Lmaoooo I mean yeah at this point, after sitting with the show for another year or so, that's literally the only thing I enjoy about the finale. Season 5 sort of disappoints me now and that's one of the only interesting moral quandaries it raises
36:07 The last time I watched "Hero" I was ugly crying. I'm not sure why it hit me so much harder on the re-watch instead of the first time. I think it's because I knew so much more about the greater context of how every story element was woven together. It devastated me.
Hero, as an individual episode, is my clear favorite. I'm currently working on 5 reviews for the individual seasons, and on Hero's section I'm currently losing my mind. It's really just a masterpiece, through and through.
@@lu_fsss Yeah it is legitimately a masterpiece. I don't think any show has had such a good run as She-ra s4 from Hero to the finale. Those five episodes literally make me want to explode with every possible human emotion and more. I'm writing my review for season 4 but the issue is that without cutting stuff out, the script is nearly 20 pages. I can, and have, talked about it for hours.
“Hero” makes me cry. Every time I’ve watched it, I get choked up. It’s terrible, and brilliant, not just for Mara and Razz but also for Adora. Mara’s “I didn’t want to die.” Perfectly sets up the final “What do you want, Adora?” Presented by Catra in the finale. AND THAT PIE Destiny is fantastic. Season 3 ended on such a big moment that I wondered how the heck S4 was going to top it, and it did. Hordak learning about what happened to his one real friend? Catra finally snapping under the weight of her bad decisions? Glimmer activating a planet-wide super weapon and breaking Etheria out of Despondos? That moment where they finally see the stars feels just as much like a victory as it is a death sentence. Entrapdak is my favorite ship in the show (it was completely unexpected my first time through, but there’s so much delicious character development and irony) so purely for personal reasons I’d probably boost Signals and Huntara up a rank each. I’m a sucker for a good meet-cute, and I really like how the first time Horde Prime is brought up is during a moment of honest vulnerability between them. Along that same line, their moment of reunion in Failsafe is one of the best scenes (outside of Save the Cat) in season 5. The delivery of “What have you done to me?” makes me feel SO. MANY. THINGS. Two whole seasons, Beast Island, and two mind-wipes have kept these dorks apart and there’s still a connection there deep enough to eventually break through Prime’s brainwashing. Plus, we get a more emotionally mature Catra confront Shadow Weaver again, Evil Micah showing off his unrestrained sorcery, and Adora’s big emotional conflict leading up to the final heroic sacrifice of the series. It’s such a brilliant penultimate episode before everything goes down in Heart, and easily hits an S+ for me.
I love this comment so much, and I always feel so bad because I really didn't enjoy the latter half of season 5, especially The Heart. Hero, Destiny, and Corridors cement these showriters as fucking geniuses and shows how capable they are at writing fully awe-inspiring and horrific works of art that challenge standards and bring about an incredible detail and nuance to the characters and the story alike. It's for this reason that I really didn't like Heart, because it felt like the finale of a show I've watched many times over. I actually really agree with you on Failsafe, I think that episode deserves its spot rightly, but it's surrounded by many less NEW ideas, and certainly less compelling character points, with a few exceptions. Even Save the Cat (which I knocked down to A tier) falls prey to this, where the brilliant, manic A plot is hit with the hard contrast of the redundant comedy of the B plot. I always have a hard time praising season 5 now, and that's also due to the fact that season 3 and 4 are just so damn amazing. Every single breath I take I took with tension, and each exhalation felt like a knife in my throat. When a show manages to pull that off, they must be careful to not drop the ball, and I think the intensity of s4 may have even pressured the studios to have them make an "I Love You"-fest finale where all the good guys win and all the bad guys lose, and the once disgusting villain is reduced to a madman with a God complex. Sorry for the rant, I really appreciate your viewpoint and I'm not tryna say you're wrong for liking season 5. I LOVE watching season 5, but the analyst inside of me just can't bear it sometimes. I hope you sleep well :)
Princess Prom, Hero, Save the Cat, and ofc The Heart Part 2 are my favoruite episodes. The music scores, plot twists, and storylines in these episodes are just top tier imo
I personally don't care much for Heart Pt. 2 (minus the catradora stuff) which I've explained in other videos but my favorite episodes are undoubtedly Destiny, Hero, and Corridors. Save the Cat I moved down to S tier and maybe even A for reasons I've also mentioned in other videos. I entirely understand why people love them and I like them too but taking a closer look many of the greatest episodes don't hold up. Thanks for your input, I always appreciate it!
@@TheCicada I like the heart part 2 mainly because everything comes full circle and horde prime is destroyed. I just love the happy ending (and ofc catradora) tbf. Also because it (the iconic catradora kiss):just made me cry so much the first time i saw it so i have some kinda attachment to it. Its objectively not the best episode, like Hero, Corridors and Destiny ect are objectively better with storytelling, but idk it has a place in my heart lol. Same with Save the Cat. Im a massive catra fan (i find her arc and backstory so fascinating, and as weve all mentioned: catradora), so save the cat pulled at the heartstrings for me. Also we were introduced to wrong hordak in that epsiode and he is one of the best parts of season 5 lol. But yeah the best episodes are the ones that really go into characters history, and strangly these are all ones that have a central message about agency and choice. Something about those episodes, Destiny, Hero, Corridors ect, just feel so beautifully written and drawn, the message is told so well, the music is amazing, and i could just go on about them all day. If i were to make a tier list id have to have a separate tier for the epsiodes that i favour simply because of catradora and the wlw representation, genuinly made my baby gay ass cry so much, and the other tiers for episodes i objectively think are amazing. lol
@@bellac6311 Yeah no I can totally see where you're coming from. I'm a film nerd so lots of my complaints come from issues with pacing, dialogue, composition, etc. In terms of those Save the Cat is lacking a little (especially in pacing) but the actual thematic elements of the episodes make up for that and I still like watching them. My hatred for season 5 stems a bit deeper and is an INCREDIBLY personal preference. It's good tho that people are constantly debating which episodes are the best cause that means that a lot of them are amazing, so it's a win-win!
I love that, despite trying to be harshly objective in your S5 commentary, your rating doesn't range from "F to S" but from "C to S+" ...I also love that you count "Don't Go" as an episode.
Yeah I really couldn't find anything below mediocre for this show, it's insane. Also, Don't Go is fire and also my favorite part of s5 besides Corridors.
This rank is nearly PERFECT (just a some very, verrryyyy small differences), all you S+ episodes also are my favorites and I just can't stop watching them XD.....I already have seen the show back to back 5 times and individual episodes (all S+)....I not even have a number, I lost track how many times I have re-watched them XD. Seriously how in hell SHE-RA PRINCESSES OF POWER a reboot of an 80's cartoon I grow up watching but never really loved and aged so poorly now, how in hell this reboot got this damn GOOD, sad not many people have watch it yet, but is defined one of the best modern cartoons in the last decade.
Yeah you said it. I'm working on another, more in depth review right now to try and really pay this show tribute. I literally cannot comprehend why this show is as good as it is.
24:04 Another reason why we didn't get the deets of Don't Go was because the writing in that short story allowed us to see what they show couldn't let us see. Like the characters swearing (and which ones), learning that Catra self harmed herself or how she was put into Prime's pit with a tube for air shoved down her throat, Adora swearing internally to kill Prime without mercy for hurting (and almost perma-killing) Catra, Glimmer and Bow already being in a relationship before their own ILU scene in the show, showing us that Catdora will be together romantically at some point since the two relationships parrarel each other, Adora's She-Ra healing powers being like Wolverine's but with more magic, how Catra and Adora just clicked the moment they were on the same side of the war and so on so forth. That fic is canon as far as I'm concerned and I can't wait for the fanmovie based on it to be complete. But the small completed parts by one youtuber (the one you used for footage) is good enough as well.
Right. So many people say (and I agree with them by so extent) that the Catra redemption felt rushed, and not "earned". Have this been in the regular series, we would have fleshed out more the Catra/Adora relationship, and we would have been more aware just how much suffering saving Glimmer costed to Catra. We do get a glimpse or we can imagine how much Catra suffered under Prime, but with this "fic" (because for me, is also canon) it is very clear how much.
Yeah, one thing I've noticed is that season 5 feels pretty disconnected from the rest of the show. It's partly why I grew to slowly dislike it over the years. I think that there is probably even more parts of the story we didn't get to see because of whatever Netflix had changed or whatever. It just reeks of last-minute plot changes and bulldozed character development (similar to post-cancellation Owl House). I love Dont Go even more now because it shows how good season 5 could've actually been if they wanted it to be.
Thanks! Picking apart negatives, although tedious and sometimes a bit sad, really helps accent the great parts of this show (especially s4). I'll be reviewing every season individually, so it's good to know that people in this fandom are mature enough to understand criticism!
I disagree. I moved it down to an S because, although I think it is objectively amazing, it removes the originality this show was building in s4 and early s5. I also take back my statements about the B plot because on a re-watch they really do not need to intersperse that bombastic plotline between Adora and Catra. Basically, this episode was the show's departure from interesting writing to being a cookie cutter final season. Catradora basically carries the show from there, being the best written plotline in STC and onwards. I'm reviewing s5 so you'll get to hear my opinions on it there but I do want to make a point against s5 stans, even if you are fine to have that opinion and I also love that episode so I can't even judge.
19:55 “I wasn’t aware of how dark this show was aloud to get.” Well that’s Netflix for you. Because unlike Disney, Netflix originals aren’t afraid to get dark even if it is a kid’s show. That’s why I love Netflix.
yeah netflix will literally kill a character vividly on screen and still keep the rating TV-Y7 and then you have Nickelodeon who didn't let Korrasami kiss because "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" Tf out of here network executives
Yeah this was a huge turning point in her character and when I do my s4 review I want to note that part. The character arc for Catra just hits that sweet spot, it's insane how well it's done.
I'm kind of confused by what he is saying about this 'being a kids show' is a bad thing. It is made for kids and idk why he is saying that that makes it a 'worse episode' ??? smfh
I'm not saying that it being targeted towards kids is bad. In these sorts of Y7 shows, the writing walks a fine line. In she-ra, often times it edges over in feeling like a more mature, fulfilling show written for ages old enough to understand a more thickened plot. Episodes like Corridors, Promise, Hero, Destiny, and basically all of seasons 3 and 4 were much more reminiscent of a psychological horror than a children's show. This shows that kid's shows don't need to feel like they're talking down to the audience like a typical show would. Because it doesn't rely on doing that, the episodes where it does stand out. That's why instead of saying "being a kid's show" like you quoted in your comment, I say "feels like a kid's show" instead, more clearly stating my point that a show like this can feel more mature.
@@TheCicada Thanks for explaining that to me (: I understand where you are coming from when you say 'kids show' talking about maturity, that explanation rlly clears things up, thanks
@@TheCicada overall I feel that ‘kids show’ feeling is 100% the network/execs dictating what needs to be in the show in order to sell toys/market to children. That’s where you get all the ‘talking down to the viewer’ and ‘jamming a simple moral in your face’. I feel this show did well to stock those selling points in non-plot important episodes. But you can genuinely see that Noelle and the team had big visions for what the show could be and delivered incredibly. And that’s usually what I judge cartoons by.
@@MostLikelyMortal oh absolutely. I could tell that in season 1, the writers most likely wanted to deliver a more impactful ending, maybe in other points too. The beauty of the best episodes makes me hard to believe the same people could churn out some of the worst without a little bit of.... encouragement
In all honestly Corridor and Save The Cat are probably my favourite episodes, they hit so hard when I first watched them glad to see I'm not the only one who thought they were amazing!
I love LOVE corridor although I've since moved Save The Cat down to an A tier. I just thought that the B plot added nothing to the story and detracted from the amazing Catra V Adora scene, as well as some other less egregious faults. It's still so fuckin good tho, i just wish i did this tier list now instead of a year ago
This is my favorite tier list I've honestly ever seen and I gotta give you props for the massive effort this must've taken to compile, record, and edit. The rankings, by the way? Top tier. They definitely made me want to re-watch the show for a fourth time, which has really put a crimp in my schedule. Absolutely would not have it any other way, though lol
Thank you so much! I'm just sad because the editing got handicapped by the copyright dodging and it looks so much less neat, but I'm glad you liked it in spite of that.
Yeah I've gotten that a lot. It's the same reason why me and a bunch of my friends really dislike late season 5, while many other fans hail it as perfection. This show has a little something for everyone.
Season 5 and late season 4's goal is to rip your heart out put it to shreads and keep you crying 5 hours after the episode you watched has ended she-ra are you trying to rip all happiness and joy from our body's in 20 minutes.
Not only was this a great video in itself, but it also just made me find out that there is a She-Ra fic written by Noelle. It was great to see your opinions on the episodes, I really wish there were more videos like this for She-Ra, as you said the episodes are mostly so close in quality that placements could vary wildly.
Thank you for the kind words! Ironically enough most of my personal rankings have completely changed which makes sense seeing as I wrote this 3 years ago. But yeah I'm glad I could bring more awareness to that extra scene, super underrated stuff.
