@@willowarkan2263 And Alex winking at Steph during the LARP & of course, giving her the Rose at the Spring Festival & kissing her on the Black Lantern rooftop...before all of the climatic shit went down.
This is it, the big one. Nothing will be the same after this. Notice how She-Ra has the wings of Glimmer on her boots, Bow's heart on her chest and Catra's horned headpiece. Adora's attachments lead her to shape her own identity. Instead of letting go of them like Light Hope insisted, she embraced them and found her true power. No sword needed. She-Ra isn't a weapon anymore. Although, It's definitely significant that the sword is much sleeker and more practical now. After all, the real purpose of the original First One's sword was to *shackle* She-Ra. P.S. And if you listen closely, you can hear Catra purring when she hugs Adora. That's one of the few times she's purred since before her and Adora parted ways. Adorable.
the voice acting in this episode is absolutely incredible, you can tell that both aimee carrero and aj michalka really put their hearts into it, and it came out so beautiful
"You could have left with her" True, but we also now know that ever since she was a wee little kid she was abused both physically and emotionally. Her entire worth was predicated on Adora, and the only person who ever cared for her was Adora. When Adora left she didn't bring Catra, so technically speaking she abandoned Catra. Sure she offered her an opportunity to leave, but it was an offer after already being shown that she was willing to leave without Catra in the first place. Catra was stuck in a cycle of learned helplessness from her abuse. We know it would've been better for Catra to have left with Adora back then. But we also know it's better for abuse victims to get away from their abusers, but that learned helplessness and codependency that builds traps people into those abusive relationships. And of course that's not to justify or defend any of the horrible things she did after that. Just to explain that it's never as easy as "just leaving"... Otherwise there would never be abuse victims, everyone would always just leave the would be abuser.
Also, Adora only then realizing that the Horde was evil was, in Catra's eyes, giving approval of how Catra had been treated. Adora never really understood just how much worse Catra had it.
Adora was also stronger than Catra. Obtuse, but stronger. S1 Catra would never have let go of her shared dream with Adora without Adora assuring her she knew she loved her. Catra hid her feelings too well for 17 years, then the story happened.
@@WeeLassReactsOh, you mean the moment she's just walking to the bay door of the ship with her rippling muscles and that glow of power radiating off her? Hehe, yeah. 😅
So, from what I've heard, in Nate's original idea, Catra was fully dead after falling off that platform. Thr shallow breathing was added in because whoever was above Nate thought that Catra dting there was too dark, but as far as Nate's intention goes, Catra was fully dead and Adora just straight up resurrected her. Take this with a grain of salt because I've only seen two people talk about it and haven't seen a source for it either, but it's an awesome thing that I've added to my headcanon.
I don't know about the ragged breathing being an add-on, because there's animation that goes with that, but she's at least not breathing by the time She-Ra is trying to revive her; the cough-then-breathe sound effect when she's healed is the standard sound effect for someone starting to breathe again in TV and movies (after CPR, healing magic, or whatever). My understanding is that Stevenson's concept is that Catra is at least clinically dead by the time we get the princess carry / Pietà (when she arrives at the ship), but since we're not shown that trip or a full checking-for-heartbeat &c., there's no on-screen proof and it remains word of god.
I heard that the behind-the-scenes headcanon is that Catra's been working through the traditional cats nine lives throughout the series, and this was another one gone :-)
@@MAlanThomasIInah that was from Stevenson themself on a stream they did, they HAD to add that scene of Catra’s breathing bc Netflix said it was too dark. In that next moment Stevenson then talks about how Capra used all nine of her lives and how She-Ra resurrected her. It definitely makes that scene of She-Ra reviving Catra more poignant, with the way Adora held her and told her cmon we’re going home. Almost Iike she’s pleading with her
Look at Bow and Glimmer in that scene. They're not trying to provide emergency first aid or anything; they're just sitting over her body looking sad. When Adora comes over, they have tears in their eyes. When the magic starts to work, they stare in shock and glance at one another in a "Are you seeing this too??" look. Yeah. Catra was dead, and She-ra resurrected her. That's not speculation or headcanon; that's what's on the screen.
One of the best parts of this episode is the new She-Ra. The thing about it is that the old form was never Adora; she was a princess, and that made Adora feel out of her element. Adora isn’t a princess, she’s a soldier, which is exemplified by the new form. She’s just herself, not the tool that the First Ones wanted her to be. I remember when I first watched The Owl House, I always viewed the new form and Amity’s hair change as being very similar in this respect.
This is her purple hair moment, only sad we didn't get a cotton candy haired goddess moment for Catra, like we get her looking in awe at her, but not such an intense line.
Remember back in season 1 when I posted a “fake spoiler” about Catra getting assimilated into a collective consciousness?… yeah, you thought it was fake, right? ;)
Some details you might have missed in this episode. Catra is purring when she hugs Adora at the end. Sweet! 🥰 Adora’s new outfit isn’t just cooler-looking, with the trousers being something more like what she’s wear. The tiara has been replaced with the same sort of crown-thing Catra used to wear. The wings on her boots resemble the wings on Glimmer’s shoes. She has a heart on her chest just like Bow. She accessorizes to represent what she loves.
The best episode, in my opinion. There are so many moments that either give me chills or draw tears. The updated She-Ra transformation, the absolute terror in Adora's face at chipped Catra, "You matter to me!," Catra's pleading look as she reaches out for help, their embrace at the end, it's such an assault on the heart.
I can understand your thought process; Catra could have left at multiple times. Things would have been much easier for everyone if she had "just left." She shows a lot of traits of BPD, and as someone with my own ✨spicy abandonment issues✨ maybe I can shed some light into her thought process. In Catra's mind, Adora abandoned her, and only offered for her to come along as an afterthought. Adora was Catra's "favorite person" so being abandoned hurt even more. Not only that, but Adora was clearly hanging out with other people. In Catra's mind, that means Adora had replaced her. Considering Catra's entire worth and wellbeing was based on Adora's favoritism, Adora was leaving her at the mercy of Shadow Weaver. Another trait of BPD is idolizing and devaluing others; when the later is happening, you want to do everything possible to hurt them so they feel what you're feeling. Even if it also harms yourself. Does this excuse any of Catra's actions? Definitely not. But it's a lot more complicated than just leaving. Also, Catra truly believes she does not matter. All she does is hurt the one person who might care about her and pretty much everyone else despises her. So it'd be reasonable to assume that everyone would be better off without her. We can see that Adora would do anything for Catra; but in Catra's eyes, Adora does not care and could easily leave again. Ergo, she does not matter. Also also, you're totally starting to care about Catra! Don't be in denial; you're not in Egypt. Get it? 'Cause denial and de nile... I'll see myself out.
