Super Pal Trio goes on a field trip. Hijinks ensue.

Entrapta’s looking for First Ones tech in the Northern Reach, and naturally, Catra and Scorpia go with her.

Catra:  Hordak is not gonna be happy if we waste his time, and come back empty-handed.

Entrapta: A scientist never returns empty-handed. There’s always data!

Catra: I’m not here freezing my tail off for data,

And naturally, the rebels catch wind of this, hence the plot!

Sea Hawk: The Dragon’s Daughter V! She cuts a fine line on the sea, does she not?

Bow: Wait, what happened to the Dragon’s Daughter IV? Oh, oh! Was it adventure?

Sea Hawk: No. Termites. I couldn’t save the old girl. Anyway! I’m honored to a be part of another daring mission for the Rebellion!

She-ra: Well, you know, we needed a boat to get up here, and you…have a boat.

Sea Hawk: Yes I do! Truth be told, I was glad to have something to do. Mermista cancelled our plans this week, and she’s hanging out with her other friends, and didn’t invite me to join…

Glimmer: Well, let this mission distract you from all that! 

Adora is evidently She-ra from the beginning of the episode because She-ra is impervious to the elements (as she is with most things), so she doesn’t have to bundle up (even if it makes me cold seeing her bare legs in the snow…).

Anyhow, Scorpia chose this mission to finally act on her friend(?)-crush on Catra.

Catra: Entrapta brought all this junk from her lab. Help me find a space heater or something, since apparently, we live here now.

Scorpia: So, I’ve been thinking, and I know you’ve been really busy, and focused on your career lately, but would you ever want to, you know, like, hang out sometime? With me?

Catra: What are you talking about? We are hanging out. Right now.

Scorpia: Yes, totally, totes! But, uh, what I meant was, like, eh, outside of office hours? You know, we could, I don’t know, play a board game, or do some other type of bonding activity?

But she then knocks over a box containing the Evil She-ra Hating Disk, because Entrapta still has it despite multiple moves (ah, who am I kidding? that might be the most likely way a thing like that will stick around).

Entrapta: Ah! Careful with that! It’s a rare First Ones artifact. I’ve been meaning to study it, but I haven’t gotten the chance yet. The last time I deployed it, it ended up infecting all of my robots with some kind of murder virus.

Catra: You brought along a murder virus and not a blanket?

Entrapta: Oh, it does other things, too. For example, when it infected She-ra, she lost her powers. Also, she got very floppy.

Catra: A She-ra off-switch, huh? Why didn’t you say something sooner?

Poor Scorpia’s plans are further derailed when all of their bots suddenly and mysteriously go offline…

Sea Hawk: Come to think of it, Mermista never invites me to hang out with her other friends! I mean, am I not cool enough for them? I am so cool! I’m Sea Hawk!

Bow’s also continuing to have technical difficulties with his tracker pad, but he does capture the signal from whatever First Ones tech Entrapta’s after, so they manage just as well.

And now both groups are heading to the same place…

And since Catra’s eager to try out the disk, she’s even more eager for a fight than usual.

Catra: Hey Adora.

She-ra: You’re pretty far from the front line. I guess Shadow Weaver’s keeping you away from the action since you lost the Battle of Bright Moon.

Catra: Shadow Weaver? Wow, I always forget how clueless you are.

While some character dynamics will never get old, this episode mixes things up with some character combinations that hadn’t been explored before (well, mainly involving Scorpia, but it’s still fun).

Scorpia: This is not how this night was supposed to go!

Sea Hawk: Hey, while we’re here, would you describe me as “cool”? Be honest now.

Scorpia: Potentially!

Bow: Entrapta! Whatever you’re doing here has to stop! You don’t understand the forces you’re messing with!

Entrapta: I know! That’s the fun of it.

Yeah, Bow’s never actually interacted much with Entrapta, and it shows.

Meanwhile, She-ra swiftly gets the better of Catra.

Catra: Oh, please. You’d never have the guts. You know, as much as I love our fights, it’s way too cold for this. Why don’t we try something new?

But Catra’s surprised to see Berserk Mode She-ra, as Entrapta failed to mention that, so she retreats to observe from a safe distance as She-ra engages Glimmer.

