Monsters

"Monsters" is the fortieth televised episode of the series Gargoyles, and the twenty-seventh episode of Season 2. It originally aired on November 28, 1995.

• Supervising Producers: Frank Paur, Greg Weisman
• Written by: Cary Bates
• Story Edited by: Cary Bates
• Directed by: Frank Paur
• Animation by: Hong Ying Animation
• Backgrounds by: Hong Ying Animation
• Additional Production Facilities: N/A

Summary

Main Plot

Angela is captured by Anton Sevarius at Loch Ness and befriends the Loch Ness Monster, Nessie, who has also been captured by Sevarius in order for him to use the creature's DNA to create his own monsters. Sevarius involves Angela in his plot to capture Nessie's mate Big Daddy, but Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx come to the rescue, and the Loch Ness monsters are liberated.

Subplots

Angela learns from Sevarius that Goliath is her father.

Elisa is unsuccessful when she tries contacting Matt Bluestone about her predicament.

The Story

Previously on Gargoyles

• Recaps: ("Avalon" Part Three, "Avalon" Part Two)

Act One

The mists part and the skiff emerges. Elisa Maza quickly observes that they're not on Avalon anymore. Angela asks if this is Manhattan, but Goliath points out that it isn't. Elisa adds that it's both too quiet and the water is way too clean. A large object in the water approaches the skiff and Bronx is the first to notice as he begins barking. Angela embraces the beast in an attempt to calm him. The mysterious object descends beneath the water, brushing under the skiff; Goliath's oar scraping against it. Once the water calms, Elisa asks what it was but Angela isn't sure, just that it was probably made of metal and it was huge. Goliath steers the skiff towards the shoreline to get a better vantage point. Once they arrive there is no sign of whatever they saw – it seems to have moved on. Angela sighs that they might as well do the same, return to Avalon and try once more to find Manhattan. Elisa spots the lights of a town in the distance and says she'll head into town to call Matt Bluestone so he can tell Brooklyn and the others they're okay. Goliath says they'll wait.

Elisa heads into the town and realize they're on Loch Ness. A local tour guide calls out to her to board his boat to tour the Loch and try to get a glimpse of Nessie, advertising that his rates are low and he'll even throw in a free camera rental. Elisa declines telling him that she's really not the adventuring type. She finds a phone booth and places a call, but only gets Matt's answering machine. Elisa leaves a message asking him to tell her parents, Captain Chavez, and "all her friends in Brooklyn" that she and the "big guy" are fine, and that she'll explain everything when she returns. But, unfortunately, the tape on Matt's answering machine is full.

Elisa and the gargoyles board the skiff, but having heard stories about the Loch Ness Monster from Princess Katharine, Angela is excited to stay for a little while. Goliath insists however that they must return home. Elisa is also unconvinced about staying: she points out a boat filled with tourists and tells Angela that for some people this is strictly business. The Monster Tours guide gives his passengers a fact here and there about the loch as another giant, mysterious object approaches the boat. Tourists, including Brendan Quarters and Margot Yale, spot it, excitedly calling out that Nessie is coming straight towards them. Watching from afar, Elisa postulates that Nessie is just a submarine in disguise and that all the boat companies chipped in to give the tourists a thrill. The Monster Tours boat is damaged and begins taking on water. The tour guide, nervous, tells his passengers they're headed back early. Remaining cynical, Elisa tries to convince her companions that it's only a show when the same giant object rams the skiff – capsizing it! Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx quickly surface, but Angela doesn't. A giant metal neck and head explode from the water and observe Elisa, Goliath, and Bronx, before spotting the other giant in the water and descends to continue its pursuit.

Goliath dives beneath the water and nearly collides with one of the submerged giants before spotting Angela unconscious in the water. The metal giant approaches, opens it's mouth and captures Angela. Goliath breaks the surface, but Angela still hasn't come up. Bronx and Elisa dive into the water to help search.

