She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Rewatch 5.9, "An Ill Wind"

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Resistance to Horde Prime passes something of a nadir.

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5.9, "An Ill Wind"

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

Synopsis

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

Back on Etheria, Glimmer's power is restored to her, and she teleports her group to the site where the resistance had made camp when they left. They find it ruined and empty, and they consider that they may be the only ones left, as well as how to proceed. They proceed to a nearby village, finding it under occupation.

From his command ship, Horde Prime observes the process of rebellion against his rule. It affirms his desire to take the Heart of Etheria for his own; he begins looking for a way to circumvent She-Ra and orders further action on Etheria.

Not suspicious at all...
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Glimmer's group makes to infiltrate the village, using Wrong Hordak as cover for them. The initial entry works well enough. Initial contacts with the locals goes less well; they are fearful and therefore likely to be problematic, despite Bow's questions. The suborned princesses have caused trouble, and the group divides to search more thoroughly. They find matters are unsettled, and they are unwelcome. Then Spinnerella attacks, and melee ensues. It does not go well for Glimmer's group; they flee from the initial contact and are pursued. Netossa intervenes, forcefully, but the group is still made to retreat.

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

Aboard Horde Prime's command ship, Prime brings Hordak with him to survey the bodies of his former hosts. Prime plumbs the memories of one such, trying to figure out the issues of Etheria and the First Ones. Hordak remembers Etheria and Entrapta, beginning to sour again.

On Etheria, Glimmer's group takes stock of the situation. News is exchanged, and the situation is not good. They resolve to defeat Prime, beginning with reclaiming Spinnerella.

Yeah, this looks like a boss-fight about to happen.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

A counter-offensive begins. Initial efforts are successful. The second fight against Spinnerella proves difficult, even with She-Ra in the fray. Spinnerella flees, and the village's population is restored--to Horde Prime's anger. He makes for Etheria, and Hordak continues to sour against him. Glimmer's group rejoins what resistance remains, and while they are--generally--glad to see each other, their situation is still not the best.

Discussion

There are a few touches in the episode that point towards the medievalist rather than the medieval, as such. One such is the iconography hanging over the village Glimmer's group liberates and its change after the liberation, which speak to miniatures wargaming. If it is the case that many such games are in non-medieval settings, it is also the case that many of them partake heavily of the medieval. (Warhammer 40,000 comes to mind as one example, though not the only one. Too, Dungeons & Dragons itself emerged from tabletop miniatures wargaming, and it remains a major source of medievalism in the United States and elsewhere.) Another is in the small-band freedom-fighter setup of the present episode--one not uncommon to the rest of the series, admittedly, though Bright Moon and Frosta's realm both show up as having standing armies. The small-band setup brings to mind Robin Hood's Merry Men and the prominent members of the Round Table, among others, as well as any number of "medieval" movies and stories. And there is another in the recognition of Glimmer--something occurs about the return of a monarch, like in some book or another...

Still, it is near the end of the series. It is not to be wondered at that less is introduced now than reinforced, and the medievalisms that have pervaded the series have not gone away.