Della Duck finally returns home in an emotional, adventurous, Mother's Day DuckTales
TV Reviews Recap
By the very nature of this “all at once” new episode release format–the “bomb”– it’s naturally going to blunt the emotional impact of Della’s arrival and first encounter with Scrooge and her children in years. We only have one day and one episode to take it all in before the show jumps into the next adventure, and if the episode/production order is any indication, the show is airing some things out of order, so expect some tonal whiplash this coming week. Still, the very moment of this encounter is something to behold in and of itself. Della is back home. Everything has led to this.
I have no qualms to admit I teared up several times in this episode, especially in the first five minutes of the first act. Seeing Scrooge hug, argue, and hug Della again was beautiful, as were the reluctant but eventual embraces shared by Huey, Dewey, and Louie with their newly returned parent. Everyone’s reactions felt true and right, and it’s hard not to feel the emotions shared among everyone. Louie, in particular, had the most nuanced and “realistic” reaction, whose character always seemed aloof, confused, and extra-sensitive in regards to any information about his mother. The writers and animators do a good job with keeping Louie guarded–his calmer, low-key reactions contrasting with Huey and Dewey’s overly-excited ones. I wrote before about keeping an eye on the green triplet; his reactions here, from refusing to believe Della is actually real to his honesty about not being sure how to act with a new mom in his life, gives “Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!” its most resonant point.
The core thematic throughline works, too, although it has to work up against the very nature of the show. It’s about watching Della struggle with being back in civilization, among people, and, in particular, her family. Her wild and adventurous ways don’t quite work within a family unit (gory bedtime stories, cooking with illegal ingredients, skateboarding indoors on a shield), but DuckTales itself has established that being around dangerous events is all par for the course. So it doesn’t quite track that Della is coming off too much for the family, which in effect makes Mrs. Beakley appear weirdly uncaring and inconsiderate (the kids’ reactions make sense, at least). That Scrooge seems to be the only one who grasps the concept that Della has been around for just one day, and that it will take some time to adjust and cope, is a tricky line that the episode teeters on a few times. The episode uses Della’s leg as a symbol of that idea: Scrooge remarks on Della’s ability to quickly adjust to new situations in the first act; by the third, the mom removes said leg to rescue Louie just in the nick of time.
Della surely knows how to be an adventurer, but is she ready to be a mom? For DuckTales, the two really go hand in hand, and the title of the episode is any indication, Della will do everything she can to make it happen. Della makes a perfect fit within the world of the show, one of the better new characters that the creative team has added to the roster (in terms of the show I mean, since Della existed in the comics before). There’s still more coming, too, with Donald now captured by the Moonlanders, a plot point that’s hard to judge at this moment. I am heavily invested to see those two reunite, so I’m a bit sore on that contrivance, but I’m confident that DuckTales can provide a proper, intense endgame involving these upcoming moon invaders, while also providing the perfect, emotional reunion between Della and Donald–“Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!” is proof of that.
Stray observations
- A perfect Mother’s Day episode, too!
- Not that it particularly matters in an episode like this, but I get the feeling that the writers aren’t particularly sure what to do with Duckworth.
- The episode almost falls into an “Idiot Plot” moment when Della runs off during the meeting among Scrooge, Beakley, and the triplets before hearing the rest of Scrooge’s speech. It works if because it allows for Della to voice her insecurities and renewed determination (as well as literally kickstart the third act when she kicks that golden statue it life), but still… Idiot Plots will be Idiot Plots.
20 Comments
I honestly wasn’t expecting them to bring Della home so early. I figured it would be a season finale-type of thing, having a season-long arc of her trying to get home not unlike last season’s whole “where she at?” arc.Which makes me realize they don’t seem to be going for that kind of arc really this season. Like, we had missing Della/Magica last season and nothing really seems to be like that this time, except that “contest” between Scrooge and Glomgold, which doesn’t seem to be all that important.
Possibly they’ll continue to ramp up to an invasion from the moon people as the finale? Or something with Louie Inc. and Goldie mentoring him, which seems to be a new thread.The Della and Magica arcs were introduced early last year but really only got featured in a few key episodes apiece.
I too am surprised they brought Della home already. However, since things are ramping up with the Moonlanders and her and Donald switching places I get it.
The timer shaped like a top hat was a cute touch.
So now we have the moon invasion, the team fracturing a bit because Della is going to take a while to fit in, and Launchpad, Beakley (with Webby) and others trying to find their roles. Quite a lot to handle in the handful of episodes they have left for this season!Wonder if Donald likes licorice any better?
“I have no qualms to admit I teared up several times in this episode”lmaooooo this guy is bringing the goods in the first line. I love it
This series is acting as if having both Duckworth and Mrs. Beakley at the same time is redundant, which is weird for multiple reasons:- the original series had both at the same time- it is common for an estate as large as Scrooge’s to have multiple staff members (we live in a post-Downton Abbey world)- each of the two in this series has a “life” outside the manor (Duckworth has underworld access (as well as ghost mode) while Mrs. Beakley has a secret-agent past, both of which are mentioned in this episode)
I defs wants more Mrs Beaks for sure!
Launchpad was in this episode just enough to launch Della into a rage about being replaced, which made me laugh.
I loved the “I’m a pilot.” callback.
I’m pretty sure the season arc is the invasion of the Moon people.
I’m worried about Donald. I hope he gets out of his mess okay. I mean, it’s not like they’re going to kill him off or write him off the show. At least, I hope they don’t write him off the show.
I’m worried too, but more about how he will be portrayed. Donald is every bit a fighter as well (if not more so), but sadly we haven’t seen that side of him as much as we should (and the last two episodes have been particularly bad in terms of portraying him with just comic relief/slapstick which is getting really annoying and irritating because it makes it seem as if Donald can’t cope with adventures even though in the original Carl Barks comics, he was THE original adventurer and only started disliking adventures because Scrooge would hoard the treasures and not pay him so he refuses to risk his and his nephews’ lives if they’re not getting anything out of it).
I do hope he proves capable. Since the beginning of the series, he’s been more than willing and able to step up when the situation calls for it though his adventuring ways have fallen by the wayside due to the disappearance of Della. It’ll be interesting to see if his attitude changes now that his sister is back in the picture.
It’s now confirmed that Donald is absolutely terrible when it comes to picking names. As Dewey said, he could have been named Turbo!And we were all Webby when it came to reacting to the reunion. But now the big question still remains about who their Dad is?
If anything, DELLA was terrible at picking names! Her choices weren’t even real names for people but for cars or something. Donald gave them the names they were always known by which I really appreciated and glad that they didn’t take that away from him.
I actually enjoyed this episode a lot. For once the focus on people other than Scrooge and Donald was enjoyable.It was helped by the spectacular animation. The fluid movements and detailed movements reminded me of the original DuckTales during its Animation Bump episodes.
Disagree! I think that Ducktales has been veering off Donald TOO much. It’s HIS family and yet too many episodes in the past have been dedicated to ever expanding characters not nearly as connected to the overall plot and not spending enough time on Donald as more than comic relief.
DELLA DUCK IS THE BEST PERSON ALIVE!
I cracked up when Dewey said that.