, but then the man starts acting funny and feels unwell.  Soon his body transforms and Tim Drake is not just in league with the Joker, he is the Joker.  Or rather, as the Joker explains, the old Joker implanted young Tim with a chip coded with the Joker’s genetics.  Tim doesn’t realize he is the Joker.  His first order of business is to threaten to either go after Dana, Mary and Matt, or Bruce.  Ace attacks and the fight begins.  The Joker knows all of the tricks from Bruce’s peek and Terry is out of his league.  Bruce suggests that Terry tries to drown out and power through the Joker’s talking.  Terry has a different idea.  He likes to talk too.  He mocks the Joker; it was sad that he fixated on Batman in the past; the man wouldn’t know a joke if it bit him in the cape.  Oh, and Terry fights dirty.  Proof the Joker doesn’t know him.  Terry laughs, the Joker is pathetic.  “Not funny,” the Joker growls.  “I thought you wanted to make Batman laugh!” Terry calls down from the rafters.  “You’re not Batman!”  The Joker gets a good hit and Terry’s on the ground, the Joker trying to choke him.  Terry picked up a joy buzzer and burns out the chip on Tim’s neck with it.  Terry manages to get himself, Tim, and Ace out of the hideout before the laser (that has been running through Gotham) hits.

Terry visits Tim in the hospital alongside Barbara.  Tim thanks him and compliments that “Bruce couldn’t have chosen anyone better to put on the mask.”  Bruce actually shows up to visit Tim.  Before Terry leaves, Bruce corrects his earlier statement; “it’s not Batman who make you worthwhile, it’s the other way round.”  (On a funny note, Dee Dee, the twin girls from the Jokerz gang, have their bail paid by their grandmother, Nana Harley [Quinn]).  At the end, Terry stands over Gotham, in the suit, ready for work.  He slips on the mask and swoops into action.

As already stated, Terry McGinnis as Batman makes a few more appearances in the DC Animated Universe.  He shows up in an episode of Static Shock, where a young Static time-travels to the future, meeting old Bruce Wayne and the new Batman (and having to help break his future-self free from the Kobra gang).  He also appears as part of the two-part episode Once and Future Thing in Justice League Unlimited.  In the first half, Batman (Bruce Wayne), the Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman chase a thief named Chronos to the past, specifically, the Wild West.  They then end up following him to the future in the second half and there meet the older Static, Warhawk (who happens to be the Green Lantern’s son), and younger Batman.  Also featured are the new Jokerz gang that were introduced in Return of the Joker…with some upgrades.  The heroes manage to escape, after taking a beating and Batman leads them to the new Justice League headquarters, the old Hamilton Hill High School.  The Watchtower had been attacked and most of the members killed.  Old Bruce enters at that moment to keep everyone from dwelling on the bad; they’ve got a mission to attend to.  Bruce faces his younger counterpart and comments “surprised to see me?”  “A little,” original Batman remarks, though he’s more surprised to see he lived that long. Terry quips “Batman, Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne, Batman…or, have you met?”  They deliver “not now!” at the same time, so he gripes “what did they use to call it, stereo?”

The main issue is that the time line is becoming polluted, as original Batman notes, and Bruce responds that history is becoming fluid.  This needs to be stopped.  Batman writes a program to put an end to Chronos’s time travel belt; now they just have to find him.  Terry tries to warn Batman he doesn’t know the new town.  “Are criminals superstitious and cowardly [and we laugh because of the musical!]?”  “Yup,” Bruce responds.  They catch one of the gang and original Batman’s method of interrogation is to hang him over a building and tell him to talk before his arm gets tired.  Bruce hauls the criminal away and growls he can’t believe he was ever that green…his cane is a bit menacing in his hand, but he succeeds.  They can get to Chronos through his wife.  

There is a final showdown between the League and the Jokerz while time itself unravels.  Dee Dee pins Terry and electrocutes him.  We hear his cries of pain, then Bruce at the school shouts “Terry!”  Then silence.  But Green Lantern and Batman follow Chronos who wants to see the beginning of time and put a stop to the madness.  They end up back at the Watchtower from when everything started; the only ones to remember the events (and putting everything back in order).

