Protection

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"Protection" is the thirty-first televised episode of the series Gargoyles, and the eighteenth episode of Season 2. It originally aired on November 13, 1995.

Summary

Main Plot

Elisa goes undercover as a crooked cop and starts a power struggle with Dracon for a sting operation to bring down his protection racket that blackmails small business owners. Elisa meets with Dracon and offers a partnership with him, which he readily accepts after Goliath and Broadway arrive and offer their services as well. Elisa and Matt trick Dracon into admitting his scheme to a hidden camera in Mr. Jaffe's store, and Dracon is once again arrested after being apprehended by Goliath while trying to escape.

Subplots

Dracon's men plant a bomb in Art and Lois's restaurant since Art refused to pay the protection fee. The news reports about these bombings gets the attention of Goliath, who is angered immensely at the perversion of the gargoyles' greatest instinct.

The police can't stop Dracon without a confession from him so they set up several stings. In one sting, Morgan and Captain Chavez pose as owners of a dry cleaners that's being harassed by Dracon's men. When they don't comply with the demands, Pal Joey gasses them and plants a bomb. Luckily, Broadway arrived on time to drop the bomb in the Hudson River.

Elisa, Matt, and Chavez put on a show for Pal Joey at the Precinct so that he would report Elisa's odd behavior back to his boss. Later, Elisa intimidates Dave, one of Dracon's "clients", in order to get a meeting with the gangster.

Goliath and Broadway, unaware of Elisa's assignment, attack Dracon's men after seeing Elisa going into a car with them to meet with Dracon. Elisa scolds the gargoyles in a condescending manner in front of the men. Broadway realizes that Elisa is undercover, and he and Goliath follow her to Dracon, who likes the idea that he can control the gargoyles through Elisa.

Matt works undercover at Mr. Jaffe's store as a sales clerk and lures Dracon there by telling Glasses he wants to speak to the one in charge of the operation, citing that Elisa is working the same area. The trap works when Dracon arrives with Elisa and gives Matt the rundown of the operation. When he realizes Elisa has tricked him, a fight breaks out, but is effectively ended when Goliath grabs Dracon and drops and subsequently catches him from the air.

The Story

Previously on Gargoyles

Act One

While Art and Lois are closing up their restaurant for the night, they have a heated discussion on whether or not they should be paying a "protection" fee to some hoodlums. Lois doesn't want any trouble, but Art is adamant against the notion – not when they've have been working there for thirty-four years. Before they leave, Art notices an abandoned briefcase and figures it will be claimed in the morning. They leave with seconds to spare, because the briefcase secretly contains a bomb. Art and Lois are just feet away from the building when the explosive device goes off, blowing out the storefront, knocking the couple to the ground, and reducing the building to rubble and flames. Art helps Lois back to her feet and grimaces. He knows the party responsible: Dracon.

Blocks away, a limo with Tony Dracon pulls up and picks up Glasses. Tony bravoes him for his handiwork at Art & Lois' and the message it sends: If you don't pay Tony Dracon to protect your place, you might not have a place to protect. Glasses reports that someone – a crooked cop – is muscling in on Dracon's territory. Tony doesn't appreciate the lack of manners and orders Glasses to send this crooked cop – a crooked female cop – a message.

Pedestrians crowd around the site of the ruined restaurant. As fire fighters work to put out the flames, Travis Marshall interviews Art and Lois live. Art is livid in front of the camera, prepared to say exactly who was responsible, but Lois cuts him off. Art then changes course, muttering to Marshall that it was probably an accident. Marshall is unconvinced at the explanation and concludes that "witnesses seem afraid to come forward". Marshall explains that this latest bombing has police convinced that Tony Dracon has tightened his grip on the area by means of extortion.

At the Clock Tower, Broadway is watching Travis Marshall's report, which Goliath overhears. He asks Broadway to explain what the report meant by "protection racket" and Broadway explains that if innocent people don't pay criminals a fee, their places of business will be damaged. Goliath is indignant at how the meaning of "protection" has been corrupted and wonders why the police don't stop this. He further wonders where Elisa is. Broadway is curious too; he hasn't seen her for a few days.

Below at the 23rd Precinct, Captain Chavez wonders the same thing. Matt Bluestone walks by, escorting Pal Joey to interrogate him about the restaurant bombing. Chavez asks Bluestone if he's seen Elisa, but (in front of Pal Joey) he says he hasn't. Chavez explains she needs a word with Elisa as Bluestone takes Pal Joey inside Interrogation Room 1.