8:15 why we dont talk about entrapta and hordak here- I pratically agree with your ranking. I'll just say nearly the entire 2nd season was useless except the shadow weaver's backstory one (and signals bc it introduces my favourite relationship). And since I can't say an episode is REALLY bad, I'll just tell the best ones. Season 1 : ep. 1, 6 & 11. The first because it's the first and I really like the atmosphere. 6 because of Entrapta and pratically just because of her, but she's perfect so I forgive the flaws of that ep. (also, drunk adora is epic) 11 because...well you damn well said all I think about it. It's the best of s1 and even of all the first part of the series (before First Ones and Horde Prime arcs) Season 2 : full filler season, I won't talk about that Season 3 : all the season is very good. I don't really like the crimson waste episodes, but I forgive them because of the best dynamic of the show - entrapdak. Even not like a romantic ship, they are great, at that time I started watching She-Ra for them and not catradora anymore (until s5). I was so sad when Entrapta was sent on beast island. I think the season finale episode is the best and the most emotional (seriously, this made me cry) Season 4 : uhm...fillers again. Yeah. So...I'm not really interested in it, until ep 9. This one shows us Mara's backstory and her sacrifice, and that's really touching. Finally some good lore. Then, I'll say : episode 10 (mostly because we get entrapta back) and Destiny because...because it was epic. Not gonna lie That tragic end in the season...mhh so good. Everybody is either captured, either see they're in front of a REAL danger and they pratically have any chance to win. Season 5 : holy shit that one was awesome at all points. so pretty all episodes are actually (very) good, but here are my favs : -Corridors : one of my favourites of all the series. It makes begin Catra's redemption arc (even if there were signs of close redemption in season 4), it gives beautiful flashback and a beautiful reason for Catra to change, it shows a DAMN GOOD SYMBOLISM and it makes you nearly crying at the end. -Save the Cat : my favourite with Corridors, because it has ALL. Good and suspens atmosphere, awesome fight scenes with gorgeous animation, angst, totally crying for that time, Catra continues to fight with Prime and her old self, and not gonna lie, ship dynamics (and not only Catradora, there's also ones of very rare Entrapdak scenes) and oh my god. The return of She-Ra. I wasn't expecting that. -Failsafe : ...yeah, that one is pratically only because of the ship dynamics who are strong here (my second fav entrapdak scene) but hey. Scenario and visual are really good too. -Heart pt 2 : ....just too much action and too much emotions. And the animation damn shit. Wow. And of course it's the final of the series and it had to be special. And it was.
Wow, congratulations on being the longest comment on the video! Currently I'm reviewing each season individually and I'm about to do s2, 3, and 4. I do disagree with your point of s2 being entirely filler, since there is still a lot of setup between the scenes and it is useful in the long run. It's clear that you're an entrapta stan and while I respect that, it does lead you to miss many parts that are more important. The beginning of season 4 is anything but filler, as it shows the beginnings of the coming storm and the divides between characters. If I had to choose anything to call perfect I would give it to s4. Your ignorance of s3e3's brilliance apart from entraptadak is also quite saddening to me, as that one and the rest after it are so brilliant in their pacing and depictions of mental instability. And while I hate being negative towards season 5 since so many people like it, I will say that many people are blinded by the few things it accomplished. Corridors is without a doubt one of the top 3 episodes of the show. However the rest of them aren't really. I do recommend you watch my s5 review so you can see what I'm talking about in more detail, but without the distractions it gives you there isn't much substance there. It's quite the opposite of season 4 in every way, wherein that season masks absolutely nothing in useless frill or crowd pleasing, dealing only in absolute annihilation. Those are my amended thoughts after further watching this show. Thank you so much for your thoughts as it is interesting to hear what everyone in this fandom has to say. It reflects well on this show that so many interpretations can be had, so it's always nice to find new ones!
i've been holding off in watching this because i thought you really ranked the episodes and i agree...no one can really do that with how amazing this show is.
Exactly, I could never get specific just because of how subjective and fluid this show is. But season 4 is the best and no one can tell me otherwise :)
I 100% agree with your list, but I would like to add in are the episodes with Entrapta and Hordak's interactions. I never thought I'd say this, but Hordak is honestly one of my favorite characters because of this. Entrapta not caring at all about the risks she puts herself in just for some tech is very interesting to me, and how she didn't panic when Hordak yelled at her the first time she snuck into his lab. The way he smiles at Entrapta when she was amazed by the Portal and when she wanted to stay with Hordak, those smiles are true and shows that that truly cares for her. I see their relationship as platonic, but it could also be romantic. I'm not sure. Hordak working with Entrapta and actually treating her well was opening a door to this other side of Hordak. Yes, Hordak is a villain is the heroes' eyes and he is trying to destroy the world, but he's created to do that. Here we see him learning to embrace love and friendship with the interactions he has with Entrapta, as she talks about being imperfect and what having emotions other than anger are like. I'm not trying to say that this is my excuse on calling Hordak good. He did hurt Catra, Adora, and the other Princesses. I just like his villain to hero arc and the "nobody is perfect" thing with Entrapta. To be honest, Entrapta's positive energy, love for her interests, and just not caring about what others think help me with my confidence.
@@idontevenknowbro hm, I could have sworn they said it exactly the same way. Anyways, I do pretty much agree with you. I love their friendship and a lot of the episodes with those interactions are high up in the list. I was going fast so I didn't have time to note every detail but it was a thought in my mind so don't worry about those two.
@@TheCicada I can't wait to see it! I found your channel today and the content you create is so good! I look forward to watching your she-ra season reviews. Keep up the good work mate!
Just have to point out that when it came towards the end of the A Tier, you pictured on the screen we were talking about S5E4, when you actually said S4E5. I'm not criticizing, I was just kind of curious if it was a mistake in the editing and what the screen said, or what you said. Otherwise, this is very good. Gives a good picture to other viewers maybe how to choose their favorite, and just how to rank things in general. I like who you weren't super detailed and criticizing towards the show, you just gave your overall thoughts on the episodes. Like you weren't so detailed that if you find a mishap in style or mishap in anything else that you would immediately say: "Nope. This episode is trash. C Tier, immediately. No excuses." Usually, when it comes to me, I love change in style. Usually the mishap in the style is what I like better than the normal style. Like I was sitting in bed watching it a few nights ago, and suddenly Catra turned to the camera with one, different shaping, and two, the outlines were suddenly not black, but a darker shade of what the outline was out - lining. I seem to like that style much better. But overall, I think you did a good job. Also, I so agree on S5E12 - 13 and S5E5. They are all amazing, and overall, S5E5 was my favorite. I love it because it includes so much trauma and drama, mostly focusing on Catra and Adora. Catra's fate after corridors was...wow. But...she died. On her ninth life. Even if she gets it back later, I was not prepared for that, AT ALL. I've been obsessed with Catra ever since S1E1. I love her so much, and for some reason, whenever I have a favorite character, they never die, nor get hurt at all. I have no idea why, but I was NOT prepared for that...at all. Although the drama still is nice. Alright my fingers are cramping so I should probably stop now, but in conclusion, great video, great summery. (Also sorry its so long) 😐
Oh boy you are in for such a treat with my newfound and more developed opinions on season 5. I've actually done a review of it so I won't say too much specifically, but before I totally wail on it, I am going to thank you for typing this bomb ass comment, I loved reading through this! I don't pay close enough attention to visual changes like the one you mentioned, and the visuals really didn't affect any of my placements, but I'm glad that there are people out there who can confirm that they like them. And yes, I was not super detailed in my criticisms and didn't really grade too harshly for a few reasons: A, if I did, the video would be 2 hours long; B, Even with deeper dives, the episodes still hold up incredibly well with how amazingly written (most) of this show is; C, haha you fool I DID criticize every last bit, you just don't know because I put none of it in the script because of point A. Okay, season 5 talk time, I think that season was... good. Season 4 was better. I know that season 4 was basically a perfect season, both in the context of the show and just in general, taking into account television as a whole, but that just made following it up even harder. I think that the first few episodes of season 5, ESPECIALLY CORRIDORS, are amazing and the way they can build tension is completely and utterly masterful. However, post-corridors episodes fall prey to the sickness I like to call "not-unique-anymore-itis". The nuances and incredibly detailed plotpoints that were so prominent in seasons 3 and 4 gave way to a much more standard, less bold plot progression with the main villain becoming less of a terrifying monster and more of a cartoonishly evil "destroy-the-universe" guy. His reasoning? Eh, he got mad. I think Save the Cat had one good plotline, and then the B plot literally served no purpose. Having an entire episode devoted to Adora and Catra would have made so much more sense, but, even though I love him, they just HAD to introduce Wrong Hordak at the same time. I have more to say but this comment is getting really long and I already reviewed this season so for now I'm just going to say, there are so many good things about season 5 that are still valid, and people's love for it is completely warranted. Thanks for the support!
this video is honestly amazing and i was shocked to see that it only has 9000 views! you explained the episodes and their dynamics perfectly and this whole video was over all incredible and the rankings were pretty accurate, amazing work!
New here so I don't have years of fandom arguments to work off of or whatever I find it really funny that you have so many in S and S+ and, like, 1 in C or B I disagree about Hordak. Rather, I don't think his story was about redemption - there is nothing in there about making Hordak feel bad about his actions, even the characters lampshade he's had nothing like a redemption arc. It instead tied into the themes of self acceptance, being who you are and not having some kind of destiny or overbearing force tell you what you had to do - Hordak is, in a way, like Catra and Adora. He is overcompensating for his imperfections by trying to gain approval and live up to his daddy, just like how Catra wanted to outdo Shadow Weaver and himself. I like that it didn't show him apologising to any of the wider cast. Hordak instead EMBRACES who he was, the villain, the guy who built an empire and proved he WAS worth something, and who on this planet he dominated, found true friendship in an unexpected place. Hordak essentially embodies his bad traits and uses them not necessarily for good, but for himself and the person (or, even, the people?) he cares about. Etheria was HIS to defend in that moment. It makes it all the crueller when Prime seems to permanently take over Hordak, condemning him to life as a puppet with no free will. When Adora finally use the Heart, the last person she saves is Hordak. His freedom marks the end of Prime's dominion over everybody's spirits. Then they are both reminded of a time, long ago, when Hordak saved Adora - the moment all of this started, when Hordak had a fleeting moment of... compassion? Saving a baby, who kinda liked him. I thought it was beautiful. Adora showed such compassion to this guy who she has every right to hate, because there was no anger or fear in her heart anymore. Just peace. Everyone is able to breathe again when Entrapta runs to Hordak and hugs him. Chances are he doesn't get off scot free, but at the same time, Etheria isn't interested in retributive punishment. It wants to heal. That's why it was so easy for the other ex-Horde people to get off the hook. If Hordak has lost his whole motivation for inflicting cruelty onto those around him, if he is finally a free man, then who knows what he can become? Maybe he'll still be a bad guy, maybe he'll just be a grumpy technician interested in the pursuit of science and friendship. He has lots of skills the Etherians could use. Noelle thinks Hordak has to pay and do community service on Beast Island. Help clean up some of the damage so the wildlife is restored. I like this idea. I think Hordak would do it no questions asked too. He would embrace (most of) his crimes and thus, serve the acceptable punishment for them proudly.
I do quite enjoy this view of Hordak's arc in season 5. To be honest, I guess I've never looked at it this way. In terms of self-acceptance, I think hordak may or may not have come to terms with his past actions. He certainly has taken agency over his own self so that is certainly a plus, and your (or Noelle's) idea of community service actually seems valid in this situation. However, I still think the series would have been better implementing his mortality. Season 4 has a masterful ending, my favorite episode in the show, that does its best to bring realism into the fantastical world of this show. One very realistic element was Hordak's lack of acceptance back into the Horde, as he broke their code of "unity" or whatever they want to justify it as. Killing him off for good would have shown Horde Prime's ruthlessness and his cold, calculating nature off; Hordak being converted back to a basic clone would have shown it off even better. The fact that he stayed conscious throughout two separate "purifications" seems forced and kid's-showy to me, a quality this show doesn't need, and doesn't rely on. In this sense, from an emotional or moral standpoint, Hordak's persistence to not be dead isn't totally atrocious, but it isn't the best from a writing perspective. I've talked a lot about season 5, to my friends, family, youtube, and random people like you. It's probably the most interesting season because of how it transforms this show. Hordak's arc is just one of MANY complaints of mine about this season (a viewpoint that gets me some weird looks within this fandom). In short, the writing this season becomes incredibly basic, losing most of the nuance built up, especially from seasons 3 and 4. Hordak may have learned to accept himself for who he is, but is that narrative not seen over and over again in television (specifically kids' television)? Going from the very detailed and creviced mental maps we get of each character to Hordak, he seems quite out of place, and that's because he should be dead. That sounds super harsh when I read it back, sorry Hordak, but it's really what I think would have helped season 5 be a stronger finish. I may revisit this point again when I'm running on more than zero hours of sleep because this is the first time someone has legitimately prompted me with a point that's made me rethink my own opinions on the show. Thank you for taking the time to write a thesis paper in my comment section, it was actually really cool to read! Damn, I might have to re-review season five and move it up to a 7/10
@@TheCicada The idea of moving this season up in your books is amazing >:D I think you're a bit too paranoid about it being compared to a kids show. If it was just "everybody's different so we have to accept ourselves", yeah that'd be a bit patronising, but the reason Horde Prime is such an effective final threat is because the entire show SCREAMS of colour, character, a bunch of broken people fighting each other, and the audience somehow rooting for all of them. Even the ones that are immediately fighting to the death - Catra's battle with Hordak in season 4, then her confrontation with Glimmer, both of whom had ended up mirroring her, probably embodies this most transparently. Horde comes in at THAT Moment, with those 3 characters at their most broken, and goes, "Fuck EVERYTHING that was going on here, I'm taking control". All of the war effort, the conflict, Horde Prime doesn't give a shit about any of it and wants to erase it all in favour of himself. His erasure of Hordak, who had fought so hard to impress him, and grouping of Glimmer and Catra as prisoners despite Catra's allegiance to the Horde, demonstrated just how few shits he gave about everything we'd been invested in. Then he spends the rest of the season trying to infect others. This makes him the perfect threat for everyone to come together and fight, and the best way to resist Prime is to break free of the control he has over their minds. They do that using the connections they've built over the show. The reason Hordak couldn't stop forgetting is because no matter how much he tries to erase it, his pain and experiences will always be a part of him. He WANTS to forget, but gradually realises that he needs to stand up for himself against this man who would turn him to a mere pawn. This in turn parallels Adora's struggle to stand up AS Adora, rather than following Mara's footsteps as a self-sacrificial She-Ra. The fact Hordak DIDN'T get redeemed makes this all the more awesome, because what he and Adora do is embrace selfishness. They fight for themselves. I don't see this as being any more "kids show-y" than any other kind of plot. It's more than intense enough, has strong ties with the entire plot. There's very little about it that can be seen as contrived, the only thing that bothered me honestly is when the characters were all saying they loved each other in the finale. Which is part of why I'm glad Hordak and Entrapta ABSOLUTELY DID NOT have a line like that, lol. They obviously care for each other a lot but thankfully didn't have any "ship confirmation". Can you imagine how out of place that would have been?
