Balance must be restored. Etheria must seek a hero.

I briefly considered doing parts 1 and 2 both in the same post, but they’re distinct enough that I think they merit individual discussions…also there are several two-parters throughout the series, and it’s just easier if I don’t have to do 45 minutes at a time (I got enough of that in Season 3 of The Owl House).

Anyhow, when I first watched the show, I was mainly drawn in by Catradora, and that’s also most of what’s kept me coming back, so forgive me if I squee over a somewhat problematic character.

This is Adora. She’s been trained to serve in the Horde.

Sergeant: The Whispering Woods is full of princesses, vicious, violent instigators. They will take you out if given the chance. Don’t give it to them.

The episode opens with a training simulation, so we get to see how Adora fights (that is, mostly in the thick of the action).

But that often gets her in danger.

Catra: Hey Adora. How’s it hanging?

Adora: Catra. Did you really show up late and let us do all the hard parts? That is low, even for you.

Catra: Aw, you know nothing’s too low for me.

As far as I’m aware, AJ Michalka was only a voice actress in Steven Universe (as Stevonnie), and here as Catra. Perhaps she was drawn in because she knows her way around a sound booth (she is a singer, the AJ of Aly & AJ), but I just find it amusing that she’s seemingly been typecast as a voice actress for queer characters of color (she is very white, for the record).

The rest of their teammates are Lonnie (the black girl), Rogelio (the “g” is pronounced as an “h”, that’s the lizard guy), and Kyle. It isn’t really relevant to this episode, but will be in the future.

Catra: You should’ve seen your face! You were like “Ah! No! Betrayal!”

Adora: Oh, come on, Catra. We’re senior cadets now. I can’t believe you’re still pulling such immature- is that a mouse?

i just love when catra acts like a kitty

Adora: Are you ever going to not fall for that?

Catra: I don’t know, are you ever going to let it go? That was one time!

This is the one thing I wish there was more of: Catra’s catty mannerisms. She occasionally purrs or hisses (and gets the shock/scared bushy tail), but that’s about it. I really feel like it was a missed opportunity.

But then Shadow Weaver walks in to dampen the mood (because that’s just what she does).

Shadow Weaver: You have done well. You’ve completed your training course in record time.

Adora: Well, it wasn’t just me, you know. Catra did, too.

Shadow Weaver: Ah, yes. How someone as unmotivated as you completed the course in that time, I’ll never know.

Catra: Always serving up those pep talks, huh, Shadow Weaver?

Shadow Weaver: Silence. Do not be flippant with me, cadet.

Why, yes, Shadow Weaver DOES literally command shadows! And mostly uses them against Catra.

But she’s always more interested in Adora (for reasons that are explained much later).

Shadow Weaver: Lord Hordak has been watching you. He thinks you are a fine candidate for force captain. […] Oh, yes. He sees great promise in you. In fact, he has selected you for the honor of leading a squadron in the invasion of the rebel fortress of Thaymor.

Adora: Thaymor? You mean, we’re finally seeing active duty?

Shadow Weaver: You are seeing active duty.

Adora: But I’ll be able to bring my team along, right?

Shadow Weaver: Your team is not ready. They’ll only slow you down.

Adora: Shadow Weaver? With respect, they’ve been training hard for this, too, and Catra- all she wants is to get out there and prove herself.

Shadow Weaver: Then she should’ve worked harder to prove herself to me. This is what I raised you for, Adora. Now is your chance to prove yourself. I saw talent in you the moment I found you as an orphan child and took you in. Is this not what you’ve wanted since you were old enough to want anything?

Adora: Yes.

Meanwhile, on the sparklier side of the conflict…

Queen Angella: I’m told you disobeyed orders and led the Rebellion into a dangerous combat situation after you were ordered to retreat.

Glimmer: I was trying to protect a village from falling into the Horde’s grasp.

Angella: You were reckless, and put yourself and the other rebels in danger.

Glimmer: Fighting is supposed to be dangerous. How are we going to hold our own against the Horde if we keep retreating? Pretty soon we won’t have anything left to defend.

Angella: I’m growing tired of your backtalking, Commander Glimmer.

Glimmer: Why did you even make me a commander if you won’t let me fight?

Angella: That’s enough! You’re…grounded!

Glimmer: Ugh, Mom!

Angella: You heard me.

Glimmer: You never let me do anything!

Angella: We are not having this discussion tonight. You are embarrassing me in front of my royal court!

Glimmer: Oh, I’m embarrassing you!

Angella: Go to your room!

Glimmer’s a character that had to grow on me. She’s a little spoiled (as would kinda be expected for a princess), but Angella is obviously just trying to look out for her by keeping her away from the action. At the moment, I’m just happy to see there’s one parental figure that has her child’s best interests at heart.

And Catra just heard about Adora’s promotion.

Catra: Are you kidding? That is awesome! We’re gonna see the world, and conquer it! Adora, I need to blow something up!

[…]

Adora: Shadow Weaver says…you’re not coming.

Catra: What? My time was just as good as yours today! What is her problem with me?

Adora: I mean, you are kinda disrespectful.

Catra: Why should I respect her? She’s just bitter that she doesn’t have any real power that doesn’t come from Hordak and everyone knows it! I guess it sure must be easy being a people-pleaser like you.

Then she runs off, and of course Adora follows.

Adora: Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think you wanted to be a force captain.

Catra: I don’t. Here, take your stupid badge.

Adora: Come on, Catra. This is what I’ve been working for my entire life. I was hoping you could be…I don’t know, happy for me?

Catra: Ugh, whatever. It’s not like I even care. I just wanna get out of this dump at some point before I die of boredom. I wonder what’s even outside the Fright Zone, anyway.

