Quote Originally Posted by Dienekes View Post
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Eh, I have no real issue with a redemption arc. The whole point of redemption is that people don't really deserve getting it. I kinda think it's never too late to try and be better and attempt to fix what wrongs you've committed.

That said, I also kinda hate Catra and Adora ending up together. I've personally seen far too many relationships involving one side being as aggressively and personally toxic as Catra was in the middle seasons. Like this isn't just rivals, or, people on different sides of a war. Catra's downright emotionally abusive. So, it sort of rubs me the wrong way when that gets a fairytale ending stamp of approval of "this is a healthy relationship" because I've seen when people try to make a relationship out of that, and it has not been good.

You can take the path of redemption. But that doesn't mean you're now worthy of the girl you've spent years tormenting.

But that's my own desired messages getting in the way there. I do want to see more of people realizing they can be better and create some distance from those whose lives they messed up. Taken as a whole though, it's a good show. I've seen much, much worse relationships romanticized.
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As if Adora would be content to leave Catra alone. Like Adora is pretty clearly in love with Catra as well and pretty much always had been.

Also I hear that a lot, that Catra was emotionally abusive or somehow went too far in their attacks on Adora. Which I've always found weird because Catra is actively trying to murder all of Adora's friends and maim if not kill Adora. She's vile to Scorpia and Entrapta, but I can't see any behavior she aims at Adora that isn't appropriate for people on literal opposite sides of a war.



Quote Originally Posted by GloatingSwine View Post
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Not just in the middle seasons. Right at the start Catra was jealous that Adora was Shadow Weaver's favourite and her response to that was to try and drag Adora down to make herself look good. Which, y'know, is probably the expected behaviour for Team Evil but there's no indication that she was only doing it because that was the expected social norm. She was doing it because she was a jerk and that's how she rolled.

Her arc is basically Jerk > Evil Jerk > Accepted (to the point that Glimmer is a bit jealous of her) and she does that last step over what, 2/3 of a season?

The arc needed to reflect how she actually was from the start more, even if it meant ending the show with her having a long way to go.
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First off, when was Glimmer ever jealous of Catra? Secondly, I wouldn't call her accepted in Season 5, considering pretty much everyone outside the main characters actively dislikes her. Except for Glimmer, Bow, and Adora. Adora who is in love with her, Bow who is a total cinnamon roll and easily the most forgiving character in the show, and Glimmer who had screwed up so royally that she'd be hard pressed to claim that she was much better than Catra at that point.

Regardless that wasn't what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about how Catra and Adora's behavior makes complete sense due to how they were raised.

Adora was raised to be perfect. She was the golden child with absolute insane expectations placed upon her shoulders. She wasn't allowed to want things, she wasn't allowed to relax. She was supposed to be Shadow Weaver's perfect little tool, to not think, handle everything perfectly, and above all else to obey. And constantly told that she needs to forget about other people and her own desires to focus on her duty instead. Adora consequentially is paranoid about showing weakness, neglects her own needs, is willing to sacrifice herself at the drop of a hat, and very very bad at concealing things or spotting other people's lies.

Catra was almost the opposite. She was neglected in the most brutal way possible. Any achievement she ever got would be completely ignored, often blatantly, for Adora. She was only ever told that she was worthless, nothing but a distraction for her betters, and blamed for any time Adora wasn't perfect. She's actively told that she'd be killed if Adora didn't stand up for her. What she wants more than anything is to be important and valued. And Adora gave her that, and Catra loved her for it. But she also resented Adora because she saw her as getting all the attention that Catra wanted. Which in turn, builds because whenever Adora messes up, Catra is likely blamed, and tortured for it. While Adora then tries to defend Shadow Weaver and suggest that if Catra were more obedient this wouldn't happen. Which wouldn't work, but Adora can't see that, and Catra can't explain it.

And this is all deliberate. Shadow Weaver deliberately cultivated this toxic relationship between Catra and Adora because it gave her the means to control them both. Need to control Adora? Threaten or hurt Catra, and say it's Adora's fault for not being perfect. Need to control Catra? Give false promises of affection, and of having what Adora has.

Add in a culture that rejects any weakness, frowns upon affection, punishes failure, and that stamps out any form of leisure or pleasure, and you get two individuals who are so broken that they literally don't know how to love let alone communicate in a healthy manner. If you want to see more words on this, there's a couple video essays on Youtube called Why Adora matters, Why Catra matters, and How She Ra gives us hope. I highly recommend watching them if you care at all about their respective arcs.

And I think the show does do a good job of showing their arcs. Of Catra's downward spiral until she's so broken she just sits there and asks why Glimmer hasn't killed her yet. Of Adora's constant giving of herself to the point where she's so tired she can't move, and still people want more from her. And of how Catra slowly begins piecing herself together and trying to find out who she is now. Of how Adora for literally the first time in the entire show actually expresses a goal that is 100% something she wants and isn't related to some duty or job that she has.

And I don't think that the show tells us that their journeys are done at the end of the show. Catra certainly still has a long way to go. Adora still needs to discover who she is when she doesn't have a war to focus on. In fact, I'd say it is the opposite. That they are finally in a point where they can actually begin healing, where Catra can redeem herself, and Adora can find herself. They no longer have desperate circumstances or toxic influences holding them back. They've finally got a new hopeful beginning, but it is very much a beginning of a new chapter of their lives.