I’m a big fan of Spy Movies. Big fan. The third episode of the season “Double-O-Duck in You Only Live Twice!” is spy themed so I already knew I would like it. The premise here is that Launchpad and Dewey are playing a VR spy game at Funzo’s Fun Zone (a significant upgrade from any of their other crappy games.) Turns out that Funzo’s is now a super secret lab location for F.O.W.L. specifically Black Heron and Steelbeak I assume because they’re in the cybernetic replacement club. Full disclosure; Steelbeak was one of my favorite DW villains other than Negaduck so I’m sensitive about him. I like Black Heron as well but she spends half the episode calling Steelbeak stupid. She denies they’re partners and basically calls him a henchman. Now Steelbeak may be uncultured and a brawler, but he’s not stupid, this is going back to his appearances in Darkwing Duck. He’s not a henchman, he’s a mid-boss at worst. Steelbeak and Black Heron could be a power couple if not for her arrogance. I now realize that I’m shipping them and I promised myself I would never do that in any fandom. So. Yes.
Launchpad struggles with his intelligence in the same way, except that he actually is stupid. Launchpad is incredibly dumb to the point were he loops around and obtains a kind of zen-like peace. That’s why his voice is so smooth. Butter smooth actually. Later in the episode Launchpad becomes super intelligent, and turns into the super adept superspy the world needs right now. If you look at Launchpad’s character design and knew nothing else you’d think he was the hero of the show. He’s tall, handsome, and has a great head of hair. Suavepad fulfills all of Launchpad’s potential. Steelbeak, who has become increasingly defensive about his intelligence, reveals his plan to destroy Duckberg, and it’s a shockingly effective one.
In the end Launchpad confesses that he has spent the whole day trying to prove that he’s “good enough” to be Dewey’s friend. There’s even a song to that effect that Dewey, who has an amazing singing voice btw, croons as the closing theme. It’s a very Bond-ish song, specifically it reminds me a hell of a lot of my favorite Bond song “License to Kill” by Patti Labelle. It’s all just amazing really. This is one of those episodes that distracts you with action and adventure then surprise punches you in the feels. And good for them, it’s what really makes DuckTales stand out.
I give this episode 4 and a half luck dimes out of five. So, 45 cents.
JWC lines of the show: “ I can taste the seawater! I’m actually afraid and a little dehydrated. This game is incredible!” – Dewey
Scrooge – Fetch your uncle a tin of mutton!
Webby – I think they just have nachos
JWC trivia: There’s an episode of Darkwing Duck “Water Way to Go” that also concerns Launchpad questioning his heroic abilities, except he thinks that he can be as good of a hero as DW. Ironically it’s also a Steelbeak episode.
Coolest details: There is a cameo that is on such an epic level that I dare not speak of it. It will definitely move you, I promise.
Scrooge has some kind of past-life regression acid flashback to being a prospector in the middle of Funzo’s that Webby has to walk him through.
Also, Dewey’s face after Steelbeak declares “Crazy 8s.”
