REVIEW: Disenchantment, Season 1 Part Two

 REVIEW: Disenchantment, Season 1 Part Two

This week I completed my viewing of the second part of Disenchantment's first season, so I thought I would gather together my thoughts on all ten episodes into a single post, and provide my overall opinion on the second instalment of Netflix's animated fantasy comedy.

The Disenchantress

Not the funniest episode, but does provide some interesting moments. The prophecy concerning Bean is quite intriguing for one, and it was nice to see more of her family introduced in her aunt Becky and uncle Cloyd. The next episode promises to be fun also, with the 'stairway to hell' surely destined to offer some entertaining sequences.

Stairway To Hell

This was a very funny episode. I particularly loved Elfo's numerous attempts to break into hell by trying to insult God himself, and the same character's reference to the iconic film Ghost was hilarious! Luci's constant betrayal and subsequent redemptions were also a great way to keep the audience on their toes and guessing as to where the demon's loyalties lie - with Bean or the Lord of Darkness Asmodium. i think this is the most inventive episode by this point, both creatively and visually, as it offers a deep and layered story with animation that is just gorgeous to look at.

The Very Thing

Bit light on jokes this one, but it furthers along the story nicely with Bean, Elfo and Luci returning to Dreamland. The stone people from the previous series' cliffhanger was resolved quicker than I expected, but we got some solid character stuff regarding Bean and her father King Zog overall.

The Lonely Heart Is A Hunter

There's a fun bit of slapstick humour in this episode, and also a sweet new romance with King Zog and bear lady Ursula, which leads to a sad parting for the pair when she decides to return to her natural habitat - the forest grounds of Dreamland. A shame because I would have liked to have seen her stick around.

Our Bodies, Our Elves

I really love just how topical this episode feels when viewing in 2021. It feels very much like a product of 2020, what with the elves all falling ill and placed into quarantine - and yet it was first released on Netflix back in 2019. For once it wasn't The Simpsons that predicted the future, it was Disenchantment!

The one liner regarding whether quarantine means nobody's allowed in or nobody's allowed out made me laugh a lot, as did Luci's attempts to profit on the rich elves' illness by pretending to cater to their needs.

Wade's fraudulent behaviour pretending to be a hero by borrowing from tales in a book reminded me a great deal of Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter, and I do kind of wonder if that's where Matt Groening got the idea. It made for a very amusing moment when Bean tried to ward the ogres off with fire, only for it not to work as intended; if only she had listened to Elfo...

The Dreamland Job

This is a very fun episode. I love the plot of stealing from King Zog to give to the elves, who are disgruntled at having to pay high taxes, and it has a hilarious ending with Zog taking all the credit for Bean's good deed because of the elves all chanting his name.

Grifto and his criminal circus troop make for great villains, especially with the twist that Luci foresaw their unreliability before Bean, Elfo and the viewers and planned ahead.

Zog's reaction to the knife throwing when the last knife hits his adopted son Derek is priceless. That's literally every one of us when we watch something like Britain's Got Talent or Dancing On Ice and it goes horribly wrong.

Love's Slimy Embrace

This one made me feel really bad for Derek. I get that Bean was jealous because he was given preferential treatment throughout her childhood, but God that poor brother of hers just seems totally depressed in this episode. It does a really good job at showing his loneliness and making you sympathise with him because of how he feels so rejected by Bean.

Elfo deciding to befriend him because he notices Derek looking lonely is quite a sweet plot point and allows for some lovely moments, and the resolution with Bean apologising and realising how much she loves her brother despite the clear favouritism is neat and feels earned. There's some decent gags here too. I loved Bean getting the maid to ride whilst Derek is allowed to ride the horse, and the stuff with Zog and the big toe is delightfully silly.

In Her Own Write

This episode is a really fun meta-commentary on historic sexism. I genuinely felt sorry for Bean when she was told she couldn't have a career in theatre, because the politics of Dreamland didn't allow it. Nobody should be defined by what gender they happen to possess. I'm a strong believer in equality for all, as I believe that is the only way you can have a fair society.

It's a really good character episode for Bean too; we really delve deep into her character here, and are shown her thoughts and fears in relation to her family situation. A sweet moment when King Zog appears in the pub and supports his daughter when she is discussing her emotional troubles. There's some really fun gags revolving around the theatre play, with Elfo playing Dogmar after another actor is deemed dead by the plague doctor. He's such a comically poor choice for Dogmar, as is Merkimer the pig in the role of King Zog, and it provides a few laughs within the story.

The Electric Princess

This was a very fun episode. I loved how the Dreamland characters found the concept of a machine that can fly in the air more implausible than a dragon invading the kingdom; I thought that was a very funny piece of irony that also happens to fit nicely within the context of the fantasy setting. And Bean's exploration of the steampunk kingdom brought some great fish-out-of-water gags too, particularly her fascination over reclining armchairs and women being able to make and sell beer.

Elfo and Luci don't get much to do in this episode bar some roommate comedy though, and I thought it was a shame they didn't try to incorporate them into the steampunk plot. It's a bit odd that they didn't choose to have them accompany Bean on her adventure, as per the usual format.

Tiabeanie Falls

I really feel for Bean in this one. She's locked away in the dungeons and forced to endure a witch trial for the tragic accident of the previous episode, and all so Odval could take command by crowning Derrick as next in line and using him as a puppet.

And to top it all off, she gets Elfo and Luci as her lawyers! They're probably the two worst people you could have represent you in court!

This had so many memorable moments though. The wheel of truth, Derrick seeing Beanie with the knife and mistakenly assuming she was trying to kill King Zog, Derrick jumping on Zog's bed and causing him extreme discomfort...

Some very witty lines of dialogue too. I loved Odval's instruction to the town crier to tell everybody it's fine even though it isn't - that felt so true to how modern governments try to manage mass hysteria in dark times - and how the fact Dreamland has no constitution means that it's exactly why it's a 'crisis'.

I think this may be one of the best episodes of the show. It delivers on so many levels, and throws in a few surprise twists along the way.

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Overall, whilst I enjoyed the first ten episodes of Disenchantment, Part Two offered a much stronger gathering of episodes than the first part of this Matt Groening fantasy epic. The writers demonstrate a greater level of creativity and imagination throughout, and the gags land in a much more impactful manner than any of the jokes in Disenchantment's initial run. The road ahead for this Netflix series looks bright upon the conclusion of Part Two, and I cannot wait to continue my watch-through of this animation with Disenchantment's third set of episodes.

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What are your thoughts on Disenchantment, Season 1 Part Two? Let me know in the comments.