She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Rewatch 4.8, "Boys' Night Out"

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Shenanigans ensue as the men of She-Ra take center stage. Because of course they do.

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4.8, "Boys' Night Out"

Written by Noelle Stevenson, Shane Lynch, Josie Campbell, Katherine Nolfi, Laura Sreebny, and M. Willis
Directed by Christina "Kiki" Manrique

Synopsis

Such cannon. Much blast. Wow.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

The Horde presses its wave of assault, Hordak leading the way. Ruin and destruction follow, with the rebellion doing what it can to hinder the advance and evacuate the locals. Conditions are not favorable for them as they are for Hordak.

Their excursion promises to be glorious. Or a travesty. One of those.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

After, the rebel leaders confer about their current circumstances. Matters are grim, and Glimmer continues to rush out as Mermista mourns her fallen kingdom. The conference concludes sharply, leaving Bow, Swift Wind, and Sea Hawk alone. The last purposes to take the three of them out together, and the proceed thus.

Hordak surveys the results of his work, and Catra confers with him regarding their progress. She tries to have him return to the Fright Zone; he sends her home, instead. She reluctantly agrees, complaining after he leaves.

Bow, Swift Wind, and Sea Hawk find themselves in a tavern. Bow finds himself distracted, and Sea Hawk tries to enliven things through an impromptu musical number. The three are taken from the tavern at sword-point, ostensibly as part of Sea Hawk's plan to reunite the rancorous princesses. The kidnappers, though, are not the ones on whom Sea Hawk planned.

The three find themselves restrained aboard ship our of sight of shore. They try to make contact with the princesses, who find themselves distracted by their own concerns. Glimmer and Adora argue, hindering contact, and their captors reveal themselves as Sea Hawk's former crewmates, who seek vengeance on him, as well as bounties on their heads.

Catra considers her situation and tries to make contact with Scorpia, to no avail.

That doesn't look like a pleasure yacht.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Bow, Swift Wind, and Sea Hawk are told they are bound for the Horde. They are transferred thence, but Mermista finally receives word of their disappearance. She marshals Glimmer and Adora to assist in their recovery, and they effect it after a brief melee and another musical number.

In the Fright Zone, Catra realizes Scorpia's defection. Nor are matters easy among Glimmer, Adora, and Bow, and Adora purposes to find Mara's weapon.

Discussion

Much is made in the episode of friendship, possibly speaking to another cartoon directed towards girls and young women that has enjoyed renewed interests after an initial appearance in the 1980s. Intentionally or not, it also evokes the fellowship--felaweshipe or felawscipe or other spellings, and, generously, the comitatus--that appears in so much medieval English literature. In both Chaucer and Malory, much is made of the increasingly close companionship, not without internal strife and struggles, that emerges among those who journey and fight together--and, yes, with sexual overtones available if not always sounded, as is true of most things. It is in some respects the driving force of the larger narratives in some of the more notable medieval English works, receiving attention from far more erudite scholars than I. As with many things, of course, there are other depictions of it than the medieval, but there are many medieval, and the emphasis of the present episode on friendship and its failures seems to help tie it to the medieval/ist.

This is more so in the relationship between Glimmer and Adora. As I've asserted repeatedly in this rewatch series, something of an Arthurian pastiche is in play, particularly with Adora; Glimmer seems more and more solidly a parallel to Arthur as the series continues. Adora partakes of both Lancelot and Gawain, with more of the former emerging in the present episode; she is clearly the mightiest of the warriors in service to Glimmer, and a rift is growing between her and the monarch she is pledged to serve. More, it is growing in part because Adora transgresses some of the distancing that has to take place between a leader and followers in situations where the leader must send others to die, much as Lancelot's violation of social norms occasions the separation between him and Arthur that emerges. Matters between Glimmer and Adora are not as overtly sexually charged--despite Malory's protestations about love not being then as when he wrote, relationships around Lancelot grow fraught because of sex--but that does not make them any less intense, especially when it is considered, as it must be, that the two of them are adolescents despite their offices and achievements.

Being a young adult is not easy for many.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Rewatch 4.7, "Mer-Mysteries"

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Tensions rise and the stakes elevate as the fourth season continues.

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4.7, "Mer-Mysteries"

Written by Noelle Stevenson, M. Willis, Josie Campbell, Katherine Nolfi, and Laura Sreebny
Directed by Jen Bennett

Synopsis

Something of a cliché, admittedly
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

On a dark and stormy night in Bright Moon, Queen Glimmer, the princesses, Bow, Sea Hawk, and Flutterina confer regarding a failed mission. They debrief, and the idea is arrived at that there is a Horde spy among them. Mermista purposes to uncover the spy's identity.

