Dewey: "I think it's supposed to be my romantic interest. But I'm too threatened by that concept, so it never takes shape." I AM DECEASED

"I'm like cradled by a moon made of my own tears? What's that about?" "... I have some theories."

This episode is one big fantasy analogy for an abused child getting out of her abusive parent's shadow and moving on with her life. Specifically, this is the final chapter where the parent tries to gaslight the child back into her clutches. You don't need to look hard to see it, given how the domestic abuse angle has been the fundamental core of Lena's and Magica's relationship throughout the series.

The fact that Lena is already afraid of being seen as a monster whether metaphorically or literally or both, it was absolutely heartbreaking for her to hear Webby call her that.

Fun little detail about the ending of the story: the device that Magica uses to invade Lena's dreams is the very same one that the Beagle boys used to invade Scrooge's in the classic Don Rosa story "Dream of a lifetime". Frank Angones has stated that Lena is a character they are going to use in order to convey more mature themed messages, such as escaping abuse and it certainly shows here. The ”I don't need you, you need me" line spoke after she saw how far Magica has fallen after the "Shadow war" was extremely satisfying.

This might be my second favorite episode of Season 2 behind "The Duck Knight Returns!". It's visually stunning and rife with subtext. *Webby's dream:* - Desire to be an adventurer like her Uncle Scrooge and be with her friends. *Dewey's Dream:* - Reflection of Dewey's ego and desire to be the center of attention; His "love interest" has both a male/female voice, which is open to interpretation. Lastly, there's the Freudian thing with mom. *Louie's Dream:* - His ideal life of luxury and adoration without having to work. *Huey's Dream:* - Taps into Huey's insecurity about his height and desire to be bigger since he's the oldest of the triplets. *Violet's Dream:* - Imagines a library to obtain more knowledge free of distractions. *Lena's Dream:* - Not only does it tap into the idea that she's worried about being more like Magica than her friends, but I'd also argue that Lena turning into Magica implies that subconsciously, she doesn't feel like she deserves happiness or to have friends. The whole episode works as like a metaphor for victims of emotional abuse who feel like they brought their misfortunes on themselves. Through Webby and the other kids, Lena comes to realize that she needs the people in her life to be her best self.

“I’M NOT GOOD AT IMAGINATION STUFF... OKAY!”

I want to see Donald's dream where he speaks perfectly, like the old Disney cartoon where he becomes a singer.

I need a Louie cat plushie and a Fooey toy.

Oh btw Lena is staying with Violet’s family. Turns out it was going to be mentioned in the episode but it had to be cut. Um it was mentioned on tumblr I think

Magica in The Shadow War!: You are not my Family, You're Nothing! A nightmare on Killmotor Hill: We're Family, You need Me!

Tall Huey is the most nightmare fuel out if the episode.

I wonder if Lena is who Magica was before she became the evil duck we know her as. Maybe something traumatic happened to her and Lena is all that’s left of her original personality. That would be interesting because it would explain that since Magica can’t accept her true self she is just a powerless, pathetic crazy person.

I just noticed that only when Lena sits down she is their height XD

I also kind of like the way the unicorn went out.

I disagree that this puts a cap on the what Lena is story. Yes, she's a shadow, but there's something unique about her that never comes up - she's a shadow without a caster. Magica essentially obliterated her, basically erasing that part of her shadow, so she latched on to Webby. Does she still have that shadow-y connection with Webby? What if all that crap Magica was going on about - magically linked, blah blah blah - had some truth behind it? It'd be an interesting storyline to go with. Either way, her story is definitely far from over, and I can't wait to see what they end up doing with her.

What's weird is that magical had a niece in the comics her name was minima de spell and was actually nice like her parents.

I too once thought High school would be a musical.... boy was I wrong!

Hey you didn't talk about hobo Magica.

So season one's central focus was on Dewey and how he learned he could stand out even as a middle child. Season two was about Llewelyn and how he learned the meaning of effort, does this mean season three will be about Huey learning he can be dependent on his family and doesn't have to always go it alone?

My Favorite lines/things in this episode: You're irritability! You know who my best friend is? Me! SLEEP! Dewey:*SHOOKETH* Who knows what that's about? I have a few theories Also, Phooey duck finally has a design and i couldnt be happier

Something I wanted to note on Violet's episode which I really liked, is that Lena, Webby and Violet form yet another trio, that might be a jab at April, May and June (characters from the comics. The triplet nieces of Daisy Duck, who are basically genderbent Houie, Dewey and Lewey)

Dewey’s reaction to “Tall Huey” was the funniest part of the episode

I'm guessing Lena will grow up to be a heroic Sorceress Supreme.