Matt drills Pal Joey, questioning him for some time, but the known Dracon associate won't budge, insisting that he heard it was an officer on the take. Matt is about to lose his patience, when Elisa steps into the room. Matt tries to tell his partner that Captain Chavez is looking for her, but Elisa ignores the comment. Instead she shoos Matt away, wanting a minute with Pal Joey alone. Matt is confused and wants to know what she'll be asking Pal Joey. Elisa dismisses him, however, claiming he doesn't want to know and calling him "Mr. Clean". Matt is taken aback, and leaves the room. Once he's gone, Elisa begins to harass the suspect, telling him to tell Dracon that his territory is "her territory". She's interrupted by Captain Chavez with Bluestone standing nearby.

As they talk in the hallway, Pal Joey quietly walks to the interrogation room's door, which has been conveniently left slightly open. He overhears Chavez informing Elisa that she's received a tip that the detective has been demanding protection money from storekeepers. Elisa can't believe the Captain is taking the "garbage" tip seriously, and maintains her innocence. Matt comes to her defense, finding it hard to believe that Elisa would ever get mixed up in such behavior. Chavez tells him to save it for the investigation, and comments how strange Elisa has been acting lately. Elisa is now incredulous; one anonymous tip and she's a criminal? Chavez doesn't yield; she suspends Elisa without pay and takes her gun and badge. Elisa bitterly storms off.

From the Clock Tower, Broadway and Goliath see Elisa leave the police station without stopping to see the Manhattan Clan. Goliath concludes that something must be wrong and the two glide off to follow her.

In his penthouse at the Park Manor Hotel, Tony is on the phone with Pal Joey (who's calling from a payphone), unconvinced by the news that the crooked cop is Elisa Maza. Pal Joey protests that its true, telling him the detective's behavior was weird. Tony then receives another phone call, this time from Dave from Dave's Ball and Stick, a business in Dracon's protection racket territory. He explains to Tony that Elisa (now wearing a blue top in black leather) is currently at his pool hall demanding money and he promises to stall her. Elisa knocks the #9 ball into the corner pocket as Dave asks to see Elisa's badge. Elisa doesn't waste time. If Dave wants "protection", then she wants money.

Act Two

Elisa continues to intimidate Dave at the pool hall. Declaring the exposed wires from the light fixtures to be a code violation, she uses a pool stick to break the lights on the pool table. Threatening to report Dave to the Building Inspector, Elisa demands to be paid every week, or she'll make his life miserable.

A moment later, Glasses and Pal Joey arrive, with Glasses asking Elisa for a word. They exit the pool hall with Dave frozen from the various intimidators. Elisa hops into a car with Pal Joey and Glasses on either side of her. Elisa dryly asks what the problem is, and Glasses responds that she's the problem. As Elisa begins to explain how she has a solution, the car's driver is suddenly forced off the road by Goliath and Broadway, hitting a street light. Glasses recognizes the gargoyles from their previous encounters, and Elisa sighs to herself, "Not now".

Pal Joey tries to flee from the scene, but crashes into Broadway (who quickly gets a firm hold on the perp after knocking down the driver). Goliath opens the car door and pulls Glasses out, but only to see if Elisa is ok. Elisa is visibly annoyed with the gargoyle. With everyone in earshot, she says that she told Goliath to stop following her around: "What are you, a puppy?!" she throws at him. Goliath is perplexed; he wonders if Dracon's men have a hold over her. Elisa is no mood to explain – she orders the two gargoyles to put both Glasses and Pal Joey down and demands they leave her alone so she can do "some business" without distraction. She goes back into the car, and asks Dracon's men if they are just going to stand there all night. They hurry back into the car and drive off. Confused by the altercation, Goliath is convinced that she's under the influence of some magic spell, but Broadway thinks there's another explanation.

At his penthouse, Dracon is shocked by the news that Glasses reports: the gargoyles are under her control. "Maza talked to those things like they were little kids!" Glasses explains. Tony orders his men to go back to work and keep the money flowing, and to show Elisa in. Dracon tries to play friendly with Elisa, physically ushering her in and asking her if she's hungry. Elisa quickly gets Tony's hands off her and cuts to the chase; she's muscling in on Dracon's territory and he's unhappy about it. Tony drops the façade; he hates it, actually. But he wonders: how did a straight cop like herself wind up on the take? Elisa counters, how did Dracon stay out of prison after kidnapping two detectives? She explains that "power, money, and good lawyers" were enough for Dracon to make bail and continue to operate, business as usual. "Kinda makes me wonder what's the point?" Seeing her rationalizations convince Tony, Elisa entertains an appetite. Tony orders room service.

