Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney as we continue our look at Tangled: The Series with the first episode of the show proper, "What The Hair?!". Now, this episode is interesting as on the surface, it may seem like a simple episode that helps to set more of the kingdom of Corona that we didn't explore in the pilot movie and to introduce us to a new character that will prove to be important to the overall narrative of the first season. It also sets up one of the biggest running elements in the show that will be explored later on in the back half of the season. That being the idea of trust and while, the trust issue and secrets are rather small in this first episode. Trust becomes a much bigger issue between characters later and it becomes a bit more of a Tangled web. (sorry, for the pun).
Now, it's interesting as lot of shows that I have watched from anything in the Arrowverse to Once Upon A Time have relied on the secrets and trust trope. And it's not even the first time that I've seen it in a Disney cartoon as Disney XD show, Gravity Falls also used this same trope. It's fascinating to think that this has become such a common trope, that it has started popping in animated shows that are primarily marketed to younger audiences. Notice, I did not say made for younger audiences as the writing in Tangled: The Series like a lot of the good recent Disney animated series shows that this show can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Before, I get to far into the review, Disney Channel has uploaded this episode onto their YouTube page for easy viewing.
The Plot
This episode takes place one week after the events of the pilot movie and the characters are still reeling from the events that have taken place in that movie. And we get an introduction to something that'll be recurring in the show. (Granted, it only shows up three times but it is usually important). Rapunzel having a nightmare. And the nightmares usually involve the mysterious rocks that brought back Rapunzel's hair and that is true here but this nightmare also brings about one of the most traumatic things for Rapunzel to have to confront.
Now, credit, where credit is due. This is the only time that Gothel ever shows up in the show as she doesn't somehow magically resurrect from the dead or we don't see her ghost team up with the head of the underworld to exact her revenge.
She just shows up in this nightmare that Rapunzel had at the beginning of the episode and that works as to show the fear that Rapunzel is facing right now. This also touches upon something that I didn't bring up much in my review of Tangled: Before Ever After but something that we see every so often in this show is that Rapunzel doesn't feel at home in the palace and interestingly, in Rapunzel's dream, we hear Gothel say "It's time to go home with mommy". Even though, at the beginning of this episode we see Rapunzel hugging her real parents.
While, this is never addressed in the show outright, I kinda take this as Rapunzel still views Gothel as a mother figure. As one has to take into consideration that dreams usually represent one's subconscious and that line says a lot about Rapunzel. This show through little hints does a good job of showing the audience that Rapunzel has a complicated relationship with her past. And why wouldn't she, I briefly touched on this in my article about the Moral Quandary of Rapunzel's Tower as the episode that inspired that article showed that Rapunzel was afraid to return to that place. But in an episode that aired after I wrote that article, Rapunzel refers to the tower as her childhood home.
Honestly, when I first saw this sequence I had no idea what to make of it but considering that Rapunzel throughout the season comes to realize that these nightmares/dreams are telling her something, I guess that they are prophecies.
Later, in the gardens, Cassandra tells Rapunzel that she knows of someone named Varian can possibly help solve the mystery of Rapunzel's hair returning. Rapunzel wants to tell Eugene but Cass begs her not to as she fears that if word gets to the king, that she'll be sent to a covenant. Cass says that fairly little known about Varian except that he's some kind of wizard. Rapunzel, Cass, and Pascal head out to Old Corona and there they come across Varian, who at first seems to be very imposing but we soon learn that he's just a 14 year old that studies alchemy.
Rapunzel and Cass get trapped in some goo that Varian had made and they finally get down to business on why they are here. Earlier, in the episode at The Snuggly Duckling, Eugene oversees the girls and Pascal heading out and decides to follow them as Eugene knows that Rapunzel isn't telling him something.
Back at Varian's lab, the young alchemist starts to examine Rapunzel's hair and the first thing we learn is that while the hair is now stronger than before, it no longer has the healing ability. Afterwards, Varian straps Rapunzel to device that looks like something Jigsaw built.
With Max in tow, Eugene comes into save Rapunzel but soon learns that she is in no danger and we learn that Varian idolizes Flynn Rider or rather the character, that Eugene based the Flynn persona off of. Varian realizes that he needs to get something to read the results of the test and at that point, he also comes across his biggest project that he wants to show Flynn. They are these five machines that Varian built to provide running hot water for his village but Eugene notices that they are unstable and that they caused trembling the entire time that Rapunzel was strapped to that machine.
Eugene noticing that they are unstable pleads with Varain to turn them off but it is too late as they set off an earthquake and Eugene tries to save Rapunzel but she tells him to run. However, a new power is revealed as the hair serves as a protecting shield from all of the falling debris. Varian's father comes over and notices this and just simply says "Not again". We don't get to know much about Varian's father, Quirin but the little that we do see of him and here in "Queen for a Day" show us that the villagers in Old Corona look to Quirin as a leader. And that is shown as he is the first to take action in cleaning up the debris from the small earthquakes that occurred.