There is some confusion about the idea as Mermista begins to take charge of the investigation. Adora lends her voice to the idea, however, and investigation proceeds. Shadow Weaver is swiftly set aside as a suspect while others are interrogated in turn.

They're a sneaky one.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

"Flutterina" makes a report to Catra about current circumstances. Catra expresses concern that Double Trouble will be exposed; Double Trouble sets aside the concern against shapeshifting.

Questioning proceeds, if somewhat ineptly. Accounts of events are reported in turn, with the problems in the mission put on display. Early clues had been discounted as equipment problems. Shadow Weaver does make a helpful suggestion, however, on which Glimmer and Adora follow up after a time and some strife between them.

Wasn't there just somebody on the stool?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

Questioning continues, running into a large gathering from which Glimmer absents herself. Adora moves to talk with her as Glimmer purposes to address the issue directly. Adora confronts Glimmer about trust. And news arrives that communications have been cut, renewing suspicions of an infiltrator. With the principals gathered together, Glimmer notes that a backup device is available, and Mermista pursues the traditional mystery method. Accusations follow, and "Flutterina" slips away amid the distraction.

Ew. Just, ew.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

She moves against the noted backup device and is caught amid her endeavor. Her spycraft is uncovered, as is Double Trouble's identity. And Double Trouble reveals much of the Horde's ongoing machinations--which range to a substantial, succesful assault on Mermista's home that has already happened. It has been laid waste by Hordak's own hand.

And, elsewhere, another threat begins to direct itself towards Etheria.

Discussion

One element of the episode that presents itself early, working from the cliché of the murder mystery, is an excess of drama. Movies and television now commonly regarded as badly written and worse acted tended towards the kind of scenery-chewing and bathetic fallacy being sent up in the present episode. (Even were it in earnest, it can be forgiven in a children's show; kids have not yet learned the cliché to know it needs to be avoided or how it can serve as a common touchstone. I seem to recall that Catherine Molloy's 2010 College English piece, "The Malcliche: An Argument for an Unlikely Episteme," having something useful to say on the topic. And I do note how it dates my scholarship that I refer to such an article.) But there is medieval antecedent for the practice; such pieces as Malory's and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight make much use of such, with knights weeping abundantly and Arthur acting extravagantly, and such pieces are hardly excoriated for it.

Aside from that, the issue of isolation queenship emerges in the episode again in the evident strife between Glimmer and Adora. It continues the concerns noted in several earlier episodes of the present season, deepening the connections between Glimmer and her medieval antecedents and thus the medievalism of the series as a whole.

Notes from the 2020 Society Annual General Meeting

𝔓er §5 of the Tales after Tolkien Society Constitution, and in response to the cancellation of the 2020 International Congress on Medieval Studies, the Annual General Meeting of the Society was held online at 5:30pm, US Central Time, on Monday, 20 April 2020. In attendance were Molly Brown; Shiloh Carroll; Rachel Cooper, Society Secretary and Social Media Officer; Xenia Moos; Gillian Polack; Luke Shelton, Society Vice-president (US); and Kristine Swank. Presiding over the meeting was Geoffrey B. Elliott, Society President.
Announced agenda items for the meeting were panels to propose to the 2021 International Congress on Medieval Studies and the election of the Secretary and the Vice-president (At-large) for their 2020-2023 terms. Following announcements from the Congress, the Society determined to re-submit the panels that had been proposed for the 2020 Congress: Legacies of Tolkien's Whiteness in Contemporary Medievalisms and Deadscapes: Wastelands, Necropoli, and Other Tolkien-Inspired Places of Death, Decay, and Corruption. Panelists who had been previously invited will be re-invited with the caveat that they are not obliged to present for the Society, and submissions will be re-opened. (Prior discussion of the panels is here; more information will be forthcoming once submissions are made to the Congress.)
Elections followed. Incumbent Secretary Rachel Cooper allowed her name to stand for reelection; with no other candidates proposed, Secretary Cooper was acclaimed to the position. After clarification of the office's role in representing the Society to conferences outside North America and coordinating Society activities, incumbent Vice-president Andrew Higgins was nominated to the role. The Society determined to ask him to retain the role, with elections to follow if he did not accept; later communication from the Society President confirmed that Vice-president Higgins accepted the request of the Society to remain in office.
After elections were concluded, the meeting turned to new business:

• Gillian Polack discussed a submission to the Science Fiction World Con, which will be held online at the end of July 2020. A fee for participation was noted, as was the less-academic nature of the panel to be proposed. Arrangements were made to assemble and propose a panel; as of this writing, the proposal has been made by Vice-president Shelton, with additional news forthcoming.
• Following a request for information from member Carol Robinson, the Society determined to let the WordPress website it had been using lapse, but to retain the domain name talesaftertolkien.org. Secretary Cooper agreed to lead the work of setting the domain to forward to the Society blog.
• The matter of proposing a panel to Southwest PCA was discussed. Per Kristine Swank, the Society is not a good fit for the conference. The matter was set aside.
• The matter of contributions to the Society blog was discussed. President Elliott called for contributions from members and from those outside traditional academic structures. Vice-president Shelton and Kris Swank both reported having leads on discussion of The Witcher, with Swank having later established a connection around which work is ongoing as of this writing. Reblogging of members' other efforts was endorsed, and news from members called for.
• Gillian Polack noted being in contact with a number of authors who may be interested. Responding authors will be directed to contact via the Society email, talesaftertolkien@gmail.com; the Society will draft a set of questions to pose, focusing on authors' engagement with / response to Tolkien.
• From discussion, it was determined that the Society will work to expand its online / virtual offerings, including incorporating teleconferencing into future meetings as is practicable and motion toward setting up an online presentation archive, to which members can submit. Vice-president Shelton noted the Tolkienists.org discussion forum as a model and resource for the same.

At 6:15pm, US Central Time, Kris Swank moved to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Vice-president Shelton and Gillian Polack; no opposition being heard, the motion carried.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Rewatch 4.6, "Princess Scorpia"

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Fallings-out beset both sides of the series conflict, and both due to Catra.

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4.6, "Princess Scorpia"

Written by Noelle Stevenson, Laura Sreebny, Josie Campbell, Katherine Nolfi, and M. Willis
Directed by Kiki Manrique

Synopsis

That, there, is a happy camper.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Scorpia wakes happily in the Fright Zone. She is almost disturbingly chipper as she goes through what seems a morning routine. She reaffirms her devotion to Catra as she does, and she emerges into a chaotic scene.

Glimmer, Adora, and Bow fight Horde forces to free up a supply line. Flutterina assists, and Glimmer proves to be somewhat bloodthirsty in her work and desire to test her increasing magical knowledge. There is some concern about the dearth of Horde resistance, and Flutterina remarks on Glimmer's suboptimal combat performance.

That doesn't seem...friendly.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Hordak stalks through the Fright Zone, ranting at Catra for her seeming surrender of territory. She laughs off his concerns, explaining her strategy. Hordak notes having stalled in his research, needing Entrapta's notes to effect his return to his brother's good graces. Catra tasks Scorpia with retrieving the notes.

Scorpia goes off to find the notes and encounters a sour Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle. Lonnie voices her disagreements and dissatisfaction with Catra's leadership; Scorpia defends her, earning rebuke from Lonnie.

That also doesn't seem friendly.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Glimmer, Adora, Bow, and Flutterina approach another Horde outpost. Glimmer reconnoiters, earning rebuke from Adora for her recklessness. An argument ensues amid the melee, in which the covert Double Trouble takes delight and which Bow attempts to interrupt. Concerns are voiced, and some progress is made, which Double Trouble feels compelled to interfere with.

So close...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Scorpia searches through Entrapta's belongings for her notes. There are some distractions, which she reluctantly puts aside, and Scorpia finds herself drawn to her own runestone. It calls to her, strangely, and she rehearses the displacement of her own family from power. The recordings reveal themselves in the robot Scorpia has effectively inherited, and Scorpia is reminded of friendship, sadly. And she realizes that Catra is a threat to continued friendship, taking the robot off.

Double Trouble's machinations have some effect, and Glimmer is able to extract information from one of the Horde soldiers noting Catra's withdrawal of forces. And interpersonal tensions rise further.

Scorpia takes the robot to her family's ancestral hall, pointing out images of her forebears and expounding on her circumstances. And she accepts Catra's perfidy, reporting to Catra and finding rebuke. She departs, leaving Catra to make her own report. Hordak does not take it well, and Catra presses Hordak to proceed anyway. And he is able to do so, though it will be without Scorpia, who departs with the robot.

Discussion

The present episode appears to mark the end of a tendency on which I have commented once or twice before: Scorpia's infatuation with Catra that verges towards courtly love. There are foreshadowings of that end in earlier episodes, of course, small motions Scorpia makes away from Catra when the latter is more openly abusive, but it is not until the present episode that the illusion Scorpia has built up in her mind of her devotion to Catra and its coming reward is swept aside--and the loss of that vision of love is enough to send Scorpia out from the only home she has known into an uncertain world.