Justice League Unlimited also brought us Epilogue.  We’re even farther in the future; Terry has bulked up and sneaks into Amanda Waller’s residence for some answers.  Apparently, Bruce needed a new kidney and Terry was found to be a perfect match.  The odds of that are suspicious, so he does a DNA test and discovers his DNA matches that of Bruce, not Warren McGinnis.  There is a scene where Terry confronts Bruce about it and also where he breaks things off with Dana, but these turn out to be just a dream.  Terry is mad at Bruce, thinking he meddled, but Amanda admits it was her doing; Project Batman Beyond.  She used project Cadmus (which, the Joker used on young Tim Drake in the flashback of Return of the Joker; Terry admits it was as low blow when he accused Bruce of it) and Batman’s DNA from crime scenes; then she overwrote Warren McGinnis’s reproductive DNA to that of Bruce and so when he and Mary had a son, Terry, he was in fact, Bruce’s son.  (This was a way to explain how both Matt and Terry have dark hair while their parents have ginger hair; Warren and Mary were selected since they had similar psychological profiles to Bruce’s parents.)  Amanda originally had planned that Warren and Mary would be killed while Terry was a child to mimic the tragedy Bruce underwent to become Batman, but the assassin backed out, arguing it was not what Batman would want.  So life continued unassuming until Paxton Powers had Warren McGinnis murdered and Terry met Bruce as a sixteen-year-old.  She urges Terry not to make the same mistakes as Bruce and points out that he is Bruce’s son, not his clone.  He doesn’t have quite the brilliant mind that Bruce does, but his heart is just as big, if not bigger. 

The episode ends up Terry contemplating an engagement ring for Dana, then helping Bruce out with his meds and vowing to continue to be Batman.  Bruce urges the younger man to eat something before attending to League duties.  Terry quips he’s stubborn, like his old man.

First, my thoughts on Return of the Joker; I think it’s a great continuation of the Batman Beyond story and a reasonable way to bring back Batman’s greatest enemy.  Because who would have ever expected that the Joker was hiding in Robin?  And the showdown between Terry as Batman and the Joker is great.  Terry is a different Batman and he doesn’t have a history with the Joker.  I wouldn’t say he’s not emotionally involved in the fight, because this man did harm his mentor (I’m sure running down to find Bruce gave Terry flashbacks to finding his father).  Terry also shows that he’s not a brash teenager any longer; when Bruce doesn’t want to talk about something, he does back off, same with Barbara.  But he is correct that he deserves answers.  Also, Bruce doesn’t waste time telling Terry off for suspecting Tim; Bruce trusts Terry’s skills.  And he tries to help during the showdown with the Joker, giving Terry advice.  And I think it’s a bit sweet that Barbara fills in for Bruce after the Joker’s laughing gas attack.

And the irony of Mark Hamill aka Luke Skywalker voicing the Joker will never not be funny (and it will always be funnier that he voiced Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender)

As for the Justice League episodes; Epilogue at least gives us a proper ending to the series (as does Return of the Joker; Unmasked was pathetic and lame).  And I agree that it gives us a reasonable explanation to the family non-resemblance Terry has with his parents.  On the one hand, it’s sweet that Bruce has a biological son, though in the lore, he adopted Tim Drake (apparently Dick Grayson was a ward, which had some standing; I reiterate, Batman lore is not my strong suit, I just like this show).  Terry will continue his legacy not just as Batman, but potentially as a Wayne (he’d have to find some way to explain that to the public pending circumstances).  And as Amanda points out, Terry is Bruce’s son, not a clone.  He is not Bruce Wayne, he’s still just Terry.  His decisions were his own.  On the other hand, there is a more compelling story of Terry being Batman with no blood connection to Bruce.  I’m glad the episode ended well nevertheless.

