Darkwing Duck, Season One, Episode Six: "Apes of Wrath"

So Darkwing is sent on a mission by SHUSH (which acronym is never explained) to find this here Dr. Brutée (sp?), who is missing on a jungle island. There are apes on this island, causing hijinx; there is also a guy named Major Trenchrot, who proves in short order to be a villain, whose goal is to open "a vacation villa for villains," where they can hunt the most dangerous game…man!

No, I made that last part up, mainly because I just like saying it. Actually, it's not at all clear what if any illegal activity is going to be going on in this hypothetical villa. I feel like if I were a "villain," I would probably prefer to just vacation in normal places. For me, villainy wouldn't be an end; it would only be a means. No need to take my work with me everywhere. I guess that's the difference between real life and cartoons.

So they find this here Brutée, who has more or less gone native and is a quite entertaining figure ("When in Rome, do as the Romans! When in the Jungle…go ape!"). Then, they defeat the baddies by launching cocoanuts filled with highly alcoholic gorilla-party-drink at the compound. The show's cavalier attitude towards realism is demonstrated when Trenchrot kicks Darkwing out of his helicopter, only to have him immediately appear again on the other side, like the whole thing's a videogame with a wrap-around screen.

The episode is fine, and there are quite a few quotable lines, but I wouldn't call it phenomenal--it more or less goes through the motions. Still, if this is the level that the motions are generally gone through on this show, I'll be a happy camper.

Stray Observations

-"Okay, so I don't practice what I preach…as a parent, I can get away with it."

-"The secret of being a good parent is letting your child know who's boss…'course, offering a ten-spot never hurt either…"

-"Forget it, Gosalyn. You're too young to explode."

-"The old 'falling out of a helicopter' trick works every time!"

-I like how Trenchrot immediately accedes that "that's Darkwing Duck, all right" after he's demonstrated his capacity for bumbling. Like DW is a household name, and not in a flattering way.