Willow: The High Aldwin
November 30, 2022 5:58 PM - Season 1, Episode 2 - Subscribe
Everyone tries to figure out how to react to the revelation made at the end of the last episode.
FWIW the actor (Ellie Bamber) is a redhead so I wonder if that will become a plot-point in the future; the shedding of a disguise to reveal her true self or something. For the moment I'm enjoying her clueless blandness, as I think it helps strengthen her development as the plot goes on. She's out of her depth, but she knows that too and is nevertheless persisting. Yet, we saw at the end that her magic does still work, though perhaps she needs to pack more emotional oomph behind it at this stage.
What confuses me at this point is they call Willow (et al.) sorcerers, but he clearly reads and incants a spell from a spellbook. So which is it, producers? Is Willow a spontaneous caster or a prepared caster?
(Boorman is a GWF Barbarian, Kit is a Fighter with the Champion sub-class, and Jade is likely a bog-standard Oath of Devotion Paladin.)
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 4:43 AM on December 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
What confuses me at this point is they call Willow (et al.) sorcerers, but he clearly reads and incants a spell from a spellbook. So which is it, producers? Is Willow a spontaneous caster or a prepared caster?
(Boorman is a GWF Barbarian, Kit is a Fighter with the Champion sub-class, and Jade is likely a bog-standard Oath of Devotion Paladin.)
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 4:43 AM on December 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
The first episode was fun. This episode... less so. I'm particularly confused by Warwick Davis' terrible acting, particularly in the "Vietnam Vet" flashback scenes. It's like he's reading an autocue or something, with no idea on how to pace the reading, or how to provide emotion.
The mystery of Elora (Is she Elora? Oh, yes, she is. Can he do magic? Oh, yes, she can) also seems peculiarly boring, which is a shame because she had much better lines, and much more verve, in the first episode.
I hope we see more of Mims, his daughter. She's great (and I also loved his children in the original film), and seems much more competent than Willow. Obviously Boorman is great, and I'm curious about Graydon - he hasn't had a chance to do much yet, but he's a watcher and note-taker, so I wonder what hidden tricks he's got up his sleeve.
posted by milkb0at at 2:23 PM on December 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
The mystery of Elora (Is she Elora? Oh, yes, she is. Can he do magic? Oh, yes, she can) also seems peculiarly boring, which is a shame because she had much better lines, and much more verve, in the first episode.
I hope we see more of Mims, his daughter. She's great (and I also loved his children in the original film), and seems much more competent than Willow. Obviously Boorman is great, and I'm curious about Graydon - he hasn't had a chance to do much yet, but he's a watcher and note-taker, so I wonder what hidden tricks he's got up his sleeve.
posted by milkb0at at 2:23 PM on December 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Huh, I've just looked on IMDb and I've learned that Mims is Warwick's real-world daughter as well.
posted by milkb0at at 2:37 PM on December 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by milkb0at at 2:37 PM on December 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
A'ight, I'm relieved I'm not the only one who felt Warwick Davis was kind of off his game in this episode. I get that Willow is frustrated because Sorsha has basically said, "Yeah, no, you're not part of her life or decisions about her life anymore," but the animosity between the two felt kind of odd given the happy dory ending of the film. Perhaps it's a matter of Mad Martigan being a necessary glue between all the heroes to really help them come together.
But also, dang it, Sorsha, Willow defeated your mom, one on one, and also helped turn you back from being a pig and you're disrespecting him like that?!
What confuses me at this point is they call Willow (et al.) sorcerers, but he clearly reads and incants a spell from a spellbook. So which is it, producers? Is Willow a spontaneous caster or a prepared caster?
I think he's a bit of both. At the end of the film, having read the book on his way home (I'm presuming it's the same book), he spontaneously picks up a rock and turns it into a bird. I'm also guessing, from the previews where he's using his wand to shoot fire, that that isn't him stopping to whip out the book for reference (we'll see, though!)
All in all, this episode's pacing and the back and forth between characters just felt off. I'm enjoying the show, but I'm not loving the show yet. For me, it feels like the actors are still entering the roles, rather than being the characters fully already if that makes sense. Some have it down a lot more than others, but then there's a dissonance.
Lastly, I would've thought Elora clearly walking through the magical shield would have made folks more convinced about her abilities.
posted by Atreides at 10:48 AM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
But also, dang it, Sorsha, Willow defeated your mom, one on one, and also helped turn you back from being a pig and you're disrespecting him like that?!
What confuses me at this point is they call Willow (et al.) sorcerers, but he clearly reads and incants a spell from a spellbook. So which is it, producers? Is Willow a spontaneous caster or a prepared caster?
I think he's a bit of both. At the end of the film, having read the book on his way home (I'm presuming it's the same book), he spontaneously picks up a rock and turns it into a bird. I'm also guessing, from the previews where he's using his wand to shoot fire, that that isn't him stopping to whip out the book for reference (we'll see, though!)
All in all, this episode's pacing and the back and forth between characters just felt off. I'm enjoying the show, but I'm not loving the show yet. For me, it feels like the actors are still entering the roles, rather than being the characters fully already if that makes sense. Some have it down a lot more than others, but then there's a dissonance.
Lastly, I would've thought Elora clearly walking through the magical shield would have made folks more convinced about her abilities.
posted by Atreides at 10:48 AM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
Cute bit with Warwick Davis channeling a little Mark Hamil teaching "balance" before the "twoahhtha throck moreda whoahtha" gag.
posted by porpoise at 10:31 PM on December 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by porpoise at 10:31 PM on December 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
Elora clearly walking through the magical shield
Absolutely!
But did anybody explicitly acknowledge that she went through the shield instead of through a(nother?) gate (sooner)?
There were no visible eyewitnesses, other than maybe the shield.
posted by porpoise at 10:04 PM on December 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Absolutely!
But did anybody explicitly acknowledge that she went through the shield instead of through a(nother?) gate (sooner)?
There were no visible eyewitnesses, other than maybe the shield.
posted by porpoise at 10:04 PM on December 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
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I seriously just want Elora to be the redhead already, really.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:02 PM on November 30, 2022 [1 favorite]