Admittedly, this does appear to be an inversion of the usual trope. In the main, it is love that drives errantry, the desire to be desired that spurs a young warrior to go out and do deeds of renown. Here, it is the recognition of the love's falsity that drives the out-going; it is Catra's dropping of even the pretense of concern for someone who is besotted with her that impels the latter to depart. And that perhaps seems more like the early modern sonnet sequence enacted than a chivalric romance, being less overtly medievalist in being so--but still, in being what seems a culmination of a medieval/ist trope in the series, it would still seem to "count."

An Online Meeting

𝔄s a follow-up to "Another Update on #Kzoo2020," the Society will be holding an online business meeting at 1730 US Central Time on 20 April 2020. Agenda items are the elections of a new Vice-President (at-large) and Secretary and the selection of additional panel/s to propose for the hoped-for 2021 Congress and to other conferences of interest. Nominations and additional agenda items can be emailed to the Society at talesaftertolkien@gmail.com.
As ever, thank you for your engagement with the Tales after Tolkien Society. Be safe and well, and be in touch!

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Rewatch 4.5, "Protocol"

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New sinister overtones begin to sound as the movement of the current season progresses.

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4.5, "Protocol"

Written by Noelle Stevenson, Katherine Nolfi, Josie Campbell, Laura Sreebny, and M. Willis
Directed by Mandy Clotworthy

Synopsis

It does seem an upgrade.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Lonnie drives Rogelio and Kyle through a forest amid strange lights while Adora trains as She-Ra in Light Hope's tower. Light Hope rebukes Adora for her flippancy and intensifies the training. Adora claims a need for answers rather than additional skills, and she rattles off answers. Light Hope tries to deflect the questions before glitching.

The Horde soldiers begin to suffer from the glowing lights, their vehicle breaking down amid a corrosive onslaught. The onslaught, a spore cloud, also affects Light Hope's tower, forcing a system reboot.

That does look painful.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle investigate their surroundings, finding the spores painfully corrosive. They take shelter in their immobilized vehicle and confer about what to do. Catra calls in and orders repairs, winning herself no regard in the process.

Adora attempts to puzzle out what has happened to Light Hope. The rebooting system is almost childish in its enthusiasm and clumsiness, and Adora is obliged to assist it as the storm worsens. Her initial attempt goes poorly.

Kyle seems to have proven himself at last.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

"This record should have been purged" is not a good thing to hear.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The Horde soldiers attempt to determine who will effect repairs. It does not go smoothly, and Lonnie rants against Catra and the Horde. Kyle ends up going out into the storm to make the repairs, suffering as he does so. Lonnie and Rogelio retrieve him at some risk and complete the repairs he began, proceeding back to the Horde.

Meanwhile, Adora stumbles across older records, seeing some of Mara's interactions with Light Hope. They show a happier, more accessible hologram, and Adora makes another attempt to repair the tower's systems. The repeated attempt succeeds, and Light Hope is restored. And that includes her reticence--as well as hidden imperatives.

Discussion

If it is the case that the series makes itself something of an Arthurian pastiche, as I have commented before, then Light Hope is something of an amalgamation of the Lady of the Lake and Merlin, being otherworldy guiding figures somewhat detached from "normal" concerns and invested in the propping-up and arming of their putative proteges--to particular purposes. While many popular conceptions of Arthurian legend present Merlin as being largely benevolent, they tend to elide or minimize earlier accounts that liken him to forces of evil--and, even in more commonly accessible works, Merlin operates out of particular political desires (chiefly for stability) rather than out of any specific regard for Arthur, himself. The machinations that lead to Arthur's conception, fostering, and accession to kingship are not so much a desire to see a good person put into power as a reaffirmation of a particular political order--one that ultimately fails, as casual readers of Arthuriana may not always remember.

Similarly, the present episode makes clear that Light Hope is proceeding according to a specific program--which is not unexpected from a hyped-up user interface. It also makes clear that Light Hope's program is not necessarily kind towards its subject; that is, it may not be friendly towards Adora as it clearly had been, once, towards Mara. But Mara is described repeatedly in the series as having faltered; it is not unreasonable to suppose that Light Hope's systems would not benefit from repetition of events that led to Mara's actions, and that the current iteration of the program would be somewhat more distant, less informative, and therefore more manipulative in making sure what it is set to see happen happens.

