Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.13, "The End Is the Beginning"

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Voltron: Legendary Defender finds an end--and a promise of a new beginning.

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8.13, "The End Is the Beginning"

Written by Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery
Directed by Michael Chang

Synopsis

The towering titans that are Voltron and Honerva's Robeast face off, resuming their melee from previous episodes. Recognizing the threat to the local population, the former tries to move the battle into the hinterlands. The effort is minimally successful.

Clearly.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Honerva renews the ritual to pierce the bounds of reality, draining Voltron's energy to do so. Pursuit continues, though the reality left behind crumbles behind them, and Voltron emerges into a strangely liminal space between realities.

It is an odd place, if it is a place.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Honerva presses her attack upon Voltron--and upon entire realities. In her rage, Honerva purposes to unmake all, and Voltron is rebuffed by the effects of her attacks on the other existences, glimpsed in fleeting images as they are undone. At length, only one remains, a solitary chain of causality ripe for uncreation. It, Voltron is able to defend, rejoining melee with a renewed purpose.

 It does seem to be going badly.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Honerva is driven back, along with the Paladins. The latter are able to convince Honerva to repent and work to restore the realities that were undone. Allura remains behind, as well, to the sadness of the other Paladins, and the universes are restored.

As expected, really.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary, as is the next one.

In the denouement, the Paladins and their allies take stock of what has happened. Altea is restored. The Galra Empire is pacified and incorporated into a federated government. Peace talks in Allura's name work to ease tensions. The Paladins go about their lives, and matters give every appearance of being well. The Lions depart of themselves, vanishing into the cosmos, Voltron's time having ended at last.

Discussion

The series finale, in addition to making several covert comments about social matters, returns to the Marian associations of Allura. As is noted elsewhere in the comments about the series, Allura is something of a stand-in for the Virgin Mary, whose efforts and experience lead to salvation in the Christian ideology of medieval Europe. As is typically conceived, Mary is a preferred if not necessary intercessor for Christian prayer and forgiveness, the agent through which mercy is achieved--and the episode puts Allura in the position of offering mercy to Honerva and acting to provide salvation to all. While the framing is not restricted to the medieval in its overtones and evocations, it makes its case at the end of a series long established as decidedly connected to the medieval, so the resonance with medieval notions sings out strongly.

On an entirely personal note, there is a strange combination of relief and sadness in writing up the final episode. This project has, admittedly, taken longer to complete than ought to have been the case, and the way it was handled early on leaves a fair bit to be desired. (I'm sure some will say that the way it has continued to be handled does, too.) But it is done, now, and while there is pride in getting it done and relief that no more needs doing on it, there is some sadness that there is not more to do with it--at least not here. My words will not be the last written on the topic, though, or I hope they will not, and I look forward to reading what others will have to say. I can hope that what I have said will prove useful to them as they take up their own parts of the work.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.12, "The Zenith"

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The final confrontation of the series continues in the penultimate episode of Legendary Defender.

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8.12, "The Zenith"

Written by Joshua Hamilton
Directed by Eugene Lee

Synopsis

Honerva continues to enact a ritual that will allow her to find a universe where she can live in love with Zarkon and Lotor--and that will destroy all other realities. The Paladins and the Atlas begin to rally in the attempt to stop her. Pidge figures out how Honerva's work is proceeding, and action resumes.

A final call to action?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

It also resumes on the part of Honerva and her supporters. Honerva rallies her pilots against the Paladins, and battle is joined. Honerva's powers prove formidable amid the melee, which draws on with the help of one of the Altean Robeast pilots.

Amid the fight, Coran makes his way to counteract the destabilizing effects of Honerva's ritual, aided by others.

This does seem to come a bit out of nowhere.
Image taken from the final episode, used for commentary.

The efforts come too late, however, as Honerva effectively pierces the boundaries between realities and flees. Keith urges pursuit, and assistance comes in the form of several Balmera that arrive to render help. They empower Voltron and the Atlas, that they may give chase to Honerva across realities--and they do, uniting into a single, colossal construct of immense power.

Thus uplifted, they rejoin melee against Honerva, chasing her through realities as they begin to collapse in the wake of her passage. And Coran works with the Balmera to mute the effects of Honerva's predations, enjoying some success. They are joined, in turn, by Galra led by Krolia and the remaining Blade of Marmora; the combined efforts further stabilize reality as the fight between Voltron and Honerva continues.

It is a strangely warming sight.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The efforts do not suffice, however. The work of Coran and his company cannot be sustained, and Honerva leaves Voltron behind en route to her preferred reality. They continue to pursue, emerging after her into a reality where Altea and the Galra homeworld remain, where Zarkon lives at ease, and where Lotor is a boy at study. The reality's Zarkon accepts Honerva's appearance after an initial challenge. The reality's Lotor, however, is not deceived, and a final confrontation ensues as Voltron appears upon the reality's Altea.

Discussion

It makes sense that there would be little new material introduced by the current episode; it is the next-to-last, so it should be more concerned with ending things than with introducing new ones. And it is the case that more of what has pervaded the series appears in the present episode, including instances of the deus ex machina that have received comment. But, as is noted elsewhere, such things pervade the medieval inspirations of the series no less than the Manichean allegory that is almost abusively obvious in the depictions of Honerva and the ennobled Voltron in the episode. (It is a nice touch that the appearance of the towering white-and-gold figure of the enhanced Voltron inspires terror among the people in other realities; angelic beings such as Voltron is figured to be tend to prompt such responses, however benevolent their intent.) As such, the series remains rooted to its inspirations even as it comes almost to its finale, a sort of a return to its thesis in advance of moving forward one last time.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.11, "Uncharted Regions"

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Matters begin to hasten towards an ending as the final season of Legendary Defender approaches its close.

