She-Ra: Parallel Arcs - Detail Diatribe

The lack of footage makes this feel like I'm being lectured by a pair of dolls rather than being lectured by a pair of dolls with the projector on

"...the Evil Horde, known in the 2018 reboot only as the Horde but referred to unilaterally as the Evil Horde in the original...One day, [Adora] discovers that the Horde is actually evil!" Rebranding can only take you so far.

Catra was told she was bad so many times that she believed it unconditionally. Glimmer was told that she was good so many times that she believed it unconditionally. There was no, "You're good if..." or, "You're bad if..." there's just, "You're X, so no matter what happens or what you do, it comes back to you being X. The natural order of things is you being X." And so anything at variance from that became impossible to confront. "Things are going well? That can't be right -- I'm evil!" "Things aren't going my way? But I'm right! That's no fair!"

After season 3 I said out loud to people, "Catra is beyond redemption and I will be disappointed if they try." And then they did it and actually pulled it off and I'm not sure I've ever been more impressed by a narrative turn.

"Adora, who everyone adores." Hey, wait a sec-

Another interesting contrast between Glimmer and Catra is that Glimmer was a very sheltered child because of the war, whilst Catra was an actively abused child, which plays into the same dynamic

"she's a himbo who happens to be a lady" YES

That discussion of Glimmer reminded me of a quote: “Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” ― C. S. Lewis

Red explaining everything and Blue is just trying to figure the plot

Red saying "Fascinating" in regards to tragic flaws in Glimmer's character gives me Entrapta vibes

“She-Ra” analysis is so great because it always boils down to “The effects of abandonment anxieties and depression in the character arcs of Princess Snuggly-Wuggly-Kins and Lord Scaryevilbadman”.

“She-Ra and the Princesses of Angst.” Blue, you hit that on the nose too hard, apologize.

Blue: don’t say it Red: Blue: don’t you dare say it Red: Blue: don’t- Red: ✨fascinating✨

"Adora, which could be a whole episode in itself..." Yes please.

Red uses the word "fascinating" as many times as Entrapta would

What's so fascinating is that Catra's deep down knows how messed up her situation is and how much she screwed up, but she's also so deeply in denial. Like basically the entire show up to Corridors, but especially in s4, Catra's just been clinging to the fact that she's 'fine'. She's in control of the situation and everything is okay. Adora left. Fine, okay. Shadow Weaver left her for Adora. Okay, sure, rolling along. Adora hates her now. Fine, whatever. Scorpia left, and it's _okay. what do you mean, she's fine_. I love the genius decision to place her on Horde Prime's ship, because that's the perfect catalyst for her arc in s5. At the finale, DT finally rips away her blinders and forces her to acknowledge, face on, everything she did. How truly she's messed up and hurt everyone. And then immediately after, she's put on Prime's ship right away, where she has nothing to do but to mull over everything DT says. The only thing that could possibly distract herself from her thoughts is talking to Glimmer. The one person the best posed to jab right into her regret and nostalgia and love for Adora, and to pull all her remaining illusions down. Also, Horde Prime's whole shtick is that he's stronger than you. More powerful than you. He makes people feel powerless, and the only way to stay safe is to serve him. His entire ship is designed to make people feel powerless. But Catra? Catra's entire coping mechanism and denial is based on her illusion of Control. The only thing Prime's manipulation tactics are going to do is to make her examine herself and realise: oh. I don't want this. I never really wanted this. I want to leave and I have for a long time. The last conversation with Glimmer in Corridors is the culmination of all these things, and it burns down all of Catra's remaining shreds of denial and forces her to realise. I am going to die. No matter what, I am going to die. But I still care for Adora, and I want Adora to live through this. So if I'm going to die anyway, I'm going to make my death worth something, the way my life never did. Like dude that's such a perfect situation and a perfect culmination of factors this show's so well written.

Breaking: Red Announces King Micah and Scorpia Are Her Favorite Characters, Everyone Goes, "Yeah that checks out"

Blue just figuring things out is hilarious

One aspect that I consider something of a mirror that you didn't touch on: as Catra is driving the one good influence in her life away from her, Glimmer is actively getting closer to what is quite possibly the worst influence in her life: Shadow Weaver.

After seeing so many people write this show off as “abuse fanfiction,” “a complete failure/disaster,” and “an insult to the original,” it’s refreshing to see two people discuss this show and analyze its writing in an intelligent manner. It’s also a testament to the show’s strengths that Blue was able to get a good read on the show and its writing despite not having seen as much of it as Red.