Getting back to Rapunzel and Eugene, they promise to no longer keep secrets from one another and that ties back into what I brought up in the introduction about how secrets and trust will play a large part in this show. Eugene revels in this and realizes that as Rapunzel tells him the events of what happened the night that her hair returned, it'd get Cass in trouble. But Eugene decides not to do this as he realizes how much Cassandra means to Rapunzel. We won't touch on this in a full review but when I do my season overview of the episodes that aren't getting fully reviews, you'll see that Cass and Eugene bicker a lot. It's kinda funny but the tie-in book, Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon, which is told from both Rapunzel and Cassandra's point of view has Cass explain Eugene as the princesses' aggravating boyfriend. And that word perfectly sums how the two feel about each other. They're almost like the annoying brother and sister that Rapunzel has to act as a mediator for. Except, when her personality is accidentally changed in one episode and she becomes angry and tense. We are reviewing that episode as it's one of the funniest things that I've seen all year.
Sorry, got sidetracked. As the episode ends, the audience is privy to seeing another of the mysterious rocks growing outside the kingdom.
All in all, this was a decent start to the series proper. It did a lot of good set up but it didn't play all if it's big cards early. I think that is one thing that I appreciate about this show is that it takes it's time. The first half of the series is used to introduce you to the characters and the world that that are a part of this show. Where the second half becomes more story driven.
Characters
Now, I'll be honest and say that the characters are secondary to the plot in this episode. Not to say, that the characters weren't good as they were but this episode spent more time setting what can expect from the show. And that's fine as most people that watch this show will be familiar with the characters like Rapunzel and Eugene from the movie. And considering that this aired one week after the pilot movie, the audience had already been introduced to most of the new characters save for Varian, who we meet in this episode.
Main Character
Rapunzel voiced by Mandy Moore
There isn't too much that I can say about Rapunzel here as her personality from the movie is still intact and you do see how naivety can sometimes get her in trouble and odd situations such as with this episode.
Supporting Characters
Cassandra voiced by Eden Espinosa
Cassandra is a character that you have to warm up to as her personality is new to the Tangled universe. As she is a tough-as-nails no-nonsense tomboy that wishes to be part of the Royal Guard but is Rapunzel's Lady-in-Waiting. That's not to say that the personality that Cass exhibits is new but rather, this is a type of character that we haven't seen Rapunzel have much interaction with. The closest comparison that I can come up with is Merida from Brave.
Varian voiced by Jeremy Jordan
We already spent a great deal on Varian in the first blog of this event. It's interesting that when you first watch this, you have no idea of the downward spiral that Varian will end up on. Going back and re-watching this episode after the season had aired in it's entirety, there are some small hints of where Varian will end up in the future but for the most part, Varian is just a good kid that is a bit absent minded. You do get small hints of his relationship with his father and that he has developed a crush on Cass. Which is best seen in here.
Now, I didn't' focus much on Varian's crush as it is such a minor thing that the show rarely touches upon in regards to his character. It's not like other kids shows, where a character has a crush on someone and the show has to hammer that point home hard. Even shows I like such as MLP (the early seasons with Spike) fell victim to this. Whereas Varain's crush shows up here, the next episode that I'll review and then we forget about it until the season finale, where it comes back in a twisted way.
Eugene voiced by Zachary Levi
Eugene as always was entertaining here and while he didn't add much to the overall plot, there were some small things that he added that were important such as the idea behind secrets and trust that I have been bringing up throughout this entire review. There's something else that I want to bring up that as a Tangled fan, I love. One of my favorite lines from the movie was.
For the record, I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider.
Why do I bring this up because no one calls Eugene, Flynn Rider in this show (save for Varian and his old partner.). Not even, Eugene. He no longer refers to himself as Flynn Rider either, he has accepted his true identity of Eugene Fitzherbert and is trying to put Flynn behind him. It's not easy as a lot of the episodes that focus on Eugene show that he still has to struggle with who he was. And that people such as The Captain of the Guards have a hard time trusting Eugene. But Eugene is willing to make the effort to improve himself. Honestly, my favorite aspect of Eugene's character in this show is that he has found it so easy to refer to himself by his real name. It shows that he is starting to like Eugene Fitzherbert more than Flynn Rider. And honestly, after watching this show, Flynn Rider doesn't exist to me anymore. All I see is Eugene Fitzherbert.
My Final Thoughts
This episode may just be the start of the series but it does a great job of setting up things to come, while at the same time not revealing all of it's cards. It entices the audience to come back to check out more with a decent episode that is a straight slice-of-life episode that tells an entire story. Peace!
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