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8.11, "Uncharted Regions"

Written by Joshua Hamilton
Directed by Rie Koga

Synopsis

Good morning.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Honerva rises to unpleasant consciousness as Oriande travels towards an unknown end. She directs the craft to a point in space to await the Paladins.

Aboard the Atlas, Coran upbraids the Paladins for not defending Allura more stridently before they are summoned to the bridge. Shiro notes the emergence of Oriande and the difficulty in reaching Honerva.

Meanwhile, Honerva begins to deploy her own Robeast, piloting it herself to enact her unholy rite on a massive scale and attempting to identify a reality in which she can be happy with her husband and son. Keith addresses the Atlas crew to that end, and Pidge notes the destructive nature of that attempt. Matters look grim, and the crew purposes to face her despite that grimness. Assignments are made and begin to be carried out.

The leader and the lancer
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

After, Keith and Lance confer. Their situation worries Lance, and Keith reassures Lance about matters. The two emerge from the talk with renewed purpose.

Preparations continue. Romelle confers with the Altean captives. They remind her of Honerva's hold on them. Pidge assists in the development and refinement of new weaponry. Smaller groups head out from the Atlas to reconnoiter--and it is remarked that Honerva remains in a single location, and that she cannot be reached, though reconnaissance can be and is conducted on her. The information reveals to the Atlas crew that Honerva is in the midst of enacting her reality-shattering plans. The scouts come under assault from one of Honerva's Robeasts and are son destroyed.

So begins the end.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In the wake of that destruction, Honerva relocates to the site of the lost Altea and the Galra homeworld. Lance attends on Allura as she lies unconscious, and she wakes. Honerva is aware that they will be coming; the Atlas girds for the fight to come, and battle is joined. It does not go well for the Paladins and the Atlas, particularly after Honerva compels the Altean captives to work to sabotage the ship. Their efforts are spectacularly effective, and the Atlas is left depowered--with Honerva's might greatly increased by their sacrifice.

Only the sudden betrayal of one of Honerva's lieutenants hinders the enactment of the reality-ending rite. But that delay allows for aid to arrive, and the battle to defeat Honerva continues with decreasing hope as the barriers between realities begin to fall.

Image taken from the episode, used for illustration.

Discussion

For the final write-up of February 2019, there's more than a bit of the apocalyptic to be found. The multiverse in which Legendary Defender occurs is ending, and there are demonic figures (Lotor's Robeast, Honerva's Robeast, and the amalgamation of the two that emerges during the episode) presiding over the whole. And that focus on the apocalyptic offers a connection to the medieval. Richard K. Emmerson notes in "The Apocalypse in Medieval Culture" (in The Apocalypse in the Middle Ages) the extent to which medieval though considered the end-times: pervasively. Pieces written to "fill in the gaps" of Biblical accounts for European audiences are amply attested, and many speak to what Emmerson calls "the horrendous dissolution of nature" (pg. 305). That idea, that nature will collapse, seems to be at work in the present episode, if with a more "scientific" and less religious bent. (The earlier-noted cult-working of the suborned Alteans comes to mind, however.) And it is being brought about in the effort to achieve a paradise, if only by and for Honerva, so there remains a twisted parallel to Scriptural and popular accounts that suffuse the medieval.

There is also a related connection, though it reads as somewhat misogynistic. Biblical and medieval conceptions of the end of days feature prominently the putative Whore of Babylon; Emmerson remarks that the character "is the most memorable 'citizen' of Babylon" (pg. 320), for example. The current episode--indeed, the current season of the series--focuses largely upon Honerva; she is its most memorable participant. Given the depiction of the Babylonian as associated with the Antichrist--and Lotor does a decent impression thereof, prior to his death--and Honerva's own color motifs, the parallel can be drawn, reinforcing the medievalism of the present episode's eschatological overtones.

At the same time, Honerva continues to read as somewhat sympathetic; what she does, she does to restore her son. She is not dissimilar to Grendel's mother in Beowulf, who works to avenge a son slain justly; Lotor was clearly in the wrong, clearly evil in the perspective of the series, but he was still beloved by his mother, and it is hard to rage at the impetus of a mother to do all that can be done to preserve her child. But, as with the Anglo-Saxon antecedent, Honerva's means are execrable--and more.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.10, "Knights of Light, Part 2"

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The Paladins' strangely dangerous sortie continues, and revelations emerge.

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8.10, "Knights of Light, Part 2"

Written by Erik Bogh
Directed by Michael Chang

Synopsis

Their numbers have increased.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Continuing from the previous episode, the Paladins hurtle through Honerva's mindscape, finding themselves in a remembrance of the Galra homeworld. They confer about the implications before advancing. Allura leads them, though dark energies continue to afflict her, and the shade of Alfor warns her against it yet again; she explains her need for the added power.

Within the mindscape, the Paladins come under attack by an enhanced remembrance of one of their earliest foes. The fight is joined, and the Paladins find it a tougher battle than their previous encounter, but the power of their predecessors allows them to press ahead, following Allura's lead.

