The end of the dragon knight
That’s right, boys & girls. After about eight months, the series nobody asked for has returned for a (somewhat protracted) third & final season. So does it finally bring it all full circle & make the series a worthwhile watch overall? Well, sort of. Yes and no. It’s a bit more complicated than a simple binary answer. There’s definitely a lot to unpack here so let’s just jump right in, shall we?
Ok, so we’ll start off with the things that did not work for me. First off, this season bugged me most of all vis a vis the furious five (or lack thereof). I mean maybe in the first two seasons, you could argue the stakes were pretty low so they weren’t needed but this time around, the fate of the entire world is at stake & they were what, just sitting at home waiting for the sweet release of death? Maybe they didn’t have the budget for angelina jolie, dustin hoffman, jackie chan, seth rogen, david cross & lucy liu (in fact, i’m almost certain they didn’t) but at the very least, you’d think there would’ve been some sort of passing reference to them going into the final battle. Instead, it’s like they’re living in a parallel universe where none of these people exist.
Then there’s the return of alfie (arguably the worst aspect of the season). I mean sure you’re happy she got her brother back but then he just inexplicably turns evil. No real reason for it, just turns evil because that’s what’s in the script. I mean I get wanting to keeping the peace (& perhaps some of it can be chalked up to him slowly losing his sanity in that sword) but surely someone as smart & virtuous as him would have to have known this plan was never going to work (& even if it did, it’s not worth the cost). I’m just saying it shouldn’t have had to take almost killing his own mom to realize what he was doing was wrong. Also, the plan doesn’t even make all that sense. How could you possibly think violence is going to help you keep the peace? This is like peacemaker all over again.
There’s also the reveal of ping as a former pirate which is…fine, i guess. i mean it doesn’t really add anything to the overall mythos & it does seem a bit uncharacteristic for someone as mild-mannered as our beloved goose but i don’t think he was a pirate in the traditional sense (pillaging, plundering, murdering, etc.). I think he just kind of traveled around doing whatever foruzan said until one day betraying her for whatever reason (again, it’s not really elaborated upon all that much). Why he would agree to any of that in the first place is beyond me but I guess they just couldn’t think of any other way to give him a love interest. I’m not even sure why he needed on in the first place. I mean I don’t think the audience was going to think he was sad & alone just because he has no girlfriend but I guess tv’s got to tv.
& then there are a few…i don’t know if i’d say loose ends but i guess sort of a missed opportunity. Klaus never did find out who was actually responsible for the death of his sister & I thought they were going to have him & blade hash it out before reconciling & parting on good terms. Speaking of which, we never do actually find out what happened to him in the aftermath. Everyone else got their happy ending but there’s no mention of what Klaus went on to do after saving the world.
I’m still not clear on why he’s constantly being referred to as dragon master, not dragon warrior & it’s even pointed out this season that the title of panda master (or warrior) would make more sense. Quite frankly, I’m inclined to agree. But in any case, it’s as if the makers of this series never in fact bothered to watch the movies (whether because of laziness or them just wanting to do their own thing). In any case, I’ve come not to think of this as set within that same film universe anyway but rather in its own separate continuity.
That’s all I can think of as far as what didn’t work so I’ll move on to what did. Colin was easily a standout for me this season. From being the butt of everyone’s jokes to becoming the newest dragon knight (& later head knight of england), his character arc is one of my favorites throughout the entire season. Honestly, I don’t recall liking him all that much in the earlier seasons but once he joined the team & helped to save pangea, he became a much more interesting character. I think that in & of itself is a testament to the acting of ed weeks. Klaus was also one of my favorite this season as he strives to bring back the ancient masters in an effort to destroy the weapons once & for all. It was clear from the get-go he was never truly evil but rather under the thumb of his overbearing sister. So I’m glad they got to reconcile before she vanished forever.
As far as the acting, the ogs have always been the standouts in the cast for me. Jack Black does not miss a beat stepping back into this role after eight years & james hong is always so endearing as the bumbling but well-meaning noodle shop owner. This may be a series no one wanted but I think it’s managed to carve out its own unique niche in the tv landscape. As far as what’s next, it’s well-nigh impossible to tell. There have been talks of a fourth film for years & they did start production on it but it’s unclear whther they finished shooting prior to the strikes. But with the film still on track for a march 8 premiere, it does seem as if they completed all the necessary steps to ensure it still debuts on that date.
Ultimately, I think I still prefer legends of awesomeness over this but it’s not that bad a series in its own right. I just don’t think it’s one we ever really needed. But whatever the future holds for the franchise, it does seem poised to have quite a bit of staying power. I just hope, unlike some franchises out there, that it does not overstay its welcome & knows when to bow out gracefully into the night.