Hunter's Moon Part Three

"Hunter's Moon" Part Three is the sixty-fifth televised episode of the series Gargoyles, and the fifty-second and final episode of Season 2. It originally aired on May 15, 1996. It was adapted into a Radio Play and performed at the Gathering of the Gargoyles in 2001.

Crew

With the Voice Talent Of

Supervising Producers: Frank Paur, Greg Weisman Written by: Michael Reaves Story Edited by: Michael Reaves Produced by: Dennis Woodyard Directed by: Dennis Woodyard, Kazuo Terada, Tomomichi Matsukawa Voice Director: Jamie Thomason Music by: Carl Johnson Title Theme by Carl Johnson Music Editing: Marc Perlman Animation by: Walt Disney Animation Japan Backgrounds by: Walt Disney Animation Japan Additional Production Facilities: Nakamura Production, Studio Robin, Light Foot, Studio Cats, Takahashi Production, Jade Animation Productions

Thom Adcox Hernandez: Lexington Ed Asner: Hudson Diedrich Bader: Jason Canmore, Charles Canmore Brigitte Bako: Angela Jeff Bennett: Brooklyn, Owen Burnett Scott Cleverdon: Jon Canmore, Young Jason J.D. Daniels: Young Jon Keith David: Goliath, Morgan Morgan Sheena Easton: Robyn Canmore Bill Fagerbakke: Broadway Jonathan Frakes: David Xanatos Charles Hallahan: Travis Marshall Salli Richardson: Elisa Maza Laura San Giacomo: Fox (Uncredited) Marina Sirtis: Demona Rachel Ticotin: Maria Chavez Frank Welker: Bronx Tom Wilson: Matt Bluestone

Summary

Main Plot

The Hunters have destroyed the Clock Tower and reveal the gargoyles' existence to the world once and for all with unfavorable news reports on WVRN. A vengeful Goliath pursues the Hunters to a dam where he sends Jason Canmore plummeting over the edge, but accidentally knocks Elisa over as well, and is unable to save her. Elisa and Jason are seemingly killed, and both Goliath and Jon Canmore vow vengeance, while Robyn Canmore discovers Demona's scheme to destroy human kind. Elisa and Jason return during a climactic battle at Saint Damien's Cathedral, where Jon accidentally shoots Jason, paralyzing him. Wracked with guilt, Jon escapes, declaring vengeance on the gargoyles, and Demona's scheme is foiled when Goliath risks everything and destroys the Praying Gargoyle. Surrounded by the police and an angry mob, the gargoyles are rescued by Xanatos and reinstated to their ancestral home.

Subplots

In a 1980 flashback at Notre Dame Cathedral, Demona retrieves the Praying Gargoyle when she is confronted by the current Hunter, Charles Canmore. She kills him and glides away laughing, while his three children watch from below.

Elisa unmasks Jason after he grabs her from the precinct, and she finally learns the truth about him. He drugs her and drops her off at her apartment.

Captain Chavez's leg is broken when the bombs strike. Elisa and Matt Bluestone visit her in the hospital, and learn about Charles Canmore and his three children, the three current Hunters.

Dominique Destine leaves Nightstone Unlimited to carry out her plan. Robyn Canmore raids her office and steals a disk containing Demona's genocidal plans, where she explains how she will combine the CV-1000 Carrier Virus with the chemical DI-7, and spread it with the help of the inscription on the Medici Tablet, while the Praying Gargoyle will protect her kind.

After Jason is knocked over the dam, Jon changes his tune from being sympathetic towards the gargoyles to becoming intent on killing them, more out of his own guilt for not killing them when he had the chance.

Elisa visits Jason in the hospital, and promises to be there for him, but admits there is someone who will always come first. She later goes to the castle, where she and Goliath declare their feelings for each other, and she kisses him just before the sun rises.

The Story

Act One

Paris, France. September 28, 1980. At the base of Notre Dame Cathedral, Charles Canmore, dressed in Hunter gear, waits with his three children. He tells them that tonight is the Hunter's Moon. Their moon. He explains that his grandfather died fighting The Demon and that his father looked for her his whole life with no success. But tonight, it finally ends with him. He dons the Hunters mask. Robyn suggests that just because their ancestors hunted gargoyles doesn't mean that they must, but Charles tells her that it is their destiny as Canmores. Jon is frightened and pleads with his father not to go lest he get hurt. Charles assures the young boy that he has trained his whole life for this. He will not fail. Jason suddenly spots something above and calls their attention to it: A gargoyle gliding over the Cathedral. Charles heads into the Cathedral as his children watch on. High above, Demona saunters across one of the tower's rooftops towards a corner. She smiles as she approaches a stone gargoyle. She activates a secret switch and a compartment opens revealing a small gargoyle statuette. Retrieving the relic, she suddenly has to dodge as a gunshot narrowly misses her and instead blows the head off the large gargoyle behind her. She sees the Hunter before her and gasps. Charles menacingly tells The Demon that it is over. Demona snarls and races towards him. Below, the Canmore children listen to the snarls and gunshots above. Then, they watch in horror as their father falls off the tower screaming. He slams into the ground below. Robyn and Jon run towards their father. Jason watches as The Demon leaps from the Cathedral and glides away. She is laughing in delight at having killed another Hunter.

