She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Rewatch 5.3, "Corridors"

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Some hope presents itself as what seems to be Act I of the season concludes.

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5.3, "Corridors"

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

Synopsis

Again, the lime green is a bad sign.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

A young Catra flees through the corridors of the Fright Zone. A young Adora seeks to comfort her, only to have her lash out. The current Catra reminisces over the event as she watches the Horde bombard a planet before stalking through the corridors, monitors in tow. She tries to evade them, encountering Hordak once again. They confer briefly.

Adora, Bow, and Entrapta pilot Mara's ship towards Glimmer's location, preparing for their encounters. Bow tries to rein in Entrapta's tinkering tendencies and Adora's fractiousness--until the ship begins experiencing problems.

Seems a time-honored tradition.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

Glimmer tests the limits of her confinement. Catra interrupts her, and Glimmer asks why she risks the continued contact. They begin to bond, if hesitantly, over their regrets.

Aboard Mara's ship, which Entrapta has christened Darla, repairs ensue. Problems rapidly multiply, however, defying early efforts to correct them.

Catra begins stalking the Horde-clones, two of which proceed to a long-distance teleporter. Horde Prime, through a clone, summons her to what soon reveals itself to be a ritual. He confronts her regarding the launch of Mara's ship from Etheria, and he tasks her with gathering information from Glimmer. And he demonstrates the ritual to chilling effect, so Catra does as she is commanded--ostensibly. Glimmer talks her down, however.

Aboard Darla, Bow tries to find Entrapta; she has left the ship to effect repairs. Bow has trouble processing events--and more problems emerge.

It's a hell of a catch.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

Horde Prime commends Catra for her contributions. She stalks off, returning to memories of her youth with Adora in the Fright Zone. Her possessiveness of Adora is manifest again, and she once again stalks off, remembering. The weight of memory pushes her to effect Glimmer's escape from Horde Prime's ship, using the teleporter she found earlier to send Glimmer back to the newly repaired Darla. Adora and Bow rejoice in her return, and Catra faces the rebuke of the Horde via the ritual Hordak had endured.

Discussion

As noted.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary

The ritual in which Hordak participates is, of course, reminiscent of Christian baptism. The Horde-clones chant rhythmically while their presiding Prime looks on, and the ritual ostensibly serves to "restore" Hordak to "the light" since it will "cast out the shadows" of Hordak's "burden" through his (partial) immersion. Along with Horde Prime's later dismissal of Catra with "Go now in peace," the Horde as refiguration of organized Christianity appears to be emphasized--and, in a series that makes much use of medieval/ist tropes, it does not come off as a particularly pleasant thing.

I have noted the relative dearth of organized religions in at least some mainstream medievalist properties, and I have to think that some of the same impetus is at work in the present episode; I have the sensation that no small part of the presumed primary audience and inferred peripheral audience has difficulties with organized religion, generally, and organized Christianity, more specifically. Certainly, the Crusades that the Horde evokes--more strongly in the present episode through the more overt reference to Christian practice--present no few problems, not least because of their continued misuse by execrable factors. So that seems to be at work.