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‘DuckTales’ Un-Plucked – Episode #21 “The Secret(s) of Castle McDuck!”

There are only 2 more episodes left of Ducktales this season, and things have been building to a fever pitch! Secrets will be revealed. Relationships will be tested. And Launchpad will… well… still be Launchpad – except when he’s being Donald. There’s a lot to discuss and marvel over in this week’s episode. So pull up your DVRs – or just click on the link below – and let’s get ready to take a Closer Look at Ducktales (2017) Episode 21: “The Secret(s) of Castle McDuck!”

–WATCH HERE ON DISNEY XD –

Family Secret(s) – Della Duck & Scrooge’s Dime:

Sure the ‘Secret’ that’s referenced in the title/ episode summary is the Templar’s lost treasure. Hell, that’s the reason the McDuck family came in the first place. Though by episode’s end, quite a few other secrets have been revealed. And whereas those secrets might not be worth anything monetarily, they are incredibly valuable for the characters emotionally, and (for us) highlights precisely what Ducktales (2017) does that very few other animated series nowadays can: staying light-hearted while still refusing to shy away from heavy hitting topics.

The first of the two big topics – or rather exchanges – that happened this episode was Dewey not telling his brothers about his search for their mother. There was noticeable tension after this revelation, but what really hit the point across was having Louie of all people deliver the “you kept a secret about mom… that is not okay” line. All season, we’ve seen Louie ‘check out’ of situations when they don’t benefit him. Unless money is involved, he doesn’t care. He’s always greedy, always scheming, always has an ulterior plan in mind. But not this time. He’s silent. He – like the trust between the brothers – is broken. Yes, they eventually come back together in the end, but in that moment you felt all of their pain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTRISzUqVDI

Though the boys weren’t the only ones to have an emotional exchange this episode. Scrooge and his father’s disdain for each other was definitely one of the primary sources of humor for this episode. So much humor in fact that it actually balanced out the whole ‘you didn’t tell us about our mom’ thing. But then Scrooge and his dad had an emotional moment of their own, and whereas it wasn’t heart-breaking, it was certainly the most heart-warming moment Ducktales has seen yet:

“We were poor. I couldn’t provide for you myself, so I had to give you a different gift: self-reliance, teaching you to work hard and fend for yourself so that you’d become the man you are now. But you learned that lesson so well… we hardly saw you again. If I’m hard on you lad, it’s because I miss you is all.” – Fergus McDuck

This revelation not only adds upon the Number One Dime lore that we got a lot this season, but also makes perfect sense considering what we learned about young Scroogey. His family was so poor that they chipped in to buy him a clump of hair instead of a dog. This revelation by Fergus McDuck fits in perfectly with that and adds so much to the relationship between these two. Overall, this whole episode was about family being torn apart and brought back together stronger, and my heart is exhausted!

Though we probably won’t get much rest because as I said above, there’s only 2 episodes left and they’ll be one heavy hitter after another. With the finale episode focused on Magica’s master plan, that means next episode will deal with the confrontation between Dewey and Scrooge concerning the newly unearthed details about the Spear of Selene. So in that regard, this is a two-parter, which will continue thematically next episode.

‘DuckTales’ Un-Plucked - Episode #21 “The Secret(s) of Castle McDuck!”
Credit: Disney

Things That “Quacked” Us Up – Easter Eggs, Quotes & More:

  • I’m not sure if it was intentional or not – since the setting is the same, but the character placement is slightly different – but the nephews wandering down the staircase could be an Easter Egg to the original Ducktales intro.
  • It’s nice to see that Dewey still has the Sphere of Selene – and didn’t leave it on the island when he accidentally beat Zeus at the end of Episode 10.
  • Simon McDuck was the accountant of the Knights Templar…. Why do I find this both outlandishly random and yet fitting?
  • Little Scroogey and Whiskers is the cutest thing ever!
  • It was a nice touch having the Della quest this episode involve trials that were suited to Huey’s and Louie’s specialty.
  • Much like the rest of Launchpad’s antics, him impersonating Donald was just as enjoyable as it was random
  • April 15, 200. What significance does the Spear of Selene document having a date from the week the boys were born have?
  • Favorite Quotes:
    • “Remember lads, no sudden movements, no eye contact, and if you’re cornered, the heartless heathens will give you no quarter”/ “This does not sound like a fun trip” (Scrooge/ Louie)
    • “Brace yourselves kids, primordial menace lurks here, the most treacherous terror I’ve ever faced….. daddy… mommy.” (Scrooge)
    • “You’re parents are alive?”/ “I can’t believe you’re still alive!” (Huey/ Louie)
    • “I kindly rebuilt our ancestral castle for them… and I may have used some discounted mystical druid stones that accidentally granted them immortality. I didn’t know it would buy me an eternity’s worth of criticism.” (Scrooge)
    • “How am I supposed to protect them from the truth if they keep helping me find it?” (Louie)
    • “You avoid us like the plague!” / “Oh, come now, that’s unfair… TO THE PLAGUE!” (Fergus McDuck/ Scrooge)
    • “Has Uncle Donald been a ghost this whole time?” / “No, he gets hurt way too often to be a ghost” (Dewey/ Louie)
    • “They wanted Uncle Donald to find his own grave… that is messed up!” (Louie)
    • “Eh, Greed beats Fear every time” (Louie)

Previous Reviews: 

Episode 20   –      Episode 19   –      Episode 18   –      Episode 17   –      Episode 16   –      Episode 15   –      Episode 14    –      Episode 13    –      Episode 12    –      Episode 11    –      Episode 10    –     Episode 09     –     Episode 08     –     Episode 07     –     Episode 06     –     Episode 05     –     Episode 04     –     Episode 03     –     Episode 02     –     Episode 01