Manhattan. 1996. The Hunters' missiles strike the Clock Tower and a huge explosion of fire and smoke results! In the police station below the building shakes and alarms blare. A piece of debris falls on Maria Chavez's leg and she falls to the ground as Jason on his Sky-Sled grabs Elisa Maza and escapes the heavily damaged building. Flying high into the sky, Elisa and Jason are able to see the destruction that was wrought. The Clock Tower home of the [Manhattan Clan]] has been completely destroyed. Elisa is horrified and rips off the Hunter's mask only to discover that her abductor is Jason! He promises the alarmed woman that he will explain later and pulls out a tranquilizer injector and presses it into Elisa's leg. Elisa quickly loses consciousness and Jason flies her away from the scene.

Back at what remains of the Clock Tower, the ruins smolder. The hatch to the building below suddenly lifts with a growl from Goliath and he emerges to face the devastation. He helps his Second, Brooklyn, and daughter Angela out of their broom closet shelter. Bronx emerges as well as Brooklyn rubs his head. From nearby, Jon the Hunter watches their emergence from his Sky-Sled. Broadway lifts an injured Lexington into Goliath's arms. Lex is somewhat delirious but still tightly grasps the Hunters' tracking device. Brooklyn is glad that his brother found the device on Goliath's shoulder. It gave the clan just enough time to take shelter. Jon from his Sky-Sled takes aim with his weapons, but does not yet fire as he listens to the gargoyles' conversation. Goliath hands Lexington to Brooklyn as Broadway helps an injured Hudson climb out of the hatch. The elder gargoyle, worried about a next attack, asks for the rest to leave him behind. Goliath picks up his old mentor and asssures him that they are a clan. A family. They do not abandon each other. Jon, with his finger on the trigger, hears Goliath's words and hesitates, then decides not to attack and departs instead. Goliath leads his clan up the stairs. They need to go before they are attacked again. Hudson, eyes closed in pain, tells him that they cannot abandon their home, but Goliath explains that their home is gone. "This time of our life is over," Goliath tells them all with eyes glowing in rage, "and for that, the Hunters will pay!" With Goliath carrying Hudson, Brooklyn carrying Lexington, and Broadway carrying Bronx, the Manhattan Clan leaves their home for the last time.

In the Hunters' Airship, Jon approaches his sister in the control room. He reports that there were no survivors. Robyn tells him to have his eyes checked. She witnessed the gargoyles' escape. Jon asks if she can still track them and Robyn tells him no. The tracer must've been damaged in the attack. Jon, unconvincingly shrugs and suggests that there is no way to find them now. Robyn disagrees. They must need a little help, she explains gleefully, and she knows exactly how to get it.

The following morning, Jon, in his guise as a WVRN reporter, speaks on television about the destruction of the 23rd Precinct House by the monsters known as gargoyles while footage plays of the Manhattan Clan departing the tower. "Jon Carter" goes on to explain that gargoyles are an urban legend no longer and launched a "completely unprovoked attack against our city's finest". Citizens on the street watching the broadcast, including Margot Yale, Brendan Quarters, the Jogger, and Dave are terrified and turn to look to the sky above in fear. At the Eyrie Building, David Xanatos, Fox, their son, Alex, and Owen Burnett are watching the special report as well. Owen turns off the TV and points out that the gargoyles obviously didn't destroy their own Clock Tower. Fox agrees, but adds that anyone seeing that broadcast is going to think they did. Xanatos says nothing, but considers the situation as his wife says, "The whole city will be hunting them now."

Act Two

"Jon Carter's" WVRN special report plays again on a hospital room TV showing the gargoyles fleeing from their destroyed home. Elisa angrily turns off the TV and turns to her boss, Captain Chavez. "It wasn't any gargoyles!" she declares, "It was those Hunters and "Detective Conover"!" Chavez points out that he saved Elisa's life. Elisa counters by pointing out that Jason drugged her, broke into her apartment, and left her there unconscious. Detective Bluestone steps forward and hands Chavez a file on Jason. Bluestone notes that his real name is Jason Canmore and he isn't, and never was, a cop. Chavez leafs through the file and looks at a photo of another man that looks very similar to Jason. Bluestone informs her that that photo is Jason's father, Charles Canmore, who died in Paris under mysterious circumstances sixteen years ago. Charles's children have left a trail of violence behind them ever since his death. As Chavez continues to look through the file, Elisa considers all she has heard.

Later that morning, in one of the top floors of the Nightstone Unlimited Building, an explosion causes a brief flash of light. The door to Dominique Destine's vault has been blown open by Robyn "Correy". She enters and looks around. She spots a disk and takes it as a phone begins to ring from the offices behind her. She leaves the vault and presses a button on a console. A video phone call with Dominique begins. Robyn's boss is pleased to find her in the office and informs her that she won't be in for a few days as she is taking a "working vacation". Robyn asks where can she be reached and Dominique quickly tells her that she can't be reached. Robyn is taken aback by this, but Dominique continues by advising her to take a few days off and relax to enjoy life. "It's so fleeting..." The video call abruptly ends and Robyn looks at the disk she has stolen warily.

