The Cage

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"The Cage" is the thirty-second televised episode of the series Gargoyles, and the nineteenth episode of Season 2. It originally aired on November 16, 1995.

Summary

Main Plot

Xanatos begins to lose control of the mutates who are living at the Eyrie Building with him when Talon finds out from Elisa, and later for himself, that Anton Sevarius had faked his death. Goliath, out of fear that Talon would kill Sevarius before he could make a cure, but more concerned about Elisa's emotional turmoil over the whole ordeal, kidnaps Sevarius at Gen-U-Tech labs. Goliath brings Sevarius to the abandoned underground Cyberbiotics facility and threatens to hold him captive until he creates a cure for the mutates. Talon, under the false impression that Goliath and Sevarius are in cahoots, storms the lab with the other mutates, and comes close to killing Sevarius along with Goliath until Xanatos arrives just in time to save the geneticist. Talon finally learns the truth about Xanatos, and he and the other mutates stay in the facility and create the Labyrinth.

Subplots

Elisa's family is worried about Derek, who's gone missing, and Elisa is unsure how to handle the situation. She learns from Goliath that the mutates have been residing with Xanatos, so she has Goliath take her to the Eyrie Building. Talon greets them with an attack, since he partially blames Goliath for his predicament since the gargoyle supposedly killed Sevarius, obliterating any chance for a cure. Xanatos succeeds for a while in keeping Talon in line by reinforcing that delusion.

Xanatos is under the impression that Talon has captured Sevarius and asks him to release the doctor. There's some confusion until Owen receives the surveillance footage of Goliath abducting Sevarius. Xanatos uses the footage to continue to manipulate Talon into believing that Goliath and Sevarius are working together. Owen deduces Goliath's location at the lab, and Talon races there, letting his anger overcome reason. Elisa sees the same surveillance tape at Gen-U-Tech and is shocked, but makes the same conclusion as to where Goliath is.

Maggie reluctantly leads Fang and Claw to the Clock Tower, and they take down Hudson and Bronx. Talon sent them there to confront Goliath, who was still at the Cyberbiotics lab. The tables are turned on the mutates when the Trio arrive back from a concert. They immobilize Fang and Claw, while Brooklyn tries to convince Maggie of Xanatos' treachery, but Maggie is in denial because she believes Xanatos will cure her. Brooklyn gives up and releases the mutates.

Elisa arrives at the lab before the others, and talks Goliath into releasing Sevarius in the same moment that Sevarius has supposedly completed the antidote. Talon bursts in and overpowers Goliath while Sevarius uses the antidote as a bargaining chip for his life. Maggie wants the antidote, but Sevarius makes a suspicious comment that leads Elisa and Talon to believe that the "antidote" might actually be poison. Maggie tries to take the substance anyway, but Talon stops her, admitting that he can't get through his ordeal without her.

Goliath offers to let the mutates join the clan, citing that Elisa is already a part of it, but Talon politely declines. Elisa finally tells her family about what happened to Derek, and they see him for the first time since his transformation and accept him.

The Story

Previously on Gargoyles

Act One

A winged figure flies over SoHo, coming to a landing on the balcony of Elisa's Loft. Inside, Elisa Maza is serving Chicken Molé to her mother, father and her sister, Beth who is visiting from college. Beth reminds them of when Derek used to call dibs on the pot and Elisa is crestfallen which causes Beth to apologize. Peter asks again if Elisa has heard anything from Derek, but Elisa says no... attempting to assure her father that Derek will check in when he's ready. But Peter will give it just one more week before he files a missing persons' report. As Elisa tries to talk Peter out of doing that, Beth gasps at the sight of a winged silhouette in the window which quickly vanishes before anyone else can spot it. Elisa downplays it, and Peter cracks a joke which changes the subject.

Elisa rendezvous with Goliath later at the Clock Tower, distraught at continuing her lie by omission to her family about Derek but unable to figure out how to tell them that he's been transformed by David Xanatos into a bat-winged mutate named Talon. She then tells Goliath to be more careful as Beth spotted him tonight outside her window, but Goliath wasn't at her window. Elisa then figures it was one of the others but Hudson and Bronx are watching television while the Trio are at the concert in the park. When Elisa suggests that it was Derek, Goliath is the one crestfallen and confesses his lie by omission. He tells her that Talon and the other Mutates have returned to Xanatos and that he's seen them flying to and from the Eyrie Building. When Elisa asks why he didn't tell her, Goliath rationalizes that there was nothing either of them could do, and he had hoped to spare her this pain. Elisa, however, refuses to accept this and is determined to get her brother away from Xanatos and demands to go see him now.

