Dragons Riders of Berk Reviews: Episode 8 - Portrait Of Hiccup As A Buff Man

Another year has passed, and we move on to the future that is, 2014. Happy New Year everyone! 

Man, 2014. It feels like only yesterday, that it was 2013. Time sure flies by, much too quickly for my liking. But, as with every new year, there's a lot of shit to look forward to. 

What do I have to look forward to? Nothing big planned in my personal life. Then again, I pretty much don't have a life to sacrifice. But I am looking forward to the new Godzilla, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and of course How To Train Your Dragon 2. I'm also looking forward to The Walking Dead and Dragons Defenders of Berk. That's pretty much it for now.

Speaking of which.......

In the Great Hall, Stoick and Hiccup are posing for their portrait that will be displayed on the wall. All the chief's and their sons have taken portraits and now it's Stoick's and Hiccup's turn. Though, compared to all the other chief's sons, Hiccup sure looks like a disappointment. And Hiccup even mentions in the narration that it's tough measuring up to a Viking father, especially when he's the chief. 

This is yet another great development to Stoick's and Hiccup's relationship. Once again, even though their relationship has most definitely improved, they still have some kinks to work out. Last episode was about Stoick listening to what Hiccup has to say, and this episode is exploring Hiccup feeling like he can't measure up to his father. Although, perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself, we haven't even gotten to the main plot point yet. 

So Bucket paints a portrait of Stoick and Hiccup. As the adults sit a table getting shit-faced drunk, the teens are looking at the portraits of the past leaders. Fishlegs mentions that Hiccup's part of the elite, and one of the few to not have been killed by his successor. Yikes, that's a scary thought. Snotlout pokes fun at the Chief known as Hamish and his son Hamish the Second. Ruffnut and Tuffnut fuck around with him and push him into the portrait. A piece of paper falls out from behind the portrait. Gobber takes it and realizes that it's a treasure map. 

A Treasure map? How strangely convenient. 

Gobber explains to them that this map leads to the treasure of Hamish the first, who was buried by his son with his treasure. And the map has riddles so difficult to decode, that it would take a brilliant mind to crack them. I wander....

 Gobber goes on saying that many have lost their limbs, lives, and minds trying to find it. And that in fact he and Stoick went after it and almost came back without their friendship intact. Sounds discouraging. 

Gobber tells the teens that for their own good, they should forget they ever saw the map. 

Sure Gobber, we'll "forget" we ever saw it.

A little while after, the portrait of Hiccup and Stoick is ready to be shown to the village. The whole town waits in eager anticipation. Stoick proudly proclaims to Hiccup that this will be their legacy. 

Bucket then reveals the portrait. But the portraits portrays Hiccup as very muscular. 

What happened to Hiccup?

Hiccup does not take very well to the painting. But Stoick loves it, and the rest of the village joins in on the praise proclaiming that's the son of a chief. Hiccup feels inferior as he looks at what his father wants him to be, but he unfortunately isn't. I can relate,  as I'm sure a lot of other people have as well.

Hiccup discusses this with Astrid, saying that his dad likes that painting more than the real Hiccup. He wanders how he can get his dad to accept him. Astrid tells him that his dad does accept him, but he just accepts the painting more. Uh, you are trying to help, right?

But that will have to wait, as Hiccup and Astrid spot Fishlegs at Gobber's house. Hiccup inquires as to what Fishlegs is doing. Fishlegs makes Cuckoo noises and is obviously a lookout for Snotlout and the twins as they jack the map. Snotlout says they're going after the treasure. Astrid thinks that's fucking stupid, and that they'll just end up dead. They insist on going, but Astrid mentions that not even Stoick could find it. Hiccup, the sly opportunist he is, sees this as a chance to prove himself to Stoick. Astrid once again thinks this is a stupid idea, but she goes along saying she's going to give Hiccup trouble every step of the way.

So they're off to find the treasure, and also crack the riddles that lead to it. They're first clue is hinted at in Hamish's portrait. They find a rock and try to figure out they're next riddle. The poem is mind bogglingly cryptic, but they conclude that it must mean a glacier, which they just so happen to be standing next to.  

Wait a minute! How the hell did Hamish even get up there
to hide what he was hiding?

Back at the village, Stoick is chewing Gobber out for not destroying the map. But Gobber reveals that he was planning on trying to find it again with Stoick. Gobber you fool! Stoick continues to chew out Gobber over his decision, but Gobber just insists that they just turned back too early. Stoick decides to go after Hiccup and wanders why he would do something like this. Gobber looks at the painting. He knows what's up.

Meanwhile, Hiccup and the others have made it to a big cave in the top of the glacier. Which I have to wander again, how the hell did Hamish manage this? I mean, the teens have dragons which makes this hunt a lot easier, probably too easy. But Hamish never had dragons. So how did he manage to hide shit in the most impossible places? Where's the logistics in this?

Anyway, the teens figure out the next riddle and find a piece of metal in the ice. Hiccup thinks it's just the first of many piece's they need to find. But when they remove the piece, the whole place starts to collapse. They get on their dragons and get the Hell out of dodge. 

Back on the beach Stoick, Gobber and Stoick's Thunderdrum are searching for the teens. Nice to see that the Thunderdrum isn't one of those one time things that's never mentioned again. Not that I assumed he would, since that's a pretty big plot development. But it's good to know this show has good continuity. 

