I’m done playing your games, Catra.

This episode finally gets us back to some good old Catra conflict, beginning with her nightmares…

Entrapta: What did you do to me?

Adora: Why did you do it?

Catra: Stay away from me!

It’s clear that Catra regrets her choices in hindsight (particularly the whole situation with Entrapta), but there’s no way to take any of it back, so she just doubles down on the lies. At this point, coming clean to Hordak about what really happened with Entrapta would almost certainly be a death sentence.

Catra!DT: Ouch. What happened here?

Hordak: The rebels managed to capture one of our bots and retrofit it with some sort of surge device. It decimated an entire squadron of our machines.

Catra!DT: Not to speak ill of the dearly departed, but exactly how many battles have your bots lost us lately?

Hordak: You’d be wise to watch your tone.

Catra!DT: Aren’t you tired of losing? After all, clock’s ticking. Big Brother Prime could show up at any moment.

Hordak: Even you, Catra, should fear being this bold in my presence-

Catra: Pretty cool trick, huh? Lord Hordak, I’d like to introduce you to Double Trouble. They’re our newest asset in taking down the Rebellion.

Double Trouble: Apologies for being rude. I was getting into character. Did it work? Be honest. As always, I’m open to constructive criticism.

Hordak: A shapeshifter. Impressive indeed. Do not attempt to deceive me again!

Catra: So, what’s all this about?

Hordak: The bots were a part of the occupation of Elberon, a failed operation. The rebels seized the town. It seems their technological capabilities have increased since…since Entrapta returned to them. It is of no consequence. I will improve our machines, and we will seize Elberon back.

Catra: Elberon? Why?

Hordak: It may have escaped your notice, but we are trying to win a war.

Catra: See, you’re thinking about this wrong. Elberon doesn’t matter. It’s what it can do for us that counts.

Meanwhile, Bow. Adora, and Swift Wind were the ones who actually liberated Elberon, while Glimmer remained at Bright Moon doing queen stuff, as has evidently become the norm.

Glimmer: Those bots didn’t stand a chance against the Best Friend Squad! I really wish I could’ve been there. At least you’ll be back soon, right?

Bow: Uh, soon! Yeah, there’s just one more thing we have to take care of.

Adora: Just some really boring wrap-up stuff.

Swift Wind: The townspeople love us because we saved Elberon so they’re throwing us a celebratory dinner!

Glimmer: A dinner! That sounds fun.

Adora: Oh, it’s really not a big deal.

Bow: Yeah, I mean, I bet they do this for everyone.

Glimmer: You guys, of course they want to thank you. You freed a whole town from Horde control! I just…

Adora: Well, if you need us, we can totally skip out on this dinner thing!

Glimmer: No way. Go enjoy your victory.

Adora: It’s a party!

Bow: It’s a big party!

Adora: And it’s for us!

Bow: It’s a big party for us!

Evidently, it was originally intended to be a small dinner, but word got out, the whole town got involved, and suddenly it became a big production. Maybe they were just itching for something to celebrate.

Elberonian: She-ra! You saved us!

Adora: Oh, I mean, it’s my job. It’s what I do, so it’s not a big deal, at all.

Elberonian: And Techmaster Bow of the Rebellion! Oh, you have to show off your arrows to the kids! They’re obsessed with them.

Bow: Really?

Elberonian: We’ve heard stories of your victories, but to see you destroy those bots in person- amazing!

Flutterina: That’s nothing compared to when She-ra took on the monsters of the Northern Reach! Or when she single-handedly won the Battle of Bright Moon!

Adora: Oh, I wouldn’t say “single-handedly”. I mean, I guess I- I guess I played kind of an important part.

Flutterina: Kind of important? Try huge! You fought off the Horde, you united the princesses, and you saved Etheria, and you are the coolest!

Adora: Yeah, I mean, that was pretty cool, wasn’t it?

Flutterina: One day, I’m gonna leave Elberon and join the Rebellion, fighting side by side with you. I’m Flutterina, by the way.

Adora: Can you believe this? All of this is for us! People like us! But, uh, we told Glimmer we wouldn’t stay long.

Bow: I mean, but we have to stay! It would be rude not to, right?

She-ra: This is so fun! They’ve got stories about me! Not some long-ago She-ra of the past, me! And what I did!

Bow: I know, right? This is awesome! We should rescue Elberon more often.

So they enjoy the party (and the hero worship), until they get a report about an incoming Horde bot.

Bow: Why do all of our parties have to end with the Horde attacking?

She-ra: Bow, it’s okay. Stay here and watch out for the townspeople. There’s no reason for the party to stop.

They discover a weird-looking bot and destroy it…only for the pieces to regenerate and form two separate bots, seemingly using the same regenerative technology that Entrapta pioneered.

She-ra: Piece of cake, huh?

Swift Wind: Does cake normally grow back and turn into more pieces of cake when you cut it?

Nevertheless, they manage to dispatch the bots using the Sacred Bond power-up!

Swift Wind: Did that feel a little too easy to you?