As for Once and Future Thing, Terry is hilarious at times.  I’m a bit sad to realize he was essentially killed at one point, though relieved that it was erased.  It’s a satisfactory story, though I mainly watch it for the “Batman meet Bruce Wayne” bit.

This was one series I explored fanfiction early on.  I have several recommendations that I repeatedly re-read:

Katfairy has “Beyond Knightfall” where Terry lands is a spot of trouble and his friends have to help him out (though I wish it would be completed), and “Divine Secrets of the YoYo Sisterhood.”  It has a good mix of drama and humor.

“Virus” by ChampagneWishes could be another episode in the show.

Bumpkin has some good little scenes in “Welcome to My World,” “An ‘Inside Peek’ into Mary’s Mind,” and “Nelson’s Wake Up Call.”

Tomy’s “Reparation” is excellent and “Reclamation” is good as well.

Jadeling has a whole series of stories, most especially “Lover, Friends, and Family.”

And if you want a hilarious crossover joke, try “Ron Beyond” by speedster.

Next Time: Batman Forever and Batman and Robin with Chris O’Donnell.

“Anything broken?” “If I said yes, could I go home?” “No.”

Season Three

The Royal Flush Gang is back in King’s Ransom, minus Ten.  And King gets angry if you mention her.  Turns out he’s working with Paxton Powers; well, more like Paxton’s assistant.  King is having an affair from his Queen.  She’s not happy with the state of the family, things are not like when her father was in charge.  King tries holding Paxton for ransom, but Bruce won’t deal.  If King has a problem, Paxton wrote the policy.  Though Bruce is now able to nail Paxton on some crimes (and Barbara has a snarky comeback when Paxton protests being arrested; he’d never try to kill Bruce, he was like a father to him.  Well, Bruce doesn’t glow in the dark like Paxton’s real father).  And when Queen finds out about the affair, she goes after her husband.  King protests to Batman, “do you have any idea what it’s like living in someone’s shadow?!”  (Yes, he does.)  On a happier note, Melanie stays out of the criminal activity and even pays Jack’s bail so he can have a fresh start.

There is a thief running around Gotham, stealing isotopes and wearing a force field, making him Untouchable.  Bruce and Terry investigate the force field and discover that Wayne Enterprises is funding its’ research to be used for patients with weak immune systems.  Terry befriends one of the female teenaged patients (and Bruce makes a crack that women used to throw themselves at his feet; he simply stepped over them).  She does help discover that one of the doctors is behind the thefts.  While Bruce is away in Inqueling, Terry has to face Inque by himself; he refuses to risk Bruce again, after the last encounter brough out the dangerous Bat Armor.  Dana is not as upset about Terry missing their date; she’s figured out that Bruce is a father figure to Terry.  Terry admits to Max that his girlfriend may not be so far off.  Inque is in trouble and needs to lay low; she finds her daughter and convinces her to steal the appropriate mutagen.  But after only sending money her entire life, the daughter betrays her mother for her large bank account.  Batman is not convinced that Inque is truly gone at the end.

An old friend of Terry’s returns; Charlie Big Time Bigelow.  He was the one who took Terry on a heist when Terry was fourteen and Charlie was eighteen.  It was when Terry’s parents were divorcing and he was being an angry kid with Charlie.  Terry didn’t realize what was going on until it happened.  Terry got three months in Juvie, Charlie got three years in jail.  Now he’s out and wants Terry’s help.  Terry refuses; he has a life now, a job.  However, he still feels guilty and tries to get Charlie a job at Wayne Enterprises.  Bruce figures out that Charlie is trying to get in with another crew and is using his connection.  Terry goes after Charlie; Batman is waiting at the next break in.  Charlie is exposed to cerestone, a growth hormone.  He becomes large and disfigured and goes after the crew.  Batman is involved in the fight and takes down Charlie.

