Willow - Official Teaser Trailer

[Argyle King]

Airk and Kit had the same upbringing and education. Which was probably a lot less strict than you would expect of a hereditary monarchy, but unsurprising, given their parents were not hereditary monarchs. Airk was cutting gym class, but their academic curriculum wasn't mentioned. I doubt either was a model student when it came to subjects they didn't enjoy.

I suppose so, but I can't imagine the people of Tir Asleen having a whole lot of faith in Airk as a ruler.

It seemed to be common knowledge that he could most often be found lazing about or womanizing. In contrast, his sister was seen as mostly stable... or at least stable enough that she could help join two kingdoms and serve as a figurehead until the return of Elora Danan.

I can't imagine that much more faith in the idea of a King Airk would be inspired among the general populous (rather than in Kit) after he was taken and she returns home as one of the heroes who saved him.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

They both seem pretty flaky to me. They have too much of their father in them.

But you would be amazed about how many people will happily follow a charming womanising flake...

 

[MarkB]

I suppose so, but I can't imagine the people of Tir Asleen having a whole lot of faith in Airk as a ruler.

It seemed to be common knowledge that he could most often be found lazing about or womanizing. In contrast, his sister was seen as mostly stable... or at least stable enough that she could help join two kingdoms and serve as a figurehead until the return of Elora Danan.

I can't imagine that much more faith in the idea of a King Airk would be inspired among the general populous (rather than in Kit) after he was taken and she returns home as one of the heroes who saved him.

They're kids - teenagers who are both in their rebellious phase in one way or another. Of course nobody would have much faith in them as rulers at this point in their lives.

Barring war or tragedy it'd probably be at least another decade before Airk was likely to need to take the throne, plenty of time for him to mature and grow into the role.

 

[Argyle King]

They're kids - teenagers who are both in their rebellious phase in one way or another. Of course nobody would have much faith in them as rulers at this point in their lives.

Barring war or tragedy it'd probably be at least another decade before Airk was likely to need to take the throne, plenty of time for him to mature and grow into the role.

I can somewhat agree with having time to mature into something more.

Though, that's tied into what I said in my previous posts. He was making an effort to evolve into something more. A lot of his story was showing an irresponsible boy maturing into being somewhat responsible, caring about others, and making some attempt to hold himself accountable. He certainly still had flaws, but steps were being taken to go through the archetypal story of a boy growing into some semblance of an adult.

That's part of why I question whether or not he was saved by how things turned out in the end. Everyone around him gained something from his struggle and the journey to save him. I'm not so sure that he himself gained a whole lot from what he endured nor from being taken back home to a boyish state again.

Sure, he's alive, so that's generally viewed as a positive. And sure, sometimes life doesn't work out the way you want, but I think there's potential for his rescue to be a saving grace for everyone except for him.

I think glossing over how that might be a struggle (especially in light of everyone else growing and growing closer but not him) or waving it off as not potentially being a real struggle is an odd message from a show which highlights the struggles faced in so many other aspects of life.

Even in-show, there are points at which the morality of Tir Asleen is questioned, as are the norms with which Airk and Kit grew up. So, is it a wholly good thing to be reset and returned to that whole everyone else around you has progressed and changed? Those are relevant questions to consider, especially in the context of his attempts (no matter how flawed) to grow from boy to man.

 

[Ryujin]

I suppose so, but I can't imagine the people of Tir Asleen having a whole lot of faith in Airk as a ruler.

It seemed to be common knowledge that he could most often be found lazing about or womanizing. In contrast, his sister was seen as mostly stable... or at least stable enough that she could help join two kingdoms and serve as a figurehead until the return of Elora Danan.

I can't imagine that much more faith in the idea of a King Airk would be inspired among the general populous (rather than in Kit) after he was taken and she returns home as one of the heroes who saved him.

The only qualifications that Kit needs to join two kingdoms and serve as a figurehead are her heritage, and that she's available to be married off. That's why it bothers her so much; she's seen as a political pawn, rather than for who she is.

 

[MarkB]

I can somewhat agree with having time to mature into something more.

