She-Ra’s second season slows the pace down considerably in the name of character development — and the show is all the better for it.
I was fortunate enough to receive the seven episodes of She-Ra’s second season ahead of its release on April 26 — and, with Avengers: Endgame and Game of Thrones’ Battle of Winterfell falling on the same weekend, it was a good thing too, because I’m not entirely certain how well my emotions could have weathered the battering they were about to take, otherwise.
I’ll be the first to admit that I struggled with She-Ra’s first outing. The push-and-pull between the Princess of the Week episode format through its first half, and the break-neck pace through to the finale at Bright Moon gave me significant whiplash, and meant I could never quite settle on what story, exactly, She-Ra was trying to tell.
But, all of that initial set-up and the eventual tipping point of Adora and the Princesses facing off against Catra and the Horde at the close of the first season paid off in dividends for She-Ra’s return.
With less focus on advancing the plot in huge ways, and more on developing the fledgling friendships introduced in season 1, She-Ra has grounded the characters and conflicts in a way that will reap significant rewards as the show continues on — and, on the strength of this season alone, I believe She-Ra has many, many seasons left in it yet, and a compelling story to tell. Particularly with some revelations that come towards the end of its shortened seven episode run.
The trios of Adora, Glimmer and Bow, and Catra, Scorpia and Entrapta, benefit the most from the new series format while the other Princesses and characters take more of a backseat role, cycling in-and-out as the situation calls for them. There’s conflict both internally and externally to those groups — not least between the still fractured, former friendship between Adora and Catra — but there’s a lot of healing and progress as the characters learn to lean on their new friends. (Though, admittedly, there is some jealousy and resentment that starts to bubble under the surface as one particular character ingratiates themselves to another significant figure, throwing a wrench in the lofty ambitions of another.)
None of the central friendships are straightforward either. There’s betrayals, big and small, that complicate the characters beyond the surface-level we got in season 1, and it was a genuine delight to watch. One moment, in particular, between Catra and Scorpia solidified that relationship as something I believe can develop beyond the slightly one-sided friendship we’d been presented — they are, in an odd way, exactly what the other needs to balance each other out.
Yes, there is still a mutual and lingering obsession between Adora and Catra that pushes both women in directions that are not the healthiest for either of them — much in the way any fractured relationship leaves jagged edges. But, ultimately, they both need to confront that before they can move on — Adora’s insecurities, for example, manifest largely in the form of Catra’s berating voice. For Catra, the most desperate of her decisions also come from a deeply hurt and damaged place — but, they’re exacerbated by Adora’s perceived season 1 betrayal, and not the root cause.
That, instead, comes at the hands of another damaged relationship. One that Catra cannot seem to leave behind, returning to it again and again, in perhaps one of the most quietly devastating narrative threads throughout the season. The culmination of which leaves the series wide open to a threat that is still largely unknown and deeply unstable — though we do learn more about the source before the season closes out.
There were several standout episodes throughout the season. One could be considered filler, but it brings back the younger generation of Princesses in the most charming way, and, honestly, more shows should center an episode around a D&D campaign (or equivalent). It offers up unparalleled insight into each character and their relationships with each other, and is always, always endlessly entertaining.
The other — and the one I would consider my absolute favorite of the season — is the finale. Where I found season 1’s to be a touch underwhelming, with the Fright Zone rescue playing more like a high-stakes finale earlier in its run, the second season’s closing episode provided the perfect end-cap to the season, while also setting up future episodes in the most tantalizing way.
It not only laid the groundwork for the overarching plot moving forward, but introduced what I would say, hands down, is one of the most charming, loving, and beautiful relationships I have had the pleasure of witnessing in animation. I was, throughout the episode, completely and utterly glued to their every interaction, and it made my heart grow three sizes.
There were some quibbles that I had with the season, but they were minor, and didn’t impede on my enjoyment of it in the least — two characters I was hoping to spend more time with were absent throughout, save for a brief glimpse in episode 1, which was a huge disappointment, but there is still time to circle back to them in the future. On the whole, however, the show is moving in an increasingly positive direction — the world is rich, the characters complicated, and the possibilities endless.
I, for one, cannot wait for season 3.