Candle Cove: the Triangle Man

I caught another episode of Candle Cove after school today. I'm not sure how the kids in my class watch this without nightmares, this episode scared me a little. Pirate Percy is still searching for Janice, one step ahead of Horace Horrible and the Skin-Taker, and he's decided to ask the Lords and Ladies of the Realm if they know where to find her. I don't remember any Lords and Ladies of the Realm when I watched in the 80's, they must be new characters added for this arc where they're looking for Janice. The first one he decided to ask was someone called the Triangle Man. I thought it was funny how frightened Percy was of someone I expected to fight with Particle Man. Then the Laughingstock docked at the Triangle Mans home and I wasn't laughing anymore. It was one of the scariest graveyards I've ever seen, cyclopian crumbling tombs as far as the eye could see shrouded in dense fog and dead silence. They even stopped playing the Calliope music that's always playing in the background, and they didn't even stop that for the infamous screaming episode! Percy was scared to go in the graveyard and I didn't blame him. Kids must watch this from behind the couch like they do scary episodes of Doctor Who.

The Laughingstock of course told Percy what she always does “you have…to go…INSIDE.” And like always Percy screwed up his courage and went in. I don't know how a marionette with a porcelain dolls head can look terrified but he managed it. Percy crept slowly through the graveyard, whoever was working the strings had to be really good to make him shiver and quake so realisticly as he walked. Man, they must have blown what was left of their budget after that spectacular set on the actors! The graveyard was full of famous dead people. Everyone of them looked exactly like the person they were playing too. I saw JFK, Marylin Monroe, Jimmy Hendrix, they even found look-a-likes for Kurt Cobain and Steve Jobs! Not sure why they used so many people children in the target audience wouldn't recognize though. And it really surprises me how they manage to make the puppets look as big as real people. I mean I'd understand if it were a suit like Big Bird, but Percy and the others a clearly marionettes. No one could work a marionette the size of a person, could they? Oh, I nearly forgot. It wasn't just people in the graveyard. The puppet they used for Milo in the old episodes was there too. Anyone out there who watched the older episodes might remember him as Percy's rival who took Horace's job for a while. In his last appearance it was implied that the Skin-Taker killed him.

Anyway, one of the ghosts would show up, glare at Percy in silent rage, and then fade back into the mist. Percy looked like he was about to give up several times but he said to himself “N-no. I have to do this . . . for Janice. She's . . . she's counting on me. I have to . . . be brave.” and he would go on. I felt so sorry for the poor guy and a little afraid for Janice, he sounded so worried about her. Eventually he reached a huge ancient looking tomb in the center of the graveyard. He looked ready to give up and run back to the Laughingstock but he screwed his courage up one more time and knocked. The door opened with a screech, not just your standard haunted house squeaky hinge from a cartoon it sounded like the gates of Hell itself needed their hinges oiled. Inside was the Triangle man. I thought for a minute they borrowed the costume from “The Empty Child” and “The Doctor Dances”. If you watch Doctor Who you probably know what I mean, those scary zombie like things with the gas masks on. But this one didn't look like you could just send him to his room. Behind him on the wall, etched in gold were a pair of triangles interlocked so they almost looked like an hour glass. He glared at Percy and coldly asked “Why have you come to my Realm servant of the Puppet Queen? Her minions are not welcome here, this place is only for those who have embraced me. Here I am alone.”

Percy stammered “S-s-sir. I-I was hoping that . . . that you might know what happened to Janice. Where I can find her . . .”

“Silence puppet!” the Triangle Man demanded. “I do not know where your Janice is but she would be better off embracing me than serving your Queen. All must embrace me in the end. Begone from my realm now or their will be war between your Queen and I.”

Percy burst into tears and ran out of the tomb and back to the Laughingstock. I don't know how they did it but I saw real tears on his porcelain face. When he got back to the boat she asked “did . . . you . . . find her?” Poor Percy told her that no they had to keep looking, he looked so depressed. It's amazing how emotive they can make a marionette. They set off to find the next Lord of the Realm to ask.

Wow, that was pretty detailed wasn't it? Well it was a damn creepy episode, even for Candle Cove and it's kind of etched in my mind.