Fone Bone
Matt Zimmer
I don't take the "reboot" thing with Hordak at face value. What I think is gonna happen is he's gonna be conditioned to be a badass faceless soldier, and Entrapta is gonna talk him down, and remind him how much she cares about him. There is no way they went through all that shocking pathos with that specific character simply to kill him off.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "The Coronation"
I noticed they slightly changed up the opening title to give more ambiguity to Scorpia.
Catra is pretty scary at the end. Personally, I think Scorpia can do better.
The stuff with the heroes was less interesting, but I think the drama at the end was strong. I also want to again compliment the voice acting on the show for delivering on the heartbreaking moments. Considering there aren't any celebrities in the cast, that's a very impressive thing.
Solid opener. ****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "The Valley Of The Lost"
That was a great fight between Double Trouble as Catra and She-Ra. That was awesome.
This was a decent, if not great, episode. ***1/2.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Flutterina"
Oooh, that trick ending was BAD. I did not like falling for that at all. But bad things are coming because of it.
And poor Scorpia. I said she can do better than Catra. But the truth is Catra could also do better for her. This is an upcoming mess of Catra's own making.
Stand strong Scorpia. You are better than this. ****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Pulse"
Shadow Weaver has daisies because they are cheery. That was great.
Also funny was Double Trouble making fun of the fact that Bow doesn't cover his abs even though they are one of the most vulnerable parts of a soldier. Catra was getting some rare amusement out of that too.
The end says that Catra is the type of soldier who doesn't fight fair. I am really starting to loathe her. ****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Protocol"
There is just something sinister about Light Hope that I do not trust.
Those Horde kids are all right. It is very ironic to me that almost nobody working in the Evil Horde besides arguably Catra is actually evil.
I like episodes focusing on and getting to know supporting characters. This did that admirably. ****1/2.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Princess Scorpia"
It was so great watching Scorpia come to her senses. What's amazing is that if Scorpia had brought that recording to Hordak himself, Hordak would realize Catra was the traitor and lied about Entrapta. Even though she's given up on Catra, she still decided to protect her from that, which shows that she's a good person. And also shows she's a bad fit for the Horde.
The hero stuff wasn't as strong as it usually is just because the conflicts are all well-worn nonsense I recognize from lesser shows. That's not to say this show definitely can't do anything interesting with the idea of Dark Glimmer. But I don't expect it to and think the sooner this plot runs its course, the better.
For the record, Hordak's voice actor is particularly amazing in a show with nothing but amazing voice actors.
Scorpia has pretty much become my favorite character. This was a great showcase for her. ****1/2.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Mer-Mysteries"
Watch out! Horde Prime is coming!
You know it's serious when Hordak comes on the mission himself.
I like that the big fight between Adora and Glimmer was a facade to lure out the culprit. I didn't expect that and was impressed by it.
I think one of the biggest selling points of the show is that it is good at comedy. The comedy admittedly isn't great, but it's good enough and a nice way to mix the tone up from episode to episode. But while the tone of most of the episode is fluff, the end is so horrible and real and says exactly what the stakes are, and what failure actually means. Normally an ending that dark in a light episode is something that bugs me, but I think this is a show that works equally well dark and light, and I don't feel that it needs to separate those elements from episode to episode to make them both work. I'm not sure why that is, but it's a selling point of the show for sure.
Big stuff happening. ****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Boys' Night Out"
This is not a show that should be doing musical numbers. Normally I accept whenever the show stretches the premise a bit in the name of comedy, but that's a line for me.
I really love the fact that Glimmer blamed Adora for her mother's death. Because ultimately, that's probably what the season long-fight has actually been about. And as bad as things seem, that is a thing that needed to be said.
Boys night out? Aren't there like only three male characters period?
Catra discovering Scorpia left is her realizing you can only repeatedly abuse someone who cares about you for so long until they give up on you. I think for Catra, Scorpia was a tool for her. When she needed someone to take out her rage, she was there. When she needed a friend to bond with, she fit that role too. I think everything Catra wants from Scorpia is a form of using her and taking advantage of her kind nature. Which is why glad I'm Scorpia left.
I laughed at Swiftwind telling Seahawk to read the room. Mermista saying this was her jam was funny too.
I love Bow bemoaning how much it sucks to be stuck in the middle of a huge spat. Usually you don't hear complaints from the peacemaker character in TV and movies. They are just supposed to tolerate the poor behavior with good humor. Frankly, that sucks. I want to hear more complaints from "good friends" from my TV in the future.
That was all right but I'm knocking off a star and a half for the singing. That don't sit right with me. ***1/2.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Hero"
That was great. The specific mythology the episode gave us was unexpected, because it was a curveball in a season that didn't actually have much to do with it. At first we thought the Big Bad of the series was Hordak. And then we were led to believe it's Horde Prime, who was searching for Etheria to destroy. Ultimately, the Big Bad might be Light Hope and the Old Ones's plan. It's like the deeper you go into Etheria, the worse the intentions of the movers and shakers involved is.
