Last episode, Mildew framed the dragons for stealing boots, tearing up the Great Hall, and blowing up the armoury. Stoick banishes the dragons but Hiccup suspects Mildew is a treasonous scumbag and finds the evidence to back it up. Only to have Mildew throw it into the ocean. Hiccup is determined to prove the dragon's innocent. And in part 2, we meet our main villain.
The teen's dragons are on Dragon Island. Meatlug is depressed and Hookfang, Barf and Belch are duking it out. Toothless has to keep the Riff Raff in line. He nuzzles his saddle and looks out to the distance. Poor Toothless.
Hiccup and the others are on the beach trying to find the fake dragon feet that Mildew threw into the ocean. Snotlout complains that they've been there for hours and are not finding anything. Hiccup points out they've been there for 10 minutes and that he's done nothing but build a stupid sand castle. Hiccup knows that evidence is out there, but Fishlegs says the chances of finding it are as good as Snotlout and Astrid getting together. Which is practically non-existent.
But all is not lost as it seems Snotlout has found the fake dragon feet. Only for it to be his first bludgeon from his childhood. Hiccup tells the others to keep looking.
Cut to Gobber repairing to an axe. He's got 1 repaired and has 365 to go. Stoick tells him to work faster as they're completely defenceless. Gobber tells him that he should have thought of that before he sent the dragons away. Which is a pretty good point, but Stoick stands firm saying they destroyed the armoury and that he had no choice. Gobber continues to rub Stoick's questionable decision in his face by mentioning Alvin the Treacherous, they're most feared enemy. So wait a minute, back in episode 2 when Gobber was out of a job because his smithing skills weren't in high demand. But wouldn't being at war with another tribe create a demand for repairing swords and such? Was the second episode rendered pointless?
With that, we meet Alvin the Treacherous voiced by MARK FUCKING HAMILL!!!
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| The Joker in How To Train Your Dragon? Sick! |
Alvin asks his right-hand bitch if the ships are ready. He wants to land in Berk, not for Stoick or to take the Island even though that would be pretty easy right now, he's going there to find the "Dragon Conqueror". His lackey tells him he's 8 feet tall with the strength of a dozen men. Alvin thinks he shouldn't be too hard to find.
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| Indeed. |
Hiccup is trying to convince Stoick that he seen fake dragon feet that Mildew used to frame the dragons for crimes they didn't commit. Stoick is willing to listen to Hiccup and wants to see them to confirm it. But just like a prosecutor in a trial, Hiccup's gonna need that evidence to accuse Mildew of High Treason. Evidence he doesn't have. Isn't an eye witness account enough? Apparently not, even in Viking culture. Which I find questionable.
Hiccup and Astrid are walking along the edge of town discussing how their going to prove Mildew committed those crimes when Astrid spots a ship in the distance. Hiccup takes a closer look and sees it's an outcast ship. He runs off to warn the village. At night, Alvin lands on the beach. And I have to comment of the show's score, it's pretty awesome. Alvin comments that it's good to be back on the shores of Berk. A former resident coming to claim the island as his own eh? Oh, how I love power struggles.
While that's going on, Stoick tries to maintain order in the face of an attack. Much easier said than done, especially when Mildew tries to make it out like it's all Hiccup's fault. But Stoick tells Mildew to shut the fuck up, as he has no time for his finger-pointing bullshit. The only thing that would make this better is if he knocked him out.
Stoick sends Bucket and Mulch to take the vulnerable to the beach, gives Astrid Alvin's hatchet and sends them with the others. Hiccup asks his dad if he can go get the dragons, as they can defend themselves if they have them. Unable to argue with that, he agrees and sends Hiccup to retrieve the dragon. The rest of the tribe are going with Stoick to ambush Alvin's men.
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| All four of them. |
Fishlegs did not get the memo that they're under attack by a rival tribe and is sitting on a cliff top in a state of self-loathing for having to get rid of Meatlug. He tries to make a poem about her, but can't find a word that rhymes with empty. Alvin sneaks up behind him and tells him to stop wasting his time, as nothing rhymes with empty.
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| Sure nothing does. |
Alvin Holds Fishlegs over the cliff and demands the location of the Dragon Conqueror. But the only thing he can get out of Fishlegs is a girly scream, so he chucks him into the ocean.
Back at the village, Hiccup is trying to get to a boat so he can get to Dragon Island. However, the Outcasts beat him to the docks and they converge on the village from the land as well. Hiccup hides underneath one of the houses and finds Fishlegs. Fishlegs tell Hiccup Alvin's looking for him.
Alvin finds the destroyed armoury and the village empty. But one of his soldiers informs him that an idiot with a bucket on his head and the vulnerable villagers are heading to the beach. Alvin sends some of his men to find Stoick and heads off to take hostages. Shit just got serious. Hiccup goes off to warn Bucket and Mulch and sends Fishlegs to find Stoick.
