Mark of the Panther (episode)

"Mark of the Panther" is the forty-seventh televised episode of the series Gargoyles, and the thirty-fourth episode of Season 2. It originally aired on February 8, 1996.

• Story edited by: Brynne Chandler Reaves
• Written by: Lydia Marano
• Directed by: Dennis Woodyard

Summary

Main Plot

The travellers meet up with Diane Maza in Nigeria when the werepanther Tea attacks with poachers to get revenge on Fara Maku, who had bestowed the Mark of the Panther onto her. Goliath, Angela, Elisa, Bronx, and Diane track the two transformed humans to Kara Digi and find out that Anansi had marked Fara Maku so that the man could keep Tea at his side. Anansi expresses his desire to enslave the whole group, but Angela thinks of a way to defeat him. Fara realizes that he was selfish, while Tea realizes she was wrong in poaching panthers, so the two of them begin using their curse to protect the jungle.

Subplots

Diane tells the tale of the Panther Queen, an old African legend, to a group of children.

Goliath finally acknowledges Angela as his daughter thanks to advice from Diane, and Elisa finally opens up to her mother.

First Appearances

• Panther Queen(No Lines)
• Anansi
• Oba (No Lines)
• Fara Maku
• Tea

Quotes

• "Most legends contain a seed of truth" - Goliath

• "I don't need looking after!"

"Of course not." - Diane and Goliath

• "Spiders! Why did it have to be spiders?" - Diane

• "All children demand special treatment at times. It's natural. And Angela is the only hatchling with you." - Diane

• "Dream on Spider-man!" - Elisa

• "Your quick thinking helped us defeat Anansi. I am proud of you, my daughter." - Goliath

• "If love is about growing closer, then it's also about letting go." - Diane

Continuity

While Anansi appears to have been slain by Goliath, he is seen among the Children of Oberon returning to Avalon in "The Gathering Part One", indicating that he survived. Indeed, there is a hint of his survival at the end, when, after Anansi's disappearance, we see a small spider scurrying along its way; according to Greg Weisman, the spider was Anansi, who had hurriedly shrunk himself to escape the gargoyles.

This episode is the second time that a human has transformed into a panther. In "Metamorphosis", Derek Maza transforms into Talon, and in this episode Fara Maku and Tea are werepanthers of a more magical origin. Derek Maza's sister (Elisa) and mother (Diane Maza) appear in this episode.

Diane Maza is introduced to the gargoyles for the first time. After conversation with her, Goliath is convinced to accept Angela as his daughter, following the revelation that they were biologically related in "Monsters".

Tidbits

In very early outlines, Fara Maku and Tea were to be were-jaguars instead of were-panthers; fortunately, this was changed ("fortunately", in the sense that it saved the production team from the embarrassment of placing jaguars in Africa rather than South America).

Links

• Background Memo
• Greg's Ramble
• Extensive Synopsis and Review

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