Friday, June 11, 2021

The Eternal Warriors - (Hilda Season 2 Episode 4) - 'Toon Reviews 46

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The Eternal Warriors


As a series driven by fantasy adventures, there are bound to be some that go to lengths almost unimaginable to pull off exceptional stories.  However intense such stories end up being though, they can still stand out with a unique charm of the series they’re a part of and the personalities experiencing them.  Going into this episode, this statement feels like the best way to describe it.  

The backdrop is back with the local scout troop, the Sparrow Scouts, who are going on a camping trip, exercising independence in the process.  The standout character in this story is David, Hilda’s friend known for being extremely timid and frightened of anything that seems dangerous.  Considering that he actually did develop a significant backbone throughout Season 1, it may not make the most sense for him to still be as scared as he is.  I mean, his fear is shown to extensive lengths that appear to hold back Hilda and Frida’s much more adventurous spirits.  As the story goes on though, there appear to be elements to make the direction with David work.  

At night, as he laments over his cowardice, he ends up stumbling into a camp of Viking warriors.  This lot is said to enjoy fighting another clan of enemy warriors for a medallion that stands as a symbol of unmatched strength.  As for any injuries they get in their fights, they’re able to walk them off and not see them as anything serious, even if their magnitude is honestly debatable.  During the following battle, one would think that the injuries are anything but not serious as the opposing warriors actually slay each other to death.  We even see severed limbs on the ground beside motionless bodies.  That there is the episode’s strongest examples of going to huge lengths to make the story really stand out.  

Despite this carnage, David, who initially comes in as a messenger for his group of warriors, soon sees the thrill of the adventure when his actions help them get the medallion.  Then when he joins them in touching it, he soon becomes confident enough to just put his fears behind him afterwards.  When Hilda and Frida see David acting all active and brave the next morning, it’s like he’s a completely different person.  Instead of following their adventurous leads, he takes charge of a quest for mysterious screaming stones they were after, never hesitating to jump into dangerous obstacles.  The big thing to these instances is that Frida and especially Hilda can see how foolish and reckless David is being.  It’s a sense of responsibility that justifies what they do on a regular basis.  

In the process, they notice a creature from a swamp appear and approach the site of the previous night’s battle to undo the carnage.  With a special potion, he reattaches the severed limbs, and the fallen warriors come back to life.  David and his own team of warriors take offence to come back after they gave their enemies such ‘generous deaths’, and that night, they fight again.  It’s here where Hilda and Frida intervene and give a good mindset on the matter of fear; it can actually be a good thing in preventing serious danger.  


Just as David realizes this though, he understands what it’s like to be killed when he’s caught in the battle and legitimately gets his head cut off.  Think of it this way; a child just got his head cut off right as he learned the benefits of fear and it’s treated as a big deal.  I refuse to say this is a big deal because it happened in a ‘kids’ show since people of all ages can resonate with this entire series. Still, I suppose it’s huge because it’s from a show where kids are still a significant part of the audience.  Plus, with the existence of the swamp man’s potion, the effects of David’s decapitation are temporary as Hilda and Frida fix him up easily.  Well, easily might be an overstatement since at first they humorously put his head on backwards.  Anyhow, while David grows and benefits from this experience, they all just leave the warriors to fight, die, and come back as they always do.  It’s solid entertainment for the swamp man anyway.  Plus, as Hilda suggests, David has definitely been killed enough for one day.

This episode is ultimately a strong example for the new season venturing into more ambitious storytelling while still keeping its own charm in terms of story and characters.  It’s an effective mix of almost graphic scenes with smart humor and messages that can get people of all ages to really think.  You might be inclined to listen to lite rock music afterwards though.

A

Series Ranking

1.      The House in the Woods

2.      The Nightmare Spirit

3.      The Tide Mice

4.      The Witch

5.      The Bird Parade

6.      The Midnight Giant

7.      The Eternal Warriors

8.      The Troll Circle

9.      The Hidden People

10.  The Storm

11.  The Draugen

12.  The Black Hound

13.  The Troll Rock

14.  The Lost Clan

15.  The Sparrow Scouts

16.  The Nisse

17.  The Ghost

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode featuring the return of Victoria Van Gale, and more insight on the nature of nisses.
If you would like to check out other Hilda reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

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