Review: The Barbarian and the Troll “When Dragons Cry”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The group must visit a magical marketplace before they retrieve the dragon’s tears for Axe. Stacey’s encounter with a fortune teller finally reveals Brendar’s complicated backstory.

Our Take:

There’s certainly no need to cry over this week’s episode. After crossing the troll bridge in last week’s episode, Brendar and the gang have finally arrived at the lair of the Sapphire Dragon. This means that they’re one step closer to getting the dragon’s tears and using them to slay Alvin the Demon. But first, they must do some shopping.

To get the dragon’s tears for Axe, the group has to grab the ingredients for the dragon’s grandmother’s stew, a dish that would undoubtedly make him weep. This episode offered plenty of goofy shenanigans that happened to the gang during their visit to the gnome marketplace. Horus is playing “Zap a Kraken” to win a big novelty hat, Evan got arrested for disrespecting his magical sock, and Brendar is fighting Steve for the rosemary. More importantly, it finally showcased Brendar’s complicated backstory thanks to the Fortune Teller Gnome that Stacey encountered.

Throughout the series, Brendar stated that she’s searching for Alvin the Demon after it took her brother. The actual reason behind this ultimate quest is, as Brendar said multiple times, complicated. In this episode, we now know why. Was the wait worth it? In my opinion, absolutely. This brief and “complicated” backstory marks another heartfelt step in Brendar’s character growth, which is enough to make the Sapphire Dragon cry like a baby. Plus, it was shown in a different style that cleverly represented a cheap puppet theater. It’s a simple yet touching sequence that defined the show’s genuine heart amid its puppetry effects and comedy.

The marketplace scenario also delivered on the laughs and the return of Stacey’s mom’s new boyfriend, Steve. That’s right, Steve is back, and he’ll stop at nothing to get that rosemary. Unfortunately, his appearance here wasn’t able to top his role in episode four in terms of comedy, but Phil LaMarr’s vocal performance managed to compensate.

Overall, the Dragon episode of The Barbarian and the Troll is a shopping trip that’s worth taking. While the ending was pretty predictable, it has enough amusement and heart to make its viewers laugh instead of cry. It also marks another successful episode for director Paul Fox, who took over directorial duties from the show’s creator Mike Mitchell last week. Now that Axe is finally covered in dragon’s tears, it’s finally time to search for Alvin the Demon and destroy him for good.