#i keep saying hashtag not all christians and then i keep meeting christians. I'm so tired of humans existing

[neverendingford]

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[fly-pow-bye]

DuckTales 2017 - “The Duck Knight Returns!”

Story by: Francisco Angones, Madison Bateman, Colleen Evanson, Christian Magalhaes, Bob Snow

Written by: Francisco Angones

Storyboard by: Vince Aparo, Emmy Cicierega, Ben Holm

Directed by: Tanner Johnson

The big mid-season finale!

I knew right from the beginning that, yeah, this episode's going to be the big one. It turned out to be even bigger than I imagined. I must say something first.

If there's anything that should disqualify myself from reviewing this episode, it's that I'm barely familiar with Darkwing Duck. I have watched a few episodes, knew about some of the villains, and, of course, know that amazing theme song, but I wouldn't call myself a huge scholar of the subject. In another way, that should make it even better for me to review it, because, for the most part, the little kids this show is targeting have likely never watched any episode of Darkwing Duck. It's not on Netflix, for one. Let's get to the episode.

This episode begins with a masked villain who aims to blow up an orphanage by setting up bombs in the sewers. No real reason, he just wants to be bad. He is going to be stopped by the terror that flaps in the night, the pebble in the penny loafer of depravity, and someone who is willing to do things in a non-comfortable way. He words that slightly differently, of course.

He's not too sharp, ending up stepping on every land mine. However, he never gives up, and ends up living up to his notoriety, as whoever this bomber is seems to know his name. All in all, a good way to introduce the character for people who don't know who he is. He grabs the villain, and then decided to reveal who he really is...

...himself?! To be concluded...coming absolutely never! This turns out to be the cliffhanger series finale for the series. This was first detailed in Friendship Hates Magic, but this is the first time we actually get to see what would have led to Darkwing Duck's Finest Hour. There was this one villain from the original that could easily be what the payoff was, but there's no way anyone would known in-universe.

This all turns out to be something shown by the ever-so-proud-of-being-Darkwing-Duck Jim Starling at a special event attended by the biggest fans of Darkwing Duck. A comics convention? A Darkwing Duck convention? A Darkwing Duck comics convention?

No, he's at an opening for Siesta Rick's, a furniture store, being a last minute replacement for the much-more-fitting-for-this-event Johnny from the Ottoman Empire. No, Djinn, not that one. Can't help but notice it was just Johnny, too; apparently the two brothers have yet to make up after their incident from The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck. However, there's no time for that plotline.

I wasn't lying about how it was attended by the biggest fans, the plural only justified by Launchpad not being alone. This guy is just as excited as he is, wondering what he could possibly say to the actor who played his biggest idol as a kid.

I felt this episode was a lot longer than most of the previous episodes, though a reason for that is that we get an even shorter intro than usual. It's longer than just having the DuckTales logo fade in and out, but far shorter than the shortened intro that appeared after certain episodes. However, they did color the logo purple.

Right from the get-go, we see that Jim Starling is this washed-up superstar, sitting mostly alone, telling his agent that he is "the one and only Darkwing Duck" and he deserves better gigs. All he needs is an exorbitant price tag for one of his autographs, and I think that was mostly implied by him snatching the bills from the president of his fan club before he can even say his name. By the way, his name isn't revealed until the very end of the episode, and it's actually a minor twist to people who know the original. I'm just going to call him That Guy.

He's far more excited to see a young kid, in this case, Dewey, which makes a lot of sense. Darkwing Duck was a kid's show, and seeing someone from the next generation. Unfortunately for him, Dewey's just here to get an autograph for the pilot who's fainted a few feet away. After taking a photo of Jim Starling awkwardly smiling with a fainted man with his signature on him, Dewey notices a logo popping up as soon as he types the hashtag #DarkwingDuck.

Darkwing Duck has become a trending topic on their version of Twitter, alongside theories about Gizmoduck, National Pants Day, not that widely celebrated in this universe, and some horrible opinions. Hopefully not mine! The reason why it became trending is because a new Darkwing Duck movie was announced, and the boys take it to themselves to investigate. You'll see that will be fitting for pretty much all of them for different reasons.

While trying to keep Launchpad from looking at the rear view window to see the faint-causer, Dewey does raise that question of why they have to be the ones to bring "the one and only Darkwing Duck" to the studio making his new movie, and Launchpad merely agrees with the sentiment. To Launchpad, Starling is Darkwing Duck, and Starling lifts his head up and agrees in a way that indirectly calls him a buddy.

In an obvious chain of events, he ends up crashing. This fainting gives it a different reason beyond any inability to park a car, so it's still up in the air if that "surprisingly good parker despite everything else" gag is still happening. Dewey gets worried about this studio not taking kindly to someone who crashed a car into their studio opening, but it turns out said studio is owned by someone who knows that Launchpad and crashing go hand-in-hand.

