She-Ra Season 5 | “Hello, Adora”

[Ramza00]

The Final Season will be out May 15th on Netflix.



Previous Thread.
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthre...ur-inner-queen!

[The Fury]

Huh. I wonder if our Hordak is going to return. He's pretty conspicuously absent from the trailer.

[DeadMech]

Hurray!

wait... Hello Adora.... Damnit Catra that's not your line.

[Ramza00]

Hurray!

wait... Hello Adora.... Damnit Catra that's not your line.

From a 4 syllable line, to a 5 syllable line.

“You know what that is [does hand motion] *growth.*

[Aotrs Commander]

Miffed that it's the final season already, it feels like we barely started (considering it's been five seasons in only two years).

[Ramza00]

Miffed that it's the final season already, it feels like we barely started (considering it's been five seasons in only two years).

I am fine with a 52 episode arc. ( ¿ Have we got confirmation that this last season is 13 episodes ? )

That is what? A 20 hour mini-series or so?

I do want a spin off show!
—either in the same universe,
—or the various show writers and creators getting the ability to build a new thing, based off their wonderful track record!

[KatsOfLoathing]

Shame that we're already at the end of the road, but all of the good cartoons I've watched tend to know when to pull the plug before their quality starts sliding down the drain (though I actually found season 4 to be the best thus far, by leagues and bounds).

I do wonder how the Rebellion vs. the Prime Horde will work out logistically, though. Season 4 made it clear that the Princess Alliance just didn't have the manpower to fight the Horde without the power-up from the Heart of Etheria, and now they're going up against an enemy that's more powerful and more numerous.

Also, digging that remix on the title theme.

[Ramza00]

I do wonder how the Rebellion vs. the Prime Horde will work out logistically, though. Season 4 made it clear that the Princess Alliance just didn't have the manpower to fight the Horde without the power-up from the Heart of Etheria, and now they're going up against an enemy that's more powerful and more numerous.

The pull a reverse Mara, and put Hodrak’s Primes spaceships in the alternate dimension that is Despondos aka the phantom zone.

At the same time they rescue Glimmer’s mom.

Oh yeah they will be fighting the clock to implement this plan for Hordak Prime will be trying to figure out how to use the planet as a Death Star even if he does not understand portal technology like Entrapta and Hordak the original big bad did.

Something something Shadow Weaver also involved.

[Lord Raziere]

Look forward to seeing the final season. Seems good, can't say much more.

[DigoDragon]

Hee, is it my birthday already? Awesome, i been looking forward to how this wraps up.

[LaZodiac]

I am of the opinion that opening themes changing is good, and that they should change each season to better represent the contents of each season.

That being said, keeping the song for She-Ra consistent up to the end, and giving it just a slight twist here is... it's chef finger kisses level good, and I'll allow it.

[understatement]

Wow, okay, I just binged the whole show in 3 days to get ready for the 5th season. So I'll just dump some mishmashed half-awake thoughts here and leave:

Spoiler

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This show is absolutely much better than I expected (my sister recommended it, and the last show she 'recommended' to me was Johnny Test). I never watched the original one, so I have not a clue how it holds up, but I'll say that all the colors and aesthetics are so pleasant and the characters are mostly really a ball of fun. Seasons 1 and 2 were nice, but 3 and 4 were plain awesome -- I'll confess that I found the Horde's business x10 more interesting than the Princess stuff, mainly because I didn't really dig any of them that much. And Sea Hawk. I...pretty much skipped past his parts. And the horse.

Yeah.

The main cast is nice to roll with. Adora is all sorts of inspiring and pretty developed. Bow is likable. I'd have to say that Glimmer got me on edge for the second half of season 4, but since she's in Horde Prime's 'care' now it's probably best to cut her a bunch of slack. Catra is -- definitely interesting to watch, but also wants to make me tear out my hair sometimes. Hordak and Shadow Weaver make an awesome set of villains. Scorpia is surprisingly chill to observe. Double Trouble is friggin' perfect. Entrapta is probably my absolute favorite character to watch; she's such an awesome persona of joy and savviness and uh, yeah, I'm just going to throw in that her and Hordak as a couple work in my book.

Moving on...

