We are going to make this a night no one will ever forget.

This is easily one of the best episodes of the season, including pretty much all the characters in fabulous outfits (even if for most, it’s the ONLY fabulous outfit they ever get for the rest of the series…), character development on various fronts, and of course, Catradora. Also, as the art is so important, this will be an image-heavy post.

The premise is that Adora’s been invited to the “All Princess Ball,” because she’s technically a princess now, but Bow and Glimmer are far more excited by the prospect of “Princess Prom,” because of course they are.

Bow: The Ball has been going on for centuries. There’s a lot of really old etiquette stuff you gotta do before you can party.

Glimmer: But it’s gonna be so fun! And Princess Frosta is hosting this year in the Kingdom of Snows. Her magic is incredibly powerful! She’d be a huge get for the Rebellion. Don’t worry! I’ll be right there with you! And so will Bow, since he’s going as my plus-one!

Bow: Uh, actually-

[…]

Glimmer: It’s the Best Friend Squad in action! Right, Bow?

Bow: I’m going with Perfuma.

Glimmer: What?

Meanwhile in the Fright Zone, Catra’s confiding in Scorpia (presumably because she’s the only person in the Horde who’s ever been nice to her).

Catra: Unfortunately, you’re the only one I can trust around here.

Scorpia: Because we’re best friends.

Catra: Stop being so you and help me think! I have the beginning of a plan, but it’s not enough. I need to capture Adora, so Shadow Weaver doesn’t demote me. I need to impress Hordak, so he’ll make me the new Shadow Weaver. How do I do both?

Scorpia: Why don’t you try something at the All Princess Ball? Every princess is gonna be there, so Adora probably will be, too. Ooh! This year’s theme is Winter Wonderland!

Catra: How did you get your claws on this?

Scorpia: They sent it to me. I’m a princess.

Scorpia: Yeah, you know. The Horde crash-landed in my family’s kingdom. We let them stay. My family gave Hordak our runestone, the Black Garnet?

Catra: You’re a princess?

Scorpia: Oh man, I thought everyone knew. I mean, it’s covered in Force Captain orientation.

Catra: I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t have skipped that. Okay, you’re a princess, and you’re going to a princess ball.

Scorpia: Oh, no. I’m not going. No. No one liked my family, even before we joined the Horde. Ah, I never really…fit with the other princesses. I made them uncomfortable, and yeah, they don’t like that. They don’t like me.

This is the first time Catra’s bothered to actually talk to Scorpia (even if it seems to be a last resort), and she’s surprised to find in her a sympathetic ally (because, you know, Catra tends to expect the worst of everyone, and in the Horde, she’s usually correct in that assumption).

Catra: And that’s exactly why you have to go! How dare those princesses pretend they’re better than you! Just because you’re different? How dare they abandon people, just because they don’t fit in with their perfect little lives! […] How dare they take best friends and turn them into giant sword-ladies who run off with people clearly inferior to you!

Scorpia: You’re telling my whole life with your words.

Catra: Well, it’s time to show those princesses a thing or two. You’re going, I’m coming as your plus-one, and we are going to make this a night no one will ever forget.

Scorpia: Super Pal Duo is going to prom!

I mean, Scorpia might relate to Catra’s abandonment issues insomuch as she’s clearly ostracized for her family’s choices, but she probably never even met Adora, and obviously didn’t have any relationship with her. Basically, Scorpia supports the plan more because she wants to have fun with Catra than anything else, and if the events of the night make Catra happy, so much the better. Because she really is a simple soul.

Meanwhile, Glimmer’s being awfully possessive.

Bow: I thought it’d be fun! And Perfuma’s cool.

Glimmer: Yeah, she’s fine. But we always go to events together, we have a whole routine! We wear matching outfits, we share inside jokes, and then we eat ice cream afterwards. It’s our thing.

Bow: Well, there’s nothing wrong with a new thing. Look, I gotta get ready. We’ll hang out with you guys there!

Glimmer: But I liked our old thing.

As usual, Bow’s being totally reasonable (aside from the fact that he failed to mention that he was going with Perfuma, but considering everything they had going on, it’s not too surprising). It turns out to be a little more than mere jealousy, but she doesn’t have time to stew on it because Adora needs help preparing for the ball herself.

Adora: I’m feeling good! I’ve prepared for any and all possible scenarios, and I am so ready for this ball.

Glimmer: Great! What are you wearing?

Adora: I was just going to go as She-ra. I mean, she has better hair…

Glimmer: Well you can’t go as She-ra. They have a strict no-weapons rule. Neutral ground and all. So you’ll have to leave your sword at the door. […] Ooh! You know what this means?

Adora: That clothes aren’t important and I should just keep studying?

Glimmer: It’s makeover time!

Thus begins a “makeover” montage (it’s mostly just trying on dresses, tho), with Adora and Scorpia being the main subjects, as pretty much everyone else picks out their outfits on the first try (granted, Glimmer might’ve done better if she didn’t keep trying to put Adora in floofy pink dresses).

