Golem (episode)

"Golem" is the forty-first televised episode of the series Gargoyles, and the twenty-eighth episode of Season 2. It originally aired on December 14, 1995.

• Supervising Producers: Frank Paur, Greg Weisman
• Written by: Gary Sperling
• Story Edited by: Gary Sperling
• Directed by: Frank Paur
• Animation by: Animal-Ya
• Storyboard by: Vic Cook
• Backgrounds by: Animal-Ya
• Additional Production Facilities: Morning Sun

Summary

Previously on Gargoyles

• Recaps: ("Avalon Part Three", "Awakening Part Five", "Outfoxed")

Main Plot

Halcyon Renard hires the criminal Tomas Brod to steal the Golem from its guardian, Max Loew. Renard transfers his spirit into the large statue and goes on a rampage through Prague, terrorizing citizens and causing destruction. Goliath and Max Loew are able to convince Renard of his wrongdoing and he abdicates from the Golem. Loew leads the Golem to stop Brod and his gang.

First Appearances

Characters

• Tomas Brod
• Max Loew
• Janus
• Rabbi Loew
• Golem
• Edger Blosa (Mentioned on Tombstone Only)

Location

• Konrock

Object

• Hovercraft

Quotes

• "Prague seems about as friendly as New York." - Elisa

• "Integrity is a luxury I can no longer afford." - Halcyon Renard

• "A weak body is no excuse for a corrupt spirit!" - Goliath

• "And you get used to the weirdness." - Elisa

Continuity

Halcyon Renard and Preston Vogel appear for the first time since "Outfoxed". They next appear together in "The Gathering Part One", although Vogel appears on his own in "The Green". Renard is acknowledged in "Pendragon", having informed the Manhattan Clan]] of Goliath, Elisa and Bronx showing up in Prague.

Tomas Brod appears for the first time. He reappears in "Turf".

Renard gives Brod a Cyberbiotics hovercraft, which Brod still owns during the events of "Turf".

Tidbits

"Golem" is the only episode containing a flashback scene not connected to the series mythology or the lives of its characters; the flashback here is a simple dramatization of Rabbi Loew's original activation of the Golem in 16th century Prague, a simple adaptation of the original tale without any changes to accommodate Gargoyles elements into it (unlike the way that, say, "City of Stone" handled Macbeth's story). The production team felt the background both necessary and dramatic to an audience that likely would not be familiar enough with the legends pertaining to the Golem.

When Max Loew orders the Golem to spare Tomas Brod's life, he mentions "the words of our ancestors: 'Love justice, and do mercy.'" These words are not an exact Old Testament quote, but a close parallel to them appears in Micah 6:8: "and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

Writer Gary Sperling's brother, a rabbi, advised him on the spoken Hebrew used in this episode. [1]

In a tiny animation nit, during the police chase at the start of the episode, the word printed on the side of the police cars chasing Tomas Brod is revealed to be "POICE". A few seconds later, this is changed to "POLICE". In fact, police cars in the Czech Republic have the word "POLICIE" printed on them.

The final confrontation with Brod and his men takes place at a construction site. A sign over the building says "Konrock".

Toon Disney/Disney XD Edits

Some of the violence during the flashback is cut out, specifically an older man being attacked by a thug with a club during a pogrom. Also, some of the Angela/Golem fight is cut out.

DVD Release

• Gargoyles: Season Two, Volume Two

Links

• Greg's Ramble
• Extensive Synopsis and Review

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