Other Doctor Lives: DuckTales: Season 1, Episode 2 – “Daytrip of Doom!” (2017)

*Episode premise spoilers.*

Although episode 2 of DuckTales features minimal David Tennant, I’m getting more into the groove of the show’s humor and who the characters are. This is an amusing romp that explores some growing pains in a fun way.

Due to an unfortunate mishap at the end of the pilot involving Donald’s houseboat, he and the triplets have moved in with Scrooge, a situation that everyone needs a little time to get used to. While Donald gets into a stubborn power struggle with Scrooge’s stern housekeeper Mrs. Beakley, the boys struggle to figure out how to play with her granddaughter Webby. Webby grew up in Scrooge’s mansion, away from other kids and most aspects of ordinary life, which means she hasn’t been very socialized. Planning and executing a daring caper, taking no prisoners? Old hat. Taking the city bus to the local arcade/pizza place? That’s all new for her, and she doesn’t know how to behave.

I enjoy the main plot with the four kids. The triplets like a bit of adventure themselves, but Webby has absolutely no chill when it comes to her everyday approach to life (unsure what she’ll need for her trip to the arcade, she brings night-vision goggles, a grappling hook, and The Art of War—ha!) Throughout, the three of them veer between trying to include Webby/show her the ropes of “normal kid stuff” and getting mad at her when her dialed-up-to-eleven personality/general inexperience messes up their fun hangout spot. Throughout, Webby herself is a fun mix of enthusiastically hyperactive (the montage of her riding the bus is a hoot,) completely out of her depth and overwhelmed, and ashamed for accidentally making trouble for the boys.

Side note: a small part of their misadventure takes them through “the sketchiest part of town,” and it’s funny to see the cartoon’s version of what that looks like. In addition to the criminal element, namely the burgling bruisers the Beagle Boys, we’re also treated to someone tagging the word “Flatulence” on a wall and a crateful of chickens rolling by on a skateboard, which is just delightfully silly.

The Donald-Mrs. Beakley showdown is a bit more predictable—Mrs. Beakley tries to lay down the law, Donald won’t be told what to do, hijinks ensue. While the show for the most part has an air of being “not your mama’s DuckTales,” irreverent and modern, Donald’s scenes tend more towards old-timey Disney slapstick, which makes for an interesting mix of sensibilities overall.

Like I said, not much Scrooge/David Tennant here. Having now extended the invitation for Donald and the boys to move into the mansion, Scrooge quickly washes his hands of all four of them, leaving Mrs. Beakley to deal with the resulting havoc. “I’m pleased to have you here as long as it in no way inconveniences me,” he explains. “Good day!” As such, most of his screentime is contained to hard cuts to him relaxing in luxury as Mrs. Beakley tries to keep Donald from accidentally burning the mansion down, stuff like that.

There are also a few bits that hit the miser-Scrooge angle harder than the pilot does, but in a way that couldn’t be further from the Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol memories of my childhood. This is more of a “cuddly miser” vibe. For example, he wakes in the morning to the view of his gold vault through the window, which he greets with a blissful, “Good morning, you gleaming bit of bounty,” and there’s a funny shot of him soaking in the tub with gold coins over his eyes instead of cucumber slices.