The story of Willow continues with the Disney+ series with royal twins, Kit and Airk, and their mother, Queen Sorsha in the kingdom of Tir Asleen. Their father, Madmartigan, has left them some time ago. Kit has a close friend, Jade, who is about to train as a knight. Airk has fallen for the kitchen maid, Dove, and ends up giving her a bracelet instead of a ring. Kit is arranged to marry Prince Graydon and ally with his kingdom of Galladoorn. Instead, she embarrasses him at a banquet. Sorsha confides with a prisoner, Thraxus Boorman, but is troubled by a warning she hears from Willow. Then, the supernatural Gales appear in the hills across from the castle! Kit is about to leave, Jade talks to her, then she notices the unusual fog. A guard on the ramparts is attacked by the giant hawk form of a shapeshifter! Jade and Kit see the body of the guard fall before them and then another. They draw their swords. Spoilers ahead!
Through the fog, Sorsha hears the howls of the Death Dogs, and she draws her sword. The massive, brutal shape of The Scourge (Joonas Suotamo) drops down in front of Kit and Jade. He is shirtless, pale skin, chains wrapped around his forearm and a spiked cage like a Cenobite from Hellraiser (1987)! He easily bashes aside a guard. Airk hears the attack and swings his sword Madmartigan-style as Dove tells him to be careful. The Lich (Vitas Le Bas), dark robe with a staff, and raises the castle gate with his sorcery to let in the Death Dogs. Jade and Kit try to take on The Scourage, Commander Ballantine saves Jade, and wants the princess to go to safety. She watches as another one of The Gales, The Doom (Daniel Naprous) appears. He hears a dark cloak with a metal mask hiding his eyes, but not his nasty teeth! He looks like the Mouth of Sauron in Return of the King (2003). The Doom swings two, spiked whips!
The chains of Boorman are dropped and he is freed by Queen Sorsha who tells him about the siege. He thinks it is Bone Reavers, she says it is worse, Boorman asks for his cleaver. Ballantine sees that the Lich seems to vanish from the guards’ swords and reappear, teleporting! He seems to have a melted face and his staff glows red at the end. The veteran soldier, Kade, is in front of Airk, and Kade cuts down a Death Dog. Kit is just able to defend herself against The Doom’s whips! She is saved by the appearance of Sorsha! Mother and daughter go back to back. The shapeshifter, The Dag (Claudia Hughes) transforms into her vicious, pale humanoid form. She crawls on all fours and Airk swings his sword at her! This is seen by Graydon in the window above the courtyard. The Dag growls at Airk. Sorsha and Kit are driving off The Doom. He catches Sorsha with a whip and throws her aside.
Queen Sorsha’s costume display with sword below her, Lucasfilm exhibit, D23 Expo, photo by the author.
Ballantine fights with The Lich, but is knocked down and he drives his staff burning into Ballantine’s shoulder! The Scourge battles Jade and holds her against a wall by the neck! Then, his arm is severed by the massive cleaver of Boorman! The Doom yells out something in the fog. The Lich removes his staff from Ballantine. The Doom rides away as the other Gales retreat. Kit calls for someone to help her mother. Dove walks out looking for Airk. Graydon explains that Airk was taken away, the purpose of the siege. In the morning, he explains that he was just watching and hearing Pnakotic being spoken. He not only knows what was spoken, but may know the culture. Graydon also saw The Dag fly him away in her hawk shape. Dove overhears the conversation and wants to help. Boorman is brought in by guards trying to steal a horse. Kit volunteers to rescue her brother. Queen Sorsha agrees with her decision.
Ballantine offers to join her, but he is still wounded and in charge of the castle’s defense. Instead, Kade offers to rescue the boy he watched over since he was born. Sorsha makes him leader. Jade says she will be part of the quest. King Hastur volunteers Graydon to go and whispers in his ear when he is reluctant to go. Graydon walks to the group. Sorsha calls over Boorman, she says he will be the guide, for a pardon. She says he will do so for a “debt with an old friend”, Madmartigan! Boorman says he can’t track a flying creature, um, The Gale did have a horse. She says the group needs a sorcerer, the last one, a Nelwyn. Willow! Later, Kit is by her mother’s bedside as she explains that Willow knew what would happen. Also, that Elora Danan disapperance and a rule against magic would protect Tir Asleen. Willow had told her that evil would return and magic could save them. Then, she confides to Kit that the spirit of Bavmorda in herself and her children lives on.
