Centaurs

Beastmaster Episode Review

In which there are special effects. And horsies!

What Happened

A pair of archers drive Voden's horses away from his camp, angering him. He sends Hjalmar to find them, but they run into Dar first and he beats them up. Before Sagitto and Radia ride off, Dar realizes that he is able to communicate with them as he does the animals.

Determined to find out if they are also Beastmasters, Dar follows the pair. That night, he sees them merge with their horses and become centaurs: half-man, half-animal. They all make friends with each other the next day, but Hjalmar interrupts when he steals Radia and Saggito's horses for Voden.

The archers are devastated. If they are separated from their mounts for even a few hours, they will weaken and die. When Radia's mount is wounded, she feels the pain, so Dar and Saggito go to rescue the horses. Voden sees the archers becoming centaurs and wants to add them to his army, but Dar talks Voden's horses into throwing their riders as Radia and Saggito escape.

What We Learned

• Ghost have no need for Voden's horses.
• Centaurs have been around almost as long as the Ancient One.
• Centaurs tend to inspire those it's best not to inspire, bringing chaos galloping after them.
• Home is where we find ourselves.
• How quickly an interest becomes an obsession.
• There's nothing to be gained by becoming emotional involved.
• The Ancient One's not cold, he's aloof. There's a difference.
• Fortune favors those who do the unexpected.
• Dar is always defending some dumb animal from becoming part of history.
• Freedom is wonderful, but freedom combined with respect for others is much more rewarding.

What Did I Think?

Not enormously interesting; this episode might have benefitted from a B-story to fill in the dead space.