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The Owlman Feeds at Midnight
TOFAM 284
General Information
Original broadcast December 5, 2008
Series The Secret Saturdays
Details
Season 1
Episode number 9
Overall episode number 9
Credits
Written by Josh Harmon & Scott Elder
Directed by Scott Jeralds
Episode Guide
Previous episode Twelve Hundred Degrees Fahrenheit
Next episode The Swarm At The Edge Of Space
Gallery

The Owlman Feeds at Midnight was the ninth episode of season one of The Secret Saturdays. It is the ninth episode overall. It premiered on December 5, 2008.

Summary

The Saturdays travel to a small village named Monnen in Southern England to search for another clue to finding Kur's tomb. Instead, they discover that the town is being terrorized by an elusive cryptid known as the Owlman, which kidnaps people to feed upon — and its next target is Zak.

Plot

The episode opens with an unnamed blonde woman running through the streets of a small town. An owl-like figure, the size of a man, is pursing her. The woman bangs on doors and begs for help, but no one comes, the people terrified of the Owlman. She's eventually cornered in an alley, and the Owlman flies off with her clutched in its claws.

At the Saturday household, Doc and Drew are discussing their next move now that they have another Kur Stone piece, courtesy of Doyle. Drew explains that one of the carvings looked like a geographical ridge, which they narrowed down to a place near the village of Monnen in Southern England. Doyle agrees to help, but says that he needs payment this time. His reasoning is that the sooner he gets paid, the sooner he can get back off his feet and move out. Doyle and Drew agree to this.

Arriving in Monnen, Zak's attention is almost immediately grabbed by two children watching them from behind a building. The boy says something about "more creatures," which prompts Zak to chase after them both to ask questions. The rest of the Saturday family is stopped from going after Zak when they are cornered by an old man, who begins to harass them in hopes of making them leave the town.

Following the children, Zak asks what they were talking about. Although Charles and Lily are hesitant to give him any information, Lily tearfully admits that "it" took their mom. Charles continues to allude that it's not safe for strangers, especially after dark, and they leave.

Meanwhile, Drew has been trying to get information out of Ian to no success. He badgers that Saturdays as "vultures" that are just looking for an exciting news story. Doyle suddenly grabs the man by his ankle and holds him upside-down, threatening to put a grenade down his pants if he doesn't start answering questions. Ian shouts "It feeds at midnight," and the display creates a public disturbance that catches the attention of the constable. Doc, Drew, and Fisk manage to wrestle the man from Doyle's hold, and Ian gets back to his feet and runs off.

Zak rejoins the group and tells his family what he learned: apparently, the creature is called the "Owlman" and it's been kidnapping all sorts of different people from the area. They're interrupted by the constable, who tells the family to leave town for harassing the citizens. Doc and Drew try to appease him, but Doyle grabs the constable's hat, whistle, and baton, mocking the man while he does so.

For that, the family is put in a holding cell overnight — all except for Komodo, who is nowhere to be seen. Doc and Drew are both incredibly displeased with Doyle's "solution," but he defends himself by saying that they were being run out of town, and now he had gotten them "a front row seat to whatever feeds at midnight." Doyle calls this "improvising." His statement doesn't make Doc or Drew any happier, but they're stuck in the cell for the night regardless.

Later in the evening, Komodo rejoins the family from the other side of the cell bars, hissing in concern. Just then, someone screams. Doc has Fisk knock down the prison wall, and they quickly manage to locate the Owlman. After scaring him away from a man's house, the Owlman flees into a church to hide. Doc's plan involves surrounding and cornering it. As soon as Doc and Drew are gone, Doyle tells Zak and Fisk that he has a "better idea," which Zak agrees to eagerly and Fisk seems skeptical.

Doc and Drew are searching through the church when Zak goes running by. Using himself as bait, he lures the Owlman out and it follows Zak up the stairs to the top of the bell tower. Once there, Doyle and Fisk knock it out the window, catching it with a rope looped around its ankle. It dangles just above the ground, successfully caught. While the three celebrate their victory, Doc is much less impressed when he joins them. He's angry with Doyle for going off-plan again, though Doyle isn't discouraged. Their arguing is interrupted when Zak points out that the "Owlman" is slipping out of its "skin."

Back outside of the church, Doyle unmasks the "Owlman" and reveals it to be Ian, the ranting old man from earlier, apparently running around in a rubber suit. Doc is stumped to see that it's nothing more than a hoax and Drew suggests that they misread the Kur Stone. The constable arrives then and, though Drew offers to stay and help find the missing persons, he insists that the family should leave and save them any more embarrassment.

On the airship, flying home, Zak is petting and comforting Zon, who was apparently scared of the raging storm outside. Lightning cracks, and a winged figure appears outside of the airship, near where Zak is sitting. It cuts through the ships' metal hull easily and shatters the window next to Zak, sucking him out into the storm.

