M.I.A.

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"M.I.A." is the forty-third televised episode of the series Gargoyles, and the thirtieth episode of Season 2. It originally aired on December 21, 1995.

Summary

Main Plot

Leo and Una blame Goliath for the loss of their friend Griff and kidnap Elisa, Angela, and Bronx. Goliath uses the Phoenix Gate to travel back to 1940 during the Battle of Britain to find out what happened to Griff. After several close calls, Goliath realizes that Griff never returned home in 1940, so he uses the Phoenix Gate to bring Griff and himself to the present time. Leo and Una realize it was their own guilt that was to blame for their animosity towards Goliath.

Subplots

The London Clan begins taking a greater part in protecting its community.

The Story

Previously on Gargoyles

Act One

It is night in central London. Big Ben rings from its tower from the Palace of Westminster, and in Soho, the locals are going about their evening. Some hear the sound of glass shattering – it is a set of four street thugs vandalizing a parked car. The street thugs are chasing a man down the street, telling the man he can run but can't hide. From the nearby Into the Mystic shop, a robed figure with the face of lion takes a look at the commotion going outside. He laments what is happening to the neighborhood, but his partner (also robed but with the face of a unicorn) behind the shop's counter reminds him that it is not their problem. Suddenly, the shop door's bell rings and the man behind chased runs in. Almost out of breath, he tells those in the shop that the thugs almost got him. One of the patrons inside sympathizes and calls them a menace. Before the man can agree, he's distracted by the wares, almost taken aback, wondering what kind of a shop it is. As he stares at a portrait of a gargoyle-looking figure with the head of a griffin, the patron explains the shops sells "Magic and the like", pointing out that the shopkeepers are a bit eccentric and like to dress up in robes and masks. The man can't help but see how incredibly life-like the masks are, but asks the shopkeepers are they going to do anything about the ruffians that were after him. The lion-faced shopkeeper tells the man to call the police himself if he wants help and the unicorn-faced shopkeeper asserts once more that what goes on outside the shop is none of their business. The man doesn't respond to their callous behavior. The two shopkeepers look at each other, their robes clasped with the head of griffin.

On the banks of the River Thames, the World Travelers have set foot off the Skiff. Elisa is excited to recognize London – she's always wanted to visit. Goliath reminds her that Avalon sent them here for a reason. "Even if we don't yet know what it is," Goliath explains. Angela, looking elsewhere, already spots their first clue. She points to a war memorial, and Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx follow her to it. Facing the front of it now, Bronx sniffs the decades-old monument, and they see two gargoyles standing atop a World War II-era Spitfire. Unbeknownst to them, the one to their right looks like the griffin-faced gargoyle from the portrait at the Soho magic shop, but Angela recognizes the second gargoyle: it looks like Goliath. Goliath himself finds the whole thing curious. Elisa walks to the plaque of the memorial and reads: "In commemoration of their courage at the Battle of Britain." A local Cabbie interrupts her, sharing that he remembers the air raids of the Blitz like they were yesterday. Elisa looks behind her and realizes that Goliath, Angela, and Bronx have already discreetly hid behind the memorial. She turns back to walk toward the Cabbie, who is still leaning on his car. She asks if gargoyles fought in the war, and the Cabbie shares that people tell stories of "gremlins and the like". He asks Elisa if she's interested in this sort of thing, and Elisa admits the legends intrigue her. Goliath and the others continue to listen behind the memorial. The Cabbie mentions that there's a shop in Soho she might be keen on visiting: the owners know all about magic creatures and even dress up like them, he explains. Shouting so that her friends can her, Elisa asks the Cabbie if he could take her to the shop. The Cabbie tells her to hop in his cab, assuming her volume was due to her excitement. As the two drive off, Goliath, Angela, and Bronx climb the memorial. Goliath grabs Bronx, and he and Angela catch a draft of wind, following the cab.

Outside of Into the Mystic, the Cabbie drops Elisa off as she apologizes for only having American money on her. Before she can enter the shop, the four street thugs from earlier approach and surround her. Taking a quick breath, Elisa suggests the "boys run along home". The one with the bat sarcastically points out that Elisa is disrespecting them, and the one with the red mohawk muses that she should be taught a lesson. Raising her fists, Elisa steels herself for a confrontation, but under the full moon, Bronx leaps down from the shop roof next door, pinning the thug with a bat in no time. Goliath and Angela glide down and join the fight. The thug with a blond mohawk strikes at Goliath, but Goliath grabs the club and throws him to the ground. The thug with a spanner dares Angela to "try him", calling her a monster, and Angela proceeds to whip her tail at him, knocking his legs out from under him. Picking him up completely off the ground, Angela comments, "Surely we sent here for something more important than this!" and throws the thug into the trash. Elisa turns to the remaining thug, telling him its just between the two of them, to which the thug turns tail and runs off. The other three get back on their feet and high tail it as well, terrified by Bronx's continued snarls. Turning to Goliath and Angela, Elisa jokes she was just starting to miss them.