She-ra: Nah, like they said in Elberon, we’re awesome! Let’s get back to the party!

But they find that the party’s over when they return.

Flutterina: You’re back!

Adora: What happened here?

Flutterina: The Horde! It was awful! They attacked as soon as you left. Bow tried to fight- he’s the only reason some people were able to escape. But they took him and everyone else!

Adora: That bot in the woods. It must have been a diversion so that I’d leave Elberon defenseless! And I fell for it! This is my fault. We need to find them.

Flutterina: I know I’m small, and I’m not a Rebellion fighter, but I wanna help! So, can I come?

With no other people to rely on (she can’t even call up Glimmer, since Bow had the tracker pad), Adora agrees to let Flutterina help.

And meanwhile, Bow wakes up with the rest of the townspeople in a makeshift Horde prison (aka a pit with a barrier over it).

Elberonian: We’re doomed! What good is the Techmaster without his tech? Bow without his bow?

Mayor: We should’ve evacuated the town instead of listening to She-ra!

Bow: She-ra and Swift Wind won’t rest until they find us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work on getting out of here ourselves. I’m still Bow the Techmaster, even without my arrows! I can get us out of this.

And of course Catra’s the mastermind.

Scorpia: Look at us! You and me in the field, side by side, taking a bunch of random prisoners from a party, putting said prisoners in a big pit. Guarding said pit. If that doesn’t say friendship, I don’t know what does. The Super Pal Duo is back!

[…]

Catra: We need to focus. She-ra was in Elberon, which means she’s nearby.

Scorpia: Do you think she’ll try some secret attack?

Catra: Oh, I’m counting on it.

Scorpia: Is that why you kidnapped everyone in Elberon? Some plot against the Princess Alliance? I could help if I knew what you were up to! You know, like old times!

Catra: It’s for a new strategy, okay? That’s all you need to know.

Scorpia: Oh. Yeah, sure sure, gotcha. It’s just, feeling a little left out is all. You know, ever since, ah, that whole portal thing.

Catra: Get over it, then!

Catra seems mad at herself about how the portal situation worked out, but since the last time she poured her heart out to Scorpia Hordak found out what she said (and this would represent a much bigger breach of Hordak’s trust), she’s determined not to let it show at all.

Anyhow, Flutterina does actually help Adora by luring the guards to over to her and Swift Wind…but then they run into more of those bots, tear them apart, and suddenly find themselves surrounded (because they forgot about the regenerating thing).

Meanwhile, Bow breaks the townsfolk out of prison with a toy bow and a surge device he still had on hand.

But elsewhere in the same compound, Catra comes to gloat over Adora’s predicament, as is her wont.

Catra: Hey Adora. Took you long enough to show up.

She-ra: Catra.

Catra: Seriously, I thought I’d have to kidnap another town to get your attention! Oh, that’s right, you were having a party. Must’ve thought you were pretty special.

She-ra: Can we skip the speech? I’m done playing your games, Catra. Too many people got hurt when you set off that portal! I hope it was worth it, because I won’t let you hurt my friends, or anyone else, ever again!

Catra: You were the one who left the villagers unprotected. You’re good enough at hurting your friends without my help. But you’re still terrible at spotting traps.

Catra: Pretty good, huh? I got the idea from Shadow Weaver. At least she was good for something in the end. If only your friends could see you now.

But the townsfolk have escaped shockingly easily, so Flutterina runs to get Bow.

Catra: You know Adora, your whole self-righteous hero thing is getting old. At least I finally found a way to shut you up.

And then Catra orders the bots to fire on She-ra and Swift Wind, but Bow (with a hint from Flutterina) uses the toy bow to fire the confetti cannons, messing up the bots’ sensors.

And with that, they Sacred Bond it up, destroy the bots, and generally wreck the camp.

She-ra: Thank you. We couldn’t have gotten out of that without you guys.

Bow: Thank Flutterina. It was her quick thinking that saved us.

Flutterina: I know you think I’m just a kid, but I’m ready to join the Rebellion! I wanna fight the Horde, and keep my people safe, just like She-ra.

She-ra: The Rebellion could use someone brave and clever like you. We’d be honored.

Scorpia: Catra, there you are! Are you okay? Look, don’t worry about all that Adora stuff. I’m here, and there’s nothing the two of us can’t fix. Because that’s what friends are for! I’m sure Hordak will understand. Oh, and if Entrapta were here, maybe we could-

Catra: Stop it! Stop badgering me, stop hovering around me! Just back off! I don’t need to explain myself to you. We’re not friends! Oh, and Scorpia? Keep Emily out of my sight, of I’ll sell her for scrap. Understand?

Because even if she wanted to, Catra can’t fix the Entrapta situation, and Emily (sometimes even Scorpia) reminds her of that.

this show

Anyhow, back with the rebels, Adora learned something about not letting fame get to her head, and Flutterina officially joins up.

Hordak: Did it work?

Catra: Like a charm. The plan is under way. Those idiots won’t know what hit them.

Until next time…