Favourite Stella moments? And also Riven moments?
some of my favorite stella moments can be found in this post I wrote a few years ago. there are plenty more moments that I appreciate just as much, though. take, for instance, her standing up for flora, comforting and bringing bloom back to alfea, and protecting the girls from the white snake in the omega dimension. her introduction to the series is also one of my favorites; it immediately sets the tone for her confidence and presence, not to mention her open-mindedness, which affords her the ability to quickly befriend bloom.
this probably won't surprise anyone, but one of my favorite riven moments is toward the end of season one when he's locked up in cloud tower and forced to reflect on his past actions and question who he really is. not only does this moment mark a major turning point for his character and show off his potential, but it also offers viewers a deeper insight into his inner struggles. shortly after, the episode shifts to riven escaping his cell and reuniting with the others in the underground tunnel, which is also another favorite of mine. I'll spare the deep dive and share a short excerpt from the transcript instead:
Riven: Um, Sky, Brandon. I wanted to apologize for all the things I've done. Sky: Don't worry about it, buddy. We'll talk about that later, okay? Bloom: Right. We're on a mission here, let's not forget. Sky: So are you with us? Riven: You bet.
the balcony scene in season two is also up there. it's one of the few times we see riven engage in a sincere, albeit brief, conversation with one of the girls apart from musa, and there's just something raw and unguarded about the way he starts talking to flora. in particular, the moment when flora apologizes for not noticing riven, and he simply replies: "it happens," stands out because it subtly suggests that he's used to people overlooking him. that being sidelined is something he's come to expect. under normal circumstances, with different characters, the line may not have carried as much (if any) weight, but since I've always read this scene as riven feeling disappointed about being excluded from the rescue mission, it hits different.