I just need to verify something... the only thing I know BPD to stand for is Bipolar Personality Disorder... is that what you're using it for, or is there another option I've somehow escaped in my years of counseling and being a fan of this show?
@@JanMaynz It stands for borderline personality disorder. Bipolar is not a personality disorder; it falls under mood disorders because it's characterized by episodes of mania/hypomania and depression. Of course, we could have a whole discussion about the similarities and differences between BPD and bipolar disorder, but I doubt you want to hear me ramble about that. Though I will say that the characteristic of rapidly switching between moods that most people call "being bipolar" is actually more characteristic of BPD. The mood swings in bipolar will last days or even weeks. Imma stop now before I write a whole essay
ND has said that Catra was actually dead by the time Adora got her back to the ship. Look carefully on the ship. Bow and Glimmer sitting with Catra's body, the looks on their faces clearly saying, "How do we tell her?" Then the way they look at each other when Adora picks her up to try to heal her, like, "But she's dead...CAN you heal her?" And then that brief moment right before Catra started breathing, Adora's face is all, "OhnoIwastoolateitdidn'tworkshe'sgoneIlosther" and then the WAVE of relief when Catra wakes up. (chef's kiss)
Pretty sure people have been misinterpreting a line about "Catra's lifeless body" or something like that from the bits of script released. Reading it as literally without life, rather than just unmoving. Unless something more has been said since this "fact" first started circulating.
@@wendyheatherwood A death rattle is a noisy breathing associated with being near death. If those were the words actually used, that means Catra was dying (but not necessarily medically dead at any point).
It's such an important moment in the show because Adora finally makes up for breaking her promise. It's the completion of the narrative circle, her abandoning Catra to what her abuser had told them was certain death for her, to her accepting death to bring her back.
There are a number of video essays by RUclips creator Five by Five Takes that are some of the best analysis of the She Ra series that I've seen and HIGHLY recommend to any fan of this series. Unfortunately a number of them contain spoilers for the end of the series, as most of them are essays on the series as a whole and the entirety if character arcs from start to end (such as for Adora and Catra, which are PHENOMENAL), so I'd suggest giving those a watch after you've finished the series. But yeah, they really out into perspective the care and detail that went into this series from the very beginning and why this show really is so incredible.
Agreed. I would also add the original music compositions by Reinaery and Mathematic Pony to the list of must-sees after @Wee_Lass_Reacts finishes season 5.
I usually let the Catra slander slide because i get it, she's done a lot of bad things, but maybe dont blame the actions of someone who's literally being mind controlled on the person being mind controlled? 😅 I loved seeing your reaction to new She Ra, though. The gay panic is always fun to watch 😂
@@transmatized I wouldn't say it that harshly, but I can agree it puts a sour taste in my mouth when you can SEE Catra fighting so hard against the mind control only to have her be criticized for attacking Adora while under the mind control
@@hellogoodbyeandallinbetween it's because chipping them gives Horde Prime a peek inside their head and then he knows relatively how these characters usually interact with each other. It's how his chipping tactic works in the first place, because the characters still act enough like themselves that he can trick them into thinking nothing's wrong (or, in adora's case, get under her skin and manipulate her)
Sad fact: If you listen closely when after Adora's transformation, you can hear Catra take her last breath which means she died from the fall. Just FYI, If y'all didn't know already.
The show doesn't draw attention to it due to the age rating, but Catra actually dies in Adora's arms after the fall. Adora didn't just heal her, she brought her back to life. It's also pretty heavily indicated when they blend Prime and Catra's voices, but the green eye'd glow wasn't just an indication he brainwashed her. He was literally puppeting her. That was Prime talking, saying everything he knew would get under Adora's skin thanks to having access to Catra's memories.
Some of the time. There's a subtle visual distinction: Green glow with no pupils = brainwashed but acting independently; green glow with white pupils = directly puppeted by Horde Prime. We see that with the Horde clones too in other episodes. Throughout the encounter, Catra flips back and forth between three different modes indicated by her eyes, though the most obvious distinction is of course when her eyes turn back to normal.
when Adora jumped after her, she broke her legs, which is why she fell down when she tried to get up. Adora is also the person who would jump of the bridge if someone told her to 😂
Shadow Weaver: You need to stop letting Catra get you in such trouble. Tell me, if Catra jumped off a bridge would you do it too? Baby Adora: Hmmm.... Shadow Weaver: Adora. That was a rhetorical question. Baby Adora: Yes.
After Adora’s “you miscalculated” she went on a Rouge One, Darth Vader style massacre of every horde clone she saw, and NOBODY can convince me otherwise
The way new she-ra has symbols of adoras friends on her outfit makes me so happy. Also Hordak starting to remember when he picked up the luvd crystal from entrapta 😭❤️
Gah! the enthusiasm and gay panic. I *felt* that on this side of the screen! >_< Remember, the first one's tech make magic weaker so they could control it. You could say this is She-ra unrestrained.
@@Brasswatchman It was something to do with the wormhole between Earth and Eternia passing through Infinita in the past. Marlena's trip caused some kind of negative space wedgie which destroyed the planet.
This is where it starts to sink in that the Sword wasn't made to _focus_ the power of She-ra but to _constrain_ it. Already, Adora is more powerful without the sword than she ever was with it - and she's still only just learning how to wield it.
All jokes aside, it's always fascinating to see how people who weren't raised in an Evangelical culture respond to Horde Prime, especially in this episode.
Oooo, no, I really prefer her hair like that! The only good think Prime ever did... (see "Don't Go", there's a video of it, if you're not already familiar. ruclips.net/video/IGCmFz1CXI8/видео.html)
The score during Catra and Adora's fight in this episode goes way harder than it has any right to. This is episode 5! If I hadn't known that while watching it the first time, I definitely could have been convinced that was the finale.
