The Reckoning
"The Reckoning" is the sixty-first televised episode of the series Gargoyles, and the forty-eighth episode of Season 2. It originally aired on May 7, 1996. It was adapted into a Radio Play and performed at the Gathering of the Gargoyles in 2003 as a tribute to Gary Sperling.
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Contents
[hide]Summary
Main Plot
Demona allows herself to be captured and imprisoned in the Labyrinth in a scheme with Thailog to clone Hudson and the Trio, and at the same time tries to convert Angela to her way of thinking. After the Clones are created by Anton Sevarius, Thailog busts Demona and Fang out of the Labyrinth, and the three of them lure the Manhattan Clan and Talon to a fun house on Coney Island, where the gargoyles face off against their clones for the first time. The clan is defeated and imprisoned, but Demona releases them when Thailog threatens to kill Angela. The clan subdues the clones, and Talon beats Fang, while Demona and Thailog seemingly fall to their deaths while fighting on a burning roller coaster.
Subplots
Angela formally introduces herself to Demona while she's imprisoned in the Labyrinth, and they engage in lengthy discussions. While Demona is unsuccessful in turning Angela to her way of thinking, she realizes that she truly cares for her daughter.
Thailog reveals to Demona and the others his secret clone project, Delilah, who he made with the combined DNA of Demona and Elisa. Demona realizes that Thailog's been using her all along.
Talon offers to allow the abandoned clones sanctuary in the Labyrinth. The clones and mutates become the basis for the Labyrinth Clan.
The Story
Previously on Gargoyles
- Recaps: ("Sanctuary", "High Noon")
Act One
"If the boredom doesn't get us, the mosquitos will," Brooklyn grumbles, swatting a mosquito away as he, Goliath, and Angela stand on a rooftop across the street from the Goldencup Bakery Building, unaware that someone is watching them through a pair of binoculars. Angela asks how much longer they'll have to sit there, but Goliath asks her to be patient. There has been a recent string of high tech-related thefts, so right now their best move is to stake out research facilities like Goldencup Bakery. As if on cue, a series of explosions rock the facility – windows are blown out and a large hole is blown in the roof. An exo-frame emerges from the rubble, carrying three crates. As it turns, Brooklyn recognizes its pilot: Demona. "My mother!" Angela whispers, much to Goliath's concern. The big gargoyle hypothesizes that Demona is gathering weapons for another offensive. "Then let's offend her first," Brooklyn growls as he bolts for Demona. Goliath tells Angela to take care and not to underestimate Demona. Brooklyn collides with Demona, forcing her to drop her loot; but she activates the jets on her exo-frame and takes flight. "This tin can won't save you!" Brooklyn growls as he digs his talons into it's steel hull. She activates its defenses and the skin of he frame generates electricity, causing Brooklyn to cry out in pain. Letting go of the haul, Demona swats him midair, where he soon crashes on a nearby rooftop, knocked out. Angela rushes to the aid of her friend and when he comes to, she smiles at him. "I should have known, you always travel in groups" Demona sneers as she watches the exchange and spots Goliath coming at her. "We are a clan, Demona! That's something you've forgot long ago!" Demona fires bolts of energy at Goliath, which he dodges. She activates her jets and shoots into the air before coming down on Goliath's back. Before she can finish Goliath off, Angela intervenes pleading for Demona to stop this fighting. "You! I saw you in Paris! Who are you?" Demona says taking aim at Angela's face. "I know every remaining gargoyle!" Demona declares. But Goliath slams into Demona's frame. "She is not your concern!" he growls, punching into the frame and hitting a vital component. Electricity generates, shocking both Goliath and Demona before the frame nose-dives onto a nearby rooftop.
Goliath and Angela prepare for the worst as Demona emerges from the wrecked exo-frame. Injured, she stumbles away from it before it explodes, the force of the blast knocking her down and out. Goliath and Angela land on opposite sides of her as Goliath takes her pulse before confirming to a concerned Angela that Demona is alive. Brooklyn soon arrives but Angela's attention is captured by her unconscious mother. "She looks so peaceful," Angela says. Hardly reassured, Brooklyn replies, "Yeah, wait 'til she wakes up." Goliath declares that they cannot release her, but Angela asks what options they have. "Long ago, we banished gargoyles who turned against the clan." But Brooklyn points out there's really no place they can banish her to. Angela reminds them that humans lock their criminals away in prison and suggests doing the same. But during the day Demona is human while the rest of them turn to stone. Although Goliath is unconvinced there is a place they can safely guard her, Brooklyn knows of one.
