The Guild Season 3 Episode 09: Wit’s End

(plus The Guild Halloween Special)
By WorldofHiglet

Last week was Halloween, (in case you didn’t know!) and to celebrate The Guild released a special bonus episode. This is a very funny episode and was written by Kim Evey (Producer). This is also the first episode not written by Felicia Day. As Felicia put on her blog:

“…honestly it was almost more fun than filming a regular episode because there weren’t so many elements for me to be paranoid about. I could just sit back, do my part acting-wise and do the creative producing…”

It was directed by Greg Benson (who directed part of Season 1 of The Guild and is a prolific producer of funny videos), and it was all filmed in just four hours, which is incredible. The timing of it runs out of step with the rest of Season 3, so we see The Knights of Good back together again! Well, as together as they ever were, anyway…

It’s lots of fun, and you can watch it here:

This week we are back to Season 3 and episode 9 piles on the agony for the Knights of Good:

Links to all the episodes are on WatchTheGuild.com along with details of the characters and upcoming events.

Disclaimer: this is a REVIEW and therefore will contain spoilers about this episode (and possibly previous ones). Just so we’re clear on that.

At last, Codex has gathered up the reins of The Guild and taken some positive action against the Axis of Anarchy! Unfortunately her idea to make them stop is to appeal directly, in video form, to the better nature of the gaming community to join the Knights of Good in saying no to being mean. Or some such nonsense.

Anyway, her ill-conceived video results in the Axis of Anarchy putting a bounty on their heads and the community coming together to pursue the common goal of ganking the Good Knights at every turn. At least Codex brought the community together…

Unsurprisingly this is not much fun for the Good Knights and they are vocal in their annoyance at Codex. Except Mister Wiggly. He is actually happy at last! He made some lovely friends who gave him some wonderful shinies. Aww – it’s so sweet that he’s made so much progress. Except – oh noes! Mister Wiggly is a bad boy – he’s been tipping off the Axis of Anarchy to The Guild’s every move!

Clara leaps to his defense because clearly it is not his fault, he’s an innocent: “….My husband may play like Helen Keller but he’s not two-faced!”

Codex is aghast and springs into action, evicting him from The Guild. Mister Wiggly is not taking that lying down, though, and takes his Clara with him. They are out of The Guild – together at last.

When Vork points out that she could have handled it better, Codex loses it and tears him a new one : “…back-seat leadering all the time! I’m sick of it! You’re just a….Poo-face!” Whoa-there Codex!

Vork is outraged and cut to the quick by Codex’ outburst, which inevitably fuels his rampant paranoia: “…Do I truly have the power to break your gentle spirit?? I must be a monster…” He logs off.

Bladezz is now a broken boy and walks away to become a street kid, since “…they always look like they’re having fun…”

Codex removes her badge of office and admits defeat. All is lost. Except…

Dena! Bladezz’ lil sis has been observing the carnage and has some wise words to impart, gleaned from her Wednesday-like hobby of recreating Civil War dioramas. Desperate, Codex asks for her advice and Dena obliges. They need to hit the Axis in there weakest spot and, after a moment’s hilarious deliberation she homes in on the very person – Damask Guy!

Vork is crushed by Codex. His choice of location and confidante is as judicious as always, but the bored transvestite hooker is more interested in his wiener (aw – come on! I couldn’t let that one go!). As is often the way, Vork manages to talk himself into his next course of action. He is going home, leaving an unhappy hooker waving his hotdog (Hey – I didn’t write this stuff!).

Codex and Zaboo, last Guildies standing, are on a mission. They have infiltrated Damask Guy’s workplace and catch him unawares. Zaboo is twitchier than normal but has a plan. They are going to tell DG’s boss about all the online time he has racked up while at work unless he calls off the dogs of Anarchy from Bladezz.

DG’s initial bluster and bravado is broken by Zaboo. He had taken the keyboard from DG and now starts to undress him. Onscreen, that is. His character begins the painful process of losing all his hard-won equipment.