It would destroy Tir Asleen and Sorsha saw this in her vision. Sorsha warns her about enemies everywhere. Kit draws her mother’s sword. Ballantine gives Jade her sword. Later, Queen Sorsha says to Jade that she must watch over Kit’s impulsiveness. The group leaves the courtyard and rides into the countryside. They are headed to the Barrier and Kase says it will take a day to reach the Mothers Gate. The group can resupply with the Rangers that guard it, Jade suspects that they are being followed, but this is brushed off by Boorman. They move to the woods to catch their pursuers. Boorman goes to a white horse and pulls down a rider, Dove dressed in green! Kit wants to send her back asking her if she’s been in a fight. Dove instead says she can cook for them. Towards evening, Graydon plays a flute, Boorman warns them about the world that doesn’t care about their parents. Dove offers possum stew to Boorman who loves it. Later, she asks about the Barrier and Jade explains that it was made by Cherlindrea and Raziel to protect the land.
The costume and sword of Kit Tanthalos, costume design by Sarah Young, at the Lucasfilm exhibit, D23 Expo, author’s photo.
Jade says her family was going to Mothers’ Gate, they were attacked (by Bone Reavers most likely), and she was the only survivor. Kase says the Barrier was made for Elora Danan. Dove asks about her and Kit says she was taken away by Madmartigan who stayed with her. Boorman asks Kit if this is just her belief. In the morning, Jade wakes to find her hand almost touching Kit’s hand, she finds that Boorman standing watch gives her a knowing look. Funny, but also that he can keep secrets. He says that Dove has left them. Dove has reached a gorge with a tree across it. The others ride to the tall, wrench-like pillars underneath the shimmering, bluish Barrier. It looks like something out of WandaVision. They find no Rangers in the outpost. Kit points out a wall with red writing on it. Graydon translates it. Something about The Eternal One. The ground starts to rumble. This affects Dove trying to cross on the tree, she leaps across, as the tree falls! She walks up to the Barrier and manages to walk through it. You know there is something special about her now!
Kit is surprised to see Dove walking. Kase warns them, but an arrow strikes him and he falls! Boorman sees the Bone Reavers, bandits in masks, riding for them! They loose arrows at them, Jade tosses a throwing star at a Bone Reaver, one recognizes Boorman, but he is slashed by Boorman’s cleaver! He starts saying, “Hsu-gala!” to his horse as he charges towards the edge of a cliff. They others shout, “Hsu-gala!”, as they fall into the water below. The group lead their horses to land and Boorman explains that “Hsu-gala” is Angorian for “stop”, funny. Still, horses falling that distance would break their legs unless they fall into deep water. As they walk on, Kit apologizes to Graydon for her act at the banquet. Graydon agrees that love should be a part of marriage, Boorman huffs at his remark, great reaction by this mysterious character. They reach the edge of a village, tie off their horses, and meet a Nelwyn. He says he is Willow and now retired.
Kit introduces herself, tells him about her mother, Sorsha, and their quest. Then, we have the appearance of the true Willow (Warwick Davis)! He walks up with green vest around his blue shirt from the film and carries a staff. Willow says Kit reminds him or Sorsha and knows that Airk was taken by the Withered Crone across the Shattered Sea. Boorman can’t believe he said they have travel past the Shattered Sea, the end of all maps! Willow says that they will have to go “beyond the edge of our world”! His words stumble as he looks at Dove. Willow walks up to her showing her arm and touches it using his magic. This reveals her mark as Elora Danan, the “future Empress” that can save them all! A surprise and brilliant ending! There was a hint when she crossed the Barrier, but I like Elora Danan’s full titles and destiny. This does bring up questions. How did The Gales get through the Barrier? It is maintained by Raziel and Cherlindrea, where are they, and if they are around, why did they not sense Elora passing the Barrier? “The Gales”, pilot of Willow, introduces to interesting characters in an almost familiar world with Sorsha and then finally Willow himself!
Five Bracelets out of Five!
#Willow, #TheGales, #WarwickDavis, #RubyCruz, #ErinKellyman, #AmarChadhaPatel, #TonyRevolori, #SimonArmstrong, #JoanneWhalley, #ClaudiaHughes, #VitasLeBas, #JoonasSuotamo, #DanielNaprous
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