Sunday, January 31, 2021

Netflix Retrospective - Dragons: Race to the Edge Season 5 episodes 7-9



Dawn of Destruction

Fishlegs is looking for Hiccup and comes across his hut, finding a tarp covering something, he’s tempted to look under it but Snotlout interrupts him. There’s a sense between them that with Hiccup and Astrid now officially an item, he’s been ignoring the others, something later affirmed when Trader Johann arrives saying he doesn’t have the oil Hiccup needs for his secret project, only the location where he can find it in plant form and he and Astrid head off to get it, ignoring Fishlegs’ dragon census.

Hiccup is worried they might be right, but Astrid reassures him as we get full kids show romance scene. Seriously, how come they haven’t tied the knot by movie 3?

But trouble comes to the Edge quickly as it comes under attack by Singetails and to my deep surprise, although it’s fitting to his character growth (that all but disappears in the films) it’s Snotlout who takes the lead as they begin to take the fight to them. Unfortunately, they’re well outnumbered and making matters worse, there are people riding them.

Fishlegs manages to knock off one of the ‘dragon fliers’ but one of them returns the favour and knocks him off. Krogan and Viggo spot this and whilst Viggo wants him alive, Krogan is already pretty knowledgeable about Dragons and doesn’t think he’s worth it. And it’s seemingly Krogan in charge now.

It seems Krogan himself has come to finish the job. Fishlegs takes refuge in the caves, the same caves where he found a certain light-hating friend in a previous episode. Hiccup and Astrid return to support the others but even with them, they’re still outnumbered. They’re forced to fall back, leaving Fishlegs behind.

Fishlegs finds Darkvarg, who thankfully remembers him and helps him hide out as the hunters search the island for him. Hiccup has worked out where Fishlegs might be hiding, and plans to use the night as a tactical advantage. Darkvarg is not big enough to carry Fishlegs and the hunters have found him, but the riders begin their assault, taking out the advance guard. They manage to rescue Fishlegs but they’re short of reclaiming the Island as Krogan’s forces are too strong. The fall back, heading to Defenders of the Wing Island. But before Hiccup goes he destroys his hut to cover up his secret project. However, it turns out that Fishlegs had already retrieved it, parts to create a new dragon eye. I have questions about this but they can wait for another time. On the edge, the hunters are in the process of retrieving the OG dragon eye from the volcano.

It’s a strong showing for Krogan and his team, whilst Viggo has always been a tactical man, this is the first time in a while they’ve been outgunned as well.

Rating 8/10

The Wings of War part 1

We open with Hiccup having a nightmare about his raid on his hut. Mala has offered them sanctuary for however long they need and has also come up with ways of distracting the ever bummed out riders, relieving some pressure off Hiccup.

On the Edge, Viggo is using Hiccup’s diver sphere design to get into the volcano to retrieve the eye. We flash back to when he lost it, when boiling lava burst in his face, hence the scarring and now being blinded in one eye. He warns Krogan not to underestimate Hiccup but Krogan knows that Hiccup’s love of dragons will stop him shooting to kill, giving him an edge on top of his strength in numbers.

And it seems they’re pushing that advantage as they launch an attack on Defenders of the Wing Island, Throk rescues Ruffnut from falling debris and ends up hit himself, knocking him out. Hiccup instructs the others to lead them away from the island. Barf picks up Throk so he ends up travelling with them. Their dragons eventually run out of energy and land on an island.

Throk recovers and discovers that Ruffnut ‘saved his life’ and now he owes her a life debt. Which I’m pretty sure he repays seconds later, though that isn’t acknowledged, when the fliers return and chase them away again. The Singetails won’t follow them through fog, so they decide to use it to fly home to Berk, a much better fortified island.

Stoick gets his crew ready to defend themselves, the A-team are on patrol, and the forge is active creating weapons for the Berkians to use. Gobber mentions that Stoick has lost his fair share of battles too, though few you’ve ever heard of. And then the crux of the conflict comes up again, can they best the fliers without hurting the dragons. Stoick’s answer is that in war, such acts could cost them dearly, an answer that doesn’t sit well with Hiccup

Viggo and Krogan’s efforts seem to be reaching blockades too, men are dying in the lava but no eye yet and whatever Krogan’s after has also reached a setback. Gobber reminds Stoick of Drago Bludvist so we can sneak in a reference to the second film, and the damage a dragon can do when under human control. It turns out that Krogan was with him.

Spitelout seems to have disappeared and Hiccup has also retreated. Astrid takes a short break from training up the others to talk to him. Hiccup has decided that their strategy is sound, but he can’t be a part of it, and leaves leadership to her whilst he goes to find another way. Astrid’s training hits a setback however with the twins, or more accurately with Throk riding Barf with Ruffnut, disrupting their delicate balance.

Krogan eyes Snotlout’s hut at the edge as his own, as Viggo forgoes the diving apparatus to search on foot. The hunter with him slips and Viggo saves his life, something Krogan would not have done. That will likely be important later.

Hiccup arrives at storehouse island, and follows a particularly lazy singetail. Hiccup tries to approach them but he notices and Toothless, rushing into to save him, ends up shot down. Hiccup is soon cornered as we end the episode.

It’s a good moral dilemma worth exploring. Of course, being a kids show the answer is a foregone conclusion, but the how might be more interesting.

Rating 8.5/10

The Wings of War part 2

Hiccup is saved at the last minute by Spitelout, who’s had provisions here and has been attempting to enact revenge on the Singetails after they destroyed his storehouse. Hiccup needs to find Toothless as they need the cover of night to leave.

Spitelout has been studying the singetails, even giving them names. Toothless is in combat with the one he calls Deathlout. Spitelout lures Deathlout away from Toothless, allowing Hiccup to reunite with him, and lures Deathlout into a snare trap, capturing him.

Hiccup tries again to bond with the dragon but it fails, Deathlout sending out a signal flame to call the others. Spitelout and Hiccup take to the skies, going high enough to evade their fire. Hiccup has a few ideas and sends Spitelout off to do something whilst he returns to Berk. Unfrotunately only Gustav is there as Stoick has send the Berk fleet to the Edge to launch a pre-emptive strike.

It seems that with some tinkering, Viggo has got the Dragon Eye to work, and it seems Krogan was going to attempt to kill him, not especially with much subtlety but it’s interrupt as the Berk fleet approaches. Krogan sends all the singetails to attack, much to amusement of Viggo.

Hiccup and Gustav arrive at an island adjacent to the edge. Spitelout has brought Deathlout with him, and he uses a distress call to get the other dragons and fliers to the island. There a combination of quick flying and snare traps gets the fliers caught without the dragons. One remains and Hiccup uses the singetail’s weakness to altitude to get a clearer shot on the rider.

With the Edge completely defenceless, Krogan and Viggo decide to leave. Astrid and Stoick give Chase but he gives them a sleep, but not before Astrid sees that he has the Dragon Eye. Still, Hiccup’s is nearing completion so not all is lost.

Why Hiccup ever kept the new Dragon Eye a secret is a mystery to me but it’s a solid action-heavy episode

Rating 8/10

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