A Weighty Decision

"A Weighty Decision" is the eleventh of twelve episodes in The Flight of Dragons, the animated television prequel to the eponymous 1983 movie. It aired on April 12th, 1986, and is the second-to-last episode of the first season before the series' cancellation that fall. Due to the finale episode "The Fall of Dragons" being produced in 1984 as a standalone film, "A Weighty Decision" is the final animated work produced by Rankin/Bass Productions before their closure in 1987.

The episode's plot carries off where the previous episode "Matters of Life" left off, with Ommadon the Red Wizard having successfully trapped Carolinus in a realm free of magic. Meanwhile, Ommadon's dragon lieutenant Bryagh besieges King Baldwin's castle, so as to divert their attention away from the Red Wizard's massing army of ogres and trolls.

The heroes and good dragons then gather to determine their best course of action against this two-pronged threat. Sir John Neville and Smrgol resolve to go free Carolinus, while Giles goes to lift the siege of the castle. John and Smrgol seek out Solarius the Blue Wizard, receiving from him a a special amulet that will let the wearer wield magic in any realm. Smrgol plans to attack Ommadon head-on—a nearly suicidal plan—so that Sir John can enter the unmagical realm and give the amulet to Carolinus.

Meanwhile, Giles is able to rendezvous with Queen Moraphia, who tells him how Bryagh has trapped King Baldwin inside the throne room. Together, they devise a strategy to lure Bryagh away; while Moraphia orders the castle kitchen staff to fetch every dessert and foodstuff they have, Giles attacks Bryagh and leads him on a chase through the castle halls. They arrive in a ballroom filled to the brim with desserts, which Bryagh begins greedily devouring. While the dragon is distracted, Baldwin escapes from the castle and rallies the troops.

Ommadon senses something is wrong, and magically travels to Baldwin's castle to find that Bryagh gorged himself on much of the food. He orders Bryagh to track down the king, but the dragon is too fat to fit through the doors, let alone fly. Ommadon's absence allows Sir John to enter the unmagical realm unopposed, and he is able to give the amulet to Carolinus. The wizard uses his now-accessible powers to free himself, and the two fly upon Smrgol's back and reunite with Giles and King Baldwin, preparing for the final battle against Ommadon's army.