It’s an episode where the antagonist only appears once and is not a recurring character.
And I haven’t heard much about it, really!
Would you mind telling us your favorite and least favorite one-offs? (Let’s say five of each, since there aren’t that many.)
I could do that! Fairly warned though that this list is likely to change because some of these episodes are ones I haven’t seen in years or may not have given a proper chance when I was wee. This is the case with almost all of my least-faves. In fact almost all of my least-faves are listed for probably unfair reasons.
Favorite One-Off Episodes (1 being my most favorite):
5. The Animal Kingdom – This is one I haven’t seen in years but it holds a special place in my heart because I’m pretty sure it’s one of the very first episodes I saw on tv.
4. Bad Mood Rising – Another one I have yet to review but remember fondly because it was an early episode. More importantly, this was one of my first Jasmine-centric episodes, along with Do the Rat Thing.
3. Of Ice and Men – Because it still makes me laugh, and Aladdin is still such a lovably insufferable jerk.
2. The Ethereal – One of my all-time favorites, and I’ve been purposefully holding off on it because it feels like a finale episode to me. The stakes are so super high, and it’s one of the best Jasmine episodes out there. I’m looking forward to rewatching it, but it’s going to be a while.
1. Garden of Evil – When I covered this, I said that I loved it but I found many flaws (that Aladdin commits cold blooded murder and is only sad because Jasmine is sad being one of them, that it should have been the Sultan’s story being another), but it’s still my absolute favorite.
Least Favorite One-Off Episodes (1 being my least favorite):
5. Opposites Detract – This is one that just didn’t have enough familiar faces in it for me to be interested as a kid, but I do really want to do this one soon to see if it grows on me, because I think I didn’t give it much of a chance.
4. The Game – It’s weird for me to say “bit too cartoony” about a cartoon, but I remember feeling like it wasn’t serious enough. Again, this is me as a kid and I apparently had fickle tastes. Another one I want to watch again to see what I think of it. I remember thinking the ending was funny, though.
3. The Great Rift – I was going through a phase the first (and many times after) this episode came on. That phase was called “I’m trying to record all the Mozenrath episodes on video, so I turn the channel if it’s not Mozenrath,” and this episode reran a LOT in that time. To the point that I’d get angry if I saw the title. Pretty much all of my list items in this category are episodes I wasn’t patient enough for as a kid.
2. Moonlight Madness – A one-off I did sit all the way through one Saturday morning, and I think as an adult i would appreciate this episode more? But as a kid I found the story to be a bit underwhelming. I think it’s because I seem to remember “misunderstandings” between Aladdin and Jasmine being tied up in the conflict of this episode, and when they’re not done right in Aladdin episodes they’re frustrating as Hell.
1. Snowman is an Island – It’s a yeti who thinks Genie is funny. Didn’t care then. Still don’t care now. This is the only one I’m not looking forward to watching eventually.
Speaking of the King of Thieves what are your thoughts on Iago leaving with Cassim at the end of the movie in view of your Iago and Jasmine friendship?
There’s a lot of interesting layers to that, for the simple fact that not only do I think Iago’s kind of adopted all of these characters (including Jasmine) but also that even with the temptation of treasure he would consign himself to a life of constant travel without an actual home, fraught with danger (because Cassim has just as many, if not more, adventures to go on as Aladdin does).
It’ll be interesting to explore when the time finally comes.
I can’t really think of any episodes of Genie acting paternal, unless you count “Egg-stra Protection” when he was acting so overprotective towards Aladdin out of guilt. But was King of Thieves that really showed that side of him (telling Aladdin that he’s proud of him, trying to cheer Jasmine up, etc).
Genie’s “Father and Son” song is literally the only song I like in King of Thieves. Only one. And a lot of it was because some of the character things Williams did and a few of the lines just really made me happy. And it was partly what you’re describing there.
I know they didn’t give him too many chances to be serious because that’s not what the kids are tuning in for, but it’s kind of a shame.
I’m also obviously dancing around a point, which is that the cartoonyness and the references are very much part of his being that has to be accepted.
He’s a living Tumblr once you get right down to it.
Even if you don’t do a whole hercules watch I think you should try checking out hercules and the dream date to see the fracking animation. Like it was so far superior to the rest of the shows animation and so smooooooth. Like It’s amazing, I found it on youtube and was shocked at how good the damn animation was.
I will definitely put that on my list. The animation was a turnoff for me when I was younger because it was such a step down from the movie. For the longest time I didn’t even KNOW there was a crossover with Aladdin.
I loved your review of The Lost Ones. You were right it is a powerful episode, and I loved the moment with the Genie — it’s one of the few times that the TV series Genie is more like the movie Genie — Robin Williams always gave Genie a certain paternal air underneath the goofiness. So what one are you doing next? Are you going to do King of Thieves at some point?
I agree about Genie being more paternal, and I need to dig around for some episodes that feature him heavily but let us see more of that, because often Genie-centric episodes can be pretty gimmicky and all about the references.