Allura seems to have a clear idea of what needs doing.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The Paladins find themselves suddenly in a remembrance of Oriande, and Pidge opines about the implications; they continue to encounter psychic traps protecting Honerva's inner being. And as they press on, they find themselves transported to a stormy landscape of her memories--many of which are unpleasant. Among others, the end of the first group of Paladins is detailed; Honerva killed them, consumed them. Allura reacts with rage, occasioning concern that has to be put aside int he hopes of progressing further. And that progress is made, allowing the Paladins to ransack Honerva's mind and memory.

Some of Honerva's recent memories are...unpleasant.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The Paladins enter another layer of Honerva's mind and are assailed by her raw presence. They soon find themselves on a remembered Altaea, where the shade of Zarkon assails them. Keith confronts the shade, opposing it mightily and summoning aid. After a struggle, the shade is released, and Allura inflicts upon him the memory of his misdeeds. In its wake, his contrition, though insufficient, is sincere, and he begins to make such efforts toward finding absolution as he can make.

Honerva's desires are revealed--along with her purpose. She means to find a reality in which her husband and son are alive and love her--at the cost of destroying all other realities. And Honerva becomes aware of the interlopers in her mind, working against them directly. The shade of Alfor and Keith unite the assembled sets of Paladins in the purpose of breaking Honerva's hold upon them all--and they succeed. The present Paladins are returned to physical reality, although Allura remains unconscious.

Discussion

The resonance with dream visions continues in the present episode from the previous, and there is something of a parallel to the Divine Comedy mentioned in the previous episode's write-up; the Paladins continue to progress through ever-deeper layers of Honerva's mind, finding strange and often terrifying wonders as they do. Additionally, the present episode engages what might be thought a decidedly medieval--though certainly not restricted to the medieval--preoccupation: the nature of forgiveness.

The case can be made that the shade of Zarkon, having been imprisoned and dominated by Honerva, is not culpable for the deeds of the corporeal Zarkon. (And, indeed, there is the worrisome implication of his shade being present; what animated the corporeal Zarkon?) Yet the assertion is made in the episode that he was, in fact, aware of his corporeal misdeeds, even if removed from them, and he appears to accept responsibility for them. If he is as responsible as he seems to suggest being, then there is a question of what absolution could actually be available to him; millennia of genocide would seem to stain a soul beyond any scrubbing. At the same time, it seems that Zarkon's fellow shades accept his efforts as contrition, offering forgiveness--and the present Paladins, after Allura's inflicting memory upon him, seem to, as well.

The question the episode poses in that regard, then, is if mindful efforts against an evil previously enabled actually enable forgiveness, or if forgiveness is a thing that can be earned. Again, it is something with which the medieval European mind, typically conceived, did occupy itself. Research such as Marc B. Cels's "Forgiveness in Late Medieval Sermons: On the Unforgiving Servant" speaks to that occupation, as do such works as Piers Plowman and Chaucer's Pardoner's Prologue and Tale. So, while such occupation does not restrict itself to the medieval mind, it does figure prominently in it, and the present episode's engagement with that occupation does just a bit more to connect the series to its medieval and medievalist forebears.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.9, "Knights of Light, Part 1"

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The Paladins venture forth on a strangely dangerous sortie as the end of the eighth season of Legendary Defender approaches.

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8.9, "Knights of Light, Part 1"

Written by Mitch Iverson
Directed by Eugene Lee

Synopsis

It's not the most promising start.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Allura wakes in darkness, a voice whispering to her; the voice resolves into Honerva's, and she wakes again to find Coran and Lance watching over her. They confer with her about recent developments; she confirms that she took a dark energy into herself. The others' reactions as Allura explains are not happy.

Shiro and the Paladins confer about how to proceed, given Allura's embrace of the entity. They propose to assail Honerva psychically, noting that her threat justifies the risks involved. Shiro reluctantly agrees to support the plan, and Lance raises concerns; preparations to enact it begin.

The way to go seems clear.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The Paladins sally forth, and Allura is swiftly aware of Honerva. The Atlas moves to assist as Voltron is formed and the Paladins push forward into Honerva's mindspace. Strange interconnections are noted before Allura is again taken, painfully, by awareness of Honerva, and Lance again expresses concern about the plan. Keith proposes focusing on tracking Honerva through the link, and the Paladins make progress on that end. They eventually find themselves at the boundaries of Honerva's psychic presence.

This is an even worse sign than usual.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

There, the Paladins other than Keith are seized by souls Honerva has corrupted; Keith is left alone to struggle futilely to reach them. The rest, however, find themselves fighting, in isolation, spectral foes whose blows are all too forceful. Allura takes particular exception to the situation, employing dark powers against their dark attackers and revealing that they are, in fact, assailed by the Paladins of old. And the Lions reveal some of the shared histories of the Paladins old and new, leading to the resolution of the conflicts they face.

In the wake of the battle, the two sets of Paladins confer, with the older lauding their younger counterparts and advising them. And the eight are returned to Keith, who still seeks for them. But their joy at reunion portends far worse to come...

Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Discussion

For the Valentine's Day 2019 edition of the Tales after Tolkien Society blog, there is a bit of romantic love in the air; Lance's affection for Allura comes through clearly in the present episode.