Catra: You said she’d be powerless!

Entrapta: She will be! Eventually. I think.

Catra: Actually, this is pretty cool. 

This is also the first time that the audience has really seen Berserk She-ra in action, as she only managed to kill a robot in that state before, never actually fighting her friends.

And she ends up destroying an ice-cliff beneath all three of them…then moves on to Catra. And she’s only taken out by Scorpia because she was so focused Catra, and she drops the sword.

Naturally, Catra’s thrilled with this turn of events.

Entrapta: Oh! I get it now. The sword got infected, not Adora herself. Ah, I guess she really is organic matter.

Scorpia: Catra, are you okay?

Catra: That went so much better than I could’ve ever hoped. Looks like you’re mine now, Adora.

And poor Scorpia can’t even compete with an UNCONSIOUS Adora for Catra’s attention.

We briefly check in with Glimmer, Bow, and Sea Hawk to see that they’re mostly unhurt, but Glimmer exhausted most of her magic in the fight, so they’re forced to climb back up.

Catra: Always so perfect. Look at you now! You’re coming back to the Horde, under my command.

Scorpia: So we’re, uh, keeping her.

Catra: You saw her out there. As long as we have this sword, we have the power to make her go berserk. We can turn the Rebellion’s own hero against them. That’s good. I wonder which of your friends I’ll have you annihilate first.

Catra’s set on just taking Adora and leaving, but an alarm goes off, so Catra goes off to investigate.

Catra: Scorpia, keep an eye on Adora.

Scorpia: I will absolutely look after this sleeping, non-moving person.

But naturally, that’s when Adora decides to wake up, so keeping an eye on her gets significantly more difficult.

Meanwhile, Sea Hawk’s become a literal load in the climb up the ice cliff.

I'm Sea Hawk, I am I am
Want to take a guy for granted then I am your man
Unappreciated in all I do
Why can't they see that I'm very cool
Guys, back me up! I'm very cool!

I mean, he’s so desperate, he accosted Scorpia just to ask if SHE thought he was cool!

Scorpia: Just wanted a moment alone with Catra, but no! I’m stuck babysitting her ex-best friend.

But of course, this is Drunk Adora, like in “System Failure”…although she’s still surprisingly active.

Scorpia: Don’t- stop! Why are you making this so much harder for me? Please. Please! I’m a woman on the edge! I’ve had a real challenge of a day!

Then Adora manages to key in the door code,

Scorpia: How did you do that?

Adora: I put in Catra’s favorite number.

Scorpia: Ugh, I get it! You know Catra’s favorite number and I don’t. Rub it in my face, why don’t you?

But just then, the compound walls are suddenly destroyed (by the snow monsters?), so they’re stranded out in a storage closet.

drunk adora has the best faces

Scorpia: I can’t believe I’m stuck in a closet here with you! I should be by Catra’s side, protecting her! Why can’t you just stay out of our way?

Can’t help but notice that both of Catra’s “best friends” are in a “closet” together (even if there probably isn’t technically any concept of “closeted gay” in Etheria).

And then Sea Hawk shows up to get in away from the cold (and the monsters).

Sea Hawk: Adora! I’m here to rescue you.

Adora: Uh, more like I’m here to rescue you.

Sea Hawk: That doesn’t make any sense. Is she alright?

Scorpia: I don’t know, but she is getting on my last nerve. And she’s not going anywhere!

And a brief tug-of-war ensues.

Adora: Aw! You guys are my best friends!

And then the monsters force Glimmer to teleport Bow inside…but “inside” is also where Catra and Entrapta are. And thus ANOTHER fight ensues!

But as none of them are eager to go back out in the snow, the fight in the closet is at a bit of a stalemate.

Scorpia: Let go! Catra entrusted me with watching her, I can’t let her down!

Adora: Catra…she’s mean.

Scorpia: She’s misunderstood! You of all people should know that! I mean, you grew up together! I can’t compete with that. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to break down her walls. But you two? Even when you’re trying to kill each other, you can tell there’s a real bond there. I just…I wish she would see me as worth her time, too.

Sea Hawk: I…I know how you feel.

Catra: Always good to see you, Sparkles, but we’re a little busy here!