@@tipsy634 @Tipsy I think that's fair but my idea of it being "kid's showy" really just stems from the typicality of it all. When watching it, it felt grand, epic, gay, but also pretty overdone. After Corridors, I felt like I wasn't getting anything new out of the season and a lot of the important and immense characterization was done through minute, so much so that it may not have even been canon or intended. As you mentioned about season 4, there was really a lack of a clear protagonist/antagonist dynamic, part of the reason why it flowed so chaotically well. That all drops out and becomes a pretty familiar all-forces-unite-against-bigger-baddie type story (plus zombies). Horde Prime, at his introduction, was TERRIFYING and I loved every bit of him. He disgusted me to a physical level where I would squirm whenever he did something. To see him turn comical over the course of the series, eventually getting Palpatined by Hordak, made him so much less scary. The fact that he didn't even have jurisdiction over someone as insignificant to him as Hordak (while it was the point of the show) really seemed out of character. I realize that it was probably about how he was stressed from she-ra and things going wrong, but it really made him seem pathetic instead of imposing. Overall, I still think season 5 is one of the most clear cut and typical seasons of the show, even if it's the most structurally sound. It's messages are unchallenging and unchallenged, leaving it as a satisfying but sort of unsubstantial watch. But also I totally agree with you, Entraptadak would have been super out of pocket for that finale. At least that didn't happen...
@@TheCicada i kind of get where you're coming from now. I still don't think this diminishes its value - i'm a big fan of Adventure Time, which did something similar, becoming infinitely complex in seasons 5/6 only to start trimming things down and following more satisfying, clearcut themes in season 7. I would say this was the best decision Adventure Time could have made that close to its end, because the tunnelling gives you a much clearer picture of how the characters changed during the rollercoaster section. I feel the same about SheRa. Season 5 in isolation is great but lacks the complexity of the previous two seasons. However, it is NOT in isolation - those seasons still exist and now you're seeing the payoff. I think making things more complex than season 4 would have led to an alienating ending, especially with so much to cover in 13 episodes. Hell, condensing the main cast to 5 characters during the Space Arc wasn't enough for them to do everything they wanted. But I loved that arc and it's easily my favourite part of the show. I WOULD agree that the overall war stuff at the very end of s5 was overshadowed by Corridors. I'd say Prime still felt scary though. Maybe not as coolheaded, but damn, look what he did to Adora without raising a finger! Either way, it's been fun breaking s5 down with you :D
@@tipsy634 I totally love breaking this down not, because I finally feel like I've met someone who has some real substantial views on this topic. I definitely get your point about a more focused season 5. A finale with the same level of chaos as season 4 would definitely be super confusing and probably not as satisfying (which is why it was put second-to-last). However, I think keeping the complexity of season 4 would have been just fine, leading to a more nuanced and developed message about trauma and the moral gray area that it touched upon earlier. Trauma was visited in season 5, very heavily at first, but a lot of the later instances were incredibly subtle and not brought far enough to focus. This is why I think that it was so anticlimactic, because it really sort of forgot about a lot of its previous ties. A story like this cannot be wrapped up neatly, especially one with as much roughness as seasons 3 and 4. This shift of focus into something much more streamlined causes more whiplash than it cushions, really making it feel out of place. It's clear how much thought and planning went into making season 5, as it really just looks like an archetypal finale season, in stark contrast to the deep, emotional, free-form-esque plotline that proceeded it. Overall it's a damn good season of television... out of context. In context, it's the golden child of the show, acing every test with the most standard in-the box answers.
You forgot the 'ooooooh r we messing with Adora' 😭😭😭 but this was great and round about the right kind of ranking although personally I would shift a few I think you did great with this
Damn I should have included that scene :( although mostly I was scared cause this video got taken down for copyright before this version made it up. Also I have shifted a lot of my personal rankings after making this video but I will not be going through all of the effort to make an amendments list cause I have to work on my ATLA tier list.
My personal favorite episode is Remember, and I loved this whole series. It has such great representation and was so interesting to watch. Also, this ranking was *chef’s kiss*. I usually don’t watch videos this long because I would get bored, but this one kept my attention for the entire video, so good job!
Yeah, remember is literally one of the most legitimately terrifying episodes of tv I've seen. The implications of all of it mixed with confusion and ambiguity just crushed my heart into pieces. Also I'm glad you liked the list!
dudeeee i really liked your ranking and your S+ tier is immaculate. Destiny still leaves me with an unhinged jaw every time I watch it and Hero is a staple for days where I just want an excuse to cry
Yeah, even on my rewatches for the upcoming reviews I'm gobsmacked. I do wish I had given s5 more thought though, since many of those are rated to high imo
What! Roll with it is perfect! From beginning to end, even with what we don’t get to see is perfect, like adora being scare of catra knowing her too well.
That last sentence is a bit weird and I can't quite decipher it but generally speaking I think that that episode was good, but quite generic and not very unique
I loved the ranking. And you definitely chose the right episode as the best, Season 4's finale is expertly written, and set up so many possibilities for season 5. Although the real question is what's your favourite season? Mine is season 5, no competition, there's so many emotions, and action that happens during it, that you can't help but love it. It gives a redemption ark for Catra, and even Shadow Weaver, though it's not that obvious (Really there's no way to truly redeem Shadow Weaver due to how much psychological pain she inflicted on Catra and Adora, without her sacrificing herself). Then there's the chipped characters which were expertly chosen to make the biggest impact, with only 4 main characters chipped (excluding the short period when Catra was chipped) pretty much every main character was affected. The final thing I think this season did right, is the added spotlight they were able to give to lesser used character, such as Spinnerella, Netossa, and Castaspella, who had large appearances, but never really took center stage.
Okay that is quite the take. I actually an doing a full review for each season right now and my s5 review is currently out. I don't want to repeat myself too much but generally speaking I think s5 is good but it loses a lot of nuances that she-ra had made over the past seasons. S4 for me is an uncontested masterpiece and it consistently barrages the audience and the characters with pure psychology oblivion. I don't like it cuz it's dark, I like it cuz it's realistic. After s3's very tragic and edgy ending, the only logical path was s4 since in that season no single character won. I don't have time or thumb power to write all the praise I have for season 4 but expect a video on that soon. Thank you for your opinion though, as I'm sure many people are on your side rather than mine.
@@TheCicada Yeah Season 4's definitely my second favourite, especially because it has my favourite episode, although one thing you've gotta agree on, Season 5's Trailer is best of the series. Amazing music that fits with the theme, a fitting remix of the theme song. And a ton of lines that really stand out, and show how much of a different tone the season will take.
I love how theirs so many positive and enjoyable comments. Not only that I love the way you ranked the episodes, for me I would rank them more based of off the character development and plot movement but that’s only because of my impatience. Some of my favorite episodes are the finale of some of the seasons and build ups to those finales. Entrapeda is a pretty complicated character, I think we all understand that but she’s very underrated. I think Entrapeda deserves a bit more love, she lived in a castle alone with barely any people around so it’s no wonder she’s bad at understanding and listening to others but a good character always comes with flaws, after all the show makes wonderful characters because of their flaws. Glimmer for an example, she’s very misunderstood in some parts of the fandom, I don’t like her that much as a person but she’s a very interesting and complex character and I wished that the developers would show more of her character along with Bows character. Bow hasn’t hade to much character development, there’s the episode where we get introduced to his dads and in the very same episode it shows a lot of character development from Bow and we get to understand his parents more but the character development doesn’t really help move the plot to much. Bow and Glimmer are showed a lot in the show but they don’t nearly have as much character development as the other, Glimmer as gone through a lot but Bow on the other hand, well we haven’t seen much. I also wish we got to see more of Frosta and her future, she has an amazing character and I was quite shocked when she was first introduced, I was all like: Hey she looks very mature for her age! In later episodes we find out that, yes she’s still a kid and it’s nice to see someone like that in the show. In the show Glimmer used to be a lot like Frosta until (spoiler alert) her mothers death, after that she began to fit the role of a queen better and better but we still see examples of her character still being goofy and childish. Frosta and Glimmer have so much in common and I’d love to see what the developers would do with Frosta’s character in the future cause unlike Glimmer she didn’t have the responsibility of the rebellion nor the need to worry about the hoard. It would be amazing if they made a movie showcasing the future of each kingdom and what happened to Scorpia’s kingdom as she is a princess after all.
Yeah I totally see what you mean about the character development stuff. I absolutely love (almost) every character, including those you've mentioned. That was one of the criteria I considered when ranking these episodes, as many of the ones you seem to like were pretty high up. I think Frosta could've used more work which is why none of her episodes are particulary well-ranked. Generally, there is a lot more than just character to worry about in a show, which is why I love so many of the episodes I do. It balances immense emotional exposition with nuanced, subtle, and powerful imagery and events to portray them.
@@TheCicada I understand that and i think that’s incredible too. Most videos when ranking shows and alike focus either on a certain topic to much or they are to uneven but nonetheless those videos are still good and can be incredible but what I’m trying to get at is the fact that you’ve covered many important reasons of why you’ve ranked certain episodes in certain ranks. Its very fitting for each episode (in my opinion of course) and since this is was my first video from you I find it as a very amazing first impression.
I must admit I’m disappointed by all the Swift Wind dislikers. I feel like his “annoyingness” never overstayed its welcome and was genuinely funny at times. Also, I love that he’s an anarchist.
I think it's fair to like swift wind, and in another context I would, but it's for a similar reason as to why I dislike the show's intro. Both of them, especially around season 3 and 4, completely clash with the actual mood and current plot points in the show. Swift Wind doesn't fit in a show that takes itself seriously like She-ra did at it's peak. Comedic relief is a tried and true method of creating a more dynamic show, this is true, but I think Swift Wind was a rather ham fisted attempt at that.
when you first said "boys night out" my mind immediatly went to the drunk catra scene "yay! its a girls night in :D *bleh*" which is one of my favorite scenes in the entire show. great vuideo, as always! (: ALSO WAIT WHAT CATRA HAS 9 LIVES HUH they never said that in the show... is that just a thepry?
The nine lives thing is a semi-canon thing that noelle herself has mentioned, but has never actually been mentioned in the show. Also drunk adora is a gift to this earth, and far more happy and uplifting than boy's night out could ever be. That episode actually really grew on me, I'd probably give it an S now
I'll admit, my personal ranking was very different, even just in terms of the tiers, but it was very interesting to see your take on the different episodes.
which things did you disagree with? (also note my updated takes in a comment below and also in the individual season reviews cuz I do change some stuff I say in this video)
@@TheCicada The biggest difference in our opinions, at least based on this version of your ranking, is that I just have a lot less episodes in the S rank and more in B and lower. The biggest difference in terms of actual episodes is probably that I actually rank episodes like "The Coronation" and "Promise" pretty low in terms of personal enjoyment.
@@DarkMasterofCupcakes This ranking is not based on personal enjoyment, more so what I thought each episode accomplishes within the context of other similar shows and itself. I'm not sure how you didn't enjoy promise (I'm not judging though, since everyone has their preferences) but even so you do have to appreciate the artistry and skill that went into crafting such an episode. Similar to the Coronation, where it accurately shows the stresses of new responsibility and loss in a digestible way. Some of these episodes would be much lower or higher if I were to have rated it simply on enjoyment. For instance, the episode "Fractures" would be an F if I were simply to rank it based on how much I enjoyed watching it. That episode gave me an actual panic attack, but that does say something about its quality. I ranked it S+ because of how well made and how well spoken it is. So I hope you may find it more agreeable in this sense but let me know which episodes you really loved because I always like to hear it!
@@TheCicada My personal favorite episodes, again, based purely on personal enjoyment are "Reunion", "Pulse", "Hero", "Failsafe", and both parts of "Heart". I have many more episodes that I enjoy - I actually enjoy basically every episode overall, there's just some scenes/moments in some episodes that I really don't like rewatching - but those are my favorites. As for Promise, it was actually an episode I really enjoyed when I first watched it, but as I've rewatched the series and especially as my feelings towards Catra changed, particularly during Seasons 3 and 4, the episode kind of became harder to watch. It is probably objectively one of the best episodes, but in a purely subjective sense, it just didn't have a lot of the stuff that I really enjoy in the series.
@@DarkMasterofCupcakes yeah that take on promise is fair. Knowing the darker place that Catra ended up going makes it more difficult to watch, but that one scene in complete silence where younger Catra just stares into our soul... That just hits different, y'know what I mean? I personally really loved the episodes you have at your top, especially Hero as it is my favorite individual episode in the series. The thing is, my personal preference in an episode is to be emotional and/or disturbed because for me that just signifies the show is doing something worthwhile. I love being scared and put on edge so watching seasons 3 and 4 really did impress me. It's those moments of discomfort that I find true comfort in, especially in a show as unsuspecting as this one. That's why I love episodes like Fractures or Destiny, (my favorite episode, but it's a 2-part so it's cheating ) not because I gain joy from them but quite the opposite. I think just finding relatability in pain that I've experienced helps me find some sort of solace in these darker episodes because I know that I've felt similarly to the characters on screan. So if I had to rearrange some stuff based off of that, episodes like Save the Cat or Princess Prom (among others) would be far lower. And episodes like Beast Island or Failsafe would be in S+ tier.