The metal giant, a submarine, enters a cave and surfaces inside a subterranean base. Its mouth opens and Bruno emerges with his commandos. A voice starts lecturing them from a PA inside a nearby office. He's disappointed – once again they've failed to capture Big Daddy and, without his companionship, their current guest isn't long for the world. Bruno tries to assure his boss that they almost had Big Daddy but they encountered interference. Their boss is tired of Bruno's excuses and is inclined to send him and his team back to Mr. Xanatos before inquiring about the interference. "Gargoyles, doc," Bruno replies, "they were aboard some kind of raft." Their boss is suddenly interested and asks if they got a good look, but Bruno has something better, they captured one in the net. Their boss, Anton Sevarius, emerges from his office marveling at the sight of Angela on a stretcher. He runs his fingers through her hair before ordering them to extract the customary cell samples and put her in the grotto.

A soaking wet Goliath rests on the beach refusing to believe that Angela drowned and that all they need to do is find the strange vessel to find her. Elisa assures him that a submarine requires maintenance and supplies, and must therefore dock somewhere. Goliath vows to find this place no matter how long it takes.

Inside the grotto, something huge brushes against Angela's submerged hand. She suddenly regains consciousness and is shocked to see Nessie EXPLODE from the water behind her!

Act Two

Nessie storms roaring and approaches Angela with curiosity. The young gargoyle returns Nessie's curiosity with wonder. Angela introduces herself admitting she's nervous because she's never been this close to a real life Loch Ness Monster before, but then wagers that Nessie has never been this close to a gargoyle either. Nessie comes in close and Angela pats her nose before embracing Nessie. Observing Angela and Nessie from their office, Sevarius says, with disgust, "if it gets anymore saccharine in there, I'm going to put a finger down my throat."

Sevarius updates his log, yesterday he downgraded Nessie's condition to critical as the isolation was having a dire effect on her – all the signs were that she wouldn't survive another twenty-four hours in captivity. But tonight, thanks to Angela, Nessie is eating again and her vital signs are strong. Sevarius is fascinated by Angela, suspecting she belongs to a new clan of gargoyles and her DNA profile should prove most illuminating.

After helping Goliath and Bronx find a place to hide during the day, Elisa promises she'll be back tonight to pick up the search. Goliath says at sundown they can't afford to waste a single moment – and Elisa doesn't intend to as the Sun rises and the gargoyles turn to stone. Making her way back into town, Elisa buys a map from the tour guide when she is bumped into by the Female Commando carrying a bag of supplies to Bruno's waiting pickup truck. Elisa immediately recognizes them and sneaks into the back of their truck. After some time passes, she leaps out as the truck enters the crumbled remains of Castle Urquhart, checking her watch.

Shortly before sunset, Sevarius and the commandos enter the grotto and tranquilize Nessie before shackling the sleeping Angela with "no a heartbeat to spare" as Sevarius closes his pocket watch. The Nightfall arrives and Angela awakens, quickly noticing she's been shackled and roars with anger and rage. Sevarius emerges from the shadows and introduces himself. He assures Angela that Nessie will only be out for a few minutes and begins to interrogate the young gargoyle.

Above, Elisa has returned to the remains of the old castle with her companions, when she notices Bronx find something.

Sevarius scoffs that he was ready to think there was an unknown group of gargoyles resting at Loch Ness to protect the monsters before oozing with sleeze, "thank heaven for little girls – and DNA markers!" Angela asks what he's talking about and he sneers that not only does she belong to Goliath's clan but that he's in fact her biological father. "You are his very own flesh and stone." Angela is shocked – Goliath is her father. "Not that it matters," Sevarius scoffs. Angela then notices them strapping a device to Nessie's neck. A sonar tag. Now that Nessie's condition has stabilized, Sevarius is sending her back into the Loch, once she leads them to Big Daddy they'll capture both of them and start a little creature farm. "With so much rich genetic material – the array of monsters I'll be able to spawn makes even my mind boggle!" Angela lashes back, "You're the only monster here!" before being restrained. "I see you have inherited Papa's short fuse," Sevarius says as the alarm sounds. "– and, speak of the devil!"