DG is horrified but tries to resist Zaboo’s merciless attacks. Zaboo pounds him again and again with losses while Codex looks on, an unwilling accomplice to Zaboo’s cyberbullying but desperate to get answers, and eventually DG spills the goods. The Axis are having a LAN party at Charlie’s Internet Café the next day. Oh, and damask is a reversible fabric…

Codex confronts Zaboo about his questionable methods: “Zaboo?! What happen back there – I’m pretty sure there’s a UN mandate against it!”

Zaboo is confused, too, but explains: “…his pain and so much power – it was… it was intoxicating!” Sacred of what he has become, he runs away, leaving Codex alone. Except…well, she’s his ride, so he has to come back…

So much going on here! There are 12 episodes in Season 3 (or 13 if you count the Halloween Special), which leaves us with only 3 more episodes (yay for math!). And at the end of this episode we are left with The Guild truly broken apart.

The pacing of this episode was fantastic. From the awkward video appeal by Codex (which was a great idea – who in their right mind would think that that was going to work?!?) to the shambolic exit of Zaboo, the bodies pile up with alarming speed.

Mister Wiggly’s betrayal was so needless, it was perfect. He really is clueless – or is he? Did he knowingly do it in order to break up The Guild? Or to get back at them? I have no idea but his refusal to take responsibility was funny even as it meant that both he and Clara would have to leave. And Clara leaves without any argument, which is amazing. Except – I’m fairly sure she has not left for good.

Bladezz, who has had an atrocious few days, leaves to become a street kid. Or an Emo. I’m not sure what’s more likely. Even after all the trouble he has caused The Guild in the past, it’s hard not to feel very sorry for him. Being a teen sucks.

His sister, Dena, on the other hand, is on top of her game. All those hours spent researching and crafting have paid off and her insights into war strategy are the only practical help Codex has had as Guild Leader. As usual, she leads from the back and might just have saved the day.

As always, Vork just steals every scene and Jeff Lewis’ gurning reaches new heights this week as he reels from Codex’ potty-mouthed attack. I was laughing out loud at his bewildered bloodhound expressions. And his interactions with the hooker are priceless, and not just because he isn’t going to pay anything.

Ms Day has very artfully written Vork’s arc this season so that he is pitted against a variety of foils that have each shown Vork to be completely unfazed by his surroundings. He is equally awkward and socially unaware whether he’s bribing children with household hardware or talking to a transvestite in an alley.

But the piece de resistance this week was definitely the ‘torture’ scene. Zaboo, fresh from his latest humiliation, positively shines when he has the chance to become to inflictor of pain. He is as gleeful as Bad Horse as he deletes item after item. And although it’s good to see Zaboo doing things for himself for once, it can hardly be seen as a positive development.

Damask Guy is expertly played by Mike Rose (the creator of Planet Unicorn webseries and who appears in Legend of Neil as The Old Man). He manages to be feisty yet pathetic at the same time, and is easily the most sympathetic member of AoA. His lack of power is underscored by the fact that the tiny Codex can effectively pin him to his chair…

The cuts between Zaboo’s power-high, Codex’ horror yet determination and his anguish are so skillfully done that it took a couple of watches to appreciate how much is going on.

And the explanation of what damask is at the end was sweet.

Is this the end of The Knights of Good? It looks very bleak with everyone alone and hurting. But…it’s always darkest before the dawn, every cloud has a silver lining and somewhere over the rainbow every rose has it’s thorn and next week is Felicia’s favourite episode. So brace yourselves, Guildies! The best is yet to come…

WorldofHiglet is the online persona of writer Mary R. Higgins, a born-again geek reclaiming her heritage bit by bit. A youth filled with sci-fi, horror and adventure fare (TV, films, computer games and books) was crushed by years of office grind. Buffy brought her back into the fold after years of denial. Discovering Firefly sealed the deal. Now she geeks fulltime on her blog ‘the last geek bus home’ and her first novel ‘Turning left at Albuquerque” is currently looking for a home in publishing-land.