- Story Arc: The Avalon Clan; The Archmage's rise and fall
- Characters: Goliath, Elisa, Bronx, the Avalon Clan, Tom, Mary, the Magus, Katharine, Constantine, Finella, the Archmage, Demona, Macbeth, the Weird Sisters, King Arthur
- Enemy(ies): Constantine, the Archmage, the Weird Sisters
Tom, now a middle-aged man, visits Manhattan in search of Goliath to take him, Bronx, and Elisa to Avalon. He tells them about his journey with Katharine, the Magus, and the Eggs from Castle Wyvern to Edinburgh, the murder of King Kenneth by the usurper Constantine, and their subsequent escape to Avalon.
On Avalon, Goliath is introduced to the Avalon Clan: the Eggs from Castle Wyvern grown to adolescence. The Archmage taunts them with a spell to animate the sand, which Goliath defeats. While the Avalon Clan defends their castle against attacks by Demona and Macbeth, the Archmage goes back in time to set his past self on the course to become his future self. Elisa decides to awaken the "Sleeping King" in the Hollow Hill, who is none other than Arthur Pendragon; with his help, the Avalon Clan defeats Macbeth and Demona; the Magus defeats the Weird Sisters (albeit at mortal cost to himself); and Goliath defeats the Archmage again, claiming the Eye of Odin and the Phoenix Gate to ensure that they are never used again.
After the battle is won, Goliath, Elisa, and Bronx depart from Avalon, and Angela decides to accompany them.
A facsimile of Demona next appears in "Shadows of the Past". Macbeth next appears in "Sanctuary". King Arthur next appears in "Pendragon". Tom, Katharine, and the Weird Sisters next appear in "Ill Met by Moonlight". Mary, Finella, and Constantine next appear in "The Gate".
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Achilles' Heel: The heroes' plan is to take the Eye of Odin from the Archmage. They think it will just make him less powerful. What they don't know is that he can't control the Grimorum's power without it. For that matter, neither does he.
- Affectionate Nickname: Tom, Katharine, and Magus call the Avalon gargoyles "the eggs" even after they are fully grown.
- The Atoner: While they hid on Avalon primarily to evade Constantine and his forces, Katharine and Magus have also tended the Rookery eggs out of atonement for what happened to the Manhattan Clan. Magus in particular is still wracked with guilt and openly admits to Eliza that he owed it to Goliath to try and make things right.
- Big "NO!": The Archmage when (having lost the Eye of Odin) the Grimorum's magic begins to overwhelm.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Archmage is defeated and the Avalon clan is safe, but Magus dies and the main characters are about to go on a lengthy tour.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Played with. Macbeth and Demona are being compelled to act against their interests, but their personalities are largely the same. Both of them hesitate at hurting innocent/young gargoyles, until the Archmage doubles his brainwashing efforts. More specifically:
- Macbeth recognizes King Arthur's name and expresses his enthusiasm for fighting a legend.
- Demona's arrogance and hatred for humans slips through and she stops her assault on the Avalon Clan when Elisa appears, focusing her efforts on her.
- Brought Down to Badass: At the height of his youth and with the Grimorum in his hands, Magus easily defeats the Weird Sisters. As an old man with nothing but a walking staff, he can still defeat them, but at much greater effort, cunning and sacrifice.
- Brought Down to Normal: The Magus, without the Grimorum, is no different than any other old man. Part 3 shows he can still cast spells, but only by siphoning magic from Avalon. Even then, without a magical artifact, he has to channel the magic through his own body directly. It ultimately kills him.
- Chekhov's Gun: The Animated Armor that guard King Arthur in part 2 are the key to defeating the Weird Sisters in part 3.
- Cold Iron: Similar to what happened to Puck, Magus restrains the Weird Sisters with chains made from iron armor. This forces them to come to terms with Goliath in the battle's conclusion.
- Continuity Nod: "A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time" involved an attempt by Macbeth to acquire the scrolls of Merlin, in which at one point Macbeth gave an impassioned monologue regarding Arthur. Now, King Arthur himself appears, alluded to in part 2 as "the sleeping king" and awakens in part 3.
- Damn You, Muscle Memory!: A benign, non-lethal variation. Tom elicits Goliath's help by stating the Eggs on Avalon are in danger. When they arrive on Avalon, the "Eggs" are all hatched and fully grown. When a bemused Eliza points this out, a laughing Tom apologizes and self deprecatingly admits that he's used to calling the Avalon Gargoyles the Eggs. Since it's been a longtime force of habit, it genuinely never occurred to Tom to clarify this to Goliath until they landed on Avalon.
- Deadpan Snarker: The Archmage gets a number of stinging lines at his past self such as "If you don't know, then don't guess" and "try to show some dignity, will you?"
- Dishing Out Dirt: Using the immense magic he possesses, the Archmage attacks the heroes through the sand on Avalon's shore.
