Matt Groening's follow up to Futurama and The Simpsons was Disenchantment, the tale of Princess Tiabeanie 'Bean', the hard drinking, hard burping princess of Dreamland, a medieval fantasy land straight from many tales of yore. She is fated to be married to a Prince of whatever land her father sees as the most politically advantageous. However, Bean is a driven woman and her fate is linked to Elfo, an elf who escapes his magical land of pure maniacal happiness and Luci, a demon with a dark and mysterious past. Over the course of the 10 part series, the trio go through numerous adventures which builds a strong bond between them.
I said that the series was promising but rang a little hollow as I was not invested in the characters as they hadn't been developed enough and the stories, while fine, were just not interesting enough overall.
However, the last 3 episodes of season 1 were more narrative driven with a bigger story arc and a more emotional core. King Zod was after the Elixir of Life but things took a dark turn as Elfo was kidnapped and died. Bean then had a tough decision, revive her mother, who was turned to stone, or Elfo... She chose the former with dreadful consequences for the kingdom.
Bean goes through hell… actually hell, to get to Elfo.
This left the series at an exciting juncture and I hoped it would hopefully be built on to address some of the issues I felt the show had. So, after a year-long hiatus, how is the first episode for season 2?
Well, the episode takes off exactly where the last one ended. Bean travels to Maru with her mother and King Zod is left with his subjects turned to stone. Bean realises that her mother is evil and that she was born just to fulfill a dark prophecy.
Overall, the episode is not really funny but it is story driven and moves the plot forward. We find out who the 2 watchers who kept an eye on Bean in the Oracle Fire are and how they are connected to her. We also see Bean try to rectify her mistake and try to meet Elfo again… in hell!
This season definitely feels like a true hero's journey is starting and I'm here for it and there is more growth to Bean and the plot seems more cohesive and focussed. I look forward to watching the rest of the series this week and will, of course, provide a review right here!
LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Season 1 Review
LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Season 2 Review
LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review