DuckTales lets Fenton define himself outside of Gizmoduck–and Mark Beaks outside of hashtags
TV Reviews Recap
The newest “new” character in the DuckTales universe is one Gandra Dee. Voiced by The Good Places’s Jameela Jamil, Dee is a punk rebel scientist who scoffs at white suit types who sell out their brilliance for the needs and whims of billionaires. She’s also, ironically, working for Mark Beaks as a spy, although her excuse is that she works for no one, that she only uses him for funding and resources. It’s a lot of self-righteous bloviating (people working for plutocrats never do it so they can work on their own things *rolls eyes*), but the episode doesn’t really call the hypocrisy out. But my main concern is really that this is the third newest character that they’ve introduced that’s structured around the question of whether we can really trust them or not (Lena and Violet being the other two). It’s fine for a solid plot motivator, but it’s also pretty overused by now.
Fenton is exhausted after fighting crime as Gizmoduck for so long. The constantly media attention that his alter-ego gets doesn’t help matters. But when he meets Gandra Dee, the two “fake” hit it off, and they weave back and forth between romantic courting and scientific competitiveness, with the help of Huey and Webby (who are kind of just… there). It’s cute, but the main thrust is Fenton trying to define himself by his scientific prowess, utilizing it to impress someone outside of just being Gizmoduck. It’s a good emotional thread to pull, although I sort wish it went a bit deeper, really delve into the character’s insecurities about the matter. Also, this is nit picky, and I know they changed Fenton from an accountant to a scientist, but it would have been cool to see a callback to original Fenton’s wildly gifted ability with numbers.
The more interesting thing, at least for me, is how they developed Mark Beaks here. I mentioned before how DuckTales seem to be struggling with the character, who leaned way too much as an annoying, social media obsessed Youtuber with money, instead of the weird, eccentric, abnormal weirdo that most tech capilatists seem to be. Well, they fixed that! Beaks, bored while watching Gandra work Fenton into providing the Gizmoduck password, downs a bunch of what looks like test tubes of water, but it’s portrayed like he’s downing shots of alcohol. When breaking into the lab, he plays that “It’s a Date” song while dodging all the laser shots and hacking them one by one, while dancing and pirouetting with a carefree demeanor. Oh, those test tube shots? There were nanobits, which, in a stunning bit of animation, causes him to bulk out and become a literal monster. The social media obsession still comes off a bit awkward (not a single person on any show ever has said “hashtag-whatever” and sounded like a human being). But fusing that with his outlandish behaviors and his obsession with Gizmoduck gives a creepier, dangerous, nutty side that feels more true to the “rich tech head” conception of the character.
This all culminates in an extremely tense, extremely well-animated battle between Mega-Beaks and Gizmoduck, which is not-so-subtly meant to resemble the Iron Man/Hulk fight in Age of Ultron. It’s brutal (with Mega-Beaks ripping a part of Gizmoduck’s visor off so one eye is visible), but I think some things get a little muddled, plot-wise. I don’t quite know why Beaks needs the code that summons Gizmoduck to trigger his Mega-Beaks transformation. His motivation to kidnap Huey and Webby and climb his Waddles tower for social media attention makes sense for his character but feels like a random direction for the whole scene to go. And Dee shocking Gizmoduck when she does, to then try and shock Mega-Beaks later, feels like the show trying to showcase her “works for no one” attitude, but lacks clear motivation in the moment. In other words, I don’t know why Dee shocked Gizmoduck first, then Mega-Beaks later. The heel turn makes no sense. That and the rushed ending hurt what could have been an above-average episode, but at least Fenton becomes a more confident scientist, and Beaks becomes a more specific, dangerous antagonist with specific, dangerous peculiarities.
Stray observations
- That weird “It’s a Date” song was… well, weird. But I kind of liked it?
- I also kind of like that the show is ridiculing the whole secret identity thing. Webby immediately guesses Fenton is Gizmoduck. He has a list of people who already know, including “everyone on his block.” Beaks and Dee know. There’s a casualness to it all that’s pretty amusing.
- Fenton getting legit angry at Dee when he finds out about her betrayal is a good moment, allowing the character to experience an honest emotion outside of “well-meaning, semi-clumsy nice guy.”
29 Comments
“That barista at Starbucks”I agree that a few things at the end just kinda happened.
*Starducks
Well now I gotta rewatch to confirm.
I liked how Dr. Atmoz Fear took Gizmoduck to task for his weak “rain on your parade” pun (which he reused! immediately!) and how he responded by saying that Dr. Atmoz Fear was the third weather-themed villain he had faced that month and he hadn’t had time to work on his pun game.
So, all the people who live on Fenton’s block know that he is Gizmoduck, but Fenton quickly puts his Gizmoduck stuff out of sight when his mom pops in his room. Does Gizmo-Mom know?!
Maybe Gizmo-Mom has just been on him to keep his room straightened up & tidy.
I liked the version of the “It’s a Date” song Mark Beaks was listening to better than the other versions.