The entire "Dewey High" segment might be the funniest thing this show has ever animated. Amazing stuff, lol. So much to unpack! The whole ep is phenomenal, and their strongest after the Darkwing one. Great analysis 👍

Speaking of Foey, someone pointed out that Dewey imagined him looking a lot like Donald did as a kid when Dewey went back in time

I wonder if we'll see Webby learning about using magic from Lena next season.

I loved this bit so much Louie: “y’know whose my best friend?” Dewey: “..me..” Louie: “sleep.” Dewey: ÒOÓ

Noodly Huey was great. I think the last half of S2 has been the best so far. Everyone’s established and we can start concentrating on more character development. I’ve even gotten to be able to remember which triplet is which!

I'm just pleased Magica finally returned...

The series addressed she was a Shadow in the Shadow War 2 parter. Magica Despell mocks Webby for thinking of her Shadow as a real person and for giving her Shadow a friendship bracelet. It was also in the Poem telling her origin story. It was a fun episode but I was pretty disappointed with the depiction of Hueys dream. Implying a smart person like Huey wouldn't be imaginative to me just sounds like they were too lazy to write something deep for him just yet. Nothing connected to Jr Woodchucks or his special connection with Gyro or his love of seeking out the truth. I'm really hoping for a more Huey focused 3rd season. Season 1 Dewy took most of the multi episode narrative plot as he searched for answers about their mom. This season it's all been about Lewy and his desire to become a millionaire like his Uncle. Maybe a series where the antagonist are the secret organization that's been running Scroodges business this whole time will be a perfect multi part plot to bring the best out of Huey.

Man, I love it when you go into DuckTales/Duck comics lore, your bit about Killmotor Hill was incredibly informative! Also, I have to look through this episode again, to see if Bill Cipher can be spotted anywhere... He's made cameos in DuckTales before this, so I wouldn't doubt if there's at leas one subtle reference to him.

Dewey: I'm too threatened by the concept of a romantic interest for it to take shape in my dreams Rational part of my brain: he's barely a teenager, this makes sense Overwhelming majority of my brain: aro Dewey aro Dewey aro Dewey aro Dewey-

I absolutely loved this episode, definitely one of the best ones this show has put out. Any episode with Lena in it has so far been one of my favorite episodes. She's such a great character and I always like to see more of her.

You forgot the little twist at the end that saw Magica us advance tech to make Lena's nightmares happen, which saw as an homage Arthur C. Clark's Third Law "Any Sufficiently Advanced Technology is Virtual Indistinguishable from Magic"

I love Huey. Needs more focus. And I LOVE Dewey's freaked out reaction to tall Huey.

With Lena, I can't help thinking of her as the Good Ending version of Annie from the DCAU. Annie was a creation of Clayface that gained sentience, turned amnesiac and had the start of a cute relationship with the young Robin. She tried to fight off Clayface to save Robin and got absorbed back into him, never to exist again. I'm glad Lena's story continued past that point.

Love watching ur vids on Ducktales. Might be cool to do some character study videos during the wait such as a focus on Glomgold comic v series or a dive on Donald etcetc. Can’t wait for the next episodes

Absolutely loved the inclusion of Phooey.

I like Dewey’s dream

I admit I’m pretty excited for season 3 now

When I saw the trailers for the new episodes I figured out there would be a dream episode. One thing I also noticed is in the trailer any time Lena was there she wasn't smiling. At first i thought it was just because she didn't want her friends to get hurt on whatever adventure they were on

Lena was a shadow but she found the will to break away and be good and she has magic? I think that makes her a persona or whatever teddy was in persona 4.

Tall Huey was my favorite! Dewey's dream was so much fun and Louie's dream, while short, had me cracking up (and they had to go through the kitty litter!). Violet's dream was nice and calm, liked it. I feel like Huey's dream really did show the most, though. He admitted he wasn't good at imagination and it was clear he wanted to be seen as the oldest and be able to help. Dewey's reaction was hilarious. Loved you review, thanks!

9:36-10:47 ...It's been theorized that since Season 1 was mostly about Dewey and Season 2 was mostly about Louie, Season 3 might be mostly about Huey. What you said about his desires & character might be exactly what Season 3 will revolve around.

LOVE your Ducktales stuff! Concerning the location of the mansion, I recall back in the 90's there was s series of 9 map peices included in different Disney comics that displayed Duckburg. Not sure if its canon or not but it might give a better layout of where the mansion was supposed to be in the older versions of Duckburg. Might be worth checking out. Keep up the great work!