That night, at Elisa's apartment, the Manhattan Clan has awakened healed. Elisa stands with them and begs Goliath to let the law handle the situation. Goliath is furious. "What about justice!?" Elisa apologizes and tells him that he doesn't want justice, he wants vengeance. Brooklyn agrees with Elisa and Goliath is astounded to hear it. Angela steps forward, grabs her father's hand, and tells him to see what the feud has cost them already. Goliath declares that that is why they need vengeance. "Or maybe," Hudson tells their leader, "that is why we should let it go." Ignoring them all, Goliath steps towards a box of their belongings and pulls out their radio equipment. He asks Lexington if he can guide him to the Hunters. Lexington thinks he can. Pointing to Elisa's computer, he notes that the Hunters used the tracer to follow them and he should be able to trace the signal back to it's source. He hands the tracer to Goliath. Solemnly, Goliath opens Elisa's window and prepares to leave. The Trio step up behind him and Brooklyn assures their leader that they are with him. Goliath orders them all to stay behind and departs. The other five gargoyles and Elisa silently watch him go.

Some time later, Goliath glides over a reservoir and dam. Lexington radios him to let him know that the signal is getting stronger and the Hunters should be nearby. Goliath lands atop the dam and looks around. There is nothing unusual to see. He radios back to Lexington to let him know. Lexington reluctantly informs him that there is only one thing left to try. He instructs Goliath to turn the tracer's polarity switch and it will bring the Hunters to him.

Inside the Hunter's Airship, the three Canmore siblings stand around a console. Jason wants to know if Robyn has been able to access the disk and Robyn reports that she hasn't yet as it is triple encrypted. Suddenly, a red dot starts flashing in the center of her screen. She is alarmed. The tracer is back online and the gargoyles are right on top of them!

Outside, Goliath continues to wait atop the dam. Behind him, the water in the reservoir begins to bubble and churn. As the gargoyle watches, the Hunter's Airship emerges from the depths! A door at the bottom of the ship opens and all three Hunters emerge riding their Sky-Sleds! They advance on Goliath, who quickly leaps from the dam. The Hunters pursue firing laser blasts at him. Passing by an electrical station, Goliath rips a metal spire off some equipment. He turns and throws the makeshift spear at one of his pursuers. The rod pierces the controls of Jon's sky-sled and he loses control. Jon is thrown off the vehicle, which then crashes and explodes. Meanwhile, Goliath soars overhead, still followed closely by the remaining two airborne Hunters. Robyn manages to get a perfect target lock on Goliath. Just as she pushes the button to fire, Broadway slams into her and she veers off. Below, Elisa pulls her gun on Jon and asks if he can stop all of this. "I wish," the young Hunter replies. Above, Broadway glides up besides Goliath. The leader reminds Broadway that he ordered the clan to stay behind. Broadway points out that "the clan did stay behind, but Elisa needed a lift." The two gargoyles grin at each other before a laser blasts shoots between them! Goliath climbs higher in the sky with Jason in quick pursuit. With laser blasts continuing to fire, Goliath and Jason swoop low right over Elisa. The chase continues and Goliath glides behind a structure. As Jason follows, he is suddenly knocked off his sky-sled by Goliath's tail! The huge gargoyle walks up to the man as Robyn lands nearby and pulls a gun on Goliath. Goliath picks up Jason and holds him over the edge of the dam's waterfall then turns to Robyn and demands she stay back. Jason uses the momentary distraction to pull out a device and throw it at Goliath's chest. The device is the same as the one that Jason used on Angela two nights earlier. It shocks Goliath hard and he drops Jason and falls backward. Elisa, John, and Broadway all arrive at the scene. Elisa runs to stand between Goliath and Jason (who unmasks) and demands they both stop immediately. Goliath throws off the device and recovers as Jason tells Elisa that he won't stop while the gargoyles live. He pushes her aside and she nearly falls off the dam, but manages to maintain her balance. Jason unsheathes a blade from his forearm guard and runs at Goliath. Goliath punches Jason hard and the Hunter is thrown backwards right into Elisa! Both humans topple over the edge of the dam. Broadway, Robyn, and Jon are horrified. Goliath and Broadway quickly leap over the side to catch the two humans. Elisa, falling, looks up to see Goliath diving towards her. She reaches towards him and he reaches back. They nearly grasp each other and then Elisa is hit by the waterfall's flow. She is ripped downward and disappears. Goliath cries out in pain. He dives into the water at the base of the dam. Seconds pass. Suddenly Goliath surfaces alone gasping for air. He is in anguish and calls out for Elisa. She is gone.

Act Three

Goliath and Broadway return to Elisa's loft. As they enter, Hudson is comforting a weeping Angela and Lexington is sitting at the computer. Lexington tells Goliath that they were able to hear everything that happened at the reservoir. Goliath silently hands the Hunter's Tracer to Lex. Looking at it, Lexington admits that he wishes he'd never kept it. Goliath tells him that they still need it and looks out at the coming dawn. Tomorrow night is the Hunter's Moon, he tells his clan. And he declares that it will be the last moon they ever see. "Elisa's death will be avenged" Goliath says before the clan turns to stone. From Goliath's stone eye, a tear forms and falls.