I used to agree with you but, and I have actually said this multiple times, I've recently re-reviewed it and I wasn't all that impressed. I will say it is quite entertaining and in the heat of the moment it's great, but I've moved it down the the A tier for a reason.
10/10 I agree with all of them except 13 in S tier instead of S+ tier but thats really just because I love Catradora so much and also the gayer the better and that's the gayest episode but I get that you were ranking based off of other things so it's cool, other than that yes. just yes this show is awesome and i love that almost all of the episodes were in the S and S+ tiers
To be completely honest, without the gay that episode is high B to low A just because to me it seemed to take away all of the uniqueness this show had and went for a standard style big finale.
I suppose I’ll put my rankings here in case anyone cares. S+: Promise, Remember S: Moment of Truth, The Portal, Princess Scorpia, Hero, Beast Island, Destiny, Corridors, Save The Cat, Failsafe, Heart A: No Princess Left Behind, White Out, Light Spinner, The Price of Power, Once Upon A Time In The Waste, Pulse, Fractures, Taking Control, Shot In The Dark, An Ill Wind B: The Sword, Razz, In The Shadows of Mysticore, Light Hope, Reunion, Huntara, Coronation, The Valley of The Lost, Protocol, Mer-Mystery, Boys’ Night Out, Horde Prime, Stranded, Perils of Peekablue, Return to The Fright Zone C: The Sea Gate, Princess Prom, The Beacon, The Frozen Forest, Signals, Roll With It, Flutterina, Launch D: Flowers For She-Ra, System Failure, Ties That Bind F: Battle of Bright Moon
This is a pretty solid list, props to that. I don't agree with Corridors, Hero, or Destiny being anywhere under S+, neither with The Beacon, Peekablue, or The Coronation being so low. I'd like to hear your reasoning for that so I can better understand your perspective!
@@TheCicada I think my standard for S+ is higher than yours. For me that means an episode has to be basically perfect to be in S+. Most shows that I rank don’t have a single S+, much less two. As for the other three, half of Beacon is wacky hijinks of hiding Glimmer from Angella, which is a little hard to sit through. I also hate the first scene where the Princess Alliance breaks up for the stupidest reason. Peekablue is fine, but I’m not a huge fan of Scorpia to be honest, and a lot of the episode is boring filler. Coronation is good towards the end, but the first half is more wacky hijinks of getting the coronation ready, which isn’t great
@@revenger8292 While I understand your issues with the Beacon, the "wacky hijinks" of the Coronaiton served an actual purpose. Everything going on around glimmer was meant to be overemphasized and clashing to show how stressed Glimmer was. I think it very well reflected the state of things at Bright moon too, eventually leading to many military defeats as well as Shadow Weaver taking more control than she should. My standard for S+ in this tier list was a bit lower than it is now but I still would 100% have Corridors, Hero, and Destiny all up there (along with Moment of truth, Promise, Fractures, and Remember). All of those episodes were inventive and beautiful in their own rights, showing off the peak of the show's storytelling. The big three I keep mentioning all stood out to me specifically because of how the made the show as a whole stand out among other similar ones. Even episodes like Promise and Remember have issues with their pacing or dialogue queues. I don't have room to talk about my 3 favorites in this comment but I am writing individual reviews for each season that I hope clear this opinion up. It's always nice to hear other people's takes and I'm glad you seem to like this show :)
Thank you! Also, I explained why I moved down Save the Cat to A tier in my season 5 review. I'm working on one for each season so stay tuned for those!
S1 was the weakest in writing, because the show was just starting and it was more kiddie oriented (think of the weakest episodes of Avatar) than the future seasons and they wanted to play it safe. But after the huge positive response to Catradora (the Princess Prom episode) and the writers given more freedom in terms of arcs and character progression, the story was let to grow up alongside its viewership. It had to for us to get Save The Cat, otherwise that serious script would've been cut from the drawing board for not having a bridge for it in the show.
Although, and I do completely agree with you, I think it kind of went out the other end by the time season 5 went around. Not sure if you've seen my update comment, or my s5 review, but I revoked Save the Cat's spot at S+ and did not speak highly of the surroundings. Season five seems to me like a slightly higher stakes and higher budget version of season 1, losing lots of the nuances in characters that it builds so much in seasons three and four. While it's not immediate, and I do think lots of early episodes still carry their own weight, overall I think it sort of sells out. The writing becomes pretty standard for a finale season; while it is not strictly bad scripting, it isn't unique scripting. Some aspects were glossed over or dramatized to the point that they became comical, like Horde Prime going from disgusting to laughable, or the microchips all being taken out at once with no consequences. Also it didn't help that Corridors, the best episode in the show alongside Hero and the likes, was right in the beginning. Putting all your quality out near the beginning does not help the season's structure and really highlights the blandness of the rest of it. I digress, since I've had this discussion before, but I will leave you with this: I like season 5. I know people that love season five and I don't disagree with them. Please don't take this as She-Ra slander or dunking on your opinions. Unless you like Swift Wind, in which case you are wrong and should feel bad.
@@TheCicada Na it's fine, I don't like SW either lol. I personally love S5 for being a solid final season, almost on par with Avatar TLA S3, but like you said there were some eps that needed polishing or more time to keep that strenght in writing quality consistent with the progress S2-S3 made that paved way for S4. I still believe that there should've been an episode between 9 and 10, have the reunited reduced rebel cast go through a Head Hunter infested Crimson Waste with Catra now as an ally guiding them through it rather than jump straight to the FZ, I mean S5E1 did open with Prime declaring open season on She-Ra's head, we finally see Adora and Catra fight side by side as we didn't see it proper in ep 9 and 10 was a stealth mission, and we get to see Huntara get chipped, and see Prime get humilated again BEFORE we get to see him seethe in anger at the sight of his space colonies being inspired by She-Ra to rebel against him. Because Prime going from invincible and menacing to panicky to borderline Salem-esque (just stands there being evil but doing nothing) in a matter of an episode didn't feel right even through first viewing. I think the writers also botched a possible link between Mara and Prime, but it is understandable from Prime's end just because of how old he is. Still think Save the Cat deserves that spot of S+ though not gonna lie
@@falconeshield Yeah, the strain before episode 11 felt a little bit rushed in that season. Maybe if they pulled a Bojack Horseman and did a two-part season with 16 episodes instead of 13, that would have helped ease it along more naturally. It's a hard task, resolving the genius chaos behind season 4's vivid storyline, and this season didn't really do it justice. In regards to Save the Cat, I removed it's position in S+ because mainly pacing. There was no need to introduce a B plot into it, as Bow, Glimmer, and Entrapta do absolutely nothing to further the plot. Wrong Hordak is funny and all, but introducing him undermines the dark and devastating tones of Adora and Catra's interaction. Because of basically a whole 12 minutes being wasted on nothing, the actual half that matters is paced incredibly fast and there is not enough time to feel truly uncomfortable. Catra's chipped personality was the only one in the whole season that was actually uncanny, and she was gone in a matter of minutes. Drawing that out for an entire episode's worth of runtime instead of only one half of the plot was a poor choice on the writer's part and brought it down pretty far in my books. I still have it in A tier, which is really high, but it just doesn't cut it like the rest of the greats on that S+ list. Especially not Destiny, Fractures, Hero, or Corridors.
@@TheCicada You can tell ND is a BJ Horseman fan because having the wham episode in the 11th slot was a staple of the series before S6 launched in late 2019/early 2020. I'm glad She-Ra branched out from that after S3, but the influence roots where still there. My only gripe with She-Ra is that the quailty of S4-5 wasn't present in most of S1-3 aside from a handful episodes you covered under the S tier. Maybe Hero is the ep that deserves the S+ tier the most, but StC still holds a special place in my heart lol
@@falconeshield Yeah, I always struggle with recommending she-ra because I'm always like "this show has the most LIFE CHANGING WRITINGafterseasontwo". It's great what they finally did with it though and the flourish of season 4 will never fail to impress me. While it may not be the most well rounded of shows, that particular season is strong enough that I'm making a pretty strong claim about it in an upcoming video, but that's spoilers so I'll be quiet about that...
Guys, I have a dilemma: She-Ra is addicting and I can’t stop rewatching it. Is there a cure or am I stuck in this loop forever? If there is no cure, then I will accept fate of my euphoria being the death of me watching this show.
One thing that I disagree on is S1Ep13. I'd say that belongs in the C tier as well. I get that their budget is limited but would it be too much to ask to see at least some of the palace guards skirmish against the invading horde army? And Frosta, Netassa and Spinnerella felt like they came out of nowhere. Of course it made sense for all of them to be there but they should have gotten more screen time beforehand.
Yeah I'm rewatching the show with one of my friends, and when coming to that episode I liked it even less than in first watch. The fight scene between Catra and Adora was more clumsy than I had realized and really nothing about it stands out for a good reason. If there ever was a D tier episode this may even have been it, although I think even this episode is better than that. I go more into this one and its flaws in my individual season 1 review, where many of my analyses are updated. I wanted to do more reviews so I could flesh out the misconceptions from this humongous video I made on 0 sleep, so I'm working on doing all 5 seasons.
@@TheCicada I've just recently watched the show for the first time so I'll probably wait until I watch your in depth videos but it's one of those series that will stick with me and that I'll definitely rewatch. I guess one could see it as a compliment that the s1 final bothered me so much, since I would have just ignored it in a more generic show but the overall writing was so good that things like this stick out. Adding just a few low detail, out of focus queen's guards (and maybe even some from each of the princesses) in the background would have helped making the battle feel bigger and it would have made the horde feel like even more of a threat. But again, the show was clearly on a tight budget and I'm glad they saved it for better, more important episodes. My biggest complaint was Frosta really. She was never recruited like the others and desperately needed some dialogue. Just something friendly banter along the lines of: Glimmer: "Frosta? You came too?!" Frosta: "Why shouldn't I? You were right and the horde almost blew up my castle! Besides, your friend sure can fight... for an honorary princess." Glimmer: "Heh, so can you... for a 10 year old." Frosta: "ELEVEN *AND THREE QUARTERS!"* **blows up horde tank with ice powers** or something similar. That would have introduced her real personality better, in my opinion.
@@sirbig8292 Frosta is a character that, thankfully, gets developed a lot more as the series goes on. Season 1 has many issues, but most of them I wouldn't care about if episode 11 "Promise" didn't exist. That episode and some aspects of the ones leading up to it were just so perfect that I could not ignore the artistry that went into writing and animating them. To let us down with a bog standard boring finale was practically criminal. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the rest of the series and my word of advice is to brace yourself for seasons 3 and 4 (4 being my undeniable favorite).
@@TheCicada Sorry, I should have made that clearer. I have watched the entire series, not just S1. I honestly don't remember Frosta getting much development. During the Princess Prom she was introduced as putting on a fittingly distant, cold Ice Princess persona but when she came back during the finale she revealed her true personality, an energetic tomboy who likes to punch things. I don't think her character ever changes much after that, nor do we learn more about her history. All the other side princesses get more screentime than her. Not that this is a huge problem but I don't think they ever make up for her initial lack of development. Her best moment is certainly when she punches Catra in the face in S5. As much as I love Catra, her and Adora being my favorite characters and their connection is part of what made the show so great, that moment felt really deserved. For the other seasons, yeah I agree with you. Despite me just complaining about S1's finale, I really loved the whole thing. S3 and 4 had some very strong moments but S5 doesn't really fall behind either, with the very strong midpoint episodes Corridors and Save the Cat as well a satisfying finale. Some say that Catra's redemption was done too quickly but I disagree. It makes sense for the main cast to accept her (With Adora knowing her better than anybody else, Glimmer being a fellow "almost world destroyer", Bow being very kind in general and Entrapta being Entrapta) and for the rest of the cast there was simply no time for some drawn out "I don't trust you!" plot, since they all had to work together to save their world. During some of the later parts of S5 the tight budget became the most notable, especially during the Netossa focused subplot, but thankfully they saved enough for the ending. Not was it a good conclusion to the story, but it actually kept me on edge with the visions Adora saw. Of course I didn't expect a real downer ending in a series like this but I was still worried it might end with her saving the world and defeated Horde Prime but she has to stay with the core forever in order to keep it save. Glad I was wrong about that.
@@sirbig8292 Hahaha sorry I got that mixed up that's funny. Yeah I do totally see your point about frosta and how she is not developed enough. For her, I was willing to accept that mostly because she is young enough that the nuances of the world haven't cracked her psyche enough for her to have an incredibly complex character. She is still a child and acts like one throughout, despite trying to appear more mature. I think for someone in her position, the way she was was fine enough for the show. And about season 5, I really don't like talking about this one because I gave it a 6/10 and I feel bad because people really liked it but I did not see it as being that impressive. Corridors may be one of the best episodes in the show, that's true, but save the cat and the finale have glaring flaws. Mainly being that the uniqueness of the show is traded in for a more traditional final season plot. STC has some of the most breakneck pacing which left less time for Catra's reveal to really haunt the audience and it cuts down the emotion by introducing Wronf Hordak in the B plot (a completely unnecessary plot point for this episode) I would explain myself more about the finale but I don't want to keep repeating myself and I don't want to make a wall of text about that. Generally though I agree with you about Catra's redemption and how well that was done. Some thing people often forget is the less overt time jumps the series pulls off. Catra and Glimmer were up in the ship for months. The crew didn't just get there in 3 days and they didn't get back that fast either. Glimmer and Catra had time to... marinate up in their respective prisons and then the whole group had their time together while traveling home. That also really does help clear up many misconceptions about the midseason of season 5 that a lot of people have said to me. But yeah I loved your take and I thank you for your input. Thanks for being here!
