These episodes were the first half of what I knew as season 2 but which some sources call season 3. It starts with a very significant episode that really changes the dynamic of the whole show. The Dark Disciples introduces the character of Morpho (voiced by Neil Ross, reprising his Overlord voice from Spiral Zone), and not only do we have him introduced as a baddie, we also get our second (and last) glimpse of the Darkdweller. Also, Ren has to leave the treasures behind in the lighthouse - although this does restore Octopon to part of its former glories. But crucially it means our heroes have no defence now against any dark water they might encounter in the future. Couldn’t they have kept one? They were questing for the others after all, so it would be to protect them in their attempts to save the world! Still, it introduces the idea that there is something that needs doing with the treasures. Mind you, usually that should come at the very end of the series, not here. Oh well, it’s still a great episode and an important episode in terms of the series’ continuity - at least, if it had got to completion. Perhaps as a consequence of this, most of the rest of this season doesn’t have as much direct bearing on their quest.
The Ghost Pirates has the familiar feel of something that happens in some form or other in most cartoons, one of our heroes’ temptation gets the better of him and he nearly pays the ultimate price for it. In this case it’s Ioz’s love of treasure. It’s a good episode though, with his gradually turning into a ghost - you compared The Dagron Master to Visionaries’ “Lion Hunt”, this one has a more obvious parallel, with the magic spell that has to be broken before a certain point. Also it was fun to hear the voice of Kate Mulgrew as Cressa, the captain of the ghost pirates.
The Dagron Master explores more into the world of Mer, and the origins of flying beasts that Bloth employs. Interesting ideas again, and Ioz’s line “I’m a pirate, not a pilot!” always makes me chuckle. They did miss a trick at the end though, by not having the Dagron armour wash up somewhere to be discovered by someone…
The Game Players Of Undaar is one of those stories that is done to death - it owes a lot to Star Trek, which has numerous variations on this theme, some of them amazing, some of them dodgy. There’s a GI Joe episode where I think Flint, Lady Jaye, Cobra Commander and the Baroness are thrown into a similar situation, and I can’t think what else. This episode has the least to do with the series’ main premise. Although I think I heard one of the Players’ voices was Paul Eiding (Perceptor from Transformers, and apparently Nozone from Toxic Crusaders also).
Some good episodes, not as focused on the main premise as the previous season(s) though. Bit like King Arthur And The Knights Of Justice, where only about three or four episodes per season would actually focus on the main objective (getting the Keys Of Truth). I think I only saw this season once as a kid, although I have seen them more as an adult.