Aside from that, though, there are some things that attract comment. One is the prevalence of deus ex machina in the present episode. The remarks in "A Few Comments Inspired by Voltron: Legendary Defender" apply, as might be expected, although it must be noted that the Lions that provide much of the deus ex machina qualities are noted repeatedly throughout the series to have additional powers yet unknown, so there is at least some ghost of foreshadowing of their sudden ability to link Paladins across millennia. Too, as noted, there is ample medieval precedent for such events, so having them happen yet again is yet one more link of the series back to its forebears and antecedents.

Too, as with earlier episodes of the series, there seems to be something of the dream vision about the present episode. Certainly, the artwork in the episode suggests psychedelia, and I have heard such works as The Land of Cokaygne described as medieval drug-trips. There are similar elements even in, say, Pearl, or in the more widely-known Divine Comedy. So, otherworldly as the episode is (as any in a space-opera seemingly must be), it also has another connection to medieval antecedents, helping to keep the series grounded as a medievalist production even as it approaches its end.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.8, "Clear Day"

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A seeming excursion covers darker deeds as Voltron: Legendary Defender progresses towards its end.

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8.8, "Clear Day"

Written by Erik Bogh
Directed by Rie Koga

Synopsis

It remains something bad to see...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Following up on the breakthrough of the previous episode, Allura interviews one of the suborned Alteans. He presses for haste against the possibility of Honerva's realization that he is offering information about her and her machinations--and, indeed, her power makes itself felt quickly. Allura is able to extract the mechanism of control from the other Altean, however, and it is contained at some cost and peril. Allura divines its purpose and devises uses for it quickly, though Sam Holt cautions her against invoking or exploiting it.

It's sweet. It clearly has to be doomed.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

On the bridge of the Atlas, unusual telemetry comes in from a world not necessarily friendly to the Coalition. The decision is made to provide security for the world's celebration, and the Coalition forces proceed thither. As they travel, Allura notes to Lance that she is not feeling well and will not be participating in festivities. Lance offers to remain with her; she tells him to have fun.

The Atlas arrives at the planet, and much of the crew draws light-duty security work that will allow them to enjoy the festivities while they work. Keith remains vigilant as the other Paladins engage in recreational activities; Shiro and Coran also make their way to the fun. Allura, however, is drawn towards the dark energy she pulled from the other Altean as she hallucinates Lotor and others, to her horror.

All the while, the other Paladins and Shiro enjoy themselves at the festivities. Shiro manages to find himself engaged (winningly, ultimately against the warden from an earlier episode) in an arm-wrestling contest, and Coran (also winningly) in an animal-calling competition, while Pidge, Hunk, and Lance eat and play. Keith embarrasses himself in his rigidity before being roped into taking a saccharine ride with Hunk--that soon breaks. And the usual carnival shenanigans ensue.

Allura struggles with the decision to take into herself the dark energy she had pulled from the suborned Altean, ultimately opting to do so. When, at length, the crew returns to the Atlas, they find her incapacitated.

This will not end well.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Discussion

In keeping with the present season's tendency to refer back to and close off thread from earlier episodes, the present episode refers back to "The Voltron Show," with its own extensive referentiality. It is an interesting bit of metanarrative and entertaining, as is much else about the episode.

Such is to the good, because the episode does not do much to add to the medievalism that has pervaded the series. Even the evilly inspired hallucinations, which suggest medieval dream-visions as antecedents, are reiterations of already-established tropes in the series. As has been noted with other, earlier episodes, though, it is not necessary that a work drawing from medieval and medievalist sources do so at all points; there are other references the series can and does make, and it is also the case that the present episode is late in what is remarked as being the final season of the series. It is a bit late to be introducing new materials to the show, although it remains a good time for it to refer back to itself, as it clearly does.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.7, "Day Forty-Seven"

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A day in the life of the Coalition forces is presented as Legendary Defender presses onward.

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8.7, "Day Forty-Seven"

Written by Joshua Hamilton
Directed by Michael Chang

Synopsis

Kincaid sets up a video recorded to document a day in his and his shipmates' lives aboard the Atlas. He moves through his morning ablutions and lays out the premise of his own work. Others aboard the ship insert themselves into his work as he continues to go about his day, most notably Nadia Rizavi, who takes it on herself to enliven Kincaid's work.

As in the frame presented here.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Interviews with various members of the crew ensue. Information provided is generally good, although the crew are not performers, and it shows. Their essential characters show through until a battle alert sounds. The camera tracks some of the action as it is carried through the ship by a dog.

One of the better camera-workers in the series, as it happens.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The dog finds its way to the bridge of the Atlas while the battle--against a space-borne organism of great size--continues. The dog flees, and the camera is taken by the mice that have long been part of the franchise before being recovered by the dog.

The camera goes dead and is recovered by Kincaid. Recording resumes. Relationships among the crew are noted, and Nadia reintroduces herself to the work. Interviews continue, and the interviewees continue to demonstrate that they are not performers--with the exception of Coran, whose grandiose personality shines through, and Colleen Holt receives particular attention.

Quite the difference, this.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Attention turns to a mission the Paladins will be conducting. They investigate a crashed Robeast, with a live feed being sent up to the Atlas as they do. The Paladins come under assault at they investigate, and the crew of the Atlas looks on with worry as the melee continues. Pidge's video feed reveals the Robeast's pilot, which the Paladins retrieve. As Kincaid and Rzavi move to follow up on the issue, they note the impasse in questioning Robeast pilots; they snoop on the questioning, finding that it does not go well. And Kincaid resists focusing overly much on Allura's emotional hurt.