8:56 i kind of disagree with the point here. you linked the video about catra having bpd and i think this could be a side affect of that. for someone with bpd, being alone is an extremely intense fear - scorpia is all she has so it makes sense that she would forgive quickly and put aside the issue. even though it was a huge deal for her before, that doesn't matter because she likely cares more about not being alone. great ranking though i agree with most of it, this show is insanely good
I think in this sense though, catra thinks of scorpia as less of a lifeline and more of a nuisance. She does show a lot of tendencies of bpd, but in this case I don't think it would swing her this far away from her normal patterns. She very clearly is uncomfortable with physical contact after shadow weaver's abuse and Adora's abandonment. It really depends on how you interpret her character but I'm gonna be honest, discussing this makes me like her more. The way she's written leaves room for blurred lines like these. I think you definitely have a point there, but I mostly stand by what I said earlier. Glad you liked the listings!
Lmao sorry for rating it lower, I did still quite enjoy it. A lot of later season 5 episodes did the same thing for me, where I enjoyed them but I didn't feel like I was getting much substance like I had in season 4.
My issue with Season 4 episode 8 isn't the boys singing (well maybe some of it is), but its just the 'your best isn't good enough' line Glimmer said to Adora that was so unforgivable of me, well at least until the next season.
That was not nearly an issue to me. I think it further implemented the episode as a masterful subversion and further characterization for Glimmer. It made sense that she thought that, and her delivery brought chills to my spine. I thought of bringing the episode to a higher rating, but that singing was hard to get through (even if it made the emotional bits more striking)
![จบจนได้ ! | Black Myth: Wukong #007 [ตอนจบ?]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DSqvWndF0sw/mqdefault.jpg)
![ว้าว!ลุงบีมแบกทองมารับขวัญหลานกันยกบ้าน [cc] แดนแพทตี้ SS2 | EP.49 |](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Osihq1OAs-4/mqdefault.jpg)
After editing, I've decided to move S1E4 to B tier, S3e1 to S tier, S4e1 to S tier, S5e5 to A tier, and S3E3 to S+ Tier
I don’t even know what you were thinking with S3E3 in the first place because it’s iconic
@@alyrar8002 shh I was rushing through the script and I made a mistake
Noice
Thank god, S3E3 is *chef's kiss* bellissima
@@littleondine3392 yeah I instantly regretted not moving it up after I realized I wrote almost half a page on it
"double trouble intro was great...
It was kinda hot"
I agree with this statement on a personal level
:)
Lmao 🤣
DT IS SOOO STEAMY
Yea!!!!
Im glad we all collectively agree that Scorpia is th best character. I love her so much
Literally couldnt control myself from praising her during the edit it's physically impossible to resist.
My favorite is Glimmer
Ahem* double trouble
@Brown Paws i agree with you! I like scorpia but i never really got her other than mom friend energy xD
I will always stick with sea hawk being my fav, I just love his vibe and relationships with everyone
“Shadow weaver dying without getting redemption, so that’s fun.” Lmaooo that got me😂
Lmaoooo I mean yeah at this point, after sitting with the show for another year or so, that's literally the only thing I enjoy about the finale. Season 5 sort of disappoints me now and that's one of the only interesting moral quandaries it raises
36:07 The last time I watched "Hero" I was ugly crying. I'm not sure why it hit me so much harder on the re-watch instead of the first time. I think it's because I knew so much more about the greater context of how every story element was woven together. It devastated me.
Hero, as an individual episode, is my clear favorite. I'm currently working on 5 reviews for the individual seasons, and on Hero's section I'm currently losing my mind. It's really just a masterpiece, through and through.
@Deena Dallas I was not so impressed at the finale after watching it again but goddamn when Catra gave that line it broke my spirit...
YEAH, ME TOO. It hits me harder the second time, when I realized that’s the best episode I’ve seen in a show without exaggeration.
@@lu_fsss Yeah it is legitimately a masterpiece. I don't think any show has had such a good run as She-ra s4 from Hero to the finale. Those five episodes literally make me want to explode with every possible human emotion and more. I'm writing my review for season 4 but the issue is that without cutting stuff out, the script is nearly 20 pages. I can, and have, talked about it for hours.
@@anniebananie8095 what?
“Hero” makes me cry. Every time I’ve watched it, I get choked up. It’s terrible, and brilliant, not just for Mara and Razz but also for Adora. Mara’s “I didn’t want to die.” Perfectly sets up the final “What do you want, Adora?” Presented by Catra in the finale. AND THAT PIE
Destiny is fantastic. Season 3 ended on such a big moment that I wondered how the heck S4 was going to top it, and it did. Hordak learning about what happened to his one real friend? Catra finally snapping under the weight of her bad decisions? Glimmer activating a planet-wide super weapon and breaking Etheria out of Despondos? That moment where they finally see the stars feels just as much like a victory as it is a death sentence.
Entrapdak is my favorite ship in the show (it was completely unexpected my first time through, but there’s so much delicious character development and irony) so purely for personal reasons I’d probably boost Signals and Huntara up a rank each. I’m a sucker for a good meet-cute, and I really like how the first time Horde Prime is brought up is during a moment of honest vulnerability between them.
Along that same line, their moment of reunion in Failsafe is one of the best scenes (outside of Save the Cat) in season 5. The delivery of “What have you done to me?” makes me feel SO. MANY. THINGS. Two whole seasons, Beast Island, and two mind-wipes have kept these dorks apart and there’s still a connection there deep enough to eventually break through Prime’s brainwashing.
Plus, we get a more emotionally mature Catra confront Shadow Weaver again, Evil Micah showing off his unrestrained sorcery, and Adora’s big emotional conflict leading up to the final heroic sacrifice of the series. It’s such a brilliant penultimate episode before everything goes down in Heart, and easily hits an S+ for me.
I love this comment so much, and I always feel so bad because I really didn't enjoy the latter half of season 5, especially The Heart. Hero, Destiny, and Corridors cement these showriters as fucking geniuses and shows how capable they are at writing fully awe-inspiring and horrific works of art that challenge standards and bring about an incredible detail and nuance to the characters and the story alike. It's for this reason that I really didn't like Heart, because it felt like the finale of a show I've watched many times over. I actually really agree with you on Failsafe, I think that episode deserves its spot rightly, but it's surrounded by many less NEW ideas, and certainly less compelling character points, with a few exceptions. Even Save the Cat (which I knocked down to A tier) falls prey to this, where the brilliant, manic A plot is hit with the hard contrast of the redundant comedy of the B plot. I always have a hard time praising season 5 now, and that's also due to the fact that season 3 and 4 are just so damn amazing. Every single breath I take I took with tension, and each exhalation felt like a knife in my throat. When a show manages to pull that off, they must be careful to not drop the ball, and I think the intensity of s4 may have even pressured the studios to have them make an "I Love You"-fest finale where all the good guys win and all the bad guys lose, and the once disgusting villain is reduced to a madman with a God complex. Sorry for the rant, I really appreciate your viewpoint and I'm not tryna say you're wrong for liking season 5. I LOVE watching season 5, but the analyst inside of me just can't bear it sometimes.
I hope you sleep well :)
scorpia supremacy🙆♂️🙆♂️
she is the goddess that none of deserve to have
Princess Prom, Hero, Save the Cat, and ofc The Heart Part 2 are my favoruite episodes. The music scores, plot twists, and storylines in these episodes are just top tier imo
I personally don't care much for Heart Pt. 2 (minus the catradora stuff) which I've explained in other videos but my favorite episodes are undoubtedly Destiny, Hero, and Corridors. Save the Cat I moved down to S tier and maybe even A for reasons I've also mentioned in other videos. I entirely understand why people love them and I like them too but taking a closer look many of the greatest episodes don't hold up. Thanks for your input, I always appreciate it!
@@TheCicada I like the heart part 2 mainly because everything comes full circle and horde prime is destroyed. I just love the happy ending (and ofc catradora) tbf. Also because it (the iconic catradora kiss):just made me cry so much the first time i saw it so i have some kinda attachment to it. Its objectively not the best episode, like Hero, Corridors and Destiny ect are objectively better with storytelling, but idk it has a place in my heart lol. Same with Save the Cat. Im a massive catra fan (i find her arc and backstory so fascinating, and as weve all mentioned: catradora), so save the cat pulled at the heartstrings for me. Also we were introduced to wrong hordak in that epsiode and he is one of the best parts of season 5 lol. But yeah the best episodes are the ones that really go into characters history, and strangly these are all ones that have a central message about agency and choice. Something about those episodes, Destiny, Hero, Corridors ect, just feel so beautifully written and drawn, the message is told so well, the music is amazing, and i could just go on about them all day.
If i were to make a tier list id have to have a separate tier for the epsiodes that i favour simply because of catradora and the wlw representation, genuinly made my baby gay ass cry so much, and the other tiers for episodes i objectively think are amazing. lol
@@bellac6311 Yeah no I can totally see where you're coming from. I'm a film nerd so lots of my complaints come from issues with pacing, dialogue, composition, etc. In terms of those Save the Cat is lacking a little (especially in pacing) but the actual thematic elements of the episodes make up for that and I still like watching them. My hatred for season 5 stems a bit deeper and is an INCREDIBLY personal preference. It's good tho that people are constantly debating which episodes are the best cause that means that a lot of them are amazing, so it's a win-win!
@@TheCicada Totally! Without different opinions discussion wouldnt be possible!
The editing on this video is so clean
It was even cleaner before I had to re-edit it twice for copyright
I love that, despite trying to be harshly objective in your S5 commentary, your rating doesn't range from "F to S" but from "C to S+"
...I also love that you count "Don't Go" as an episode.
Yeah I really couldn't find anything below mediocre for this show, it's insane.
Also, Don't Go is fire and also my favorite part of s5 besides Corridors.
This rank is nearly PERFECT (just a some very, verrryyyy small differences), all you S+ episodes also are my favorites and I just can't stop watching them XD.....I already have seen the show back to back 5 times and individual episodes (all S+)....I not even have a number, I lost track how many times I have re-watched them XD. Seriously how in hell SHE-RA PRINCESSES OF POWER a reboot of an 80's cartoon I grow up watching but never really loved and aged so poorly now, how in hell this reboot got this damn GOOD, sad not many people have watch it yet, but is defined one of the best modern cartoons in the last decade.
Yeah you said it. I'm working on another, more in depth review right now to try and really pay this show tribute. I literally cannot comprehend why this show is as good as it is.
24:04 Another reason why we didn't get the deets of Don't Go was because the writing in that short story allowed us to see what they show couldn't let us see. Like the characters swearing (and which ones), learning that Catra self harmed herself or how she was put into Prime's pit with a tube for air shoved down her throat, Adora swearing internally to kill Prime without mercy for hurting (and almost perma-killing) Catra, Glimmer and Bow already being in a relationship before their own ILU scene in the show, showing us that Catdora will be together romantically at some point since the two relationships parrarel each other, Adora's She-Ra healing powers being like Wolverine's but with more magic, how Catra and Adora just clicked the moment they were on the same side of the war and so on so forth. That fic is canon as far as I'm concerned and I can't wait for the fanmovie based on it to be complete. But the small completed parts by one youtuber (the one you used for footage) is good enough as well.
Right. So many people say (and I agree with them by so extent) that the Catra redemption felt rushed, and not "earned". Have this been in the regular series, we would have fleshed out more the Catra/Adora relationship, and we would have been more aware just how much suffering saving Glimmer costed to Catra. We do get a glimpse or we can imagine how much Catra suffered under Prime, but with this "fic" (because for me, is also canon) it is very clear how much.
Yeah, one thing I've noticed is that season 5 feels pretty disconnected from the rest of the show. It's partly why I grew to slowly dislike it over the years. I think that there is probably even more parts of the story we didn't get to see because of whatever Netflix had changed or whatever. It just reeks of last-minute plot changes and bulldozed character development (similar to post-cancellation Owl House). I love Dont Go even more now because it shows how good season 5 could've actually been if they wanted it to be.
This list is perfect and just inspired me to rewatch she-ra again
yessss succumb to the gay
I love how every ranking I go "wait no that episode it great!" and then you mention your problems with it and I'm like..... damn he's right lol
Thanks! Picking apart negatives, although tedious and sometimes a bit sad, really helps accent the great parts of this show (especially s4). I'll be reviewing every season individually, so it's good to know that people in this fandom are mature enough to understand criticism!
save the cat is by far the best episode in the entire series
I disagree. I moved it down to an S because, although I think it is objectively amazing, it removes the originality this show was building in s4 and early s5. I also take back my statements about the B plot because on a re-watch they really do not need to intersperse that bombastic plotline between Adora and Catra. Basically, this episode was the show's departure from interesting writing to being a cookie cutter final season. Catradora basically carries the show from there, being the best written plotline in STC and onwards. I'm reviewing s5 so you'll get to hear my opinions on it there but I do want to make a point against s5 stans, even if you are fine to have that opinion and I also love that episode so I can't even judge.
19:55 “I wasn’t aware of how dark this show was aloud to get.”
Well that’s Netflix for you. Because unlike Disney, Netflix originals aren’t afraid to get dark even if it is a kid’s show. That’s why I love Netflix.
yeah netflix will literally kill a character vividly on screen and still keep the rating TV-Y7 and then you have Nickelodeon who didn't let Korrasami kiss because "THINK OF THE CHILDREN"
Tf out of here network executives
@@TheCicada Lol exactly!
44:38 also note how Catra just saved Glimmer and their planet, she just stopped HP from destroying Etheria and that's not talked about enough.
Yeah this was a huge turning point in her character and when I do my s4 review I want to note that part. The character arc for Catra just hits that sweet spot, it's insane how well it's done.