At the General Store, Mr. Jaffe reminds Bluestone that, as a little kid who frequented his grocery store, he was "always tilting at windmills". Jaffe asks Matt if he isn't in over his head once again. As he dons some thick glasses, a wig, and a cap, Bluestone assures Jaffe that he knows his job and that, one way or another, they'll nail Dracon, "and this time, it's gonna stick". Matt gets in-character just in time for Glasses to enter the shop. Mr. Jaffe asks if Glasses needs any help, but Glasses flips the question back at him. Mr. Jaffe's shop is in a dangerous neighborhood, Glasses explains, filled with armed robbers, arsonists, and vandals. He knocks over some cans to make his point. Disguised as a shop clerk, Matt asks Glasses if he can protect the shop, and Glasses explains that he can, "for a fee, of course". Picking up the cans, Matt tells Glasses that a lady cop is making the same pitch and wonders who's in charge. Glasses tells them that his people are in charge and that the competition isn't something to worry about, but Matt wants a guarantee that the boss Glasses reports to is, in fact, the one in charge. "We're willing to pay, but only once. That's reasonable, isn't it?" Glasses leaves the store; Matt looks at Mr. Jaffe, optimistic that the bait has been taken. Mr. Jaffe isn't so confident.

At a dry cleaners, Pal Joey is trying to convince the shopkeepers that if they don't pay, there will be no protection. No protection means they will be out of business. Or worse. But at this shop, the shopkeepers aren't intimidated at all. They tell Pal Joey they won't pay him nor anybody. After Pal Joey leaves the shop, a disguised Morgan asks a disguised Chavez if she thinks Pal Joey bought the ruse. Captain Chavez figures that with the amount of lines they hung out, one of them is bound to snag Dracon.

Back at Dracon's penthouse, Elisa and Tony are enjoying their meal. Elisa eats from a jar of Jalapeña Brand jalapeños, commenting how much she loves them. [1] Tony offers her the entire jar. While Elisa contemplates getting used to way of life, Dracon begins to ask about her relationship with the gargoyles. Noting how she can control them, he says that if the gargoyles were to work them, the two could control the entire city. Elisa quickly dismisses the idea; she explains to Dracon that they are wild, unpredictable – that they don't understand business, money, or power. She's suddenly cut off by Goliath opening the balcony doors. Tony immediately takes cover by jumping behind the couch – grabbing a gun and ready to fire. Broadway and Goliath don't attack but instead tell Elisa that money and power sound very appealing.

Act Three

Elisa offers introductions of Broadway and Goliath to Dracon, but Tony informs her they've already met. Broadway spots the Jalapeña jar, and Elisa allows him to keep the jar. Tony relishes the thought of having the kind of muscle the gargoyles can provide, but he remains skeptical. Broadway explains that they need to partner up with someone established, someone who "knows the angles". Goliath, on the other hand, figures he can trust whoever Elisa trusts. Tony levels with the gargoyle: if they take control of the city, it could get violent. Goliath admits he's "not overly fond of humans, with the exception of Elisa". Tony concludes that Elisa is Goliath's "woman", and comments on his good taste. He's even so bold as to pat Goliath on the shoulder, declaring that they can do business together. Goliath growls at Tony continuing to be in his personal space and Tony backs away once more. "Chill, chill!" Tony hastens to say.

Glasses and Pal Joey enter the penthouse and are instantly alarmed at the site of the gargoyles once more, with Pal Joey panicked that they are seemingly everywhere. Tony has them stand down, declaring Goliath and Broadway guests and announcing that they are now all partners. Broadway attests to the new dynamic, promising enough "lettuce" for everyone. Glasses then proceeds to inform Tony about the situations developing in their extortion efforts. After hearing about the grocery store that wants to know who's the boss and the dry cleaners that "want to be heroes" and not pay at all, Tony proposes that while he and Elisa visit the grocery store, the gargoyles should join Pal Joey in attacking the dry cleaners. He takes Elisa's hand and describes their venture as their "first date". The two leave with Glasses behind them. Pal Joey asks the gargoyles if they want to ride with him, but Goliath points out that they provide their own means of transportation. Pal Joey is soon beside himself at the site of them gliding off the balcony.

