Ok I do have to admit that this is a really funny moment, but the cool part about most jokes on Spop is that you can actually learn a lot about the characters from them.
Adora legit panics at being in front of an authority figure she has no idea how to please. You can see Angella actually feel really bad for her for a second: she sees that little kid trying desperately trying to stay on the authority figure's good side so she doesn't get punished, but eventually, the hurt she feels over the Horde's actions override this compassion and she dumps it unto Adora, bc she is a product of the Horde.
I always forget the rebellion is so recent. Like we're talking about a one generation war here, and I also forget that Angella and Micah were the founders. It's kind of a nice nod to Micah wanting to fight against the Horde ever since he was training with Light Spinner, but after seeing what the spell of obtainment did, he went another route to do it after becoming disillusioned with magic.
My blorbo absolutely blaming herself for the death of Micah even tho she was like 3 when it happened and blaming herself for not knowing when she arrived to bright moon like a day ago. (quite literally a day ago, we know this is her first night in the castle)
Adora looks absolutely TERRIFIED, and like honestly, Angella is kinda absolutely threatening her here, so I don't blame her. It's just a repeated pattern in Adora's life: authority figures expecting perfection, otherwise she'll get punished for it.
She also internalizes "do not disappoint her as "do not disappoint me "
Which is one of the things I love about this show. There is SO much miscommunication due to trauma in this show, it's actually insane. Like I've said it before, but the entire conflict in Catra and Adora's relationship can actually be boiled down to how they each misinterpret what the other is saying over and over and over again due to their upbringings.
Another thing I love about this show: how they subtly show character's upbringings and social manners.
Glimmer freaks the hell out bc Adora just appears on her bed, but Adora doesn't really see the big deal bc there was no privacy in the Horde. It makes sense for her to just go up there. She was also probably like "well Catra and I were best friends, and Glimmer and Bow seem to like me a lot and also I feel really freaking isolated right now, so Glimmer won't mind if I just sleep on the foot of her bed like Catra used to do for me right?"
This poor girl is just trying so hard to get on Angella's good side and be of service. Knowing about her traumas and how deeply she has internalized that she has no inherent value, these scenes become really hard to watch.
I'm sorry, as a fandom, we truly do not talk about Catra's mrrp here enough. It is the best noise she ever makes in the show and that's counting all the "hey adora"s and purring. THERE I said it.
You know what's fucked up? The fact that Catra is so optimistic that SW will finally recognize her worth now that Adora's gone. She misses Adora like crazy, but she's also felt like she's lived under her shadow for so long, that it's also really nice to have a chance to prove herself, even if it isn't enough, bc it's never enough for SW.
I always wonder what the hell this drawing is??? Is it a drawing Adora made when she was a kid?? Like did she draw this when she was younger as like a dream she had and just glued it to her locker? Or is it a drawing the horde soldiers made mocking Adora and belittling her betrayal? Maybe the latter makes more sense. Either way, lots of questions.
I do like the show, don't tell of "I've told you everything I know about Adora" and then noticing that drawing and crumpling it, bc Catra is still trying to protect Adora by not telling SW about She-Ra.
The way she FLINCHES :c It breaks my heart to think of how many times Catra has been physically abused.
AND THEN SHE IMMEDIATELY GOES TO CHECK ON HER WHEN SW's IN PAIN, GOD.
It's a mix of Catra genuinely having a really big heart, but also wanting your caretaker to care about you so badly that you're willing to try just about anything to get that affection. This all happens so fast that it's very unconscious though, Catra can normally pretend that she doesn't care about SW's affection or recognition.
Loaded ass phrase in the middle of a gay ass buff jock moment, this is peak She-Ra right here.
Ppl don't really understand that when I say "she-ra is the gayest show I have ever watched" I not only mean "the protagonist is a lesbian and she saved the universe by loving her catgirl gf and kissing her" I also mean bc of moments like this. Like this is gay culture. As a certified buff dumb jock, seeing Adora do shit like this and constantly challenge Sea-Hawk to arm-wrestling literally means so much to me bc I be doing that shit unprompted at any given moment.
Again.
Gay culture.
Also I think about that She-Ra close-up constantly, I love how androgynous she looks here. Absolute gender.
Honestly, rewatching S1, they got away with so much shit. Like pretty much every woman who sees she-ra has a crush on her, it is SO funny. You can tell that after princess prom, the execs were like "please,,, you can't keep getting away with this"
The implications of this are really interesting actually. If this isn't a myth and it's instead a legend, I wonder if Mara and squadron Grayskull actually did go to beast island at one point and tried to dismantle it or something. Would make for a cool one-shot.
It’s interesting Glimmer says to concentrate really hard bc it’s the opposite of how she ra gets her healing powers. She gets them by relaxing and moving through her fear, almost entering a meditative state instead of directly focusing on them.
It's so upsetting how she is unable to recognize how unfair it is for people to be placing all of these responsibilities on her when she discovered she was She-Ra like, yesterday. And Bow and Glimmer eventually recognize this and reassure her, but they're still not the best at it. She will probably always ask herself if they would have become her friends if they met her as Adora, not She-Ra.
She has been raised to be perfect at everything she did, on the first try, or get love and recognition taken away from her, so the only thing she can do is get mad at herself, because she has been taught that she deserves it.
Rare Adora acting W.
Completely obsessed at how Bow is mimicking her to appear intimidating LMAO
Glimmer looks so hot in armor, that is all.
I love the intentional dealing-with-a-homophobic-parent language choice here.
This is genuinely so sweet and thoughtful of them honestly. It's really painful to see the juxtaposition between Catra's isolation and loneliness with Adora becoming closer with new friends, though. I know she meets Scorpia (who is a bit too enthusiastic), but it's not like she is in a position to truly accept new friendships outside of Adora anyway.
Oops I thought this was going to be a shorter one bc I was like "it's flowers for she-ra, how trauma packed can it be, really?" I should know better, I've watched this shit 10 times dude.