"Some creatures are destined only for destruction." "What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction" - Romans 9:22 There's an old interview Nate did where in part he talks about how he struggled with and ultimately rejected the theology surrounding this verse, and how it shaped the themes of his works - how redemption and healing can be possible even for a vessel of wrath like Catra. "There’s this idea among evangelicals that you can’t really choose your own salvation, that God chooses you. Everyone else, though, is a vessel destined for destruction and I got kind of hung up on that. God was supposed to come back and separate the sheep (the good ones) from the goats (the bad ones). But it’s not like you could choose to be a sheep if you were a goat. Sucks to be you, see you in hell, goats! I really wanted to be a sheep, but I wasn’t a sheep, and I left the church when I was nineteen and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done because that had been my whole identity up until then. That theme comes up again and again and again in everything I write. I’d actually say it is THE theme of the things I write. It’s about choice, especially about bad people trying to be good, although never so clear-cut as that. I want to try to humanize even the outright villains if I can, to try and see things from their point of view. I want to give the choice back to them, I guess. My characters make the wrong choice a lot but no one is ever just straight up born a hero or a villain. There are no sheep and goats here. Just a lot of confused wooly little guys milling around making mistakes. They are so often bad people who want very deeply - not to be good necessarily, but to be loved. And they are usually very bad at it." - Except from "One Thing Leads to Another: An Interview with Noelle Stevenson"
@@Omniscient87 Eh... I suppose? I thought Catholics who proselytize could be called evangelists too. Looking into it now, though, I guess that's not how the term Evangelical or Evangelical Christianity is typically used.
Something about getting the chip off. It's embedded into her nervous system so if it was just pulled out, there's a decent chance it would either fry her brain or leave her quadriplegic.
Needless to say, the hype over this episode is 110% justified. The new She-Ra design is such an amazing look. It looks more like Adora for one and if you look you will notice she has the wing boots from Glimmer's old design, the heart on the chest from Bow and the headpiece from Catra. So she's not only more herself, but her friends are incorporated as well. It's just like Adora said, she fights for herself and her friends now.
i LOVE the way you edit your videos 😂❤❤ it adds so much to the reaction and the viewing experience. Thank you for taking such care to edit in this way 😊
We went from Catra wanting to kill herself and dragging the entire world down with her to her sacrificing herself to save Glimmer to her being sent off an edge to die - She just can't catch a break. The one time she had happiness was in the Red Waste and she self destructed there because of Shadow Weaver.
i love how much u were upset about the hair lol between this episode and the next one a few things happen that are semi canon written in a fanfic by Nate himself it's called "don't go" on AO3 She-Ra 2.0 has the better outfit and the transformation sequence imo
@@Brasswatchman Yes. Yes he did. And for the additional fun fact : when the fandom figured that out (because we didn't know WHICH fanfic it was at first), EVERYONE went looking for it....... And did it with such vigor that AO3 LITERALLY CRASHED FOR A WHILE FROM THE OVERFLOWING OF REQUESTS. It was a wild moment. 😂
The genius of this final season wroting is that until now every time Catradora fought, it was their own choices alot of the time. Right now Lord Prime has corrupted Catra into a situation she didnt actually want. Catra finally does that first/one good thing in her life and is almost torn down by a cultist. This episode is a major turning point for everybody and i love that
I love how the new Shera form incorporates elements from her friends. The heart on her collar is from Bow, and her face guard is from Catra. That said, I can't figure out what she gets from Glimmer. Maybe the wing motifs?
One of the best theories why Katra didn't leave with Adora at the very beginning is that Katra was abused in front of Adora since childhood, and she never offered to escape or somehow prevent this violence, but when someone else suffered from this violence, Adora left.
Horde Prime had his clones use Skeletor Gel. There is a way to fix it but it causes Catra's hair to grown to a length longer than anyone we have seen so far. It makes Entrapta's hair look short by comparison.
12:33 "Her hair! That isn't just gel!" There's Something About Mary, is that you? Also, right after you declared that you gave "zero f*cking sh*ts" about Horde Prime seeing all and knowing all, RUclips gave me an ad for a constipation remedy. XD XD
The way I interpret Glimmer's freezing up on the ship... When she was captive, she had (as far as she knew) basically ended the world for her friends and was now trapped with NO hope of ever seeing home again... AND trapped with a being that took extreme delight in hurting her with "kindness" (dinners, walks through the ship). That would be hugely traumatic in my book, and all too easy a mindset to fall back into when put back into the physical environment. Bow was her grounding. And for Catra's hair... a classic spirit-breaking technique throughout our own history. So much of our identity is in our hair, even if we don't put much thought into it. CHOOSING to shave the hair off is one thing... but having that choice removed, to be literally stripped of choice AND identity... hurts more than many physical wounds, I think. Again, kudos to Catra's voice actress. Just like she put the breaking into, "I'm sorry... for everything!" in the last episode, the absolute heartbreak in, "...promise?" Adora's voice actress was no slouch in that trembling reply, "I promise!" too.
@@Brasswatchman Technically it wasn't a part of the show, likely due to budget and time constraints, but come on, it was so important to the story, Stevenson wrote it up and posted it on Ao3, I myself consider it canon.
@@Brasswatchman But as Vee told Luz, "You and I are not the same. [...] You had it good & you still wanted to run away. As for me, I didn't even have a choice."
This by far one of my favorite episodes of Season 5! Especially when we get to see She-Ra’s new look and in my opinion it is like LITERALLY A LOT BETTER - 10X A LOT BETTER THAN the old She-Ta look throughout Seasons 1-4!!!