Later that morning, the Hunter's Airship is in flight with Jon at the controls. He activates the auto-pilot and tells his sister that the gargoyles killed Jason just as the demon killed their father. Robyn begins to comfort him by saying that there was nothing he could've done, but Jon angrily interrupts and tells her that if he had wiped them out at the Clock Tower, Jason would still be alive. He asserts that Jason was right about them, "They are all evil, and they will all pay!" Robyn is concerned. She doesn't want to lose Jon too. Suddenly a chime rings: the computer has decrypted the stolen disk. Robyn and Jon gather around the monitor and play the video recording. In it, Demona is detailing the plan she has dubbed Operation Clean Slate which she has been preparing for for five-hundred years. On "holy ground" on the night of the Hunter's Moon, Demona will cast the Fulfillment Spell engraved upon the Medici Tablet. The spell will combine the D/I-7 disinfectant with the CV-1000 Carrier Virus creating a plague that will rid the planet of all intelligent life. This combination of science and sorcery will result in her greatest desire fulfilled: the complete destruction of the human race. Robyn and Jon watch and react to this in horror. Demona continues to outline her plan by showing the Praying Gargoyle. This artifact "will protect me, my daughter, and my kind from the plague. And gargoyles will take their rightful place as the ruler's of this world," Demona explains before her eyes glow red and she adds that she will take her "rightful place." Ground Zero will be the abandoned St. Damien's Cathedral. The video concludes with statistical specs and Jon turns to his sister and asks if she has any more doubts.

Downstream of the reservoir, water flows through a forest. A hand reaches out of the water and grabs a rock. It is Jason Canmore. He coughs as he pulls Elisa's body out of the water and tells her to hold on. She is unconscious and he lifts her up and again begs for her to hold on.

Night has fallen in Manhattan and the Hunter's Moon looms above the skyscrapers. Five gargoyles glide over the city. Brooklyn, Hudson, Angela, and Broadway (who carries Bronx) follow Goliath. The leader tells his clan that they do not need to come with him. "This clan stands or falls together," Hudson replies before adding sadly, "And Elisa was one of the clan." Lexington radios to Goliath's earpiece and tells him that the signal is getting stronger and that they should veer north. Below, on the city streets, various humans spot the gargoyles overhead and cry out in alarm. Some of the people suggest that they should "call the police!" and others insist that "they are attacking again!". The gargoyles continue their search for the Hunters and are spotted by an NYPD helicopter. A man in the helicopter, identifying himself as Recon One radios back to the Taskforce that they have the gargoyles in their sights. Detective Bluestone copies and orders them not to engage before letting them know that backup is on the way. The helicopter follows the gargoyles through the city.

At St. Damien's Cathedral, Demona glides in carrying a duffel bag and lands behind the fence. The building is scheduled for demolition. She runs into the building. High above, the Hunters' Airship appears. Inside, Jon is at the controls and sees Demona. He immediately places the airship into a steep dive and Robyn is alarmed and begs for him to stop. Below, Demona enters the empty Cathedral. The sound of the airship behind her gives her just enough warning to run. As she flees deeper into the building, the airship crashes through the wall behind her and eventually skids to a stop among the debris. In the skies above, the Manhattan Clan arrives. Lexington, via radio, reports that they should be very close to their target and Brooklyn, eyeing the crashed airship, quips, "Uh, I'd say we found them...". Lex reports that he is on his way. Inside the Cathedral, Demona lays on the floor and quickly recovers from the airship's crash. As she looks back on the downed vehicle, a doorway opens and the two Hunters emerge wearing combat Exo-Frames. They advance towards Demona. "Your evil scheming ends tonight, Demon," says Jon with venom in his voice. He raises a laser cannon arm to fire upon her, but Broadway crashes into him and the laser bolt goes astray. Demona takes advantage of the gargoyles' arrival and grabs her duffel bag and runs deeper into the Cathedral. Broadway and Bronx attack the Hunters, but are thrown aside fairly easily. Jon tells his sister that he will battle "these monsters" and that she should stop "the Demon." Robyn begins to pursue Demona, but Angela stands in her way. "Out of my way, Demon spawn!" cries the Hunter. Angela is unmoved. "We're not demons. And we're not monsters. We're gargoyles. And we're going to teach you to respect the name." The Hunters are surrounded and Angela, Broadway, Bronx, Hudson, and Goliath close in.

A live television broadcast shows St. Damien's Cathedral from high above. A police helicopter shines a floodlight on the back half of the Hunter's Airship sticking out of the building while police cars and pedestrians gather around the building. Travis Marshall is on the ground and reports that the NYPD's Gargoyle Taskforce has the building cordoned off. They can hear the battle raging inside the building. Suddenly, Lexington swoops in over the crowd and enters the Cathedral. His brief appearance greatly agitates the growing crowd who insist that the cops should do something. The police officers try to hold back and calm the crowd. Officer Morgan approaches Bluestone who is watching the Cathedral. Morgan tells Bluestone that their course of action is up to him, but if they don't do something soon, the crowd might riot. Bluestone, frustrated, agrees. An ambulance pulls up and parks. The rear doors open and Morgan and Bluestone are surprised about who they see emerge.