That first locker scene and how it perfectly encapsulates Catra and Adora's trauma dynamic
NGH I've been wanting to talk about a particular screenshot in this scene for a while and I guess today is the day. Let's talk about Catradora's introduction post-exercise.
We start here, with them joking around after training. They're at ease with each other, but also Catra doesn't feel as vulnerable as to uncross her arms or get closer to her. This is a person who likes Adora but won't be super explicit about showing it. Adora obviously feels comfortable, her arms are crossed but it's because of uncontrollable laughter and her eyes are closed, showing trust.
Shadow Weaver calls Adora's name and you can immediately tell the ease is gone.
Adora feels the need to stand at attention, slightly scared about being caught relaxing. This is a person Adora respects.
Catra does not respect Shadow Weaver, so she locks eyes with her and doesn't stand up, her crossed-arms giving her a sense of safety and protection.
But Catra is still scared of Shadow Weaver, so she does end up standing up, just later. She also refuses to salute. Her defiance against her abuser comes out in small gestures like this, but ultimately she will obey because of the fear of punishment.
Adora wants to keep Catra safe while still maintaining her some-what comfortable position in the system. She does this by trying to show SW that Catra is worthy. She has the flawed belief that if she just tries hard enough, SW will change her mind about Catra and start treating her well.
Meanwhile Catra is pissed at what she sees as Adora pitying her. She does not want her help, it makes her feel condescended. She has always seen Adora get recognized for everything, so when she re-directs the praise SW gives her, Catra just sees it as humble bragging. "Oh you get praised for everything so now that you don't need the praise, you're second-hand giving it to me even though you just told me I was lazy and immature for not doing the exercise properly so I know you don't really mean it."
Adora's tactic (obviously) doesn't work (bc SW's hate for Catra is so internalized), and she's upset by the degradation SW's giving Catra, knowing it will really hurt her best friend. Catra is visibly hurt and frustrated...
...But she doesn't want to show SW her words hurt and actually cut deep, so she tries making a joke.
Adora is worried for her bc she knows how SW reacts to being talked-back to. And she knows Catra knows too. This is the face of someone who is thinking "why are you doing this to yourself?" Adora has probably being told by SW that she is only abusive towards Catra because she is disobedient and insolent. So unfortunately she has internalized the narrative that Catra is somewhat doing it to herself. She most likely thinks that if Catra just did as she was told and behaved, she wouldn't get treated like this.
This, THIS is the screenshot that started this whole-ass rambling. It's just perfect.
Not only do you get the obvious foreshadowing that Catra will be “enveloped in shadows” for most of the show (trauma-based downward spiral), it also shows that these "shadows" (trauma) are from SW. You also get from her expression that she is so freaking angry, but she looks away because she is (understandably) scared. She is not only angry at SW, but also at herself bc of her fear of punishment, she feels weak and pathetic.
You also get Adora’s passivity at the abuse. She looks scared for her, but isn’t willing to step in to stop it. This is abuse that has become so normalized that she is scared about the inevitability of it happening, but isn’t willing to do more than to check in with Catra after it happened bc of her safety in the system and bc she partially blames Catra for it. (She tells Catra "you are kind of disrespectful" when Catra later asks what SW's problem is with her)
Adora’s face is “I am scared for you, please don’t talk back to her bc you know things will get worse for you.” It’s the face of anticipation, of hundreds of times where Catra was punished in front of her and was told "You need to keep her under control" and understanding she failed to do that.
SW tells Adora to walk with her, and she immediately releases Catra and is excited about the inevitable praise she will be getting. Catra obviously is very distressed at the sudden departure without even looking back.
Adora realizes she was going to leave before checking if Catra was okay, so she stops in her tracks.
Adora seems satisfied with this, so she feels okay leaving now.
Catra's expression makes me AUGH bc it's this "I really don't want you to go. I know I said I was fine but I'm actually really not and I could really use comfort (hence the crossed-off arms) but I can't tell you that bc I dont want you to think I'm weak and you need to go so whatever."
This scene is so freaking clever. While dialogue is important, you can tell SO much from their expressions and body language. It just perfectly encapsulates their trauma responses and how their dynamic changes when their abuser is present. It just also shows that their relationship was ALWAYS going to break bc of the rift SW created between them. Their communication is extremely faulty here, even though you can see how deep they know each other (esp in the silent check-in scene).
Not a whole lot of analysis on this one, but it's a fun ep.
Love how Adora is just SO angry at this person for no reason
This show is so gay dude. Glimmer's little bisexual grunt too as she checks their muscles out too asjkdj
This episode is the first ep where shit gets really fucking funny, and jock Adora is my favorite Adora, it’s just butch culture to arm wrestle and I’m glad the crew-ra included it.
Also Bi disaster Bow my beloved. His mega crush on Sea Hawk means everything to me.
I know we all love Scorpia and she’s the fandom baby and yeah, she’s lovely and gentle and only deserves the best. But like I feel like we really don’t talk enough about how much she disrespects Catra’s boundaries throughout the show ngl.
Scorpia is one character that I actually like less with every rewatch, and I think it's cause I become more and more empathetic towards Catra with every rewatch as well.
Also calling someone "kitty" as ur first word towards them is insane behavior. It'd be like calling someone baby, and unless you're like... a drag queen and you're doing it ironically, u cant do that to me, nope!
You know what? This might be unpopular but I'm gonna start a new counter : the SBB (Scorpia Boundary Break) specifically in terms of Catra and her bc it really does happen often and imo it gets swept under the rug a bit.
so SBB : 2
I love how Kyle is the only one who respects Catra’s position as Force Captain. Go Kyle tbh
I know this phrase becomes a repeated joke, but it really goes to show that Catra is always at a disadvantage. Shadow Weaver is setting her up for failure and waiting for her to mess up so she can punish her and confirm her bias (which is also projected self-hate.)
