This is hard for me to judge. Should I lower my score because Danny is acting like such a twit for half the episode? A sidestep from “Pirate Radio” and a bigger one from “Splitting Images”, the facet that makes up Danny’s darkness is played up again when he constantly bullies Dash despite the fair warning he received from Sidney back in Season One. Sam rephrases her role as the rational figure who criticizes his behavior which is all too deserving. If Danny isn’t careful, he could seriously injure Dash or worse, expose his secret. He’s being incredibly careless here in the name of revenge and karmic abuse.
And yet, the behavior isn’t all for naught. As blatantly anvilicious an Aesop this is, it’s also a prime formula in Danny’s development. It’s there to pinpoint the similarities and differences both he and Vlad share and his constant struggle with it. Abusing his powers and throwing the first punch for petty reasons is Vlad’s forte, if not in a sneaky manner and it’s clear he has less of a moral to do these sort of things then Danny does. Or so Danny thinks. It’s clear his good behavior has tipped the scale before and he’s frequent lack of responsibility for his own powers are easy marks for Vlad to egg on. He makes eerie predictions of Danny’s eviler side; in “Control Freaks”, he was manipulated to embrace it. Freakshow only brainwashed him though, any damage and mischief making was of his own doing. In “The Ultimate Enemy”, Phantom represents more or less the worst of Danny’s emotions and personalities. Everybody has their dark side, but Danny’s is especially poignant because we literally see it at several points throughout the series. This is his character development. His bullying is a step down--I wager there could have been a different method to use--but in an overall scale, it works. Having Sidney point out the allegory of such at various points drives the nail in the coffin, but makes all the more sense. Who better to tell then one who has lived through and administrated it at one point?
And it brings the Vlad/Danny arc even closer. They are opposites of the same coin, yet they breathe in their own corresponding behaviors and physical abilities. Vlad himself is a mastery of his game and “Reign Storm” brings about what is possibly his most defining moment. Usually thwarted by his foe, only to return with a back-up plan, Vlad for once completes his a Xanatos Gambit by getting everything he wanted: one of the two items of Pariah, the Fright Knight (who makes it clear he has no further desire to continue working for Pariah), and the Ecto-Suit, all without any hint of suspicious outside of Danny (which is a given). Everybody was under his thumb; they were pawns in his game of chess, one which he declares “checkmate” by end. He fools Danny who managed to defeat Pariah for him so that he didn’t have to lift a finger. And he does it all with a brilliant, delectable smile and an unwavering personality. This is a man who has conquered the heart of emotional manipulation; he exploits even 14-year-old children to danger to get what he needs and yet that doesn’t change a damn thing on my view of him: an incredibly debonair Magnificent Bastard. This episode only emphasizes it.
Danny and Valerie’s relationship steadily grows and by end, her feelings for him is clear. The two have a much respected opinion of one another now, despite Sam and Tucker’s protest. Through and through, Danny continuously acts stupid, but he remains confident and focused, able to dish whatever Valerie has to offer, risking his very identity to secure his friendship with her. Danny grew attracted to her personality after so much suffering from her hand. Unlike “Life Lessons”, Danny now had the time to get to know her and he likes what he sees. If he must foolishly risk his ghostly alter ego, so be it. If anything, it's a foreshadowing of what Danny says to Vlad in "The Ultimate Enemy", "Maybe that's all anybody needs; a second chance." Danny typically views the world as black and white, but when he's faced with the gray, he often confronts it and understands the reasons behind it. He forgave Vlad so easily because for that one brief moment, he realized he ain't such a bad guy. True, it took the loss of his ghost powers, but acceptance is acceptance. He stuck with Danielle before and after her true colors shone in "Kindred Spirits". Danny knows Valerie isn't villainous and outside of her interesting persona, that's the prime reason why he catered to her. If he gets the chance, Danny will give them a second chance. It's a stupid maneuver, but some things are worth risking for.
It helps since Valerie upgrades her aggressive personality into a far pleasant one. She, too is accepting the changes around and finally unleashes a much more palatable side. Only Sam and Tucker refuses any admittances, mainly because of her status as ghost hunter (and in a small way, her past treatment of them). In Sam’s case, she’s also an obstacle for Danny’s affection. I’d like to say Tucker would have some unwanted feelings left over from “Shades of Gray”, but this is never touched upon, unfortunately. The two remain as loyal as any friends would and their concern is heartfelt. Their scenes throughout are sprinkled to the best of the plot’s ability without overshadowing the main story. Sam, especially who by the end almost confesses her love for him; one of the most engaging and poetically shown of the Danny/Sam. It’s hard not to feel sorry for her.
Character Development isn’t just the pinnacle of the plot, the story itself is grand. An ancient force of great power lays havoc on both the Ghost Zone and Earth; Pariah Dark has leagues of armies at his command, a knight by his side, and is an unstoppable presence...all in one episode. Pariah’s personality isn’t anything to speak of, he’s demanding and clearly strong, his leadership is unspeakable, his power is up the nth degree, his motivation for world domination a huge centerfold, and his voice is fittingly brutal, yet royal-like, but unlike the majority of the rest of the cast, he barely has anything to keep him interesting, even with a backstory. No, it’s more what he does that intrigues and the fact that he put two worlds in high alert is something worthy to speak of. More so when friends and foes join together in a celebrated battle to combat his forces. Skulker especially who shows off his incredible leader structure, able to command the rebelling ghouls with little objectives. He would make a fine ambassador to the Ghost Zone if they ever sought politics with their Earthly companions. Seeing Danny and Vlad put their differences aside for them to work together was especially thrilling. More so when the episode leaves off with unanswered questions. Why is Fright Knight working for Vlad? What is Vlad’s intentions with the Crown of Fire (despite losing the Ring of Rage)? The episode satisfies and leaves more for the hungry fans. The unfortunate part is the unresolved answers which never happens (probably because of Steve Marmel’s absence in Season Three due to Executive Meddling). These burning questions are among some of the most frustrating to intercept.
I wish I could say the animation was any better. Overall, it’s not bad. Most of the time, the characters are decidedly on-model and the battles are delivered excellently (at least three of them are worth watching), one of the best in DP. Pariah’s design is menacing and nightmare fueled. Unfortunately there are too many animation errors sprinkled, including Technus’ appearances in various scenes (fortunately he was kept silent and didn’t return for the final battle, as if the animators finally got note he wasn’t suppose to be there). It’s too little, too late though. Despite the fitting colors to emphasize a city in turmoil, the splash of red, violet, and especially green are ugly to look at and one point, the animation switched to that rubbery texture I absolutely hate. Thankfully, it’s minor. The brief 3D animation in certain places are nicely distributed; I especially love the light blue utilized by Danny in his Ecto-Suit. Guy Moon managed to outdo himself with the music, all the right tunes fits, especially the dramatic scores accompanying Pariah.
If some of the plot had been altered a bit, “Reign Storm” would have made an excellent series finale. “Phantom Planet” tried it’s darnest and it only mildly succeeded. This episode is loads better; perfectly creating an epic story with defining moments. From beginning to end it was able to successfully balance story and character without any bullshit.
9/10
"Reign Storm" Part Two
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Article written in: Jul. 2, 2008
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