The ground beneath Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx's feet starts to lower. "So that's it, an underground elevator? But who pushed the Down Button?" Elisa asks. "Someone who knows we're here," Goliath replies. "Amazing deduction, Goliath!" Sevarius retorts, mocking them over the PA. "I see gargoyle gray matter is as razor-sharp as always!" "SEVARIUS!" Goliath cries, but the elevator tilts and sends Elisa and the gargoyles down a tube. "That's Dr. Sevarius to you."

Act Three

"They say a man's home is his castle," Sevarius says over the PA "and what fun would a castle be without a dungeon" as Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx come to in the subterranean dungeons of the castle. Enraged, Goliath demands Angela's release, threatening Sevarius if anything harm comes to her. But the good doctor is not intimidated, telling the gargoyle that it's a bit late for fathering concern and gives Goliath his own warning as Angela is led through the office in shackles. "Angela is going with us on an excursion into the loch . . ." Angela briefly rushes to the mic crying for Goliath not to listen to him. Goliath's eyes burn white as he punches out the speaker on the wall. Sevarius rubs his hands together, pleased with Goliath's response.

The commandos lead Angela at gunpoint into the submarine as Sevarius approaches Bruno while carrying a particle beam weapon. "It would be a pity to lose a gargoyle but should Goliath get too rambunctious," he says placing the weapon into Bruno's hands. Bruno eagerly takes it.

Nessie is released into the loch as the submarine slowly follows, keeping a safe distance. Sevarius is confident that it won't take long to lure out Big Daddy.

After some time passes, Goliath successfully breaks through the walls of the dungeon into the main area. But Bruno is waiting, armed with his particle beam. He demands to know where the beast is and orders Goliath and Elisa to back way from the hole they emerged from. They do so, but Goliath growls, distracting Bruno and allowing Bronx to get the drop on the commando. His particle beam goes off, hitting vital gas tanks. The tanks explode and the base begins to destruct as water from the loch comes flooding in. Elisa points out they'll be under water in minutes. Goliath takes Bruno prisoner and demands to know how they get out. In his grip, Bruno sweats and blurts out, "the minisub!" as the base continues to flood. Dragging Bruno with them, the four of them board the minisub.

Nessie continues swimming through the loch and is soon found by her mate, Big Daddy. Sevarius eagerly watches on the sonar screen. "Monster love," he grins before approaching Angela, stroking her chin. "Now how are we going to lure her close enough to catch?" He muses. Moments later, he and his team throw Angela out of the sub, dragging her behind their submarine as struggles to hold her breath.

With Bruno at the controls, the minisub comes across Nessie and Big Daddy. Elisa is quietly shocked that Loch Ness Monsters exist and orders Bruno to zoom in on them as the leviathans head toward Sevarius on the screen. Bruno doesn't mind complying, figuring there's nothing she or Goliath can do. Finally catching sight of his rookery daughter, Goliath cries out Angela's name in horror upon seeing the peril she's in – the young gargoyle is holding whatever breath she has left, shackled to the rear of Sevarius's sub as the two Loch Ness Monsters pursue. Goliath dons a breathing mask and enters the torpedo tube.

"How long 'til our noble beasts are in taser range?" Sevarius asks. "Thirty-five seconds," a commando responds. Pleased, the good doctor pats him on the shoulder. The submarine begins to generate electricity as its prey approaches. But suddenly, the minisub collides with the submarine, scrapping against its hull and severely damaging it. The bridge of the sub begins flooding with water. The minisub comes about and Elisa hits the torpedo button and Goliath is launched from the chamber of compressed air, carrying a second breathing mask. He approaches Angela, places the mask over her face and she begins breathing again. Goliath snaps her chains, releasing her. Both watch in awe as the two Loch Ness Monsters swim by them. Angela swims over to Nessie and snaps the tracking device's strap from her neck. The sonar tag vanishes to the depths of the loch.

Inside the submarine, despite the flooding, Sevarius isn't deterred, Big Daddy is in range. "Release the tasers!" he orders and one fires at Big Daddy, shocking him. A second is fired, but Angela snaps the first one, freeing the Monster who swims out of the second taser's reach before coming back around and biting down on the submarine's neck. Sevarius quickly closes the doors in the bridge leading into the neck to slow the flooding. As both Monsters continue to attack the submarine, Angela and Goliath board the minisub.

