#scrooge imo is a girl dad but in a bad way

[peachhoneii]

Two years later and DuckTales 2017 finale gives conflicting emotions. But it is interesting. It simultaneously uplifts and takes away from the found family trope. It is all about choosing to love people and accepting them as family. However, when you watch how Scrooge accepts people into his family compared to how he accepts a “daughter” when he already has several kids really shows that writers missed on the delivery and potential implications.

Because yeah he accepts Webby as his daughter instantly but in that same note he also shows there’s difference between being his niece/nephew and being his child. He imitates Donald, an actual parent, and smothers a child who has been quite literally trained to kill. He’s never exhibited such protectiveness to anyone or any of the children he’s had, including Donald and Della.

The show defined what constitutes a parent from an uncle or an aunt. While Scrooge saw HDL, Donald, and Della as his kids, he wasn’t their parent. They weren’t his responsibility. You’d ask, what about Donald and Della? Where are their parents? Alive. The artbook confirmed Hortense and Quackmore are living on Grandma’s farm, and they travel a lot. Scrooge could go on dangerous trips with children and not feel a sense of dread or overwhelming concern for these children because ultimately they weren’t his kids in the same way Webby is.

I don’t think that was the intent when writing the scene, but that’s the implication. It’s like what? Found family is still present with Webby and Beakley. Beakley chose to love Webby, and Webby loves Beakley. They choose to love each other. They chose their family. That’s good.

However, it doesn’t have the same character significance as it would have with Scrooge. Of the characters, Scrooge really needed to learn that lesson. He’s egotistical. He’s self-absorbed. He believes the hype of his own character because he lives the hype. 

Beakley has always been a more grounded character who’s remained consistent in her common sense. She didn’t need to learn the importance of non-biological family. She already knew it. She has no ties to her family name or issues concerning being the last of her clan. Scrooge did. In the comics, him choosing to pursue wealth and fortune definitely comes up as a reason why he doesn’t have children (Goldie).

Webby being his daughter (or preferably granddaughter, come on writers) isn’t an inherently bad idea. But for the length of show and its execution, it wasn’t the best way to conclude the story. There wasn’t significant buildup for the plot reveal or any concern for how this would change the family dynamics. Let alone the fact Webby had zero interest in knowing more about her family. If there were four seasons, they should’ve kept it in and dealt with all the consequences that came with this discovery.

Yeah, I’ve been rewatching the show.

#ducktales #ducktales 2017 #scrooge mcduck #webby vanderquack #bentina beakley #scrooge imo is a girl dad but in a bad way #from what we can tell #he definitely resonated with della and webby bc they were the most similar to him #and exhibited multiple traits he found admirable and connected to himself #also della and webby are always his loudest cheerleaders #where donald hdl while respecting him are likelier to criticize him