The Dragon Prince Rewatch 2.3, "Smoke and Mirrors"

Read the previous entry here.
Read the next entry here.

Magic done with mirrors is more real than that done without as the season progresses.

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2.3, "Smoke and Mirrors"

Written by Devon Giehl and Iain Hendry
Directed by Villads Spangsberg

Synopsis

Not a bad view.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Viren scries through the mirror whose magic he has begun to unravel, seeing a well-appointed study therein. He settles in to observe more intently.

At Cursed Caldera, Callum and Rayla confer regarding the death of Harrow. She tries to apologize to him, and he frets about how to break the news to Ezran; Callum cannot bring himself to do so swiftly. Claudia returns to her accommodations, weeping; Soren moves to comfort her, ineptly, and reminds her of their mission.

Try as he might, it doesn't work yet.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The next day sees Callum still trying to muster the courage to tell Ezran of their father. He still cannot do so, and their conversation wanders strangely instead of moving to its initial goal. At length, Callum returns to Rayla, commiserating with her about their common inability to broach the topic of Harrow's death. Callum allows himself to begin to grieve.

In Katolis, Viren falters in his vigil, only to be awakened by action within the mirror-shown chamber. He sees a strange figure stalk through it, one spangled with stars; it selects a book and withdraws whence Viren cannot see.

And the seal seems intact, too!
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

Rayla and Callum confer about their path forward. Soren and Claudia join them, and they announce their intent to continue into Xadia. Claudia returns to Callum the letter from Harrow he had dropped in his escape from Katolis. Callum demurs opening it and thanks Claudia for returning the letter to him. She conveys an offer to assist them that Rayla perceives as a trap; Callum considers the matter, and Rayla consults with Lujanne regarding how to determine Soren and Claudia's intent.

Admittedly, escape takes some doing.
Image taken from the episode, used for commentary.

The group makes to set out, departing Cursed Caldera and heading east. Soren and Claudia trail behind, the two conferring about their plans to take the princes by force. As they act upon it, melee ensues, with Soren assailing Rayla and Claudia seeking to capture Azymondias. The deception enacted by the group on Soren and Claudia is revealed, and Ezran, Callum, and Rayla effect escape on the back of a phoenix--aided by the hunter General Amaya had sent after the boys, Corvis. Soren and Claudia restrain him.

Meanwhile, Viren's observations continue. The figure in the mirror-shown chamber becomes aware of Viren, to the latter's surprise.

Discussion

There is less new medievalism in the present episode than in previous ones, which is to be expected; as has been noted before (here and here, for example), a series cannot always be bringing in new things, but has to spend some time with what it has already introduced if it is going to do well. Something might be made of the figure Viren observes in the mirror, perhaps; a seeming captive associated with stars brings to mind the kind of devils upon which other evocations of the medieval have frequently fixated, but I am not up enough on visual culture (anymore, if I ever was) to be able to follow those implications further at present. Too, the perspective of rewatching may be affecting how I am parsing the image, which is not necessarily fair...