Defenders of Berk: Cast Out (Both Parts)

I’m a little sad.  DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk is over.  No more new Toothless cuteness for awhile.  But “Cast Out” was excellent and a great way to bow out.

The citizens of Berk come under attack from both the Screaming Death (the most frightful dragon the series has produced) and Dagur the Deranged.  I guess we should be thankful that Alvin the Treacherous died at mid-season, or he’d be adding to the chaos.

Threat #1: the Screaming Death

Threat #2: Dagur the Deranged

Part 1 (219)

Tuffnut prepares to redecorate Snotlout’s stall.

During a training exercise, Snotlout disobeys orders (again), knocking Astrid unconscious and nearly killing her.  Hiccup grounds him.  Not one to take orders, Snotlout flies off with his dragon Hookfang to a small deserted isle—which he immediately names Snotland.

But is it deserted?  Snotlout spies a wrecked Outcast ship.  (I wish I knew how to capture screen shots, because there’s a lovely shot of Snotlout and Hookfang checking out the wreckage, with the sun low in the sky, highlighting the billowy clouds.  There’s a reason this series won an Emmy for animation!)

Bing! Bam! Lloyd! Er, Darren?

Part 1 of the two-part DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk season finale airs next week.  In preparation, we got a hilarious, silly, and (yes) touching episode in “Bing! Bam! Boom!”

Cute, colorful, and, in this case, cacophonous.

Hiccup and Stoick discover three young Thunderdrum dragons stranded on top of a sea stacks.  (Don’t know what a sea stack is?  Check out Google images.)  Ok, stranded might not be the right word, because the trio follow the Vikings back to Berk.

If you’ve not seen the short The Gift of the Night Fury (which aired at Christmas on Fox and is available on Netflix), baby dragons are quite colorful, and these are no exception.  Even Stoick calls them “cute.”  However, as the Dragon Manual tells us, the Thunderdrum  produces a “concussive sound that can kill a man at close range.”  Although the roar of these three young ‘uns isn’t fatal, it’s loud enough to wreak havoc on the island.

Thunderdrums roar, the twins revel, and normal people cover their ears.

Stoick allows Hiccup and the Dragon Academy to try to train the young Thunderdrums, but it turns out to be quite a difficult task.  The first step in training a dragon is to name it, and the twins promptly christen Bing, Bam, and… Lloyd.  That’s Tuffnut for you.  When the others tell him he’s got it wrong, he goes with… Darin.  (T.J. Miller as Tuffnut is especially amusing in this episode.)

In case you don’t remember (or have never watched—shame on you!), last season Stoick bonded with a Thunderdrum which he trained to ride and named Thornado.  Thornado takes quite a shine to the young dragons, and they to him.  In fact, Thornado seems to be the only authority Bing, Bam, and Boom recognize.

The Best Little Show You’re Not Watching

(and the other “D” show)

Terrible Terrors come in all sorts of colors.

That best little show would be DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk.  The “other D” is Dracula.  Let’s dispense with the latter first.

Where Was I?

Ok, the Doctor Who-athon is over.  Now I’m just waiting for the Christmas special.  What with that and getting ready for the holidays, I’ve neglected the site and the shows.  What have I missed?

Almost Human:  Only two episodes, “The Bends,” and “Blood Brothers.”  And one contained full-frontal nudity!  (Funny how that’s the main thing I remember.)

Sleepy Hollow:   Oh good, just “The Golem.”  That’s not too bad.

Agents of SHIELD:  Again, only one, “The Bridge.”  It’s nice when a series gets a week off.  Thank you, ABC.

Supernatural:  I’m up to date!  But then, “Holy Terror” was so incredible, it had to be discussed immediately.

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland:  Whoa!  I’ve really been neglectful here.  “Heart of Stone” received only a small Quick Take.  I still have “Who’s Alice,” “Bad Blood,” and “Home” to go.

And let’s not forget Defenders of Berk!  I’m even further behind with it than with Once … in Wonderland.  But then, I kind of planned that.

Guess I better get crackin’!  The winter hiatus doesn’t last forever.

So Many Shows, So Little Electricity

Mulch & Bucket return after a too-long absence.

Thursday is my big night for television.  First there’s DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk, then Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.  Next is Project Runway All Stars, followed by Elementary.  (Granted, the last two aren’t SciFi Chicks-worthy, but they nicely round out an evening of enjoyable television.)  Last Thursday was extra special, as Defenders of Berk was featuring a two-parter, with the return of Mulch and Bucket.

At around 5:00 pm, the lights flickered a couple times, then went totally dark.  Fortunately, my What-a-Light and Olde Brooklyn lanterns provided enough light to work on Christmas cards.  When the electricity still hadn’t returned by 8:00, I went out for dinner, figuring the lights would be back on when I returned at 9:00.  They weren’t.  So I continued with the Christmas cards.  Of course, the lights finally came back on at 11:00, just after every show had aired.

OnDemand has allowed me to catch up, but I seem to prefer making Christmas cards to reviewing the shows.  (You heard me right—making Christmas cards!  Pretty impressive for someone who hasn’t sent out Christmas cards in many years.)  It’s actually quite addictive.  I shall try to catch-up during the hiatus.

Speaking of Christmas, and our first snow of the season, you’ll notice SciFi Chicks has gotten into the spirit with falling snow.  It’s the kind of snow I like, the kind you don’t have to shovel.

So Many Shows, So Little Internet Quick Takes

So much has happened in TV-land since my internet modem crashed last week.  I was able to post a couple reviews I’d already started (Agents of SHIELD and Supernatural—and a reply to Natalie) during interludes of access, but that’s it. Now that things appear to be stable, here’s a super-duper brief roundup.

New best gal pals? Nope!

What a Hank without a Nick?

Any excuse for a hug.

Come for the Urban, stay for the Ealy

Terrible Terrors on the loose! Aren’t they cute? And colorful.

Talk to the hand.

Yep, all these shows are discussed (to a limited degree) under the cut.

Defenders of Berk: Continuing Season 2

Please don’t think my penchant for reviewing DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk every other week means my love for the series is waning.  It’s not!  (Although I am sad that Mulch [voiced by the legendary Tim Conway] is nowhere to be seen this year.)

The Night and the Fury (203)

Barf, Tuffnut, & Belch. Or is it Belch, Tuffnut, & Barf?

The teens go on a training mission to Dragon Island to test their survival skills against wild dragons (without the help of their own dragons).  Once there, Hiccup runs into Dagur the Deranged, the chief of the Berserkers.  You may remember him from last year’s “Twinsanity” when he wanted to kill Barf and Belch (Ruffnut and Tuffnut’s Zippleback) as a peace pact wtih Berk.  This time he’s killed a Gronkle and Monstrous Nightmare (although its skull looks more like a Typhoomerang to me), and now he’s hunting for a Night Fury.

Grown-ups Like Cartoons, Too!

The new fall television season has begun!  Time to fire up the ol’ DVR to check out the new shows as well as season premieres of returning favorites.

Yum! (One of my favorite caps)

Several websites list new series’ debuts and returning shows’ season premiere dates, the most comprehensive being TV Line‘s printable premiere calendar.  However, as comprehensive as it is, NOWHERE does it list DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk, which premieres on the Cartoon Network this Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Is it because no one considers shows airing before prime time?  Do they think the Cartoon Network is only for kids?  (You wouldnt know it from the irads,)  Or that the series isn’t appealing to adults?  C’mon, everybody loves Toothless!  The graph says so!