Trying to keep from slipping off the airship, Zak grabs onto the Owlman's ankle. With the window shattered, Doc and Drew investigate what happened and, via cameras, are shocked and horrified to see the Owlman standing on one of the airship's wings. It grabs Zak around the torso, likely about to fly off with him before, suddenly, Doyle slams into its back from behind, flying thanks to his jetpack. It drops Zak, who plummets, only for Doyle to safely catch him.

When the Owlman slams into them again, it rips Zak from Doyle's arms and sends him falling again. While Doyle is occupied with the Owlman, Doc steers the airship beneath Zak and opens a hatch for him to fall into. Instead, Zak uses the Claw to latch onto Doyle's jetpack and announces that they're tag-teaming.

After landing a few hits on the Owlman, Zon shows up with her flying gear, and Zak hitches a ride with her instead. The Owlman knocks Doyle to the side and is about to attack Zak when Doyle, recovering, tackles it. They both go spiraling downward, beneath the cloud layer and to the ground.

Upon landing the airship in search of Doyle, the Saturday family is quickly surrounded by more "Owlmen." When Zak attempts to use his powers on them, he feels nothing, and realizes that they're just more guys in rubber suits. However, the rest of Zak's family has been lulled into a hypnotic trance and are dragged off by the Owlman worshipers. One of the masked cultists says, "He doesn't sleep. The Owlman will want this one." Zak attempts to get away and instead lands in tar, which sucks him in and renders him unconscious.

When they wake up, Doc, Drew, Fisk, Komodo, and Zon are separated from Zak. They're in a cage suspended above the ground in a large, stone chamber. There are red eyes beneath them and a horrible squeaking noise starts up, like bats. Drew says that they're in some kind of "reprogramming chamber," but Doc already has a plan for escape.

Elsewhere, Zak wakes up on a stone floor surrounded by the Owlman cultists. He prepares to fight them, but is stopped when one of them sets a hand on his shoulder and leads Zak to the side. Recognizing Doyle's voice, Zak goes with him, and Doyle begins explaining that he infiltrated the cult. The brainwashed people serve the Owlman, obviously, and because they think Zak is special, they're planning on offering him up as a sacrifice to the Owlman for him to eat. Doyle shows Zak that he has the Claw, then says that Zak can't have it yet because it would ruin his plan — a plan that Zak agrees to go along with.

While Zon is panicking and causing the cage to swing wildly, the cage ends up slamming into the wall, popping the bottom off. Doc and Drew hang on to the bars while Zon flies Komodo to the ground. Fisk, using the chain that the cage is suspended with, climbs over to the wench and lowers Doc and Drew. With all of them released, they realize that it's midnight, and are reminded that "the Owlman feeds at midnight." They run outside to try and meet up with Zak and find Doyle.

As part of the sacrifice, Zak is being led up to the top of a cliff with a sheer drop by the cultists. Doyle reminds him to "remember the timing," and slips away. Unfortunately, once Zak sees his family coming for him, he begins to "improvise," throwing away Doyle's plan in favor of reaching his parents and siblings. Zak manages to take down two of the cultists, but two more grab him by the arms and drag him back up to the top of the cliff. Doyle is still trying to get his jetpack on and is unable to do anything as Zak is tossed over the edge.

The Owlman rises from the fog with Zak in its claws and flies off with him. While the rest of the family fights off the cultists, Doyle flies after the Owlman. He chases it through a complex network of tunnels hidden in the side of the cliff, but is eventually tangled in pointed brambles and unable to continue after them. The Owlman eventually stops over its nest, which is a deep pit lined from top to bottom in human bones. It drops Zak in and leaves him, apparently planning on eating later.

Still fighting on the surface, Drew accidentally unmasks one of the cultists and reveals the constable from before, obviously brainwashed. Although realizing that the cultists are also victims, Drew refuses to let them get between her and her son, so she draws her fire sword. She doesn't need to attack, though, as the bright light is enough to make the cultists pull away. As they retreat, the family backs towards the cliff, and manage to spot the cave that the Owlman disappeared into.

While attempting to climb out of the Owlman's nest, Zak hears Doyle call quietly before tossing the Claw down for him. Zak climbs the rest of the way out with it and finds Doyle still caught by brambles and unable to get any closer. Although Doyle lectures him for going off-plan, Zak defends his actions as "improvising" and Doyle, unable to argue against that, instead says that Zak should help him get out so they can leave.

Unfortunately, they are interrupted by the Owlman, which pushes Zak away and attacks Doyle. Grabbing it by the wrist with the Claw, Zak tries to pull it away. Using the distraction, Doyle activates his jetpack and slams into the Owlman, sending them both flying. Zak hitches a ride and knocks Doyle off, sending the Owlman crashing into its own nest. While Doyle picks himself back up, Zak pulls over the stacks of bones on top of the Owlman, effectively trapping it.

