Rewatching DuckTales! There’s more high seas adventure and a whole lotta seaweed in episode 21, “Bermuda Triangle Tangle.”

Here’s what happens: Scrooge learns that his cargo ships have been disappearing in the Bermuda Triangle. He doesn’t believe in superstitions about the Triangle, so he welcomes the nephews to join him. The cowardly Captain Foghorn of Scrooge’s fleet leads everyone on the voyage. The ship enters the Triangle, gets lost in a storm, and runs aground on a giant landmass made of seaweed.

Our heroes find several shipwrecks in the seaweed, along with Scrooge’s missing cargo ship. They are then approached by strangers covered with seaweed, led by the green-skinned Captain Bounty. He explains that he and the others are stranded on the seaweed island with no hope of rescue, but they’ve managed to make a life of it. Scrooge suggests he take over as the island’s new leader so he can come up with new ideas to escape. Bounty won’t have it, and he puts Scrooge and the nephews to work.

Scrooge and some of the locals plot to overthrow Captain Bounty, only to stir up a giant monster living under the island. Captain Bounty has a harpsichord (!) which he uses to mesmerize the monster. Scrooge and the others convince Bounty to let them go ahead with the escape attempt, even though Bounty doubts it will work. Everyone manages to escape the island and return to Duckburg for a heroes’ welcome. But the monster followed them, and chases after Scrooge. Captain Bounty rescues Scrooge from the monster, and he decides to return to the Bermuda Triangle.

Humbug: We learn that Scrooge is skilled not just at the harpsichord, but several other musical instruments as well.

Junior Woodchucks: Louie says the seaweed island reminds him of a recurring nightmare he’s had, which he’s titled, “Louie in Spinach Land.”

Foul fowls: Captain Bounty comes off like a small-kingdom tyrant at first, but Scrooge later gives him credit for doing what it took to keep his people alive. When he returns to the Bermuda Triangle at the end, you’d think he’d have a new mission to prevent any more ships from being trapped there, but nobody says that.

Down in Duckburg: We’re not told how large Scrooge’s shipping fleet is, but there are so many ships and captains he can’t remember the name of them all.

Reference row: The real-life Bermuda Triangle is located between Miami, Bermuda, and San Juan. Stories of ships and aircraft being lost in there have been exhaustively debunked. Captain Bounty would appear to be a reference to Mutiny on the Bounty, even though Bounty is the ship and not the captain. Finally, Scrooge laments, “Why couldn’t this have happened to The Love Boat?” This references the campy ‘70s TV show.

Thoughts upon this viewing: Yeah… every episode of DuckTales is starting to feel the same as all the others. It’s just whatever exotic locale the writers can draw out of a hat next. Captain Bounty is an interesting character in that he’s not all that bad, but that’s about all there is to note about this one.

Next: Pym particles.

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