Which is to say it's impressive that Catra manages to become second in command DESPITE that. And it's through horrible means, but she was also using the only tools she was given (which weren't much).
Every woman in this freaking show has a crush on She-Ra and I so respect them for it, me too girlies.
Just an outright lie lmao. I sometimes wonder if Sea Hawk is just like... a pathological liar.
Thinks of Season 4
YEP!
sure u do Catra, go pester ur ex intimate-situationship
Scorpia basically attempts straight manslaughter without a second thought. If Sea Hawk hadn’t saved Bow, he would’ve been DISINTEGRATED
Yum. Finally, some good fucking food (me at any catradora scene)
The way She-Ra is able to carry Catra on the sword effortlessly… lesbianism for real
Catra puts her hand on Adora’s forehead like she did when they were kids. She is pretending she isn’t taking this seriously bc she can't show Adora how much she actually cares about her coming back.
She misses Adora and wants to catch up with her and she also wants Adora to be proud of her, PLEASE.
When Adora doesn't really acknowledge her, her easy smirk falls away.
GIRLLLLLLL when Catra says “it seems like only yesterday (being force captain) was the thing you wanted most in the world. Hasn’t this gone on for long enough?” And Adora’s focus on the sea gate wavers bc it’s Catra she wanted in reality.
"Cupping your enemy's face when you're fighting is a good strategy right? asking for a friend." - Catra, probably
Catra always takes Adora leaving the horde personally. She always turns to attack when Adora says she’s not going back, and she says “this is what you left ME for?” Her identity is so entrenched in her environment. Again, BPD behavior. Catra doesn't really have an identity without Adora, and now that Adora is gone, the only thing left for her to cling to is her environment. It's not safe, but it's familiar.
I also like how in this whole interaction, you can see how Catra is trying to imitate SW's tactics. She tries to appeal to Adora with their shared past and past goals, she insults her, and when that doesn't work, she attacks.
Literally not necessary to whisper in Adora's ear like this but pop off.
I also really like how Catra's nose is always shaded like this to imitate a cat nose seen from the side.
My soaked, sad blorbo, look at her little face in the first one, PLEASE. She is so upset Adora won't go with her.
I love the visual of Catra being dragged by Scorpia in the water but she can’t stop looking at Adora bc she can’t focus on new relationships while she’s mourning Adora’s loss.
It's a Christmas miracle, Charlie Brown! I have new rewatch rambles! :D
It’s cool that you can see shots like this showing that Catra’s claws are fully retractable
Eugh Shadow Weaver’s touch. I wonder if she does feel a bit proud that Catra managed to pull this off? She rushes to take the credit and not tell Hordak it was Catra’s work, but she is also… less antagonizing than normal?
Also what she says here – It really fits into her view of why she raised Catra the way she did. “I was abusive towards you because you needed to be prepared for the world. I didn’t do anything wrong, the world is cruel (to me) so I must be too, lest you get the idea that people genuinely care about you.”
It’s also interesting that Catra doesn’t move away from this touch.
Adora promises explicitly that she will bring Bow and Glimmer home, but even as she says it, she doesn’t believe it herself. I do wonder if she has a tendency to make promises she logically knows she can’t keep but just wants to feel useful and a way to take control of the situation even when she can’t.
I wonder how often this happened with Catra and that’s why the original promise breaking hits extra hard for her (bc it was one in a series of promises Adora wasn’t able to keep and this was the last straw.
I know this is a funny moment but (as all good spop jokes) it’s also one that shows you the reality of the situation: these are child soldiers forced to fight an arbitrary war entirely based on not knowing the other side. Kyle folds immediately bc Bow just talks to him, and he is best friends with a princess, and suddenly these are real people on the other side, not the holographic monsters you fought in simulations.
PLEASE THE WAY SHE GETS SO DEFENSIVE OVER THEIR FIGURINES I LOVE HER SO MUCH
>:C “DONT TOUCH OUR PERSONAL DND MINIS WITHOUT PERMISSION”
Pov: you let the intensity of ur hyperfixation show a little bit too much at the function
(love that Perfuma is so supportive, we love Perfuma in this house)
“Bro im gonna kill you” This expression is too good not to screenshot, what else do u want me to say.
No I can say something actually, which is that Adora’s plan doesn’t work as well as she wants because none of these people are militarily trained. And I love that the show takes the opportunity to show that.
Also the fucking “I’m an inspector, I’m here to inspect all the things” sequence is literally just Scorpia rolling a nat 1 on insight LOL (or maybe Sea Hawk rolling a nat 20 on deception skdkh)
I like that this implies Adora opened up a little more about her trauma after what happened in Mystacor.
Also this ss is just cool.
Man, justice for Kyle tbh. The alliance should’ve taken him with them.
BOW BE NICER TO HIM MAN, THAT’S NOT HIS FAULT AND U KNOW IT.
I know sometimes people say that Adora doesn’t really have a character arc till season 5 but I think mostly we don’t notice it as much because we are used to heroes self-sacrificing.
Just as how it’s easy to compare Catra’s outward decline and her experience with a more “traditional” version of abuse to say that she is more traumatized and self-destructive than Adora.
But this is just as toxic.
Adora doesn’t tell anyone anything before separating herself from the group, and then destroys any way for Bow to intervene on her self-destructive, impulsive decision when he calls her out on it. She is not planning anymore, she is reacting from the frustration of not being useful enough.
The failure of her plan tells her fears “see? You can’t rely on anyone, you need to do this, you need to be responsible for Glimmer’s rescue because no one else is capable.” Which is also the mindset that pisses Catra off, because it makes her feel inferior, and with good reason.
Because whether Adora likes to admit it or not, she does see herself as superior – she has been raised from day one to be perfect in everything she does because her only value lies in the inherent power she was born with. Shadow Weaver’s “love” and approval were completely dependent on Adora being better than everyone else at any given task. So this creates a hero complex of “no one else but me is capable so I must be responsible for everybody’s safety because they don’t know any better.” Add to this the expectation for her to be responsible over Catra’s behavior bc otherwise Shadow Weaver would kill her best friend and like… yeah. How could she not feel responsible for everyone she loves?
