I think we can all agree that Bigwig is the real star of the show. From the very beginning, Bigwig has been the one getting them out of tough spots, from turning his back on the Owsla, to leading the fox into Woundwort’s down, infiltrating said down, and even facing off against Woundwort in this episode.
Speaking of Woundwort, his past is expanded upon here in a confusing introduction where he escapes from a fox and leads it back to his warren, and the fox lets him go with a scratch on the face, which is why he’s blind in one eye. That’s all well and good, but the show deems it unnecessary to inform us just why the fox didn’t kill him or, if he defeated the fox, how exactly he went about doing that. Not enough time for all that.
What we do get is Kahaar, returning to the fray to help the bunnies escape from Woundwort and his captains, instilling fear in their hearts as they realise that this tiny band of misfits has made friends with one of the elil, hunters of the rabbit.
General Woundwort, hell-bent on crushing this tiny band of rabbits, leads his group to the down where Hazel and everyone else is and lays siege to the place. What follows is poor, expected dialogue as each pair defends an entrance, with sappy lines such as, “I never told you I loved you.” “You didn’t have to.”
Just to make sure you know, y’know?
Furthermore, one of our own rabbits die, and it took me until they said his name to figure out which one because, apart from Bigwig and Bluebell (and occasionally Fiver), one can’t tell these rabbits apart.
Speaking of Fiver, he finally makes himself useful, concocting a plan that helps them get rid of Woundwort and his gang of bad bunnies once and for all, even giving Hazel something to do, even if that was just running away from a dog.
A dog that eventually wound up killing Woundwort, I think, because he fears no elil, after all. I’d like to think that he did it so that his rabbits had enough time to escape, but we all know that it’s just a pride thing for the ol’ General. He died as he lived in this series, knocking rabbits around and giving sassy one-liners.
The most impactful moment for me, funnily enough, was not Hazel joining the Owsla of the Black Rabbit in the end, but rather the incantation the rabbits utter upon losing one of their own: “My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today.”
I found myself a bit dissatisfied at the ending, which, rather than let Hazel live in peace as a father, brother, and husband (companion?) to Clover, they chose instead to send him off into the unknown. I feel like Hazel, the rabbit who fought so hard for his down, his warren, and his future, would want to hold on to it for as long as possible.
All in all, it’s an acceptable conclusion for a story that was entertaining without being outstanding. An all-around acceptable tale of bravery, love, and friendship, with a bit more darkness around the edges than is the norm, Watership Down manages to be entertaining enough with an engaging voice cast and a sharp, straightforward storyline.
If only it looked better.
The Average Viewer 