Bruce starts to feel his age in Out of the Past.  Terry treats him to the Batman musical for his birthday; Bruce does not find it amusing.  [Though, the music and lyrics are very good, even using “I am vengeance, I am the night, I am Batman.”  And criminals are a “superstitious and cowardly lot.”]  he reminisces about his past relationships and Talia al ’Ghul steps out of the shadow.  Terry even knows who she is; he’s actually done research on the Bat computer.  She’s offering Bruce a trip to the Lazarus Pits for eternal youth.  Bruce takes it when Batman has to save him and a young woman from an accident.  The process works and Terry enjoys working out with a more youthful Bruce.  But Bruce feels like it’s a cheat, so they plan to leave.  The guards won’t let them, so the two kick butt together (and the Animated Series theme plays for a minute).  And Talia is actually Ra’s al Ghul; he used his own daughter to continue to cheat death.  His ultimate plan is to transfer his consciousness into Bruce, now younger and stronger, and return to Gotham to take over the company as Bruce’s long-lost son of Talia’s.  Batman to the rescue!  The pits are ultimately destroyed and Bruce bids farewell to his beloved.

There is a gorilla on the loose in Speak No Evil.  The local university used human DNA to give the gorilla human intelligence.  Now he’s after James van Dyle; he appears to be a conservationist but is actually a poacher and captured the gorilla and his mother years ago.  Batman helps the gorilla and investigates, but he’s captured.  The gorilla helps get him out of a tiger’s cage and the commissioner is there to arrest van Dyle.  Bruce and Terry release the gorilla back into the wild so he can scare away poachers.

Superman shows up in The Call, a two-part episode.  The Justice League tower in Metropolis is facing danger, superheroes are being put out of commission.  Superman comes to Gotham to ask Terry to help the Justice League.  The other members are not happy about young Batman joining them and they don’t trust him.  Batman does his research and even rescues Aquagirl when she’s in danger.  Superman feels there is a traitor in the League and right now, he only trusts Terry.  Metropolis is under multiple attacks and the League is spread thin.  Warhawk receives a distress signal and Batman follows him because no one else heard it.  Warhawk is apparently killed in an explosion and when Bruce investigates the footage, it looks like Superman is responsible.  Bruce has kept kryptonite on hand, in case Superman ever went rogue again.  His directive to Terry is “do whatever it takes, but make sure you stop him.”  However, turns out that Warhawk is alive; he suspected something when he was the only one to receive the distress call and now trusts Batman when he suspects Superman.  When they go to confront Superman, he is being controlled by an alien starfish.  He escapes, but Bruce knows where the Fortress of Solitude is located.  There, the League finds a zoo of alien creatures.  Batman uses kryptonite to stop Superman and Aquagirl is able to read the starfish’s mind to discover that the starfish was kidnapped from its’ home world.  Superman eventually freed him, but kept him locked up again.  Now the starfish wants freedom and to take over the world, so he’s using Superman.  Superman and the starfish wake up and take control of the League, except Batman.  Now Batman has to fight several other superheroes in order to save the world (just another day in the life, huh).  Superman goes after Batman and eventually an electric shock brings Superman back.  They work together to free the League and to stop the starfish’s friends from escaping.  Superman almost traps Batman (“he knew what he was getting into” Superman tells another hero when they protest Batman is still underwater), but Batman flies up at the last second.  They send the starfish home and Batman is offered a full-time position with the League.  Old Batman was only ever part-time.  Then they have something in common, Terry remarks.  Superman muses, more than you think.

Big Time is back in Betrayal and Bruce has to warn Terry against going after Charlie again.  Leave it for the police.  But Terry won’t back down.  He ends up kidnapped by Charlie (Max picks up the backpack with the suit and Bruce calls her to warn her against putting it on…the old man knows everything).  Charlie wants Terry to join the new operation as his loyal companion.  Terry refuses, which makes Charlie angry.  Terry escapes and Charlie chases.  When he catches his old friend, Charlie says he can’t kill Terry due to their friendship.  Terry convinces Charlie to go to the police; yes, he’ll go to jail, but while there, Terry will have Bruce’s company search for a cure to the cerestone.  When the police arrest the gang, Charlie runs.  Terry is only slightly surprised, but now he’s angry.  Charlie lied to him; he never had any intention of going good.  He used it as a way to get the leaders out of the way and now he’ll take over the gang.  Bruce drives by and throws the bookbag to Terry.  Batman appears a minute later to save Bruce and take on Charlie.  Bruce once again warns Terry against facing an old friend.  Charlie ultimately falls off the bridge during the fight and Terry claims he outgrew him.