With nothing else in their way, Zak and Doyle make a hasty retreat. They run into the rest of the family, who are glad to see them. Doc has a plan for trapping the Owlman, since he's now convinced that, if its real, it must have been on the Kur Stone for a reason. The family agrees to his plan.

Using himself as bait again, Zak gets the Owlman to chase him. Zak leads it to where his family is waiting, all of them armed with devices to produce low amounts of light. It recoils from the light as they move closer to it. Doyle insists that it isn't enough light and, though the family tells him to just be patient, he drops his glow stick and activates his jetpack instead. Pointing the flame at the Owlman, the light is enough to send it recoiling in agony, and the Owlman bursts apart, leaving only pink-tinted dust behind.

After the Owlman's death, the tunnel begins to collapse. Doyle grabs Zak to fly him out, and the rest of the family makes a break for the mouth of the cave. Back on the surface, the brainwashed cultists are slowly waking up and reuniting with each other. Despite that, the family's disappointment in Doyle doesn't lessen.

With everything over, the Saturdays retreat to their airship. Doc confronts Doyle and hands him an envelope with his pay, saying that he wants Doyle to pack his things when they get home and leave. Zak protests, but Doc sites how Doyle continues to endanger Zak and the rest of the family due to his inability to be a team-player. When Drew agrees with Doc, Doyle smacks the envelope of money away and tells them to keep his things. He says an earnest goodbye to Zak and a sarcastic goodbye to Drew before grabbing his jetpack and taking off. Zak tries to go after him, but Doc stops him.

Looking out the hanger after Doyle, Zak points out the symbols carved into the plateau where the Owlman's nest was. Drew recognizes it as a map, describing the location of the Tomb of Kur. There's no reference point, but it means that they'll recognize the tomb when they find it. Zak credits its discovery to Doyle.

The episode ends with Lily and Charles looking up at the sky above the village and seeing Doyle fly away.

Noteworthy Events

Major Events

  • Citing Doyle as a bad influence on Zak as well as his dangerous "solo mercenary" attitude, Doc and Drew remove him from the family dynamic by asking him to leave.

Minor Events

  • The area around the Owlman's nest has a map carved into the land, visible only from the air. It reveals the location of the Tomb of Kur but, without a reference point, it could still be anywhere in the world.
  • After this episode, the Saturday family has a criminal record in England.

Appearances

Main Characters

Supporting Characters

Cryptids

Items

Equipment

Vehicles

Locations

Quotes

"I would have come up with a plan that didn't give my eleven-year-old son a criminal record!"
Doc Saturday to Doyle Blackwell
"I don't think that's a guy in a rubber suit!"
Zak Saturday
"Nobody likes a dirty sacrifice."
Doyle Blackwell
"Uh huh. So, you think Zak would notice if we got him a new Komodo Dragon?"
Drew Saturday
"Keep the money. And you can keep my stuff, too. See you around, Mini-Man. Keep in touch, "family.""
Doyle Blackwell

Mistakes

  • Doyle is seen shortly without two earrings on his left ear in the prison cell and when the police officer comes up to the family.
  • The antenna in Doyle's jetpack disappears when Zak and Doyle tag-team.
  • When the Owlman captures Zak, at first he seems light-headed and unaware and the Owlman has wrapped its talons his hips, then when Zak becomes more aware and he shouts, the Owlman is holding onto his shirt.

Trivia

  • When Drew uses the fire sword at night, the sword generates blue fire from moonlight. This is confirmed by Jay Stephens on the Toonzone Forums.
  • This is the Saturday HQ's 4th appearance.
  • Zak being carried away by the Owlman and then being dropped in its nest to be devoured is similar to Jurassic Park III when Eric Kirby was carried away by a Pteranodon and was taken to her nest also to be eaten.
v - e - d Episodes
Season 1
The Kur Stone: Part One | The Kur Stone: Part Two | The Vengeance of Hibagon | The Ice Caverns of Ellef Ringnes | Guess Who's Going To Be Dinner | The King of Kumari Kandam | Van Rook's Apprentice | Twelve Hundred Degrees Fahrenheit | The Owlman Feeds at Midnight | The Swarm At The Edge Of Space | Eterno | Black Monday | Cryptid vs. Cryptid | The Underworld Bride | Ghost in the Machine | Something in the Water | Target: Fiskerton | Once More the Nightmare Factory | Curse of the Stolen Tiger | The Kur Guardian | Food of the Giants | The Atlas Pin | Paris is Melting | Where Lies the Engulfer | Shadows of Lemuria | Kur Rising
Season 2
Kur: Part One | Kur: Part Two | The Thousand Eyes of Ahuizotl | Into the Mouth of Darkness | The Legion of Garuda | The Return of Tsul 'Kalu | The Unblinking Eye | Life in the Underground | And Your Enemies Closer | War of the Cryptids
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