Shortly later, Elisa Maza, Hudson, Lexington, and Broadway join them as they convene in the Labyrinth with Talon, Maggie the Cat, and Claw. They quickly lock Demona in a cell and come to an agreement. The mutates will watch the prisoners during the day and the gargoyles will stand watch at night. Elisa asks Goliath if he realizes what he's committing himself to, but he sees no other options and tells the rest of the clan that they will each take turns in a nightly rotation. Elisa swats the back of her neck and Talon apologizes for the mosquitos they have down there "and worse." From inside his adjourning cell, Fang protests, "Hey, Hey! I resemble that remark!" Ignoring him, Talon reminds the rest of them that Fang is serving time for trying to force his way into power down there. Angela takes a long look at the still unconscious Demona and volunteers to take the first watch. Goliath doesn't like the idea at all and tries to discourage her. "Am I a member of this clan or not?!" Angela asserts. Goliath attempts to talk her out of it until Hudson intervenes and tells Angela to take the first watch. But Hudson reminds her that "she may be your mother but she is capable of anything."
Later that night, Angela sits and watches as Demona slowly comes to. Slowly becomes fast as Demona jumps to her feet, realizing she's in captivity. She spots Angela and leaps towards the bars enraged, demanding to know who she is. Angela tells Demona her name, hesitates for the briefest of moments before adding "your daughter." These words enrage Demona further, "How dare you mock me! I have no daughter." Angela explains that the clan's eggs survived, that Demona and Goliath are her biological parents and even mentions that she's told there's a resemblance. Demona briefly softens, amazed at this revelation. Angela gets excited and begins telling Demona about her life, living on Avalon and that Princess Katharine brought all the eggs there after Castle Wyvern was attacked. "Typical humans, they pillage the Castle AND steal our children!" Demona growls, her anger returning. Angela tries to convince her that the Princess saved them and considers the human a part of her clan – as is Demona. Her fury more restrained, Demona counters, "Know this, young one. Humans have no place in any gargoyle clan, Goliath has lost sight of this simple truth." Demona reaches through the bars and places a hand on Angela's shoulder. "If you truly are my daughter, we must always be there for one another. THAT is what it means to belong a clan." The moment is cut off by Fang's snickering turning into laughter, "I'm moved – deeply!" Angela tells him to mind his own business. Fang sits back on his bed telling the two females that they're better than soaps.
During the following evening, Fang marks another day in captivity while Lexington watches Demona. [1] But the small gargoyle neglects to notice Demona reaching for her belt buckle and releasing a robotic mosquito, biting the gargoyle on duty. Lex swats at it but misses. Demona smirks knowingly as the bug flies off.
The Micro-Electric Mosquito emerges from the city's storm drains and flies towards the Nightstone Unlimited Building. It approaches Dr. Sevarius at a work bench, and the geneticist greets it, wondering whose DNA the little thief brought him. He takes a syringe to it and drains of of the blood sample. Clearly amused, he jokes aloud, "You know, when they called bio-engineering a growth industry, they're not kidding." He releases the blood sample into a vial and places it inside a growth chamber. "Three down and two to go." Thailog is more than pleased as he enters the laboratory; he just loves it when everything goes according to plan and lets out a maniacal laugh.
Act Two
Five weeks pass, and five maturation tanks are filled with clones are growing inside. "Nice doing business with you, Thailog," Sevarius says as he accepts a briefcase full of cash. "All you have to do now is decide on the programming." He advises Thailog to keep it simple, "you don't want to end up with another you." Thailog agrees.
Down in the Labyrinth, Angela and Demona are debating the latter's behavior as Angela tries desperately to understand her. "How can you judge me," Demona asks. "You have been hiding on a magical island while I have been out in the real world." Claw approaches and signals to Angela – her shift is over. Although she knows it is dawn, Angela decides to spend the day down there, near Demona's cell. Angela takes her place and turns to stone. Demona smiles warmly at her sleeping daughter before crying out in pain as she transforms into her human form. Fang watches as Demona collapses on the bed before saying to himself, "kinky."
