Most of the cartoons we had on Saturday
morning were funny diversions, like Alvin and the Chipmunks and the
Smurfs. But for those of us who thirsted for more action and
adventure, then we could not have asked for better than Dungeons and
Dragons.
The plot is simple: 6 friends ride an
amusement park ride that, for no reason that is explained, transports
them to the magical world of Dungeons and Dragons. Here, they meet a
seemingly all-powerful Dungeon Master who gives them each a magical
weapon. The evil Venger believes that these weapons are the key to
ruling the realm.
Each episode brings the children to
another adventure where they believe that they will find a way home.
In doing so, however, they end up fighting some great evil that
brings hope and goodness to the people around them but ruins their
chances of getting back.
Each of the characters is incredibly
well defined and everyone has at least one episode that revolves
around each of them. There was nothing quite like it on television
at the time. As someone who loved stories from Narnia and
Middle-Earth, Dungeons and Dragons was the closest thing I could get
to seeing those stories come to life every week.
I have two favorite episodes. The
first involves the self-centered Eric. Complainy and callow, Eric
blows up at the Dungeon Master for not simply sending them home with
his power, saying that he, Eric, could do a much better job. In
response, Dungeon Master gives Eric all of his powers for a day.
While this sound like the plot to Bruce Almighty, Eric also slowly
starts realizing that it is not the power, but the wisdom of Dungeon
Master that is important.
The second takes place Where Dragons Go
to Die. The group must travel there because their weapons are
malfunctioning and they must return them to their place of origin.
At this dragon graveyard, the group have a final confrontation with
Venger and someone lays down their life for another. I remember
watching this episode with tense excitement at what would happen.
The ending was surprising and, to my young self, moving.
I loved that the show had a very clear
objective for our heroes: get home. What child can't identify with
this primal need. But I loved that each week, they were making the
world of Dungeons and Dragons less barbaric and more peaceful. In
that way, it reminds me of Quantum Leap, where Sam only wants to go
home, but he cannot help setting right what once went wrong.
Dungeons and Dragons only lasted 27
episodes, but they are definitely worth your time.