Next on the list...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

A later interview with Romelle reveals more about the Robeasts' pilots and their motivations. Another focuses on Allura and her reaction to the Robeasts' pilots, as well as her frustrations at events. And Hunk, whose culinary efforts have pervaded the episode, manages to create a breakthrough with the Robeasts' pilots that the others then turn to their own advantage before Kincaid closes out the recording and the day.

Discussion

Several plot threads move through the episode, an interweaving of narrative that is common in the series and has received comment before as evoking medieval antecedents. Of particular note for the Society is the thread surrounding Hunk's culinary efforts. His penchant for kitchen-craft is noted throughout the series, featuring well in several episodes (perhaps most emphatically "Space Mall"), and, in the present episode, it effects the resolution of what had seemed an impasse between the Coalition's Alteans and the Alteans suborned by Honerva. As such, and given the medieval chivalric contextual background of the series as a whole, it serves as something of an oblique reference to the tendency in Arthurian literature to associate points of narrative importance to mealtimes. Such a connection is admittedly subtle, but a thing can be effective even if not blatant, and the small nod that may be occasioned thereby helps to reaffirm yet one more time the medievalist underpinnings of Voltron: Legendary Defender.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.6, "Genesis"

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As the final season of Legendary Defender reaches its midpoint, it arrives at a nadir, indeed.

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8.6, "Genesis"

Written by Mitch Iverson
Directed by Eugene Lee

Synopsis

As the Atlas proceeds through the cosmos, the Coalition forces aboard review the intelligence they have gathered so far. Honerva's Robeasts continue to make planetfall on worlds across the universe. Shiro calls for calm and assigns tasks. Meanwhile, Honerva addresses her people, exhorting them in her late son's name. The Robeasts she has sent out awaken and begin their machinations.

No, that's not ominous at all.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The Atlas learns that the Robeasts are siphoning off the vital energies of the planets where they have landed, and debate erupts among the crew as to how to proceed. Allura calls for a direct assault on Honerva on Oriande, laying out why. Honerva plots to pull power from across a galaxy, and Voltron and the Atlas proceed to make the assault, while other forces move to address the other problems occasioned by the attack.

The Robeasts transfer the energy they have stolen, and rescue operations begin as the Atlas proceeds toward Oriande. It is defended, not by the guardian that had previously stood vigil, but by more Robeasts. Melee ensues, with the Atlas running a screen for Voltron.

It is not like to be an easy fight.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Honerva's machinations and rescue efforts continue as the fight goes on. The energy collection proceeds, funneling untold power to Honerva in Oriande. She channels it into the unmaking of the guardian, increasing her power immensely and enacting a dark ritual while the Atlas and Voltron continue to fight. Ezor and Zethrid, prisoners in the brig on the Atlas, move to assist, as well.

Enemy of my enemy...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The fights continue. So does the ritual. The boundaries between realities are rent again, and the reality-ending potential of the threat is made explicit. And, to all appearances, Lotor is returned from the dead.

This is never a good sign.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Melee resumes between Voltron and Lotor, and the suborned Alteans look on in awe as a bestial Lotor badly batters Voltron. At least one is disturbed by the sight, and Allura makes to attack Honerva personally. Lance moves to defend her, ultimately unsuccessfully, and Lotor attacks the Altean nearest him. Honerva holds the attack and makes a bargain with Allura: her life for Lance's. Allura accepts, and Honerva restrains Lotor before continuing on with her plan, taking the structures of Oriande into space in a manner that the old Castle of Lions seems to have copied. The Paladins flee, as well, before they are trapped. They narrowly escape, and matters look poorly for them.

Discussion

It continues to be good to see the series work to close off plot threads left from earlier seasons, or, rather, to use ideas from those earlier seasons to reinforce narrative continuity. Despite certain tendencies in the series, the return to already-established methods and actions helps to promote the cohesion and authenticity of the milieu; it looks more like it plays by its own rules, following a variation on world-building advice given by Tolkien in "On Fairy-stories" and refined by other writers since.

Among the ideas that continue to be in use is the twistedly Marian devotion of the suborned Alteans toward Honerva. Indeed, one of the Alteans remarks on a need to "protect our goddess" when Voltron reaches Oriande. And it is not hard to see why she might be regarded thusly; aside from having lived for millennia and having mothered the similarly-millennial savior, she visibly returns him to life from the dead, if in a corrupted form suggested by her own return from beyond the grave and her husband's. But it is a false devotion, to be sure; Honerva is the mother of a false savior, and she is herself far from an immaculate figure. And those who remain in that devotion begin to suffer, not only through combat against Voltron and the associated coalition, but by the dark products of the unholy rituals performed by and for their masters--something not  uncommon to medievalist productions that involve magic, as so many do.

As in many previous episodes, the present does not introduce new medievalisms so much as reiterate and reinforce those long present in the series. But that does not make it less medievalist an item.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.5, "The Grudge"

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More plotlines resolve as the series continues towards its ending.

