Dragons Defenders Of Berk Reviews: Episode 1 - Live And Let Fly

Onto a new season, and another 20 episodes with Hiccup, Toothless and the gang. In the last episode, Alvin has learned to train dragons. Are we about to get dragon rider vs. dragon rider battles? Well, let's watch season 2 and find out, boy!

So the episode begins in a dark cave only barely lit by some torches. A strange voice asks "How do you train dragons boy?". Fishleg's appears to be tied up and is being questioned. Fishleg's tells what is likely the Outcasts to eat his shit. He ain't talking and there's nothing they can do to make him. But they think they can and put all the torches out. This scares Fishleg's into spilling the beans on the Dragon riders, calling Astrid a bitch but in a nice way, and can't decide whether Snotlout or Hookfang is more monstrous. 

Suddenly Toothless lights the torches and the teens look at Fishleg's wholly unimpressed. Being in the dark of all things broke Fishleg's, imagine if he was being threatening with waterboarding or a possible flaying? Hiccup tells Fishleg's he can't be such a loose-tongued pussy if Avin has him as a prisoner, he'll do shit a lot worse than putting him in the dark. Then again, why would he need to do anything else if putting him in the dark would brake him? Hiccup tells him to work on keeping his shit together under pressure. Astrid takes Fishleg's comment that she's mean to heart. Fishleg's asks Meatlug to untie him as the others left him there tied up. 

Meatlug?

At the docks, Stoick is overlooking the fortification of Berk from a very likely Outcast attack. He also tells Hiccup that there is a ban on flying dragons. Wait, what? Hiccup thinks this is a bunch of bullshit, which I have to agree with. How would this be productive to their war effort? And how do you propose to keep them grounded? All in all this sounds like a stupid idea. But Stoick is doing it because he doesn't want to risk the lives of Hiccup and his other Dragon Riders. But Hiccup points out that Avin has got his own dragons and the only way to fight that is to fight back with their own, but when Stoick says something is happening, it's fucking happening. 

The other riders think it's a bunch of bullshit as well however. Astrid asks him how he could possibly agree with such a stupid idea. Hiccup tells her that Stoick is the chief and his overly protective father whose judgement is clouded for that very reason. Astrid thinks they need to knock some sense into him, Fishleg's wishes her good luck on that and tells her he'll miss her. Snotlout says that bad shit happens if they cage Hookfang's inner warrior. 

FUCK YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!

Ruffnut and Tuffnut think they should cage Hookfang's inner warrior a long time ago. Hiccup tells the others not to get their titties in a twist, he'll work on getting his dad over to their point of view. 

On the way back home, Astrid says she forgot what it was like to walk all the way home, a subtle guilt-tripping of Hiccup. Hiccup tells Astrid he usually enjoys these little games they play, but right now he ain't digging it. He's got enough shit on his plate and Toothless looking at him with his big, cute puppy dog eyes begging him to go out on their sunset flights knowing damn well he can't is more than he can handle, he doesn't need Astrid's guilt-tripping. 

It's night and Toothless is sitting in the exact same spot staring at the moon. Hiccup in in the Blacksmith's shop building something. Toothless smacks Hiccup around with his tail, Hiccup tries to resist the urge but dammit, how do you refuse Toothless something?! That shit can't be easy! Gobber then walks into the shop and starts guilt-tripping Hiccup about the ban, only Gobber isn't doing it intentionally and he's not subtle at all about it. After a scolding glance from Hiccup, Gobber changes the subject to what Hiccup is building. Hiccup shows Gobber a shield, which confuses Gobber at first, but Hiccup quickly shows him it's not just a shield. 

Gee Hiccup, I didn't know you were that find of me.

Hiccup's shield is a shield-grappling hook. Gobber thinks it could come in handy, and tries to reassure Hiccup that his father is only trying to protect him. Hiccup still thinks that's a bunch of bullshit (and so do I) and reminds Gobber that the safest place for him is on Toothless kicking ass and taking names. Gobber can't make an argument against that and instead resorts to more unintentional and unsubtle guilt-tripping about how beautiful the moon looks at that time. After another scolding glance from Hiccup, Gobber decides to be quiet and go away. 

Toothless once again nags Hiccup for a flight, but Hiccup tells Toothless he might as well be roaring at the wind, but he eventually caves in because there's just no refusing Toothless anything dammit! Astrid unfortunately catches Hiccup with his hands in the cookie jar. She gives chase, but Hiccup manages to lose her. He sets down confident that he left her in the dust. Only for her to set down right beside him. Astrid asks him if this is where he tells her that his dad doesn't know shit about this and he's going behind Stoick's back for the 500 billionth time already. Hiccup however tells her that his is where he tells her that Stoick is in the wrong. He thinks Stoick's head is clogged with Bullshit, and he's going to do the right thing and fly on his dragon anyway. Astrid supports him, if he's going to fly his dragon anyway, the rest of them are too. So they come up with the Dragon Flight Club, a secret society of dragon fliers that fly their dragons in spite of the ban on flying. They pitch it to the others. 

So a stupid idea to counter another stupid idea?
Count me in!

Astrid and Hiccup manage to convince the others to go along with their stupid idea, although the Twins are confused at first about their being a Dragon Flight Club and there not being a Dragon Flight Club at the same time and Fishleg's only goes along with it at the promise of a statue of himself. 