- Easily Forgiven: Upon seeing how Katharine and company have guarded and raised the rookery eggs in the millennia he was asleep in stone, Goliath drops any residual anger he may have still harbored towards the Princess and Magus. If anything, he admits he's delighted and grateful to be there and to see they've kept the Clan's children and memory alive. He even explicitly reconciles with the Magus on the latter's deathbed.
- Extreme Omnivore: Thanks to the power given to him by the Eye of Odin, the Archmage was able to devour the Grimorium.
- Field Power Bonus: Magus can use magic in Avalon because of its high concentration of magical energy. However, the Weird Sisters are aided by it even more.Weird Sisters: AVALON! AID YOUR CHILDREN!
- Foreshadowing:
- Part 2 casually mentions "the Sleeping King" being on the island. Part 3 sees him woken up.
- Save the featured characters, Avalon is otherwise abandoned, with no sign of Puck, Oberon, or any of the others. Where they are (and in a lot of cases, who they are) and why they're not on Avalon will be explained throughout the World Tour.
- While briefing Goliatha and Elisa on the Archmage, Magus mentions that if he didn't know that the Grimorum wasn't allowed on Avalon, he'd swear his old master had it as well. It's subsequently revealed the Archmage does have possession of the tome and exploited a rather clever loophole to bypass Oberon's Law and bring it onto the island.
- After Goliath, Elisa and Bronx arrived in Avalon, they were attacked by the Archmage, who takes the form of two beings made of sand. Tom quipped that the Archmage seem to be in two places at once. Not realizing how right he is, we then cut to the villains' hideout, and we indeed see two Archmages due to a Stable Time Loop.
- Arthur opts to leave Avalon and explore the world on his own. His exploits will be covered in his own episode.
- When facing Magus, one of the Weird Sisters remarks, "There's no future for you."
- Elisa calls attention to how Angela resembles Demona but has purple coloring. She knowingly asks who the father is, prompting Goliath to deflect by talking about how offspring are raised by the whole clan. Goliath learning to acknowledge Angela as his daughter will be his main arc during the World Tour.
- Genre Blindness: The Archmage's younger self is constantly slow on the draw, much to the annoyance of his older self."If you don't know, don't guess!"
- Heroic Sacrifice: Magus confronts the Weird Sisters knowing that it will definitely kill him, either through their efforts or his own.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: The Archamge devouring the Grimorum to incorporate its power and knowledge into himself. While it makes him even more powerful, it also ends up killing him once Goliath gets the Eye of Odin off him (as the Eye was, unbeknownst to the Archmage, acting as a magical control valve).
- Hopeless Suitor: The Magus explains to Elisa that he's been in love with Katharine for decades of Avalon time, since before Hackon's attack, but always felt unworthy of her. Because of this, he said nothing and she never noticed.
- How We Got Here: Part 1 is mostly Tom explaining how he, Katharine, Magus and the eggs traveled from Castle Wyvern to Avalon.
- Part 2 likewise does with the Archmage, exploring the events leading up to the Archmage's return, his attack on Avalon, and revealing his hitherto unknown role in the first half of Season Two.
- I Hate Past Me: The Archmage visibly shows annoyance at his younger self's ignorance, and voices his delight when the two finally part.Archmage: Finally! I thought he'd never leave.
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Goliath appeals to Demona and Macbeth's better natures to try to snap them out of the Archmage's control. It only works briefly.
- It's Personal: The Weird Sisters want payback against the Magus for their earlier encounter, but it becomes even more personal in Part 3 when he uses the magic of Avalon to hurt them."You steal magic from the land of our birth. You will suffer!"
- Killed Off for Real: Magus suffers a fatal case of Cast from Hit Points and the Archmage dissolves from Power Degeneration (with the latter's death taking the Grimorum Arcanorum with him).
- Loophole Abuse:
- When the Archmage tells the Weird Sisters to watch over and guide Demona and Macbeth, the Weird Sisters say Oberon forbid them from directly interfering with mortals. The Archmage notes that the rule that cannot be broken can be bent, so they indirectly interfere by goading the two into making an alliance with each other.
- Oberon's law dictates that no foreign magic can be brought onto Avalon. That allows for the Eye of Odin and the Phoenix Gate, but not the Grimorum. The Archmage gets around this by swallowing it and making it a part of himself.
- Magic Versus Science: The Archmage does admit to his younger self that even with ultimate magical power strong enough to conquer the world, the modern day has weapons potent enough to match that magic. Hence why they're starting with taking over Avalon, the one place on Earth that can only be accessed through magic.