One of the things I really liked about the show was the tight narrative; everything moved pretty quick, and a lot of things happened in a short span of time. I came into the show knowing that Entrapta was going to switch sides, Catra would stay evil, and Hordak would be mindwiped -- but seeing how the plot arrived to these twists was extremely satisfying and definitely worth the payoff. And the powerup theme; I thought I'd get annoyed by it in the first few episodes, but it makes me smile so much in the later seasons. The whole show's just vibing with this cheesy, yet heartwarming and nuanced themes in it, and I don't regret drying out my eyes to bingewatch it at all. I'm really looking forward to season 5!

[Ramza00]

Spoilers so do not click if you want to remain pure for 6 more days...

But Dreamworks provided a little teaser content of 2 minutes of Adora and Friends, one entire scene. This is the first 2 minutes of Season 05 so no spoilers, just new stuff.

[Ramza00]

More Spoilers / Teasers. I guess I will see you all in 3 days.

Spoiler: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

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[Aotrs Commander]

More like in five, in my case, since it'll be Sunday before I start watching it, since Friday will be "last three episodes of Young Justice Season 3."



Yes, I do literally only watch telly three evening a week, plus maybe an hour of cleaning-the-room-telly (defined as "not being good enough for proper Supper Telly) while I... Clean the room.

[Ramza00]

It has begun. People are posting spoilers on twitter, and I can't watch until later tonight

[Silfir]

I kind of have to question your judgment as far as checking this thread goes, then. It's mildly better than Twitter.

I'm disciplined. I binged the whole thing, but I'm not saying jack. You're lucky.

[KatsOfLoathing]

Just finished the season on opening day. I'll put out some more spoiler-y thoughts in the meantime, but for now...

Overall, a good and satisfying ending, and the fight scenes were great. They definitely upped the animation budget for the final stretch.

Not everyone had a fully-fleshed character arc this season, but that's really hard to do with a cast this large and well-developed. I think the writers did well with the time that they had.

Sad to see it go, I feel like the show was really just starting to hit its stride midway through Season 3. But it's a nicely executed ending, and it left enough open in the end that there can always be sequels and spinoffs if that's what's in the cards.

Interested in finding out what other people think.

[The Fury]

I think I'll give folks some time to watch it before I get into serious spoilers. But I did have a thought about something spoilery...

Spoiler: She-Ra Season 5

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Those spacesuits! Some of them have transparent bubbles? Yes... Bow's has a transparent bubble for his midriff, Entrapta has one for her boob window? It's silly, but I kind of like it.

[Silfir]

Spoiler

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I was struck by how close Netossa and Spinnerella came to sealing their doom when they briefly contemplated "adopting" Frosta. The most dangerous thing you can do in Etheria is become a mother, either naturally or through adoption. You inevitably end up nobly sacrificing your life to protect your children. In the end it wasn't just Angella, but even Shadow Weaver. Hell, Adora even looked to Light Hope for guidance for a while - after leaving Shadow Weaver well behind - and Light Hope didn't make it to the end either. Is there a named mother of a named character who survived?

Meanwhile, being a father makes you effectively immortal. Both of Bow's dads obviously make it, but Micah turned up after years of being presumed dead, stranded in the deadliest place you could imagine, and even Hordak came out of the other end of some horrific repeated brainwashing at the hands of a being who could snuff him out without a second thought - perfectly capable of reminiscing about the moment he picked up Adora to take her in, and how that one seemingly random moment of kindness ended up making all the difference.

All I'm saying is... if I was selling life insurance on Etheria...

[KatsOfLoathing]

Spoiler: A Question (Full-Season Spoilers)

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Did anyone else get the vibe that a Glimmer/Bow ship was getting pushed for this season?

They're very touchy-feely with each other this season after reconciling their relationship, even more than they usually are (special mention to Bow putting an arm on Glimmer while they sleep, and Glimmer dozing against his shoulder while he's playing the guitar). Their last conversation before the final battle definitely struck a romantic vibe for me - there's even a kiss, though not on the lips. And the flash-forward simulation Adora sees right before everything goes to hell definitely has them as a couple, though I'm still not sure what exactly that scene was meant to represent.

I guess I'm surprised the writers went that direction, though that's not to say the foundation wasn't there. Glimmer and Bow have always had a vibe between them that I've never been able to nail down as platonic or romantic. And they call each other "best friends", but that's hardly the only instance where the show used those words to paper over a romantic interest.