“I don’t quite know why Beaks needs the code that summons Gizmoduck to trigger his Mega-Beaks transformation.” In the way that Gandra used tech on herself, she used tech on Beaks, except she used Gizmoduck tech on him and that tech required Fenton’s voice-activated password to run. The nanobots in Beaks’s bloodstream reacted to the Gizmoduck tech to make Beaks as strong as Gizmoduck, actually stronger because Beaks drank more than one shot of nanobots. What I didn’t understand was how the tech was supposed to compensate for Gizmoduck’s other powers, like flight. I guess leaping tall buildings was close enough.
“I don’t know why Dee shocked Gizmoduck first, then Mega-Beaks later. The heel turn makes no sense.” I think there was a throwaway line about how Gandra was okay with evening things out between Scrooge (who had Gizmoduck) and Beaks (whom she helped become Mega-Beaks) but not okay with letting Mega-Beaks beat up on weaker people, like the kids and like Fenton sans suit.
For a Fenton episode, this was okay. For a Fenton episode.
I can’t be the only one who thought Dr. Atmoz Fear bore an uncanny resemblance to Dr. Doofenshmirtz
Not seeing it.
Yeah, I saw that immediately. Dr. Atmoz Fear is also semi-clever villain name. Wonder if he, too, wants to take over the tri-state area. Or maybe Tri-city? Duckberg, St. Canard and Cape Suzette? What would Perry look like in this show? Does he work for S.H.U.S.H. in this world? All things I immediately started asking myself as soon as I saw Dr. Atmoz Fear’s design.
If you had told me Gandra Dee was voiced by Jameela Jamil, I would not have believed you since I’m so used to her Tahani voice. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard her speak outside of that show. I should get on that.And I guess it’s good they’re doing something actually villainous with Mark Beaks. He’s touted as one of the main baddies in the theme and he hasn’t really done much to deserve it.
Dr. Atmoz Fear is really Dr. Doofenschmirtz.I really don’t understand why they needed a recording of Fenton when bean already had the nanites & serum. His transformation wasn’t GizmoDuck tech related at all.Beaks still feels like discount Glomgold.
OK, this is old, but I thought the deal was Beaks was only supposed to quaff one beaker of nanowhatever, summon the Gizmoduck suit to himself, and become a more powerful version of Gizmoduck because of some interaction between the suit and the nanothings. But then he drank, like, all the beakers and just turned into Mega Beaks instead? Did I just make all of that up?
I have not watched any of the new Duck Tales, but as someone who was just the right age during the original run, let me just say I shuddered to read that they brought back Fenton/Gizmoduck. That character (and the decision to inexplicably base the entire 3rd season around him, even though he was brand new and untested) effectively killed the original show. Gone were all the Carl Barks-influenced globe trotting adventures, and the show just became a weak superhero cartoon. Man, have I really been bitter about Fenton for nearly 30 years?
They’re using him sparingly and so far all of his episodes have been good to great.
He’s Lin Manuel-Miranda now, so depending on who you are maybe that helps? Bubba Duck is gonna show up at some point and I feel like he’s a much better rage target, at least original Fenton was kind of charming.
Your news makes me sad.
One other thing: was the villain at the beginning supposed to be a duck-version of Dr. Doof from Phineas and Ferb? Looked just like him.
A lot of people commenting that the weather bad guy looks like Perry the Platypus’s arch-nemesis. I’ll have to rewatch to confirm but off memory I’m not seeing it.
I had to see them side by side before I got what everyone was talking about.
The opening gave me chills. Even with all the banter, it feels really moody with the rain and is the closest this series has come to a straight up superhero show. I really thought they were leaning into this incarnation of Gandra turning into a super villain / arch nemesis for Gizmoduck, with her tech-enhanced eyesight and Shocker-style gloves. She probably ends up closer to something like Catwoman, and now I’m looking forward to a Scrooge/Fenton/Goldie/Gandra double date-style episode. Mark Beaks starts channeling Jesse Eisenberg from BvS here, and it’s strangely fitting to split him out from being a nemesis for Scrooge to being one for Fenton.
This new version of Gandra will be interesting to explore. Her schtick seems to be less about not selling out as when she leaves the lab I think it reveals more of her leaning as she puts it “a scientist FREE OF RESPONSIBILITY”. That’s a very dangerous type of scientist indeed. Will Fenton eventually be able to teach her about the correlation of consequences and responsibility? This is the dynamic this show is setting up between these two characters.
That dating song sounded like something that Rachel Bloom would think up for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Also, almost forgot:Look at me, I’m Gandra DeeScrew responsibility,won’t sell-out,‘till my funds run out,I can’t, I’m Gandra Dee.
The Ava Lovelace (er, Dovelace) made me giggle like nothing else
The “It’s a Date” song sounds almost like a Hall & Oates parody, that Beaks of course has the EDM remix of.
This episode got so meta about the super-hero stuff I was surprised they didn’t make a joke about Beaks’ pants stretching out during his Hulk out and remaining the same size after him shrinking.