Can't wait till review Timephoon episode...

So I guess no one is going to mention the unicorn with the existential crisis.

This season sure has a lot of outstanding episodes, and this one is no exception. I always love it when a movie or show, especially in animation, explores characters' dreams, since they always provide a massive pool of creativity. Speaking of which, my favorite dream moments were with Louie as a lazy cat, the whole montage with the various locations and the appearances of Phooey and whale Launchpad, and Lena's nightmare. The latter did an amazing job with the dark color palette, especially with the trees that looked like something out of "Snow White" or "Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Also, my favorite joke has to be with the unicorn vanishing in a split second: 'Wait, if there's no one around to imagine me, don't I---'

This might be in my top three episodes of season 2. Problem is, they're all tied. The other two are Timephoon and The 87 Cent Solution. Anyway, I've been thinking a bit and I think the next season might have a bit of extra focus on Huey. I'm sure others have figured this out too, if it wasn't directly stated. While they all have ample screen time in each season, the first one seemed to focus on Dewey the most, while the second one did the same for Louie.

I understood Dewey’s dream😆

I did like Louie's fantasy as a cat.

I absolutely loved that they had an episode about Lena sinse she is legitimately my favorite character

CAN'T WAIT TILL YOU DO THE SEASON FINALE!!!

Huey's dream is probably one of the funniest moments in the entire show, especially because of how Dewey reacts to the entire thing.

Who is Lena? Short answer: She's the Disney Descendant of Magica De Spell. Remember Disney's Descendants? The story of 4 kids descended from classic Disney villains that turn out to be good in the end? That can't be just a coincidence.

Am I the only one who is reminded of the Presidents Song form Animaniacs by hearing Lena's "Friendiversary" song?

So Fooey was real and he was Magica De Spell all along? What a twist!

am I the only one who Immeadiately thought about Garfield when I saw lazy Louie cat

Talking about new characters, I'd like to see some of Donald's buddies from the Navy.

The whole begging I was screaming: FREDDY KRUGGER!!! DID HE NOT SEE THE MOVIE?! DID HE NOT GET THE REFRENCE?!

Shes my ride or die. Lena got me into this amazing show and I'm not leaving until I see her story through. This was a great episode. Lena now has a real family keeping her safe now. And Magica is going to have to go through them to get to her

I love all the dreams

This episode is a big Friday the 13th (A Nightmare on Elm Street) reference.

I can’t wait for your next few reviews Glomtales! May be my favorite episode in the series

8:50 -- Uh-oh. Looks like Jim Davis is gonna get sued by Disney, now. … Yes, GARFIELD came before this cartoon, but that's how Disney works.

Me: *loves Lena* Also me: *sees video* Me again: *fangirl screams*

DO big hero six the series!!!!!

It just dawned on me. Magica having a prototype dream machine. I'm wondering if that's a reference to that old Scrooge comic story where they have to use Gyro's invention to help Scrooge find an old memory through entering his dreamscape. The one you'd find in some article saying that the movie Inception ripped that comic off, I think it was back when Cracked's website was a thing. I really liked Magica's depressingly desperate reveal at the end, especially the subtle note that she needed technology to accomplish what she easily could have done if her powers weren't deteriorated. Though part of me can't help but think "OCH! I left me gun on the bus," from the Simpsons Nightmare on Elm Street parody.

The episode title is of course a reference to Nightmare on Elm Street, in fact many aspects of this episode take plot points from various moments across the 8 films. (I am not counting FVJ)

It just occurred to me all these months later: I bet the reason Scrooge's money bin is out on the bay all by itself is because of the lawsuits Scrooge would've gotten from his old "neighbors" when the bin got set upon by villains and there was collateral damage. Stuff like doomsday devices rolling down the hill like buzzsaws and ripping the town in half, or localized weather phenomenons wreaking havoc on the general vicinity of the bin.

Dewey high looks like saved by the bell

I loved that for the kids looked like their idealized versions of themselves in Leena’s dream (see 12:50 on). It’s like how she sees them how they want to see themselves.

I love your work and your love and dedication to your subject's and Their depths, keeping ducking on my friend 😄

For moonvasion, I kind of hope you'll take note of how Donald is more intelligible as a ventriloquist. And how all the people on the island were creeped out by gladstone eating the melon. And how they're in a life threatening situation, Donald and Della almost get them all killed while fighting, and Uncle Scrooge is just happy to have both his niece and nephew in the same room.