Terry faces the Kobra cult in the two-part Curse of the Kobra.  They start by stealing a thermal bomb and Batman can’t face off against all of them.  Instead of berating Terry, Bruce sends him to an old martial arts teacher to fine-tune his technique.  There, Terry makes friends with Zander.  He even introduces Zander to Max when they go to get a slice of pizza (“who’s bad, who’s rad, who’s never been had,” she cheers when she beats Zander at a video game).  But Zander is being groomed for something else and can’t socialize with his new friends.  Turns out, Zander is the leader of Kobra and they have something big planned.  Then he kidnaps Max (who immediately calls Bruce and Bruce immediately sends Batman to her house when they hear her scream).  Batman ends up with a minor concussion and four cracked ribs after trying to go after Max and Zander.  Bruce warns him that it will hurt to move and breathing won’t be fun.  He helps with the investigation since Terry is in no condition and blaming himself is not productive.  When Bruce finds the hideout, Terry immediately suits up: “I’ll breathe on the weekend.”  “It’s a toxic waste dump,” he tells Bruce when he arrives.  “Or so they say.  Can you think of a better way to make people want to avoid the place?”  “Call it a high school?” Terry quips.  Max meanwhile attempts her own escape (after being changed out of her clothes into something that is almost slave-Leia inspired).  She’s stopped by a dino-man, the result of a Kobra lackey breathing in green gas.  Zander’s master plan is to use the thermal bomb to heat the Earth up so only he and his men will survive and thus they’ll rule the world [not the brightest plan], and he’s chose Max as his companion.  He likes that she’s different, though to make her subservient, he does order her to be gassed.  Batman goes in (sore) to rescue Max and receives a bit of help from a ninja in the shadows.  After Zander breathes in the gas to go through the transformation, their teacher (the ninja) appears to take him down.  She buys Batman and Max time to escape.

At a science symposium in Countdown, Mad Stan interrupts to “blow it all up!”  He comes across a man in distress afterwards and rescues him from federal agents.  The man is actually a synthoid; Zeta is back [tying in to the new show that was developed].  Mad Stan figures it’s the feds out to get him so he arms Zeta with a secret bomb and releases him.  Batman discovers the plot and now has to go after Zeta. He tries to get the feds to help him, but they are only concerned about getting Zeta back, not the innocent people that could be hurt or killed.  Batman of course finds the bomb in time, but they’re surrounded by the feds.  Zeta pretends to be Batman so he can escape and Terry gets out as himself in disguise.  [Not a terribly exciting episode.  Nor is the final episode.]  Unmasked relates a mission Terry had when he was first becoming Batman when he showed a young kid his face in order to rescue him.  Kobra found out and kidnapped the kid so they can find out who Batman is.  Terry lucked out and the kid remembered his face as a famous action figure.  Terry uses the tale as a caution to Max for making jokes about Batman in Terry’s place. 

If the final episode feels like a letdown, never fear; Terry McGinnis shows up as Batman in a follow-up movie Return of the Joker and several episodes of Justice League Unlimited.  What I really appreciated about this season is Bruce showing obvious care and concern about Terry.  I do so love when a crochety character shows tenderness to a select group of important people.  Bruce may be learning from his past mistake of shoving people away.  Overall, the episodes are not as interesting as season two, but Out of the Past was fairly interesting, giving Bruce a little bit of the limelight again. Charlie Bigelow as a villain after being a friend to younger Terry is a good twist; Max remarks in his second appearance that Charlie was always a monster, just now his outside matches his inside and Dana never trusted the guy. It highlights Terry’s growth as a person. As he remarks when Charlie first approaches him, he has a life now.

Next Time:  Return of the Joker and the other episodes featuring the new Batman.