Well, it seems like despite the fact that Secrets Of The Mogwai is been consistently knocking my socks off for seven straight episodes, I guess I’ve somehow made the mistake of underestimating the show as we hit the eighth installment.
With our trio of heroes finally transported to the Mogwai’s home in the Valley of Jade, it felt like the show was going to take a moment to ease off from the breakneck pace it’s been setting since the start and give their characters a chance to collect themselves before the big finish. In my defence, that’s exactly what the show does… for about ten minutes, before plunging into yet more gonzo Gremlin action as the status quo is violently rent asunder and the stakes go through the roof. Not only does the episode keep those energy levels high but, like in all the best episodes, if finds an impressive balance between the innocence of a kids cartoon and the deranged spite of the original movies.
Gizmo, Sam and Elle have finally made it to to the Valley of Jade, but as a noticable cost. Not only is Sam’s parents still hostages of the supremely sarcastic sorcerer known as Riley Green, but he has also absorbed the memories of Sam’s Grampa and the powers of Nüwa, the God of Creation by swallowing them whole with his still-disturbing pearl magic.
However, the sting of all this is lessened somewhat by the sheer beauty of the Mogwai’s home and while the adorable little critters treat the humans with some well deserved mistrust, Gizmo convinces his people that they’re cool and they’re accepted. However, the peace is short lived as Elle first demands to know where her promised reward is and stumbles upon the actual Knife of Creation Nüwa used to create (among many other things) the Mogwai.
Speaking of Nüwa, the power she’s infused Green with allows him to cross over into the Mogwai’s realm with his Gremlin army and before you know it, the Valley of Jade is under an occupation of giggling lunatics.
Finally obtaining immortality by swallowing a Mogwai (calm down, it isn’t Gizmo), Green reassess his plans, why stop at mere immortality when the world-altering powers of the Knife of Creation are at hand. The only thing that stand between him and absolute power is Sam, but the nervous young boy doesn’t exactly have a good track record in high pressure situations as he tends to choke quicker like someone trying the cinnamon challenge.
As expected, Sam withers under the pressure, but the true wild card, naturally, proves to be Claw, the Gremlin leader. Deciding that she’s bided her time long enough – some impressive patience shown there by a normally hyperactive species – she makes her move that could be disastrous to Shangai and the world beyond.
Once again, the good people behind Secrets Of The Mogwai have delivered us a irresponsibly packed twenty-something minutes of fantasy carnage and, after a heaping bowl of mythical shenanigans, it’s good to see the show shift gears and put the Gremlins at the forefront once we get to the inevitable double cross.
But first things first and we have to catch up with our three leads and I have to say, I actually thought that both Sam and Elle had already beaten their demons in previous episodes. While Elle damn near killed herself by getting crushed while performing a selfless act and Sam had seemingly gotten over his tendency to freeze under pressure after neutralising the hopping dead, the fact that both show entitled greed and crippling fear respectively during this episode is something of a jarring step back. It’s by no means a problematic issue and it’s fairly easily explained away (Elle was promised a reward and Sam’s parents are in the firing line when he get hold of the Knife of Creation), but it feels like the normally sharp writing suffers a slight hiccup as it reestablishes the two lead’s weaknesses as it gears up for the finale. The final point is something that I’m surprised I didn’t pick up on sooner and it involves the strange fact that despite numerous action sequences and banter with other characters, Gizmo hasn’t actually had much solo work to do for the entire series. We now live in a time of impossibly cute characters such as Baby Groot and Grogu regular stealing the show and in comparison, Gizmo been fairly subdued despite having restrictions of being a puppet removed from his little body.
Still, these are all legitimately minor gripes from an episode that truly belongs to the villains with Matthew Rhys’s superbly hissable Roley Green given full licence to slice the ham as his character essentially wins and get everything he ever wanted and more. Dialing that nefarious ego up to 11, Rhys seems to be relishing this upgrade to godhood justices much as his character is, verbally tormenting Sam to the point that his cautious nature blows his big chance at vanquishing this nasty shit. Green’s never been bigger or bolder, but as that old adage goes, the bigger they are…
Yes, its finally Claw’s time to shine (or “Lady Claw” as Noggin puts it) and not only does the lead Gremlin manage to get Green to let his guard down by giving him the one thing hes never had, a hug, a truly ghastly scene unfolds that sees the turned Mogwai not only relieve him of his command, but of both hands as well – one by blade and the other withered to a nub when Claw gets her… well, claws… on the Knife Of Creation. It’s a jaw dropping moment that marks Secrets Of The Mogwai’s most extreme act of violence, but when the Gremlins are calling the shots, what do you expect? Similarly, lovers of Mogwai might want to turn away as the fuzzy little race take some rather savage hits this episode with one lil’ fella hurled from an out cropping, another getting swallowed whole, Gizmo used as a bowling ball and the the rest of the furry population transformed into their more vicious form thanks to Claw wielding her new magic powers like a surgeon. But, hey, if you aren’t abusing Mogwai, is it even really Gremlins?
On top of the cliff hanger ending seeing a full-blown Gremlin invasion of Shanghai, the episode gleefully gives us a small serving of iconic, Gremlins imagery to tide us over before chaos reigns in the final two installments (Max has been dropping the show two episode at a time). There’s not a Gremlins fan in the land that isn’t going to feel a thrill running through their cold blooded veins at the sight of a clutch of the sneering little bastards hunched around a table playing cards. Of course, in true Gremlins fashion, no explanation is given to where one of the giggling humunculi has managed to find a gambling visor in a fantasy wonderland. Genius.
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