Completely unconscious btw. And obviously Adora doesn't think “I’m better than my friends”, instead she thinks “I must protect everyone because I am the only one who can”
Again, she has no plan whatsoever. She is so entrenched in her guilt over not being useful that she is blind to her own powerlessness and just needs to believe she can save Glimmer somehow because otherwise she’ll just have a complete breakdown.
And also she is so used to having She-Ra by this point that she hasn’t really needed to elaborate very complex plans? She can usually just rely on her brute strength and she doesn’t have it here – which is something she has been dealing with since the last episode.
And I love how Glimmer is the one who ends up saving her instead.
EVERYONE SAY FUCK YOU SHADOW WEAVER
Imagine how fucking humilliating this is too, for your commanding officer to say this in front of everyone, especially after being the one who planned and executed the mission that made this possible in the first place. “No matter what you do, you will always be worthless, especially compared to Adora.”
And it’s brutal, it’s brutal because she realizes this and she won’t stop trying to prove her wrong. But she can’t, because she believes she’s worthless – that’s what she’s been told her entire life. And no external stuff will ever be enough to change that unless she can start believing that she has inherent worth. (Though surrounding herself with kindness helps, like in season 5)
THE WAY SHE FLINCHES BACKWARDS WHEN SW MOVES TO TOUCH HER BECAUSE SHE IS SO UNPREDICTABLE IM UNWELL LOOK AT HER SCARED EARS
AAAAAAAAAA she is like “what are you going to do to me?” in the second one :c
AND THEN SHE LOOKS TERRIFIED WHEN SW PULLS HER TOWARDS HER :C
:C
SOMEONE HUG HER PLEASE. (except she would hate that, because she doesn’t believe she is worthy of love, so any act of kindness feels like pity she needs to destroy because she feels like she needs to prove herself alone bc see above
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA)
AUGH AND THEN SHE LOOKS TOWARDS ADORA FOR HER REACTION DUDE TO SEE IF SHE STILL CARES I'MMMMMMMMMM??????
OH OH OH OH OWWWWWWW AND U KNOW WHAT KILLS ME?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! It’s that at first Adora looks worried, this is the look of someone who has seen this exact interaction before and knows intervening will only bring Catra more pain.
BUT THEN
BUT THEN
SHE REALIZES CATRA IS MAKING EYE CONTACT WITH HER AND SILENTLY ASKING FOR COMFORT AND SHE IMMEDIATELY CHANGES HER EXPRESSION TO THAT SPECIAL ONE SHE DOES FOR CATRA WHEN SHE WANTS TO SILENTLY KNOW IF SHE’S OKAY AUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
And at first Catra looks angry. Angry about a lot of stuff: the betrayal, Adora not standing up for her, the humiliation that feels like Adora’s fault (bc SW is always comparing the two)
But then her expression turns softer, way more vulnerable. Like she is kinda glad and also surprised that Adora still cares, but it’s too little too late.
But then the anger and the hurt come back and she retreats into the shadows. (symbolism!?!?!? In my really well-written gay show? Could it be??)
I wish I could screenshot literally every frame of when the door closes but alas, Post Limitations.
The cool thing about it is that Catra never stops making eye contact with Adora – never stops looking back towards her until she is physically incapable of it from the door closing. She wants so badly for Adora to just comfort her and give her a false sense of security that everything will be okay as long as they stay together again. But that would also never be enough, especially after what has happened. As Adora says on Remember: “There is no turning back”.
Also, man, I just can’t stop wondering about the memories SW erased of Catra and Adora together ;w; it is such a big possibility that it happened.
I LOVE THIS FRAME SO MUCH
Oh my god, I think this is the first time that the lighting and shadow work of the show blew me away – especially in the first seasons where the animation can be a little rocky, this frame stands among one of the coolest of the early seasons... tbh maybe the entire show.
It honestly is a little bit of a mystery why Catra does this. My best guess it’s that it’s a combination of a lot of things:
-Her realizing that she wouldn’t stop feeling betrayed even if Adora got her mind wiped and came back to the Horde and she doesn’t know how to reconcile this.
-Her feeling hurt that Adora came back for Glimmer and not her, so it’s clear (for her) Adora doesn’t want her in her life anymore.
-Her feeling grateful that Adora still cared and checked in with her when Shadow Weaver was abusive earlier.
-Her not wanting to be back in Adora’s shadow again after feeling capable for the first time in her life.
She really misses her, and wants her to stay, but also it probably feels horrible that Adora would only stay in the Horde (read: with Catra) if she was mind-wiped. It probably feels double awful that Adora doesn’t even try to convince her to come with her this time, she just leaves.
Which I know is what she is saying here, for Adora to leave, but it doesn’t really mean it’s what she wants. She wants for Adora to ask, or to comfort her, but she can’t really afford to be vulnerable and be rejected, it would be too painful.
Which is why she runs away as soon as Adora transforms. Because it fucking hurts that she does just leave.
“I didn’t even get the chance to say thank you”
THE YEARNING U GUYS
AUGH THIS SHOW. It's freaking hard limiting myself to 30 images per post bc there is so much to talk about sometimes. The other ss that didn't quite make it were mostly just talking about other cool frames and the jokes -- my favorite of this ep being the "maybe you've seen me.. in your dreams" and then Scorpia being an absolute lesbian and not entertaining his flirting for one bit xD
I took a little spop break bc I didn’t want to get tired of the show after going full spop overdrive this year, but honestly coming back to these rambles felt great, I hope I can do them more often :3
These rambles are dedicated to @exit-pursued-by-a-lesbian bc they told me they loved the rambles and encouraged me to keep making them and it made me real emotional ;w;
Thank u and thank u to everyone who engages with my little analyzing info dumps and adding to them, ily and it truly means the world to me!
