Ducktales 2017

[Pan Maciej]

Oct 15, 2017 16:34:27 GMT Baar Baar Jinx said:

The idea that, for example, the "unnamed Huey episode" was moved because it had snow and so should be aired in December is silly, IMHO. It's not as if viewers are going to watch the episode in September and say, "Hey, what's that white stuff on the ground?" Does every series need to have a "Christmas episode" or a "Halloween episode?" 

True. In fact oryginal DuckTales never had a Christmas or Halloween special (The clouses they got was Valentine-themed episode)

At the same time I guess it great for the marketing to have Holiday special episode so they can make buzz about it "Oh, this will be our big holiday special!". Shows like "My little Pony" or "Steven Universe" that are set in fictional world (altenete reality in Steven case) while not had episodes directly refrencing Holiday's but they made them feel holiday-like (either made-up fictional holiday or put in some theme like winter or ghosts and gobblins) so they could marked them as holiday special-anyway. 


I think they are now trying to fix the order since "House of the Lucky Gander" and "Mark Beaks" change places last second (even Disney you-tube pages where confuse and give Gladstone clips "Mark Beaks Intership" title)

[Monkey_Feyerabend]

A few vague spoilers as usual

The previous two episodes were ok (especially for Webby), but not super funny, because of the lack of Scroogy and Donald, who happen to be the real comics magnets of the show. Why did they give us two consecutive episodes without those two?!
This Chinese episode was one of the best so far for sure.
I liked the characterization of Gladstone. As already pointed out by Barr Baar Jinx, he happens to be jerk enough to try to escape without the rest of the family, but deep inside not that much son of a duck, as in the end we see him sorry for Donald. I was disappointed by not seeing an animation version of the epic Barksian verbal fights between Donald and Gladstone. I was really hoping for that. But the authors could not, because in this series Donald has an insecure low-key personality, which does not match with the Donald fighting Gladstone beak-to-beak as in Barks's stories from the late 40's. So, yeah, I was disappointed, but I appreciate the coherence of the writers. On this point you can recognize the strong influence of Don Rosa, who in the last part of his career used to draw Donald as insecure and depressed as he basically is in this new DuckTales.
I have mixed feeling about the voice given to Gladstone. The actor Tompkins is very good, but I cannot avoid to hear Mr. Peanutbutter every time Gladstone open his mounth! (If you don't know who Mr. Peanutbutter is...shame on you! )
Scrooge always the best, nothing to say.

[Hyaroo]

Oct 15, 2017 16:34:27 GMT Baar Baar Jinx said:

Regardless, he does have a point in that airing episodes out of order, especially in a series where the creators have gone to such lengths to develop an overarching storyline, is a practice that should be discouraged. If he's right that it was done to keep the Della/Magica subplots in viewers' minds, then using the "recap" method (10 second sequences featuring key scenes from previous episodes to refresh the viewers' memories about relevant plot details) could be employed. The idea that, for example, the "unnamed Huey episode" was moved because it had snow and so should be aired in December is silly, IMHO. It's not as if viewers are going to watch the episode in September and say, "Hey, what's that white stuff on the ground?" Does every series need to have a "Christmas episode" or a "Halloween episode?" You can tell from his tweets that Angones is trying to restrain himself in his response to the altered air order, but he's understandably unhappy.

I didn't say he didn't have a point, or that the reasons Disney XD had for changing the episode order were good ones; I just said he was a little quick to jump to the explanation "Disney XD thinks you're an idiot" without bothering to check any actual details.

[dismaldowns]

Oct 15, 2017 11:49:43 GMT Pan Maciej said:

Oct 15, 2017 3:27:38 GMT dismaldowns said:

About Rockerduck...

Are you all expecting a cameo, a minor role or the "Rockerduck Estates" in the map was just an Easter egg?

I would love to see Rockerduck in animation and play some sort of role but cameo would do just fine. "Rockerduck Estates" might sugest that the creators are actualy intrest in using him.

