I’ve never had a lab partner before!

This season, the focus on the Horde is honestly kind of ridiculous, but it’s also what got me through it. In this particular episode, the plot with the Best Friend Squad feels more like a b-plot to the much more interesting plot going on in the Fright Zone.

Anyhow, Adora’s seemingly just been brought up to speed about Entrapta, and although she assumes that Shadow Weaver must have gotten to her, Bow and Glimmer reassure her that Entrapta was acting perfectly normal (by her standards).

Glimmer: Entrapta made her decision. We can’t change that. But we can focus on our mission and help our people. We lost all contact with the farming outpost of Alwyn a week ago. The Horde hasn’t been reported in the area, but we can’t be too careful.

Meanwhile in the Fright Zone, Entrapta’s very distracted by an uneven worktable, and so she sets out to find the appropriate tool to fix it.

Elsewhere, Hordak is more irritable than usual due to a failed experiment. And Catra just happens to show up, trying to establish a routine with him.

It goes south VERY quickly.

Catra: Lord Hordak, I just thought we should, you know, touch base, like you used to with Shadow Weaver. Figured we could establish a daily check-in.

Hordak: So I’m to understand you’ve disturbed me for no reason.

Catra: Uh, not for no reason. We need to plan our next move against the Rebellion. The Horde’s in a better spot than ever-

Hordak: Was squandering our advantage while the Whispering Woods regrew part of your plan? Was letting yourself get captured? Etheria’s atmosphere has proved to be a complicating variable in my experiments. I just removed that variable. Tell me, Force Captain, how is your breathing? Pathetic. Just like everything on this backwards planet. Do you know what the definition of failure is, Force Captain? Failure is when something ceases to serve a purpose. When that happens, it becomes worthless to me. Thus far, your performance has been lacking.

Catra: I haven’t failed yet. No one knows how to take the princesses down better than me. Trust me, and let me do that.

Hordak: You say you can defeat the Rebellion? Prove it. You are dismissed.

Now that she can’t play Shadow Weaver and Hordak against each other, Catra’s position is more precarious than ever.

Anyhow, as our heroes approach the outpost in question, Swift Wind begins to sense something odd about the place, and it gives off enough creepy vibes (and inconvenient tech malfunctions) to spook the others, too.

Glimmer: It’s okay! Whatever’s going on here, we’ll solve it. Nothing gets past us! Even if people used to tell stories about Alwyn being haunted.

Adora: Haunted? Like with ghosts?

Glimmer: Ah, it’s just stories. And even if it wasn’t, we’d handle them! No reason to be scared.

Adora: Huh. Well Shadow Weaver used to tell me about ghosts when I was a kid in the Horde. Like the story of the Weeping Princess. A vengeful spirit who roams Etheria looking for victims, and you know she’s coming for you by the sound of weeping right before she strikes!

Swift Wind: Ah! What was that?

Glimmer: What?

Swift Wind: I’m not sure. I thought I heard someone. A voice.

Adora: The Weeping Princess?

Swift Wind: No. Someone’s here, I’m sure of it. We have to find them!

The biggest issue with this plot is that once you know what’s really going on, it’s not even all that creepy, let alone scary.

And Catra’s frustrated by the logistics of actually running an army (as opposed to just commanding troops).

Catra: I’ve been a little busy, you know, almost toppling Bright Moon and coming closer than anyone ever has to conquering the planet for the Horde. Not that anybody seems to care.

Scorpia: I care.

Poor sweet Scorpia continues to be the only one who’s there to support Catra. And help her with the administrative side of things. But they run into a dead end when they realize there’s no more armor, and have to scour the files to find out why.

Catra: How am I supposed to defeat the Rebellion when all I do is this stupid busywork? I bet Shadow Weaver didn’t have to deal with any of this.

Scorpia: Ah, these are her files, so she probably did. Just saying, that’s- that’s a guess on my part…

Then Entrapta drops in (from the vents) in search of her tool.

Catra: Aren’t you some kind of genius? Make do with what you have.

Entrapta: Agh! Of course I could, but it’s the principle! Always use the proper tool for the job. If you can’t help me, it’s fine. I saw one in Hordak’s lab.

Catra: I know you’re new to the Fright Zone, and possibly to being around people in general, but Hordak isn’t somebody to mess with. Under no circumstances will you go anywhere near Hordak’s sanctum.

Entrapta: Ooh! He calls his lab a sanctum! Oh, that is so classy!

Catra: Focus! I need you to promise that you will stay away from Hordak! Promise!

Entrapta: Okay! Okay, I promise.

While Catra’s clearly annoyed by the intrusion, she’s also saying this for Entrapta’s benefit. After all, Hordak was contemplating killing her this morning, and he’d probably have even less patience for a person like Entrapta.

And then Catra orders Scorpia to keep tabs on her and make sure she sticks to her promise, but of course Scorpia still has her mind on her previous task of figuring out the armor problem. She discovers that the problem is the armory is out of the metal they use to make the armor…and loses track of Entrapta immediately.

Back with the heroes, they find evidence that the people fled suddenly, but no sign of a struggle.

Adora: This place is weird! Like the lair of the Undead Princess, where she lures soldiers to their doom!

Bow: Undead princess? The Horde really had a theme, huh?

Adora: Oh…you’re right! Can’t believe I’m just realizing this now. 

Glimmer: Weird or not, we have a mission. Something happened here that forced these people to flee their home. We have to get to the bottom of this. 

And of course Entrapta’s still contemplating entering Hordak’s lab despite her promise.