PRINCESS PROM PRINCESS PROM WE'RE GOING TO PRINCESS PROM
(pt 1. Listen, u don't understand. I wrote SEVEN pages of notes while watching this episode dude)
The way this show deals with propaganda, I stg. Phrases like this make Scorpia's defection hit so much harder. The way the Horde just fed complete lies to this really sweet and kind person to destroy her self-esteem and prevent her from looking deeper into the colonization of her home that took place.
The destruction of the Scorpioni people's culture and home is horrible. Scorpia desperately holds on to the propaganda that her family just "handed over" the land to Hordak to deal with the cognitive dissonance of being part of the Horde. It breaks my heart every time.
RAH just the way that Catra has internalized Adora’s abandonment and compartmentalized that She-ra and Adora are two different people to cope with her abandonment bc she is so angry at Adora but she loves her and the only way those two can co-exist is if she turns She-ra into a different person than Adora and dump all of the anger she feels towards She-ra.
And also this phrase
Is so sad because it just goes to show that Catra fully believes Adora asked her to come with her as an afterthought after meeting Bow and Glimmer and thinking they’re better friends bc they “fit in”.
She thinks Adora is embarrassed of their past connection and again, it stems from the “you are kind of disrespectful”, at least the sentiment behind that statement. To Catra, Adora sees her as inferior and a person who is so disobedient and socially weird, that that’s why she gets mistreated and doesn’t get what she wants, cuz she doesn’t “fit in”.
The way I fucking LOVE extremely neurodivergent Adora planning for the ball, I love her so much. It feels like that thing I do where I practice what I’m going to say to a person and like possible conversation topics before a hang-out but cranked to 300.
The way Adora is so freaking uncomfortable throughout the makeover sequence bc she only feels safe in her clothes. It’s so transmasc coded, being forced into dresses and feeling like it’s ur only choice and like,,, disappointing ur female friends when you’re not into makeup and dresses and nails AURGH. I know Adora is comfy with dresses later, in the future vision, but I just relate to her discomfort on very femme presenting clothes in the early szns a lot.
This transition from Adora’s room to the FZ using Catra putting on her jacket is so GOOD.
Also holy shit she's so hot, suit Catra HELP ME. Listen they don't call me the Masc Catra CEO for nothing, I will go FERAL over her during all of these rambles. U signed up for this.
I gotta admit that Catra did go thru gay panic looking at Scorpia in that dress.
I mean, same. Scorpia is fucking ripped and she WORKS that dress.
Also maybe I’m reading too much into it but this transition of Scorpia walking to grab Catra’s hand into Adora ready for the ball could symbolize that Catra is only thinking of how jealous Adora is going to be? Like she’s grabbing Scorpia’s hand but she’s really thinking about Adora and how she’s going to get a rise out of her.
This frame just symbolizes Adora’s coping mechanism since she left the Horde so well. She’s just leaned completely into She-Ra and feels completely dependent on her bc she will just break down with so many emotions if she takes like a single second to process all that’s happened to her.
Huh, you know what? I'm pretty sure this is the first episode in the series so far where Adora doesn't turn into She-Ra throughout the whole run.
I love Entrapta just being so completely sure of herself here and loving her own company, I would be talking about “the social experiment” with her for hours lol.
This really shows how much of a show Catra is putting on. She looks around for Adora and then grabs Scorpia's pincer. Her #1 goal tonight is make Adora jealous. Kidnap her friends for her master plan is a close second.
This whole transition is peak, when she notices Catra entering the ball right after saying that is RAH. It's a good wake-up call, that at the end of the day she did leave Catra behind, even if she tried to get her to come with. Idk, I just like that she is made aware of the loose ends in her past. That even though she is starting to fit in with the alliance and crafting a new identity for herself, she shouldn't forget where she comes from and the relationships she left behind.
Especially because this is the first ep that highlights Catra and Glimmer’s parallel struggles with fitting in and dealing with their abandonment issues. They actually deal with it very similarly, trying to get a rise out of the person they love by showing "they’re so much better off without them".
Bow doesn’t really rise to the bait bc he’s much more emotionally mature and secure, but Adora totally falls for it bc,,,, she doesn’t really know how to deal with most emotions.
This is Glimmer’s first time really seeing Catradora interacting and I love her confused ass face like “why is Adora being really intense with this specific horde soldier rn” also Catra’s mlep is 10/10
The way Adora IMMEDIATELY falls for Catra’s bait. like, it’s actually kind of embarrassing for her how fast she folds shkdjshsaj there is NOTHING in that party except for Catra as soon as she arrives.
Also the special Adora smirk, love to see it.
literally SO unnecessarily sensual. She did NOT have to caress the pole like that. Girlie is working overtime.
I am also obsessed with thinking that Catra made the lil paper ahead of time and even put in a little doodle. My blorbo doesn’t mess around, she clocks IN to her shift as #1 ex situationship menace.
Also arghhh as a person with abandonment issues, I feel this fucking episode so hard with Glimmer. I know Bow is frustrated and annoyed, which is so fair but it’s also kinda mean how he doesn’t take a second to validate her feelings of fear of him moving on from their friendship.
Like Glimmer's feelings are valid as hell. When you are used to having a best friend u do everything with, that dynamic changing without any warning is scary! Especially if you struggle with feelings of inferiority.
I just LOVE the parallels between glimbow and catradora in this ep. And I like how glimbow’s way of communicating is slightly better but it’s still unhealthy and invalidating vs Catradora’s,,,,, not communicating at all
Bow straight up ate with this line tho.
I'm gonna save the dance for pt 2 bc I have 5 pictures left on this post and y'all know there's gonna be a LOT of dance screencaps.
If you saw me skip System Failure no u didn’t. (Sorry it’s like one of the only episodes that I just can’t stand on rewatches, corrupted Adora is only funny on White Out bc she basically becomes a drunk dork)
Pleek, Bow looks so in love with Glimmer, I can't take it.