Though, that's tied into what I said in my previous posts. He was making an effort to evolve into something more. A lot of his story was showing an irresponsible boy maturing into being somewhat responsible, caring about others, and making some attempt to hold himself accountable. He certainly still had flaws, but steps were being taken to go through the archetypal story of a boy growing into some semblance of an adult.

That's part of why I question whether or not he was saved by how things turned out in the end. Everyone around him gained something from his struggle and the journey to save him. I'm not so sure that he himself gained a whole lot from what he endured nor from being taken back home to a boyish state again.

Sure, he's alive, so that's generally viewed as a positive. And sure, sometimes life doesn't work out the way you want, but I think there's potential for his rescue to be a saving grace for everyone except for him.

I think glossing over how that might be a struggle (especially in light of everyone else growing and growing closer but not him) or waving it off as not potentially being a real struggle is an odd message from a show which highlights the struggles faced in so many other aspects of life.

Even in-show, there are points at which the morality of Tir Asleen is questioned, as are the norms with which Airk and Kit grew up. So, is it a wholly good thing to be reset and returned to that whole everyone else around you has progressed and changed? Those are relevant questions to consider, especially in the context of his attempts (no matter how flawed) to grow from boy to man.

What let everyone else grow to the extent that they did was... well, everyone else. They had each other, they went on an emotional journey together that let them find their true selves and appreciate each other.

To expect that someone who was alone aside from the villain to be able to go through the same growth simply isn't realistic.

But now he's part of the gang, and will maybe have the opportunity for that growth next season.

 

[Argyle King]

What let everyone else grow to the extent that they did was... well, everyone else. They had each other, they went on an emotional journey together that let them find their true selves and appreciate each other.

To expect that someone who was alone aside from the villain to be able to go through the same growth simply isn't realistic.

But now he's part of the gang, and will maybe have the opportunity for that growth next season.

Growth and same growth aren't the same thing.

Being alone is also part of what I've touched upon upthread.

In that, he faced a conflict and changed because of it. There were hints of change in an archetypal coming of age way. The idea of the conflict involving a "crone" touches on old allegorical storytelling.

Maybe that was an unintended accident. But it's noticeable that the end result was to take agency away from Airk and return him to a previous state.

I do hope that's brought up in future seasons. I think just glossing over how things might be for him and his perspective (both things I've touched upon previously) would be disservice to the character and to members of an audience who might in some way relate to challenges he faced.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Finally finished it.

So I think I would like this series a lot better if it wasn't a Willow sequel. I grew to like all the characters well enough eventually, and while I think it would still be a little tonally inconstant, I think oddball or mismatched jokes, musical cues, etc. wouldn't be as jarring if I was just comparing the show to itself rather than a movie from a third of a century ago it just doesn't really share that much dna with. As a fun little YA-oriented, D&D-esque fantasy romp it's like a B for me, probably a B+ by the end. Hope there's another season.

As a Willow continuation there are a variety of issues, but I think the one that really bothers me is that the movie, closing out the era of 80s fantasy movies, is actually kind of striking compared to most later fantasy in how earnestly, unabashedly, and unselfconsciously it embraces the clichés and tropes of traditional fantasy. This show, in contrast, is your typical postmodern, hyper-selfconscious, "we'll do the trope, but we're going to knowingly comment on it" sort of thing. As its own thing I'm fine with this. But as a companion to a movie that has very much the opposite vibe, it's jarring. Perhaps I'm putting too fine a point on that, but I think, whether my particular reasoning is correct or not, the point that the overall vibe feels entirely off from the movie stands. Thus as a Willow sequel it's about a D+ for me, and the + is only from appreciation that someone made a sequel to Willow at all, something I wish had got a sequel when I was a child.

Of course I probably wouldn't have gotten around to watching it if it weren't a Willow sequel series. And that's the reason we are stuck in this age of all nostalgic old franchises being dug up all the time, because the nostalgia gets extra eyes on screens, even if what they see on those screens is then in conflict with the nostalgia that made them watch in the first place.

 

[wicked cool]

Disney just cancelled it

 

[Thourne]

Disney just cancelled it

It is ok.
Just 30 years til the follow up!

I joke cuz it makes me sad