"Light Makes Right" is the thirteenth episode of the Adventures of the Gummi Bears, which aired on December 21, 1985. It serves as the first season finale.
Plot[]
The story begins with a retelling of the Great Gummi Exodus, when the bulk of the Gummi Bears population fled across the sea from human persecution.
The scene shifts to the Gummies of Gummi Glen hearing that tale and of how their specific ancestors chose to stay behind as a caretaker colony, waiting for the day when they could signal that it was safe for the Great Gummies to return. Inspired by the story, they talk about the possibilities if they could reunite with their brethren. Unfortunately, the combination of humans not changing for the better and the fact that the colony never found the signaling device meant that the commission of their ancestors could not be fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Duke Igthorn, ever hungry to conquer Dunwyn, recalls a childhood story about the great Gummi signaling device and its potential as a weapon. He and Toadwart sneak into Dunwyn, and break into Igthorn's childhood home to consult his old library. They find a children's book about Gummi technology that describes the Gummiscope, a gigantic machine that harnesses sunlight as a means of long-range communication and as a means of projected destruction. Spotted by Cavin and Unwin, Igthorn tears out the relevant page and escapes. Cavin, wondering what Igthorn was after with a children's book, decides to speak with the Gummi Bears.
Absorbed in the mystery, the older Gummi Bears ignore Cubbi who finally has to drink Gummiberry Juice to jump up and be able to see the book they are looking at, and notes that he himself has a copy. Consulting Cubbi's copy, the Gummies set out to find the Gummiscope in hopes of signaling their brethren, and before Igthorn can find it.
They are successful in finding the device and, against Gruffi's advice about being so hasty with Igthorn looking for it, raise it into the open on top of nearby Mount Sentinel. There, the Gummies attempt to signal the present locations of the newer Gummi colonies. After two non-responses, they make contact in the third attempt, New Gumbria, but an excited Tummi bumps into the orientation controls, resulting in not only the return message being interrupted, but also in giving away the Gummiscope's presence by destroying a swath of forest with Igthorn in the vicinity.
As a result, Igthorn attacks to seize the Gummiscope, which the Gummies cannot bring underground again with its elevation function being jammed. The Gummies are overwhelmed and forced to flee, leaving Igthorn in control of the massive machine. So armed, Igthorn immediately uses it to demand King Gregor's surrender. When the King refuses, Igthorn blasts one of Dunwyn' Castle's towers into rubble as a show of force, which has Cavin and Princess Calla inside at that moment.
Cavin, forced to use his dose of Gummiberry Juice, rescues the unconscious Calla and runs off to alert the Gummi Bears, who are horrified at Igthorn's abuse of the device. Since Cavin cannot help destroy the device because he has used his effective dose of juice for the day, the Gummies have to resort to other means. Meanwhile, Igthorn not wanting to destroy his prize, awaits Gregor's surrender. With no signal of that, Igthorn targets the castle's granary. As the Gummiscope is aimed, the Gummies interfere to prevent more firings. This becomes a battle of wits, as Igthorn's Ogre forces struggle to counter it. By sundown, the Gummies manage to keep the device from being used before nightfall, which robs the device of solar energy.
The Gummies feel triumphant, but Gruffi reminds them that they have only bought themselves some time until morning, when Igthorn would be able to resume his bombardment. Conferring over a camp fire, Gruffi convinces them that the Gummiscope is too powerful to have, and the only way to prevent Igthorn from using it is to destroy it.
Meanwhile, King Gregor swears revenge on Igthorn for wounding Calla and insists on personally leading his knights against the Duke. The next morning, the Gummies work to undermine the Gummiscope's underground support beams, even as Gregor's forces confront Igthorn, who threatens to destroy the castle. When Igthorn decides to carry out that threat, the Gummies complete their sabotage, and the Gummiscope begins to collapse.
Meanwhile, Zummi sneaks into the Gummiscope controls in a desperate attempt to reestablish communication with New Gumbria. While he is successful in receiving a message, the resulting text is lost with the destruction of the device. Zummi despairs at his failure, but the others remind him that they thwarted Igthorn and saved the lives of the people of Dunwyn. As for now, since at least they have the knowledge that other Gummies are alive across the sea, Gruffi reassures his community that they will carry on. After all, that is the Gummi way.
Cast[]
- June Foray as Grammi Gummi
- Christian Jacobs as Cavin
- Katie Leigh as Sunni Gummi
- Lorenzo Music as Tummi Gummi
- Noelle North as Cubbi Gummi, Princess Calla
- Will Ryan as Unwin, Ogres
- Michael Rye as Duke Igthorn, King Gregor, Knight
- Bill Scott as Gruffi Gummi, Toadwart, Sir Tuxford, Ancient Gummi
- Paul Winchell as Zummi Gummi
Trivia[]
- Igthorn's and Cubbi's versions of the children's book Tall Tales of The Gummi Bear contain a page that reads "Two of Gummi's famous Nine Old Bears, Frank and Ollie", an inside joke and reference to two of "Disney's Nine Old Men", Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, and their co-authored book Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life.
Gallery[]
Home video releases[]
DVD