Both Bow and Glimmer react in a bit of an exasperated way to Adora's "paranoia" (in air-quotes bc as much as Adora is hyper-vigilant in an unhealthy manner, her paranoia is correct here. These feelings were probably always warranted in the FZ, which fed into them more once they were confirmed Adora was in the right for being paranoid. Basically creating a very unhealthy loop).
Anyway tangent aside, I meant to say that Bow and Glimmer's reactions probably mean that Adora has been doing this since she got to Bright Moon and are starting to get irritated with her.
Man Glimmer’s kinda mean to Adora when she’s really anxious, u can see her comments really hurt her bc they really don’t take her seriously, which like, makes sense bc they don’t know how SW or the Horde is like but damn, maybe cool off a bit????? Y’all have no idea what the Horde was like. I bet that Adora really missed Catra in moments like this, she was the only one who really understood.
But also Adora is SO bad at communicating, so it's very likely that she hasn't really said much about the Horde in general.
Adora adopting Catra's go-to pose when she feels vulnerable PLEEK.
Maybe I'm just coping and they always animate characters making this same pose when they feel insecure/vulnerable but I don't think so?
Girlie this is not the flex u think it is, please get that smirk off your face. (The way she is so proud of herself bc she was absolutely praised for this back in the Horde, god.)
Adora's like whoa dude why is this stranger hugging Glimmer. (because she doesn't know what an aunt is).
Which is also important to talk about. Adora can't stand not knowing things, which is why she pretends she knows what a party is, and an aunt is. She was probably punished if she didn't learn fast enough, or didn't know the answer to something, so Bow and Glimmer actually letting her not know things and show that it's okay, is very healing for her.
This is a very important episode for understanding Glimmer as well. She parallels Adora in the sense that she also feels that she has to bury her emotions with others. With Angella, it's because she feels like she is letting her down: she feels like her powers are weak, and she is not a good commander, so her mom is probably disappointed in her.
With Casta it's more like she is an extremely passive aggressive person and any boundary she tries to place is disregarded and flipped onto her, so Glimmer is put in the position of comforting Casta after she tries to put boundaries. So Glimmer simply bites her tongue and doesn't speak her mind.
Casta is honestly a very toxic family member to Glimmer very often. God she reminds me too much of some family members of mine. They like to act like they're a safe space to talk about your issues, but in reality it's just easier to pretend that everything is fine and agree with everything they say, because when you DO bring something up, they just guilt-trip you.
Bow is right, like he doesn't want Adora to feel left out and to not even have the option to go to the eclipse ceremony, but I also really understand Glimmer. Like, again. This is not a healthy family member to be around. Glimmer has probably talked about how uncomfortable she feels around Casta sometimes, due to her passive-aggressive behavior. And I would also feel very betrayed if my best friend, who knew this, did not back me up when I said I did not want to spend more time with her.
I think Adora defaults to trying to make adults like her bc of her relationship with authority figures. (And she doesn't understand the context of why Glimmer doesn't want to be around Casta.)
Actually I can see it as her thinking that Casta's behavior is normal bc Shadow Weaver is also passive aggressive with her, just in a different way.
SW does not do the joke-filled, self-deprecating passive aggressiveness, hers is more like thinly veiled threats and belittlement/condescension ("do not let this happen again" in a sweet voice to kid Adora, "she was always [paranoid] like this" talking to Glimmer about Adora as if she's not in the room)
Whereas Casta is more victim playing, guilt-tripping, resentment and insinuations. ("why are u visiting, oh is it once in a blue moon already?" "don't you want to spend more time with your aunt?" "I certainly don't want to waste your time")
Oh god Castaweaver's communication style would be,,, a lot. They literally interact like bitter ex-wives when they do interact. (I ship it, but oh god would they be TOXIC without any therapy skahdka)
This is literally what it feels like when non AD(H)D people tell me that sitting down with my eyes closed is the only way to meditate. Like PLEASE let me move. My life changed when I realized there were movement meditations out there that actually worked.
These gender neutral swimsuits mean everything to me.
I mean I love the transmasc Bow hcs but since Nate Stevenson drew Sea Hawk and Micah wearing these style of swimsuits for the 5th anniversary comic, I also think these are just regular swimsuits on Etheria which is so cool tbh.
Oh yea so as I said in the beginning, Adora has absolutely shared NOTHING about her past. She has probably talked about the Horde's tactics and stuff but not anything personal. She absolutely feels guilt about it and feels responsible.
The fact that Glimmer says “mom stuff” to the things Adora says (SW taught me how to read, tie my boots, subvert the enemy and be victorious in battle) is so sad. I like how they integrate being raised during a war in subtle ways like this.
Bow is such an awesome friend to Adora tbh. He validates her feelings and asks if her way of “relaxing” - hitting things, would go better.
The way Adora runs towards Catra's voice to reassure her RAH
It's really sad and upsetting that Catra does end up using this exact language with Adora down the line. Actually SW probably used the same phrases Catra told Adora when they argued back in the Horde as a reference for this.
Shadow Weaver uses sooo much touch as part of her manipulation tactics. She knows how touch starved people in the Horde are. But Adora is better at looking thru this tactic than Catra, and I think it's because she is not as touch starved as her + she has people in her life now who are showing her what healthy relationships (and physical touch) look like.
I wonder if the forehead touch is actually something she saw Catra and Adora do and that's why she uses it, or is it the other way around. Forehead touches being used by SW and them reclaiming it for themselves.
I'm really glad Adora is already realizing that the conditional praise SW gave her is not love. This was a person who very recently thought that there was no manipulation in the Horde at all, so this is is a huge milestone for her.
The parallels between Light Spinner and here.
Interesting difference in words. Adora's "cruel" vs Catra's "weak". The line right before this one, Catra asks "what could I have possibly done to deserve the way you treated me?" Which means that on some level, she does believe she deserves the treatment, bc there MUST have been a reason, right? There must be something she can fix to get treated right, otherwise there is something inherently wrong with her and she doesn't deserve love bc of it (which is what SW always told her).
