Dirk writes...

Musings on High Noon:

Point 1--I hate Coldstone. Quite a bit. He's so silly. I mean yes, Gargoyles is totally littered with silly things (Under Manhatten there is an abandoned industrial complex inhabited by flying electric catmen who are the protectors of the homeless. Silly.), but usually it's a case of silly things done well. The cyborg-undead-Cybil gargoyle is a) over the top. b) takes way too much explanation. and c) really never added much to the story.

Point 2--I hated the Sixth Sense. What a stupid movie. Up until the twist ending it appeared to be crappy storytelling. The pacing and the interaction between Willis and his wife seemed way off. They there is the surprise ending! Surprise! The storytelling was intentionally crappy! We end up with a crappy story with a surprise ending.

Basically, High Noon is the crappy coldstone episode with everybody vaguely off-character and Elisa being real tired.
Macbeth and Demona working together AND them knowing where the clan lives comes off as WOW this is out of character. Annoyingly so.
When they steal coldstone my thought is Huh? If I were going to loot the clock tower, Coldstone is the last thing I'd take.
And then, rather then puzzle over why these magic savy characters would steal a comatose robo-zombie rather than three of the most powerful magical items in the world, I dimiss it as another symptom of the apparent bad writing.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Apparent bad writing is the exact same as bad writing.

Furthermore, the important conflicts in this episode are very flat. Elisa's internal struggle comes off as why are they going out of the way to make her so tired? And after the Flagrant nonsense behavior of D&M, her "crisis of faith" gets lost as a little more bad characterisation.
And Coldstone I don't like. He's uninteresting, and the whole ostridge thing he does here just seems ungargoyle and makes me dislike him more.

Finally, this is a REALLY bad episode to reveal that the Wyrd Sisters aren't as benevolent as they appear. It seems so out of character from the previous movie, it's a slap in the face.

So the rundown is:
Demona: Behaving way out of character because a spell has been cast on her.
Macbeth: Behaving way out of character because a spell has been cast on him.
Elisa: Behaving signifigantly out of character because of sleep deprivation and dramatic necessity.
Othello: Not having the ability to develop his character prior to this episode, he is behaving notably different than how I would want and expect a protagonist gargoyle to behave.
The Weird Sisters: Behaving drastically different than what we had led to belive was their character.

Last negative thing I'm going to say: Putting this episode directly after City of Stone just makes it appear that much worse, and we really should have had some down time with Mac and Demona MIA.

Basically, it was FAR below par for a Gargoyles episode, but actually not all that bad.

Iago & Mac: This is Diverting. You have no Idea.
Big fun!

Morgan is so cool.

The Elisa getting no sleep could have been really neat, but It got lost in this messy episode.

Could you imagine this being your first episode!! To understand this episode you need to understand who and what Coldstone is, You need to have seen City of Stone for Macbeth and Demona's relationship to make any sense as well as to understand the Wyrd Sister's role in this. You need to have seen the mirror to get that Demona becomes human these days. And it would be nice to be familiar with the phoenix gate, eye of odin, and grimorum arcanorum so that the end makes sense. There's a lot going on.

What crawled up Iago's butt, anyways?

I don't know what this means but when watching Gargoyles... When I hear Frakes, I hear Xanatos; When I hear Sirtis, I hear Demona; When I hear Spiner, I hear Puck; But when I hear Dorn, I hear Worf! He's got a great voice, and definitely is the coolest thing about Coldstone, but it's distinct. By the same token, when ever I hear Keith's voice, I immediately hear Goliath. It was amusing hearing Goliath Narrating Jazz.

All and all, 3 out of 10.

I've said my piece.

Isaac Kelley
"All your base are belong to us."

matt writes...

i was reading the development files for the pilot and i noticed in most versios it was written that Hudson was not the trio's babysitter, Goliath is and Hudson wouldn't like it if he was forced to be their babysitter. i understand that Goliath is the clan leader and therefore responsible for all the gargoyles, but Hudson is the trio's last living rookery father, doesn't that give him some responsibility towards them? why would he be insulted to be a parental figure to the trio, afterall Goliath isn't their father, Hudson is...?

Anonymous writes...

Greg;

your response one time was quote, "... who can explain this crazy little thing called love?" (in reference to bronx and boudicah.)

I had a good laugh.

And you thought your smart-ass responses were getting lame!

Greg Bishansky writes...

Here are some of my favorite smart-ass responses

Siren writes...