This one is just so garishly hideous that I don’t even have to look it up to confirm this is a reference to the 80’s cartoon!

And of course Adora is gonna pull an Aragorn and be weird about handing off her sword to a stranger.

Adora: You’ve gotta be careful with it! Don’t just lean it somewhere, and don’t- don’t keep it with the other swords or it might get confused!

This is also the last episode in the Princess Recruitment arc – Glimmer claims that if Frosta joins, all the “others” will follow, but we never actually meet anymore princesses after her. Maybe they’d initially planned on introducing characters like Sweet Bee and Peekablue (they at least get a mention, and according to the art department, they ARE guests here), but by the time they got to season 2, they realized the ensemble was big enough as it was.

Adora: That’s Frosta? But she’s, like ten!

Princess Frosta: I’m eleven and three quarters.

Frosta is one of the characters that changed the most, primarily because of the de-aging, but she’s also the only instance of a character demoted to princess, as she had the title of Empress in the old series.

Glimmer attempts to smooth things over with Frosta, but that’s a bad foot to start out on.

After the requisite formal greeting, Adora spots Entrapta, and meets up with her just because she’s a familiar face.

Entrapta: Adora! Glimmer! Are you here to watch the social experiment, too?

Adora: Social experiment?

Entrapta: Different groups are thrown together and forced to mingle. Hierarchies form and break. It’s the perfect place to observe behavior! And they have tiny food! Where’s Bow? I want to show him my new recorder!

Glimmer: He’s coming later.

Entrapta: Why didn’t he come with you? Aren’t you two friends?

Glimmer: Why would you think we’re not-

I have to admire Entrapta for finding her own way to make a social engagement fun! But Glimmer was clearly upset at the implication that Bow might not be her “friend” anymore. And when Bow shows up wearing matching outfits with Perfuma, she’s mad because that was supposed to be their “best friend thing”, even though, you know, it’s normal for a guy to dress to compliment his partner’s outfit?

Perfuma: The She-ra! Glimmer! It’s great to see you.

Bow: Perfuma was just telling me about a winged horse that ate all the apples in Plumeria, and then flew away! Sound familiar?

Glimmer: Sure, whatever. Isn’t this fun? Adora and I are having such a great time here together. Just the two of us. 

Glimmer’s so determined to act as if Bow hanging out with other people doesn’t bother her that she overcompensates by acting like she’s doing all the things she and Bow used to do at such engagements, but with Adora (and between Glimmer’s standoffishness toward Bow and Adora’s general awkwardness, they’re not really having much fun).

And with Glimmer so distracted, Adora’s forced to try to make up with Frosta on her own.

Adora: Revered hostess, I’ve come to apologize for earlier. I was so rude.

Frosta: Yes, you were. But as you’re only an honorary princess, you can’t be expected to know better.

Adora: Your kingdom is truly beautiful, Princess Frosta. I’m- I’m honored to be here.

Frosta: Thank you. And now I expect you’re going to ask me to join your rebellion. […] Princesses talk, you know.

Adora: Princess Frosta, the Rebellion needs you. Your kingdom is the largest and most powerful, your alliance could be the key to defeating the Horde.

Frosta: The Horde hasn’t threatened us here.

Adora: Only because the Kingdom of Snows is so out of the way, it doesn’t matter to Hordak right now. Joining the Rebellion is obviously your best bet!

Frosta: The Kingdom of Snows has defended itself perfectly well for thousands of years. We do not need your help, or your Rebellion. Please continue to enjoy the ball.

So after failing to win over Frosta, Adora runs off to commiserate with Glimmer.

Adora: Are you okay? Why does it bother you so much?

Glimmer: It doesn’t! Bow can hang out with whoever he wants, I just- I never had that many friends, okay? It’s always just been me and Bow. But now, what if he likes his new friends better than me? What if everyone does?

Adora: That’s not gonna happen, Glimmer. Trust me, Bow isn’t the type to just leave all his old friends behind, and neither am-

-I.

And now, on to the main event!

Adora: Revered hostess, you can’t let them in, they’re from the Horde.

Catra: Revered hostess, Princess Scorpia was invited, as per the rules of this ball, rules which I personally have the utmost respect for.

Adora: You do not!

Frosta: Princess Adora, the rules state clearly that all princesses, and their chosen guests, are welcome.

Adora: But they’re up to something! I can feel it! You have to-

Frosta: That’s enough! You look at me and see a child. But I have worked too hard to gain respect, only to throw it away because you “feel” they’re “up to something.” For centuries, the All Princess Ball has been neutral ground. I will not dishonor that legacy. Scorpia is a princess, princesses get plus-ones, they stay!

Thus commences a strikingly similar plot to the last episode, but better. Not only is there a better ensemble, but there are also clearer stakes. Adora wants to win over Frosta, but her faux pas earlier makes Frosta trust her less and feel like she’s just being condescending. And this results in both Glimmer and Adora being thrown off the dais, and they’re not getting any help, because Bow’s presumably the only other person who knows Scorpia is from the Horde, and Glimmer’s just too proud to beg him for help, even when Adora knows that Catra wouldn’t be here just to socialize. Scorpia maybe, but never Catra.

