Aw, cute! You can turn your sword into stuff.

This season is mainly concerned with tying up loose threads from the first, and as such, it’s only seven episodes long (about half the length season 1).

The Princess Alliance is functioning fairly well under Glimmer’s guidance, as they focus on the defending the Whispering Woods from the Horde’s bots in order to let it regrow in peace.

But Frosta’s not used to teamwork, and frequently annoys Glimmer by refusing to follow orders (an irony that will not go unaddressed).

Frosta seems to be inspired largely by Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender, as she has a fairly similar background (Toph was a child of a wealthy family), and they’re similarly eager to fight. She also seems to fill the role of the “annoying little sister”, since she’s the youngest team member (and annoying).

Meanwhile, Adora’s keeping her word to Light Hope and training a lot with simulations at the Crystal Castle, which typically involves bots, but since Catra was scanned, too, her likeness in the simulations is pretty spot-on (and naturally, that bugs Adora).

Catra: Aw, cute! You can turn your sword into stuff. Hey Adora.

Because that’s evidently what she’s been focusing on in training: Making her sword take different forms, since the only other form she’s been able to master thus far is the shield.

Catra: I knew you couldn’t do it.

Adora: Did you have to make her so mean?

Light Hope: The simulation is designed for total accuracy. Is the one you call Catra not mean?

Adora: No, she is.

It is kind of cute how Light Hope tries to be supportive, despite her evidently being programmed to work with adults, not teens.

Adora: I want to be the best She-ra. I want to protect the planet, but Catra…she’s just in my head.

Light Hope: She has access to your mainframe?

Adora: She isn’t actually in my head. When you grow up with someone, they just know how to push your buttons.

Light Hope: I can relate. I also have buttons. You have come a long way, but there is still much to do. You must learn to master your emotions, or you are destined to repeat the mistakes of the last She-ra.

Clearly, Light Hope has given up on making Adora give up her “attachments”, but she’s still insisting that Adora master her emotions, lest she “snap” like Mara…but it’s still unclear what exactly Mara did, aside from placing Etheria in some sort of pocket dimension.

Meanwhile in the Fright Zone, Catra’s enjoying her new position as second-in-command, and it doesn’t hurt that they haven’t had to deploy any actual soldiers to the Whispering Woods, rather sending bots there and taking new territory elsewhere (including, evidently, Dryl, Entrapta’s home).

It’s not a bad way to start a second season, with the villains having gained significant ground, but not at any serious cost to the heroes. And of course, it never hurts to have villains that you care about, too!

Perfuma wants to focus on regrowing the forest (naturally), but Bow points out that they’re struggling to hold their borders while the Horde is free to take just about any place they please. So he proposes a new strategy.

Bow: I’ve only been able to recover pieces, seeing as we have never not completely demolished one of these things. But if we could capture a whole bot, I might be able to program a kill switch. We could wipe them all out without draining our forces.

And as Frosta’s been one of the main culprits as far as smashing up bots, Glimmer orders her to stay at Bright Moon and help protect the castle.

But Entrapta’s rolling out new and improved bots (using First Ones tech, of course), which prove to be surprisingly tough to beat, even if she only had enough tech to build four.

But Frosta just completely disregards orders and tags along anyway…and seemingly completely missed the point of the whole “capture a bot” plan to boot.

Frosta: I know I ignored orders, but no offense, those orders were wrong. You need me here!

Glimmer: You can’t just run off whenever you want!

Frosta: But I did, and I’m here now! And I’m not going back.

And then once they actually run into the bots, she just shows up and starts punching…which gets her thrown off a cliff, so Glimmer has to go and save her.

Glimmer: That was incredibly stupid! You could’ve gotten hurt, or gotten one of us hurt!

Frosta: I was just trying to help!

Glimmer: This is serious, not a game. You need to stop getting in our way!

And naturally Frosta runs off crying at that, but Glimmer doesn’t have time to chase after her thanks to the whole bot situation.

Bow: The Horde’s new bots are too fast, and too smart! I thought I could help, and be the Rebellion’s tech master, but that was obviously a dumb idea.

She-ra: It wasn’t. You’re the only one who came up with a real plan. Without it, we’d still just be reacting to the bots. We need to stop letting the Horde manipulate us, so let’s put our heads together and think.

They soon realize that, unlike the previous bots, these aren’t interested in just attacking the woods, or even attacking the princesses. But Adora realizes that they must be headed for the Beacon, presumably to steal more tech.

But Adora has a plan involving Frosta, so Glimmer has to make up with her.

Frosta: Come to yell at me some more? I just wanted to be your friend.

Glimmer: By ignoring us and throwing yourself into danger?

Frosta: Sorry I don’t know how to act. I’ve never had any friends before! I was eight when I took over the throne. It’s kinda hard to make friends when everyone is your sworn subject.

This is presumably why she has so much trouble following orders, too: Her parent(s?) must have died when she was young in order for her to assume the throne at such a young age, so she must not have had any authority figure telling her what to do for years.

Glimmer: I’m still learning how to be a good friend, too. I’m sorry I yelled, it’s just…I guess you remind me of me. And I can do some really dangerous stuff sometimes.

Frosta: I remind you of you?

Glimmer: Ugh! And I even sounded like my mom when I yelled at you! Please don’t make me do that again.

And here’s the Super Pal Trio watching the bots fight like a football game, because of course that’s a thing they’d do.

But now that the princesses are all working together (and She-ra’s conveniently had practice shifting her weapon), they manage to switch things up enough that they actually take down two of them, and She-ra takes another one down using a lasso, which would be a prime candidate for Bow’s plans.

She-ra: Hey Catra.

But unfortunately, Catra can remotely detonate the bots, and there’s only one left now.

But they all focus on getting the bot (mostly) intact, so Mermista and Frosta tag-team to freeze the bot in place, and Perfuma manages to get Bow to the bot in time for him to disable the self-destruct function.

And this bit of teamwork empowers the princesses, allowing Perfuma to regrow the surrounding valley.

Catra doesn’t appear too bothered by the captured bot…at least in front of her associates.

But she evidently feels free to vent to the disempowered Shadow Weaver.

Catra: You look terrible.

Shadow Weaver: Catra. It’s been so long. I assumed Hordak finally realized what a lazy, worthless creature you are and banished you.

Catra: Just the opposite. Hordak values me. I’ve been busy helping the Horde get closer than it’s ever been to defeating the Rebellion. His words.

Shadow Weaver: If you’re doing so well, why are you here? It’s Adora, isn’t it?

Catra: So? I let her win one! We’re gaining ground, and our armies are growing. When they’re ready to roll out, I will be at the head, and you’ll be here, rotting! Thanks. I needed this.

Because it’s hard to suddenly stop caring about the opinion of a person you worked your whole life to impress, even if she technically has no power over you anymore.

Anyhow, the princesses are having a little post-battle decompression/victory celebration in Glimmer’s room.

Frosta: Thanks again for saving me. You know, after that bot threw me off the cliff.

Glimmer: Friends stick together. No princess left behind.

Oh yeah, they don’t know Entrapta’s still alive yet, do they?

But when Bow discovers this bot uses First Ones tech, he immediately concludes that this must be Entrapta’s work.

Bow: Entrapta’s alive! And we left her behind.

Until next time…