I think I’m going to do Sadira’s next episode, “Dune Quixote,” because it starts with such an unusual tone considering where we left off in “Sandswitch” — like we have to remember going in that nobody but Iago and Abu remember what happened, so nobody has a problem with Sadira being around and wow.
I’m also putting away a few other episodes, like “Fowl Weather,” for later.
And I am SO doing King of Thieves eventually, but it will probably come after I feel like I’ve covered most of the episodes.
Also hey everybody! This was my 500th post!
Conclusion: But then there’s Amahl
Okay, by now as a child I am completely devastated because I just watched all the other El Katib – looking quite alone and devastated themselves – die.
And then Aladdin gets to watch it happen to his friend.
His friend who can’t even bring himself to look at him as he begins to disintegrate. His friend who was Mirage’s most faithful, completely accepting of his lot and what he had become, who at his last accepted mortality to save the only friend he ever had.
The friend he essentially abandoned in his pursuit of power and unending life. Because that’s why you steal your own things. So you don’t get dependent. So you don’t get too attached, not when you always lose everything.
But for his act of selflessness, he is spared.
His arm, rather than vanish forever and take the rest of him with it, becomes human.
Genie explains that in saving Aladdin’s life, he proved he wasn’t completely evil and therefore is unfit to be an El Katib.
To quote Amahl himself, he “lost his seed of evil.”
Rather than stay, once they’re certain he’ll live, he decides he must leave Agrabah.
Agrabah has Aladdin, and apparently every time he does something good, another part of him becomes human. I would say that he sees this as a quest of atonement, to reclaim his humanity, but in truth – the most evil he did was in three nights of abduction, which he’s all but repaid. The last seven years have involved him waiting for a chance to see the world again.
But maybe he sees more fault in his actions than that – for allowing himself to be corrupted, for leaving his friend behind? It’s possible he doesn’t know how else to repay that, and that to live his life, he needs to prove to himself he’s more than just the monster he became.
I am really sad this character never comes up again. As far as we know, anyway – he definitely didn’t show up to Aladdin’s wedding.
This is one of my favorite episodes, and I hope you can see why. It makes perfect use of its 21 minutes of time, is well-paced, beautifully animated, and shows us some of the best character development we’ll ever get for Aladdin. I think it’s essential for any fan to watch, and if you’re a roleplayer like me, this episode is a must watch if you’re taking on Aladdin as a character.
Want more episodes? See the Episode Masterlist.
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Mirage leaves ALL of the El Katib, and the sun begins to rise.
Let me be more specific, here: Mirage barred the way for the El Katib to return to the Realm of Shadows, and abandoned all of them there to die. These are all children who were coerced into joining the kinship, who have known nothing but the blackness and space and whatever camaraderie could be had between the lot of them, and her – the closest thing any of them have to a parent.
These are all children, at least mentally, and she leaves them all to die.
Here’s the kicker:
THEY FUCKING. DIE.
Mirage just murdered a bunch of children. ON THE DISNEY AFTERNOON.
Mirage summons the rest of the El Katib to kill Aladdin, but it’s his old buddy Amahl that gets him first.
And I have to praise the animators again for conveying so much WITHOUT USING DIALOGUE. Mirage commands Amahl to kill him, because he could break him in half by just holding him, seriously. And rather than have a big longwinded hero speech about how Aladdin “knows there’s good in him” and that he’s “his friend,” you get this moment where Aladdin looks at him and shakes his head and just silently begs him not to hurt him, and it gave me chills watching it. Because this show doesn’t do that very often. So much is conveyed in that brief moment, and then Aladdin is just left trying not to scream while Amahl kills him, hoping at least that it will be quick.
Until of course he doesn’t do that.
He won’t kill him. Mirage is beside herself with rage, because she had this one. He was fully transformed, a loyal servant, and he will not kill her enemy.
He, a fully realized El Katib, openly defies her.
What’s interesting about this is that for just a second (not pictured here), he almost looks apologetic, like he would do anything else she asked of him, because he’s accepted what he is, but he won’t do this.
Because this? Is the only positive remnant of his childhood that he has left. Because this is the only thing about his life that remains that’s not monstrous.
And of course for a minute Mirage totally loses her shit and puts on a pointless light show to show how mad she is.
But then stops.
Because the sun is coming up, and the portal is closing.
“Then die, Amahl. Die.”
Spoiler: It’s a fakeout
So Aladdin steps through the portal and considering the moment goes by a little quickly after Mirage gloats a bit, I SHOULD have seen this coming because it’s The Spice is Right all over again.
The tone of the scene immediately shifts when Aladdin pops back out again wanting to discuss some stipulations in his contract, including a parking space.
Yeah, you know where this is going.
So yeah, Aladdin’s taking Wahid and running. This might have made the Aladdin Might Be An Asshole list for sheer dishonesty if it weren’t totally justified, though. Because you don’t have to be honorable when the subject on the table is slavery. Yours or a child’s, btw. Take the kid and get out of there, Aladdin.
The DVD Fairy 