Some other folks have commented on the iconography of the new She-Ra design. I think it's worth also looking at it as a bit of a more abstract sort of symbolism. If you look at the earlier season design in detail, there's actually quite a bit about it that's kind of awkward and out of proportion. The sword is oversized. The boots are big and clunky. The hair, frills and tiara seem to come out of an idea of femininity that doesn't exactly match the rest of the design. And, all together, it amounts to an image that always seems somewhat at odds with who Adora is as a person. And, I don't think any of this is accidental. As we learn in season 4, the First Ones made the sword to control She-Ra. So, I think it's fair to interpret the original design as representative of the sword partially imposing the First Ones' intentions for She-Ra over both what She-Ra would be naturally and over who Adora is. Also, I think it's fair to look at the awkwardness of that design as representative of Adora viewing She-Ra as something other than herself - like a costume she wears rather than an aspect of who she is. Here, though, with the sword gone, what we see is a She-Ra free of the First Ones' influence and more true to Adora. The awkwardness is gone. The design is proportional and not only incorporates elements related to the people important to Adora, but also matches more closely to how Adora presents herself - the hair, of course, but even the overall silhouette is much more like her standard outfit. So, I think it's fair to say that the fact that basically everyone agrees that this design looks "better" is a very intentional result of the way the She-Ra designs act as part of the show's storytelling.
Yeah, I love the og She-Ra look as well, but she definitely has a more "kid wearing a costume" vibe. Like the proportions and stuff make her appear a bit more awkward and clumsy.
I never get tired of this episode! Thank you for sharing your reaction with us (you were in rare form, Mosco). Now, comes the best arc of the show. Everyone is going to build karts and race for the fate of Etheria!
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
"You miscalculated, I love Catra more than I fear you."
ATLA reference!
More importantly, her repeating Horde Prime's taunt back to him.
Oh I love the ATLAB reference you used
YASSSSSSSSS ATLA REFRENCE
AVATAR REFERENCE
Mosco: I don’t care about Catra.
Also Mosco the second Prime touches her: *rabid animal noises*
Mosco is 100% tsundere about Catra being tsundere
@@jadegecko Exactly! 😆
You Sure? 😏
Not just any animal noises, that's the growl of an angry cat.
*Morpheus:* She is beginning to believe… 😎
She-Ra's new look and the way she carried Catra like a fucking action hero made me EVEN GAYER
This def had kinda a similar effect to Vi pining Cait to the wall scene, though obviously different tone.
Legendary pfp
@@Doyourspanishifyouloveliving You know I referenced Vi in my reply without even realising who is on that pfp, best coincidence.
@@willowarkan2263 And Alex winking at Steph during the LARP & of course, giving her the Rose at the Spring Festival & kissing her on the Black Lantern rooftop...before all of the climatic shit went down.
@@TherealRNOwwfpooh I feel I lack context, what property are you referencing?
"She's tall 😍😍"
Said every sapphic ever 🤣
Straight guy here
Can confirm I also said "she's tall"
This is it, the big one. Nothing will be the same after this. Notice how She-Ra has the wings of Glimmer on her boots, Bow's heart on her chest and Catra's horned headpiece. Adora's attachments lead her to shape her own identity. Instead of letting go of them like Light Hope insisted, she embraced them and found her true power. No sword needed. She-Ra isn't a weapon anymore. Although, It's definitely significant that the sword is much sleeker and more practical now. After all, the real purpose of the original First One's sword was to *shackle* She-Ra.
P.S. And if you listen closely, you can hear Catra purring when she hugs Adora. That's one of the few times she's purred since before her and Adora parted ways. Adorable.
All such great symbolism. And yes, the purring is adorable.
Also, the entire look (including in other respects) is much closer to Mara's.
Hugging Adora is like driving a tank.
also the bracers are for Mara
Let's not forget that this She-Ra also incorporates Adora's hairstyle, symbolizing her increasing self-acceptance and self-love.
the voice acting in this episode is absolutely incredible, you can tell that both aimee carrero and aj michalka really put their hearts into it, and it came out so beautiful
I will *never* understand how the voice acting in this show didn’t win at least a couple of awards…
Special shout out to Keston John for perfectly playing the unity and differences between Daddy Prime, Right Hordak, and now especially Wrong Hordak.
"Dont touch her Hair, she need´s that to walk!"
😂🤣🤣🤣🤣😂
That had me laughing, too!
Lollll
"and to do thingy things"
"You could have left with her"
True, but we also now know that ever since she was a wee little kid she was abused both physically and emotionally. Her entire worth was predicated on Adora, and the only person who ever cared for her was Adora.
When Adora left she didn't bring Catra, so technically speaking she abandoned Catra. Sure she offered her an opportunity to leave, but it was an offer after already being shown that she was willing to leave without Catra in the first place.
Catra was stuck in a cycle of learned helplessness from her abuse. We know it would've been better for Catra to have left with Adora back then. But we also know it's better for abuse victims to get away from their abusers, but that learned helplessness and codependency that builds traps people into those abusive relationships.
And of course that's not to justify or defend any of the horrible things she did after that. Just to explain that it's never as easy as "just leaving"... Otherwise there would never be abuse victims, everyone would always just leave the would be abuser.
Also, Adora only then realizing that the Horde was evil was, in Catra's eyes, giving approval of how Catra had been treated. Adora never really understood just how much worse Catra had it.
Adora was also stronger than Catra. Obtuse, but stronger.
S1 Catra would never have let go of her shared dream with Adora without Adora assuring her she knew she loved her. Catra hid her feelings too well for 17 years, then the story happened.
This!!! Not everybody understands and it's such a shame. 😭
YES! THIS! The “just leave” mindset pisses me off so much! It’s never that simple!
Mosco gay panicking over new Shera is the realest thing in the history of time
Wait for episode 6... oft
@@WeeLassReactsOh, you mean the moment she's just walking to the bay door of the ship with her rippling muscles and that glow of power radiating off her? Hehe, yeah. 😅
@@WeeLassReacts Oh I am so ready for it
So, from what I've heard, in Nate's original idea, Catra was fully dead after falling off that platform. Thr shallow breathing was added in because whoever was above Nate thought that Catra dting there was too dark, but as far as Nate's intention goes, Catra was fully dead and Adora just straight up resurrected her. Take this with a grain of salt because I've only seen two people talk about it and haven't seen a source for it either, but it's an awesome thing that I've added to my headcanon.
I don't know about the ragged breathing being an add-on, because there's animation that goes with that, but she's at least not breathing by the time She-Ra is trying to revive her; the cough-then-breathe sound effect when she's healed is the standard sound effect for someone starting to breathe again in TV and movies (after CPR, healing magic, or whatever).