The S4E9 is so heartbreaking. I love madam Razz so much and Mara too !
s4e9 is my favorite individual episode, hands down
I love the attention to detail and how descriptive this is. You're underrated!
Thank you so much! I'm glad my hard work is paying off.
No problem! It may take a while but I'm sure your channel will blow up
I'm kind of confused by what he is saying about this 'being a kids show' is a bad thing. It is made for kids and idk why he is saying that that makes it a 'worse episode' ??? smfh
I'm not saying that it being targeted towards kids is bad. In these sorts of Y7 shows, the writing walks a fine line. In she-ra, often times it edges over in feeling like a more mature, fulfilling show written for ages old enough to understand a more thickened plot. Episodes like Corridors, Promise, Hero, Destiny, and basically all of seasons 3 and 4 were much more reminiscent of a psychological horror than a children's show. This shows that kid's shows don't need to feel like they're talking down to the audience like a typical show would. Because it doesn't rely on doing that, the episodes where it does stand out. That's why instead of saying "being a kid's show" like you quoted in your comment, I say "feels like a kid's show" instead, more clearly stating my point that a show like this can feel more mature.
@@TheCicada Thanks for explaining that to me (: I understand where you are coming from when you say 'kids show' talking about maturity, that explanation rlly clears things up, thanks
@@Snazzypeacock Thanks for understanding! This has been a common misconception on this video so I'm pinning this for other confused viewers to see.
@@TheCicada overall I feel that ‘kids show’ feeling is 100% the network/execs dictating what needs to be in the show in order to sell toys/market to children. That’s where you get all the ‘talking down to the viewer’ and ‘jamming a simple moral in your face’. I feel this show did well to stock those selling points in non-plot important episodes. But you can genuinely see that Noelle and the team had big visions for what the show could be and delivered incredibly. And that’s usually what I judge cartoons by.
@@MostLikelyMortal oh absolutely. I could tell that in season 1, the writers most likely wanted to deliver a more impactful ending, maybe in other points too. The beauty of the best episodes makes me hard to believe the same people could churn out some of the worst without a little bit of.... encouragement
binged the whole show in 3 days and I completely agree. long live scorpia
She may be the only character that's just all pure good. She must be protected at all costs.
im really surprised this only has 240 views! for a video like this i was expecting a couple hundred thousand
Well I'm glad you liked it! I'm planning more she-ra content right now so who knows, maybe that will pop off.
how is this video so underrated o-o
Well it's currently on a massive upswing in views so who knows...
WAIT OMG YOU WATCH SHE-RA TOO??? I THOUGHT YOU JUST PLAYED MINECRAFT WTF IS HAPPENING
Hahahaha I knew you were the gay one from the start cuz you keysmashed on my vid once
In all honestly Corridor and Save The Cat are probably my favourite episodes, they hit so hard when I first watched them
glad to see I'm not the only one who thought they were amazing!
I love LOVE corridor although I've since moved Save The Cat down to an A tier. I just thought that the B plot added nothing to the story and detracted from the amazing Catra V Adora scene, as well as some other less egregious faults. It's still so fuckin good tho, i just wish i did this tier list now instead of a year ago
This is my favorite tier list I've honestly ever seen and I gotta give you props for the massive effort this must've taken to compile, record, and edit. The rankings, by the way? Top tier. They definitely made me want to re-watch the show for a fourth time, which has really put a crimp in my schedule. Absolutely would not have it any other way, though lol
I want nothing more than to mildly mess with other people's schedules
Every time I see that damn pie, I tear up. Like, my god...
Even editing it I died inside... Even writing about it in my upcoming review I teared up.
I always cry when I see episode 9 season 4 😭
You and me both :'(
The editing is mind blowing This should get way more recognition In my opinion.
Thank you so much! I'm just sad because the editing got handicapped by the copyright dodging and it looks so much less neat, but I'm glad you liked it in spite of that.
It’s interesting to watch this, because it shows me people can like She-ra for pretty different reasons than me.
Yeah I've gotten that a lot. It's the same reason why me and a bunch of my friends really dislike late season 5, while many other fans hail it as perfection. This show has a little something for everyone.
Season 5 and late season 4's goal is to rip your heart out put it to shreads and keep you crying 5 hours after the episode you watched has ended she-ra are you trying to rip all happiness and joy from our body's in 20 minutes.
Too bad only late season 4 and early season 5 did that well, I wasn't nearly as emotionally devastated as I wanted to be by the end smh
Not only was this a great video in itself, but it also just made me find out that there is a She-Ra fic written by Noelle. It was great to see your opinions on the episodes, I really wish there were more videos like this for She-Ra, as you said the episodes are mostly so close in quality that placements could vary wildly.
Thank you for the kind words! Ironically enough most of my personal rankings have completely changed which makes sense seeing as I wrote this 3 years ago. But yeah I'm glad I could bring more awareness to that extra scene, super underrated stuff.
8:15 why we dont talk about entrapta and hordak here-
I pratically agree with your ranking. I'll just say nearly the entire 2nd season was useless except the shadow weaver's backstory one (and signals bc it introduces my favourite relationship). And since I can't say an episode is REALLY bad, I'll just tell the best ones.
Season 1 : ep. 1, 6 & 11.
The first because it's the first and I really like the atmosphere.
6 because of Entrapta and pratically just because of her, but she's perfect so I forgive the flaws of that ep. (also, drunk adora is epic)
11 because...well you damn well said all I think about it. It's the best of s1 and even of all the first part of the series (before First Ones and Horde Prime arcs)
Season 2 : full filler season, I won't talk about that
Season 3 : all the season is very good. I don't really like the crimson waste episodes, but I forgive them because of the best dynamic of the show - entrapdak. Even not like a romantic ship, they are great, at that time I started watching She-Ra for them and not catradora anymore (until s5).
I was so sad when Entrapta was sent on beast island.
I think the season finale episode is the best and the most emotional (seriously, this made me cry)
Season 4 : uhm...fillers again. Yeah. So...I'm not really interested in it, until ep 9.
This one shows us Mara's backstory and her sacrifice, and that's really touching. Finally some good lore.
Then, I'll say : episode 10 (mostly because we get entrapta back) and Destiny because...because it was epic. Not gonna lie
That tragic end in the season...mhh so good. Everybody is either captured, either see they're in front of a REAL danger and they pratically have any chance to win.
Season 5 : holy shit that one was awesome at all points. so pretty all episodes are actually (very) good, but here are my favs :
-Corridors : one of my favourites of all the series. It makes begin Catra's redemption arc (even if there were signs of close redemption in season 4), it gives beautiful flashback and a beautiful reason for Catra to change, it shows a DAMN GOOD SYMBOLISM and it makes you nearly crying at the end.
-Save the Cat : my favourite with Corridors, because it has ALL. Good and suspens atmosphere, awesome fight scenes with gorgeous animation, angst, totally crying for that time, Catra continues to fight with Prime and her old self, and not gonna lie, ship dynamics (and not only Catradora, there's also ones of very rare Entrapdak scenes) and oh my god. The return of She-Ra. I wasn't expecting that.
-Failsafe : ...yeah, that one is pratically only because of the ship dynamics who are strong here (my second fav entrapdak scene) but hey. Scenario and visual are really good too.
-Heart pt 2 : ....just too much action and too much emotions. And the animation damn shit. Wow. And of course it's the final of the series and it had to be special. And it was.
Wow, congratulations on being the longest comment on the video! Currently I'm reviewing each season individually and I'm about to do s2, 3, and 4. I do disagree with your point of s2 being entirely filler, since there is still a lot of setup between the scenes and it is useful in the long run. It's clear that you're an entrapta stan and while I respect that, it does lead you to miss many parts that are more important. The beginning of season 4 is anything but filler, as it shows the beginnings of the coming storm and the divides between characters. If I had to choose anything to call perfect I would give it to s4. Your ignorance of s3e3's brilliance apart from entraptadak is also quite saddening to me, as that one and the rest after it are so brilliant in their pacing and depictions of mental instability. And while I hate being negative towards season 5 since so many people like it, I will say that many people are blinded by the few things it accomplished. Corridors is without a doubt one of the top 3 episodes of the show. However the rest of them aren't really. I do recommend you watch my s5 review so you can see what I'm talking about in more detail, but without the distractions it gives you there isn't much substance there. It's quite the opposite of season 4 in every way, wherein that season masks absolutely nothing in useless frill or crowd pleasing, dealing only in absolute annihilation. Those are my amended thoughts after further watching this show. Thank you so much for your thoughts as it is interesting to hear what everyone in this fandom has to say. It reflects well on this show that so many interpretations can be had, so it's always nice to find new ones!
i've been holding off in watching this because i thought you really ranked the episodes and i agree...no one can really do that with how amazing this show is.
Exactly, I could never get specific just because of how subjective and fluid this show is.
But season 4 is the best and no one can tell me otherwise :)
bro this is so underrated!!!
lmao thanks I'm working on one for season 5 right now so I'm holding up hope for that one
In conclusion, Socopia is the one we need to protect at all cost!
Scorpia is an S++ tier I love her so much
I never realized Catra had nine lives!
yeah Noelle said something about it on twitter I thought it was an interesting aspect
I 100% agree with your list, but I would like to add in are the episodes with Entrapta and Hordak's interactions. I never thought I'd say this, but Hordak is honestly one of my favorite characters because of this. Entrapta not caring at all about the risks she puts herself in just for some tech is very interesting to me, and how she didn't panic when Hordak yelled at her the first time she snuck into his lab. The way he smiles at Entrapta when she was amazed by the Portal and when she wanted to stay with Hordak, those smiles are true and shows that that truly cares for her. I see their relationship as platonic, but it could also be romantic. I'm not sure.
Hordak working with Entrapta and actually treating her well was opening a door to this other side of Hordak. Yes, Hordak is a villain is the heroes' eyes and he is trying to destroy the world, but he's created to do that. Here we see him learning to embrace love and friendship with the interactions he has with Entrapta, as she talks about being imperfect and what having emotions other than anger are like. I'm not trying to say that this is my excuse on calling Hordak good. He did hurt Catra, Adora, and the other Princesses. I just like his villain to hero arc and the "nobody is perfect" thing with Entrapta. To be honest, Entrapta's positive energy, love for her interests, and just not caring about what others think help me with my confidence.
Have you commented this before? I feel like I've responded like a week ago to the same thing
@@TheCicada No. Maybe someone just had the same idea as me.
@@idontevenknowbro hm, I could have sworn they said it exactly the same way. Anyways, I do pretty much agree with you. I love their friendship and a lot of the episodes with those interactions are high up in the list. I was going fast so I didn't have time to note every detail but it was a thought in my mind so don't worry about those two.
@@TheCicada Yeah. Their friendship is very cute. :]
I LOVE S4E9 SO MUCH!!!!! The whole episode is a true roller coaster of emotions.
It is by far my favorite individual episode it's so good! Basically every late s4 episode is my favorite it's just a 10/10 season.
@@TheCicada 100% Agreed
@@freptical I'm in the middle of reviewing each season individually and the s4 script is already 11 pages long (almost the length of this tier list)
@@TheCicada I can't wait to see it! I found your channel today and the content you create is so good! I look forward to watching your she-ra season reviews. Keep up the good work mate!
@@freptical
"In conclusion, this show gets a gay/10 from me"
I was laughing so hard when i heard that
Just have to point out that when it came towards the end of the A Tier, you pictured on the screen we were talking about S5E4, when you actually said S4E5. I'm not criticizing, I was just kind of curious if it was a mistake in the editing and what the screen said, or what you said. Otherwise, this is very good. Gives a good picture to other viewers maybe how to choose their favorite, and just how to rank things in general. I like who you weren't super detailed and criticizing towards the show, you just gave your overall thoughts on the episodes. Like you weren't so detailed that if you find a mishap in style or mishap in anything else that you would immediately say: "Nope. This episode is trash. C Tier, immediately. No excuses." Usually, when it comes to me, I love change in style. Usually the mishap in the style is what I like better than the normal style. Like I was sitting in bed watching it a few nights ago, and suddenly Catra turned to the camera with one, different shaping, and two, the outlines were suddenly not black, but a darker shade of what the outline was out - lining. I seem to like that style much better. But overall, I think you did a good job. Also, I so agree on S5E12 - 13 and S5E5. They are all amazing, and overall, S5E5 was my favorite. I love it because it includes so much trauma and drama, mostly focusing on Catra and Adora. Catra's fate after corridors was...wow. But...she died. On her ninth life. Even if she gets it back later, I was not prepared for that, AT ALL. I've been obsessed with Catra ever since S1E1. I love her so much, and for some reason, whenever I have a favorite character, they never die, nor get hurt at all. I have no idea why, but I was NOT prepared for that...at all. Although the drama still is nice. Alright my fingers are cramping so I should probably stop now, but in conclusion, great video, great summery. (Also sorry its so long) 😐
Oh boy you are in for such a treat with my newfound and more developed opinions on season 5. I've actually done a review of it so I won't say too much specifically, but before I totally wail on it, I am going to thank you for typing this bomb ass comment, I loved reading through this! I don't pay close enough attention to visual changes like the one you mentioned, and the visuals really didn't affect any of my placements, but I'm glad that there are people out there who can confirm that they like them. And yes, I was not super detailed in my criticisms and didn't really grade too harshly for a few reasons: A, if I did, the video would be 2 hours long; B, Even with deeper dives, the episodes still hold up incredibly well with how amazingly written (most) of this show is; C, haha you fool I DID criticize every last bit, you just don't know because I put none of it in the script because of point A. Okay, season 5 talk time, I think that season was... good. Season 4 was better. I know that season 4 was basically a perfect season, both in the context of the show and just in general, taking into account television as a whole, but that just made following it up even harder. I think that the first few episodes of season 5, ESPECIALLY CORRIDORS, are amazing and the way they can build tension is completely and utterly masterful. However, post-corridors episodes fall prey to the sickness I like to call "not-unique-anymore-itis". The nuances and incredibly detailed plotpoints that were so prominent in seasons 3 and 4 gave way to a much more standard, less bold plot progression with the main villain becoming less of a terrifying monster and more of a cartoonishly evil "destroy-the-universe" guy. His reasoning? Eh, he got mad. I think Save the Cat had one good plotline, and then the B plot literally served no purpose. Having an entire episode devoted to Adora and Catra would have made so much more sense, but, even though I love him, they just HAD to introduce Wrong Hordak at the same time. I have more to say but this comment is getting really long and I already reviewed this season so for now I'm just going to say, there are so many good things about season 5 that are still valid, and people's love for it is completely warranted. Thanks for the support!
