Template:Dragons Ep.
How to Pick Your Dragon is the name of the seventh episode in the TV Series. This episode aired on October 3, 2012.
Plot
Here on Berk we've always done things one way: the Viking way. Since the Dragons came the Viking way has become, well, the hard way. Unfortunately some people, like my father, still refuse to change.
The episode starts with Gobber and Stoick hauling in a fishing boat that is severely damaged by a rogue Dragon stealing the fish upon it, among the many boats having been attacked by the same rogue Dragon stealing food. Hiccup tries to convince Stoick to ride a Dragon, attempting to appeal to him through their current problems. However, Gobber appeals to him the most and finally convinces him to get a Dragon. Stoick turns to Hiccup to ask where he may find one, but first Hiccup decides to teach him how to fly.
Outside the Dragon Academy, Hiccup introduces the specific techniques to fly Toothless to his father; having designed an add-on stirrup to accommodate Stoick's left foot, he notes how riding and getting along with a dragon is all about trust. He demonstrates this by letting him lay his hand on Toothless. However, Stoick remains reluctant about all this. After a unsuccessful attempt at riding (finally crashing down by a beach back-grounded by a large cliff), Stoick gives up, but is, yet again, faced with the problem of getting up over the cliff, which forces him to ask Hiccup for assistance.
With Hiccup at the reins, they fly over and around Berk (taking the "Scenic route", as stated by Hiccup). Hiccup tries to appeal to him again of how much easier his daily duties would be on a Dragon. Stoick protests he prefers to be on the ground, but spots a problem from their vantage point: a field filled with fallen yaks (a yak tipping joke by Ruffnut and Tuffnut). After Toothless obliterates the twin's obvious hiding spot Stoick orders them to put the yaks back on their feet, and they fly onward. They spot some pesky wild boars helping themselves to a growing vegetable field and Hiccup orders a plasma blast to scare them off; Stoick wants him to do it again only because he likes the sound it makes. Hiccup goes above the clouds to see the island from above. Stoick is awestruck by its beauty, realizing how much he missed even with his thorough explorations of the island throughout his life. Hiccup at first assumes Stoick is simply talking about the view, but his father explains he also sees the village from the eyes of a chieftain. He directs his heir's eyes over the village, saying he can see all his people, and everyone is safe; he concludes seeing this leaves him with a good feeling inside. Stoick is finally convinced on how using a dragon can aid in his position as chief.
The next morning, Hiccup wakes to find Toothless missing. When he steps outside, he, Astrid and Fishlegs witness the disturbing sight of Stoick not quite successfully riding Toothless. They land, explaining he's been all over Berk with Toothless' help (who is VERY tired) and he only came home to get his hatchet to help Spitelout Jorgenson break down a fence. Hiccup points out he shouldn't be doing so on Toothless, but Stoick takes it to mean that Toothless can do the job easily with a plasma bolt. Before he takes off again, Hiccup assures Toothless he'll figure out a solution. Stoick is later shown to have gotten the hang of stirrup control, herding boars as Hiccup did in How to Start a Dragon Academy, retrieving run-away barrels and helping with fishing, receiving the thanks of many of the villagers. However at the end of the day, he thanks Toothless and intends to take him out tomorrow, too. Toothless' exhausted body language causes Hiccup to tell Astrid "You see that? That's what it looks like to be ridden all day by a 400 pound man." Astrid says at least he got his father on a Dragon, to which he says now he has to get him off one. Astrid advises him to compliment him and then give him the bad news (a technique called "Honey and the Hatchet").
The next morning, Stoick looks for Toothless, but can't find him... because Toothless, unable to simply refuse Stoick riding him, opted to hide instead. Hiccup talks to his dad, first complimenting him, yet Stoick acknowledges the strategy and asks him to give him "the hatchet". Defeated, Hiccup complains how Toothless is his Dragon and he should find a different one of his own. Stoick concedes this to be fair, and asks Hiccup to find him one.
That day in the Berk Dragon Academy, he looks at all the Dragons (with the exception of Terrible Terrors, of course). Snotlout tries to appeal to him using an advertising-like tone, but only plans to mess with Stoick by having him sit on him and telling Hookfang to set himself ablaze. As a result, Stoick's backside is set on fire, causing him to jump into the water trough. He looks at the Deadly Nadder hoping to find something, but, as a result of giving her a too hard thump on the nose, is almost impaled by a several flying tail spikes. He concludes he has no interest in them because he's looking for a Dragon "as good as Toothless".
Gobber informs them the rogue Dragon is attacking yet another ship. Hiccup and Stoick set out with Toothless to deal with the scenario. They find out the rogue Dragon is a Thunderdrum, one of the most powerful Dragons. Mulch and Bucket only have their oars to defend their catch, and after taking down the mast the Thunderdrum snatches it anyway. Impressed with the Dragon's fighting spirit and spunk when it forces him into a fight, Stoick captures it with a fishing net and says 'all you need to do is train it for me.' Looking at the wild Thunderdrum, Hiccup, Bucket and Mulch are lost for words.
Nonetheless, they take it back to the Dragon Training Academy, restricted by a muzzle so it can't use its sonic roar (of which Hiccup apologizes for and comments to it that now they just need one for Stoick). Hiccup tries to get them to trust each other, but they are both too stubborn. Stoick doesn't take no for an answer and flies him, against his will, anyway.
Later, Stoick returns to Hiccup and tells him his Thunderdrum escaped after throwing him off. All the teens fly off in different directions, trying to find it. Stoick and Hiccup (both on the back of Toothless) find him in front of a small cave. When Stoick approaches with a small mace in hand to rumble with his wild Dragon once again, he sees a purple Thunderdrum with an injured wing. Stoick quickly realizes this is why his Dragon stole their catch, as the injured Dragon couldn't feed or fend for itself. Stoick orders Hiccup retrieve the other trainers and stays with his Thunderdrum to investigate the problem.
Stoick gains trust with his new Dragon.
Wild boars picked up the scent of the injured Thunderdrum and move in, but Stoick fights them alongside his Thunderdrum, developing trust between the two and defeating the wild boars together. In this process, Stoick tears off the Thunderdrum's muzzle and it allows him to get on its back. As one, they wait for the right moment, then Stoick signals the Dragon to roar, which blows away all the boars.
Stoick and his Dragon now trust each other and have a good understanding, while the purple Thunderdrum is brought back to Berk to be healed by Gobber. After Stoick helps to tow two ships out of the harbor from the air, father and son fly out over the waters of Berk together, Stoick's Dragon roaring and Toothless answering back.
My dad still does things the Viking way. Fortunately Toothless and I showed him the Viking way can also be the Dragon way.
Transcript The full transcript can be found here
Trivia
- Stoick get his dragon in this episode, a Thunderdrum.
- It's revealed Stoick's weight is about 400 pounds, (although Hiccup could've been exaggerating.)
- The ending cinematography almost resemble the Test Drive scene in the movie.