My understanding is that Stevenson's concept is that Catra is at least clinically dead by the time we get the princess carry / Pietà (when she arrives at the ship), but since we're not shown that trip or a full checking-for-heartbeat &c., there's no on-screen proof and it remains word of god.
I heard that the behind-the-scenes headcanon is that Catra's been working through the traditional cats nine lives throughout the series, and this was another one gone :-)
@@stephenhumphreys9149The fall from the platform was her last life, which is why Adora had to revive her.
@@MAlanThomasIInah that was from Stevenson themself on a stream they did, they HAD to add that scene of Catra’s breathing bc Netflix said it was too dark. In that next moment Stevenson then talks about how Capra used all nine of her lives and how She-Ra resurrected her. It definitely makes that scene of She-Ra reviving Catra more poignant, with the way Adora held her and told her cmon we’re going home. Almost Iike she’s pleading with her
Look at Bow and Glimmer in that scene. They're not trying to provide emergency first aid or anything; they're just sitting over her body looking sad. When Adora comes over, they have tears in their eyes. When the magic starts to work, they stare in shock and glance at one another in a "Are you seeing this too??" look.
Yeah. Catra was dead, and She-ra resurrected her. That's not speculation or headcanon; that's what's on the screen.
13:20 She's not. Prime's making her say exactly what'll hurt Adora the most. She's not just brainwashed right now. She's part of him.
To be fair deep down, Adora DID break her heart. She didn't know that then.
WE ARE FINALLY HERE!! NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME
I’m so excited!!!🎉
They'll fight in the next episode but they'll be frens again
The biceps on adora's upgraded she ra form made me feel things
Catra purring on Adora's arms melted my heart and brain ❤
One of the best parts of this episode is the new She-Ra. The thing about it is that the old form was never Adora; she was a princess, and that made Adora feel out of her element. Adora isn’t a princess, she’s a soldier, which is exemplified by the new form. She’s just herself, not the tool that the First Ones wanted her to be. I remember when I first watched The Owl House, I always viewed the new form and Amity’s hair change as being very similar in this respect.
This is her purple hair moment, only sad we didn't get a cotton candy haired goddess moment for Catra, like we get her looking in awe at her, but not such an intense line.
@@willowarkan2263, SPOILERS: Adora’s face in the hopeful future scene is enough.
Eh. Adora's still a princess. She's just her own kind of princess now.
Catra's "you promise?" always makes me cry.
Remember back in season 1 when I posted a “fake spoiler” about Catra getting assimilated into a collective consciousness?… yeah, you thought it was fake, right? ;)
Not sure why you're mad at Catra here, when she is, literally, being mind controlled.
She's just stressed out in general. Let her have it. It's all good in the end. 😁
Hey I just happy to see a first viewer of S5 after 4 years the show concluded
@@Brasswatchmannah, it’s fucking gross. for someone who judges catra so harshly she really needs to take a look in the mirror.
@@transmatizedi agree with you
Some details you might have missed in this episode.
Catra is purring when she hugs Adora at the end. Sweet! 🥰
Adora’s new outfit isn’t just cooler-looking, with the trousers being something more like what she’s wear. The tiara has been replaced with the same sort of crown-thing Catra used to wear. The wings on her boots resemble the wings on Glimmer’s shoes. She has a heart on her chest just like Bow. She accessorizes to represent what she loves.
And her bracers seem to be reminiscent of Mermista and Perfuma.
The best episode, in my opinion.
There are so many moments that either give me chills or draw tears. The updated She-Ra transformation, the absolute terror in Adora's face at chipped Catra, "You matter to me!," Catra's pleading look as she reaches out for help, their embrace at the end, it's such an assault on the heart.
I can understand your thought process; Catra could have left at multiple times. Things would have been much easier for everyone if she had "just left." She shows a lot of traits of BPD, and as someone with my own ✨spicy abandonment issues✨ maybe I can shed some light into her thought process.
In Catra's mind, Adora abandoned her, and only offered for her to come along as an afterthought. Adora was Catra's "favorite person" so being abandoned hurt even more. Not only that, but Adora was clearly hanging out with other people. In Catra's mind, that means Adora had replaced her. Considering Catra's entire worth and wellbeing was based on Adora's favoritism, Adora was leaving her at the mercy of Shadow Weaver. Another trait of BPD is idolizing and devaluing others; when the later is happening, you want to do everything possible to hurt them so they feel what you're feeling. Even if it also harms yourself. Does this excuse any of Catra's actions? Definitely not. But it's a lot more complicated than just leaving.
Also, Catra truly believes she does not matter. All she does is hurt the one person who might care about her and pretty much everyone else despises her. So it'd be reasonable to assume that everyone would be better off without her. We can see that Adora would do anything for Catra; but in Catra's eyes, Adora does not care and could easily leave again. Ergo, she does not matter.
Also also, you're totally starting to care about Catra! Don't be in denial; you're not in Egypt. Get it? 'Cause denial and de nile... I'll see myself out.
I just need to verify something... the only thing I know BPD to stand for is Bipolar Personality Disorder... is that what you're using it for, or is there another option I've somehow escaped in my years of counseling and being a fan of this show?
@@JanMaynz It stands for borderline personality disorder. Bipolar is not a personality disorder; it falls under mood disorders because it's characterized by episodes of mania/hypomania and depression. Of course, we could have a whole discussion about the similarities and differences between BPD and bipolar disorder, but I doubt you want to hear me ramble about that. Though I will say that the characteristic of rapidly switching between moods that most people call "being bipolar" is actually more characteristic of BPD. The mood swings in bipolar will last days or even weeks. Imma stop now before I write a whole essay
@@kitkait98 thanks for answering my question! 😊
ND has said that Catra was actually dead by the time Adora got her back to the ship. Look carefully on the ship. Bow and Glimmer sitting with Catra's body, the looks on their faces clearly saying, "How do we tell her?"
Then the way they look at each other when Adora picks her up to try to heal her, like, "But she's dead...CAN you heal her?"
