DuckTales Season 2 Episode 24 Review: Moonvasion!

This DuckTales review contains spoilers.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 24

This is the most DuckTales episode to ever DuckTales. It’s got all the best elements turned up to blockbuster summer action levels. The dark jokes, the adventure, the tearjerkers, the outstanding art, the incredible writing, and our man GLOMGOLD. It’s an amazing package that brings all the best elements of the first two seasons together and utilizes them for its wild plot. This isn’t the most serialized of stories (many episodes of DuckTales are fairly stand alone) but having all these elements ties together the threads the series has been weaving into a gorgeous tapestry. 

The world of DuckTales is rich and filled with lore and characters galore and this finale just lets them all loose to play. The first half of the episode is delighting in this massive team-up, with the various characters bouncing off each other and getting a chance to shine. It all helps they’re up against the biggest villain yet, Lunaris. While the threat he provides to the Earth is credible and makes for some great set pieces, his part in the episode actually felt the weakest. There’s a powerful idea of Lunaris using fear against the Earth but it never really comes into play. The Earth isn’t felled by fear and Scrooge isn’t frozen by it. It’s an idea that was set up in previous episodes and then casually mentioned here.

I wish it had come more into play because while Lunaris’ troops and machines are a physical threat, DuckTales has done a lot to make their scarier villains emotionally threatening as well. Still, Lunaris’ threat did manage to get Della and the kids away from Duckburg and that’s what’s really important. The action is all fun but it’s nothing without the heart and we all knew DuckTales would land that. Continuing the thread of the last few episodes, it’s focused on Della and Louie. Louie learned his lesson last episode and he even got a chance to see all the angles Della couldn’t. Della’s accepted him for who he is and he’s accepted himself… but what about Della herself?

She slowly begins to buckle under the pressure but crashing on a desert island is the last straw. It reminds her too much of the moon and we can tell all those years of isolation have done a number on her psyche. It’s been a slow build up but her defenses finally come down. She can’t just act like everything is fine. That was a solid coping mechanism on the moon but it can’t work here, not when she has her family to deal with.

The tender scene between her and Louie where she admits she wasn’t prepared for something like this was the greatest emotional payoff of this season’s main theme, adaption. How life screws up the best laid plans and you have to make it work. Who better to help Della deal with that than Louie, the man with all the plans. His admission he likes seeing every angle so he can take control of it made absolute sense for his characters and was brilliantly followed with the simple advice of “you can’t plan for everything.”

Then Louie sings. Was anyone prepared for this? Was anyone ready for Louie to start singing Della’s song and for her to join in? Was anyone ready for the cascade of emotions that would be caused by it? Well, the DuckTales team was because they pulled it off BRILLIANTLY. This is the (second) biggest moment DuckTales has been building to and it was worth it.

The first is Scrooge’s outfit when he charges into his second confrontation with Lunaris. Yes, that’s right. They’ve been laying seeds for it since season one. Expertly reminded of just two episodes ago. Now Scrooge must wear the trappings of his greatest enemy.

SANTA CLAUS. I would have busted up laughing if I wasn’t sitting in shock with how perfect it all was. It being a part of Glomgold’s awfully on point plan just made it even better. This doesn’t further Scrooge’s character arc or anything but who cares? It’s a joke that’s been planned and set up for two years. It’s THE GREATEST. 

This episode is filled with too many moments of fan pleasing glory. Lena embracing her powers, Donald’s watermelon Mickey Mouse, his reaction to Della kicking it away, Scrooge stealing Darkwing’s thunder, Glomgold’s slideshow, the Sharka, the movie level animation as the family’s ship fires on Lunaris’, and Penumbra coming to save the day!

We have to talk about that ending though. F.O.W.L. is here. The villain group that terrorized Darkwing Duck that seems to be lead by the Vultures from Scrooge’s company. Are the big bad’s of season three going to try and destroy the world through… larceny??? I am 100% here for it. This is the kind of crime DuckTales has been readying itself to tackle. Plus you’ve got a ton of returning and new villains!

Hats off to everyone involved in this episode. Everyone who helped write, animate, produce, edit, market it, and more! You’re all 2 Legit 2 Quit.

Season 3 of DuckTales can’t get here soon enough. Season Two was another triumph for the series and it can only get better from here. The world needs more DuckTales and we’re getting it! Hopefully it’ll include 100000% more Dewey dabbing.

DuckTales Quotes To Make Your Life Better   

 – “Saving the Earth is my DEW-stiny”

– “Why won’t this start? Oh yeah, the fire.”

– “Dewey ex-machina!”

-“I’ve decided you’re doomed. My time would be better served preparing your places in the afterlife. Cheerio.”“Not reassuring he went down instead of up.”

-“Is that a shark wearing a parka?”“I call it a Sharka.”

Keep up with all our DuckTales season 2 news and reviews here!

Shamus Kelley is a pop culture/television writer and official Power Rangers expert. Follow him on Twitter! Read more articles by him here!