A shop door's bell rings, and the two robed shopkeepers are outside, the unicorn-faced one remarking, "I don't beleive it – You've come back!" Angela instantly recognizes them as gargoyles. The lion-faced shopkeeper is more agitated, sharing that he thought Goliath died with a "Griff", and pushing them aside, wonders if he's also here. Goliath is unsure of who this Griff is. A talon suddenly is jabbed in Goliath's direction. The lion-faced gargoyle accuses Goliath of surviving while Griff didn't: "The only reason we forgave you was because we thought you died with him!" Goliath suggests that perhaps he's been confused and mistaken with another, but the unicorn-faced shopkeeper insists that the mistake is Goliath's, for thinking he could return without facing the consequences. Goliath tries for them to see reason: he doesn't know what they are talking about, he has never been here, and, for that matter, does not know them. They introduce themselves as Leo and Una, and explain to more-and-more perplexed Goliath that Griff was "the hero you led to his demise!" Asked (but more accurately, demanded) if that refreshes his memory, Goliath curtly tells Leo it doesn't in the slightest. Elisa takes a quick moment to remind everyone that perhaps they should take this conversation inside, subtly acknowledging the pedestrians still out on the streets, and Una directs everyone inside.

Alone in the shop, Angela asks Una when she thought she met Goliath. Una explains that it was in 1940, during the Battle of Britain, taking offense with Angela's insinuation that she must be mistaken. Hearing the time period, Elisa brings up the war memorial they saw earlier, and Una confirms that the memorial was intended to commemorate both Goliath and Griff, but now she sees that only Griff perished in the fight. The gargoyle Goliath swore to protect, Una accuses. Goliath asks how that is possible: In 1940, he was still magically frozen in stone hibernation in Scotland. Leo now outright calls Goliath a Liar, and the two English gargoyles throw off their robes. "You're lying now just as you did then!" Leo attacks, pushing Goliath against a bookshelf. Elisa asks Una to stop the quarrel, and Una agrees. Taking a book from a shelf, she points a talon in the air and recites:

Dormite, hostes mei, ubi statis!

Purple energy shoots from her talon to Elisa, Angela, Bronx, and then to Goliath, rendering them all unconscious. Leo tells Una that was good thinking as she walks over to the knocked out Goliath. "I know my merchandise," she chides. "Unpleasant dreams, Goliath!"

Some time later, Goliath comes to, but he doesn't see his companions anywhere. Only Una and Leo. He asks where they are, and Leo tells how he won't be able to save them, let alone find them. "Now you are powerless, just as we were." Una proclaims that Goliath will now live with the torment they had to endure for half a century – the torment of not knowing. Goliath pushes Leo into the shop counter, ordering him to tell him where Elisa, Angela, and Bronx are or–– but Leo cuts him off: "You'll what? Do to us what you did to Griff?"

"I DON'T KNOW ANY GRIFF!" Goliath roars. Pulling out the Phoenix Gate, Goliath is determined to find out what happened in 1940, even though he vowed never to use the talisman again. Reciting its incantation, a fireball erupts and consumes him, vanishing in front of a stunned Una and Leo.

From the flames of the Phoenix Gate, Goliath arrives in London, midair in the Battle of Britain . . . and right in the path of a Spitfire.

Act Two

Before Goliath has a chance to react, Griff swoops in a pushes the time-traveler out of harm's way. From the cockpit, Douglas asks over the radio if Clive in another Spitfire saw what he saw. Clive didn't, and Douglas figures its just the night sky playing tricks. He orders the others to head back to base. The Spitfires veer off.

Now a safe distance away, Griff tells Goliath "that could have been a bit nasty". Acknowledging Griff for saving his life, Goliath remarks under his breath that the reverse was supposed to happen. Overhearing him, Griff isn't sure what to make of that. At any event, Griff's more excited to know that there are other gargoyles about, taking Goliath as "Scottish stock" and happy to see he's come to help with the war. Introductions made, Griff tells Goliath he has some friends he "must meet".