But this episode changed everything.
I like the idea that perhaps Razz is a time-traveler of sorts, and that's why she gets mixed about the sequences of events and the people she is with. Normally a franchise will have that specific sort of character act scatterbrained and mysterious to teach the hero a lesson in patience. But there are actual story reasons to Razz's mystery and confusion which is something I really love. If only there was an explanation in Star Wars as solid for as why Yoda is such a jerk and always wrong about everything.
I liked the episode because I didn't expect to get it when we did. *****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Fractures"
Do you know what I love best about Scorpia? She's appreciative. Which is why she was all wrong for the Horde. I hope she gets some much needed lessons at the palace.
I wasn't really buying "Dark Glimmer", but what the show has done is far worse than that. Instead of potentially turning evil, she's making terrible, rash decisions at the precise time they can't afford them. It was a very big moment when Bow parted ways with her, and told her she was wrong. He's never done that before, and when she pulls the "I'm the queen and I said so," card, it's like, "If there is hope for Glimmer in the future" something else is going to have to happen first. She is not at a place where she can understand exactly how bad her decisions have been.
And yet, Horde Prime is still a threat. The worst thing is that the heroes are fighting and losing wars on three separate fronts and things are only going to get worse.
My favorite moment in the episode is when Adora, Bow, and Swiftwind enter the ship they are playing the fanfare and playing up the Big Hero Moment of them sitting down in the chairs, and getting ready to fly the ships. And then they're like "What now? Any ideas?" I love that. I think the ship taking off so fast and crazy is something out of a live-action movie blockbuster, specifically Men In Black. I have never seen that type of comedy scene in a cartoon, which is probably just as well, because I doubt animations techniques were previously advanced enough to pull the gag off. It would not surprise me if that sort of thing could only have been believably done within the last five years. But you know what? It totally worked. It was hilarious.
The season sort of started off a bit slow, if I'm being honest, but it pretty much as the point where things have gone bananas. *****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Beast Island"
So Scorpia is the key? Love it.
I don't know what I expected from Beast Island, but it wasn't that. Some truly frightening and freaky imagery.
King Micah was a pleasant surprise too. Did not see that coming.
The climax was extremely tense and dire in the best way. I don't think the explanation of why the sword wasn't working was great, but I accepted it. That was good stuff.
Excellent episode. ****1/2.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Destiny, Part 1"
Oh, my God! Hordak is in freaking TEARS! He REALLY cared about Entrapta which is why her supposed betrayal hit him so hard. And to find out Catra has been b.s.ing him about that the whole time? I thought it was perhaps character progress that Catra is no longer afraid of Hordak. Now I'm thinking it was probably foolish as long as that particular secret was hanging over them. Jebus.
Another super dire climax that there was no easy way out of, where the heroes crazily won anyways. I love those.
As angry as I am with Glimmer, I thought her bonding moments with Scorpia were really cool. She's doing the wrong things, but not entirely for the wrong reasons.
Double Trouble LOVED twisting that knife with Hordak. The only reason they can get away with that is because their specific superpower makes them practically untouchable. But they REALLY enjoyed putting the screws to Catra that way. But who wouldn't?
Another amazing episode. *****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Destiny, Part 2"
Horde Prime is the stuff of nightmares.
It is very interesting where Hordak's arc wound up. He's been by turns sympathetic and plain pathetic, and it's like nothing he does is enough. What he most desires is something he will never have. And that actually makes him a tragic figure instead of a mere villain.
I love that the Horde kids bailed, but did Scorpia the solid before they did. Whatever the next season holds, the dynamics of the Horde and the Princesses should be entirely different.
I loved Double Trouble twisting the knife with Hordak last episode, but I found it beyond satisfying the things they threw in Catra's face here. Every bad thing that has happened has been down to her decisions and her destructive need to destroy anyone who shows her the slightest bit of respect or kindness. Catra's crummy life is entirely of her own making.
As satisfying as it seemed to see Hordak going after her with a laser blaster at the beginning, I am a bit shocked and impressed Catra used the moment to again point out that Hordak's goal of impressing Horde Prime will never work because Prime thinks of him as a freak and a failure. As bad as Catra is, and as righteous as Hordak's fury is, I love the fact that Catra refuses to stop with the mind games. Which is probably why Double Trouble's doublecross hurt so much. She finally gets an ally who thinks the same way she does. The downside to that is that they think the same way she does. She was always gonna get screwed.
Hordak Prime's character design is both creepy and grotesque. I see those four eyes positioned the way they are and I say, "Yikes!"
