#duck meta

[alltingfinns]

Thoughts on new Ducktales episodes:

Spoiler ish!!

Even before we got so much as a trailer and we mainly had only the tease from s2 finale and the promise of Huey focus to go on, I figured (or at least hoped really strongly) that’d we’d also get added Donald focus.

This was based on the observation that each season doesn’t just focus on one of the triplets but also on an adult in their family. S1 focused on Dewey and Scrooge, S2 focused on Louie and Della, so it stood to reason that S3 would focus on Huey and Donald.

Not just by process of elimination but (which Quack Pack especially demonstrated) Huey and Donald share a “fatal flaw” similar to ones previously explored. Scrooge and Dewey both valued adventure, excitement and mystery to the point of pushing their family away. Della and Louie were so focused on the angles and what they could do that they didn’t stop to consider if they should do it.

Donald and Huey both take their sense of security too far as they shoulder the burden of responsibility. (Makes me wonder if Donald’s the elder twin. Or do I remember Angones already confirming that Della hatched first?) Huey still wants to adventure but he needs the security of his guidebook and appealing to authority, while Donald just wishes his family had less dangers to worry about.

This appeals greatly to me because Huey’s easily my favorite triplet and Donald is just a lifelong favorite. The reboot’s main draw for me has always been his inclusion. The fact that he’s the sole (or at least main) objector to going on adventures is an important factor from the comics.

Because (brace for impact) I have never really been a fan of Launchpad. If you grew up reading Disney comics, and then watch the original Ducktales run, his flaws as an apparent Donald stand in are abundantly clear. Let me explain: in the comics Scrooge would say “come on cheap lab- I mean family! Treasure’s awaiting!” And the triplets would say “yippee! Adventure!” and Donald “aww, phoey!” So the DT87 version just becomes Scrooge: “treasure’s awaiting” and triplets + Launchpad “yippe! Adventure!”

You see? The former version has an internal conflict that drives storytelling and fuels humor. Donald Duck is an absolute snark machine in the comics, calling out his uncle’s greed and stinginess. In many ways most millennials and gen-z’ers can relate to his eternal question “why do we only get 30 cents/hour to risk our lives so that a zillionaire who never uses his money should get more millions to never use?”

I am a bit off topic since the reboot version of Scrooge cares more about adventure than money (still hard to get used to). I could go on and on about how Scrooge is the quintessential representation of one of the two big billionaire myths in (mainly American) media, the bootstraps puller. (The other’s the philanthropist, where I’d say any billionaire that freelances as a superhero represents it but especially Batman.) But that’s still off topic.

Donald and Huey will both have to face their fatal flaw and towards the end of the season their storylines will intertwine in some way to force them both to face it. Basically rewatch the last crash of the sunchaser + timephoon, extrapolate and replace with Donald and Huey. Yeah, my heart will not survive this climax.

I wonder where in Duckburg Goofy lives. He can’t very well live right next door to the McDuck mansion. (Besides exorbitant property prices, that would be a bit much of a coincidence.)

[peachhoneii]

Della Duck: The Mary Sue of DuckTales?

Della isn’t the best mom. She isn’t the best person. She’s impulsive, selfish, hot tempered, stubborn, and childish in more ways than one. She’s also stubborn, impulsive, observant, loving, and compassionate. She’s a three dimensional character. Her flaws are extensions of her strengths.

Fan critique is warranted. She made bad decisions that directly effected her family dynamics. She’s aware of some of them, and it’s likely she’ll discover more. Della has a lot of self-doubt and regret. She knows she made a mistake. As fans we can address and discuss her flaws. We can hold her to a standard, but the standard should cross over the board to most main characters.

Della is a Mary Sue? That’s a sexist, derogatory term. There’s Gary Stu, but that’s rarely used in context towards male character. It’d be acceptable for Mary Sue/Gary Stu in this instance when referring to all characters, but in the cases this claim has appeared, it doesn’t imply any other character except for Della.

Scrooge is an asshole. He’s a great character, but he isn’t a “good” person. He’s an asshole. It makes sense. He was never written or created as a “good” person. He’s Ebenezer Scrooge without the character development, or that was his original creation. Scrooge developed in Barks, Rosa, and other writers/artists as a very complex character. We appreciate that about him. It makes for an entertaining and sometimes a relatable character.

What’s the problem with Della? Della isn’t an asshole. She’s obnoxious and oblivious, but she isn’t an asshole. She isn’t grumpy or mean or a penny pincher. She’s outwardly kind and affectionate. You’d say she’s closer to traditional “good” than Scrooge. But she’s a woman. Scrooge is a man.

Fandom allows Scrooge to be a complex character without ridicule because he’s a man, male character. Della isn’t afforded the same luxury. This is absolutely ridiculous not only for the blatant sexism but the fact that Scrooge is a direct cause for Della’s current personality and behavior.

Until told otherwise, it’s strongly implied Scrooge raised Donald and Della since they were HDLW’s age. He raised them. For all reasonable purposes, they are his children, and while pure conjecture, Scrooge probably projected a lot of himself and his behavior onto Della, rather than Donald. Scrooge encouraged Della’s actions and behavior. I highly doubt Scrooge tried to rein Della in as long as she was proving herself capable and trustworthy. The construction of The Spear of Selene suggests Scrooge spoiled and possibly favored Della due to their common ground.

The thing about Scrooge is accountability. He refuses to apologize. Someone may make a claim he has in past episodes, but they were gestures, not spoken words. He never apologized to Donald, the boys, or Webby. The show frames it in a way that the Scrooge needs the family more than the family needs him, which is why the family has to forgive Scrooge (though he hasn’t apologized or owned up to his mistakes) and return to the mansion.

But Della? Della owns up to her mistakes. Della meets her children and immediately apologizes to them after they reunite. She takes responsibility for her actions and tries to be better for them. Does she make mistakes? Absolutely. The shows wants us to see that Della is having a hard time at being the mom the kids need her to be, and they’re addressing her errors. She is trying to do good. She’s trying to do right by them.

Now, Scrooge? Hmm...hard to say. Not so much, yet. I trust the show to address Scrooge’s behavior down the line. Because he’s an asshole. Not so much to his family, but in general, he is.

You’re going to measure up Della as a Mary Sue, which I don’t think you’re using that term correctly in the first place (not only is it super sexist), but you’re failing (or refusing) to recognize Scrooge is just as much as a Gary Stu if not more since he isn’t put in a position to own up to his errors. 

[alltingfinns]

We know Donald knew Goofy before. He’s also had history with a fair few other characters introduced in the show.

Donald and Goofy had a few cartoons together. But Donald also had a lot of classic cartoons with other characters, including a duo seen on the character poster.

What if Donald knows Chip and Dale already when the Rescue Rangers show up? (I can’t wait, honestly. How are they going to fit into the show’s established universe? Are they a part of general society or will Ducktales introduce a tiny secret society within society? Their technology still seems to consist of scavenger punk, so possible.)

And if Donald knows them will their relationship be antagonistic like in the cartoons or friendly?