[understatement]

Spoiler

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...huh. Wow. What an ending.

Didn't expect DT to show up. But damn, I think the show landed it.

Looking forward to see whatever else Stevenson has up her sleeve.

[Odessa333]

I just finished it myself, and this was quite a ride. So much to unpack! And the fangirl squealing here is real.

[Lord Raziere]

Spoiler: She-ra Season 5, the entirety

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At the beginning:
Looks like Adora is fighting like she has something to prove.

then we go through a journey where Catra gets all her usual tactics shut down by Horde Prime, then we get the horror of the Horde Primes hive mind control thing happening and Catra being the first to prove how it can be defeated. as well as providing drama no matter how good or evil she is. thats what a well-written character can do, I hope to write a character as complex and well designed as Catra someday.

of course the mind control is played for all the drama and horror, very well executed in how friendship can remind them but doesn't entirely break them out of the control- you have to actually break the thing to make sure it sticks. Catra probably just has a very powerful will

and of course one final conflict Adora's feeling like she needs to sacrifice herself and Catra being the one who has to snap her out of it. Shadow sacrificing herself I didn't expect.

but then.....oooh.....

Catra: I love you!
Adora: I love you too!
*They kiss*
ITS CANON!

I legit cheered at that. absolutely phenomenal.

but yeah, this She-Ra reboot was great. I love it. others may say its sad that its ending already, but I don't care, and I personally think, this is was probably the best possible ending we could've got. I really don't see how this could gone another without extending it needlessly. It told its story at a good pace, and it ended when it needed to without feeling rushed. Catra and Adora's relationship in particular was well done and the others were done good in the time that was given to them. could more development have happened? eh, maybe? but I don't think it would've been worth it, you'd have to extend the drama of fighting Horde Prime out more and we've seen the loved one mind controlled trope a million times, there is no need to pad it out with that than what they did with it. that and a villain like Horde Prime who is so effective in such a short amount of time can never last long, otherwise they lose their threatening edge if they do another season.

a few things I liked:
-the twist that Horde Prime didn't need Adora and just said "oh first ones tech? thats all outdated ancient garbage. turns out, I can hack it myself. Why used some stupid tech controlled by my hard to keep contained enemy when I can do the practical thing?" its simply logical in a way you don't often see.
-another is Horde Prime completely bypassing Catra's bargaining chip by basically manipulating it out of Glimmer, showing how he isn't going to foolishly trust something so important to someone he just met while showcasing the terrible lengths he will go to achieve his goals.
-we never actually see Prince Farsight, its just Double Trouble again, who successfully evades being mind controlled by just being a clone and blending in.
-I'm picking up romantic tones between Scorpia and Perfuma, but maybe thats just me
-Netossa and Whirlwind Girl got surprisingly a good focus this season, and how Netossa turned out to basically be She-ra's version of Batman casually revealing she has plans to take out everyone around her is funny.
-as usual, Shadow Weaver remains frustratingly ambiguous until the very end. did she truly wish to save Etheria when she made her plan and simply did not account for the power of emotions, or did she want power for herself and had a change of heart at the last moment? was her last words to Adora and Catra truly heartfelt or just one more manipulation for the greater good before she died? Did she realize she was wrong all along, or did she just finally walk the walk that she keeps telling others to do? We may never know. also I like how everyone just agrees they don't like Shadow Weaver and are suspicious of her even when Horde Prime is trying to end everything
-Horde Prime is a foil to She-Ra, as its implied that even he being in control is just the latest Prime made by another Horde Prime before him and he doesn't have access to all his memories including those of his past selves which he keeps in stasis, probably because they are old and wish to wake up when immortality is discovered- even this Horde Prime in short, is just someone carrying on the first Prime's goals and directives without any true self of his own. Its just that he is the one who is in power and the one willingly continuing this so he is the the evil who gets defeated.
-I had to look for the slight difference in Hordak and Wrong Hordak to tell where they were among the clones often, sure hope they get around to dying the various clones hair and giving them contact lenses, as well as new clothes so that people can actually tell them apart. also how do they reproduce? might want to figure out, Hordak. they can't keep cloning themselves that leaves themselves open to disease.