As they glide, Broadway explains, if "you can't beat them, join them!" Goliath agrees with the ruse so long as Elisa is safe. He veers off to keep an eye on her, telling Broadway to go to the dry cleaners without him.

Pal Joey stands in an alley behind the dry cleaner shop and moments later, Captain Chavez and Officer Morgan hear the sound of something breaking from the back of the store. A can rolls to the front, releasing gas and knocking both Chavez and Morgan unconscious. Pal Joey is irritated with his predicament – he doesn't need any "monsters" to do his job. Pal Joey slides the explosive device (identical to the bomb and briefcase that blew up Art and Lois's restaurant) inside, muttering the job to be simple enough to do solo. Broadway watches from the neighboring rooftop, wondering why bad guys are always in such a hurry. Broadway grabs Pal Joey but is ambushed by another of Tony's men who opens fire. Pinned behind an alley dumpster, Broadway finds his chance to use it as a ram to distract and subdue Dracon's associates. The humans come to not long after, bounded by steel rebar, with Broadway carrying the two back to the dry cleaners. When Pal Joey realizes his predicament, he fesses up to the bomb he's left, prompting Broadway to rush into the building. While Captain Chavez and Officer Morgan are still unconscious, Broadway removes the bomb from the briefcase with less than a minute before the explosion. He climbs up the building and glides toward the Hudson River. With seconds to spare, Broadway manages to toss it so it explodes mid-air. He glides off, sighing with relief, "Jalapeña!"

Elisa and Dracon arrive at the General Store. Mr. Jaffe and a disguised Matt are restocking the cans on the shelf. Acting as the store clerk, Matt insists they don't want any trouble, waiting for the guy in charge. "I'm Tony Dracon – they don't get more in charge than me," replies the gang leader. When asked what the deal is, Tony is quick to explain his protection racket: pay up or there'll be problems. When pressed for details, Tony spells out that he can shut the store down, burn them out, or even blow them up. What he doesn't realize is that he's incriminating himself on the store's camera, and once there's enough to implicate his role in the protection racket, Matt brandishes his weapon and badge. Elisa takes Tony's gun while he's cornered in the sting operation, but he manages to wrestle the gun back moments after Elisa declares he's under arrest. Using Elisa as a human shield, he walks backward toward the store's entrance explaining that he wasn't stupid enough to come alone. He had to be sure whether he could trust Elisa; now he knows. Glasses and Tony's driver enter and provide cover for their boss, firing their particle beam cannon and rifle into the store. Matt pulls Mr. Jaffe down out of the shot's range.

As Tony prepares to make his getaway, he orders Glasses to finish them off. Before any more damage to life or property can continue, Goliath arrives, pulling and throwing Tony's driver onto the car and destroying his rifle. Dracon orders Glasses to attack Goliath, and the gargoyle jumps out of the laser fire. In the commotion, Elisa elbows Tony in the gut and punches him onto the store shelves. Matt manages to tackle Glasses to ground. Elsa kicks Tony in the face with a roundhouse, sending him to the ground on a pile of bagged potatoes. He grabs a bag and swings it at her, knocking her to the ground. Though she isn't down for long, the attack afforded Dracon enough time to exit the store. Elisa gets back up to pursue, but she stops when she sees Goliath roaring down on Tony, scooping him up into the night sky. As they climb higher and higher, Goliath explains that he would never join with the like of Tony Dracon. Eyes glowing, he declares: "You blackmail the innocent and call it protection! I should drop you right now, down into the gutter where you belong." The glow from his eyes dissipates as he lets go of the human. Tony plummets for several moments before Goliath grabs him again mid-air. Tony faints from shock as Goliath concludes: "But gargoyle justice is not human justice."

Goliath lands at the front of the General Store where Elisa has finished handcuffing Tony's driver. He leaves the unconscious Dracon at Elisa's feet, hoping she has the evidence she needs to convict Tony. Elisa explains that she does, and Goliath climbs up the building preparing to check on Broadway. Before departing, he tells Elisa that he hopes to see her soon. Captain Chavez and Officer Morgan arrive at the scene moments later to arrest Tony, who begins to come to. As the Captain gives back Elisa her badge, Matt wrangles Glasses and Tony's driver to the squad cars. Captain Chavez remarks that someone also left them a "couple tied-up thugs" at the dry cleaners.