She is not seeing SW as necessarily wrong or cruel. Especially bc SW justifies this abuse by saying that she just was preparing her for the world, as if she was just expressing a harsh truth Catra did not want to hear.
Catra instead uses the word "weak" to describe her, because if there is no love that she deserves, then there is only winning and losing and your value is tied to whether u can succeed or fail.
It's also interesting that Shadow Weaver laughs when Adora says "I'm nothing like you" vs in Light Spinner when she responds "oh but you are like me".
Also the fact that Catra doesn't say the "you used me" line until later, because she really wanted to believe this was a genuine act of kindness.
I can only put like 2 more images on this post sahkdkh otherwise I would put more, but I love how well this show portrays manipulative parents: SW runs through every tactic she has here: praise, belittlement, false kindness, preying on Adora's insecurities.
I also LOVE this shot wow. SW is the one preventing Adora from reaching the "light" of her self-worth and power.
I find it really sad that although she has no explicit power over Adora anymore, her teachings are so internalized that it still affects her until the end of the show. It just means a lot to me that this show understands relapses and how mental health works. Just because you are aware of something, it doesn't mean it will not come back, or in a more implicit way that you're not fully aware of.
Trauma becomes a part of you and your behaviours, even without that person there.
The way she is absolutely thinking of Catra here :(
Now THESE were rambles, damn. We're getting into the big leagues now. You know what's next? PRINCESS PROM BAYBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
STRAP IN CUZ I GOT A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THAT EPISODE.
PRINCESS PROM PRINCESS PROM WERE GOING TO PRINCESS PROM pt 2
Once again obsessed with Adora falling so easily for Catra's bait, she can really read her like a book.
In the previous episode Catra says
And this is so true, and why Adora is so scared of going against Catra.
Catra knows exactly how to use this against her. But the interesting part is that "the heart" in question is not only Bow and Glimmer, but Catra as well. She is formulating a plan that's hinging on Adora going to the FZ to rescue Bow and Glimmer, but it also hinges on Adora being distracted by Catra from their attachment to each other.
I wonder if Catra being able to successfully pull this off gave her a twisted sense of security. As in, she was able to make Adora jealous and fixate on her, so that must mean Adora still cares about her right?
It's so jarring to hear Catra explicitly say the word love bc most of her interactions with others are spent pretending she doesn't care about the other person.
And of course the first time she mentions loving another person is to get a rise out of Adora and try to make her jealous bc the only person she truly loves at this point in her life is Adora.
I mentioned it in a conversation with Chase where someone was saying that the dance scene was harassment from Catra, but I don't believe that. First up, Adora is never forced to dance with Catra, she offers up her hand and Adora takes it after a beat, after looking around to scan for people's reactions.
I think mostly Adora is embarrassed. She’s embarrassed by how much Catra affects her, and how people will see her being seen dancing with Catra. She's a Horde soldier after all, and has tried her best to sever all ties with the organization because she still feels like her position in the rebellion is extremely unstable. That she is one mistake away from people labelling her a traitor bc of her past and banishing her, and she has nowhere left to go.
I think she misses Catra, and that she wants to dance with her despite herself. That even though she is so annoyed by her antics and brattiness, that's also a lot of what Adora misses. We have to remember that because PDA is seen as a weakness in the Horde, the only way these two could express their love for each other was play-wrestling, pranking and bantering/playful bullying.
That dynamic is on full display this episode, but Adora is desperately trying to prevent herself from enjoying it. She does this by focusing on her suspicion and framing the easy return of their dynamic as a facade for Catra's plan.
Which... she is right about, but it's not the only reason Catra is acting this way. She misses Adora and their dynamic AND she is trying to prove to Adora she is better off (by flirting with other women) AND making Adora jealous to prove to herself that Adora still cares about her even after the abandonment (bc she cares so much and hates it).
Like im SORRY but look at Adora's face here, she's having fun despite herself. Before she remembers and turns it back into a scowl.
Side note: The way the entire episode budget was spent on the dance sequence between Catra and Adora, like you can TELL. the expressions, the animation, everything is so freaking immaculate. They knew what the gays wanted and they delivered.
Love how Adora can't stop looking at Catra even as she gets sent to another dance partner, while Catra is so sure of her control over the situation, that she acts non-nonchalantly about it and doesn't look back.
Also omg someone help Glimmer, poor girly is dissociating on that frame.
The dance is also just SO well paced and choreographed. Adora getting information by dancing with other partners is so creative and genius.
Side side note: this dance sequence is so gay, I can't believe this episode exists honestly.
They had to make this a Perfuma and Adora frame bc if the fandom got the dip AND Adora/Catra basically groping the other's ass, the world would have imploded I think.
Also please the EASE with which Adora carries Perfuma and lets her down...... oh to be a buff futch with arms of steel.
The way Catra just LAUNCHES herself into Adora's arms im going to bite my arm off actually.
Note how Adora's expression changes from angry to surprised and suspicious when Catra grabs her hand.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I have no analysis I’m just barking and yelling at my screen at this point. (have I seen this exact sequence 300 times? yes. Does it still affect me the same each time? also yes)
Well u can have the little analysis/note that Adora is totally looking at Catra's lips on the dip before looking up, as a treat.
Side side side note: Holy shit Catra is so hot, send help actually.
Catra looks so cute in this in-between frame :)
I have the power to do whatever I want so I am going to count this as a straddle (note their leg positions) so
SC = 4
Ok WAIT. I have to point out that Catra LETS herself be picked up by Adora. She raises her claws to fight back and then she lowers them willingly when she realizes Adora is going to pick her up. HELP THEYRE SO GAY.
This episode has some of the best Catra smirks I fear. This face combined with the knowledge that she is entirely in control of the situation despite being fucking pulled up from the ground by her collar,,, she’s got Adora in the pads of her hands and she fucking KNOWS.