"We're taking on a lot of water, but we still have enough ballast to make it to shore." Sevarius assures his men as he prepares to evacuate, but the Monsters relentlessly attack the submarine, biting off one of its fins. Out of control now, the impact of the attacks knocks everyone off their feet. Sevarius falls backwards and out of sight. The commandos notice he's missing and call out to him. They continue to call out to him in their panic as the Loch Ness Monsters drag the submarine into the depths of the loch and their own watery graves.

Not long after, Nessie, Big Daddy, and their children swim by the minisub. Goliath, Elisa, Angela, and Bronx watch in wonder. Later, after they've surfaced, the minisub explodes. On shore near the castle ruins, Goliath, Elisa, Angela, and Bronx watch the burning wreckage while Bruno sits, handcuffed behind them. "Dr. Sevarius has more lives than an ally cat, you haven't seen the last of him." Elisa isn't fazed, "Maybe not, but people around here have seen the last of these metal monsters. Some creatures in this world are meant to remain legends."

Goliath approaches Angela and places loving hands on her shoulders. "You should have seen how lost Nessie was without Big Daddy. I was glad when their family got back together. "Me too," Goliath says. "Me too."

Featured Characters and First Appearances

Gargoyles	Humans	Others
Angela Goliath Bronx Brooklyn (Mentioned Only)	Elisa Maza Monster Tour Guide Matt Bluestone (Voiceover Only) Diane Maza (Mentioned Only) Peter Maza (Mentioned Only) Maria Chavez (Mentioned Only) Princess Katharine (Mentioned Only) Brendan Quarters Margot Yale Commandos Bruno Anton Sevarius David Xanatos (Mentioned Only) Female Commando (No Lines)	Big Daddy Nessie Loch Ness Monster

Places	Miscellaneous
Loch Ness Loch Ness Grotto Castle Urquhart	Loch Ness Monster Submarine Loch Ness Minisub

Quotes

• "How aggravating it must be to wake up in chains first thing in the evening." - Sevarius

• "Amazing deduction, Goliath. I see gargoyle gray matter is as razor sharp as ever." - Sevarius

• "If it gets any more saccharine in there, I'm going to put a finger down my throat." - Sevarius

• "Some creatures in this world are meant to remain legends." - Elisa

Continuity

The DNA samples that Sevarius takes from Angela reappear in "Louse".[1]

The Loch Ness Monster will have a brief cameo in "Rock & Roll", when Shahrizad mentions the legend of how Saint Columba tamed it.

Tidbits

Brendan and Margot are among the passengers on the tour boat (even when they're away from New York on vacation, they can't stay away from the gargoyles, although at least, this time they didn't meet them face to face!).

Although the alpha-male Loch Ness Monster's name is given in the dialogue as "Big Daddy", and his reunion with Nessie parallels Goliath and Angela's reunion (as Angela herself comments at the end of the episode), Greg Weisman's own view on the matter was that the two "Loch Ness Monsters" were mates rather than father and daughter.

Anton Sevarius initially believes Angela to be a member of a clan of gargoyles living in Loch Ness and looking after the "Nessies". He soon discovers his error, but according to Greg, an actual Loch Ness Clan does secretly exist in Loch Ness – though somehow it avoided coming into contact with both Goliath and his clan, and Sevarius and his henchmen, during the entire adventure! (Which also means that Demona was mistaken when she claimed that her clan during the events in the "City of Stone" flashbacks were the last surviving gargoyles in Scotland, aside from the six gargoyles frozen in stone sleep atop Castle Wyvern's battlements.)

Weisman has shared that the castle ruins are based if not "flat out" intended to be Castle Urquhart, a real world historical site overlooking Loch Ness. [2][3]

The Xanatos Goon Squad name is coined by Elisa. All of the squad members (aside from Bruno) drown when the Loch Ness Monsters attack Sevarius's submarine, including the single female member.

DVD Release

• Gargoyles: Season Two, Volume Two

See Also

• Greg's Ramble
• Extensive Synopsis and Review
• Voices from the Eyrie Deep Dive

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