3:55 Lena looks so done with Webby’s shenanigans xD

You know, I never noticed before, but there's another Disney Afternoon callback in this episode. When Magica is climbing up the ledge after Lena, it directly mirrors the way Brooklyn climbs the side of the building in the opening credits of Gargoyles.

I like lena so much. 😊 happy she is back and stays.

I must say I adore these intros in the beginning and Giving me good chills

I loved how creative the animation and visuals in this episode are.

This was a fun episode, Louie had the best segment/dream it was just too enjoyable to watch. The rest of the dreams were good, but more time on Hueys could have been done. Also I think a bit of lay work was done that could hint that Huey and Violet could be a couple.

The episode reminded me a bit of another disney series: Gravity falls, the episode Dreamscaperers. They are both very weird, but really creative at the same time

Very good review! I'm new to your content and I subscribed.

Magicka climbing up the cliff was nightmare fuel

SEANICCUS... I love your reviews and want to see more

By the way, remember when Scrooge told Lena that she would have a place in his family back during the fight with magica. Has Lena moved in to the mansion or is still she living in that hovel under the stadium?

Lena’s friendaversary song is military grade kawai. I was not expecting that from Lena.

The last decade the quality of writing in TV animation has gotten to be very high quality; Adventure Time, MLP, ect. Yeah, all shows have their ups and downs over the course of many seasons, but there seems to be a rising quality that rivals and is better than the past in TV cartoons. Right now I'd say D.T's may be the best, at least of the reboot shows.

Love your vids! Small tip: you might wanna use an equalizer plugin to cut frequencies from 115-125hz range. That will get rid of the background hum :)

During the struggle between the family and Magika playing tug of war over Leena, my imagination kicked in and while I was wrong, I figured the tug-of-war would end with Magika puled in, and trapped as a (mostly) powerless passenger in Leena's head when she wakes up, leaving Magika's body catatonic and vulnerable. Thing is, the biggest, nastiest thing that would go after Ms.DeSpell is a more chaotic and evil-for-it's-personal-amusement entity that would become too powerful if it drained her magic, forcing Leena & Co to reluctantly free Magica from the mental imprisonment, and thus, back to her body, in order to head off a greater threat.

such a great episode, now that the season is over...I need to rewatch it all again

there is Dewey high, Huey high, and Louie high. Dewey because he's in high school Huey because he's big and Louie because... well....

Huey Long Legs isn't real, he can't hurt you. A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill:

I was kinda hoping Lena would permanently change into a green duck, to show that she'd fully accepted the Magica side of her.

@Seannicus Am I the only one that noticed the Transylvania theme from the ducktales NES game when magical appeared in Dewey high?

Someone said Shadow realm !? It's time to dududududududu-el!!!!!!

The episode plot of Magica making fears come true does remind me of an episode of the original series called Nothing to Fear, only dine through a storm cloud around McDuck Manor instead of in the dream world.

Magica: "Did you miss me?" Me: "oh fuck yes."

I feel like people are dismissing Dewey's dream too much. It's not *just* ego, it's the angst of the middle child. There's a subtle difference between being an attention whore and just wanting to be seen as an individual. His first character arc was literally about being "the other one", this is something that really really bugs him. Hewey is neurotic and smart, Louis is lazy and a troublemaker, but Dewey's just kinda... there. And he knows it. It's hard enough to not get mixed up with your siblings on main, but when you're triplets it's so much worse, and that takes a toll on you. He doesn't hate his brothers, but he does seem to consistently wish that they were his friends or his cousins instead. So all his dreams are ambitious, because it would give him a Name(TM). So finally someone will look at the triplets together and see him first. Oh look, it's Dewey and his brothers. Oh look, it's Dewey. Out of the brothers he's the most class clown (Louis is the "cool bad kid" which is a slightly different role even though they're both funny, but Louis is amusing himself first and foremost, Dewey needs to entertain *you*), so it makes sense he'd bury legitimate angst under a veil of humour to hide it. Oh that Dewey, he's so funny, look at him doing Saved By The Bell in his head, literally pay no attention to the sobbing invisible thing in the corner. Like the show even lampshaded what it was doing, but people are falling for it.

Magica combined her Amulet with Poe’s to make her Staff. Their power seems complimentary, with both Poe and Magica knowing spells the other doesn’t. Perhaps Lena was created from Poe’s magic, making Lena _his_ daughter and therefore Magica’s Niece? The most likely answer is there’s no deeper meaning. Disney often uses the “evil aunt/uncle” trope. Looks at Ursula, Scar, etc. Lena is basically Magica’s daughter, but I think the idea of being a mother would horrify her. So “aunt” was a more comfortable word.