Glimmer: Where’s the disk, Catra?

Catra: What? You didn’t like my new, improved version of She-ra?

Bow: Entrapta, please! Look who you’re working with! Whatever the Horde is giving you, it’s not worth the damage you’re doing to Etheria. Those monsters outside are infected by the same virus that’s infecting She-ra!

I mean, he’s on the right track with talking about the harm she’s doing by working with the Horde, but without any specifics (like, I don’t know, how Catra used the Black Garnet incident to nearly destroy Bright Moon?), she’s just distracted by their theory that the monsters are infected by the murder virus, because that implies that the monsters are First Ones tech.

Meanwhile in the closet, Scorpia and Sea Hawk are having an earnest talk!

Sea Hawk: I mean, just once, I’d like to hang out with Mermista and her friends! I’m good at groups! I have excellent stories of daring do! Why don’t they want me around?

Scorpia: I hear you. Catra’s been so busy since she got promoted, but she still always expects me to make time for her. Does she even understand how much I do for her?

Sea Hawk: Exactly! It seems like the only time anyone wants to hang is when they need me to give them a ride or do something for them!

Scorpia: Is there something wrong with us?

Adora: You know, you guys, you’re really great! You’re just, like, the best! You’re good friends, and good people! And I like you! You are so pointy.

Sea Hawk: You know what? She’s right! We are really great! I’m clever, roguishly good-looking, and a top-notch sailor! I don’t care if anyone else thinks I’m cool. I don’t need their opinions to validate me! I’m Sea Hawk!

Scorpia: And me, I am brave, strong, give great hugs, and I’m loyal! You may have left Catra, but someday, she’s gonna see that I won’t! I’ll always be there for her, because that’s who I am!

The sad thing is, even in her inebriated state, Adora recognizes that Catra’s mean – she hurt her, and she keeps choosing to hurt her regardless of their past relationship. And Catra arguably cares about Adora more than Scorpia by this point; she’s just never pushed back against Catra enough to make her a “problem”, but it’s only a matter of time before a situation like that will arise…

Anyhow, for now, they band together and agree to fight their way back to the main compound (even though Sea Hawk shouldn’t know that Glimmer and Bow are there, but it’s narratively convenient, so who cares?).

So Glimmer tries to make Catra see reason and destroy the disk (because, you know, if they don’t, the monsters won’t stop trying to kill them), but it goes about as well as you’d expect. And also one of the monsters breaks in!

But the reinforcements also arrive!

And the three main elements being fought over are the disk, the corrupted sword, and Adora (and none of them want Adora to get her hands on the sword, because she’d probably kill them all even faster than the snow monsters!).

Glimmer: Just give us the disk!

Catra: Are you kidding? I’ve got control of Adora, I am not giving that up.

Because that’s what Catra’s wanted for at least half a season now: Control over Adora. The fact that it would be pretty much an automatic win for the Horde is almost beside the point.

But as one of the monsters attacks Catra, Scorpia goes to rescue her…and picks up the disk when Catra drops it.

Glimmer: Scorpia, you can end this! You’ve got to break the disk now.

Catra: Don’t. You. Dare!

Sea Hawk: It seems to me, that caring about someone is the greatest adventure of them all.

Scorpia: Sorry, Wildcat. This is for your own good.

This is the first time that Scorpia’s deliberately disobeyed an order from Catra, and naturally, it’s because she was endangering herself (and everyone else, but Scorpia only thinks about Catra). And then she picks up Catra and Entrapta and runs out of there (presumably to a waiting skiff, as they were preparing to leave anyway).

And because it was the Super Pal Trio who were on a mission in the first place, naturally, the wrap-up would be for them, too.

Entrapta: Tada! I got the First Ones tech!

Catra: What? When did you even- how long have you even had that?

Entrapta: A while. But we were having so much fun, I didn’t want to say anything. Isn’t it amazing? This puppy’ll be able to power Hordak’s portal technology and then some! Hordak is gonna be so thrilled!

And after everything Catra put her through, Scorpia’s earned a little snuggle.

Scorpia: Gosh, look at us! Just two peas in a pod.

Next time: The plot finally rears its head again…