Oh, of course! I would love to see Rockerduck as a recurring major character! Not as a villain who would succumb to robbery and murder, but as a competitive billionaire like he is in the comics. So far Glomgold didn't eat his hat like in the old show so perhaps they are reserving this trait to Rockerduck. But sometimes I think I'm setting my expectations too high. They mentioned Plain Awful two times but that doesn't mean every fan is certain they are going to see it, let alone this season. The Mark Beaks episode apparently aired in Canada and there was no mention of other billionaires in the club.

Maybe the "Rockerduck Estates" was just a nod to fans. But Frank Angones did say John is not forgotten so... you can see I'm going back and forth.

Unlike Scrooge and Glomgold that make no attempt to be hip and modern, Rockerduck can be a guy desperately trying to be these things and thus heavily investing in "new" technology. The joke would be that he fails miserably in these attempts not because he is incompetent (he is a shrewd businessman and used to have a sharp mind for technology but along the way he just couldn't keep track and is stationed somewhat in the late 90s) but because he is behind the times and in denial about it. He may be more in tune with new trends than Flintheart and Scrooge but he has no real grasp of how making it work to his advantage like Beaks does.

So in this crazy world Scrooge and Flinty's treasure hunting "adventurous capitalists" exploits are actually more sensible than Rockerduck's aspirations. The second story from the new IDW Ducktales comics actually has a joke about a group of old scientists working hard to invent a device similar to a MP3 thinking they are innovating. I imagine Rockerduck would work if he did things like that, forever being the odd man of both the old and the new Silicon Valley types of billionaires due to his incongruous identity. Basically he is an old billionaire in denial, losing the advantage he had against Scrooge in the comics to Beaks but not accepting it and constantly interfering in the "threesome" between the main rich guys.

He lost the advantage he had against Scrooge and now he is trying to find his footing again to be seen as a threat by the others.

It's not fair to the character considering how worthy as an opponent he is the comics. I actually knew Rockerduck before Glomgold. But it's the idea I had.

[Pan Maciej]

Hum... Gladstone episode production number was "7" (the lucky number)

I wonder if episode 13 will also feature Gladstone in a big role.

[deb]

Oct 16, 2017 12:58:28 GMT Pan Maciej said:

Hum... Gladstone episode production number was "7" (the lucky number)

I wonder if episode 13 will also feature Gladstone in a big role.

Episode #13 should be Donald's story, in my opinion. Good luck - Gladstone - #7/Bad luck - Donald - #13.

[Baar Baar Jinx]

Thinking a little more about this episode, a better motivation for Gladstone to want Donald to come to the casino and keep playing would have been that Donald's bad luck would weaken Toad Liu Hai, who apparently feasts on the luck of those around him (good or bad). Also, were all the guests at the casino other than the Ducks fabrications conjured up by Toad? If so, why wasn't Toad immediately suspicious that Gladstone was up to something when real people showed up? It might have worked better to have there be a few real guests around. 

Pan Maciej said:

True. In fact oryginal DuckTales never had a Christmas or Halloween special (The clouses they got was Valentine-themed episode)

One obvious workaround here would be the commissioning of holiday "specials" (similar to the ones produced as part of the Mickey Mouse series) that do not disrupt the continuity of the main show but serve as attractants for holiday-minded viewers.

deb said:

Episode #13 should be Donald's story, in my opinion. Good luck - Gladstone - #7/Bad luck - Donald - #13.

Donald in this series is portrayed in a far more sympathetic light than he is in most of the comics where he is pitted against Gladstone, in which he often indirectly engineers his own misfortune ("Sign of the Triple Distelfink" was rightly cited as an extreme example of this). To be honest, Donald hasn't had much character development yet beyond "overprotective adopted parent" and "the easily angered quacking cartoon star you know from the classic shorts".  Comic-Donald is a multifaceted, easily adaptable everyman. I understand that Scrooge is the star of the series, but the creators have shown that they are willing to let other characters be the focus in some episodes (usually the kids, but Donald would be an excellent choice as well). I'm still disappointed that we're not going to see an animated Donald vs. Jones brawl in this series. I hope we get an episode where there's a pure old-fashioned Donald-Gladstone face-off, bereft of the supernatural element this episode featured so prominently.

