RTTE Season II Character Development
Posted: 08 Jan 2016, 23:20
I've seen it all now. I feel like a deep breath is in order before I continue, so I'll just do that. One moment.
Alright, here's my opinion:
Astrid: She clearly got the most character development out of all the original dragon riders. We were reminded that she's extremely loyal to family and friends on top of her awesome warrior attitude, but we also learned about her flaws. I thought the parts where her weaknesses were exposed- such as Ruffnut calling her out and her inability to keep her lie to Hiccup- brought her character miles. We got to learn that her self-confidence in her strategy can overbear her willingness to be part of a team, and linked to that is her extreme belief in Hiccup. In "Edge of Disaster," the only person not brought up when the twins list the people that Astrid disrespects is Hiccup. There was no particular romance between those two this season, but I feel like her clear trust and respect of him and guilty feelings when she lies to him is an indirect representation of their relationship continuing beyond friends. All in all, her character got some much-needed love, and I really appreciate her now as a part of the dragon riders that's more than simply the warrior girl who supports the main character when he needs it.
Heather: My opinion of Heather has always been fairly neutral, and, after this season, it remains that way. I feel like a comment is necessary, though, because she was such a prevalent character. She's still very well versed in combat. She's still smarter than your average Viking (comparatively). She remained loyal to the dragon riders. She used her brother to infiltrate the dragon hunters like I thought she would. I think her spunk is fun, but I find it predictable. Her relation to Dagur was used well, but, in the end, it was more potent on his side than hers. I hope that she treats her brother with a little more respect in the future after what he did for her- you know, no more chasing after second Dragon Eyes.
Ryker and Viggo: One of them doesn't talk very much, and the other is still basically shrouded in mystery, so I'm going to lump them together for now. Ryker was interesting to watch because he's the best warrior I've seen on the show to date, and his sparse lines kept me curious about his brother and him. After that, though, I kind of fail to see the purpose in his character. In the end, all he did was lead Hiccup into Viggo's trap and inspire Dagur. Maybe it's supposed to be that way- Viggo certainly doesn't seem to think much of him, even though Ryker is fiercely loyal to his brother. But- Viggo. My goodness. I love that there is FINALLY a person that can outsmart Hiccup. The cliffhanger, while excruciating, was fantastic. In a few ways, Viggo is a very cookie-cutter villain: his obsession with a "game" (Maces and Talons but also his encounters with Hiccup), his disregard for his men, his calculating style, etc., but it's never been used in the show before, and it is currently stumping our protagonist, so I give it a stamp of approval. It feels fresh, and I DEFINITELY need another thirteen episodes to know what Viggo does with the Dragon Eye.
And the last character I want to discuss in-depth is---
Dagur: "Astrid's Team" really just established that, as a main villain, he is a tired, worn out old hat (or maybe a helmet. Who knows). He was sharp enough to launch an attack on Berk and track the riders to their base, but, beyond that, he simply failed. The writers knew what they were doing when they cast him in a lesser role this season. My main problem before RTTE's second season was the inconsistency in his character. How did he go from being capable of kidnapping Stoick the Vast with witty, unpredictable, hilarious lines to a narcissistic, icky villain who couldn't even get close to defeating his enemy while he chased after a thing he didn't even know much about (Dragon Eye)? I think the short answer is "jail," but I still didn't like it, which is why I found the backseat to be a great place for him this season- he got to be perfectly deranged and had a few good lines without going overboard. That is, he stayed in the background...until a purpose came along for him to fill in the "Maces and Talons" episodes. I love, love, love the way the show tracked his thought as he contemplated freeing Heather. He was honestly mad at her for betraying him- completely understandable- and I was glad that he stood his ground initially and kept her in the cage. I felt like that confrontation established that, even though she is his sibling, his madness (combined with his anger) still overpowered his heart for her. And, really, he wasn't going to change his mind...until he saw Ryker, who insisted upon being loyal to his blood until the end, even though his brother is a total jerk to him. Dagur is given an idea to chew on. Maybe he can see himself in Ryker's place as he was completely used by his sister, maybe not, but I was left simply guessing his thoughts as he silently stood in the cave after chopping off Heather's shackles. Somewhere in there, he does have a heart. That was one of the most powerful scenes of the season in my opinion, and it was an amazing action to end the season with. Right now, Dagur is the wild card of season three. Everyone has their set roles as villain or protagonist, but, with that action, he blurred the line. I am SO excited to see how his character progresses (and is possibly reinvented) in season three.
Extra character-related notes:
-I approve of the Tuffnut-Snotlout bromance.
-My favorite camera shots of the season were those of Viggo's Maces and Talons pieces- so much drama!
-My favorite moment of slapstick comedy was when Dagur popped up on his ship with his hair alight only to be knocked out by a falling board (end of "The Zippleback Experience"). That was fantastic.
-Toothless didn't get much of a spotlight this season, did he?
-I don't think we got the name of Ryker and Viggo's tribe...
