Episode 15: The Beast
A cold is plaguing Paris! Oh No! And Djali ate the last of the medical plants for the medicine that Dennis is somehow the only one making. So our Gang of Pals have to venture to a valley to get more of the plants which are conveniently all in same valley in France.
HOWEVER a giant wolf is attacking the woods which has forced all the surrounding villagers to seek refuge in an encampment around the Baron’s castle. Fun fact the Baron’s henchman is named Javert.
Quasimodo tries to go after the wolf using sweet Djali as bait. However Quasimodo grows suspicious of the massive wolf whose growls sound more like a dinosaur and also Djali gets taken by the wolf. Uh-Oh!
Basically it’s not hard to figure this one out. The wolf is a wooden automaton because this show’s version of the 1480s has those and the Baron had been using it to exhort the villagers for more taxes. Thus our Gang of Pals stop the Baron and delivers him to justice along with all the medical plants.
The cave quota is once again met in this episode because this show loves caves.
This is a mid-range episode at best. It’s not the worse, there are no forced lessons but also no Frollo but the stakes are not world or France threatening. Also François is very downplayed here, that helps.
The fact that show puts in Djali’s tricks warms my heart. Quasimodo jumping from roof to roof in the pouring rain to deliver medicine is a mood. Why can’t he use the street? Because DRAMA!
So this is a simple straightforward low-stakes episode that had some good moments mostly because of Djali.
Also for whatever reason the background drawings on the random extras are so “simple” that it’s just utterly delightful.