[Pan Maciej]

I just watched The Mark Beaks episode...

I dunno... It wasn't bad, I guess but it felt like half of episode, there was suprsingly little going on, especialy the Scrooge/Glomold team-up had waaay more potential. 

I did like the Falcon character and the way Beaks talk was funny (even if I'm geting a bit annoyed with all the modern facebook refrences) but that's about it. 


No Webby or Louie in the episode BTW... 

[Baar Baar Jinx]

Oct 21, 2017 15:25:14 GMT Pan Maciej said:

I just watched The Mark Beaks episode...

I dunno... It wasn't bad, I guess but it felt like half of episode, there was suprsingly little going on, especialy the Scrooge/Glomold team-up had waaay more potential. 

I did like the Falcon character and the way Beaks talk was funny (even if I'm geting a bit annoyed with all the modern facebook refrences) but that's about it. 


No Webby or Louie in the episode BTW... 

Bet you loved Huey's Frank Grimes-esque outburst, though, right?
I agree, this episode felt like a bunch of social-media-related and over-the-top-Glomgold-based gags (a few of which were admittedly amusing but none quite laugh-out-loud funny) strung together ... Mark Beaks gave off a very one-time-character-ish vibe and didn't really end the episode as an antagonist of any major note ... and no Donald in the episode again. I know he had a major role in the last one, but any episode that doesn't even feature him is that much poorer, IMHO (I wonder if the reason they switched "House of the Lucky Gander" and this one around was to get Donald back in the spotlight sooner?). And I never thought I'd see a Webby-less episode ... she's okay, but it's nice to see the show doesn't revolve around her.

[Pan Maciej]

Oct 22, 2017 0:47:48 GMT Baar Baar Jinx said:

Bet you loved Huey's Frank Grimes-esque outburst, though, right?

ARGH!!! How do you know my favorite moment from my favorite Simspons episode?

Anyway - not realy. It was ok but it was to qucik. 


I actualy like the lack of Webby - nice change after her dominating so many of the recent episode (minus "House of Lucky Gander")

[Hyaroo]

I found myself liking Mark Beaks a lot more than I thought I would. I mean, I still hold out some hope that we'll get John D. Rockerduck on the show, but still... I wouldn't mind seeing more of Mark Beaks.

[Pan Maciej]

I already writen this in comments on Geox Blog but what the heck :

What I didn't like about this episode is how much potential it wasted and I can easly see it re-tooled as much  stronger story :

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Insted of Scrooge and Glomgold just being annoyed by Beaks playing loud music the two of them realize that Beaks is making money faster then them and that entire Duckburg is crazy about his new new project "Ta-da" (Actually SHOW media talking about the project, investors pailing in lines) So both see Beaks as an actual theat to their financial empries and out of desperation are force to work together (stronger character motivation) Rather then have them spend three long scenes talking in one room have them actualy take action, maybe have them try to up-stage Beaks or team-up to spy on Beaks project to see what it is?

Maybe take some time to show diffrance between Scrooge/Glomgold and Bekas and shown how their lack of knowlage of social media and how far behind times they are and what advantage Beaks has by being more with the times?

Rather then have Huey and Dewey promotion being decidet by geting the cofey maybe they actualy save Bekas from the Falcon guy and get rid of him for a while (adding more humiliation to Falcon's atemps to get his hands on the project rather then just being tired of Beaks talking) which similar resutl for the boys at it happend in episode.

The media as well the police starts to investigae who was behind the sabotage of the project and now both Scrooge and Glogmold are suspects, which not only ties them to the main plot but adds more stakes and suspance, especialy that now even the viewer is usure was the Falcon hired by Glomgold or not. Even Scrooge is suspecting Glogmold but he clames to be inocent. Huey and Dewey are now force to put their feuding aside to clear the name of their Uncle (as well Glomgold) and not only discover that Beaks was behind the entire thing but also discover that framing Scrooge and Glomgold was part of his plan... heck, maybe the reason he wanted Huey and Duewey be his interns was just to trigger Scrooge?