And then that brief moment right before Catra started breathing, Adora's face is all, "OhnoIwastoolateitdidn'tworkshe'sgoneIlosther" and then the WAVE of relief when Catra wakes up. (chef's kiss)
Pretty sure people have been misinterpreting a line about "Catra's lifeless body" or something like that from the bits of script released.
Reading it as literally without life, rather than just unmoving. Unless something more has been said since this "fact" first started circulating.
@JediMB In an interview Nate referred to the last noise Catra made before being revived as a death rattle. That was her dying breath.
@@wendyheatherwood A death rattle is a noisy breathing associated with being near death. If those were the words actually used, that means Catra was dying (but not necessarily medically dead at any point).
It's such an important moment in the show because Adora finally makes up for breaking her promise. It's the completion of the narrative circle, her abandoning Catra to what her abuser had told them was certain death for her, to her accepting death to bring her back.
There are a number of video essays by RUclips creator Five by Five Takes that are some of the best analysis of the She Ra series that I've seen and HIGHLY recommend to any fan of this series. Unfortunately a number of them contain spoilers for the end of the series, as most of them are essays on the series as a whole and the entirety if character arcs from start to end (such as for Adora and Catra, which are PHENOMENAL), so I'd suggest giving those a watch after you've finished the series. But yeah, they really out into perspective the care and detail that went into this series from the very beginning and why this show really is so incredible.
I agree, those video essays are incredible. Very succinct and in-depth, wonderfully perceptive.
Agreed. I would also add the original music compositions by Reinaery and Mathematic Pony to the list of must-sees after @Wee_Lass_Reacts finishes season 5.
@@sanmerci I have listened, and those are lovely!
Let us remember this monumental moment: when Mosco, like we all have, got absolutely overwhelmed by the She-Ra Mommy GAE! 😂🎉
I usually let the Catra slander slide because i get it, she's done a lot of bad things, but maybe dont blame the actions of someone who's literally being mind controlled on the person being mind controlled? 😅
I loved seeing your reaction to new She Ra, though. The gay panic is always fun to watch 😂
I completely agree. it’s literally victim blaming and it’s gross.
@@transmatized I wouldn't say it that harshly, but I can agree it puts a sour taste in my mouth when you can SEE Catra fighting so hard against the mind control only to have her be criticized for attacking Adora while under the mind control
It's interesting that while mind controlled, she is made to act pretty similar to how she'd taunt adora before being mind controlled.
@@hellogoodbyeandallinbetween it's because chipping them gives Horde Prime a peek inside their head and then he knows relatively how these characters usually interact with each other. It's how his chipping tactic works in the first place, because the characters still act enough like themselves that he can trick them into thinking nothing's wrong (or, in adora's case, get under her skin and manipulate her)
@@CallMeFia I realise that, what I mean is that it's a reminder how cruel catra has been
If you listen carefully at the hug you can hear Catra purring 😂🥹
Sad fact: If you listen closely when after Adora's transformation, you can hear Catra take her last breath which means she died from the fall. Just FYI, If y'all didn't know already.
The show doesn't draw attention to it due to the age rating, but Catra actually dies in Adora's arms after the fall. Adora didn't just heal her, she brought her back to life.
It's also pretty heavily indicated when they blend Prime and Catra's voices, but the green eye'd glow wasn't just an indication he brainwashed her. He was literally puppeting her. That was Prime talking, saying everything he knew would get under Adora's skin thanks to having access to Catra's memories.
Some of the time. There's a subtle visual distinction: Green glow with no pupils = brainwashed but acting independently; green glow with white pupils = directly puppeted by Horde Prime. We see that with the Horde clones too in other episodes.
Throughout the encounter, Catra flips back and forth between three different modes indicated by her eyes, though the most obvious distinction is of course when her eyes turn back to normal.
I like to think she restored her 9 lives too
when Adora jumped after her, she broke her legs, which is why she fell down when she tried to get up. Adora is also the person who would jump of the bridge if someone told her to 😂
Shadow Weaver: You need to stop letting Catra get you in such trouble. Tell me, if Catra jumped off a bridge would you do it too?
Baby Adora: Hmmm....
Shadow Weaver: Adora. That was a rhetorical question.
Baby Adora: Yes.
After Adora’s “you miscalculated” she went on a Rouge One, Darth Vader style massacre of every horde clone she saw, and NOBODY can convince me otherwise
Next episode, she becomes the Millennium Falcon and destroys all of Horde Prime's ships.
Denial Mosco - "ITS NOT THAT I CARE!"
All of us awaiting this reaction - "😂 okay Mosco"
Ive grown up with only female cats as pets in the house and i can assure you Catra is 100% an accurate depiction of one..little shits that you love 😂
20:05 Adora will now be
🎶 Out For Love!🎶
23:42 And Catra, 🎶It starts with sorry.🎶
The fight between Adora and chipped Catra might just be my favourite part of the whole show. There are definitely some close contenders though.
One of my favorite jokes in the show is that they just continue to call him Wrong Hordak.
Fun Fact! Catra was purring whilst she was in Adora's arms.
23:52 Does that include play-biting? You've got to remember, she IS a cat. 😁
Mosco: "I regret calling him daddy."
The way new she-ra has symbols of adoras friends on her outfit makes me so happy. Also Hordak starting to remember when he picked up the luvd crystal from entrapta 😭❤️
Gah! the enthusiasm and gay panic. I *felt* that on this side of the screen! >_<
Remember, the first one's tech make magic weaker so they could control it. You could say this is She-ra unrestrained.
"A face I've not seen in a thousand years."
Adora's mother did blow up his homeworld, so... fair enough.
Woah, she did? I thought she was an astronaut from Earth? Or did they change that up.
@@Brasswatchman It was something to do with the wormhole between Earth and Eternia passing through Infinita in the past. Marlena's trip caused some kind of negative space wedgie which destroyed the planet.
@@rupert_taylor Huh. So Marlena got the full John Crichton treatment? Hadn't heard that.
This is where it starts to sink in that the Sword wasn't made to _focus_ the power of She-ra but to _constrain_ it. Already, Adora is more powerful without the sword than she ever was with it - and she's still only just learning how to wield it.
