In Review: Gremlins: Secrets of The Mogwai (S1 EPs 5 & 6) Always Stab or Run & Always Buy a God a Drink First

Synopsis: While making their way through a forest. Sam, Elle, and Gizmo must fight off a group of hopping zombies. Thankfully, some help is on hand. Meanwhile, on Riley Green’s ship, the Gremlins have reproduced and are creating chaos.

The Stories

In Always Stab or Run, Sam, Elle, and Gizmo find themselves in a dark and murky forest, which seems to be occupied by aimless hopping zombies. While running away the group meets up with a young boy called Radish and his friend Theo, who happens to be a Radish. Using his grandfather’s notes and a little help from the others. Sam figures out how to defeat the zombies and get to the bizarre Spirit Market. Meanwhile on Riley Greens ship. The scaly Gremlins have reproduced and are running riot on the ship. Using the chaos Hon and Fong Wing try and engineer an escape, but their plans are soon scuppered when Riley incapacitates them and strikes an accord with the Gremlins.

In Aways Buy a God a Drink First, Sam, Elle, Radish, and Gizmo have managed to get to the Bizarre Market, but soon find trouble when some of the spirits seek to capture Gizmo and eat him. Thankfully, the group manages to retreat to the bar where they meet the Chinese Goddess of Creation Nüwa who protects Gizmo. However, when she offers to send Gizmo back to The Valley of Jade. Gizmo refuses to leave his new friends in spite of the trouble that it would cause him. Soon after this Riley Green and his Gremlins arrive and trouble soon follows.

Voice Acting

Once again we get great performances from Gabrielle Nevaeh and Izaac Wang as Elle and Sam Wing. The relationship between their two characters has really evolved and things are firing on all cylinders for them in these two episodes. We also get great performances from BD Wong and Ming-Na Wen as Hon and Fong Wing who get much more to do this week. The interaction between these two is lots of fun. Especially during their fight with the Gremlins.

Matthew Rhys continues to chew the scenery as Riley Green who has some great interactions with the Gremlins. I particularly enjoyed the moment in Always Buy a God a Drink First where one of the Gremlins drinks a potion that enables him to talk. It was similar to the moment in Gremlins II where Brian Gremlin suddenly starts talking. Only it is different in this iteration because the talking Gremlin isn’t the lead Gremlin.

Overall

Another nice set of episodes with the second one being a tad stronger than the first. I really enjoyed how Nüwa told the origin story of the Mogwai when Gizmo resists returning to The Valley of Jade without his new friends. I hope she continues to have a role in this series as I really liked her interactions with Sam and Elle.