"M.I.A." is the forty-second episode of Gargoyles, and the thirtieth single-part episode of the series. It aired on December 21, 1995.
Summary[]
In London, the World Tourists encounter the London Clan's gargoyle leaders, who blame Goliath for their comrade's disappearance decades ago, during the Battle of Britain. With the help of the Phoenix Gate, Goliath travels back to discover what really happened to Griff.
Plot[]
Leo and Una blame Goliath for the loss of their friend Griff and kidnap Elisa, Angela, and Bronx. Goliath uses the Phoenix Gate to travel back to 1940 during the Battle of Britain to find out what happened to Griff. After several close calls with aiding the British Royal Air Force against the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany, Goliath realizes that Griff never returned home in 1940, as it appears that, no matter what he does, fate seems to have Griff slated for death, so he uses the Phoenix Gate to bring Griff and himself to the present time. Leo and Una realize it was their own guilt that was to blame for their animosity towards Goliath. As a result, they make amends with Goliath, release Angela, Elisa, and Bronx, and reunited with Griff, the London Clan work to protect their home from trouble.
Cast[]
- Keith David as Goliath
- Salli Richardson as Elisa Maza
- Brigitte Bako as Angela
- Frank Welker as Bronx
- Neil Dickson as Griff, Cabbie
- Charles Shaughnessy as Douglas Bader
- Jeff Bennett as Clive, Indian shopkeeper, London Street Thug #1
- Sarah Douglas as Una
- Gregg Berger as Leo
- John Barrowman as London Citizen
- William Hootkins as London Street Thug #2
- Tim Whitnall as British War Gunner #2
- Dwight Schultz as German Pilot
Trivia[]
- Goliath was right in believing that time was constantly trying to kill off Griff; the only loophole he had was taking him away from that night with time travel.
- The episode's plot is actually taken from a rejected idea for the series as a whole; when Gargoyles was retooled from a light-hearted comedy to a dramatic action-adventure series, Goliath and the clan originally would have remained in Scotland, but would have woken up during WWII.
Continuity[]
- The London Clan is introduced in this episode - it is the first gargoyle clan known to have survived to the present day that did not have its origins in the Wyvern Clan. Other similar clans are introduced in The Green and Bushido.
- Leo, Una and Griff appear for the first time. Griff has reappeared in Pendragon, and he and other members of the London Clan are shown in "The Rock", "Rock & Roll", and "Rock of Ages". Leo and Una appear briefly in "Rock of Ages", but without speaking roles.
- Goliath uses the Phoenix Gate, even though he had promised to prevent it from being used in the third part of Avalon. In Eye of the Storm he similarly uses the Eye of Odin himself rather than giving it to Odin.