With the team assembled, Hiccup explains that he's come up with a shitload of exercises to prepare for riders on any type of dragon from Typhoomerangs to Whispering Death's. Snotlout loses his patience with Hiccu[p's rambling and wants to get the fuck going. They head towards Changewing Island first, Tuffnut wants to get his hands on a Stone of Good Fortune again. Astrid reminds his dumb ass that they're Changewing eggs, Fishleg's threatens to break Tuff's neck if he touches one. He does not want to revisit the Changewing debacle. 

The teens watch as a pack of Changewing's hunt a boar, a boar that Ruff and Tuff seem to recognise. They the Changewing's to leave Beorn alone, then the Changewing's start hunting them. Hiccup realises that once they're in the open sky, the Changewing's will have shit to camouflage against. The teens put this to use and fight them off. 

Back at Berk, Stoick is heading towards Gobber's shop. Gobber is inspecting Hiccup's shield trying to find the mechanism for the grappling hook. Stoick barges in and Gobber accidentally sets off the grappling hook. 

Uh, is anybody looking?

After that little bit of akwardness, Stoick asks Gobber if he's improved Thornado's saddle. Gobber tells him he has but it ain't much good for anything with the ban on flying. Gobber then realizes that the ban is for everyone except the Chief. So, he even banned the other adult's from flying? This idea just gets dumber and dumber the more we learn about it. Perhaps Stoick is starting to realise how stupid it is too, and decides that at least somebody ought to fly their dragons. 

Back with the Dragon Flight Club, Fishlegs is examining a Typhoomerang ring. He explains that a ring can show you the age and size of the dragon in question, even where it went after it made the ring. Snotlout says he can tell where it went without all that stupid observationy shit, because it's coming right at them. They get the hell out of dodge. 

On the way back, Tuffnut looks down and asks Hiccup when Stoick joined the Dragon Flight Club. Hiccup tell him he never did, and Tuffnut points out that he's right underneath them. Hiccup tells the others to hide in the clouds. They do just that, but Ruffnut and Tuffnut try to look outside the clouds because they can't see. 

-We can't see shit in these clouds!
- That's the point you fucking simpletons!

Stoick sees Ruff and Tuff and Hiccup tells the DFC to scatter and run like children. Stoick gives chase, but they give him the slip through the clouds. They all manage to reach their houses unseen, except for Fishlegs whose caught by Stoick at the very last minute. Stoick takes him away for questioning. 

Stoick and Gobber have Fishlegs in the Great Hall for questioning. Stoick asks Fishlegs why he was out on his dragon and who was with him. But Fishlegs only repeats "My name is Fishlegs, I live on the Island of Berk, I don't know anything about dragons or those who ride them.", so much so that it starts freaking Gobber out. Stoick tries to reassure Fishlegs, telling him that it's not an interrogation. Gobber then puts out the light, making it seem much more like an interrogation. But Fishlegs only repeats what he's been saying since the start. 

Back at the academy, Fishlegs tells Astrid and Hiccup that despite the lights going out and the pant wetting fear that went through him, he managed to hold firm, because he remembered that the first rule of DFC  is that there is no DFC, something Ruff and Tuff are still confused about. Snotlout then barges in on a pissed off Hookfang. Hiccup asks him what the meaning of this is. 

Oh, it's nothing. Alvin and the Outcasts are just attacking
as we speak. Just thought you'd want to know.

With Alvin and his fleet on the way, Hiccup goes to wake up Stoick. Stoick however nearly chops Hiccup's head off when he's awakened from a deep sleep. Hiccup warns Stoick about Alvin's approaching fleet, and Stoick wants to know how he knew that. Hiccup then points out that Stoick was also out on his dragon despite the ban. Stoick quickly changes the subject to avoid facing that burn and tells Hiccup to round up the other riders. 

They ride out to meet Alvin's fleet. Stoick gives them the plan of action and charges in to fuck shit up. The Outcasts feeble efforts prove worthless against Thornado, who just throws anything they fire at him right back at them. But Alvin has a few tricks up his sleeve. He releases a pack of Changewing's from his ships and sends them off toward Berk. Stoick and Hiccup send the others off to deal with the Changewing's while they deal with Alvin. They combine their shots to rain fire down upon them. 

 Pretty!

Alvin admits defeat and tells his ships to retreat. Hiccup and Stoick pat themselves on the back for their victory. But Hiccup thinks something's fuckey here. He thinks Alvin would have a better plan than this. 

And it turns out he really does. Alvin's little attack was just a diversion. Savage and Mildew (the traitorous scumfuck) are in a set of caves beneath Berk planting Whispering Death eggs. The idea is for the Whispering Deaths to take Berk from underneath. Alvin you clever bastard. 

Back at Berk, Stoick and Hiccup are having dinner. Stoick tells Hiccup  that he's disappointed that Hiccup disobeyed him, but he can admit when he made a stupid decision. He lifts the ban and asks Hiccup about the DFC. 

Meanwhile, under Berk...

Oh Shit Son!!

Summary

Not a bad season opener. I just think the whole idea of Stoick banning flying Dragon's is a bit stupid, like the writer's had to come up with some kind of dramatic complication for the first episode. What are the advantages of banning flying? What is the justification for it? Hiccup is juts as likely to be in danger when Alvin comes with a fleet, and Stoick just removed their biggest game changing advantage. 

So while the plot did seem kinda stupid, it was still a good episode. The jokes are still spot on, and the ending fight scene was great and had some wonderful buts of animation. Speaking of which, the animation is noticeably improved from the first season. And Alvin's plan was also very clever, and should lead to a great pay-off. 

6.5/10