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8.5, "The Grudge"

Written by Rocco Pucillo
Directed by Rie Koga

Synopsis

She's a fine ship, she is.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The Atlas continues her journey through the cosmos at seeming ease, and her crew confer as they exercise aboard her. In the background, Axca performs her own calisthenics. When she answers a question put to her, it marks her distance from her crewmates.

Soon enough, the Atlas answers a communication from the Paladins that reports the previous episode's exploits and the intelligence acquired. They appear to have identified Oriande as Honerva's base and arrange to rendezvous with the Atlas to confer and regroup.

Seems a strange place for a meet-up.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

As the Atlas proceeds, her crew continues to try to integrate Axca. She answers the questions posed to her tersely, and cultural differences emerge as points of tension. More information arrives from the Paladins reporting that they are delayed--even though they make planetfall at the location they had expected to find. It is a trap, and it springs hard upon the Paladins, sending them fleeing in inhospitable conditions. Their pursuers are soon revealed to be led by Zethrid.

Aboard the waiting Atlas, Axca continues to train, and Veronica continues to try to integrate her into the rest of the crew. Axca is resistant, but Veronica persists. Meanwhile, pursuit of the Paladins continues, with Keith acting as a distraction so that the others can proceed; Lance proves a useful guide as the hunt persists and until the Paladins are separated further.

Recognition dawns upon them...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

At length, the Atlas crew recognizes that something is amiss and moves to assist.

Keith continues to lead some of his pursuers away from his comrades, while another pursuer persists in following Pidge to enact revenge for an earlier defeat. With Hunk, she manages to restrain their pursuers and makes to return to the Lions. Lance and Allura also encounter their pursuers, Allura using her abilities to defeat their pursuit in time to see the Atlas arrive and disable the pursuers' ship. Keith's pursuers persist, however, and Zethrid corners him at the precipice of a volcano. She rages at him for having taken Ezor and beats him badly before Axca confronts her and Kinkade subdues her. Keith saves her from a fiery death, and she is reunited with Ezor.

Discussion

Much has been made of the association between the Paladin Lance and the Arthurian Lancelot. Less noted (but still remarked upon) has been the association between Lance and the Arthurian Kay the Seneschal. I've opined about Kay's presence in Malory in another place; in summary, Kay holds a privileged position in which he does occasionally do some good but more frequently offers boasts he cannot match--and that those around him know he cannot often match. While Lance is not abusive with his position as Kay is--and Kay is decidedly abusive with his position--he does work very much to instantiate forms of bullshit recognized by scholars (namely Frankfurt); he works to foster an impression of himself not necessarily consonant with reality. The present episode speaks to the other characters' knowledge that he comports himself in such ways--which is also a common point between Lance and Kay.  It is a small medievalism, to be sure, but one that adds usefully to understanding how Voltron: Legendary Defender carries forward what it has inherited from the medieval European and other places, aiding in understanding how the medieval continues to matter.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.4, "Battle Scars"

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The costs of combat continue to confront the Paladins as Voltron: Legendary Defender presses on.

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8.4, "Battle Scars"

Written by Joshua Hamilton
Directed by Michael Chang

Synopsis

I'd be scared.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

One of Honerva's Robeasts makes planetfall on the Alcari homeworld. Panic understandably ensues as the Robeast wreaks havoc.

Elsewhere, the Paladins confer about their circumstances. After some strain, they determine to put in with the Alcari for rest and aid. Pidge, in particular, is eager for the chance to reconnect with the technical wizards, and calls ahead--though no reply is forthcoming, which occasions some concern.

It is a matter of no small concern.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The Paladins proceed, rushing on to find the planet ruined and a weblum on approach. They move on the planet themselves, rushing ahead to find the desolate wasteland the planet has become; its cities are broken, all life drained from it. They look for survivors, hoping to evacuate some from the path of the weblum; there are none, all life reduced to dust in the wind, its vital energy drained. And the Paladins posit reasons for the attack to little avail.

Pidge is stunned by what she finds and reclaims her mental connection to the Alcari in the extremity of her sadness. She sees visions of what had happened, and she begins to follow them. The other Paladins attempt to delay the weblum while she does so; the progress of the attack plays out before her eyes in painful, terrifying detail. The Alcari attempted to defend themselves without success; they are able to evacuate some of their population and send a copy of their data to another site, but only a few scattered remnants of them remain, and none on their homeworld, after the Robeast saps the planet's energy. And Pidge learns that the Robeast is using wormholes to travel, which accounts for much of what they have seen in other places.

You thought your service was bad...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The attempt to delay the weblum goes poorly, even after Allura joins it. A call for aid has no effective result, transmission interrupted by local conditions. But Pidge is able to witness the end of the Alcari homeworld and the purpose of the Robeast's attack: retrieval of Alcari technology. At the last moment, she evacuates the planet, and the Paladins together watch the world be taken by the weblum. They mourn its passing--and they report what they have found of Honerva's machinations.

Discussion

The tone of the episode is deeply elegiac, even more so than earlier episodes of the series that have been mournful in their thrust. Those go back even as far as the first season of the series (here), popping up with more and less effect later (here, here, and here). The comments on those earleir episodes about the manifestation of such concepts as Þæs ofereode; ðisses swa mæg therefore apply to the present episode in like measure. Given the more overtly philosophical content of the episode--Pidge's vision reveals the Alcari leader speaking to a child about the need of the old to give way to the new, something repeated by the Paladin later in the episode--they apply perhaps more fully; the Alcari whose world is taken are to be mourned, certainly, but a remnant of their people and much of their knowledge remain. They, and the Paladins who are strangely witnesses to their final days, look forward to brighter times and endurance amid the changes of the world--a stable ship upon the rough seas of life, to draw close to another bit of Anglo-Saxon verse. One has to wonder about the possibility of foreshadowing in the episodes to come...

