DuckTales (2017)
DuckTales, woo-hoo!As acclaimed as this show is, some elements didn't gell to well with the fanbase. Fortunately, many of them have been addressed as the show went on:
- While the series is overall well-received, the Better than a Bare Bulb nature of the reboot were considered a bit too distracting. While the series' writing doesn't drop its lampshade-heavy nature in Season 2, it's much less self-referential than Season 1.
- Disney XD was infamous for airing the episodes out of order, which resulted in some characters like Scrooge and especially Donald not appearing for weeks at a time. Disney Channel airing the episodes in the intended order (for the most part) remedies this greatly.
- While Disney Channel still ended up airing some episodes out of order (albeit to a lesser extent than the first nine episodes on Disney XD) and the bomb strategy was also criticized (to the point where ratings dropped), season 3 would be fully aired in the intended order in weekly premieres on Disney XD (Frank Angones has even said better and consistend airing order without bombs is why the crew decided to move back to Disney XD).
- Magica's characterization in "Jaw$!" might be one in response to anyone who preferred her old comedic personality, as well as those who were scratching their heads over the idea of having Catherine Tate play a Knight of Cerebus.
- In turn, "The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck!" strikes more of a medium between the two: she's still just as hammy and snarky, but clearly a very dangerous threat and even a Hero Killer in the vision Lena gets from the dreamcatcher.
- One of the main critiques of the reboot was how Scrooge's penchant for Greed was downplayed despite it being his most defining trait. In "Jaw$!", it comes back full-force; the only thing stopping him from reclaiming the money strewn across the city from Tiffany is that it might create PR problems (albeit said money does rightfully belong to him so it's not exactly typical greed). Also, he prevents Louie from keeping any of the giant's treasure in the beginning of the episode instead of putting it in the Money Bin, even though Louie presumably liberated those items himself (that said, it's a rule Louie knew going into the adventure).
- Some fans were upset about Launchpad's behavior in "Terror of the Terra-Firmians!", where he was exaggerated into being so stupid that he Cannot Tell Fiction from Reality. His next starring role in an episode, "Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!", makes him more of a dimwitted but still capable oaf, which was better received.
- One of the biggest complaints about the first season was that some characters, particularly Donald and Mrs. Beakley, were given too little focus much of the time. Accoring to Frank Angones
, Season 2 will spread out the Character Focus more evenly between the show's ensemble cast. - With some people finding Louie to be comparatively underdeveloped to his brothers and Webby, the premiere to Season 2, "The Most Dangerous Game... Night!" manages to show plenty of depth in his character by putting him in a much more sympathetic light than usual. Furthermore, those who thought that Dewey and Webby were given a bit too much focus in the first season may find relief in Louie having a bit more limelight, and by extension more Character Development in the first few episodes in the second season.
- For those unsatisfied with the lack of Christmas spirit in the first season's winter episode "The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverest"note , it's been confirmed that season 2 will have a proper Christmas special. Past even takes a verbal jab at Scrooge for spending last year's Christmas trying to scale the titular mountain instead of celebrating back at home.
- Many fans were disappointed how Glomgold slowly became a joke in the first season, with Scrooge merely regarding him as amusing distraction when not exasperated by his futile attempts to kill him. Early in the second season, Glomgold becomes closer to his comics incarnation by challenging Scrooge to see who earns the most money by the year's end - winner get's the loser's assets and Scrooge begins to hate him as much as Glomgold hates him. And while it seemed like nothing would come from this as Glomgold continued being depicted as an incompetent joke, the season finale actually had him and his stupidity being vital to saving the world.
- Season 1 was called out for putting Scrooge through massive Badass Decay, either by having him constantly in need of being rescued by other characters or just being stuck on the sidelines while other characters did all the major work, a move which not only undermined his signature Cool Old Guy characterization, but also turned the characters' gushing about how much of an amazing adventurer he was in the pilot into an Informed Ability. Season 2 attempts to reverse this in its first few episodes: In the premiere he and Donald directly tag-team against the Gyropuddlians, while in "The Town Where Everyone Was Nice" he's the only member of the family to free himself on his own from the plant monster.