Two more months pass as Goliath arrives to relieve Talon. Fang tries to get the gargoyle's attention by asking him how many gargoyles does it take to screw in a lightbulb. But Demona is less than pleased to see her "judge and jury." Goliath reminds her that she chose her in fate when she turned against her clan. Spitting back his words from more than a year ago, Demona tells Goliath that he doesn't even know the meaning of the word clan, but has every intention to teach him her definition. As the Labyrinth begins to rumble. Talon realizes that isn't a subway car. The ceiling explodes, debris raining down on Talon and Goliath as Thailog makes his entrance, carrying two particle-beam cannons. "Thailog, my love, your timing is impeccable." The clone fires three blasts at the bars, freeing his mate. Demona runs towards him and the two embrace before he hands her one of the weapons. She has ideas of her own as she approaches Fang's cell. Fang, fearing the worst, pleads for his life as she readies her gun. He covers himself with a blanket begging "some of my best friends are half-gargoyle half-human babes with bad attitudes!" But Demona doesn't kill him, instead she destroys the glass cell walls containing him. "He's a fool but he may be of some use." Fang is eager to work with that and makes his escape, following the unscrupulous couple. Still hurting from the roof's collapse, Goliath finally gets to his feet and helps Talon up, removing a large concrete slab off the mutate. Goliath tells him that they cannot fall behind.
Goliath and Talon follow the villains to Coney Island; the three quickly land and enter the funhouse as Goliath and Talon land atop the Ferris Wheel. Talon is suspicious, sensing a trap. Goliath agrees, realizing they were too easy to follow. He tells Talon to keep watch while he goes for help. Out of earshot, Talon mutters, "feel free to hurry back." Goliath soon returns with the rest of the gargoyles. Nobody has come or gone so Talon took the time to scope the place out. He identifies three ways in: a service entrance at the rear, an air vent on the roof, and the front door. Goliath wants to box them in and gives everyone their instructions, ordering Angela to come with him.
Hudson and Talon enter through the back. Fang gets the drop on them and blasts Talon with a powerful bolt of electricity. Hudson readies his sword to take the rogue mutate down, but Fang has back-up. A large gargoyle resembling Hudson and carrying a steel club emerges and growls. Hudson is shocked at the sight of his adversary and the gargoyle quickly disarms Hudson, knocking him to the ground.
The Trio enter through the roof's air vent and descent into a funhouse maze. Broadway nods and heads in a different direction as Brooklyn and Lexington search together. They open a door and are surprised by a faux monster prop. But the two hear growls from behind them, so they turn and spot two gargoyles that almost resemble them as they attack. Lexington quickly figures out the two new gargoyles are clones, and of them at that! Lex's clone slams him into a wall as Brooklyn's slams him into the ground.
Broadway exits the maze and enters a hall of trick mirrors. He stares in disdain at a distorted reflection of himself, grumbling that it looks nothing like him, as a monstrous clone of him roars and slams into him , capturing him in a violent bearhug.
Angela and Goliath enter a dungeon as Thailog appears and points his gun right at him. Angela turns and Demona appears, her gun trained on her. "You think you've won, Thailog? But it isn't that easy." An amused Thailog opens a hidden sliding wall, revealing that their allies have been captured. "Face it, Goliath. My clan can beat your clan any day of the week." And with Demona at his side, and the two surrounded by clones of the Manhattan Clan, Thailog laughs in triumph. It's over. They've lost, he won.