Scorpia deserves the world. She is the best character to ever exist.
Hard agree
this video is honestly amazing and i was shocked to see that it only has 9000 views! you explained the episodes and their dynamics perfectly and this whole video was over all incredible and the rankings were pretty accurate, amazing work!
I'm very glad you liked it! I'm quite surprised that this video even got 9k in the first place!
the one dislike was horde prime
L
The second one is a homophobe, probably.
@@karlwilker579 the second one was my friend who doesn't like season 4
@@TheCicada Ahhhhhhhhh forget I said that.....
@@karlwilker579 it was a fair assumption on your part
Watching this makes me want to re-watch she-ra again.
Good :)
Man, Netflix should be paying me to make these
i just finished re-watching and I'm sooo obsessed again 😭😭
New here so I don't have years of fandom arguments to work off of or whatever
I find it really funny that you have so many in S and S+ and, like, 1 in C or B
I disagree about Hordak. Rather, I don't think his story was about redemption - there is nothing in there about making Hordak feel bad about his actions, even the characters lampshade he's had nothing like a redemption arc. It instead tied into the themes of self acceptance, being who you are and not having some kind of destiny or overbearing force tell you what you had to do - Hordak is, in a way, like Catra and Adora. He is overcompensating for his imperfections by trying to gain approval and live up to his daddy, just like how Catra wanted to outdo Shadow Weaver and himself.
I like that it didn't show him apologising to any of the wider cast. Hordak instead EMBRACES who he was, the villain, the guy who built an empire and proved he WAS worth something, and who on this planet he dominated, found true friendship in an unexpected place. Hordak essentially embodies his bad traits and uses them not necessarily for good, but for himself and the person (or, even, the people?) he cares about. Etheria was HIS to defend in that moment.
It makes it all the crueller when Prime seems to permanently take over Hordak, condemning him to life as a puppet with no free will.
When Adora finally use the Heart, the last person she saves is Hordak. His freedom marks the end of Prime's dominion over everybody's spirits.
Then they are both reminded of a time, long ago, when Hordak saved Adora - the moment all of this started, when Hordak had a fleeting moment of... compassion? Saving a baby, who kinda liked him.
I thought it was beautiful. Adora showed such compassion to this guy who she has every right to hate, because there was no anger or fear in her heart anymore. Just peace. Everyone is able to breathe again when Entrapta runs to Hordak and hugs him.
Chances are he doesn't get off scot free, but at the same time, Etheria isn't interested in retributive punishment. It wants to heal. That's why it was so easy for the other ex-Horde people to get off the hook. If Hordak has lost his whole motivation for inflicting cruelty onto those around him, if he is finally a free man, then who knows what he can become? Maybe he'll still be a bad guy, maybe he'll just be a grumpy technician interested in the pursuit of science and friendship. He has lots of skills the Etherians could use.
Noelle thinks Hordak has to pay and do community service on Beast Island. Help clean up some of the damage so the wildlife is restored. I like this idea. I think Hordak would do it no questions asked too. He would embrace (most of) his crimes and thus, serve the acceptable punishment for them proudly.
I do quite enjoy this view of Hordak's arc in season 5. To be honest, I guess I've never looked at it this way. In terms of self-acceptance, I think hordak may or may not have come to terms with his past actions. He certainly has taken agency over his own self so that is certainly a plus, and your (or Noelle's) idea of community service actually seems valid in this situation. However, I still think the series would have been better implementing his mortality.
Season 4 has a masterful ending, my favorite episode in the show, that does its best to bring realism into the fantastical world of this show. One very realistic element was Hordak's lack of acceptance back into the Horde, as he broke their code of "unity" or whatever they want to justify it as. Killing him off for good would have shown Horde Prime's ruthlessness and his cold, calculating nature off; Hordak being converted back to a basic clone would have shown it off even better. The fact that he stayed conscious throughout two separate "purifications" seems forced and kid's-showy to me, a quality this show doesn't need, and doesn't rely on. In this sense, from an emotional or moral standpoint, Hordak's persistence to not be dead isn't totally atrocious, but it isn't the best from a writing perspective.
I've talked a lot about season 5, to my friends, family, youtube, and random people like you. It's probably the most interesting season because of how it transforms this show. Hordak's arc is just one of MANY complaints of mine about this season (a viewpoint that gets me some weird looks within this fandom). In short, the writing this season becomes incredibly basic, losing most of the nuance built up, especially from seasons 3 and 4. Hordak may have learned to accept himself for who he is, but is that narrative not seen over and over again in television (specifically kids' television)? Going from the very detailed and creviced mental maps we get of each character to Hordak, he seems quite out of place, and that's because he should be dead. That sounds super harsh when I read it back, sorry Hordak, but it's really what I think would have helped season 5 be a stronger finish. I may revisit this point again when I'm running on more than zero hours of sleep because this is the first time someone has legitimately prompted me with a point that's made me rethink my own opinions on the show. Thank you for taking the time to write a thesis paper in my comment section, it was actually really cool to read!
Damn, I might have to re-review season five and move it up to a 7/10
@@TheCicada The idea of moving this season up in your books is amazing >:D
I think you're a bit too paranoid about it being compared to a kids show. If it was just "everybody's different so we have to accept ourselves", yeah that'd be a bit patronising, but the reason Horde Prime is such an effective final threat is because the entire show SCREAMS of colour, character, a bunch of broken people fighting each other, and the audience somehow rooting for all of them. Even the ones that are immediately fighting to the death - Catra's battle with Hordak in season 4, then her confrontation with Glimmer, both of whom had ended up mirroring her, probably embodies this most transparently.
Horde comes in at THAT Moment, with those 3 characters at their most broken, and goes, "Fuck EVERYTHING that was going on here, I'm taking control". All of the war effort, the conflict, Horde Prime doesn't give a shit about any of it and wants to erase it all in favour of himself.
His erasure of Hordak, who had fought so hard to impress him, and grouping of Glimmer and Catra as prisoners despite Catra's allegiance to the Horde, demonstrated just how few shits he gave about everything we'd been invested in. Then he spends the rest of the season trying to infect others.
This makes him the perfect threat for everyone to come together and fight, and the best way to resist Prime is to break free of the control he has over their minds. They do that using the connections they've built over the show.
The reason Hordak couldn't stop forgetting is because no matter how much he tries to erase it, his pain and experiences will always be a part of him. He WANTS to forget, but gradually realises that he needs to stand up for himself against this man who would turn him to a mere pawn. This in turn parallels Adora's struggle to stand up AS Adora, rather than following Mara's footsteps as a self-sacrificial She-Ra.
The fact Hordak DIDN'T get redeemed makes this all the more awesome, because what he and Adora do is embrace selfishness. They fight for themselves.
I don't see this as being any more "kids show-y" than any other kind of plot. It's more than intense enough, has strong ties with the entire plot. There's very little about it that can be seen as contrived, the only thing that bothered me honestly is when the characters were all saying they loved each other in the finale. Which is part of why I'm glad Hordak and Entrapta ABSOLUTELY DID NOT have a line like that, lol. They obviously care for each other a lot but thankfully didn't have any "ship confirmation". Can you imagine how out of place that would have been?
@@tipsy634 @Tipsy I think that's fair but my idea of it being "kid's showy" really just stems from the typicality of it all. When watching it, it felt grand, epic, gay, but also pretty overdone. After Corridors, I felt like I wasn't getting anything new out of the season and a lot of the important and immense characterization was done through minute, so much so that it may not have even been canon or intended. As you mentioned about season 4, there was really a lack of a clear protagonist/antagonist dynamic, part of the reason why it flowed so chaotically well. That all drops out and becomes a pretty familiar all-forces-unite-against-bigger-baddie type story (plus zombies). Horde Prime, at his introduction, was TERRIFYING and I loved every bit of him. He disgusted me to a physical level where I would squirm whenever he did something. To see him turn comical over the course of the series, eventually getting Palpatined by Hordak, made him so much less scary. The fact that he didn't even have jurisdiction over someone as insignificant to him as Hordak (while it was the point of the show) really seemed out of character. I realize that it was probably about how he was stressed from she-ra and things going wrong, but it really made him seem pathetic instead of imposing. Overall, I still think season 5 is one of the most clear cut and typical seasons of the show, even if it's the most structurally sound. It's messages are unchallenging and unchallenged, leaving it as a satisfying but sort of unsubstantial watch.
But also I totally agree with you, Entraptadak would have been super out of pocket for that finale. At least that didn't happen...
@@TheCicada i kind of get where you're coming from now. I still don't think this diminishes its value - i'm a big fan of Adventure Time, which did something similar, becoming infinitely complex in seasons 5/6 only to start trimming things down and following more satisfying, clearcut themes in season 7. I would say this was the best decision Adventure Time could have made that close to its end, because the tunnelling gives you a much clearer picture of how the characters changed during the rollercoaster section.
I feel the same about SheRa. Season 5 in isolation is great but lacks the complexity of the previous two seasons. However, it is NOT in isolation - those seasons still exist and now you're seeing the payoff.
I think making things more complex than season 4 would have led to an alienating ending, especially with so much to cover in 13 episodes. Hell, condensing the main cast to 5 characters during the Space Arc wasn't enough for them to do everything they wanted. But I loved that arc and it's easily my favourite part of the show.
I WOULD agree that the overall war stuff at the very end of s5 was overshadowed by Corridors. I'd say Prime still felt scary though. Maybe not as coolheaded, but damn, look what he did to Adora without raising a finger!
Either way, it's been fun breaking s5 down with you :D
@@tipsy634 I totally love breaking this down not, because I finally feel like I've met someone who has some real substantial views on this topic. I definitely get your point about a more focused season 5. A finale with the same level of chaos as season 4 would definitely be super confusing and probably not as satisfying (which is why it was put second-to-last). However, I think keeping the complexity of season 4 would have been just fine, leading to a more nuanced and developed message about trauma and the moral gray area that it touched upon earlier.
Trauma was visited in season 5, very heavily at first, but a lot of the later instances were incredibly subtle and not brought far enough to focus. This is why I think that it was so anticlimactic, because it really sort of forgot about a lot of its previous ties. A story like this cannot be wrapped up neatly, especially one with as much roughness as seasons 3 and 4. This shift of focus into something much more streamlined causes more whiplash than it cushions, really making it feel out of place. It's clear how much thought and planning went into making season 5, as it really just looks like an archetypal finale season, in stark contrast to the deep, emotional, free-form-esque plotline that proceeded it.
Overall it's a damn good season of television... out of context. In context, it's the golden child of the show, acing every test with the most standard in-the box answers.
This show is BEAUTIFUL 😍❤
IT DESERVES SO MUCH LOVE 💘💗
Yeah and that's why I'm gonna review all the seasons individually. There is so much to pick apart!
@@TheCicada Ahhh! Can't wait!
You forgot the 'ooooooh r we messing with Adora' 😭😭😭 but this was great and round about the right kind of ranking although personally I would shift a few I think you did great with this
Damn I should have included that scene :( although mostly I was scared cause this video got taken down for copyright before this version made it up. Also I have shifted a lot of my personal rankings after making this video but I will not be going through all of the effort to make an amendments list cause I have to work on my ATLA tier list.
My personal favorite episode is Remember, and I loved this whole series. It has such great representation and was so interesting to watch. Also, this ranking was *chef’s kiss*. I usually don’t watch videos this long because I would get bored, but this one kept my attention for the entire video, so good job!
Yeah, remember is literally one of the most legitimately terrifying episodes of tv I've seen. The implications of all of it mixed with confusion and ambiguity just crushed my heart into pieces. Also I'm glad you liked the list!
dudeeee i really liked your ranking and your S+ tier is immaculate. Destiny still leaves me with an unhinged jaw every time I watch it and Hero is a staple for days where I just want an excuse to cry
Yeah, even on my rewatches for the upcoming reviews I'm gobsmacked. I do wish I had given s5 more thought though, since many of those are rated to high imo
What! Roll with it is perfect! From beginning to end, even with what we don’t get to see is perfect, like adora being scare of catra knowing her too well.
That last sentence is a bit weird and I can't quite decipher it but generally speaking I think that that episode was good, but quite generic and not very unique
WAY WAY WAY to underrated! So much effort!
Thank you! I'm glad you liked this video cuz I'm working on reviewing every season individually so this is giving me lots of motivation.
@@TheCicada that’s awesome! I’m really looking forward to that. I really enjoyed this video and thought the editing was really well done! Amazing job
The editng is so well done. I agree with this list and the analysis is just WOW 🤩. Really great job, you deserve more recognition!!!
Thank you so much! I'm glad people still like the editing even tho it had to be dulled down to avoid copyright after being taken down (twice).
@@TheCicada Believe me, It´s amazing
How does this only have 6,000 views?????
well it's growing fast so I'm glad you like it
Finally someone that ranks the episodes
I loved the ranking. And you definitely chose the right episode as the best, Season 4's finale is expertly written, and set up so many possibilities for season 5.