Inside, the battle between the gargoyles and the Hunters continues. Robyn tosses Broadway aside while Jon throws Goliath to the ground. Goliath looks up to see Jon pointing his laser arm in his face. Before the Hunter can fire, however, he is distracted by Hudson leaping into the air and bearing down on him with his sword. The weapon squeals against the man's armor, but does no significant damage. In retaliation, Jon shoves the old gargoyle hard. Hudson is thrown across the room and crashes into an old pipe organ noisily. Goliath tackles Jon while Angela does the same to Robyn. The female Hunter easily shoves Angela aside. Bronx then takes his turn against Robyn, but she dodges the beast and he slams his face into a pillar instead. Broadway takes another leap at Robyn, but she kicks him aside and he tumbles through the nave. Robyn can only briefly admire her handiwork before a gargoyle snarl draws her attention. She is shocked to see Angela swinging a massive wooden pillar at her. The female Hunter is struck hard and is thrown across the room. Angela, Bronx, Broadway, and Lexington gather around her and Angela remarks that it is "not a good night to be a bad guy."

Meanwhile, in a secluded apse of the Cathedral, Demona has emptied her duffel and assembled the items necessary for her genocidal plan. She holds a vial up into the moonlight streaming in a large window. "A matter of moments and the world is ours..." she says in awe of herself. "Sorry," comes Brooklyn's voice behind her, "last minute change in plans!" She turns to find her young foe ready to battle her.

Back at the main battle, Jon and Goliath trade powerful punches. The gargoyle is unharmed and Jon's face plate cracks, but holds. Jon tells the gargoyle that he is the one he wants as he is the one who took Jason from him. He points his laser arm at Goliath and the gargoyle darkly tells the man that he will join his brother soon enough. Goliath leaps high in the air, dodging from Jon's laser blast, and then growls as he descends right on top of the Hunter. Goliath uses one foot to pin the prone man to the floor and then digs his claws into the breastplate of the Hunter's armor. He tears it away leaving Jon's body undefended. With eyes glowing brightly, Goliath prepares to disembowel the Hunter but is stopped by Elisa rushing into the Cathedral and pleading for the attack to end. Goliath is astonished that she is alive and runs to her. Holding her in his arms he asks how she survived and Elisa motions to Jason, the Hunter, who has entered the Cathedral as well. She explains that he saved her life. Jon stands up and is relieved to see his brother alive. Throwing off his shattered faceplate, he aims his laser arm at Goliath and asks for Jason's help in "destroying these monsters". "No," Jason tells his younger brother, "it's over. We've all suffered from my stubbornness, but I've finally come to my senses. You were right, Jon. These gargoyles are not our enemies." Jon protests that they killed their father and they nearly killed Jason as well. Again he takes aim at Goliath. Goliath places himself in front of Elisa and, in turn, Jason steps in front of Goliath. Again, Jason tells his brother that they must stop before it is too late. Jon reluctantly removes the Hunter's Mask, but still will not relent. "The Demon! She's going to destroy us all!" Suddenly, a laser blast lights up another part of the Cathedral and the gargoyles and Hunters all turn and hear Brooklyn scream in pain. Goliath, concerned, moves to assist his second-in-command and Jon interprets the gargoyle's action to be an advance on Jason! Jon fires his laser cannon at Goliath, but Jason intercepts the blast and takes the shot hard in the stomach. Goliath catches Jason's body as the man mutters that "it has to stop..." Robyn and Elisa move to take care of Jason. "We've got him," Elisa tells Goliath, "Stop Demona." Goliath gives Jon a last look before leading the rest of the gargoyles away to help Brooklyn. Jon, looking at his laser arm and talking to himself wonders what he has done. Robyn begs for Jon's help. She believes they can still save their older brother. "What have I..." Jon begins, looking again at his weapon, then changes his words with new resolve, "What have THEY done?! I will have my revenge! The Hunt is NOT over!" The rockets in his exo-frame ignite and he takes flight. Elisa and Robyn demand that he stop, but it is too late. Jon breaks through a window and is gone. Elisa, Robyn, and Bronx remain at Jason's side.

Meanwhile, in the apse nearby, Demona pours the vial of liquid into a larger cylinder of liquid. The Praying Gargoyle and Medici Tablet take on a magical glow and Demona tosses the empty vial aside. "You'll thank me for this later," she tells Brooklyn, who lays nearby injured. "Don't hold your breath," he counters. Goliath, Hudson, Broadway, Angela, and Lexington enter the room. Goliath demands to know "What sorcery is this?!" Brooklyn tells his clan that she has already cast a spell. He can't translate the Latin she spoke, "but it can't be good news!" Demona smiles. "Oh, but it is..." She explains that all she has to do is shatter the large vial and all of humanity will be destroyed. The gargoyles are shocked. Demona adds that their kind will survive thanks to the power of the Praying Gargoyle. Goliath immediately leaps to action. He launches himself over Demona's head and she dodges thinking he is attacking her. However, he soon grabs his true target: The Praying Gargoyle. Demona aims her blaster at him, but it is too late: Goliath crumbles the relic to pieces and the shattered remains cease glowing. "Now spread your evil if you dare," Goliath tells his former mate, "We can all die together. You and I. The whole clan. And our daughter." Angela has joined her father and they hold each other. Demona is infuriated and screams with eyes glowing red. Hudson and Broadway move to stand on either side of her. She looks at the vial in her hands and then throws it high into the air. "Catch!" she taunts. Goliath is greatly alarmed and again leaps to action. As Demona makes her escape, Goliath dives to catch the vial before it shatters. The liquid remains contained, much to his relief. Demona leaves through a broken window and Goliath carefully hands the vial to Hudson and pursues Demona. Elisa, Bronx, and Robyn (carrying Jason's limp body) enter the room. Elisa tells the gargoyles that they should leave since Matt won't be able to stall the people outside indefinitely. The Manhattan Clan follows their leader out the broken window one by one. Watching them go, Robyn tells Elisa that she doesn't understand how or why Goliath risked his life to save them all. "That's what he does," Elisa tells her, "That's who he is."