So Adora proceeds to stalk Catra, but Glimmer’s left to watch Scorpia, and naturally she’s distracted by Bow, like she’s been all night.

Bow: Glimmer, hi.

Glimmer: There’s something I need to tell you. I know things between us have been weird all night, so I just wanted to say-

Bow: It’s all right. I accept your apology.

Glimmer: -I forgive you.

Bow: You forgive me? Glimmer, I’m allowed to hang out with other people.

Glimmer: But don’t you see? That’s how it starts! Then suddenly everyone has new friends and nobody needs me anymore, and then, I’m all alone.

Bow: What are you talking about? You have me, plus Adora, and everyone who joined the Rebellion.

Glimmer: That’s what I’m talking about! It used to be the two of us, and now, everything’s changing. I don’t want you to leave me behind!

Bow: No one is leaving you behind! I wanted to hang out with you and Adora and Perfuma tonight. But you’re the one that keeps being weird and leaving. I know change is scary, Glimmer, but that doesn’t mean you get to take it out on me. Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to get my cumberbund because it is freezing in here. We’ll talk later, okay?

That’s the big fear for Glimmer – not that Bow will make other friends, but that if he makes new friends, he won’t “need” her, because for so long, they were each other’s only friends. It’s the same sort of transactional thinking she’s been displaying from the start; she hangs out with people who can help with her mission, and she assumes everyone else does the same. Bow was even trying to let her in on an inside joke when he first met up with her, as presumably she and Adora are the only other people who know about Swift Wind there. He just wanted his friends to get along.

And then Glimmer finally notices that Scorpia’s vanished…

Meanwhile, Catra’s run into Entrapta.

Entrapta: You’re right, this is a much better vantage point for my observations! Hi Adora. Have you met my new assistant? She brought snacks.

Catra: She stole my food and then asked me to spy on people with her. Is this what love feels like?

Adora: Entrapta, she’s from the Horde! The people the Rebellion are fighting? The Rebellion you’re a part of!

Entrapta: Oh, well in that case, we should probably keep a better eye on her, because she just walked away.

And then Bow runs into Scorpia planting heat bombs in the ice castle. And Scorpia stings him, because weapons attached to the body can’t very well be left at the door.

And thus begins the dance.

No, really. The dancing begins, and Catra engages Adora for the first dance. They’re pretty good for people who have presumably never danced in their lives before!

Catra: I don’t know about you, but I am having a blast.

Adora: Whatever it is you’re planning, it won’t work.

Catra: You sure?

Then Adora proceeds to switch partners, going from Glimmer to Perfuma and back again, such that she gathers that no one’s seen Bow for quite some time…

Catra: Maybe my plan won’t work, but then again, maybe it already has. Say, where’s your friend, Bow?

Naturally, that’s enough for Adora to get violent with Catra, which is just what Catra wanted. Because that’s the last straw for Frosta, and she pins Adora in an ice cage. But before she can officially expel her, the bombs start blowing up.

Adora: Catra, what did you do?

Catra: I did nothing. Scorpia, Lonnie, and Kyle, on the other hand, were very busy. It was fun distracting you, though.

Adora: This isn’t a game! People are gonna get hurt.

Catra: It’s never been a game to me. I’m after something bigger, and no one is going to stop me.

Catra always enjoyed teasing Adora, and I think that’s part of the reason this show works so well: Catra and Adora’s characterization is always consistent, but their dynamic shifts in believable ways.

And when Glimmer goes to rescue Bow, she’s stung by Scorpia, too!

Then, in the crumbling ice castle, Catra manages to escape to the roof (and naturally, Adora pursues).

They fight on the roof, with it being pretty even odds, Catra having speed and agility to counter Adora’s raw power. But when Adora dodges a heavy blow, Catra goes flying off the edge.

But Adora just can’t let her fall.

This is one of the places where the soundtrack and animation do a lot of heavy lifting. The action theme’s strong throughout the chase and fight, but softens into what I assume is Catra’s theme when she’s about to fall.

And then they BOTH fall because earthquakes from the crumbling ice castle.

Adora: Hang on! I can get us out of this.

Catra: Oh, Adora. I don’t want you to.

Then Catra lets go, because of course she’s got an escape already lined up.

Catra: See you later, princess.

So Catra now has not only Bow and Glimmer, but also She-ra’s sword that they swiped from the contraband booth.

Honestly, there’s a reason this episode is so popular in AMVs, and not just because the hero and villain dancing (romantically?) is a time-honored tradition (as evidenced by the presence of a similar setup for Lumity, or Kraehe, for that matter). The animation is good, but what really makes it shine has to be the storyboards. Those are the people responsible for key images in the episode, and while this show never credits specific scenes to the multiple people who work on storyboards each episode, Mickey Quinn is credited in just about every episode that includes significant interactions between Catra and Adora, and she also worked on “Alone At Sea,” a Steven Universe episode that featured a similarly complicated relationship, so I’ll assume a lot of the images are thanks to her.

Until next time…