- Season 2 in general shows that they are paying close attention to the fanbase. Complaints about Louie being defined by laziness and greed are addressed by his new character arc, learning the value of being the coordinator. Huey is more physically active. Donald has a bigger role. Scrooge's penny-pinching is front and center again. Gyro is less of a Jerkass and more adorably awkward like his better-known incarnations (and Season 3 would go on to give him development that shows how and why he became a Jerkass in the first place). The Junior Woodchuck Guidebook is closer to being the Great Big Book of Everything showing information on mystical creatures like Harpies. The siblings (and Webby) individual relationships with each other are getting more focus. Webby and Dewey's spotlight stealing has been reduced. Duckworth has more appearances. They pretty much addressed almost every concern the fanbase had.
- For those who thought Webby and the triplets got more screentime than the adults last season, "Whatever Happened To Della Duck" marks the first time where none of them appear in an episode, showing that the show can pull away focus from them and put more focus on the adults when need be.
- A criticism some people have over the show in general is disregarding a lot of the angst characters go to through the seasons (most infamously in "The Shadow War!" how Webby is shown to be depressed over Lena's supposed death but is next seen to be joining everyone in the Money Bin), but it seems Season 2 began to develop away from just disregarding angst and showing it, albeit subtly anyway, such as in "Raiders of the Doomsday Vault!" has Scrooge still be hurt by Della's betrayal of ten years ago and is infuriated that despite being on the moon for that exact time, she still is the same impulsive duck who got herself into trouble. Also again in "Timephoon!", when Louie gets chewed out by Della for his thoughtless, destructive schemes and expecting forgiveness, he responds by throwing her similarly poor choices back in her face. The fact that everybody else silently and uncomfortably agreed with Louie's observation demonstrates that even the ones who gladly welcomed Della back still haven't forgotten her impulsive idiocy that led to her disappearance in the first place.
- "The Golden Armory of Cornelius Coot!" continues Launchpad's rehabilitation, showing that his long history of crashes means he's the guy you really want to have on hand when crashing is the only choice, knowing perfectly well how to do it as safely as possible.
- While Louie's development in Season 2 was appreciated, he was still considered too egotistical for his own good by many. "The Richest Duck in the World!" finally makes him take a bite out of some Humble Pie as he decides to actually build his fortune from scratch after learning that with riches comes responsibility.
- After many fans were furious at Darkwing Duck being introduced as a fictional character within the show, until the crew were forced to more or less spoil that he'd become real later on, "Quack Pack!" makes sure to emphasize in the end that despite the episode primarily taking place in a fantasy wish-verse, Goofy does really exist in the show's world, with Word of God adding that he and Donald go way back.
- Season 2 got some criticism for its Slow-Paced Beginning which largely ignored the previous season's big cliffhanger ending for its first six episodes. For Season 3, the episode that introduced the new major arc was the premiere.
- Goldie in the reboot has gotten criticized for being way too big of a backstabber to Scrooge as well as being quite a dick to him all the while being totally shameless about it, making quite a few fans question why he liked her in the first place. "The Forbidden Fountain of the Foreverglades!" addresses much of these problems as Goldie relishes in the idea that she could start over with Scrooge, showing that she does regret some of what she did to him in the past. While she does consider stabbing him in the back, she ends up coming to the rescue and saving him at the climax of the episode, without gaining anything. She even gives back Finch's journal and decides to hang out with the Ducks at the end.
- The original creative team on Darkwing Duck had quite controversially declared it in a separate canon from Ducktales despite the presence of characters like Launchpad and Gizmoduck complete with the same voice actors. This show not only has them both existing together, but goes to the trouble of explaining how Launchpad can be regularly helping out both groups.
- Several fans (and even some of the storyboarders) quickly got tired of Mark Beaks episodes by the time that Season 2 was over, because on top of being an obnoxious character (albeit intentionally), his only motivation beyond getting attention seemed to be stealing the Gizmoduck armor, which meant that his episodes had just two formulas to follow: Waddle business ventures or going after Gizmoduck. In Season 3, his only villain feature shows that this is what happened in universe too; the press felt it was "kind of sad" that he's tried to steal the Gizmoduck suit five or six times by now, and his reputation is in the gutter thanks to poor business practices and selling faulty smartphones that catch on fire.
- In the Grand Finale, formerly Dumb Muscle Steelbeak finally uses the intelligence ray on himself and becomes more in line with his original Evil Genius characterization, now being a smooth, competent Genius Bruiser.