On the Cathedral's roof, Demona launches into the air and glides away. The crowd below spot her and again become agitated and riotous. Morgan and Bluestone watch her Demona glide away as the crowd becomes increasingly hostile. Morgan says that it is now or never. Matt, frustrated and reluctant, tells him to signal the helicopters but stresses that he wants the gargoyles alive. On the roof, the Manhattan Clan has joined their leader. Broadway tells Goliath that Elisa says they need to leave immediately. Suddenly, a searchlight from a helicopter shines brightly on the gargoyles and a voice on an loudspeaker demands that they stop where they are. A second helicopter arrives and Lexington is shocked to find that they are surrounded! But instead, the door of the second helicopter opens to reveal Xanatos! "Can I interest you in a ride?" the man asks. Warning shots from the police helicopter are fired at Goliath's feet and he admits that it seems they have no choice but to accept Xanatos' offer. The gargoyles quickly board the helicopter and it departs. Bluestone, Morgan, and the crowd below watch the helicopter disappear into the city. A few cops take aim with rifles, but Bluestone orders them to hold their fire. Xanatos' Helicopter climbs towards the Eyrie Building.

Later that night, at Manhattan General Hospital, Elisa enters a room. She greets Jason who lays quietly in a bed. The man asks if Elisa has been informed of his condition. "Severed spine," she tells him sadly, "Paralyzed from the waist down. I'm sorry." Jason isn't happy about it either but admits that it isn't his body that needs the most healing. Elisa offers her help if he will let her, but honestly declares that there is someone else who will always come first. Jason says he understands. He asks her if Jon has been found. No, Elisa tells him, "He and Demona are still out there. Hunting each other." Jason asks about the other gargoyles, her friends. "They're safe. I hope."

Elisa and Xanatos climb the stairs of the highest tower of Castle Wyvern. Xanatos assures Elisa that the gargoyles are safe. He explains that Goliath has saved the world and his son. The least Xanatos can do is reinstate the Clan to their ancestral home. "What's the catch, Xanatos?" Elisa asks skeptically. Xanatos states that there are no catches, no tricks, and no strings and that the feud is over. He motions upwards and tells Elisa that Goliath is waiting for her.

With dawn approaching, Goliath stands atop the tower and looks out upon Manhattan. Below, Bronx is barking excitedly. Hudson is happy too and agrees with the beast that they are all excited to be back. Lexington takes his place on a sleeping roost admitting that it feels weird. Cool, but weird. He looks at Broadway and Angela. The latter admits that she was just getting used to the Clock Tower. Broadway tells her that she will love it here. "They've got an incredible kitchen. And an even better library." "And so it begins," Brooklyn quips looking out at the city, "Gargoyles: Chapter Two... or is it Three? I've lost count." On the tower above, Elisa walks up to Goliath's side. Goliath looks at his dear friend and notes that things have come full circle. Elisa replies that somehow they always do. She looks up at him and asks, "You know how I feel about you, right?" Goliath strokes her hair and adds, "How we both feel. Yes." He smiles at her and she jumps up and throws her arms around his neck. He is surprised but can say nothing before she says "Good." and kisses him. The sun rises over Manhattan and Goliath turns to stone with a smile on his face. "Welcome home, Goliath," Elisa says, turning to leave, "Welcome home." A new day begins over Castle Manhattan.

Never the end . . .

Featured Characters and First Appearances

Gargoyles	Humans
Demona Goliath Brooklyn Angela Broadway Lexington Bronx Hudson	Charles Canmore (First Appearance) Jackson Canmore (Mentioned Only) Aron Canmore (Mentioned Only) Robyn Canmore Jon Canmore Jason Canmore Elisa Maza Maria Chavez Particle Beam Gun-Toting Mugger Margot Yale Brendan Quarters (No Lines) Jogger (No Lines) Dave (No Lines) David Xanatos Owen Burnett Alexander Fox Xanatos Fox Maria Chavez Matt Bluestone Dominique Destine Travis Marshall Morgan Morgan

Places	Magic	Miscellaneous
New York Dam Saint Damien's Cathedral	Fulfillment Spell	Operation Clean Slate

Quotes

• "We are clan; family. We do not abandon each other." - Goliath

• "The whole city will be hunting them now." - Fox

• "Take a few days off. Relax, enjoy life. It's so fleeting." - Dominique Destine

• "I don't suppose you can stop this?"