All jokes aside, it's always fascinating to see how people who weren't raised in an Evangelical culture respond to Horde Prime, especially in this episode.
Same, but in the other direction. I'm always fascinated to see just how much of that culture Stevenson managed to fit into Horde Prime's character.
6:01 "I regret calling him daddy." 😂 Seems like you're stuck with it now, though!
I love sheras redesign , the high pony, the pants and the frill cape around the waist, amazing
This is where we truly see how irredeemable Horde Prime truly is.
He cut Catra's beautiful hair!
The glorious mane.
Completely buzz cut!
Oh the humanity!
@@Otisboy121 I think you mean the hu-meow-nity?
@@loucar10 nice.
Oooo, no, I really prefer her hair like that! The only good think Prime ever did... (see "Don't Go", there's a video of it, if you're not already familiar. ruclips.net/video/IGCmFz1CXI8/видео.html)
The score during Catra and Adora's fight in this episode goes way harder than it has any right to. This is episode 5! If I hadn't known that while watching it the first time, I definitely could have been convinced that was the finale.
"Some creatures are destined only for destruction."
"What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction" - Romans 9:22
There's an old interview Nate did where in part he talks about how he struggled with and ultimately rejected the theology surrounding this verse, and how it shaped the themes of his works - how redemption and healing can be possible even for a vessel of wrath like Catra.
"There’s this idea among evangelicals that you can’t really choose your own salvation, that God chooses you. Everyone else, though, is a vessel destined for destruction and I got kind of hung up on that. God was supposed to come back and separate the sheep (the good ones) from the goats (the bad ones). But it’s not like you could choose to be a sheep if you were a goat. Sucks to be you, see you in hell, goats! I really wanted to be a sheep, but I wasn’t a sheep, and I left the church when I was nineteen and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done because that had been my whole identity up until then.
That theme comes up again and again and again in everything I write. I’d actually say it is THE theme of the things I write. It’s about choice, especially about bad people trying to be good, although never so clear-cut as that. I want to try to humanize even the outright villains if I can, to try and see things from their point of view. I want to give the choice back to them, I guess. My characters make the wrong choice a lot but no one is ever just straight up born a hero or a villain. There are no sheep and goats here. Just a lot of confused wooly little guys milling around making mistakes. They are so often bad people who want very deeply - not to be good necessarily, but to be loved. And they are usually very bad at it."
- Except from "One Thing Leads to Another: An Interview with Noelle Stevenson"
Fascinating. Sounds like he grew up in a Protestant sect. I wonder which one.
@@Brasswatchman Aren't all evangelicals protestants?
@@Omniscient87 Eh... I suppose? I thought Catholics who proselytize could be called evangelists too. Looking into it now, though, I guess that's not how the term Evangelical or Evangelical Christianity is typically used.
I've been out of the church for a while so I keep forgetting, but Paul really was a total piece of shit, huh?
Mosco to the new She-ra is like Elijah to Mel. “THE ART!”
Something about getting the chip off. It's embedded into her nervous system so if it was just pulled out, there's a decent chance it would either fry her brain or leave her quadriplegic.
4:57 PSTD Mixed With Lack Of Magic In Space.
Needless to say, the hype over this episode is 110% justified. The new She-Ra design is such an amazing look. It looks more like Adora for one and if you look you will notice she has the wing boots from Glimmer's old design, the heart on the chest from Bow and the headpiece from Catra. So she's not only more herself, but her friends are incorporated as well. It's just like Adora said, she fights for herself and her friends now.
Ah yes my all time favourite She ra episode
She-Ra's new design is goddess level 😍😍😍
She-Ra holding Catra there always reminds me of the Disney movie Hercules, when Hercules is holding Meg. Like, identical shot.
There's a TV Trope for it: Pietà Plagiarism. (Eh, that or Died in Your Arms Tonight, I guess.)
I Thought Of That Too!
i LOVE the way you edit your videos 😂❤❤ it adds so much to the reaction and the viewing experience. Thank you for taking such care to edit in this way 😊
although Mosco edit most of her video herself, this one was edited by the great Anex who does most of Mosco's other edits :)
If Wee Lass is this excited, just wait until the finale when Adora unlocks Super She-Ra God Super She-Ra.
I've been waiting months, and I knew you would immediately fall in love with the new She-Ra.
We went from Catra wanting to kill herself and dragging the entire world down with her to her sacrificing herself to save Glimmer to her being sent off an edge to die - She just can't catch a break.
The one time she had happiness was in the Red Waste and she self destructed there because of Shadow Weaver.
7:23 please stop my this is too funny 🤣🤣🤣🤣
YAY KADROH (that's what some of the fandom calls wrong hordak)
i love how much u were upset about the hair lol
between this episode and the next one a few things happen that are semi canon written in a fanfic by Nate himself it's called "don't go" on AO3
She-Ra 2.0 has the better outfit and the transformation sequence imo
YES, THIS
Wait, he's literally put stuff up on AO3? 😆
@@Brasswatchman Yes. Yes he did. And for the additional fun fact : when the fandom figured that out (because we didn't know WHICH fanfic it was at first), EVERYONE went looking for it....... And did it with such vigor that AO3 LITERALLY CRASHED FOR A WHILE FROM THE OVERFLOWING OF REQUESTS. It was a wild moment. 😂
@@EliaAliceRaven i was late to that lol but i've heard of the legends of the AO3 crash
introduction to wrong hordak!
RIP Catra's fur
It died so that she could live again. 😁
ah the infamous "shave the cat" episode, rip Catra's hair you'll be missed
that's about is, not much else happens tbh
Catra's hair died for ̶o̶u̶r̶ her sins.
20:19 SHE RA'S BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER, BABY! 😆👏😻
The genius of this final season wroting is that until now every time Catradora fought, it was their own choices alot of the time. Right now Lord Prime has corrupted Catra into a situation she didnt actually want. Catra finally does that first/one good thing in her life and is almost torn down by a cultist. This episode is a major turning point for everybody and i love that
I love how the new Shera form incorporates elements from her friends. The heart on her collar is from Bow, and her face guard is from Catra. That said, I can't figure out what she gets from Glimmer. Maybe the wing motifs?
The wings on her boots.
