She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Rewatch 2.2, "Ties That Bind"

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Progress in some areas meets problems in others as the second season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power presses on.

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2.2, "Ties That Bind"

Written by Noelle Stevenson, Laura Sreebny
Directed by Stephanie Stine and David "DWooman" Woo

Synopsis

Conquest seems to agree with Catra.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

Horde banners rise as Catra looks on, the Horde having formally assumed command of Entrapta's kingdom. Some of the locals flee.

Elsewhere, Adora fights against encroaching Horde robots as part of her ongoing training. Light Hope urges her to incorporate Swift Wind into her training, citing a connection with the horse shortly before he introduces himself. Light Hope stalls out before completing her message.

In Bright Moon, Glimmer reacts to Bow's news that Entrapta lives. They purpose to rescue Entrapta, thinking her a prisoner. News that Entrapta's kingdom has fallen gives them an avenue of attack--and Glimmer intends to go without additional support.

It's a common enough story.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Light Hope resumes operations and directs Adora and Swift Wind to repair some of her outlying systems. She stalls out again as Adora and Swift Wind depart.

Glimmer and Bow infiltrate Entrapta's castle, finding it difficult to navigate. They overhear Entrapta's work, and Glimmer rushes in. Melee ensues, and Glimmer and Bow flee, occasioning pursuit. They are able to escape--with Catra taken prisoner.

Adora and Swift Wind proceed on their errand, albeit with some difficulty occasioned by Adora's stubbornness. They do find their target, however, and proceed to work on it. Meanwhile, Glimmer and Bow debate what to do with Catra. She works upon their uncertainties as they purpose to take her to Bright Moon. Neither pair makes good progress.

Horde reinforcements join Catra; Glimmer offers to trade Catra for Entrapta, and Catra threatens to kill Entrapta. Glimmer struggles against her desire to finish Catra, and Bow reminds her that they are not the villains. It does not help, and Entrapta reports a desire to stay with the Horde, demoralizing Glimmer and Bow.

Equatorial rings always signal something big.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Adora despairs of her mission and her duty as She-Ra. She and Swift Wind arrive at an understanding, and they return to the work of repairing Light Hope with renewed purpose--and more success. The restored system affords greater capabilities.

In Bright Moon, Glimmer and Bow confer about their exploits. Adora joins them, exuberant until she learns their news.

Discussion

What comes to mind for me in the present episode, in terms of how the series embodies and presents medievalist tropes, is the subversion of expectations of feudal structures. As typically depicted in medievalist media, loyalty flows reciprocally up and down feudal hierarchies, particularly in their upper reaches. Redirections of those flows are generally significant, and they almost always betoken evil intent on the part of those who shift. The examples late in Malory of those lords and knights who align to Mordred despite having been awarded lands and titles by Arthur point it out, although even that example is somewhat nuanced by the fact that, in milieu, Arthur had been reported dead, and it is not a bad thing to leave off loyalty to a dead king in favor of a living one that might well be thought his heir

Similarly, in the present episode, there is a nuanced treatment of Entrapta's shifting loyalty. While it is as disheartening for Glimmer and Bow as might be expected, it is not a repudiation of them, as is typically the case in shifts of feudal loyalty, as commonly depicted. It is, instead, something of a happenstance; Entrapta is more worried about being able to conduct her research and experimentation than about the political overtones of that work and where she does it, so that her falling in with the Horde is almost incidental. (It is easy to read it as a comment on the work of STEM absent solid humanistic education; the dissociation of work in the sciences from an understanding of that work's implications and the ramifications of who has the ability to do what with that work is a substantial problem, and one that does not get nearly enough recognition from those who do the work--to the peril of all.)

Strangely, Entrapta's shifting loyalty is more akin to the actual shifts in loyalty observed than most of those depicted in traditionally medievalist media. Loyalty was rarely a strong force among ruling classes, unless it was loyalty to power--as measured by access to and command of resources. Entrapta aligning herself with the Horde as a consequence of receiving materials support is therefore more "real" than many depicted realignments, even if it scans strangely against them...