Arthur never finds the Grail, after all, nor does his mightiest warrior, who turns against him. And Lancelot comes to no good end, either...

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Rewatch 4.4, "Pulse"

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Tensions begin to emerge among the princesses--and their queen.

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4.4, "Pulse"

Written by Noelle Stevenson, Laura Sreebny, Josie Campbell, Katherine Nolfi, and M. Willis
Directed by Kiki Manrique

Synopsis

This ain't what you want to see when you finish a raid.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

A rebel strike team assails a Horde transport. The assault is successful, but it yields nothing; the transport is empty. Its expected payload is, instead, waiting in ambush.

In camp, Queen Glimmer rails against the deception. She debriefs the strike team and bemoans remaining in camp. Swift Wind delivers intelligence, and a plan to infiltrate the facility noted by the reconnaissance begins to form. Flutterina tries to insert herself into the plan but is refused.

Sneaky, indeed.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Instead, she clandestinely meets with the Horde at a hidden facility. Revealing herself as Double Trouble, the infiltrator reports on the status of the rebels in the field, as well as the impending mission.

In Bright Moon, Glimmer watches the strike team depart before teleporting off to practice about the palace. Shadow Weaver comments on the work from a garden she tends--and intimates that she can teach her to be greater yet. Glimmer gives consideration to the prospect but refuses. For the moment, at least.

Yeah, that's not good.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The strike team moves out on its mission, only to be ambushed again. A new Horde weapon shows itself, occasioning no small harm on the strike team. They survive, but not without pain, and the terrible implications of the new weapon are clear.

Bow, who has taken the brunt of the weapon, convalesces in Bright Moon. Adora uses her power to heal him, to some effect. Glimmer is unsettled by the whole affair, and Adora is not happy about it. The idea that she is being tracked is suggested, uncomfortably. Glimmer frets about sending her friends out, and Adora makes to reply in force.

Happy kitty.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Double Trouble contacts Catra at the Horde's outpost, reporting on the status of the rebels. Catra is amused by the performance and pleased by the report of the next sortie against the Horde. Catra plots another trap for Adora.

Glimmer returns to Shadow Weaver in her turmoil over Bow's injury. She elicits information about Catra's thinking, but Shadow Weaver offers instead to teach Glimmer skills useful to outmaneuvering Catra. As before, Glimmer is an apt pupil, and she uncovers Catra's location. Glimmer acts on the information, in effect using Adora to mislead Catra's defenses.

Drama queen?
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Adora's strike team proceeds against the weapon they'd encountered before. It attacks, and they withdraw--only to find themselves ambushed by many iterations of the weapon. Meanwhile, Glimmer assails the Horde outpost directly, wreaking havoc as she does. Catra forces Glimmer to divert another attack and is rescued by Double Trouble. Glimmer goes to rescue the strike team, though there is some injury incurred.

After, Glimmer exults in her victory. Adora is displeased at being used--and at Shadow Weaver's instruction. And Catra makes her own arrangements for continued action, perceiving a means of undermining the rebels further.

Discussion

In a medievalist, rather than medieval, borrowing, the present episode seems to position Shadow Weaver with Glimmer in a manner not unlike Sauron with Ar-Pharazôn of Númenor. That is, Shadow Weaver is a prisoner taken into a paradisaical kindgom who begins to offer paths to power to its rulers. In Tolkien, the offer results in the undermining of the kingdom and the reorientation of the world; it is something to watch for as the series proceeds.

Perhaps more telling is the tension in governance that the present episode points out. One of the difficulties of leadership, particularly leadership in a time of war, is sending people out to fight who may well be injured or die in doing so. That difficulty underlies much of the isolation of rule that Glimmer has experienced in the present season of the series. At the same time, she is accustomed to being among the fighting people, to exerting her personal martial abilities--and that is not out of line with medieval ideas of rule, in which rulers were expected to take the field alongside their followers and to accomplish much in those battles. (Among others, Jones comments in 2015 on such expectations--citing their unfulfillment as part of why King John of England could provoke Magna Carta.)

Further, though the ruler was expected to serve as an emblem of the nation and, given the often-sacral nature of medieval monarchy, a connection to the divine, the ruler also has to make choices in the interest of maintaining the state--rather than of individuals laboring on behalf of the state. Again, the leader has to be willing to send troops to die--or to serve as decoys while others act against more strategically important targets. The necessity of such decisions as Glimmer makes with Shadow Weaver does not make them less offensive, just as the need to excrete does not make what is excreted smell good, but the alternative seems as if it would be far, far worse.