Oh Hi Stoick's Thunderdrum!

Gobber uses his expert tracking skills to determine that the teens were at the beach an hour ago. Stoick questions this, wandering what an hour ago smells like. But before they can dive deeper into this, they notice that the glacier is starting to collapse. They begin to argue over who knew where the treasure was. Stoick concludes with admitting that Hiccup got further than them in one day, than they managed in a month. Gobber mocks Stoick saying "And we think we're the big strong Vikings." Stoick wanders what that's supposed to mean, which I kinda agree with as Hiccup does have a dragon which makes it a lot easier. But Gobber's point is that Hiccup is doing this because of the painting. Stoick gets the gist. 

Meanwhile, the hunt for the treasure continues. One mind boggling riddle later, they are arguing over what it means. However Hiccup figures it out, the poem mentions a serpent, and there's a big serpent shaped rock right in front of their faces. Hiccup is about to head off to retrieve the next key, but Fishlegs stops him saying that there's no way a Night Fury with a 40 foot wingspan can hover in high winds so that he can retrieve the key. So Hiccup just ties a rope to Meatlug and gets Fishlegs to hover over it. And again, how the hell did Hamish manage to get it there?

Logistics, Dammit!

Hiccup hovers over the key, but Fishlegs just wants to give up on the search. Which is kinda funny seeing as he was one of the first to suggest the hunt. But Hiccup manages to get the key with his metal leg. The hunt shall continue. 

Hiccup discovers that the two pieces fit together, as the others argue over how to split the treasure. Hiccup says he's not really after the treasure, so Snotlout claims his share. Astrid tries to reassure him telling him he doesn't have to do this, but Hiccup shoots back with, "Explain that to my dad". Besides, they're so close, why give up now?

So they come to a big wall that the treasure is most assuredly behind. The riddle says something about stars and being in sync. Snotlout pulls out a brick that has a star on it, but that causes the wall to start to collapse. Nice job Snotlout, ya incompetent twat! But Hookfang saves the wall by pushing it back in. 

Hiccup remembers the "in sync" part, and gets Barf and Belch to pull out the two stones with stars on them, in sync.  The wall then opens into a long dark tunnel. But as they go in, the wall closes behind them, trapping them. With no other option than to press on, they do just that. They then come to a large chamber with six stone pedestals, each one of them holding a piece of the key. Although they're not all supposed to be taken. It's a choice. And they all represent things like strength, and pureness. Six guesses where this is going.

But Snotlout comments that it seems to be getting hot in the chamber, and the floor lights up, revealing thousands of Fireworm Dragons. Small dragons whose skin burns hotter than the sun. Yikes. But then again, how could Vikings know how hot the sun is? How do they even know it's hot? Anyway, the dragons fight them off, and Hiccup makes his choice. 

Wait a minute, where have I seen this before?

HEY!!!!!

So Hiccup makes his choice and picks up the key piece. But the floor beneath him collapses and he falls into a deep chasm with Toothless. The other teens try to get out so they'll be able to save Hiccup without getting themselves trapped. 

Hiccup and Toothless are fine though, and also find a groove in the floor in the shape of the key. Hiccup puts the key together and slips it into the groove. A pedestal rises and a passageway opens. You know what, this episode really reminds me of Skyrim. If any of you have played the game, you'll know what I mean. 

So Hiccup continues on and finds the chamber full of riches. But what gets his attention is a folded piece of paper on a Pedestal. The message says from one to another, be proud of who you are. And it's revealed that Hamish the 2nd was a runt, just like Hiccup. Which is a nice message, even if it might lack subtlety. But this makes Hamish being able to plant those keys in the Glacier and that tall Rock in the middle of the ocean even less plausible!

But as a final test, two pedestals rise holding an axe and a feather. The ceiling of the chamber starts collapsing and Hiccup has to choose one. 

From outside, Stoick and the others are trying to dig him out. But they notice the ground collapsing behind them. They rush to investigate and find Hiccup holding a feather. Stoick and Hiccup embrace, and the others ask if he's alright. Snotlout, the unbelievable asshole he his, doesn't give a shit about Hiccup and just wants to know where the treasure is.  But all Hiccup shows the picture of the real Hamish the 2nd. 

DISAPPOINTED!!!

Snotlout says that isn't treasure. But Stoick replies, "To a father it is." Stoick apologises to Hiccup, and Hiccup tells him that he had to do it for himself. 

With that, Bucket redoes the portrait so that Hiccup looks like himself. And our ending narration tells us that Hiccup has tried all his life to be Stoick's kind of Viking, but it turns out he already was. 

Summary

Another great episode. This episode continued to further explore the relationship between Stoick and Hiccup and brings up a another relateable issue, the feeling of not measuring up to a parents expectations.

There's also a great adventure with the treasure hunt and interesting lore with the past Chief's and the Hamish's. The cave and Chamber sequences reminded me a lot of Indiana Jones and Skyrim. And we also got introduced to a new dragon, and that's always a plus.

Although I question the logistics of how Hamish hid those key piece's, that's just a nitpick. And also the animation seemed kinda dull compared to the last episodes, but again, just a nitpick.

This was another incredible episode, and this show is keeping up its excellent quality. 

9/10