...also THAT would gave Scrooge and Glomold a reason to be part of the climax and maybe where Dewey let go all the money from the sitcase it would had more of comedic impact with Glomgold realizng it was his money all the time.


Yhe, It's just a qucik draft but something like this would improve the story not only giving Scrooge and Glomgold more of a point in episode as well take more advantage of the potential of them facing somebody like Beaks, but it would make Beaks more of a challange for Scrooge as possible rival both by makig him more manipulative as well by making him be "more with the times". 

[Hyaroo]

Eeeeeh. I kinda liked the way it was -- it was a low-key episode, sure, but I really thought it worked as one... in tone it felt closer to the ten-pagers than the book-length adventures, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion. Stakes don't always have to be high in every episode... sometimes it's enough to just have some interpersonal conflicts.

And I liked how Mark Beaks was presented as a casually dishonest businessman who just created hype to further himself without any plans of actually following through on it, but didn't just descend into Glomgold-style supervillain levels. He had a simple plan, he went for it, and he didn't try to mess it up with a lot of unnecessary attacks against other billionaires who didn't even know his name.

It was like, this guy couldn't care less about Scrooge and Glomgold, he just wanted to be a billionaire and join the VIP lounge, and was willing to cheat his way to that. If he then started framing Scrooge and Glomgold, it's like... why would he do that? He didn't seem to have any grudges against Scrooge or Glomgold, and messing around with framing them would just unnecessarily complicate things. He wouldn't really have any motive for it other than "I'm a villain" -- or possibly revenge for whatever. But we already have Glomgold being a villain for the sake of being a villain; this episode directly showed him getting caught up in unnecessary complications as well as throwing in ways to kill both Scrooge and Beaks for no other reason than that he's the bad guy. Beaks doesn't bother with this, making him a very different type of character.

Now, Mark Beaks isn't a challenge for Scrooge... and I thought that was one of the more interesting points with him. He's just not a big villain; he was annoying enough that Scrooge momentarily got caught up in trying to get him kicked out, but non-threeatening anough that when Scrooge just realises that it's silly wasting his time with this smallfry of an almost-billionaire and just walks away, it seems by far the most sensible thing to do. It also highlights a vital difference between Scrooge and Glomgold, and even shows a new side to their rivalry: Whereas Scrooge is capable of walking away from a grudge, Glomgold isn't. He obsesses over getting back at anyone who annoys him, in the most over-the-top way, which is why he just keeps making enemies.

Was this a great episode? Nah. But it wasn't a terribad one either. It had some funny bits; I especially liked Falcon Graves, and as I said I found myself liking Mark Beaks a lot more than I thought I would have. He was the right mix of funny and annoying. 

[Pan Maciej]

Well people, we may survive the "Infernal intership of Mark Beaks" but now we have to face...  THE LIVING MUMMIES OF TOTH-RA!!! Buhahaha!!! <vanishes in enigmatic smoke>

[Baar Baar Jinx]

Oct 23, 2017 18:22:10 GMT Pan Maciej said:

Well people, we may survive the "Infernal intership of Mark Beaks" but now we have to face...  THE LIVING MUMMIES OF TOTH-RA!!! Buhahaha!!! <vanishes in enigmatic smoke>

No Donald in this episode either, looks like. They might as well have shipped him off to the Navy after all, and brought him back as a guest star on occasion to lock horns with Gladstone, etc, for all the exposure he's had so far.
Launchpad's role on this series seems to be that of the village idiot. I don't recall him being quite such a buffoon on the original show.
Anyway, this episode seems like a return to form, with a healthy dose of the unabashedly supernatural. This is the last episode whose title has been announced, correct? How many episodes left in the first season?