"I wish." - Elisa and Jon

• "He was right about them. They're all evil! And they will all pay!" - Jon

• "And gargoyles will take their rightful place as the rulers of this world. I will take my rightful place." - Demona

• "This clan stands or falls together, and Elisa was one of the clan." - Hudson

• "We're not demons, and we're not monsters, we're gargoyles. And we're going to teach you to respect the name." - Angela

• "You're the one I want, you took my brother from me."

"You'll join him soon enough!" - Jon and Goliath

• "What have I...what have THEY done?! I will have my revenge! The hunt is not over!" - Jon

• "You'll thank me for this later."

"Don't hold your breath." - Demona and Brooklyn

• "I don't understand. He risked his life to save us all?"

"That's what he does. That's who he is." - Robyn and Elisa

• "It feels weird. Cool, but weird." - Lexington

• "And so it begins, "Gargoyles" Chapter two. Or is it three? I've lost count." - Brooklyn

• "You know how I feel about you, right?"

"How we both feel...Yes."

"Good." - Elisa and Goliath

Tidbits

As in the first two parts, there are several echoes of Season One, and especially "Awakening", here. Among these are:

• The gargoyles are forced to abandon their home again, as they had done in "Enter Macbeth" (though this time, Goliath is far more pragmatic about it than he was then).
• In contrast to many other episodes, Goliath fails to rescue Elisa at the dam.
• The public is shocked anew by the revelation of gargoyles, just as they had been in "The Edge".
• The final scene parallels the final scene of "Awakening: Part Five". After seeing a few light-hearted moments involving the other gargoyles, we join Goliath and Elisa at the top of the tower, where we see the close bonds that they share, bonds that will be even closer now after "Hunter's Moon", followed by Goliath and the other gargoyles turning to stone at dawn.

Familiar faces again show up in the background of this episode. Brendan, Margot Yale, the Jogger, and Dave are among the frightened citizens watching Jon Canmore's news broadcast about the gargoyles. Travis Marshall reports on the battle at Saint Damien's Cathedral, and Officer Morgan discusses the escalating situation with Matt Bluestone there.

The Hunter's Moon is a real astronomical phenomenon, applied to the full moon during October. (However, the opening flashback incorrectly places a Hunter's Moon as shining on the night of September 28 - not that this nit need interfere with our enjoyment of the episode.) [1]

It is unclear when Xanatos first learned that the Manhattan Clan's home was in the Clock Tower. Despite the fact that Puck likely knew of this fact since the events of "Future Tense", that information could not be shared by Puck when he was Owen Burnett, per he and Xanatos's agreement. It's left up to interpretation whether or not Xanatos acted as if he already knew, even if he may not have. [2]

A few more scenes were deleted from this episode for time considerations. The most important of these (see below) was a meeting between Elisa and Jason Canmore at the ruins of the clock tower, in which Elisa urges Jason (in vain) to give up his feud with the gargoyles. She finally asks him what caused the feud in the first place, and Jason has to admit that he doesn't know; his family has been at war with the gargoyles for so long that they can't remember how it began. (A deleted line in the flashback had Charles Canmore telling his children that "We can no more stop hunting gargoyles than breathing the air", another echo of the first season.) Also, in the original script, Demona and Charles Canmore's battle did not end at Notre Dame; instead, Charles pursued her from the cathedral to the catacombs of Paris, where she killed him. (Bad Guys #3 drew on this original concept, here having the three young Canmores pursue Demona to the catacombs after their father's death.) Finally, a brief scene with no dialogue was originally planned that showed Robyn Canmore under guard and leaving Jason's hospital room moments before Elisa's final scene with Jason. This scene would've been a bit of a lead in to the Bad Guys spin-off.

Robyn Canmore was to initially face prison for her attack on the police station, but the mysterious Director would see to it that she would lead his Redemption Squad instead, resulting in her becoming one of the regulars in the SLG comic mini-series Bad Guys spin-off. Robyn, the only member of the team who would have contact with the Director, would recruit a number of other "semi-reformed antagonists", consisting of Dingo, Matrix, Fang, and Yama, taking them on one secret mission after another; in the process, she would enter into a stormy relationship with Dingo.

Jason and Jon's fates, however, would be incorporated into further episodes of Gargoyles itself. Jon adopted the new alias of "John Castaway" (following the Canmore tradition of using surnames beginning with a hard C as part of their assumed identities) and, with secret funding from the Illuminati, took advantage of the public's fear of gargoyles to start up a new version of the Hunters known as Quarrymen (a sort of "Gargoyles Universe" version of the Ku Klux Klan). Jason would eventually find out Castaway's true identity (he does so in "Estranged"), and make a number of attempts to turn him away from his destructive course; Greg Weisman also considered making him Elisa's date in the Double Date story (eventually issues #3-#5 of the Gargoyles comic book), but gave the role to Officer Morgan instead (though Jason has a cameo in "Invitation Only"). [3]

Greg Weisman planned to do a story for the never-made Team Atlantis spin-off that would have included elements from "Hunter's Moon". In it, Demona would have a run-in with Fiona Canmore (a great-great-aunt of Jason, Robyn, and Jon) in Paris in 1920, involving the Praying Gargoyle (revealed here as being an Atlantean talisman); Fiona would stop Demona from using the Praying Gargoyle to bring the gargoyles of Notre Dame Cathedral to a state of quasi-life and form them into an army to slaughter the humans of Paris (indicating that the Praying Gargoyle had other abilities besides protecting gargoyles from powerful curses); the Praying Gargoyle would be destroyed in the struggle, but Demona would conceal it in a secret compartment in Notre Dame - from which she would retrieve it in 1980.