And then to cheer her up, Adora uses her newfound status to “borrow” a skiff.

Adora: Save us enough fuel to get back!

Catra: That is a problem for Future Adora and Catra.

these two

They drive right into the Whispering Woods, rebel territory.

Adora: They say there are strange old monsters in there, and-and the trees move when you’re not looking. Every Horde squadron they’ve sent in there has never come out again.

Catra: Let’s go in.

Adora: Wait, what?

And then they manage to drive into a tree, tossing Adora off into the woods.

And setting her on course to Destiny, as you do!

Balance must be restored. Etheria must seek a hero. Adora…

Then she wakes up on the ground, with no sign of a sword, and naturally, Catra just thinks she dreamed it (or she has a concussion, one or the other). But that’s enough peril that they decide to head back.

Meanwhile, Glimmer’s grounded (but not quite so grounded that she’s unable to teleport a friend in her room with her teleportation powers).

Glimmer: I was just trying to defend another one of our villages from falling into the Horde’s clutches! She stationed me all the way out there because it’s too remote to ever get attacked, but then it did! And it was my one chance to prove that I can do this, but she acts like I can’t do anything, because I’m just a princess.

Bow: That doesn’t make any sense. Everyone here is a princess! I’m, like, the only one who’s not a princess.

Bow is the resident master archer, and also the resident not-gay best friend (because when you have so few guys in the cast, I guess you have to pair them up with girls?).

Bow: Your mom might have a point. Only reason you got out of there is because of your teleportation powers, and let’s face it, they don’t always work that well.

Glimmer: Looking for support here, Bow!

Bow: I’m just saying, if you want to prove yourself, it’s gonna take more than running recklessly into any old battle. Luckily, I’ve got just the thing. Check this out! I detected a piece of First Ones tech in the Whispering Woods, a pretty powerful one, too, by the size of these readings. You find this one and bring it back, your mom is bound to be impressed.

Glimmer: Did you forget I’m grounded?

And then her mom comes up to her room, they argue again, and Glimmer’s suddenly all in on the mission.

The “First Ones tech” honestly reminds me most of the Lost Technology of Trigun, and it wasn’t in the original show, but I’ve never heard Trigun referenced as an influence, so who knows.

these two are precious

But Adora’s having trouble sleeping because Destiny is calling her name (literally, the voice she heard from the sword is now calling her name).

So she wakes up, but Catra wakes up, too, and she isn’t about to let Adora go on a midnight adventure without her.

Adora: Look, Catra! I know I saw something out there. I just need to get another look. It feels…important, somehow.

Catra: Sounds good. Let’s go.

Adora: No. I don’t want you getting in trouble on my behalf. Just…cover for me, okay? I’ll be back before anyone knows I’m gone.

Of course it turns out that all three of them are after the same thing.

Adora: Stand down! I don’t want to hurt you.

Glimmer: Since when do Horde soldiers not want to hurt anyone?

There’s a bit of a tussle, but Adora finally manages to touch the magic sword.

Adora: Who are you? What’s going on?

Light Hope: My name is Light Hope. I have been waiting a long time for you, but I could not reach you until you forged your connection with the sword.

Adora: You sent the sword?

Light Hope: The sword is meant for you. Etheria has need of you, Adora. Will you answer its call? Will you fight for the honor of Grayskull?

Adora: What are you talking about? What is-what’s Grayskull? You’re not making any sense, I don’t understand!

Light Hope: You will.

When Adora comes to (again), she’s been captured by Bow and Glimmer (or at least she’s been handcuffed). Glimmer’s thrilled that she has a “Horde spy” to present to her mom on top of the sword, but Bow is just here to make friends, so he strikes up a conversation with Adora.

Adora: You know she’s a princess, right? How can you follow her? Princesses are a dangerous threat to everyone on Etheria.

Bow: Is that what Hordak told you?

Adora: Well, I thought it was just common knowledge. […] They’re violent instigators who don’t even know how to control their powers.

Bow: You’ve never actually met a princess, have you?

Adora: What happened to this place?

Glimmer: Don’t play dumb with me. I bet you were part of the raiding party that did this.

Adora: What are you talking about? The Horde didn’t do this!

Glimmer: Oh yeah? [shows her a wrecked Horde bot] You’re a heartless destroyer, just like all the rest of your people!

Adora: I am not a destroyer! Hordak says we’re doing what’s best for Etheria, we’re trying to make things better, more orderly.

Glimmer: This is what’s best for Etheria? Ever since they got here, they’ve been poisoning our land, burning our cities, destroying everything in their path, and you’re a part of it! How’s that for orderly?

Much like in Steven Universe, this show is trying to turn the imperialist narrative on its head, but they’re being more upfront about it.

Adora: This doesn’t make any sense. The Horde would never do something like this.

Bow: Did you really not know any of this? I mean, your army is called The Evil Horde.

Adora: Who calls us that?

Bow: Everybody!

Adora: The Horde rescued me when I was a baby and gave me a home. They’re my family! Y-you don’t know them like I do.

Bow: Maybe you don’t know them like you think you do.

Adora’s the sort of person who always wants to do what’s right…being faced with the fact that what she always thought was right might not be.

And now they’re faced with a bug monster (that looks suspiciously like it might actually be a robot).

Bow and Glimmer are fighting for their lives when Adora finally gets a hold of the sword…and of course she’s not gonna leave them to die.

Adora: Come on, magic sword! Where’s a blinding flash of light when you need one?

Light Hope: Adora, will you fight for the honor of Grayskull?

Adora: For the honor of Grayskull!

Those are the magic words to trigger the transformation (and some bonus visions for good measure)!

Until next time…