Trollhunters S1 E2

## Plot

The day after the end of the first episode, Jim tries to tell Toby about the amulet, but he's still at the dentist's. It takes eight hours. At his house, Jim transforms in front of Toby. He's aware of superhero tropes, so he says that he has a sacred responsibility to use these new powers for the benefit of all mankind… and to kick Steve's butt. Before Jim can tell Toby who "they" are, they show up again. They've been spying on Jim. So maybe the silhouette in the shower from the first episode was actually Aaarrrgghh? I've never been able to figure that one out. I finally checked the Tales of Arcadia wiki, which says that it was Blinky again. He's surprised that Jim told Toby about them. They've gone to great lengths to keep their existence a secret from humans, lest they panic. Toby calms down and wants to be Jim's sidekick. The Trollhunter protects good trolls and all of mankind from bad trolls, goblins, and rogue gnomes. Jim is the first human Trollhunter. They all run upstairs and hide in the bathroom when Barbara comes home early. She forgot her phone. Jim claims that he has food poisoning, and wonders why the armor isn't coming off. The amulet is reacting to his volatile emotional state. Toby asks Blinky who the Trollhunter before Jim was. It's a mantle that's been passed down from troll to troll for hundreds of years. Kanjigar the Courageous was turned to stone and slain by a ruthless troll named Bular. Jim obviously doesn't want to end up like that, but the training takes decades, and he only has a day or two. Also, I forgot to mention it, but Blinky has four arms. Jim is able to calm down enough to get the armor off before his mother sees him. After she leaves, they head back to the living room. Blinky wants to start Jim's training immediately, but it's a school night, and he also doesn't want to be killed by Bular. The amulet called to him. He can't refuse it or give it back. Blinky and Aaarrrgghh agree to come back and begin Jim's training tomorrow so he can process everything. Before they leave though, Blinky gives Jim a speech that becomes iconic in this universe, with many various iterations. It's known as the Hero Speech. "Destiny is a gift. Some go their entire lives, living existences of quiet desperation, never learning the truth that what feels as though a burden pushing down upon our shoulders is actually a sense of purpose that lifts us to greater heights. Never forget that fear is but the precursor to valor, that to strive and triumph in the face of fear is what it means to be a hero. Don't think. Become." Toby once again reminds Jim that he always talked about adventure and wanting more, and now he's got his wish. The next morning at school, the amulet glows again, and Jim changes back into armor again. When Strickler sees him, he claims that it's a costume so he can try out for *Romeo and Juliet*. He claims that he's also doing the chess club too. Strickler tells him that auditions end in five minutes. Claire compliments him on his "costume" and wishes him luck. He doesn't know the play, so he gives the hero speech and throws in some swordplay for good measure. Claire tells him that he was remarkable. While biking home, he and Toby are chased by Bular, but the amulet doesn't work this time. They learn that trolls can't be out in the sunlight. You gotta love that literally *no one else* is around to see this stuff, or that there apparently aren't any street cameras that record it. It's literally only Eli, but he doesn't have proof. They meet up with Blinky and Aaarrrgghh and tell them what happened. They can't fight Bular, since Blinky is a scholar with no combat skills, and Aaarrrgghh is a pacifist, having renounced violence ages ago. Bular continues to chase them. Jim even says crap. They head to the canal. They'll be safe in Heartstone Trollmarket. Jim is able to focus and don the armor, which protects him from a hit. He fights off Bular while the others use a magical object called a Horngazel to make a portal to Trollmarket. Jim doesn't make it through before it closes, and then he loses his armor. Another, smaller portal is opened for a split second, and Aaarrrgghh grabs him before Bular can kill him. Jim asks Blinky why he suddenly lost the armor. The amulet was crafted for trolls, not humans, so its behavior is unexpected. It's to create tension and drama for the audience. Jim and Toby learn that the evil trolls are called "Gumm Gumms", which is one of the least threatening names I've ever heard of in my life. They can't get into Heartstone Trollmarket. The episode ends as Jim and Toby see the extremely bright and colorful Heartstone Trollmarket for the first time.