Overall? glad this series happened, great ending, nicely done emotionally and everything, and Best Friend Squad's road trip across the universe can be something for the imagination, and fandom to do whatever they want with. There are a few questions left unanswered, but none that are important. tightly written, every character serves a purpose and feels distinct and a lot of them get some growth or at least good emotional moments. Catra of course is of course near Zuko levels of good character writing and was just as important a character as Adora was throughout the entire show. Catra's descent into villainy was a great journey to watch, and despite her ascent into being a good person taking place over only one season, feels completely believable and in keeping with her character all throughout, and Catra saving it all by confessing her love to Adora to save her from sacrificing herself is just the crowning part to all of it.

10/10, Catra best character.

[Inspector Valin]

WHOOOOOO!

Loved it. Its a rare season that can make me look back on the rest of a show more fondly. I've always enjoyed the She Ra reboot but this... I straight up loved. ^^ Bravo show! One hell of a finale

[Ramza00]

I did not sleep well 2 nights ago so exhaustion is probably coloring me watching this show yesterday.

I think Season 4 is stronger than Season 5 . I still loved Season 5 though!

[Ramza00]

I am in a Grumpy Mood, so lets do some Fan Speculation trying to trigger joy and imagination.

Spoiler: How would the series be different if in Season 1, Spoilers for Season 5

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How would the series be different if in Season 1...

In the first two episode Adora discovered the She-Ra sword with Catra like normal.
In the 3rd episode Hordak promotes Catra to Force Captain.
In the 5th episode Catra attacks the seagate as normal, but it turns out the Force Captain badge is a rudimentary Hordak Prime mind control device that Etheria's Hordak has been trying out trying to emulate his big brother. Adora frees Catra from the mind control device and Catra thus joins the princess and Brightmoon 39 episodes earlier.

What happens then [in your imagination]... for all the relationships would be changed if Catra joined Brightmoon rebellion way earlier?

[FaerieGodfather]

Spoiler

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On the one hand, I feel like Hordak and especially Catra got off too easy. There were some really good hints in the last two episodes that their redemption was going to be a long walk home-- which I appreciated-- but I feel like Glimmer and Scorpia were entirely too willing to accept her face turn without taking their pound of flesh. Bow took longer forgiving Glimmer for exercising her authority than Glimmer took forgiving Catra for murdering her mother.

On the other hand, I also feel like this was a precedent established in the very first season with Adora herself.

It was actually a very nice touch that the people quickest to forgive former members of the Horde weren't the goodest of the good guys... it was the other former members of the Horde.

[Lord Raziere]

I am in a Grumpy Mood, so lets do some Fan Speculation trying to trigger joy and imagination.

Spoiler: How would the series be different if in Season 1, Spoilers for Season 5

Show

How would the series be different if in Season 1...

In the first two episode Adora discovered the She-Ra sword with Catra like normal.
In the 3rd episode Hordak promotes Catra to Force Captain.
In the 5th episode Catra attacks the seagate as normal, but it turns out the Force Captain badge is a rudimentary Hordak Prime mind control device that Etheria's Hordak has been trying out trying to emulate his big brother. Adora frees Catra from the mind control device and Catra thus joins the princess and Brightmoon 39 episodes earlier.

What happens then [in your imagination]... for all the relationships would be changed if Catra joined Brightmoon rebellion way earlier?

Spoiler

Show

Catra would never have formed a friendship with Scorpia, Shadow-Weaver probably gets repromoted to force captain in their place, since the alternative is promoting some random underling like Lonnie to it instead and they're just a side character so....wouldn't be real useful or dramatic. and Shadow-Weaver would continue doing evil things in Catra's place, the question is: would Entrapta still end up on the Horde Side? because her scientific genius influences or outright drives a lot of the plots in the show. Hordak is good, but clearly not as good as Entrapta as she continually does tech BETTER than him and is the brainchild behind the season 1 finale super weapon, and the season 2 and 3 one and is a major factor in horde Prime's defeat in 5

if because of Catra joining early causes Entrapta to not join Horde side....that potentially destroys the entire shows plot. I've no doubt that Shadow Weaver being the manipulative person she is could probably pull off manipulating Entrapta to the Horde's side even better than Catra, the question is whether that would take place, or whether Shadow weaver would care to try when there is a nice a shiny Adora to go after.