That someone being Scrooge McDuck, who is in a meeting with Alistair Borswan, who is totally not Christopher Nolan. He's trying to get some more funding for the big finale of his new Darkwing Duck movie. This will be tough, as not only has he spent a lot of money already, Scrooge hasn't seen a film since the 30's. The only films he ever funded before this were instructional videos starring Donald doing stuff that workers shouldn't be doing. Kind of wish we could see those, actually; the DuckTales equivalent to those Goofy shorts I always loved as a kid that didn't need any guy to say "BLAAAM" over them.

Before Alistair can prove that he can use those funds to give Scrooge his much wanted profits, and be convinced by Scrooge's idea of giving the villain a giant mustache to twirl, Dewey, Launchpad, and Starling show up to crash this meeting, all for different reasons. Dewey wants his cinematic dreams to come to life, Starling wants to begin this great creative partnership, and Launchpad starts to stare at the poster for the upcoming film.

Launchpad: Aw, cool! A big budget reboot of a thing I loved as a kid! Those are always great!

See, it's funny because it's usually not true. See, not only is this going to be a new Darkwing Duck film, it's going to take Darkwing Duck in a different direction! In other words...it's a reboot. I was practically destined to review this episode, it seems. I review nothing but reboots on this site; it wasn't an intentional theme, but it became a theme nonetheless.

Alistair can think of only one thing to stop all of the questions: show the trailer. Hey, it would be good focus testing!

Unlike certain reboots, it's quite clear we're seeing a very different Darkwing Duck, not a continuation. One could say it's a Beginning of a Dark Knight that will eventually Return. People are running away from the "Dark-Wing", the entire movie is set in the nighttime, and Darkwing Duck is told by the not-Commissioner Gordon character that he shouldn't go flapping in the night, but he's too dark to go by anyone's rules, like "don't set the streets on fire with your initials". Darkwing: First Darkness, not suitable for children!

We do get one early reaction shot from the well-established biggest fan of the show, and let's just say that this trailer is not going to get a lot of thumbs ups.

We get to see the reactions from everyone involved, with only Alistair grinning at his own work. Launchpad is offended at the prospect of a Darkwing Duck that sets fires and harms innocent people that aren't accidental. Starling liked it, if only because he still thinks he's going to be a part of this. As for Dewey, he absolutely hated it; he couldn't tell who the villain was, or what was even happening.

He then describes his ideas for this movie. See, everyone has their own ideas to reboot a beloved series. Look at, say, Looney Tunes. Along with the normal "Bugs Bunny in the forest outwitting his foes" reboots, it's been a sitcom with everyone in a house, and even an anime-esque superhero show set in the future. What I'm trying to say is that Dewey seems to be batting for a Loonatics Unleashed, suggesting that there should be aliens and ninjas.

Scrooge decides Dewey should be in charge, because, hey, this is for children, and Dewey's the most childish child he knows. This sets up a sort of B-plot. I don't really remember too much about it, to be honest. Jim Starling has different ideas, and it should be him that should have them, because he's obviously going to be the star of this movie. Even though he did not appear in the trailer, nor did he know anything about this movie until Dewey told him, he has to be the star, right? Right?

What very few would have guessed, unless you took a good look at him and realized he's practically a splitting image of Darkwing Duck sans mask, is that the role is going to That Guy. The one grown man that wanted his signature who didn't faint at the mere sight of him. Hopefully, the guy who claimed himself as the "one and only Darkwing Duck" isn't too stabbed in the heart about it.

...sorry, I had to reference that at least once.

To make a long story short, Starling ends up getting thrown out of the building. Launchpad shows up, and his dislike for the movie's new direction has cured his inability to stand along Starling without fainting. Either that, or they realized that fainting joke was getting old.

Starling goes into his limo and comes out as the one real, original, don't-call-him-old Darkwing Duck. Jim Starling's to bring the glory of his original masterpiece in the only way he can, and calls Launchpad his sidekick. Hey, just like the original! This makes Launchpad faint again, which would have been a little more powerful if it wasn't a gag.

Starling's first plan: while Darkwing Duck distracts the guards with his ability to disappear into any role, which is definitely exaggerated by the far-too-over-himself Starling, Launchpad has to break into That Guy's trailer. Launchpad questions if this is really "heroic", but Starling talks him into it anyway.

Launchpad: Now I wait for that phony actor, lock him up, and us, the good guys, wins. Totally heroic.

I'll be honest: I know, it's Launchpad, he says stuff like this. Practically every line seems to be him unsarcastically saying something that should be said sarcastically. He does think he locked himself inside the trailer, until his savior shows up. That Guy recognizes him, and asks what he's doing in his trailer.

