DuckTales Returns to Remind us Friendship is Literally Magic

DuckTales Season 3, Episode 8 Review

Good news, everyone: DuckTales is back for more adventures! With The Owl House between Seasons and Amphibia on hiatus, the timing could not be better for me. I needed some sort of cartoon to review, and since I love DuckTales, this is perfect!

If you’ll recall, I talked in my last review about this season’s overarching theme being legacy. That theme continues to be seen, though not with the Duck Family as the focus this week. This week is all about Webby’s friend, Lena, as she struggles with her Aunt Magica’s legacy.

Magic Problems

While the Duck Family goes on a mystical adventure, Lena, Violet, and Webby stay behind to figure out why Lena’s magic is acting up lately. However, they then get attacked by the villain known as the Phantom Blot, who uses a Infinity Gauntlet copy to try and drain Lena of her magic. To keep her safe, the girls (and Gladstone, who’s luck got drained by the Blot) have no choice but to ask Magica to train Lena.

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Turns out, though, that Magica’s the one responsible for creating the Blot. She destroyed his village years ago, making him develop a hatred for magic and vowing to hunt down anyone who uses it. With his magic-sucking gauntlet, even Magica fears him! He’s also voiced by Giancarlo Esposito, aka Gustavo from Breaking Bad and Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian.

Longtime Disney fans may remember the Blot as one of the oldest and most dangerous enemies of Mickey and his friends. I still remember how scary the Shadow Blot was in Epic Mickey! And the fact that we see this guy take center-stage, and be voiced by a guy well-known for playing villains, was a sight to behold.

It also makes Lena does to him even more impressive.

Lena De Strange, Sorceress Supreme!

We’ve seen Lena had to grapple with being in Magica’s shadow before, and not just because she was made from her shadow. Her experience with her evil aunt helped make her who she is and who she chooses not to be, and it reflects in how she uses her own magic. As a result, she ultimately decides that she’ll truly step out of Magica’s shadow by using her magic to help protect others. Which leads to a moment where we’re reminded about the magic of friendship, and Lena getting a cool new look.

I like Lena’s new look, to be honest. It reminds me of Doctor Strange, but with her own Punk Aesthetic. Super cool.

Why Was Gladstone there?

My one problem with this episode, though, was its inclusion of Gladstone. I find his character to be very one-dimensional and can’t stand how his luck makes him so arrogant. Turns out, though, I like him less without his luck because he doesn’t know how to do anything! And when he gets it back in the end, he fails to learn his lesson about appreciating his good fortune. So I’ll ask again: why was he in this episode?

Glad to Have DuckTales Back

So, aside from Gladstone being in the episode, I think this was a nice return for DuckTales. And with F.O.W.L. still looming large as the big bad for the season, I’ll bet we’ll see more of the Phantom Blot down the road. Can’t wait!

I Give You “The Phantom and the Sorceress” a 3.8/5

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