Entrapta: Ethical dilemma number…uh, 63. I told Catra I wouldn’t go into Hordak’s lab, but if she never finds out, does it count? I could just pop in, grab the tool, and pop out! No one would ever know. But I would know. I shouldn’t do it. Or should I? No, I shouldn’t.

of course she does it

And discovers him at another failed experiment.

Entrapta: Well, there’s no reason to get huffy because an experiment failed. Failure is a vital part of all scientific endeavor! What if I had given up on you [Emily] after the first explosion? Or the fiftieth? I know, I should leave, but I have to stay, for science!

Her passion for science is just adorable.

Credit where it’s due, the sound design is actually creepy in this scene (even when you know what’s going on).

Adora: Woah! Do you guys hear that?

Swift Wind: Yes, finally! I told you, it’s a weird sound. 

Adora: It’s like something…someone is singing.

Glimmer: I don’t hear anything! It’s probably just the wind.

Bow: Okay, I’m hearing something, too.

Then they finally spot some mysterious figures, and Adora transforms.

Entrapta: Hello! You’re blocking my light. If you could just step aside…

Hordak: Get out!

Entrapta: Well, just a sec! I’m almost finished. Okay, bye!

Hordak: There will be dire consequences for this flagrant breach of conduct!

Entrapta: You were using uninsulated cables, I replaced them for you. Try it again, it should hold a charge now.

Hordak: She was right.

Entrapta: Of course I was right! It’s beautiful. It’s a power source, isn’t it? What are you building that needs so much power? I recognize these formulas! You’re experimenting with portals? But that’s- I mean, I’m familiar with the concept, but multidimensional gates are purely theoretical, no one’s ever come close to actually achieving one, right?

Hordak: Obviously, someone from a backwater planet such as yours couldn’t possibly comprehend it.

Entrapta: Hey! Alright, I’m the one who got your power source working, so tell me everything!

Because of course Entrapta would bond over science.

Hordak: Portals aren’t theoretical. They’re real. And I’m going to open one.

Entrapta: You are? Can I help you? Just think of the possibilities! You could transport troops, and- and weapons, whatever you need, from one side of the planet to the other!

Hordak: You think too small. Unsurprising. You can’t begin to understand the potential a device of this nature will possess.

Entrapta: Wait! If Etheria is a “backwater planet,” does that mean that there are others?

Hordak: Of course there are. There are countless galaxies filled with countless other worlds. Etheria is the only planet I’ve ever encountered that does not seem to understand that.

Entrapta: Other planets? And you’ve been there?

Because a side effect of moving the planet to an empty dimension, besides losing the stars, is that Etheria no longer has any concept of a wider universe…and the only people who seem to understand that are Hordak and some of the people involved with She-ra, like Light Hope and possibly Razz.

Meanwhile, as last resort, Catra finally asks Shadow Weaver about the missing file…and she tells her that the metal comes from the foundry within the Fright Zone itself.

Shadow Weaver: Being me isn’t quite what you imagined, is it? I suppose you thought Hordak would let you run things now?

Catra: He does. I can do whatever I want.

Shadow Weaver: But he’ll never trust you with his real plans. Don’t take it personally. He never did with me, either.

Catra: I don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe Hordak didn’t trust you, but he trusts me plenty.

Catra’s starting to realize that her position at the top might be even less stable than Shadow Weaver’s was, as Hordak just replaced his second-in-command, so he would be more likely to consider doing it again.

Meanwhile, Bow finally figured out what’s going on.

Bow: Of course! This place, it’s a First Ones ruin. And these aren’t ghosts, they’re holograms.

She-ra: I’m pretty sure holograms can’t walk around on their own like this!

Bow: But look at them, really look at them! […] They’re running in some kind of loop.

She-ra: It’s…it’s like a recording.

Glimmer: Aw, she’s waving! Actually, you know what, it’s still creepy.

And Catra’s shocked to discover that Entrapta’s effectively won over Hordak.

Catra: I’m sorry, Lord Hordak! Entrapta’s still new here, I promise she will never bother you again.

Hordak: You are the one bothering me, Force Captain, with your unwelcome intrusion. I am working! With Entrapta’s assistance.

Entrapta: Did you hear that, Emily? I’ve never had a lab partner before!

This is why the Horde characters are a highlight of the show: They actually have distinct motives and interiority apart from the heroes. Whereas shows like Steven Universe and The Owl House generally only sympathize with the villains as they get closer to the protagonists (and hence, redemption), She-ra presents their lives and struggles long before they ever seriously consider joining the “good guys” (or in Entrapta’s case, rejoining them).

And speaking of Entrapta, this show essentially switched her role with Scorpia’s, at least in regards to Catra. In the original series, Entrapta was the closest thing Catra had to a real friend in the Horde, while Scorpia was more of a professional rival…

Anyhow, Bow deduces that the outpost was built on a First Ones communication hub, and after the interference from the Black Garnet, the hub activated and tried to send old messages, which the current inhabitants thought were ghosts.

She-ra: So these are First Ones?

Bow: Yeah. Why?

She-ra: It’s just, I’ve been thinking of them as these big, epic figures, but they’re regular people. Sending messages to their loved ones. Messages that were never received because of what Mara did to the planet. Be at rest now.

This is the only part of this plot that actually lands for me, as Adora finally realizes the humanity of these people who are so idolized by the inhabitants of Etheria.

And it also leads into the only relevant contribution this plot has to the wider narrative.

Bow: It’s that message again. It looks like First Ones writing.

Swift Wind: Huh. But we powered down the antenna.

She-ra: Well, if it is First Ones writing, I can’t read it. It’s way too degraded.

Glimmer: You said it yourself, Bow. Your pad must be broken.

Bow: Yeah. That must be it.

And in a desert, within something that looks suspiciously like a spacecraft, the same message appears on a screen…

Until next time…