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.3, "The Prisoner's Dilemma"

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Past deeds come back to haunt the Paladins as the eighth season of Legendary Defender continues.

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8.3, "The Prisoner's Dilemma"

Written by Erik Bogh
Directed by Eugene Lee

Synopsis

You'd think they'd know better.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

A Galra facility comes under assault; it responds as it is able, but, as it is fighting against the Voltron Coalition, it cannot do much, and it is soon taken. Casualties and collateral damage are minimal; the victory is overwhelming. In its wake, Coalition forces tend to the wounded, and the facility's commander is revealed to be an officer with whom Voltron had worked before--Lan, who is now embittered by circumstance. Evidently, as Sendak raged while Voltron was away, he and his suffered from the internal Galra conflict.

One of many less-than-good things to see...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

An arriving distress signal interrupts the tense discussion. Lan accompanies the Paladins as they go to investigate; the signal is coming from one of Lan's ships. They had been dispatched to salvage weapons from another base; they seem not to have fared well in that task, as Voltron finds the ships in fragments. No life signs are forthcoming, and only one ship remains reasonably intact. The distress signal is automated, and recovery operations begin.

Another such thing...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The ship is ruined inside as the rest are outside. No Galra survive as the Paladins and Lan reconnoiter, and Lan rages against his circumstances to Allura. Hunk and Lance come across the agent of destruction, a bio-engineered superweapon programmed to destroy Galra; it passes them by as it continues its own crusade against the Galra. Keith recalls it, and a fight against it ensues. With difficulty and the emergence of new abilities from Keith's bayard, the weapon is defeated.

The Paladins return to Lan's base, and Lan joins the Coalition. New intelligence suggests that other threats are present and need investigation; Shiro demurs against the stated mission of the Atlas. Keith proposes splitting up to handle the expanded mission--and Hagar continues her own work, sending out more Altean-driven Robeasts to enact her will.

Discussion

It is good that the series is working to address plot points raised in earlier seasons as it draws towards its declared end; while it is to be expected that some threads will not be tied off, each such knot makes for a more durable tapestry. So to see the unintended consequences of earlier actions play out is welcome.

Indeed, such seems to be the dominant thread of the episode, that actions have ramifications that may not be able to be perceived in the moments they are taken. There is ample precedent for it, including among the medieval works that underpin much of what happens in Legendary Defender. Arthuriana offers examples thereof; the conception of Mordred is one. As Malory has it, Margawse takes Arthur, who is unaware that she is his half-sister, into her bed, where he sires Mordred. He commits incest without knowing it, leading ultimately to the downfall of his kingdom of Logres. The unintended consequences of Keith's earlier actions do not lead to the Paladins' downfall, to be sure, but they do wreak ruin that he had not foreseen and for which he has to imperil himself to atone. It is a knightly thing, to be sure, and its occurrence helps tie a loose thread into the warp and weft of the medievalist tapestry that is Voltron: Legendary Defender.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.2, "Shadows"

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As the final season of Legendary Defender moves forward, a look back at events seems in order--and the present episode offers just that.

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8.2, "Shadows"

Written by Mitch Iverson
Directed by Rie Koga

Synopsis

She's seen a lot. It hasn't all been good.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

In an obvious flashback, Acxa attacks Honerva to defend Lotor; she escapes, sending Galra forces out into the cosmos. Her own forces press on, searching for Lotor; it is clear that the memories upon which she reflects are disjointed in time. They and a lack of news of Lotor overwhelm her as she comes across the physical remnants of Lotor's last fight with Voltron and reflects on her long past with Zarkon and Lotor. She rails against the druids and the fracturing Galra empire, bending to the purpose of reclaiming her son as her history becomes clearer.

It does not appear a good time is being had by all.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The commander she had sent out is returned to her, albeit in poor condition. Exercising her powers, she interrogates him, plumbing him for information about Lotor. His answers displease her, and she kills him before summoning a kral zera. Another flashback explicates the manner in which she killed the commander, an exercise of power that literally sucks the life out of those upon whom it is turned and akin to a planet-killing ritual she performs. Yet another leads to her being delivered of Lotor, away from whom her then-ruined-minded self turns, and the following discussion with Zarkon.

The kral zera ensues, with the usual posturing and fighting. Honerva appears, declares herself and her hatred of the Galra, and destroys those there gathered to the last and least, consuming them.

Honerva recalls a further break from Lotor occasioned by Zarkon, and returns to the site of his death, making one last attempt to retrieve him. His latter days are revealed to her, and she reflects on one of the few points of connection she was able to make with Lotor, though it was no pleasant thing for her.

There would seem to be more where that came from...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

Soon after, she arrives at the Altean colony Lotor had established, where she assumes control of it in her son's name. She soon converts it into a cult bent on eliminating Voltron and working her will: the resurrection of Lotor. They travel to Oriande to begin effecting that plan, with Honerva using what she finds there to construct the kinds of robeast that assailed Voltron on Earth. She also reflects on one of the points when Lotor's efforts to work peacefully were undone by Zarkon's orders, a point where he had been soured by the constraints of Galra society and where she had had to help sour him. And she sends our the first of her new robeasts to destroy Voltron.