That wasn't as satisfying a finale as last year since it was a cliffhanger, but it was still pretty gutsy and a grim way to leave off the season. If there isn't a fourth (fifth?) and final season I'm going to be furious. *****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "The Coronation"
I noticed they slightly changed up the opening title to give more ambiguity to Scorpia.
Catra is pretty scary at the end. Personally, I think Scorpia can do better.
The stuff with the heroes was less interesting, but I think the drama at the end was strong. I also want to again compliment the voice acting on the show for delivering on the heartbreaking moments. Considering there aren't any celebrities in the cast, that's a very impressive thing.
Solid opener. ****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "The Valley Of The Lost"
That was a great fight between Double Trouble as Catra and She-Ra. That was awesome.
This was a decent, if not great, episode. ***1/2.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Flutterina"
Oooh, that trick ending was BAD. I did not like falling for that at all. But bad things are coming because of it.
And poor Scorpia. I said she can do better than Catra. But the truth is Catra could also do better for her. This is an upcoming mess of Catra's own making.
Stand strong Scorpia. You are better than this. ****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Pulse"
Shadow Weaver has daisies because they are cheery. That was great.
Also funny was Double Trouble making fun of the fact that Bow doesn't cover his abs even though they are one of the most vulnerable parts of a soldier. Catra was getting some rare amusement out of that too.
The end says that Catra is the type of soldier who doesn't fight fair. I am really starting to loathe her. ****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Protocol"
There is just something sinister about Light Hope that I do not trust.
Those Horde kids are all right. It is very ironic to me that almost nobody working in the Evil Horde besides arguably Catra is actually evil.
I like episodes focusing on and getting to know supporting characters. This did that admirably. ****1/2.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Princess Scorpia"
It was so great watching Scorpia come to her senses. What's amazing is that if Scorpia had brought that recording to Hordak himself, Hordak would realize Catra was the traitor and lied about Entrapta. Even though she's given up on Catra, she still decided to protect her from that, which shows that she's a good person. And also shows she's a bad fit for the Horde.
The hero stuff wasn't as strong as it usually is just because the conflicts are all well-worn nonsense I recognize from lesser shows. That's not to say this show definitely can't do anything interesting with the idea of Dark Glimmer. But I don't expect it to and think the sooner this plot runs its course, the better.
For the record, Hordak's voice actor is particularly amazing in a show with nothing but amazing voice actors.
Scorpia has pretty much become my favorite character. This was a great showcase for her. ****1/2.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Mer-Mysteries"
Watch out! Horde Prime is coming!
You know it's serious when Hordak comes on the mission himself.
I like that the big fight between Adora and Glimmer was a facade to lure out the culprit. I didn't expect that and was impressed by it.
I think one of the biggest selling points of the show is that it is good at comedy. The comedy admittedly isn't great, but it's good enough and a nice way to mix the tone up from episode to episode. But while the tone of most of the episode is fluff, the end is so horrible and real and says exactly what the stakes are, and what failure actually means. Normally an ending that dark in a light episode is something that bugs me, but I think this is a show that works equally well dark and light, and I don't feel that it needs to separate those elements from episode to episode to make them both work. I'm not sure why that is, but it's a selling point of the show for sure.
Big stuff happening. ****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Boys' Night Out"
This is not a show that should be doing musical numbers. Normally I accept whenever the show stretches the premise a bit in the name of comedy, but that's a line for me.
I really love the fact that Glimmer blamed Adora for her mother's death. Because ultimately, that's probably what the season long-fight has actually been about. And as bad as things seem, that is a thing that needed to be said.
Boys night out? Aren't there like only three male characters period?
Catra discovering Scorpia left is her realizing you can only repeatedly abuse someone who cares about you for so long until they give up on you. I think for Catra, Scorpia was a tool for her. When she needed someone to take out her rage, she was there. When she needed a friend to bond with, she fit that role too. I think everything Catra wants from Scorpia is a form of using her and taking advantage of her kind nature. Which is why glad I'm Scorpia left.
I laughed at Swiftwind telling Seahawk to read the room. Mermista saying this was her jam was funny too.
I love Bow bemoaning how much it sucks to be stuck in the middle of a huge spat. Usually you don't hear complaints from the peacemaker character in TV and movies. They are just supposed to tolerate the poor behavior with good humor. Frankly, that sucks. I want to hear more complaints from "good friends" from my TV in the future.
That was all right but I'm knocking off a star and a half for the singing. That don't sit right with me. ***1/2.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Hero"
That was great. The specific mythology the episode gave us was unexpected, because it was a curveball in a season that didn't actually have much to do with it. At first we thought the Big Bad of the series was Hordak. And then we were led to believe it's Horde Prime, who was searching for Etheria to destroy. Ultimately, the Big Bad might be Light Hope and the Old Ones's plan. It's like the deeper you go into Etheria, the worse the intentions of the movers and shakers involved is.