So Greg, which came first...The gargoyle or the egg?

Greg responds...

I did.

Why did Lex start a business?

Greg responds...

Because it was there.

Finding myself lost in that massive "Old Ask Greg Archive," I stumbled across a mention of a missing World Tour episode featuring Coldstone in the Himalayas. What would've happened there?

Greg responds...

An entire story.

Just thought that I might tell you that I was very amused (LOL), in fact, by your answer to the question about whether pigs can fly in the Gargoyles Universe ("I've got the bacon, do you have the catapult?") - particularly since I'd never imagined firing pigs from a catapult as a means of accomplishing that feat.

Greg responds...

Then you don't watch enough Monty Python.

In the episode the gathering (part 2) what did titania whisper to fox at the end of the episode. I have been wondering this for a long time.

Greg responds...

You and what army?

Oh, yeah. That army. <WAVES> "Hi, guys!"

How do gargoyles view Homosexuality?

Greg responds...

On cable, like the rest of us.

Hey Greg ^_^

I'm a huge E&G fan (Elisa and Goliath, but I'm sure you know that o.O) and I was wondering, in absolutely any way, would Goliath and Elisa EVER have kids? *waits for beating* >;)

Greg responds...

Admit it, for a huge E&G fan, you couldn't be bothered to check either the E or G archive and get your answer immediately. Instead you post a question here and wait over a month for a response that I've already posted MANY times before. Right?

Anyway, "kids" plural?

3. *DO* the other gargs need to shave?

4. If so, what do they shave with, particularly Goliath on the Avalon tour?

Greg responds...

3. Not Angela.

4. Superman checked in periodically, and volunteered his heat-vision.

What is it like for you to have so many people worshiping the ground you walk on?

Greg responds...

Pretty cool most of the time.

And then I get an embarrassing question like this one...

Well, that's enough. Other people had submitted some very good ones as well.

Mary Mack writes...

Dear Greg,

I went through the Smart-Ass Responses Archive and hunted down my favorites. I'm cold, but I'm smiling.

1. The entire "What did Titania whisper to Fox?" controversy.

2. Wing asks, "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop?"
Greg responds, "The world may never know."

3. "Frank Welker" makes the Stone of Destiny special.

4. Catapult + Bacon = Flying Pigs. And Todd Jensen _definetly_ doesn't watch enough Monty Python.

5. Ed asks, "What... could Sevarius possibly cook up next?"
Greg respnds, "Breakfast?"

6. "All cookies are true. Especially peanut butter cookies." One wonders if you've received some message from a peanut butter cookie.

7. The fate of the Pack Helicopter? "They turned it into a planter." Fuschias, right? They'd look pretty.

8. LSZ asks, "What new villains... would appear in Pendragon?"
Greg responds, "There's the amazing NEW GUY. He's terrifying."

9. Puck asks, "Are gargoyles realy real?"
Greg responds, "You misspelled 'really'." He did, he really did.

10. And the ever-popular, "Do gargoyles leave marks on hardwood floors?"
Greg responds, "There's a smart ass answer in here somewhere, but I just can't find it."
Joxter thought the answer was "Doing what?"
I know the real answer. Gargoyles are just like humans in that they leave marks on hardwood floors when they wear high heeled shoes. Ask any good contractor-- Ms. Dominique Destine has gone through several, I'm sure.

Okay, I'm done making a fool of myself for today. You can all go about your business now, nothing to see here.

Jim R. writes...

Greg,

I just thought to let you know, that I enjoy reading your movie reviews. You see way more movies than I do, so reading some of your thoughts about them is interesting to see whether I would agree if I've seen the movie or not, and to see whether if I should. Ebert and you would be a sight to see...

Vanity writes...

In response to Jim R.

Sorry to sound pompous
But our sun is a main sequence star and thus will never supernova. Our sun will as you say in about 6 billion years grow to a red giant and it may ingulf the Earth or it just may push the planets away from itself repsecting the relations ship of mass to gravity. The last stage in our sun's life will be the white dwarf and black dwarf stages and by then all life on earth will likely be dead. Except for Demona and Macbeth if they haven't killed eachother by now. Oberon's children will most likely not die either being that eternal beings don't die.

matt writes...

in response to "The One":

i've been thinking an awful lot about gargoyle genetics and biology lately and i have some theories, not ideas, personal theories.