Lastly, what do you think? There are plenty of other characters- I hit my personal highlights, but did you think any others had significant development this season?
Alright, here's my opinion:
Astrid: She clearly got the most character development out of all the original dragon riders. We were reminded that she's extremely loyal to family and friends on top of her awesome warrior attitude, but we also learned about her flaws. I thought the parts where her weaknesses were exposed- such as Ruffnut calling her out and her inability to keep her lie to Hiccup- brought her character miles. We got to learn that her self-confidence in her strategy can overbear her willingness to be part of a team, and linked to that is her extreme belief in Hiccup. In "Edge of Disaster," the only person not brought up when the twins list the people that Astrid disrespects is Hiccup. There was no particular romance between those two this season, but I feel like her clear trust and respect of him and guilty feelings when she lies to him is an indirect representation of their relationship continuing beyond friends. All in all, her character got some much-needed love, and I really appreciate her now as a part of the dragon riders that's more than simply the warrior girl who supports the main character when he needs it.
Heather: My opinion of Heather has always been fairly neutral, and, after this season, it remains that way. I feel like a comment is necessary, though, because she was such a prevalent character. She's still very well versed in combat. She's still smarter than your average Viking (comparatively). She remained loyal to the dragon riders. She used her brother to infiltrate the dragon hunters like I thought she would. I think her spunk is fun, but I find it predictable. Her relation to Dagur was used well, but, in the end, it was more potent on his side than hers. I hope that she treats her brother with a little more respect in the future after what he did for her- you know, no more chasing after second Dragon Eyes.
Ryker and Viggo: One of them doesn't talk very much, and the other is still basically shrouded in mystery, so I'm going to lump them together for now. Ryker was interesting to watch because he's the best warrior I've seen on the show to date, and his sparse lines kept me curious about his brother and him. After that, though, I kind of fail to see the purpose in his character. In the end, all he did was lead Hiccup into Viggo's trap and inspire Dagur. Maybe it's supposed to be that way- Viggo certainly doesn't seem to think much of him, even though Ryker is fiercely loyal to his brother. But- Viggo. My goodness. I love that there is FINALLY a person that can outsmart Hiccup. The cliffhanger, while excruciating, was fantastic. In a few ways, Viggo is a very cookie-cutter villain: his obsession with a "game" (Maces and Talons but also his encounters with Hiccup), his disregard for his men, his calculating style, etc., but it's never been used in the show before, and it is currently stumping our protagonist, so I give it a stamp of approval. It feels fresh, and I DEFINITELY need another thirteen episodes to know what Viggo does with the Dragon Eye.
And the last character I want to discuss in-depth is---
Dagur: "Astrid's Team" really just established that, as a main villain, he is a tired, worn out old hat (or maybe a helmet. Who knows). He was sharp enough to launch an attack on Berk and track the riders to their base, but, beyond that, he simply failed. The writers knew what they were doing when they cast him in a lesser role this season. My main problem before RTTE's second season was the inconsistency in his character. How did he go from being capable of kidnapping Stoick the Vast with witty, unpredictable, hilarious lines to a narcissistic, icky villain who couldn't even get close to defeating his enemy while he chased after a thing he didn't even know much about (Dragon Eye)? I think the short answer is "jail," but I still didn't like it, which is why I found the backseat to be a great place for him this season- he got to be perfectly deranged and had a few good lines without going overboard. That is, he stayed in the background...until a purpose came along for him to fill in the "Maces and Talons" episodes. I love, love, love the way the show tracked his thought as he contemplated freeing Heather. He was honestly mad at her for betraying him- completely understandable- and I was glad that he stood his ground initially and kept her in the cage. I felt like that confrontation established that, even though she is his sibling, his madness (combined with his anger) still overpowered his heart for her. And, really, he wasn't going to change his mind...until he saw Ryker, who insisted upon being loyal to his blood until the end, even though his brother is a total jerk to him. Dagur is given an idea to chew on. Maybe he can see himself in Ryker's place as he was completely used by his sister, maybe not, but I was left simply guessing his thoughts as he silently stood in the cave after chopping off Heather's shackles. Somewhere in there, he does have a heart. That was one of the most powerful scenes of the season in my opinion, and it was an amazing action to end the season with. Right now, Dagur is the wild card of season three. Everyone has their set roles as villain or protagonist, but, with that action, he blurred the line. I am SO excited to see how his character progresses (and is possibly reinvented) in season three.
Extra character-related notes:
-I approve of the Tuffnut-Snotlout bromance.
-My favorite camera shots of the season were those of Viggo's Maces and Talons pieces- so much drama!
-My favorite moment of slapstick comedy was when Dagur popped up on his ship with his hair alight only to be knocked out by a falling board (end of "The Zippleback Experience"). That was fantastic.
-Toothless didn't get much of a spotlight this season, did he?
-I don't think we got the name of Ryker and Viggo's tribe...
Lastly, what do you think? There are plenty of other characters- I hit my personal highlights, but did you think any others had significant development this season?