Hard Truths in Mervana

DuckTales Season 3, Episode 4 Review

I may not have liked last week’s episode, but I loved this week’s episode of DuckTales. Mainly, because it touched on an important life lesson in a hilarious fashion. That lesson being the importance of telling the truth, no matter how hard it may be. And, I might add, it does it while referencing some of Disney’s past work.

The Lost City of Hippie Merfolk

This episode sees the Duck Family (minus Launchpad) try to solve the first mystery from the journal of Isabella Finch. Legends speak of Mervana, a city home to people who turn into merpeople in water, and of a magic talking harp that is there treasure. However, when they find Mervana, they learn its people are underwater hippies. They live under the sea in honor of their King, Honestus, who left to find his “truth” in the sea.

When I first saw Mervana, I immediately thought of The Little Mermaid. The inhabitants and the aesthetics just screamed this Disney classic. Heck, Webby even quotes the first line from the movie’s song “Part of that World.” It also helps that Aletheia, one of their guides, is voiced by Hynden Walch. She has a history of playing Princesses. And to sweeten the hippie vibe even further, their other guide, Vero, is voiced by Greg Cipes. He’s got a history of playing vegan hippies.

Gushing over guest actors aside, Mervana seems too good to be true. At least, to the more cynical members of the Duck family like Beakley or Louie. However, they don’t want to voice their thoughts in front of the ever-optimistic Webby. Her enduring optimism is one of her defining traits, and Mrs. Beakley doesn’t want her to lose that.

Hearing Some Hard Truths

As it turns out, Beakley and Louie were right, as Mervana has a dark secret that not even its people know about. When they find the Harp of Mervana, she explains what happens to Honestus: he ignored the Harp’s brutal honesty and went to live alone in the sea away from his problems. As a result, he turned into a Lovecraftian-esque fish-monster. Worse, the Harp also tells Webby that her grandmother was lying to her about her suspicions regarding Mervana.

This dual-realization hits Webby pretty hard. Like, it almost shatters her worldview. As a result, she briefly becomes more of a cynic than Louie. It stinks seeing the upbeat and optimistic Webby devastated like this. However, an important part of life is learning that not everyone has the best of intentions.

Ironically, it’s Louie of all people who ends up getting Webby’s groove back. He basically tells how that while it’s important to always see the positives in life, you shouldn’t let it blind you to potential danger. It’s a balancing act, and a truth that Webby had to learn sooner or later. I’m honestly glad she learned it now, though, as it could end up hurting her even more in the future.

Speaking of learning some hard truths, once the Duck family brings Honestus to his senses, Mervana learns some hard truths. By running from their problems, they wound up making them worse. So, they have to work to fix them. And it starts by fixing Mervana. Or as Scrooge hilariously calls it “get a job, you hippie’s!” Classic Scrooge.

One Mystery Solved

So, one big mystery gets solved by the Duck family, and Webby learns a valuable life lesson about truth. Beakley said she did as well, but the Harp claims in the final moments that she’s still keeping secrets from her granddaughter. Which begs the question: what sort of secrets is she keeping?

It certainly makes for an interesting plot thread to pick up on as the season progresses. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing where this leads. With F.O.W.L. on the hunt for the Duck Family, this is the kind of tension that could spell disaster in the end. I can’t wait to see how it turns out over the summer!

I Give “The Lost Harp of Mervana” A 4/5

Stray Observations

• I found Della’s hatred of fish to be hilarious. She was stuck on the Moon for ten years, but she still hates fish.

• Donald’s never looked so peaceful before. Too bad it didn’t last.

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