to be small steps about this:
Episode 6: basically the same but with Catra being worried for Adora being taken over like she was
Episode 7: basically the same, but this Catra is there to agree with Adora and back her up on this so this turns out even worse for Shadow Weaver if Catra is around to double check Adora

Episode 8: Princess Prom, this is where things really start to diverge. here, Catra is not with the Horde, so Shadow weaver and Scorpia are the ones sent instead. Shadow weaver isn't stupid enough to double cross a neutral party by planting heat bombs and thus turn Frosta against the Horde, while Catra and Adora have Issues with Shadow weaver who'd know how to play both of them like a fiddle, both Catra and Adora know her and her tricks, but at the same time this season 1 without much character development so they'll probably fall for it, though what actually comes from this depends on Shadow Weavers plan specifically. would she kidnap Adora's friends, focus on kidnapping Adora, or would she simply restrain herself and do nothing to get in good with Frosta to secure an ally while Adora and Catra dig their own hole by suspecting a trap where there is none? its where everything starts getting uncertain

Episode 9: might not even happen. because if Shadow weaver does not decide to kidnap Adora or her friends and just secure an alliance with Frosta, then Entrapta never gets lost in the Fright Zone. Frosta while powerful, is no replacement for Entrapta's tech genius. which means Entrapta never meets Hordak in the circumstances she did, and thus never sets him on the path to goodness.

then of course, the following episodes after that change dramatically as Catra and Entrapta aren't there to make that crystal thing happen, the Battle of Brightmoon never takes place, Shadow-Weaver leaving the Horde and the world ending in Season 2/3 never take place, Season 4 is unrecognizable and if Catra is there to tell Adora not to be a martyr all the time and to stop listening to Light Hope out of suspicion that could be worse for Light hope much sooner, Horde Prime never finds Etheria if it never goes out of Despondos, and thus continues ruling the rest of space forever while Shadow Weaver either eventually runs out of plans or Hordak throws in her jail for incompetence before promoting Scorpia to force captain, who would be no match for the Princess Alliance or their superior planners, and eventually the Etherian Horde just gets crushed by Adora and Catra using their horde granted expertise to win.

after that, if they ever get around to addressing the Despondos and Horde Prime thing....well they can approach doing so from a much more logical and planned manner without recklessly endangering the world or attracting Horde Prime's attention.. but at the same time Horde Prime is an entirely different can of worms from Hordak and if discovers Etheria without knowing that it can be a weapon to him like Catra informed him, he might just glass the planet from orbit and thats bad end for everyone except Horde Prime. so in that scenario it would depend on how they could take out horde Prime without letting him know where Etheria is.

in short, better more developed Catra/Adora relationship, no real relationship between Catra and Scorpia or Hordak and Entrapta develops, Shadow weaver probably stays evil forever, Hordak stays evil and get crushed by a stronger resistance, Frosta might join the Horde only to find herself regretting it, Glimmer never gets manipulated by Shadow Weaver, Angella never has to sacrifice herself, but at the same time without sending Entrapta to Beast Island, they might never find Micah. Scorpia either ends up in alliance jail or goes to the alliance like she did in Season 4, and basically Etherian Horde eventually loses, Alliance is happy but its uncertain what this means for the wider universe.

[understatement]

Spoiler

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On the one hand, I feel like Hordak and especially Catra got off too easy. There were some really good hints in the last two episodes that their redemption was going to be a long walk home-- which I appreciated-- but I feel like Glimmer and Scorpia were entirely too willing to accept her face turn without taking their pound of flesh. Bow took longer forgiving Glimmer for exercising her authority than Glimmer took forgiving Catra for murdering her mother.

On the other hand, I also feel like this was a precedent established in the very first season with Adora herself.

It was actually a very nice touch that the people quickest to forgive former members of the Horde weren't the goodest of the good guys... it was the other former members of the Horde.

Spoiler

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I think the show just gave everyone who was under Prime's mind control a free pass (since it's probably one of the most horrible experiences a living thing can have), and in Hordak's case...since all the Prime got wiped out of him he really wasn't evil anymore? Eh, what would I know.