Soaring to Soho, they arrive on the balcony of the Into the Mystic shop. Griff announces his return and Una and Leo are eager to see that he has arrived safely. Leo points out that tonight was a particular bad skirmish in the sky, but Griff points out that every night is bad, and will continue to be bad until the Nazis are defeated. Sensing he's already dampened the mood, Griff perks back up and happily introduces his rookery siblings to Goliath. Cautiously, Goliath says he's pleased to meet them. While Leo is much warmer in his reception this time around, Goliath can't help but worry about the inevitable.

After closing the store for the night, Leo joins Una, Griff, and Goliath, who are sitting by a lantern having tea. Griff explains to Goliath how their shop has been in the London Clan's possession for generations. Leo points out, that with the Blitz, who knows if how long the shop will still be standing. Una hands Goliath a cup of tea but apologizes for being unable to offer him sugar – "the war, you know." Goliath observes the hardships they've had to endure, but Griff grows indignant: throwing his cup to the ground, Griff argues that unless the Nazis are stopped, the whole world is in danger. Leo agrees, but tries to reason with Griff. They belong down here, protecting their home. "If the fight comes to us, so be it," he rationalizes. Una agrees, figuring the Nazis are a "human problem". Griff turns to Goliath for his two cents. Trying to be polite, Goliath doesn't presume to advise, but in his experience, "Human problems become gargoyle problems." Griff slaps a hand on Goliath's shoulder, identifying him as someone who's finally making sense when an air raid siren goes off. Griff announces that the battle is about to recommence, and he asks who will go with him. Una and Leo look at one another, unsure. Goliath chooses to go along, and Griff commends him. Una goes to Griff, begging him not to go. "I have a terrible feeling about tonight," she pleads. Griff brushes off her worries, quipping that he'd only get on her nerves if he stuck around. Leo asks if Griff thinks less of them for not joining the fight, but Griff considers that thought rubbish: they're protecting the shop. They clasp arms and Griff and Goliath steel themselves for battle. Before Goliath departs, Una quietly asks Goliath to watch over Griff. "He's very dear to me. I mean, to us," she shares to him. Goliath gives her his oath that he will not let anything happen to Griff this time. As Goliath leaves with Griff, Una remains confused by Goliath's words. "This time?" she wonders aloud.

Over the London skyline, the Luftwaffe begin to drop bombs indiscriminately over the city. Lights are turned off to avoid being easy targets and civilians race to bunkers and the underground for safe shelter (including a young girl and her brother who will one day be the Cabbie Elisa runs into). One of the Nazi fighters chases Bader in the sky, trying to shoot him down. Before he can properly take aim a second time, Griff lands atop the aircraft terrifying the Nazi pilot. Before he can even figure out what Griff is, Goliath lands on the plane, tearing off the cockpit's enclosure. One sight of the second gargoyle is enough for the Nazi to jump out of his plane and pull the parachute. Griff and Goliath abandon the plane, which careens into the Thames not far from the Tower Bridge. Bader is overjoyed to see the gargoyles are, in fact, real – "and they're on our side!"

Clive, meanwhile, is having trouble of his own. After being dogged by one of the Luftwaffe, he's forced to bale out of his Spitfire before it explodes. Unfortunately, his parachute is jammed, but thankfully he's caught bt Griff, and passes out from the shock. Griff thinks nothing of it: "Enjoy the nap, chum. You earned it." Distracted in his efforts to keep an eye on Griff, Goliath doesn't see the aircraft behind him in time. The Nazi fighter hits Goliath in the right wing, piercing it . . . but he's not through with Goliath yet.

Act Three

Goliath tries to get out of the Luftwaffe's sights, but the Nazi pilot won't let up, firing volley after volley at the gargoyle, who manages to evade the onslaught. As Griff settles the barely-conscious Clive on a nearby roof, he notices Goliath's in danger, and hurries back to help his new friend. Before he can get close to them, the Nazi pilot has Goliath in sights. Just as he's about to fire, he rocked by an attack hitting him: he darts off away from Douglas, who's happy to give the Nazi a taste of his own medicine. Griff makes it to Goliath and waves down Douglas, who gives a thumbs up from his cockpit. He flies off to continue the fight, while Griff intends to take the injured Goliath back to the shop.