Act Three
It's after midnight, the rest of the clan has come to and are restrained either to the wall, or to various torture devices. Rats run at their feet and Demona approaches Goliath basking in triumph as she cups his chin and formally introduces him to her new clan. Lexington's clone, Brentwood. Broadway's clone, Hollywood. Brooklyn's clone, Malibu. And Hudson's clone, Burbank. "I named them myself." But Goliath can only react with utter disgust. "If you consider these poor creatures to be your clan, you've sunk even lower than I imagined." Thailog is amused that Goliath is insulting his friends' genetic makeup, but he does acknowledge that the clones are a bit primitive as he kept their programming simple: "Obey Thailog. It's all they really need to know." But he's had his moment, it's now time to get rid of all of his enemies, he approaches Angela gun at ready "starting with her." But Demona pushes his gun aside, claiming that Angela belongs to her. Thailog is less than amused, "you've known she was your daughter since before we staged your capture and you've still been unable to turn her." This knowledge enrages Angela beyond belief. Demona pleads that she needed to make Angela understand, but Angela understands perfectly. The last few months were a charade staged to turn her against her father and then to trap and destroy her clan. Just as Hudson warned her, Demona is capable of anything. With a cold rage, Angela's eyes glow and she tells Demona she hates her. As Demona walks away dejected, Thailog smirks, "You see? You're better off without her." He takes aim at Angela once more, his finger on the trigger.
But Demona can't let him do it, she lunges at him from behind, redirecting his weapon and it fires into the air. Demona attempts to wrestle him away, but Thailog elbows her in the stomach, knocking her to the floor. While Fang scurries out of their way, Thailog shares that while Demona has disappointed him, he's prepared for such a development before calling out to his trump card: Delilah! Another hidden door slides opens and a female gargoyle clone emerges, but this one is different. She greets "Master Thailog" who gestures for her to join him. "Look familiar my ex-love? I combined your DNA with that of the human, Elisa Maza." Demona sits there and seethes as he goes on to describe Delilah as the perfect programmed companion: obedient, lovely, and willing to do anything for him. Indeed, his order is simple – destroy the Manhattan Clan. Delilah picks up Demona's discarded particle beam weapon, ready to follow his command by executing Angela followed by the rest of the clan. Demona, however, gets to her feet as Thailog takes a shot at her, but to his surprise, she lunges towards a hidden wall switch and releases her enemies. "Goliath, save our daughter!" she orders. Goliath does just that, pushing Angela out of the way of the particle beam. Delilah misses her shot and before she can fire again the weapon is knocked out of her hands with Goliath's tail. The rest of the clan and Talon, freed from their restraints, engage the clones and Fang as Demona slams into Thailog plunging the both of them through the dungeon's walls. Goliath exists the dungeon to pursue them.
Fang fires an electrical blast at Talon before making his escape, but the mutate pursues his fugitive. Delilah reaches for the gun, but Angela steps on it and kicks it away, telling the clone, "Don't even think about it," as she grabs Delilah by the jacket. Broadway is thrown against a torture rack while Brentwood slams Lex into the ground. Lexington realizes that they can't beat the clones one-on-one. Brooklyn suggests using team work as he pulls Brentwood off of his rookery brother. Broadway narrowly avoids a heat butt from Hollywood. Hudson agrees with Brooklyn's plan, but suggests they find some room to move. The gargoyles take off through the hole on all fours, where they are pursued by their respective clones, leaving Angela and Delilah alone. Both of them looking forward to having this fight.
"I've been waiting a long time for this, Talon!" Fang says as he chases his former leader through a rollercoaster firing blast after blast of electrical discharges. Talon isn't too worried – he's beaten Fang before. Fang fires another blast and misses, hitting the wooden structure of the rollercoaster, which begins to catch fire. Fang loses sight of his prey allowing Talon to get the drop of him just as the small fire begins to grow into a larger one.
Thailog throws Demona down onto the rollercoaster's track and lands on top of her, restraining her underfoot before pointing his gun at her face. "It would seem that the love has gone out of our relationship." Before he can pull the trigger, Goliath slams into him, hurling him into another section of the rollercoaster. Now disarmed, Thailog kicks Goliath off of him. Before he can move in, he's distracted by Demona's shriek as she swoops down and grabs him by the shoulders, soaring into the air with her own intentions of dealing with him. Goliath watches and follows.
With their clones still in chase, Brooklyn orders they split up. Hollywood pursues Lexington who tricks him into flying face first into a high striker. Injured, the clone falls to the ground, prompting the game's bell to ding (much to Lexington's amusement). Burbank pursues Brooklyn through the Ferris Wheel before Broadway gets the drop on him while Brentwood lunges at Hudson, but the old gargoyle just taunts the small clone. With the clones now in position, Broadway and Hudson trick Burbank and Brentwood into colliding midair and both fall to the ground.
