Honestly, I have SO much to ramble about this episode, and I’ll probably get to it later. But can we talk about Launchpad’s relationship with Jim? It’s just something so interesting, and yet so foreboding, to me.
First of all, there’s the knowledge that Jim never had a Gosalyn, or a Launchpad, to keep him grounded like OG Darkwing. He’s been without that kind of moral support for who knows how long. He’s a deadbeat movie star that no one remembers, and it turned him bitter and resentful. It’s what contributed to Jim snapping. All this is his desperate cry for recognition.
Then there’s Launchpad; this guy walks into your life, supposedly your biggest fan. Jim initially takes him for granted, and it doesn’t really click how much he values what Launchpad thinks of him until the episode’s climax. He’s thought of so fondly and heroic, when he knows that, especially after all this mess, that he really isn’t. He’s failed Launchpad; failed to live up to the few set of expectations that he has, which he’s been dead set on showing to the world since the episode’s start. Jim screwed up the one thing he didn’t want to.
Jim’s complex relationship with Drake means that LP was really the only way of reaching out to him; he’s so infuriated because he feels like Drake is replacing him. You can see this bitterness towards his ‘replacement’ throughout the episode, and honestly a lot of lines hint at it, and how he’s trying to take back the heroic title that used to be his. He’s possessive of it; he is Darkwing Duck. He deserves the limelight. He’s the hero. Except in those moments, he really wasn’t. This aggressive one-sided rivalry between him and Drake meant Launchpad was ALWAYS going to be the one that snapped him out of it.
It’s hard to tell what might have been going through his head in this scene, given the episode’s ending and his Face Heel Turn. But my interpretation of it is that he not only realized he messed up, but in a way, accepted it? Maybe he’ll never be anything like Launchpad described ever again; maybe this is the point of no return. Who is he kidding? He’s no champion of right. Is this what the new generation would look up to? Is this what anyone would look up to? To subvert LP’s words, he’s a villain; he’s not a hero. And he knows that better than anyone.
Launchpad’s words were meant to be uplifting and motivating, but all they did was make Jim realize he wasn’t cut out for the hero gig anymore. It doesn’t work anymore. He failed. But, maybe there was one last thing he couldn’t mess up. One last thing he could actually succeed at. One last thing he could make up for. Maybe, despite all his screw-ups, there was one last thing he could do before he threw in the towel for good. One last thing he NEEDED to do.
It’s here that Jim Starling’s hero identity died; this was his last good deed as Darkwing Duck. The fact Drake’s hat slips off before they both try to save Launchpad is poetic in a way; the captain goes down with the ship, just like Jim goes down with the hat. In his last moments, he was committed. He’d repaid Launchpad; if there was one last thing he could do before he sullied his biggest fan’s idolisation of him any further, it was save him. He went out a hero, something he’d been trying to prove this entire time, and this time permanently.
Now, honestly? There’s no telling where this development will lead. But even after making up to Launchpad for the terrible role model he’d been, Jim is still thinking of him. The fact he thinks it’s a set-up involving putting his ‘fan’ in danger means it was always going to lead to helping LP. He reminded him of the one trace of humanity and heroism that he had under all that resentfulness and bitterness. He was a hero; that’s what heroes do. Even Launchpad says to ‘do it for Jim’; he regards his actions quite fondly. I think Jim most likely has a soft spot for him.
But as I’ve said, Jim isn’t for this gig anymore. It really makes me wonder about the dynamic between these two now. Their relationship is so intriguing to me because of Launchpad’s optimistic views of heroism and Jim’s cynical change of alignment. Launchpad wanted him to be a hero, but he feels that he can’t be that anymore; he’s more suited to take the role of a villain. But there’s one scene in particular that stands out for me.
Launchpad getting through to him could actually be such a critical part of their dynamic; I can’t help but think this won’t be the first discussion between them, and that when they do meet up again, there’s going to be a lot of emotional turmoil between them both. Launchpad appeals to Jim’s better nature. It wouldn’t surprise me if he does so again, if he’s the link between Jim and Darkwing being one in the same again. But whether that happens? Whether or not Jim would be too far gone to listen to his fan? Who knows.
This episode was wild and so well written; there’s really too much I want to talk about. But I’m really invested in what the DT crew do with these guys. I’m not ready to have my heart broken, but I’m invested.
