*Episode premise spoilers.*
Season finale time! It’s pretty good, although it can lay on the themes a bit thick. Also, it’s very much intended to lead directly into the fourth and final(?) project in the franchise, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans—more on that next time.
Douxie returns from his dragon quest of last episode to find their safe haven in disarray. The Arcane Order has captured most of his friends, and even though the world-saving priority is to protect the Genesis Seals, Douxie naturally doesn’t want to leave them to their fate. With limited backup, he searches for a solution that would allow him to do both.
Our character of the week is Arthur, played by James Faulkner. Like Morgana, he’s been carried from his namesake era into the present day. Throughout the series, Arthur has been framed as a would-be good guy who nevertheless stands in opposition to our heroes. He’s deeply suspicious of trolls and magic, Merlin notwithstanding, and in his own time, he oppressed otherworldly elements in the name of protecting his kingdom. Big fearmongering energy.
The finale has a little of everything. Action, with big magic battles and clever gambits. Humor, such as Steve attempting a prison break when he and the others are held in blocks of ice— “Hold on, big guy,” he shouts to AAARRRGGHH!!!, flicking his lighter, “I’m about to bust you out!” Emotional moments, especially with Douxie, Jim, and Claire. An earnest if somewhat oversauced message about prevailing with the power of friendship.
Most everybody gets a moment here or there, but the episode firmly reiterates that above all, this is Douxie’s show. While it’s filled with costarring Trollhunters characters and references to mother show lore, the others are mainly here to fill out the big battle scene—Douxie is the one making the tough choices and the big plays.
Still not a ton of Krel, but this is probably his biggest appearance in Wizards. He’s the lone ally who escapes capture by the Arcane Order, so he’s left to fill Douxie in on their current predicament and offer a hand as they prepare for Douxie’s next move. When Douxie finds him, I like how Diego Luna’s performance balances Krel’s fear and anguish after their big loss with his drive toward practicality; even as Krel relates what happened with a kind of stunned dismay, he still finds presence of mind to show Douxie playback from the fight that Ricky Blank recorded. He is going through it, though. As the scene continues, Krel sits on a table, shivering as he holds himself with all four arms.
Krel also acts as a sounding board for Douxie and gets to do a bit of tech-wiz stuff, cheerfully exclaiming, “Akiridion tech and magic are so compatible! Who would’ve thought?” But, perhaps because the finale needs a strong “Douxie stands alone” moment, we don’t really much of Krel and Douxie actually working together. After this opening, the episode just sort of pops back in on them once the plan is set, and Krel’s role in it going forward isn’t very active. As someone who loves Krel as a character and generally thinks most Diego Luna projects should have more Diego Luna in them, I would’ve wanted more.
Last thoughts on Wizards before moving onto Rise of the Titans.
Recommend?
In General – I think so, although again, it’s probably more satisfying if you’ve also seen Trollhunters. But either way, Douxie is a good protagonist with a strong arc, and the story goes to some interesting places.
Diego Luna – Even though Krel is disappointingly underused in this, I’m still gonna say yes. I’m not one to turn down opportunities to take whatever Krel I can get, and Luna’s performance remains terrific despite his limited screentime.
Warnings
Violence, scary moments for kids, a little gross-out humor, and thematic elements.
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