Meanwhile on the ground, two British soldiers are standing by some anti-aircraft cannons, regaling their sucesses so far that night. One notices something gliding in the night sky, and the other figures it must be "another of those blasted Nazis!" They begin firing from their cannon, nearly missing Griff and Goliath. Griff's surprised that its friendly fire, and Goliath suggests they land somewhere, the skies clearly not safe.

Up in the skies, the dogfight continues between Douglas and the Nazi pilot that attacked Goliath. Losing him in the clouds, the Nazi pilot is successfully ambushed by Douglas. He manages to jump out of his plane as it plummets toward the city below.

As Goliath and Griff land on wartorn rooftop, Griff admits that the cannon fire was "a bit of a scare". Just as a neighboring tower begins to tilt. Goliath notices just in time and grabs him in time for the two of them to avoid getting crushed. They manage to glide to the ground and Griff begins to wonder if the night will ever end. Before Goliath can even fully respond, he pushes Griff off the street and jumps out of the way of an army truck speeding by. Goliath walks over to help Griff get back on feet, and the London gargoyle remarks they are even when it comes to saving each other's lives. Goliath finally realizes what he must do, and tells Griff he cannot return home. "Fate is conspiring against you." he attempts to explain. Griff is confused, telling Goliath the shop is not far from where they are, but Goliath understands that history is impossible to change. All he knows is what is true: Griff did not return home in 1940. Griff grows suspicious of his new friend, asking where he's really from. "Not where, when," Goliath replies, just as they hear the Nazi plane that Douglas shot nose-diving directly at them. Phoenix Gate already in hand, Goliath says the incantation, and the Griff's life is saved one last time that night as the two are engulfed in flames and vanish.

In 1996, Elisa, Angela, and Bronx are chained in the basement of the Into the Mystic shop. Elisa demands to know what Una and Leo did to Goliath. Una shares that Goliath "has shown his true character", by abandoning them as – they beleive – he once did to Griff. Angela doesn't beleive Una for a minute, but Una doesn't really care what Angela beleives, explaining that, using sorcery, he vanished in a ball of flame. With that detail, Elisa realizes that Goliath must have used the Phoenix Gate to save Griff. Leo is unnerved at the prospect, but Una is dismissive. Nothing can bring back Griff. She tells her captives that Goliath was the one to convince Griff to fight just when they had nearly convinced him to stay put with them, safe. Leo begins to walk to the three prisoners, realizing what the real problem has been after fiftys-six years. He frees Elisa and Una is dumbfounded as to why. Leo tells her that they should have gone with Griff and Goliath that night, and that since then, they've been blaming the wrong gargoyle for what happened to Griff. Una reminds him they had a home to protect, and Leo doesn't consider that a mistake, but it doesn't stop their guilt from haunting them. Una finally breaks down, wondering why Griff had to be so brave. The two embrace as they mourn once more for their loved one, as Elisa frees the others.

Outside the shop, the flames of the Phoenix Gate deliver Goliath and Griff. Griff is relieved to see the shop he's known all his life, but is stunned to see how everything else has changed. London has become bigger, brighter, and louder. A pedestrian walks by the two gargoyles, not noticing them as he is completely absorbed from the GameBoy he's playing on. That interaction alone seems to be the one to make Griff's head spin, as he nearly faints into traffic. Goliath grabs and pulls him to safety. "Let's not start that again," Goliath deadpans. Griff starts to comprehend, asking Goliath if this is a different time, and Goliath confirms it: it's now the 1990s. At any rate, Goliath hopes they are not too late to save his friends.

Down in the shop's basement, Elisa tries to console the two London gargoyles, reminding them that even they are not to blame for what happened to Griff. "Horrible things happen in wartime," she tells them. Above, the shop door's bell rings and Bronx races up the stairs, greeting Bronx. Angela and Elisa follow, and Angela notices that her rookery father is injured. Goliath isn't worried; he should be healed after a day of stone sleep. Ultimately, he's happy to see they are safe. Una and Griff enter the main room of the shop, and just before Una begins to apologize to Goliath, she stops. Both she and Leo are shocked to see Griff standing behind Goliath. It takes a moment for Griff to recognize his rookery siblings, but that doesn't stop the warm reunion. Leo embraces Griff, happy to see that he's still the same. Griff slightly ribs Leo for growing "distinguished". Hugging Griff, Una laments that its been so long, and Griff kindly asks just how long has it been exactly. Leo says it doesn't matter; "Tonight is a new beginning – for ALL of us!" he declares. Elisa tells Goliath he can explain it to the others later.

