It’s a race to hidden treasure on this week’s new episode of Disney XD’s DuckTales reboot, with a family adventure to the Grand Bazaar of Istanbird interrupted by two stowaways who quickly prove themselves more than welcome. “The Split Sword of Swanstantine!” is the next step in the Duck clan’s quest to discover Isabella Finch’s missing mysteries, and Uncle Scrooge (voiced by David Tennant) has brought his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie (Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz, and Bobby Moynihan, respectively), along with their friend Webby (Kate Micucci) to this exotic locale in search of the legendary weapon.
Little do they know that not only have Webby’s pals Violet (Libe Barer) and Lena (Kimiko Glenn) tagged along for the ride, but there are also a number of F.O.W.L. agents on the trail of the ancient artifact as well. The sword, it turns out, is separated into three individual parts and hidden around the city, so the six kids split up into three teams of two to seek them out while Scrooge battles the evil Black Heron (April Winchell) one-on-one.
First, Dewey and Webby must parkour their way to the roof of a scaffolded building to procure the sword’s hilt, but only after being flash-bombed by Gandra Dee (Jameela Jamil). In their blinded state they learn to trust their remaining senses and each other’s instincts as they hear, smell, taste, and feel their way to the top. Then, to get the crossguard, Louie and Violet venture into an underground spice club where they confront the devious John D. Rockerduck (John Hodgman) in a Raiders of the Lost Ark-style “Spice Off.” The first competitor to break a sweat after consuming the searing seasonings loses, but luckily the kids have a few tricks up their sleeve.
Lastly, Huey and Lena face off against the sneaky Steelbeak (Jason Mantzoukas) as they attempt to pry the sword’s blade from an ornate design in the city’s pavement. Lena uses her magic to freeze time in Huey’s mind, where the young duck must confront an inner demon and eventually use its rage to defeat their enemy. Then, the entire gang reunites to stand up against F.O.W.L. in the town square, where Scrooge relies on his enemy’s overconfidence and his own knowledge of Swanstantine’s sword to bring the conflict to a satisfying conclusion. It’s a clever way to tie an entertaining and guest star-packed anthology-style episode together in the end.
Next week: “New Gods on the Block!”