Goliath and Elisa soon alight on the castle's battlements, but Talon was waiting and orders Fang and Claw to attack. Goliath manages to break free of their grip before he is attacked by Talon. Elisa draws her gun trying to end the fight, but Talon blasts Goliath in the chest with a blast of electrical energy. Elisa rushes to Goliath's side as Talon demands she step away from him, determined to take vengeance by destroying his enemy. But at this point, Maggie the Cat intervenes asking if Talon plans to attack his own sister, reminding him that she hates all the fighting. Xanatos the steps out of the castle assuring Talon that the violence isn't necessary and that Goliath and Elisa are always welcome, they're not the enemy. Elisa cuts in shouting that Xanatos is the actual enemy. But Maggie still believes Xanatos to be their only chance to be human again. Elisa again attempts to convince the Mutates that Xanatos is the cause of their problems, not the cure. But Talon will hear none of it, as far as he's concerned Goliath and Anton Sevarius caused this and with Sevarius dead, there is no chance of them becoming human ever again. Elisa is surprised to hear this, Sevarius isn't dead and nobody died that night. Talon insists that he saw it, but Elisa knows that where Xanatos is involved what you see is isn't always the truth. But Talon digs in, as far as he's concerned Goliath has his sister snowed and that he needs her to protect him from his vengeance. Goliath gives up on this conversation and prepares to leave with Elisa, while Talon taunts the gargoyle that Elisa won't be there to protect him forever and he's coming for him. As his sister and the gargoyle leave, Maggie asks what if Sevarius is alive? Talon, angry and vengeful, promises her that if Sevarius is alive then he won't be for long.

Xanatos visits Owen Burnett in his office, as Talon departs the castle, ordering him to "tell Sevarius to disappear for a little while." But Owen's warning comes too late, as Sevarius departs Gen-U-Tech Headquarters, waving at a security guard while he heads out to his car. But before he can get in, a winged figure dives down and grabs the doctor, taking him away as he drops his briefcase. Moments later, Elisa Maza pulls up in her car, asking to see Sevarius, but is told that she just missed him. As it starts to rain, Elisa gazes at a rooftop spotting a winged-silhouette happy to see Goliath, her guardian angel. When the guard asks what she said, she just asks to take a look around and the guard admits her. She quickly finds the discarded briefcase.

Deep beneath the streets of Manhattan, someone has forced their way into Cyberbiotics' abandoned research facility and imprisoned Sevarius in a cage. Sevarius shouts that what his captor demands of him is impossible, but the one that keeps him prisoner growls. Sevarius continues to shout that he won't do it.

As the rain clears, Owen approaches Xanatos in the library and tells him that Dr. Sevarius is unreachable. Xanatos assumes that means Talon got to him first. While out on the battlements, Claw, Fang, and Maggie are trying to enjoy their dinner but Fang chooses to make jokes at the expense of Claw's muteness. Maggie reminds him that Claw hasn't spoken since his transformation but Fang brushes it off as just a joke. Talon arrives and fills them in on Sevarius's death scene being an act, and that he must have had help to pull it off. Fang asks who he figures and Talon accuses Goliath as he was the one to kick him into the eel tank. Maggie doubts it and recalls when the gargoyles tried to help her. When she mentions that they took her to their home, Talon demands to know more.

Maggie lands on the balcony of the Clock Tower and is greeted by Hudson who had wondered what became of her. But the trap is sprung as Claw and Fang fly in and subdue Hudson and Bronx. Maggie looks on in horror and apologizes.

Act Two

Sevarius glares at his captor behind bars, stunned that they plan to keep him as long as necessary. He tries to explain that it could take years to develop a cure and they can't hold him forever. His captor growls and clenches a fist. But Sevarius is convinced that he can't even begin to start without his briefcase as all his notes are in it. He is growled at again and, seemingly defeated, he says he will "make the attempt." At the Clock Tower, Maggie again apologizes to Hudson and Bronx, now bound in chains, she never wanted this. Hudson asks why they're here at all, and Fang tells him that Talon wants a few words with Goliath. Hudsons scoffs, they're in for a long wait as Goliath said he'd be gone for a few nights. Fang angrily grabs Hudson's chains saying he'll just have to clear his social calendar. 

Inside Xanatos's office, Owen pulls up security footage that the last person to see Sevarius was a security guard who reported that Detective Maza showed up looking for the doctor minutes after he logged out, that all that was found was a briefcase. Xanatos is sure that Talon has the geneticist hidden somewhere, trying to force a cure out of him. But Owen's investigation shows there is no sign of any unauthorized activity at any lab that Talon might have access to. The doors burst open and Talon storms in, accusing Xanatos of lying to him about Sevarius's death. But Xanatos keeps his cool and "admits" that he was fooled, same as Talon and that Sevarius and Goliath had worked together to fake the death. His biases confirmed, Talon feels vindicated but asks why. Xanatos tells him that Goliath wanted the doctor to "create more creatures like himself". When Talon asks how long Xanatos knew, Xanatos assures him that he had been pressuring Sevarius to design a cure and that what he created that first night was just a placebo. When Talon asks why he wasn't told, Xanatos smoothly says he didn't want to get his hopes up, still doesn't but that he believes Sevarius was on the verge of a true kill. Talon is stunned when Xanatos urges him to release Sevarius to his custody if it's not already too late.

Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway alight on the Clock Tower, the three of them still excited by the concert they had just attended. They call out to Hudson who tries to warn them as they are attacked by Claw and Fang. Claw attacks Broadway while Fang mockingly knocks Lex aside and assaults Brooklyn. But Brooklyn takes to the air as Fang gives chase. Fang fires blast after blast telling Brooklyn to come back and fight like a man, but Brooklyn turns the tables as he reminds the mutate that he's not a man, he's a gargoyle. Lexington comes to as Broadway defeats Claw and helps his rookery brother restrain the mutate. With the two Mutates defeated, Brooklyn calls out to Hudson and Bronx. Hudson, managing to free himself, steps out with Maggie... the one who led them to them.

Claw comes to as Bronx angrily roars at him. Maggie, seated in Hudson's recliner, listens as Brooklyn tries to assure her that they're not her enemies. Maggie, however, is convinced that Goliath and Sevarius planned it all together. Brooklyn, still nursing a crush on her, reminds her that they were there to save her, not hurt her. If Sevarius has a partner than it must be Xanatos. But Maggie doesn't want to hear it. Xanatos is their only chance for a cure, if Brooklyn is willing to lie about Xanatos than he'd lie about anything. Brooklyn sighs, he needs to prove he's trustworthy. He releases the three Mutates telling them to return to Xanatos if that's what they want... but warns them not to turn their backs on him. As they depart, Hudson asks if Brooklyn is sure he's done the right thing. Brooklyn is sure, Xanatos cannot keep up the pretense forever, sooner or later they'll find out what he's really like. 

Back at Gen-U-Tech, Elisa and the security guard are reviewing the security tapes with Elisa hoping, outloud, that Derek hasn't done anything stupid. They pull up the footage of Sevarius being abducted. The guard is shocked at what he sees... as is Elisa.

Down in the underground lab, Sevarius is mixing test tubes not sure if this will work as he's not used to working in such primitive conditions. Goliath steps out of the shadows ordering him to get back to work before conditions really do get primitive.

Act Three

Featured Characters and First Appearances

Gargoyles Humans Others


Objects Miscellaneous


Quotes

  • "Where Xanatos is involved, what you see isn't always the truth."
"Same song, same tune. Goliath has you snowed. He and Sevarius are both to blame, and he needs you to protect him from me!" - Elisa and Talon
  • "So Claw, how do you like the chow? What's the matter? Cat got your tongue!?" - Fang
  • "Goliath said he'd be gone for a few nights."
"Sure he did. Guess I'll just have to clear my social calendar!" - Hudson and Fang
  • "Maggie, you know I wanted to be...your friend." - Brooklyn
  • "I don't know if this will work. I'm not used to working in such primitive conditions."
"Just get back to work, before conditions really do get primitive." - Sevarius and Goliath
  • "I really dislike working with someone hanging over my shoulder." - Sevarius
  • "Goliath, you've kidnapped this man! What were you thinking?"
"You were in so much pain, I couldn't stand by and do nothing!" - Elisa and Goliath
  • "Even if it works, the ends can't justify the means! That's the way Xanatos behaves, not you." - Elisa
  • "Please, Derek. Is your vengeance more important than our humanity?" - Maggie
  • "We'd all be happier if you remained in the dark, but I can't let you damage Anton. He's a bit of a bother, but his mind represents infinite possibilities. He's the scientist. You're just the experiment." - Xanatos
  • "Oh, hello Goliath. Didn't even notice you there." - Xanatos
  • "I can't live this way!"
"I couldn't either, not without you. Maggie, we're not strong alone, we're strong together." - Maggie and Talon
  • "You-you would accept us? After how I've treated you?"
"Elisa is already part of our clan. That makes you all...family."
"Thank you, Goliath. But it seems I have my own clan, and my own family." - Talon and Goliath

Continuity

Vinnie appears as the Gen-U-Tech security guard (with the full consequences of his being the one on duty during Goliath's kidnapping of Sevarius surfacing in "Vendettas").

The Mutates appear for the first time since "Metamorphosis". In this episode they discover that Sevarius has survived (following his "death scene" in "Metamorphosis") and that Xanatos has been lying to them about searching for a cure. They move into the Labyrinth, forming the Labyrinth Clan. They next appear in "Kingdom".

Beth Maza appears on screen for the first time. She next appears along with Peter Maza in "Cloud Fathers".

Tidbits

Talon, Maggie, and Fang assume new character designs here which the production team liked better than the "Metamorphosis" ones (the in-story justification used was that they hadn't finished mutating by the end of "Metamorphosis"). Talon's new design was briefly seen in "Upgrade" when Coyote was offering genetic engineering to the pack, which suggests that he was using footage from sometime after "Metamorphosis".

Maggie's nickname, "Maggie the Cat", is a reference to Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Two flashback scenes were used from "Metamorphosis" to bring the story up to full length: Goliath's 'killing' Sevarius, and Maggie waking up to find herself at the Clock Tower.

When Goliath and Elisa arrive at the castle and Talon tells Fang and Claw to attack, Claw's fur color matches Fang's.

When Brooklyn lets the mutates go after the fight at the Clock Tower, Maggie and Claw are seen holding Talon rather than Fang before leaving.

Dr. Sevarius carries (and drops) a briefcase on which his name is misspelled "Servarius".

DVD Release

See Also


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