But this episode changed everything.
I like the idea that perhaps Razz is a time-traveler of sorts, and that's why she gets mixed about the sequences of events and the people she is with. Normally a franchise will have that specific sort of character act scatterbrained and mysterious to teach the hero a lesson in patience. But there are actual story reasons to Razz's mystery and confusion which is something I really love. If only there was an explanation in Star Wars as solid for as why Yoda is such a jerk and always wrong about everything.
I liked the episode because I didn't expect to get it when we did. *****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Fractures"
Do you know what I love best about Scorpia? She's appreciative. Which is why she was all wrong for the Horde. I hope she gets some much needed lessons at the palace.
I wasn't really buying "Dark Glimmer", but what the show has done is far worse than that. Instead of potentially turning evil, she's making terrible, rash decisions at the precise time they can't afford them. It was a very big moment when Bow parted ways with her, and told her she was wrong. He's never done that before, and when she pulls the "I'm the queen and I said so," card, it's like, "If there is hope for Glimmer in the future" something else is going to have to happen first. She is not at a place where she can understand exactly how bad her decisions have been.
And yet, Horde Prime is still a threat. The worst thing is that the heroes are fighting and losing wars on three separate fronts and things are only going to get worse.
My favorite moment in the episode is when Adora, Bow, and Swiftwind enter the ship they are playing the fanfare and playing up the Big Hero Moment of them sitting down in the chairs, and getting ready to fly the ships. And then they're like "What now? Any ideas?" I love that. I think the ship taking off so fast and crazy is something out of a live-action movie blockbuster, specifically Men In Black. I have never seen that type of comedy scene in a cartoon, which is probably just as well, because I doubt animations techniques were previously advanced enough to pull the gag off. It would not surprise me if that sort of thing could only have been believably done within the last five years. But you know what? It totally worked. It was hilarious.
The season sort of started off a bit slow, if I'm being honest, but it pretty much as the point where things have gone bananas. *****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Beast Island"
So Scorpia is the key? Love it.
I don't know what I expected from Beast Island, but it wasn't that. Some truly frightening and freaky imagery.
King Micah was a pleasant surprise too. Did not see that coming.
The climax was extremely tense and dire in the best way. I don't think the explanation of why the sword wasn't working was great, but I accepted it. That was good stuff.
Excellent episode. ****1/2.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Destiny, Part 1"
Oh, my God! Hordak is in freaking TEARS! He REALLY cared about Entrapta which is why her supposed betrayal hit him so hard. And to find out Catra has been b.s.ing him about that the whole time? I thought it was perhaps character progress that Catra is no longer afraid of Hordak. Now I'm thinking it was probably foolish as long as that particular secret was hanging over them. Jebus.
Another super dire climax that there was no easy way out of, where the heroes crazily won anyways. I love those.
As angry as I am with Glimmer, I thought her bonding moments with Scorpia were really cool. She's doing the wrong things, but not entirely for the wrong reasons.
Double Trouble LOVED twisting that knife with Hordak. The only reason they can get away with that is because their specific superpower makes them practically untouchable. But they REALLY enjoyed putting the screws to Catra that way. But who wouldn't?
Another amazing episode. *****.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power "Destiny, Part 2"
Horde Prime is the stuff of nightmares.
It is very interesting where Hordak's arc wound up. He's been by turns sympathetic and plain pathetic, and it's like nothing he does is enough. What he most desires is something he will never have. And that actually makes him a tragic figure instead of a mere villain.
I love that the Horde kids bailed, but did Scorpia the solid before they did. Whatever the next season holds, the dynamics of the Horde and the Princesses should be entirely different.
I loved Double Trouble twisting the knife with Hordak last episode, but I found it beyond satisfying the things they threw in Catra's face here. Every bad thing that has happened has been down to her decisions and her destructive need to destroy anyone who shows her the slightest bit of respect or kindness. Catra's crummy life is entirely of her own making.
As satisfying as it seemed to see Hordak going after her with a laser blaster at the beginning, I am a bit shocked and impressed Catra used the moment to again point out that Hordak's goal of impressing Horde Prime will never work because Prime thinks of him as a freak and a failure. As bad as Catra is, and as righteous as Hordak's fury is, I love the fact that Catra refuses to stop with the mind games. Which is probably why Double Trouble's doublecross hurt so much. She finally gets an ally who thinks the same way she does. The downside to that is that they think the same way she does. She was always gonna get screwed.
Hordak Prime's character design is both creepy and grotesque. I see those four eyes positioned the way they are and I say, "Yikes!"
That wasn't as satisfying a finale as last year since it was a cliffhanger, but it was still pretty gutsy and a grim way to leave off the season. If there isn't a fourth (fifth?) and final season I'm going to be furious. *****.
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