With the rollercoaster going up in flames, Demona drops Thailog, who crashes through one level of track and lands on the track right below. She approaches him, eyes blazing. But Goliath soon arrives to warn her of the fire, much to her annoyance. "I told you to save our daughter!" she shouts. Thailog takes advantage of the momentary distraction and slams Demona into the wooden structure. The track above them begins to collapse. Goliath leaps into the air to avoid the flaming debris.
Lexington swoops through the air as Malibu goes after him. Brooklyn's clone continues to lunge at him. They fly by the Ferris Wheel where Brooklyn and Broadway open the cart door he was hiding in, slamming it in the clone's face. Malibu fall is brief, as he lands on one of the carts lower on the wheel. Brooklyn stands over the clone satisfied, "it's all over, you . . . forgery!"
Goliath glides over the flames and spots Talon dropping a defeated Fang to the ground. He comes for a landing and asks the mutate if he's seen Angela. But Talon suddenly looks startled as a silhouette emerges from the smoke. It is Delilah. Goliath briefly fears the worse before noticing that Delilah is shackled, and Angela is holding her chain. The young female gives Delilah a shove to keep walking. Goliath runs to his daughter and asks if she's all right. Angela admits she's been better and then asks about Demona's whereabouts.
Lexington quickly spots Demona – she and Thailog are still locked in mortal combat atop the rollercoaster which, at this point, has transformed into a blazing inferno. A wooden plank breaks under Thailog's wait and he partially falls through it, trapped. "Do you wish to perish?!" he says, but Demona's eyes burn red. Her vengeance is all he's left her. The rollercoaster begins to crumble. "Master!" Delilah cries, and Angela cries out "Mother!" as the rollercoaster collapses. Demona and Thailog both vanish into the smoke and flames. Sobbing into Goliath's arms, Angela can only utter "No . . ."
Still shackled, Delilah can only advance toward the inferno so far as the Trio and Hudson escort the now tied up and restrained clones. Brentwood is stunned. "No Thailog?" he says. "What now for us?" Hollywood asks. Broadway points out that without Thailog, the other clones don't know what to do or where to go. Lexington doesn't want to bring them back to the Clock Tower as the clones give him the creeps. Talon thinks the matter over for a minute before inviting the clones to come live in the Labyrinth with his clan. Burbank asks Talon if he's now their master; but Talon promises to teach them to think for themselves . . . and use verbs.
Angela steps towards the rollercoaster before dropping to her hands and knees as she cries. Goliath kneels at her side and embraces her. Angela asks if Demona is really gone. Goliath doesn't know. But Angela is stuck on the last words she spoke to Demona, telling her she hated her. But Demona has since sacrificed herself for her, she doesn't want it to end like this. Goliath assures Angela that Demona knew how she truly felt "and Demona's love for you was first goodness she's shown in a long, long time." His next words, whether he speaks them with true sincerity or to relieve Angela of any pain are "for her, it may have been a new beginning. A new beginning for us all."
The gargoyles stand together and stare into the flames, uncertain of what tomorrow will bring.
Featured Characters and First Appearances
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Quotes
- "I'm afraid we've got mosquitoes down here, and worse."
- "Hey, hey! I resemble that remark!" - Talon and Fang
- "I'm expecting the Governor to commute my sentence any minute now." - Fang
- "Man, you chicks are better than soaps." - Fang
- "Ah, the prodigal bug returns. And whose DNA have you brought me tonight, my little thief?" - Anton Sevarius
- "Kinky!" - Fang
- "Yo, Goliath! How many gargoyles does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" - Fang
- "Some of my best friends are half-gargoyle half-human babes with bad attitudes." - Fang
- "He's a fool, but he may be of some use."
- "I can work with that!" - Fang and Demona
- "My clan can beat your clan any day of the week." - Thailog
- "She's the perfect programmed companion. Obedient and lovely. She'll do anything for me." - Thailog
- "You are capable of anything. I hate you." - Angela
- "Goliath, save our daughter!" - Demona
- "It's all over, you . . . forgery!" - Brooklyn
- "Do you wish to perish?!"