One of the best theories why Katra didn't leave with Adora at the very beginning is that Katra was abused in front of Adora since childhood, and she never offered to escape or somehow prevent this violence, but when someone else suffered from this violence, Adora left.
This show is a cult classic 😂 12:03
When they hug you can hear purring
😊
"FINALLY........behave yourself, Catra!" 😂😂😂😂😂
Probably one of my favorite episode ever. I love them so fricking much.
Horde Prime had his clones use Skeletor Gel. There is a way to fix it but it causes Catra's hair to grown to a length longer than anyone we have seen so far. It makes Entrapta's hair look short by comparison.
I like the little noises edited in!
She-Ra’s new form, It’s like Tall Art
24:05 The SFX! Well done, editor! 😆
I just paused at 10:47 cause I thought of "hey Adora" and i can already see the reaction 😂 brilliant
I didn't expect Adora going into the avatar state.
After the new show got released we can now say Adora went Kyoshi on Prime's ass
12:33 "Her hair! That isn't just gel!"
There's Something About Mary, is that you?
Also, right after you declared that you gave "zero f*cking sh*ts" about Horde Prime seeing all and knowing all, RUclips gave me an ad for a constipation remedy. XD XD
Probably my third favourite episode of she-ra
It's between this one and "Corridors" for me, I think.
@@Brasswatchman yeah Corridors is my favourite, along with Princess prom and this one
I think the best way Mosco could've describe how she feels about She-Ra's new design is that she's _ART_
The _ART_ !
The *fear* from the mind control from Prime is still there when I rewatch even though I know exactly what happens
What a classic gay panic moment Mosco had! She definitely likes them “Tall” lmao😉😂🏳️🌈
Right before your bomb deely at 7:05 I got an add for Oppenheimer, it took me a bit to realize the vid had restarted.
The way I interpret Glimmer's freezing up on the ship... When she was captive, she had (as far as she knew) basically ended the world for her friends and was now trapped with NO hope of ever seeing home again... AND trapped with a being that took extreme delight in hurting her with "kindness" (dinners, walks through the ship). That would be hugely traumatic in my book, and all too easy a mindset to fall back into when put back into the physical environment. Bow was her grounding.
And for Catra's hair... a classic spirit-breaking technique throughout our own history. So much of our identity is in our hair, even if we don't put much thought into it. CHOOSING to shave the hair off is one thing... but having that choice removed, to be literally stripped of choice AND identity... hurts more than many physical wounds, I think.
Again, kudos to Catra's voice actress. Just like she put the breaking into, "I'm sorry... for everything!" in the last episode, the absolute heartbreak in, "...promise?"
Adora's voice actress was no slouch in that trembling reply, "I promise!" too.
*IT'S TIME!!!!*
I'm getting popcorn for this one.
12:18 Hissing Like A Cat. 🐈
10:04 No! Bow Is Responsible For Breaking Wrong Hordak!
You have to read Stevenson's fanfic! It's basically canon, and it explains a bit more surrounding this episode.
If it's by the creator himself, does it really count as fanfic? 🤨
Oh yeah, _Don't Go_ is brilliant!
@@Brasswatchman Technically it wasn't a part of the show, likely due to budget and time constraints, but come on, it was so important to the story, Stevenson wrote it up and posted it on Ao3, I myself consider it canon.
@@NeedsContent Sure, I'm not arguing that. I'm arguing that this wasn't created by a fan. It's not fanfic, it's just... fic! 😁
@@Brasswatchman Good point!
after this episode you gotta pay attention to the intro!! smth will change👀
Top 10 best she ra episodes of all time
What Reality Check Camp would have done to Luz. 10:44
I don't know. Vee seemed to manage it okay.
@@Brasswatchman But as Vee told Luz, "You and I are not the same. [...] You had it good & you still wanted to run away. As for me, I didn't even have a choice."
Vee and the cabin came out fine, and even still liked mysteries, the camp is just a normal camp for ground you back to reality
I haven’t rewatched She-ra in a long time. I forgot how gay She-ra’s new form made me
Before I even press play on this.....its already one of my fave reactions 😂 mosco seriously, keep it up haha
I love how Catra falls and Adora is just "fuck no" and jumps after her
This by far one of my favorite episodes of Season 5! Especially when we get to see She-Ra’s new look and in my opinion it is like LITERALLY A LOT BETTER - 10X A LOT BETTER THAN the old She-Ta look throughout Seasons 1-4!!!
Lol! She Ta!
Some other folks have commented on the iconography of the new She-Ra design. I think it's worth also looking at it as a bit of a more abstract sort of symbolism. If you look at the earlier season design in detail, there's actually quite a bit about it that's kind of awkward and out of proportion. The sword is oversized. The boots are big and clunky. The hair, frills and tiara seem to come out of an idea of femininity that doesn't exactly match the rest of the design. And, all together, it amounts to an image that always seems somewhat at odds with who Adora is as a person.
And, I don't think any of this is accidental. As we learn in season 4, the First Ones made the sword to control She-Ra. So, I think it's fair to interpret the original design as representative of the sword partially imposing the First Ones' intentions for She-Ra over both what She-Ra would be naturally and over who Adora is. Also, I think it's fair to look at the awkwardness of that design as representative of Adora viewing She-Ra as something other than herself - like a costume she wears rather than an aspect of who she is.
Here, though, with the sword gone, what we see is a She-Ra free of the First Ones' influence and more true to Adora. The awkwardness is gone. The design is proportional and not only incorporates elements related to the people important to Adora, but also matches more closely to how Adora presents herself - the hair, of course, but even the overall silhouette is much more like her standard outfit. So, I think it's fair to say that the fact that basically everyone agrees that this design looks "better" is a very intentional result of the way the She-Ra designs act as part of the show's storytelling.
Yeah, I love the og She-Ra look as well, but she definitely has a more "kid wearing a costume" vibe. Like the proportions and stuff make her appear a bit more awkward and clumsy.
I never get tired of this episode! Thank you for sharing your reaction with us (you were in rare form, Mosco). Now, comes the best arc of the show. Everyone is going to build karts and race for the fate of Etheria!
The Rainbow Road from Mario Kart shout-out is incredibly well done, isn't it?