The closing arc of Season 2 of THE WINGFEATHER SAGA is full of suspense and humanity. Episodes 4 through 7 emphasize the virtues of bravery, family and overcoming human slavery. The art direction and animation are also on point. However, these episodes include intense physical combat, human-to-animal magic experiments, and the main character trapped inside a child labor factory. It is much darker than the typical youth fantasy show. As such, MOVIEGUIDE® stresses extreme caution for younger children.
CONTENT:
A strong Christian worldview that exposes the cruelty of the enemy faction, a brave family rebels against their reptilian overlords, a grandfather and his daughter risk their lives to protect their offspring, a Zorro-like fighter fends off a lizard army, a sorceress uses illegal magic to turn human prisoners into the evil reptilian soldiers, a boy reunites with his love interest, the same boy defies a child-labor factory and escapes said place, and a daughter defies her immoral pirate father to assist the main protagonist;
None;
Moderate stylized cartoon violence and peril throughout, humans fight the Fang army with swords and archery bows, various Fang soldiers are killed onscreen (no blood or gore is shown), a boy is chased and captured by homeless citizens, a thief sticks his foot on a boy’s neck (the same boy is captured alive), three factory workers beat up a slave who tried to escape, a factory owner is hit in the face and in the foot, a boy is thrown into a gulag-like containment box, and a boy throws a bottle of wine against a man’s head;
No sex;
No nudity;
Alcohol is not directly mentioned, but one lizard soldier orders a drink at a bar;
The grandfather character takes a whiff of smoke, a slave overseer develops an addiction to apples, and the bad guys use illegal magic to turn human prisoners into evil lizard soldiers.
A human mercenary runs a weapons factory with child labor, the child slaves are treated as nameless “tools,” the main protagonist is thrown into a “punishment box” for a total of five days, a girl slave is taken away from her friends at the factory, and another boy is captured alive by a clan of thieves.
MORE DETAIL:
THE WINGFEATHER SAGA is an animated fantasy action series by Angel Studios. following the Igiby family’s quest against a regime of evil lizards. In the second half of Season 2, Janner Igiby and his family seek refuge in the Ice Prairies. Human mercenaries capture Janner and his younger brother, Tink, during a failed escape attempt, and they must fight to rejoin their clan.
In Season 2, Episode 4, “The Roundish Widow,” the Igiby / Wingfeather family stops at Dugtown, a grimy city under Fang’s dominion. While hiding, the Wingfeathers chart their course to the remote location of the Ice Prairies. With a bounty over their heads, the family hires a human mercenary to lead them out of Fang territory safely. However, the mercenary quickly sells the Wingfeathers out to the lizards.
Episode 4 is full of exciting action and suspense. The story explores the dire circumstances of the family’s predicament. The Wingfeathers find themselves stuck in enemy territory with little help from outside. Despite alerting the guards, the family exhibits immense bravery and uses the city environment to distract the guards. The episode is also impressive with its “crowd simulation,” where a hundred Dugtown citizens walk in the same scene. Animating many characters on a shoestring TV budget is a remarkable feat.
In Episode 5, “The Sundering,” the Wingfeather family is forced to separate after a surprise ambush from the previous night. Janner Igiby, the serious older brother, and Tink, the carefree younger brother, must hide on the surface of Dugtown. Janner tries to convince Tink to stay low while looking for the rest of the family. Tink refuses, stating that the stress of their quest is weighing him down. Meanwhile, the other Wingfeathers recover from the previous night’s battle in the city tunnels. However, shady actors soon hunt after the two brothers.
“The Sundering” offers great chemistry between Janner and Tink. Both brothers know their responsibility to defeat Fang but are too young to grasp this duty fully. While portraying the brothers as best friends would have been easy, the writers emphasize the immense stress causing them to split up. The episode also features a great chase scene of Janner running away from the homeless mercenaries. Janner uses his wits and parkour skills to outrun them but is captured into the best “arc” of the season.
In Episode 6, “The Fork Factory,” Janner Wingfeather is taken prisoner at the Fang weapons factory. He’s forced to sharpen swords with other kidnapped children. Janner tries to escape but is dogpiled by the Overseer and his minions. Janner reunites with Sara, his female neighbor kidnapped in Season 1. Janner befriends the other enslaved children with his determined spirit and brainstorms an escape plan.
Episode 6 features the darkest subject matter in the series. The main character is thrust into child labor, gets physically beaten for trying to escape and thrown into a “punishment box” for two days. Moreover, the other enslaved children are “tools with no names.” However, Janner assists the enslaved people, advises them and holds onto “hope” despite the dire circumstances. It’s the best episode of the season so far.
One downside to this season is some of the more disturbing plotlines. In a subplot, Peet Wingfeather, the half-man half-bird uncle to Janner, is interrogated by the Fang. Peet learns a disturbing secret: The Fang uses dark magic to transform human prisoners into mindless lizard soldiers. These humans must endure this procedure or risk death. In universe, Peet reacts to this process with true horror. This idea is too extreme, even for a children’s show.
The season concludes in Episode 7, “Escape to the North.” Janner executes his escape plan. He sneaks out of the factory but must leave his neighbors behind. When Janner returns to the underground tunnels, he discovers a shocking note: his family has left for the Ice Prairies. Moreover, his brother Tink was captured alive by the Stranders/thieves guild. Ultimately, Janner rescues a female, Strander, and enlists her help to catch up with the Wingfeathers.
The season finale ends on a satisfying note. It illustrates Janner’s clever problem-solving skills and observations of the environment. It features a great escape sequence, a few comedic bits and Janner’s persistence in saving his family. The cliffhanger also promises more perilous adventures if season three is ever greenlit.
The closing arc of season two of THE WINGFEATHER SAGA is full of suspense and humanity. Episodes 4 through 7 emphasize the virtues of bravery, family and overcoming human slavery. The art direction and animation are also on point. However, these episodes include intense physical combat, human-to-animal magic experiments and the main character trapped inside a child labor factory. It’s much darker than the typical youth fantasy show. As such, MOVIEGUIDE® stresses extreme caution for younger children.