The tail to get her attention… PLEASEEEEEEEEE
Ok I am done screaming for now, I can analyze again.
Adora’s “this isn’t a game, people are going to get hurt” just goes to show that for all they know each other, they don’t really know what motivates the other person. And it’s bc they have no understanding of trauma, both theirs and the other person’s. Catra is so good at her nonchalant facade that she has genuinely convinced Adora that she doesn’t care, bc that’s what she always said.
"Promise" is such a surprise to Adora bc she was so focused on her duty as cadet that she couldn’t really unpack or discern the extent of Catra’s hurt under her facade of not caring.
Sorry I’m screaming again, just the fact that Catra fights this entire fight with her hands on her pockets,,,, PLEASE SHE’S SO COCKY THIS EPISODE
The split second where Catra thinks Adora is going to let her fall AUGH that pained expression just destroying her smirky and confident facade. "I really thought she still cared about me."
Ok we’ve had our laughs and some gaffs but like,,, can I take a second to just talk about how much trauma this poor girl went through in the last like 20 minutes?
Her ex shows up at a party after her literally saying “I don’t leave my loved ones behind”, everybody at the party shuns her bc she is acting like a complete freak chasing her ex (who is also from her military / colonizer upbringing she's trying to distance herself from) around. She is also jealous despite herself bc Catra is being touchy with other women on purpose and riling her on, then she makes sure to dance a very romantic and intimate dance with lots of touching and Adora is conflicted bc she’s like “argh no I know you’re planning something but also I’ve missed you so much but also you’re the enemy and I can’t be seen enjoying this and also you’ve been teasing me all night long and then you DIP me and then u tell me u did actually kidnap my friend???!!!??”, then she gets banned from the party over something that she was actually right about, fights her ex, realizes she still cares about her and can’t let her fall, intense eye contact, “oh shit I am gay”, they fall off the cliff, she thinks Catra KILLS HERSELF by letting go of her hand and then she sees her fly away with her kidnapped friends??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
It’s just so sad bc Adora and Catra are both missing each other, but ppl only talk about Catra's grief bc it’s explicit, like she goes to their shared bunk, cries and rips their sheets, her feelings are explicit.
Adora deals with the separation by completely not dealing with it. And it's not entirely her fault, she gets no time to do it. In one day her entire life is flipped around and she is immediately asked by Glimmer to figure out the She-Ra stuff so her mom lets her stay.
She doesn’t have a single second to really mourn and process the abandonment of her home and her best friend. She has to figure out how to mold herself into a useful person to prove her worth to the rebellion, something she is already prone to bc she has no inherent self-worth from her upbringing.
But also Catra is SURROUNDED by reminders of Adora. It's like staying in the same home u shared with an ex. Ppl bring her up, their bunkbed has their doodles on it, nothing changed for Catra except that the most important person in her life left the life they shared together.
Adora is having so many new experiences that she legit can't stop for a second and really think about all she's lost.
“I left my whole life behind looking for answers about who I’m supposed to be I need u to tell me what to do” bc Adora was raised to literally never think for herself. There is no space for her wants, she is so used to other ppl telling her what to think and do she’s freaking out.
Also "who I'm supposed to be" is such an important piece of dialogue. There is no "existing" for Adora, no living her life, just fulfilling other ppl's expectations for her life.
Her scared and defensive little face when Razz tells her she is afraid. She's so programmed to not show any signs of vulnerability :(
“Stop waiting for someone to tell you what the right thing to do it, you’re a smart girl, what do YOU think?” And Adora is in shock bc no one “superior” to her has ever asked her what she thinks.
God, let me freak out about this exchange for a second. The fact that the animators dedicated so many frames to this, shows how important this interaction is
Catra looks so wary at first, but in the second picture she almost looks... angry at herself? For not moving away? For craving that affection she's sure she won't get but maybe it will be different this time? And she's so vulnerable from just losing Adora, comfort is what she needs rn.
And then she's so surprised bc it looks like she will be getting that affection. SW is reaching for her hair, something we know she does when she gives Catra manipulative affection, like on Light Spinner.
Side note: I hate this show! 😀
SW knows Catra is reeling from Adora's absence and is just twisting the knife by taunting the possibility of affection and taking it away to get Catra to tell her where Adora is and what happened.
I feel like it's so easy for Adora to say this bc she already thought she was doing this with the Horde, defending Etheria I mean.
Look at her face though, the burden and responsibility she knows she's putting on her shoulders by saying this. It's almost like... resignation to her destiny, to her purpose.
Other side note: this and "who was that girl" are two of the funniest jokes in this show fr.
“You would vouch for her? Take responsibility for her?” IM SURE THIS PHRASE WONT ADD TO ADORA’S NEED TO ALWAYS BE PERFECT !!!!
Her face is literally like "oh okay so I need to be perfect to not disappoint Glimmer and Angella and not get kicked out of my new home now"
Love how her real name is not even used for her oath!!! That's horrible!!!! She is She-Ra of the rebellion now, she can't afford to be Adora anymore.
It’s just nuts bc both Adora and Catra get kind of a distant mentor in this episode, in Razz and Hordak. They are both people who believe in their ability when others didn’t (bright moon ppl and Shadow Weaver). But it’s also like Catra doesn’t get a choice almost? Like Hordak makes the decision about being force captain FOR her vs Adora choosing to pledge herself to the rebellion when Razz encourages her to think for herself.
Also re: Catra’s theme cuz it’s the first time we hear it. It’s cool bc the leading harmonies are like this cool, badass electric guitar and strings, but the underlying beat is like REALLY anxiety inducing and it makes you feel uneasy, it’s not confident, it’s desperate. It shows that Catra is putting on this front for being cunning and cruel and evil but there is a lot of anxiety and insecurity behind that.
I also realized that it’s the almost the same as she-ra’s theme but in a lower key and with some modifications which it nutzzzzzz SUNNA WEHRMEIJER