The visual of the gargoyles tearing through the Hunters' exo-frames was initially considered for Macbeth in "Enter Macbeth". [4]

Missing Scenes

[Note the following scenes were cut before they were sent overseas for animation. There's no lost footage.]

Elisa And Jason At Clock Tower

EXT. CLOCK TOWER RUINS - DAY

Elisa picks sadly through wreckage, occasionally placing something in a cardboard box. She bends to pick up a charred photograph.

TIGHT ON PHOTO

It is a snap-shot from last Halloween: Elisa in her "Belle" gown arm in arm with Goliath. Both very happy.

ON ELISA

A tear rolls down her cheek. A shadow falls over her. Elisa turns.

ANGLE INCLUDES JASON

behind her on his sky-sled, in Hunter garb except the mask, aiming a tranq gun at her. Elisa drops the box and reaches for her holstered gun.

JASON: "Please don't. I'd just have to tranq you again, and I came here to talk."

FAVOR ELISA

She lowers her hand slowly. But she's still on guard.

ELISA: "Okay. Let's talk about what a monster you are."

JASON: "I never meant to hurt you --"

ELISA: "You really are a piece of work. Using me to get to the gargoyles."

JASON: "No! I admit I infiltrated the twenty-third because there were so many gargoyle sightings here. But I never planned--"

ELISA: "Lies. Everything was part of your plan. That phony accent... even that phony kiss..."

ON JASON

He looks desperate and vulnerable, despite the gun in his hand.

JASON: "That kiss was real. And I never planned on falling in love with you."

FAVOR ELISA

This hits her hard.

JASON (CONT'D): "The hunt's been my whole life -- I never realized how lonely I was...

ELISA: "But why are you hunting them?"

ANOTHER ANGLE

We see a flash of Jason's fiery determination. Elisa responds in kind.

JASON: "Those monsters killed my father!"

ELISA: "Those 'monsters' are my friends!"

FAVOR JASON

He looks shocked and disgusted. This, he was not expecting.

JASON: "What?!!"

ELISA: "And they couldn't have killed your father. When he died, they were in Scotland, frozen in stone by a magic spell."

JASON: "So they weren't personally responsible. They're still evil! All gargoyles are! My family has been hunting them for generations!"

FAVOR ELISA

Trying desperately to reach him.

ELISA: "BUT WHY? What started this blood feud?"

FAVOR JASON

He's stumped. His fury won't help him on this one.

JASON: "I -- I don't know. It doesn't matter."

Elisa senses his uncertainty, presses her attack.

ELISA: "Of course it matters. You hate an entire race and you don't know why! Listen, Jason. You've been lucky so far. No one's been killed. Give up the feud. Turn yourself in. It's not too late to walk away from this."

TIGHT ON JASON

He hesitates, then shakes his head.

JASON: "Yes, it is."

WIDE

He revs up the skysled and takes off fast. Elisa draws her gun, but she does not fire -- it's ambiguous whether that's because he's already too far away or because she feels too much for him to shoot him in the back. Her arm drops to her side. PULL BACK to show her forlorn and surrounded by rubble.

DISSOLVE TO:

Elisa, Robyn, Jason at Hospital

INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR – NIGHT

An exhausted Elisa sits on a bench opposite a guarded hospital room. Robyn, handcuffed and under police guard exits the room and approaches Elisa. Elisa raises her head. Robyn doesn’t look happy.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM

Elisa enters. Jason is hooked up to multiple tubes and machines. He is weak. But he is conscious.

After that silent exchange, Elisa and Jason have their scene beside his hospital bed.

DVD Release

• Gargoyles: Season Two, Volume Two

Radio Play

"Hunter's Moon" Part Three was performed as the Radio Play at the 2001 Gathering in Los Angeles.

The 2001 Gathering Players

ELISA MAZA: Zehra Q. Fazal GOLIATH: Lanny Fields LEXINGTON: Thom Adcox BROADWAY: Crispin Freeman BROOKLYN: Sara Hutchinson ANGELA: Batya Wittenberg HUDSON: W. Morgan Sheppard BRONX: Rebecca Gold JASON CANMORE: Jordan Mann JON CANMORE: T.J. Ferraro ROBYN CANMORE: Nicole Dubuc CHARLES CANMORE: Chris Rogers DEMONA: Jennifer L. Anderson DAVID XANATOS: Johnney Muije FOX: Kelly Creighton OWEN BURNETT: Kevin de Caccia MATT BLUESTONE: Joshua Poole MARIA CHAVEZ: Jennifer Mallon MORGAN: Loren G. McLaughlin PILOT: Alisa Christopher MARGOT YALE: Heather E. Rice BRENDAN: Rahsaan Footman VINNIE: Alex Wittenberg TRAVIS MARSHALL: Kristen de Caccia UNDERSTUDIES: Sean Camanyag and Gabriel Guerrero

See Also

• 2001 Radio Play Script
• Deleted Scene with Jason and Elisa
• Collection of a few deleted scenes
• Extensive Synopsis and Review

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