Just before dawn at the Clock Tower, Elisa is reviewing the events of the night with Broadway and Goliath. Broadway snacks on the Jalapeña jar Elisa gave him earlier. She asks how the two ended up on Tony's balcony, and Broadway happily points out that he figured out she was working undercover. Goliath, for his part, can't understand how Dracon could ever believe Elisa would turn to a life of crime, and Elisa figures that the corrupted are cynical enough to believe that others can also be corrupted. "And it's not impossible," she explains, "none of us are perfect; that's why we need protection, even from ourselves sometimes." Goliath declares, "Then, I will protect you. You will protect me. And together, we will protect this city."

Broadway figures that to be a good plan and offers Goliath a jalapeño. Goliath briefly looks at the pepper before eating it whole. The pepper's pungency proves to be overwhelming and Goliath's roar echoes throughout the city: "JALAPEÑA!!"

Featured Characters and First Appearances

Gargoyles Humans


Places Miscellaneous


Quotes

  • "Elisa, are you all right?"
"I was fine until you came along! I told you stop following me everywhere. What are you, a puppy?!" - Goliath and Elisa
  • "You don't want to mess with them, trust me. They don't care about money or power."
"I don't know Elisa."
"Money and power sound...very appealing." - Elisa, Broadway, and Goliath
  • "I'm not overly fond of humans, with the exception of Elisa."
"So, she's your woman, huh? I can understand that. You've got good taste my friend." - Goliath and Dracon
  • "You, uh, wanna ride with me?"
"We provide our own transportation." - Pal Joey and Goliath
  • "I should drop you right now, down into the gutter where you belong. But gargoyle justice is not human justice." - Goliath
  • "I guess the corrupt are the first to believe that somebody else can be corrupted. And it's not impossible, none of us are perfect; that's why we need protection, even from ourselves sometimes."
"Then, I will protect you. You will protect me. And together, we will protect this city." - Elisa and Goliath
  • "You know, these are great. You should try one Goliath."
"Huh...JALAPEÑA!!" - Broadway and Goliath

Continuity

This is yet another good episode for guest appearances; Travis Marshall, Officer Morgan, and Mr. Jaffe all turn up in this story.

Art and Lois are introduced. They later re-appear in "Hunter's Moon" Part One and "Nightwatch".

Tidbits

The very first scene (the man hailing a taxi) is re-used from "Awakening: Part Four".

Shortly after the gargoyles arrive on the Tony's balcony, there is a brief error where Elisa is wearing her typical red jacket outfit instead of her crooked cop outfit.

Goliath pronounces "dry-cleaners" in the same slow and careful fashion that he had pronounced "detective" in Season One.

One of the most noteworthy aspects of "Protection" is its introduction of the famous (or infamous) cry of "Jalapeña!" into Gargoyles. Keith David (who did the voice of Goliath) had the habit of using it as a periodic exclamation (having picked it up from a female jazz singer). Voice Director Jamie Thomason bet Greg Weisman that he couldn't write it into a script; Greg took him up on his bet and put it into Protection (introducing the set-up for it with the jalapeña peppers being brought into Dracon's suite and which Broadway helps himself to). Greg remained fond of the cry, although the rest of the crew and cast did not share his attitude.

Incidentally, Broadway uses "Jalapeña!" as an expression during his clash with Pal Joey and his bomb, before Goliath's own encounter with a jalapeña pepper that would provide the precedent for such an exclamation.

Toon Disney/Disney XD Edits

They cut out the first two appearances of the bombs. At the beginning, instead of following the camera into the suitcase to see the bomb, they cut away to Art and Lois outside just before the explosion.

Also, later we're supposed to see Pal Joey opening the briefcase at the dry-cleaners to check the bomb. Instead, we see him unlatch the case, and then slide it into the shop while relatching it. (Despite these cuts, they showed the bomb CLEARLY when Broadway took it away to dispose of it.)

Finally, at the end, they cut out some scenes between Elisa and Dracon's fight in the General Store – specifically, Elisa delivering a spin-kick to Dracon, and Dracon grabbing a sack full of potatoes and knocking her into the store shelves with it.

DVD Release

See Also


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