DuckTales S01E02: “Daytrip of Doom” Review

DuckTales S01E02: “Daytrip of Doom”

Created By: Matt Youngberg
Starring: David Tennant, Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz, Bobby Moynihan, Kate Micucci

A review by Cameron Kieffer

It’s been over a month since we got our first taste of the new DuckTales. At long last, we have not one but TWO new episodes, and I’m happy to say they were worth the wait. DuckTales S01E02, “Daytrip of Doom”, picks up where we left off with Scrooge’s nephew Donald and grand-nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie having taken up permanent residence at Casa de McDuck.

The opening sequence features the three boys and Webby engaged in a surprisingly intense dart-gun battle. Their exciting little war game culminates in the boys getting their tail feathers handed to them by Webby.

In a particularly hilarious exchange, last duck standing Huey exclaims, “The foyer is a safe zone!” to which Webby darkly replies, “This is no foyer. It’s a tomb,” before delivering the final blow.

It’s so freaking good.

Despite seriously pwning her new friends, reality sets in when the boys take Webby to Funso’s Fun Zone, a Chuck E. Cheese-style restaurant/arcade, minus the horrific automated nightmares. Here, Webby’s lack of social skills is on full display and she ends up embarrassing the others with her awkward interactions. It’s both incredibly sad and entirely relatable, taking into account how the young girl has pretty much been stuck in McDuck Manor with no one to talk to but Scrooge and her grandma Mrs. Beakley. However, the real conflict arises with the reintroduction of Scrooge’s enemies the Beagle Boys, who capture the kids in a feeble attempt at ransoming them off. Fortunately for them, Webby has a certain set of skills…

Though it’s hard to live up to that first five minutes, the rest of DuckTales S01E02 is seriously top-notch. Even the b-plot, which finds Mrs. Beakley at serious odds with new houseguest Donald, is filled with fun little moments and throwaway lines. One line in particular, uttered by Beakley, is an off-handed reveal that will certainly pay off somewhere down the line.  

Despite a few fun moments of their own, the only weak spot here was the bad guys: Ma Beagle and her red-sweater loving boys are pretty funny and a great deal more endearing than their old-school counterparts, but their whole scheme seemed a little weak. Compared to the heroes, the bumbling burglars just weren’t that interesting. Here’s hoping they up their game next time.

To reiterate: Webby was the real star of “Daytrip of Doom” and is the breakout character of the DuckTales reboot so far. She’s equal parts Tina Belcher from Bob’s Burgers and Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls, complete with her own grappling hook. It’s going to be great watching her develop a character and the impact she has on the boys.  

Kudos also goes to Huey, Dewey, and Louie, who easily could’ve acted like jerks and spurned their new friend, but instead they acknowledged her strengths and encouraged her when an opportunity arose.  It’s a fun, positive dynamic, the likes of which are sorely needed on TV today.

The Verdict:

Watch it! “Daytrip of Doom” is full of win, from start to finish, with plenty of great character moments and hilarious dialogue. The only weak spots are less about subpar villains and more about the strength of our principal characters in comparison. This DuckTales reboot continues to prove that it’s well worth your time and attention.