Discussion

The present episode emerges from several earlier episodes, perhaps most notably "White Lion," "Omega Shield" and "The Colony." The earlier episodes make clear that Honerva seeks what Oriande offers; what is less clear then is what Honerva takes with her, which the present episode clarifies. The last makes much of Lotor's messianic persona and Honerva's somewhat frustrated desire to support him. The two tendencies combine in the present episode to make a darkly medievalist gesture; Honerva becomes a twistedly Marian devotional focus, co-opting an already-present cultish structure based on her motherhood and bestowing upon her most devout followers power and puissance deriving from clearly supernatural sources. In some senses, she has touched heaven, and she did bear someone perceived as a savior to an outcast people who might well be called chosen, so there is some resonance with a not often appropriated medieval trope--though, as with much else, that appropriation is made unpleasant, indeed.

That the series as a whole makes use of medieval and medievalist tropes, and that it does so for both protagonists and antagonists, is of interest. The idea embedded therein is different than the commonplace invocations of the medieval by current media, which tend to be either inaccurately nostalgic for a time that was somehow better and more pure (with "pure" being a decidedly fraught term, as is amply attested by a series of articles on The Public Medievalist and elsewhere) or inaccurately condemnatory of practices more modern thinkers like to believe they do not also share--or exceed in barbarity. The invocations remain simplified and adapted, of course, but that they are both to the good and the bad at least gestures towards an understanding of the medieval as a complex, nuanced time, one in which people fit into types no more (or less) than now, and which has something to say to later audiences, even if filtered through many lenses or added onto many times. And that is better than many "more adult" properties that claim to be "really" or "based on the real" medieval, to be sure.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Re)Watch 8.1, "Launch Date"

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The final season of Legendary Defender begins with a bit of relief--and some developments that seem to have been long in coming.

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8.1, "Launch Date"

Written by Lauren Montgomery
Directed by Michael Chang

Synopsis

It is a bit meta, isn't it?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Following up on the events of the previous season (and with an interesting call-back to earlier versions of the series), the episode opens with Pidge watching a television send-up of Voltron's adventures. Meanwhile, the Altean who had been piloting the robeast that landed on Earth continues to convalesce, with Allura and Romelle considering her condition and circumstances. Romelle tries to puzzle out what went wrong with her erstwhile friend. Additionally, Hunk and his family see to the supply of the Atlas in preparation for its journey into space to continue the fight against the Galra threat. He moves to console Lance, who has not been able to make sincere romantic overtures towards Allura, and pushes the Red Lion's Paladin to pursue her.

After, a meeting sees Shiro give a speech summarizing their current circumstances and situation. Reports are made and accepted. Keith voices the urgency of their mission, and Shiro authorizes an evening off in preparation for it. Lance manages to ask Allura out, albeit with some prompting from Hunk. Romelle encourages her to accept, and she does. The two Alteans enlist Pidge to help Allura dress for the date; negotiations with her mother allow it to happen.

It is as silly as it looks.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The captured Altean wakes as Romelle, Allura, Pidge, Nadia, and Ina proceed to shop for clothing. They find at first that they need trade goods to do so, but Pidge's fame is soon enlisted to secure most of what they need. There are limits to what it can do, however, and Pidge relinquishes a prized acquisition in favor of Allura's clothes.

At the same time, Lance confers with Coran regarding the date. Coran stands in loco parentis for her and harangues Lance. And Lance seeks out Keith for counsel about Allura. Although they do exchange barbs, they seem to hold one another in esteem and bond over the discussion.

Allura arrives at Lance's home for their date, a dinner with his family. Introductions are made, and dinner proceeds pleasant, replete with ribbing Lance. Allura is reminded of her own loss of family. After, she and Lance walk together, talking; Allura restores a park about which Lance waxes poetic before confessing his love to her. She responds in kind, the two sharing a kiss at long last.

It's not a face to look forward to.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Meanwhile, Romelle is enlisted to speak with the captured Altean, whom she knew before escaping from Lotor's machinations. She reacts badly to it, raging against Romelle for what she perceives as perfidy before Honerva, whom she reports is involved, kills her from afar.

Allura returns from her date to find a pensive Coran and Romelle waiting for her. They confer with Shiro about events and the resurgence of Honerva, but the mission on the Atlas proceeds as intended, the mighty ship bearing the Paladins back out into the cosmos to conclude their battles.

Discussion

The present episode is another that is minimally medievalist. That is, the common elements of the series that have long been medieval remain so, but little if any of the medieval is added by events in the present episode. The promises of the previous episode seem to be on their way to fulfillment, perhaps, with Haggar/Honerva clearly returning, so there may be some more medievalism to find or some reinforcement of it in the coming episodes.

And there seems to be potential for the culmination of another thread. That Lance stands in for Lancelot in many ways has been made clear. Although she does not hold the formal title, Allura may as well be queen of the Alteans--and the present episode suggests that social concerns will mean Lance and Allura are not looking at a long-term relationship. How Lance mimics or corrects his namesake's actions, if he does, will bear some attention, to be certain.

So will how the final season of Legendary Defender manifests the medieval, generally.