![[Cover of the Cities of Gold DVD.]](MCoG_DVDs.jpg)
Set during the Spanish conquest of the New World, the animated series The Mysterious Cities of Gold tells the story of three children searching for the legendary cities of gold and for their lost families. If you imagine a tale inspired by true adventure and exploration that gradually incorporates every legend and rumor ever told about pre-Colombian American cultures, you'll hit pretty near the mark.
I loved the show on Nickelodeon as a kid: it had far more depth and development than most cartoons (more than a lot of adult shows, for that matter). More recently, I've had a lot of fun watching it again on Hulu. Some of that is nostalgia: there are certainly bits that bug me as an adult. But on the whole I think it holds up very well, and I'd encourage others to give it a look, especially those who remember it fondly themselves. (It's now available on DVD, too.)
Trouble is, the series is fairly long (39 half-hour episodes): a hefty time commitment if you just want a taste of the show. (The plot advances pretty slowly in some places, too.) So below, I've picked out some representative episodes to try to capture the story and feel of the whole:
Minimal list: This is just enough to introduce the key characters and the most significant bits of the plot. Taken alone, these episodes are more of a reminder or a sketch than a full view of the series.
Core story elements: Expanding out a bit more ensures that every major part of the story is represented. This may be the best list if you're interested but don't have a lot of time.
Broad flavor: An even larger selection can capture much of the atmosphere and appeal of the complete series. (But even here, some of the "good bits" are missing: I've prioritized breadth over thrills.)
(The two significant bits of "flavor" necessarily missing from any abridgement are the sense of time and effort spent searching and traveling along the way and the range of cultures that the characters encounter.) I've also grouped the episodes into related chunks, so if you want to flesh out some part of the story in detail you'll know where to look. Enjoy!
Toward the New World: Episodes 1-7
1. Esteban, Child of the Sun: Introduces the characters and the story
4. Adrift on the Endless Sea: The ship founders in a storm, leaving the heroes far from land
6. The Ship Solaris: A new character tells of a forgotten era and a lost civilization
7. Secrets of the Solaris: Putting the lost civilization's technology into action
Spanish and Incas: Episodes 8-15
10. Secret of the Temple: An elder in an underground temple helps them reach the Inca lands
12. Secret of the Medallions: The children help drive the Spanish from hidden Inca settlements
13. Mystery of the Parents: The children decipher ancient charts and learn about their parents
Search and Exploration: Episodes 16-22
17. The Great Condor: Discovery of an ancient city and an amazing artifact
18. Maiden Flight of the Great Condor: Ancient technology allows a last minute escape from disaster
The Manuscript: Episodes 23-28
23. The Jade Mask: Secrets in a ruined city hint that the cities of gold may be near
24. The Manuscript: Crucial information is split between the children and new rivals
27. The Doors of Night: The rival groups explore a second ruined city
28. The Forest of Statues: The last piece of the puzzle is found in the final ruined city
The Olmecs: Episodes 29-36
29. The Burning Shield: The heroes stumble into danger from a very surprising group
33. The Reunion: A lost relative reveals where the city of gold lies, and battle is planned
35. The Olmec Machine: After the battle, Zia is captured and a secret weapon emerges
The City of Gold: Episodes 37-39
37. The City of Gold: Everyone reaches the city, and its history is revealed
38. The Great Legacy: The city is attacked and a crucial artifact is stolen
39. The End of the City of Gold: The High Priest must avert global disaster, and his secret is discovered
Finally, I'll share a few of my own thoughts on the series as a whole. I think its greatest strength is how it weaves mystery and wonder into a realistic framework. No, the story isn't actually consistent with true history and science, but it's close enough that you can imagine a world much like ours where it was. (It's even more consistent with the world as it was understood by 16th century Europeans.) Also, the whole series follows a story arc from start to finish and the storytelling takes advantage of the extra opportunities that provides.
I quite enjoy the music of the show; I've had its theme song in my rotation for many years (though after 39 episodes they've pretty much run through all they have a dozen times). There's also a cute little documentary segment at the end of each episode about various aspects of current and historical culture in Central and South America; by and large it's informative and respectful. (How many kids' shows include footage of topless women dancing or a guy actually sacrificing a chicken to the gods?) There are some worthy moral lessons for kids along the way, too, and they're the good kind that are implicit in the story rather than tacked on at the end. (Appreciation for other cultures is a big one, but there are plenty of others.)
The show has its flaws, of course. Some little details bug me as a scientist: for example, the characters fly through a rainbow in one episode, and the hurricane (or whatever it's supposed to be) early on felt silly. Others just feel implausible: although there are multiple ancient writing systems that few can read, everyone in the world seems to speak the same language. And there's some immature storytelling: only a few characters really develop much (Mendoza, probably Esteban... that may be it), and even some major characters barely even qualify as one-dimensional (Pedro and Sancho in particular). Some plot devices are overused, too ("ancient temples collapsing to cover the heroes' escape" is remarkably popular).
Despite those scattered weaknesses, I still think it's a very good show. I hope this guide can help make it a bit more accessible. Others might make different choices of what to include in each list, but I think this is one reasonable way to cut things down. (I'd be happy to hear other opinions, too.)
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Copyright © 2010 by Steuard Jensen. The DVD cover image above is included by fair use to illustrate the style of the show under discussion.