Stoick and Gobber are awaiting Alvin and his men, and all they got is two frying pans, a rolling pin and a kitchen knife. Stoick wanders what they're supposed to do with all that. Bake Alvin a cake?! Gobber responds by throwing the kitchen knife at a tree.
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| That ought a be useful. |
Bucket and Mulch are leading the other villagers to the beach. Bucket however has a heart of mush and went back for a little girls lamb doll. Mulch goes back for him but both of them are captured by Alvin. They take them to the others.
Stoick and the others ambush Alvin's men in what is a pretty awesome fight scene. And it's nice to see Stoick kicking some ass. As they defeat the Outcasts, they see another running through the forest. Stoick jumps him and is about to introduce him to a world of pain, but its actually Fishlegs. Fishlegs informs Stoick that Alvin as after Hiccup.
Back at the beach, Alvin has captured the vulnerable villagers and the teens. Alvin introduces himself (which seems kinda unnecessary seeing as he's apparently from Berk) and says that he's not there for Stoick, he's there for the Dragon Conqueror, and they all know who that is. Including Mildew who whispers into Astrid's ear, "Say goodbye to Hiccup".
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...
...
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| ....that was GLORIOUS!!!! |
So after that little bit of satisfaction, Alvin demands they tell him where the Dragon Conqueror is and they can go free. Snotlout decides to be a smartass and rushes to face Alvin with his bludgeon. Only to just hand it over the moment Alvin puts up resistance. Astrid tries taking him out with his own hatchet, but he just catches it mid-air. He singles Astrid out and pulls her hair demanding the location of the Dragon Conqueror. Out of the blue, Hiccup shows up and admits he's the Dragon Conqueror. Alvin simply laughs, unable to comprehend how Stoick's little embarrassment could possibly be the Dragon Conqueror he's seeking. Hiccup however points out there's no dragons around and that he drove them away. Astrid backs up his bluff by claiming he even conquered a Night Fury. Alvin has a look of doubt and fear on his face, with music that sends shivers down my spine, and claims Hiccup's bluffing. Hiccup convinces Alvin to take him to Dragon Island to see for himself. Hiccup you clever bastard.
So Alvin takes Hiccup and leaves a few of his men to guard the prisoners. Stoick and Gobber serve them a dish of ass-whooping and free the prisoners. Astrid tells them that Alvin took Hiccup.
Hiccup and Alvin are on an Outcast ship heading for Dragon Island. Alvin is sure Stoick has told Hiccup about their Island's most feared enemy. Hiccup just tells Alvin, rather sarcastically, that his dad never mentioned him. Alvin is annoyed by this. As they land, Hiccup makes more sarcastic banter at Alvin's expense. Alvin then notices Toothless. He's never seen a Night Fury before and is visibly terrified.
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| I think I pissed myself. |
Hiccup approaches Toothless who jumps on top of him and starts licking him like an overgrown dog. God I love Toothless. Hiccup makes it look like he's fighting Toothless and manages to get his saddle back on. Alvin inquires what he's doing with the dragon. And in a moment of pure badassness, Hiccup just turns around and tells Alvin that it's not The Dragon Conqueror, it's Dragon Trainer. Hiccup flies away and what ensues is a pretty epic battle scene between the Outcasts and the dragon riders as they show up, with some great animation, and Alvin and Stoick have a pretty awesome hand-to-hand brawl. The slow-motion shots happen a bit too often, but that's just an insignificant nitpick. The battle ends with Alvin's ship being sunk and the Outcasts being stranded on Dragon Island. But Alvin just laughs manically, proclaiming that if they get Hiccup, then they'll be able to ride dragons.
The riders get back to Berk. The village cheers their victory and welcomes the Dragons back. But Mildew tries to remind them of what the dragons "did". Stoick knows what they did, they saved their lives. And he gives Mildew a glare that shuts him right up. And Hiccup threatens Mildew that he can't prove what he did, but he'll never forget it. Burn! And with that, the dragons are reintegrated into the Viking way of life. And on another note, the remixed theme from the movie is pretty damn awesome.
Summary
This episode was awesome! We got introduced to our main villain whose introduction is great, Mark Hamill is awesome as expected, and he and Hiccup have some great sarcastic moments. And there was some great action in this episode. Although the numbers of men involved didn't make them as exciting as they should be, since it's TV with a small budget I'm willing to let that slide. The last battle between Stoick and Alvin was epic and the animation in this episode was top-notch. Well, for TV anyway. And I'm loving the score for the TV series.
After the first few episodes, it's nice to see the show reaching its potential. Let's hope the show manages to keep up this quality.
9/10
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