in evolution, the weak do not survive to pass on genes, and the strong do. among other things this makes most beings of a species very similar in appearence, at least from outside that species. gargoyles are different obviously, even us humans can see major differences among them, like the ones you mentioned. the reason for this, i think, is because they have bypassed evolution by not raising their young individually, but communally. the strong gargs help in raising the weak gargs and vice versa, this means that strong and weak gargs make it to adulthood to have their own children, this also means that weaker traits arn't dying off and any physical mutations that occur are accepted and continue on. generally though, gargoyles are pretty similar if you look at bone structure or DNA, its like dogs, we've selectively breed them to look different or be able to do different things, but a Poodle is virtually identical to a St. Bernard in its DNA. the fact that gargoyles don't keep track of who's kid is who's also means that occasionally two cousin's or second cousin's will mate and this may cause mutations that further vary what the species looks like.

as for the rookery generations, as Greg as said, there are never actually biological brothers and sisters among a generation, the closest relation is cousins, i even did the math and found that an uncle and niece for instance can't be in the same generation. i have another personal theory that gargoyles, to prevent much inbreeding, biologically find gargoyles attractive that are very different looking from themselves. i know alot of people would say, "What about who they love?" and i agree, but don't we all have some biological prefrences?

i have no idea why the London gargs evolved the way they did, i'm anxious to see Greg's answer to that one...

ok, i'm done with my ramble, what do you think Greg?

matt writes...

RAMBLE ON "OUTFOXED"

i'll agree with you that although the animation, sound and flashbacks were really annoying, the story really carries this episode.
i remember first seeing this episode very well and i remember wondering what had ever happened to Cyberbiotics and was glad to see that it wasn't just going to be a throwaway company in the series, its like you always say, what about the reprucussions to the raid on Cyberbiotics?
Vogel really confused me, i said to myself, isn't he alot like Owen? i knew it wasn't a coincidence, but had no idea what it was...
oh, and i'm glad Goliath made a new friend, its sad that he makes more enemies than friends, but i guess thats drama for you...
Fox is pregnant!!! wow!! what a shock! i prayed for the next nine months to fly bye, but looking back, i'm glad it didn't. what suspense... geeez.
finally, the moral of the episode: integrity and responsibility. i whole-heartely agree with both you and Renard. its not easy, its "a daily struggle" and even the noble and strong like Goliath have problems with it.
i sometimes wonder what would've happened if Renaud had seen Demona flying around and captured her... i doubt his speech would've done as much for her! he probably would've turned her over to the "proper authorities" i think, that would have been fun!!! hahaha!!!

Shavri writes...

I had a nightmare last night, Mr. Weisman, and it was about you. In it, you died, and in one of the suckiest ways, too. You fell backwards off a bunk-bed ladder and cracked your skull. It was so horrible! I saw it in slow-motion over and over again; you falling down, your mouth gaping open in a scream, then, "BOOM, CRACK," and I think there was blood coming out of your mouth when you were lying on the floor...you looked so pitiful and helpless. You weren't even that high up (about 2 or 3 feet off the ground)! I wasn't there, but somehow I saw that event (you know how weird dreams can be). I remember seeing somewhere in a comment room and on the news that you had died, and then I was flashed with the image of your horrific death. I felt so bad! I was thinking about how you weren't going to be able to answer the question I asked you yesterday, or any question for that matter. It broke my heart to think that, if a "Gargoyles" movie was going to come out, you wouldn't be there to see it or critique it; and how you'd never be able to work on another show if you were given leave to. I mean, you fall 2 or 3 measly feet off a ladder and die! What a horrible way to end your life! It must have been one of those dreams where you couldn't tell whether it was a dream or not, because I woke up thinking you were dead and how badly it sucked. I was thinking, "Wait a minute IS he dead?"...And trying to remember if someone had said you were or not. Then finally, I got over my disorientation and remembered you were NOT. Please don't think I'm crazy or anything. I'm not sure what brought this on. Probably partly because of the injury that caused Dale Earnhardt's death(a fractured skull), and that somehow incorporated itself into my dream. I really don't know why you were in it. Mr. Weisman, Dear, Sweetie, even though I don't know you personally and vice versa: would you do me a favor and PLEASE, please, BE CAREFUL around LADDERS(especially bunk-bed ladders) or ANYTHING else. Maybe you should wear a helmet or something when you climb one (yeah…I know what you're thinking, but still). If you die should from something stupid I will be VERY unhappy with you for not heeding my advice. So BE CAREFUL, please, don't make me into a psychic.