The Gales

Season

1

Episode

1

Premiered date

November 30, 2022

Writer

Jonathan Kasdan, John Bickerstaff, George Lucas (based on characters created by)

Director

Stephen Woolfenden, Jon M. Chu

Episode guide
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n/a	The High Aldwin

The Gales is the first episode in the television series, Willow. The episode first aired on Disney+ on November 30, 2022.

Synopsis[]

Tir Asleen receives an important delegation from Galladoorn, but a sudden attack by the mysterious Gales prompts Queen Sorsha to seek help from an old friend.

Plot Summary[]

A book entitled ‘’Willow’’ opens and a prologue is detailed- showing the events of the 1988 film. After returning home after the war, Willow had a vision that an ancient evil would rise again- bringing the world into a new dark age. The identity of Elora Danan was hidden away to try and prevent the evil force from returning.

In present, Kit spars with her best friend, Jade, on the side of a cliff. However, they are interrupted by Commander Ballantine because Kit’s presence is requested by the queen. She agrees to go meet her mother to get ready for a ball to celebrate Kit’s pending marriage to Graydon Hastur, the prince of Galladoorn. Kit begs Jade to come meet her later at the ball because she can’t do the balls and gown thing. Jade agrees.

Willow 2022 Stills 73 — Airk kissing Dove.

Kase goes to get Airk, Kit’s brother, who is kissing his latest love interest, Dove, a kitchen maid, in a field. Kase asks him to come clean up and to meet his mother at the castle. Airk and Kit go meet their mother, Queen Sorsha, who tells them to get ready and to remember their responsibilities. They leave to get dressed and Sorsha hears voices warning her that The Gales are coming. Worrying about what’s coming, Sorsha asks her husband about the Barrier and Hastur insists it’s well protected and that they have nothing to worry about.

At the ball, Kit eyes her to-be husband and moans about him to Jade. She’s not interested in marrying this man she doesn’t even know. Jade admits to Kit that she is leaving the next day to be a knight-in-training. Kit is furious that her best friend is leaving her.

Dove eyes Airk, who is chatting with other women, who are fawning over him. She gets jealous and leaves the room.

Upset about Jade, Kit taunts Graydon, challenging him to prove his worth to be her husband but he doesn’t engage. Sorsha goes down to the basement during the ball to talk to someone about her duties to protect the realm and make Kit have a loveless marriage in order to unite her family with Graydon’s.

After the ball, Kit sneaks out in the middle of the night to kiss Jade and tell her of her plan to run and go beyond the kingdom- to find what she is looking for. Suddenly, they hear a noise. The Gales, four monstrous creatures, descend upon the castle to break open the Barrier and kidnap Airk. Sorsha and the others run out to fight but Airk is taken and they get away.

A group, comprising of Kit, Kase, Graydon, Jade, and Boorman, are tasked to go rescue Airk. Before leaving, Kit talks to her mother about her plan to hide Elora and her identity so that this evil force they was predicted can’t return. The group departs but realize they’ve been followed by Dove, who wants to help. She begs to stay with the group, offering to cook for them on their journey and they agree.

Dove asks about the Barrier and Jade explains that it’s a magical force field that protects the realm. Jade tells her that her parents were killed at the entrance of the Barrier. She was brought up by Ballantine instead. Kase and Boorman say that the Barrier is not to protect them but rather to hide Elora. Dove asks about Elora and they theorize if she is really alive.

Willow 2022 Stills 59 — Willow Ufgood 16 years later after the events of the film.

They make it to the border of the Barrier. Dove walks through the Barrier without any issue. Kit warns her to be careful or she'll get herself killed. The Bone Reavers attack, killing Kase and forcing the group over a ledge. The group make their way to the Nelwyn village to find Silas, claiming to be Willow and telling them to go away. When they explain who they are, the real Willow comes out and tells the new arrivals that Airk's abductors, the Gales, have taken the prince beyond the Shattered Sea. Boorman immediately expresses his misgivings at the idea of following the Gales across the Shattered Sea, as it is largely uncharted for a reason; he has traveled far and wide prior to his imprisonment, but had never encountered anyone who ventured into the said sea, much less beyond there, and actually returned from so alive, hence its unmapped status. Willow sees the mark on Dove’s hand, which indicates that she is in fact Elora Danan. He tells her it's good to see Elora. She seems shocked at his implication, claiming that she's "nobody". He tells her she's their last hope to defeat the evil that is coming.