This leads to a fight scene, though Launchpad is completely apologetic about all of this. Eventually it stops when he finds out he was going to beat him with a vintage Darkwing Duck shampoo bottle, and almost suplexes him into a complete run of the Darkwing Duck Adventures comics.

Eventually, this just leads to two grown men playing with their toys. I mean, that's pretty much what this show is; a bunch of grown men who grew up with the Disney Afternoon playing with action figures of their childhood favorite shows, except it's animated, fully funded by Disney, and is generally really good. Eventually, we get to hear That Guy's story, and not just in any way, either...

...but in comic book form! Much like Launchpad, he idolized Darkwing Duck as a kid, buying his merchandise, and even using him as an inspiration to stand up against his bullies. Even if he got knocked down, he'd always get back up, and he has Darkwing Duck to thank for that. If the art style looks familiar, that's because it's drawn by Michael Peraza, as his signature at the end of this comic proves.

There's easily a contrast between the two Darkwings. That Guy just wants to inspire kids just like his idol did, while Starling, the man who played said idol, just selfishly wants his most famous role back, seeing himself as the "one and only" Darkwing Duck.

While That Guy convinces Launchpad to change his motives, Starling is a bit busy with the guards. What could possibly be a good cover for a purple-cloaked guy with a cape?

How about hiding in a crowd of several other purple-cloaked guys and girls with capes, courtesy Dewey and his wacky ideas? Finally, the Dewey plot actually managed to tie in with the other plot. The only real time it does outside of one other thing at the end.

With some convincing from Launchpad, That Guy confronts Starling, saying he's sorry for everything. He offers him the chance to teach him how to be the best Darkwing Duck, give him the opportunity to fix the movie, and just maybe, this new Darkwing will inspire generations to come!

This seems like this would be the passing of the torch from the old actor to the new actor, and it almost seems like it as he begins to shake his hand. And...there's 8 minutes left, is there?

Jim Starling: Yes...

Jim Starling: ...I will!

Right from the beginning, it seemed that his only problem with the movie is that he's not in it. But maybe he just needs a little more convincing of his own!

Forcibly taking over That Guy's role, Jim Starling tells a wandering Launchpad that the new guy told him he can be in the finale. Launchpad really questions this, far more than the apparent villainy from the last couple scenes. When Launchpad is not buying it, that's really something.

The scene is the big finale, directed by Alistair, Dewey, and a little mustache-related advisory from Scrooge. This is where, in a shocking twist, Darkwing will have to surrender to the classic villain, Megavolt, who, most important to Scrooge, has a villainous mustache.

Starling is not too happy about that script, though Dewey's new lines making Megavolt say that he's awesome doesn't exactly please Alistair either, and he ends up doing some improv. He ends up doing everything Launchpad didn't want a true hero like Darkwing Duck to do: harm innocents and cause fires!

Launchpad is certainly not happy about that, but before he can point out the obvious, he hears someone in the distance. It turns out it will take a lot more than just doors getting slammed into his face to stop That Guy.

We even get a fight scene, a real one with no apologies, between the new Darkwing Duck and the old one. I've seen FV shows with less violence, and I don't even just mean that other show! Not a bad thing, by the way.

In an excellent bookend with the first scene, we see that That Guy is well deserving of his role when it comes to not giving up. And not in the way that Starling "didn't give up" by not following the script. A box full of dynamite detonates below him? He just gets back up. A piano falls on him? He gets back up, spitting out those piano keys like that old cartoon gag. He even takes on Megavolt's gun, which was actually electric!

Launchpad eventually comes in. Even Scrooge talks, in a more in-character way, that this seems way out of character for him. However, since he is a huge fan of Darkwing Duck, Launchpad is actually far more qualified to speak to two Darkwing Ducks. Speaking of electric, he's also a guy who's really qualified to get into some sort of accident, as this electrical tower is about to electrocute him, and this could be a good chance for either one of them to show their heroism.

I don't like spoiling episodes unless I have something significant to talk about it beyond just outright ruining it for anyone who didn't watch the episode. Honestly, I felt the same when I spoiled the commercial break twist here, but this review would have been quite short.

Well, maybe I could talk about the ending of the Dewey part, which just ends with him apparently recording over the footage of the fight scene he wanted to use the salvage his movie. When did he even get the time to do this? I don't really care. The Dewey plot is definitely the low point of the episode. Really, that isn't saying anything, and it's really just low compared to the rest of the episode.

There's a lot of spoilers I didn't want to show off here. It's shocking, satisfying, and well worth a watch. In the end, at least one of them proves that he is worthy of his namesake, and the other...well, you'll see.

How does it stack up?

With good commentary on reboots, great new characters, and tons of twists and turns, this episode is just incredible in every way. The Dewey plot would have just taken away from it if there was more to it, so it's not that much of a problem. A Top 5 episode, a must watch.

What's going to happen next? A trip to the moon, that's what.

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