Turf

"Turf" is the sixtieth televised episode of the series Gargoyles, and the forty-seventh episode of Season 2. It originally aired on May 6, 1996.

• Story Editor: Gary Sperling
• Writers: Marty Isenberg & Robert N. Skir
• Director: Dennis Woodyard
• Animation by Sunwoo Animation Co., Inc.
• Backgrounds by Sunwoo Animation Co., Inc.
• Additional Production Facilities: N/A

Summary

Main Plot

Tomas Brod has moved his organized crime operation to New York and has gotten into a turf war with Anthony Dracon. Elisa has been working undercover as "Salli", and has infiltrated Brod's gang, planning to decimate both gangs before one wins the "turf war" and becomes too powerful. A sting operation at Dracon's chop-shop fails when Elisa is knocked unconscious, so she goes to the Trio and Angela for help. Things come to a head when Brod plans to raid the prison where Dracon is being held and kill him. Elisa stops him, revealing herself in the process, but the gargoyles come to the rescue at that moment, and both gangs are put behind bars.

Subplots

The trio are at odds with each other, squabbling immaturely over Angela, and becoming careless in their duties. Angela grows increasingly agitated, and after some advice from Elisa, finally sets them straight. At the end of the night, The trio promises to leave Angela alone, but she tells them to just slow down and let things happen in their own time, before giving each suitor a quick kiss and informing them of her fifteen rookery sisters on Avalon.

First Appearances

• "Salli"

Quotes

• "Come on down to Dracon's house of auto parts. The prices are hot! And so is the merchandise." - Glasses

• "What about Sleeping Beauty?"

"Let her sleep. The prince has a kingdom to conquer." - Jack Dane and Brod

• "Hey, am I the second-in-command or not?"

"You're abusing your power!" - Brooklyn and Lexington

• "Yeah, but how many of us have turned to stone in mid-air?" - Lexington

• "Knock it off, mutton-heads." - Brooklyn

• "Woah, busted." - Broadway

• "Oh, and another thing...Stop calling me Angie!!" - Angela

• "What's going on? I didn't order a break-out!" - Dracon

• "I thought you flew a helicopter!"

"Yeah, but first I-I kind of crashed it." - Angela and Lexington

• "So, when do we get our World Tour?" - Brooklyn

Continuity

Jack Dane from "Revelations" returns to become a member of Tomas Brod's gang (he should probably have stayed in the Witness Relocation Program), apparently out of hostility towards Tony Dracon and his family.

There are several allusions to past episodes here, including not only "Protection" (with Broadway proudly boasting about how he helped put Dracon behind bars) and "Golem" (with the return of Brod and his hovercraft - though how he recovered it is not explained), but also "Her Brother's Keeper" (Lexington recalls his flying the Pack's helicopter) and "The Price" (Broadway's turning to stone in mid-air during the battle with the Macbeth robot are also mentioned).

According to Greg Weisman, the events in "Vendettas" and "Turf" took place more or less simultaneously (see the Timeline for further details), indicating that Goliath and Hudson's absence was due to their fight with Wolf and Hakon's ghost. This doesn't explain Bronx's absence, however. Greg hints that the gargoyle beast was having an adventure of his own at the time.

Tidbits

Elisa's alias of "Salli" is another in-joke; she was voiced by Salli Richardson.

Brooklyn's question to Goliath, "So when do we get our world tour?" was intended to foreshadow the TimeDancer spin-off. (Like Goliath in "Future Tense", Brooklyn really should learn to be careful about what he asks for.)

Though Lexington is as eager at pursuing Angela in this episode as Brooklyn and Broadway are, in fact (again according to Greg Weisman), he's actually gay - a revelation that would be handled very carefully in the series under Greg's direction. Presumably, Lex must not have realized this at the time of "Turf"; it does help to explain, though, why he wasn't as upset as Brooklyn was in "The Journey" when it became clear that Angela had chosen Broadway.

Links

• Background Memo
• Greg's Ramble
• Extensive Synopsis and Review
• Official episode upload on Disneyshows

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