- "My vengeance is all you've left me!" - Thailog and Demona
- "Yeah, but we can't just take them back to the Clock Tower, can we? I mean, they kind of give me the creeps." - Lexington
- "Demona's love for you is the first goodness she has shown in a long, long time. For her, it may have been a new beginning. A new beginning for us all." - Goliath
Continuity
Thailog and Demona appear for the first time since "Sanctuary". Their partnership continues from their time in Paris, although it dissolves at the end of the episode. Demona reappears in "Hunter's Moon" Part One, apparently operating their jointly-formed Nightstone Unlimited solo. Later in "Bash" it is evident Thailog is still operating at Nigthstone as well. It is later clarified in the comic "Questions" that both Demona and Thailog have equal control of the company.
The Goldencup Bakery Building suffers its second gargoyle attack in the series when Demona breaks into it at the beginning (the first time being Coldstone's raid on it in "Legion"). This marks its third appearance in the series, since it was also the site of Goliath and Xanatos's opening battle in "Vows".
The Mutates appear for the first time since "Kingdom" (even Fang, who is still in prison following his actions in that episode). The clones are introduced in this episode, and they are taken to the Labyrinth by Talon to join the Labyrinth Clan. The Labyrinth Clan (both gargoyle and Mutate members, excluding Fang) next appear in "Invitation Only".
Hudson echoes one of the Macbeth Robot's four lines from "The Price" ("You'll have to do better than that!") when taunting Brentwood.
Although Thailog is not heard from again in the remainder of this season, he did survive the rollercoaster fire. He next appears at the end of "Invitation Only" as an unwelcome guest at the Labyrinth, out to reclaim the Clones (though only Brentwood freely leaves with him, in the end).
Fang next appears in the first issue of Gargoyles: Bad Guys, "Strangers", as a member of the Redemption Squad working under Robyn Canmore. The beginning of his second escape from the Labyrinth (this time broken out by Sevarius) is shown at the end of the second issue, "The Lost".
The Micro-Electric Mosquitos containing DNA samples from the Manhattan Clan were kept by Demona and would be used again in "Everywhere".
Tidbits
"The Reckoning" was originally intended as being a two-part season finale, but was later on shrunk down to one episode after "Hunter's Moon" became the season finale. This is probably the reason for Goliath's "new beginning" line and Demona and Goliath's discussion about clans ending with Demona mirroring Goliath's line from "Reawakening", the first season finale, "You don't know the meaning of the word," and adding in "but I'll teach you" to make it more fitting to the following development.
The names of the male clones, of course, are Los Angeles-based parallels to the New York-based names for the Trio and Hudson, rising from the question that the Gargoyles production team had asked itself out of amusement: "What if the gargoyles had been awakened in Los Angeles rather than New York?" (It obviously helped that Greg Weisman lives in Los Angeles.) No explanation is given in the script, however, for precisely why Demona would choose those names for the Clones; there was never any indication in the series that Los Angeles had any particular meaning for her. Greg Weisman has suggested that she was making fun of the names the Trio chose for themselves. Delilah, of course, was named after the biblical betrayer of Samson; the "bad girl" connotations of that name would clearly have appealed to Thailog.
One of the regulars in the projected Gargoyles 2198 spin-off was a namesake descendant of Delilah's – who would, naturally, be a member of Samson's team.
Fang's line, "I resemble that remark" is a commonly said line by Curly of The Three Stooges. It is also used by the Joker in an episode of the The Batman, "The Rubberface of Comedy", written by Greg Weisman.
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command's "Clone Rangers" featured several references to this episode, including Micro-Electric Mosquitoes and a parody of Coney Island. Written by Greg Weisman, he has commented that the producers and story editor were initially looking for similar story elements that were also in "The Reckoning", so Weisman emphasized a few of them for Gargoyles fans to enjoy. [2]
In the apocryphal The Goliath Chronicles, Thailog appeared in only one episode, "Genesis Undone", where he succumbs to a virus and is turned – apparently – permanently to stone. The Clones suffered the same fate. Also to note, the episode "Generations" is highly similar to "The Reckoning" in regards to the focus on Demona and Angela.
Toon Disney/Disney XD Edits
In the episode as originally aired, when Fang watched Demona change into human form he said, "Kinky." In later airings, Toon Disney has censored this line.
They also edited a close-up of Thailog pulling the trigger on his gun as he was about to kill Angela.
DVD Release
See Also
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