- Manipulative Editing: The Previously on… for "Avalon, Part Two" conflates two scenes from the previous episode:
- While Goliath, Elisa, Bronx, and Tom are on the boat to Avalon in "Avalon, Part One", Goliath and Tom have this exchange:
Goliath: You spoke of the Archmage, but he died before you were born.Tom: Nevertheless, he lays siege to Avalon. We must get back before the sun rises there!- Then, when they arrive at Avalon:
Elisa: Bronx likes it here.Tom: He's found the eggs!- During the recap at the beginning of Avalon, Part Two:
Goliath: You spoke of the Archmage, but he died before you were born.Tom: Nevertheless, he lays siege to Avalon. He's found the eggs! - Manly Tears: Tom when remembering saying goodbye to his mother.
- My Future Self and Me: The Archmage spends most of Part 2 interacting with his past self to get him ready for the Battle of Avalon.
- P.O.V. Sequel: The Present Day Archmage's trip back to 984 A.D. allows the battle from "Long Way To Morning" to be shown from an alternate perspective (albeit spliced in with archival footage). Likewise, the Demona-Macbeth flashbacks from "City of Stone" are also revisited.
- Place of Power: Avalon is more magical than elsewhere in the world and the Hallowed Hill is especially magical. This enables Magus to cast spells without the Grimorum by drawing from it.
- The Reveal:
- Tom, Katharine, and the Magus are still alive almost a millennia after the Wyvern Massacre. The rookery eggs have all hatched and there are now over 30 new gargoyles descended from the Wyvern Clan.
- The Archmage not only survived the events of "Long Way Until Morning", but is revealed to have been behind multiple events throughout the first half of Season Two.
- Restored My Faith in Humanity: A variation with Goliath. While Elisa had already helped restore Goliath's shattered faith back in the pilot, Goliath comes full circle with the surviving people who helped break it a millennia ago. Seeing that Katharine and the Magus ultimately did fulfill their pledge to protect and raise the rookery eggs has a profound impact on Goliath. He's grateful to them, dropping any residual anger he still harbored and joyfully admits he's glad to be here.
- Revenge Before Reason: Even with ultimate power at his fingertips, the Archmage insists on waiting until the Avalon Clan go to Goliath for help, specifically so he can gain his revenge on him. He wastes valuable time and resources trying to settle a petty grudge that, ultimately, proves his undoing.
- Rhetorical Question Blunder: This exchange when the younger Archmage learns that the Grimorum isn't allowed on Avalon.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: After the attack on Castle Wyvern, Princess Katharine devotes herself to the care of the gargoyle eggs, becoming their foster mother. She also protects them during the battle.
- Rule of Symbolism: As Magus dies, it pans upward to show a shooting sky passing through the sky.
- Sentient Sands: With his immense magical power, the Archmage was able to attack the group through the sand of the island's beach.
- Stable Time Loop: The Archmage obtains the relics and knowledge because of his older self traveling through time and showing him what to do. He even mentions he cannot simply obtain the artifacts early because they must first fill their role in history, before they are historically stolen and brought to him.Archmage: Are you sure you know what to do?
Other Archmage: I should. I watched you do it. - Take Over the World: When the Archmage's younger self admits he hadn't thought about what he'd do with the ultimate power he desired, he considers using it to conquer Scotland. The Archmage advises him to think bigger, as he'd have enough power to rule the entire planet.
- Tempting Fate: Having lost the Eye of Odin, the Archmage boasts that he still possesses the Phoenix Gate and the Grimorum. Immediately afterwards, the magic of the Grimorum completely overwhelms him.
- Took a Level in Badass: The power of the three relics has increased the Archmage's magic and even his physical body.
- Uncanny Family Resemblance: Elisa observes that Angela looks like Demona, just with different coloring.
- Wham Episode: The three-parter reveals what really became of the rookery eggs, adds Angela to the cast, and begins the World Tour arc that will dominate the season. The Grimorum, having been a part of the series since the Pilot, is also destroyed with the Archmage's death.
- Wham Line:Tom: Elisa, I thought you understood! Avalon doesn't take you where you want to go, Avalon sends you to where you need to be!
Elisa: Wait, what does he mean "where we need to be"? - Whole Episode Flashback: The first part shows how Tom and the group got to Avalon. The second part shows how the Archmage survived and obtained the relics. Not so much a flashback with the latter, but the Archmage going back in time (see Stable Time Loop).
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: During their fight, the Archmage boasts he could simply kill Goliath with just a word.Goliath: Then why don't you?
Archmage: Because I'm having too much fun! - Wizard Duel: While the others fight with mundane weapons such as lasers or maces, Magus and the Weird Sisters fight each other with magic. Agony Beams see plenty of use, and the Weird Sisters summon a storm to attack Magus with wind and lightning. He transforms his staff into a tree for defense, and then blindsides them by turning a pair of armors into chains and binding them.
- Year Outside, Hour Inside: The passage of time on Avalon is what allows Tom, Katharine, and Magus to still be alive in the present. The conversion rate of one hour inside Avalon is one day outside of it.
- You Fool!: After managing to get the Eye of Odin, Goliath says the Archmage has lost. The Archmage shouts this in response, due to still having the other two artifacts. His bravado doesn't last long.