Back at the Skiff, Goliath concludes that Una and Leo's memories of Goliath were accurate, but he could not recognize them until he went back in time to meet them. Despite that making some sense to Elisa, she asks he explain it one more time, and slowly.

In Soho, just outside the Into the Mystic shop, the four street thugs have cornered the man they chased from before. They bully him to go back where he came from so they could keep England "pure". The thug with the bat gets a talon-tap on the shoulder. He turns around to see Griff, who asks if that's anyway to be treating their neighbors. Leo and Una swoop down knocking two of the thugs to the ground, with the other two running away as the first two get back on their feet to join them. Una warns them not to come back, "or we'll make it our business!" Leo finishes. A crowd begins to form outside the shop. The gargoyles are unconcerned, if they notice at all.

Embracing each rookery sibling, Griff is comforted that, "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Featured Characters and First Appearances

Gargoyles Humans


Places Magic Miscellaneous


Quotes

  • "I know my merchandise. Unpleasant dreams, Goliath!" - Una
  • "I do not presume to advise, but in my experience, human problems become gargoyle problems." - Goliath
  • "They're real! And they're on our side!" - Douglas Bader
  • "The more things change, the more they stay the same." - Griff

Continuity

The London Clan is introduced in this episode – it is the first gargoyle clan known to have survived to the present day that did not have its origins in the Wyvern Clan. More clans are introduced later in the second season in "The Green" and "Bushido".

Leo, Una, and Griff appear for the first time. Griff will reappear in "Pendragon", and he and other members of the London Clan are shown in "The Rock", "Rock & Roll", and "Rock of Ages". Leo and Una appear briefly in "Rock of Ages", but without speaking roles.

Goliath uses the Phoenix Gate, even though he had promised to prevent it from being used in "Avalon" Part Three. In "Eye of the Storm" he similarly uses the Eye of Odin himself rather than giving it to Odin.

Tidbits

The notion of Goliath taking part in the Battle of Britain was a very early idea in Gargoyles (once it was redesigned as a serious adventure series rather than a comedy). Originally, the plan was for Goliath to be awake during the thousand years when the rest of his clan was in stone sleep, remaining in Castle Wyvern and guarding them for most of that time - but when the Second World War erupts, Goliath, realizing the gravity of the situation, fights alongside the RAF to prevent the Germans from conquering Britain and endangering Castle Wyvern and its sleeping gargoyles. When this notion of how Goliath spent the thousand years between 994 and 1994 was dropped, Greg Weisman still felt enamored enough of the notion of Goliath participating in the Battle of Britain that he looked for another way to allow for his presence there, and found it in the Phoenix Gate.

One of the RAF pilots in the Battle of Britain sequence (identified in the dialogue) is Douglas Bader, an actual historical figure who took part in the defense of London during the Blitz, and whom Greg Weisman had even met as a boy. (Bader is another human in the series who, after the initial astonishment at seeing gargoyles has worn off, readily accepts them, leading to a particularly great scene where he saves Goliath and Griff from a German bomber and then exchanges a thumbs-up with Griff.) The animators erred, however, in having him fly a Spitfire in this scene. In actuality, he flew a Hurricane during the Battle of Britain (flying Spitfires later as the war continued).

The notion of Leo, Una, and Griff looking like a winged lion, unicorn, and griffon respectively came from English gargoyle sculptures with similar appearances.

Leo and Una resemble a lion and a unicorn, which are the heraldic symbols on the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom. The lion and the unicorn represent England and Scotland, respectively. The symbols have made their way into popular culture with a nursery rhyme that was featured in Lewis Carroll's novel, Through the Looking Glass. "The Lion and the Unicorn" was also the title of a Batman: The Animated Series episode that was written by Diane Duane, Peter Morwood, and Steve Perry. In this episode, when Leo and Una decline to participate in the Battle of Britain, other representatives of England and Scotland (Griff and Goliath) take their place. [1]

One of the influences of this episode was the legend of gremlins who would mess with the planes during World War II. The idea of gremlins and airplanes was adapted into a book by Roald Dahl, The Gremlins, and an episode of the Twilight Zone, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" starring William Shatner. [2]

According to Greg Weisman, the London Clan lives on a country estate just outside London. Una serves as its leader; her second-in-command stays on the estate to look after things there. This estate, Knight's Spur, is later introduced in "Rock & Roll".

DVD Release

See Also

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