Although the real question is what's your favourite season? Mine is season 5, no competition, there's so many emotions, and action that happens during it, that you can't help but love it. It gives a redemption ark for Catra, and even Shadow Weaver, though it's not that obvious (Really there's no way to truly redeem Shadow Weaver due to how much psychological pain she inflicted on Catra and Adora, without her sacrificing herself). Then there's the chipped characters which were expertly chosen to make the biggest impact, with only 4 main characters chipped (excluding the short period when Catra was chipped) pretty much every main character was affected. The final thing I think this season did right, is the added spotlight they were able to give to lesser used character, such as Spinnerella, Netossa, and Castaspella, who had large appearances, but never really took center stage.
Okay that is quite the take. I actually an doing a full review for each season right now and my s5 review is currently out. I don't want to repeat myself too much but generally speaking I think s5 is good but it loses a lot of nuances that she-ra had made over the past seasons. S4 for me is an uncontested masterpiece and it consistently barrages the audience and the characters with pure psychology oblivion. I don't like it cuz it's dark, I like it cuz it's realistic. After s3's very tragic and edgy ending, the only logical path was s4 since in that season no single character won. I don't have time or thumb power to write all the praise I have for season 4 but expect a video on that soon. Thank you for your opinion though, as I'm sure many people are on your side rather than mine.
@@TheCicada Yeah Season 4's definitely my second favourite, especially because it has my favourite episode, although one thing you've gotta agree on, Season 5's Trailer is best of the series. Amazing music that fits with the theme, a fitting remix of the theme song. And a ton of lines that really stand out, and show how much of a different tone the season will take.
Yeah goddamn the other trailers suck
I love how theirs so many positive and enjoyable comments. Not only that I love the way you ranked the episodes, for me I would rank them more based of off the character development and plot movement but that’s only because of my impatience. Some of my favorite episodes are the finale of some of the seasons and build ups to those finales. Entrapeda is a pretty complicated character, I think we all understand that but she’s very underrated. I think Entrapeda deserves a bit more love, she lived in a castle alone with barely any people around so it’s no wonder she’s bad at understanding and listening to others but a good character always comes with flaws, after all the show makes wonderful characters because of their flaws. Glimmer for an example, she’s very misunderstood in some parts of the fandom, I don’t like her that much as a person but she’s a very interesting and complex character and I wished that the developers would show more of her character along with Bows character. Bow hasn’t hade to much character development, there’s the episode where we get introduced to his dads and in the very same episode it shows a lot of character development from Bow and we get to understand his parents more but the character development doesn’t really help move the plot to much. Bow and Glimmer are showed a lot in the show but they don’t nearly have as much character development as the other, Glimmer as gone through a lot but Bow on the other hand, well we haven’t seen much. I also wish we got to see more of Frosta and her future, she has an amazing character and I was quite shocked when she was first introduced, I was all like: Hey she looks very mature for her age!
In later episodes we find out that, yes she’s still a kid and it’s nice to see someone like that in the show. In the show Glimmer used to be a lot like Frosta until (spoiler alert) her mothers death, after that she began to fit the role of a queen better and better but we still see examples of her character still being goofy and childish. Frosta and Glimmer have so much in common and I’d love to see what the developers would do with Frosta’s character in the future cause unlike Glimmer she didn’t have the responsibility of the rebellion nor the need to worry about the hoard. It would be amazing if they made a movie showcasing the future of each kingdom and what happened to Scorpia’s kingdom as she is a princess after all.
Yeah I totally see what you mean about the character development stuff. I absolutely love (almost) every character, including those you've mentioned. That was one of the criteria I considered when ranking these episodes, as many of the ones you seem to like were pretty high up. I think Frosta could've used more work which is why none of her episodes are particulary well-ranked. Generally, there is a lot more than just character to worry about in a show, which is why I love so many of the episodes I do. It balances immense emotional exposition with nuanced, subtle, and powerful imagery and events to portray them.
@@TheCicada I understand that and i think that’s incredible too. Most videos when ranking shows and alike focus either on a certain topic to much or they are to uneven but nonetheless those videos are still good and can be incredible but what I’m trying to get at is the fact that you’ve covered many important reasons of why you’ve ranked certain episodes in certain ranks. Its very fitting for each episode (in my opinion of course) and since this is was my first video from you I find it as a very amazing first impression.
@@hiiiiiiiiiiii3565 Thank you so much! It still amazes me that people actually liked this video. Fortunately I'm working on more ;)
@@TheCicada That’s amazing! I’d love to se more and I think a lot more people would too! Looking forward to it :)
I must admit I’m disappointed by all the Swift Wind dislikers. I feel like his “annoyingness” never overstayed its welcome and was genuinely funny at times. Also, I love that he’s an anarchist.
I think it's fair to like swift wind, and in another context I would, but it's for a similar reason as to why I dislike the show's intro. Both of them, especially around season 3 and 4, completely clash with the actual mood and current plot points in the show. Swift Wind doesn't fit in a show that takes itself seriously like She-ra did at it's peak. Comedic relief is a tried and true method of creating a more dynamic show, this is true, but I think Swift Wind was a rather ham fisted attempt at that.
I don't think I can stand anymore she-ra slander (plot wise) so this was so nice to see :'))
when you first said "boys night out" my mind immediatly went to the drunk catra scene "yay! its a girls night in :D *bleh*" which is one of my favorite scenes in the entire show. great vuideo, as always! (: ALSO WAIT WHAT CATRA HAS 9 LIVES HUH they never said that in the show... is that just a thepry?
The nine lives thing is a semi-canon thing that noelle herself has mentioned, but has never actually been mentioned in the show. Also drunk adora is a gift to this earth, and far more happy and uplifting than boy's night out could ever be. That episode actually really grew on me, I'd probably give it an S now
“We’ll make pie tomorrow”
Maybe one of the most devastating lines in TV history
stellar video omg! I've never thought to rank the episodes but the way u explained each choice I agreed with your order almost exactly
Thank you! I'm glad people are actually agreeing with my choices
All the love and appreciation for scorpia because she is best girl
W video, making me want to rewatch the show for the 5th time I think 🙏
lol I disagree with all my takes in this video but I'm glad you enjoyed it regardless
3:44 they got glimmer looking like a dragon ball z character in her stance
"The introduction to double trouble was amazing, it was showstopping, also just kinda hot"
SHSISJS I'm glad we can agree on all of those parts
I'm not a furry but I make an exception for double trouble
@@TheCicada as you should because they do be kinda 😳👀
@@sociallyawkwardpotato3261 this show turns all of its viewers into furries, just a fact.
@@TheCicada catra's redemption arc doesn't hold a candle to our furrie arc
@@sociallyawkwardpotato3261 I'd give our furry arc an S++
This is so underrated! Love this so much! :D
I'll admit, my personal ranking was very different, even just in terms of the tiers, but it was very interesting to see your take on the different episodes.
which things did you disagree with? (also note my updated takes in a comment below and also in the individual season reviews cuz I do change some stuff I say in this video)
@@TheCicada The biggest difference in our opinions, at least based on this version of your ranking, is that I just have a lot less episodes in the S rank and more in B and lower. The biggest difference in terms of actual episodes is probably that I actually rank episodes like "The Coronation" and "Promise" pretty low in terms of personal enjoyment.
@@DarkMasterofCupcakes This ranking is not based on personal enjoyment, more so what I thought each episode accomplishes within the context of other similar shows and itself. I'm not sure how you didn't enjoy promise (I'm not judging though, since everyone has their preferences) but even so you do have to appreciate the artistry and skill that went into crafting such an episode. Similar to the Coronation, where it accurately shows the stresses of new responsibility and loss in a digestible way. Some of these episodes would be much lower or higher if I were to have rated it simply on enjoyment. For instance, the episode "Fractures" would be an F if I were simply to rank it based on how much I enjoyed watching it. That episode gave me an actual panic attack, but that does say something about its quality. I ranked it S+ because of how well made and how well spoken it is. So I hope you may find it more agreeable in this sense but let me know which episodes you really loved because I always like to hear it!
@@TheCicada My personal favorite episodes, again, based purely on personal enjoyment are "Reunion", "Pulse", "Hero", "Failsafe", and both parts of "Heart". I have many more episodes that I enjoy - I actually enjoy basically every episode overall, there's just some scenes/moments in some episodes that I really don't like rewatching - but those are my favorites.
As for Promise, it was actually an episode I really enjoyed when I first watched it, but as I've rewatched the series and especially as my feelings towards Catra changed, particularly during Seasons 3 and 4, the episode kind of became harder to watch. It is probably objectively one of the best episodes, but in a purely subjective sense, it just didn't have a lot of the stuff that I really enjoy in the series.
@@DarkMasterofCupcakes yeah that take on promise is fair. Knowing the darker place that Catra ended up going makes it more difficult to watch, but that one scene in complete silence where younger Catra just stares into our soul... That just hits different, y'know what I mean? I personally really loved the episodes you have at your top, especially Hero as it is my favorite individual episode in the series. The thing is, my personal preference in an episode is to be emotional and/or disturbed because for me that just signifies the show is doing something worthwhile. I love being scared and put on edge so watching seasons 3 and 4 really did impress me. It's those moments of discomfort that I find true comfort in, especially in a show as unsuspecting as this one. That's why I love episodes like Fractures or Destiny, (my favorite episode, but it's a 2-part so it's cheating ) not because I gain joy from them but quite the opposite. I think just finding relatability in pain that I've experienced helps me find some sort of solace in these darker episodes because I know that I've felt similarly to the characters on screan. So if I had to rearrange some stuff based off of that, episodes like Save the Cat or Princess Prom (among others) would be far lower. And episodes like Beast Island or Failsafe would be in S+ tier.
Amazing analysis. Completely agree.
:)
How is this channel as relatively small as it is with this high quality vids?
The algorithm works in weird ways... I'm glad you like the stuff I do though, I appreciate it :)
Save the cat s5 e5 was amazing it is my fav episode ever
I used to agree with you but, and I have actually said this multiple times, I've recently re-reviewed it and I wasn't all that impressed. I will say it is quite entertaining and in the heat of the moment it's great, but I've moved it down the the A tier for a reason.
THE CHOICE OF THUMBNAIL IS VIOLENCE
Teehee
man this is the kind of video i want to watch
Great! More analytics- uh I mean, lovely people entertained!
Wow! I can't believe every episode is in S tier!
10/10 I agree with all of them except 13 in S tier instead of S+ tier but thats really just because I love Catradora so much and also the gayer the better and that's the gayest episode but I get that you were ranking based off of other things so it's cool, other than that yes. just yes this show is awesome and i love that almost all of the episodes were in the S and S+ tiers
To be completely honest, without the gay that episode is high B to low A just because to me it seemed to take away all of the uniqueness this show had and went for a standard style big finale.
@@TheCicada yeah I can understand that, great vid 👍
I cried a lot during this video
I cried a lot making it
Okay but can we all take a moment to stan how amazing glimmer looks in that horde uniform s1e4 cause sis
You gay....
But yeah I absolutely agree
@@TheCicada omg love those deduction skills
@@abbyeason7134 what can I say, I'm just really good at picking up the subtlest of context clues
I suppose I’ll put my rankings here in case anyone cares.
S+: Promise, Remember
S: Moment of Truth, The Portal, Princess Scorpia, Hero, Beast Island, Destiny, Corridors, Save The Cat, Failsafe, Heart
A: No Princess Left Behind, White Out, Light Spinner, The Price of Power, Once Upon A Time In The Waste, Pulse, Fractures, Taking Control, Shot In The Dark, An Ill Wind
B: The Sword, Razz, In The Shadows of Mysticore, Light Hope, Reunion, Huntara, Coronation, The Valley of The Lost, Protocol, Mer-Mystery, Boys’ Night Out, Horde Prime, Stranded, Perils of Peekablue, Return to The Fright Zone
C: The Sea Gate, Princess Prom, The Beacon, The Frozen Forest, Signals, Roll With It, Flutterina, Launch
D: Flowers For She-Ra, System Failure, Ties That Bind
F: Battle of Bright Moon
This is a pretty solid list, props to that. I don't agree with Corridors, Hero, or Destiny being anywhere under S+, neither with The Beacon, Peekablue, or The Coronation being so low. I'd like to hear your reasoning for that so I can better understand your perspective!
@@TheCicada I think my standard for S+ is higher than yours. For me that means an episode has to be basically perfect to be in S+. Most shows that I rank don’t have a single S+, much less two. As for the other three, half of Beacon is wacky hijinks of hiding Glimmer from Angella, which is a little hard to sit through. I also hate the first scene where the Princess Alliance breaks up for the stupidest reason. Peekablue is fine, but I’m not a huge fan of Scorpia to be honest, and a lot of the episode is boring filler. Coronation is good towards the end, but the first half is more wacky hijinks of getting the coronation ready, which isn’t great
@@revenger8292 While I understand your issues with the Beacon, the "wacky hijinks" of the Coronaiton served an actual purpose. Everything going on around glimmer was meant to be overemphasized and clashing to show how stressed Glimmer was. I think it very well reflected the state of things at Bright moon too, eventually leading to many military defeats as well as Shadow Weaver taking more control than she should. My standard for S+ in this tier list was a bit lower than it is now but I still would 100% have Corridors, Hero, and Destiny all up there (along with Moment of truth, Promise, Fractures, and Remember). All of those episodes were inventive and beautiful in their own rights, showing off the peak of the show's storytelling. The big three I keep mentioning all stood out to me specifically because of how the made the show as a whole stand out among other similar ones. Even episodes like Promise and Remember have issues with their pacing or dialogue queues. I don't have room to talk about my 3 favorites in this comment but I am writing individual reviews for each season that I hope clear this opinion up. It's always nice to hear other people's takes and I'm glad you seem to like this show :)
Roll With It is in S+ just for that 80s call back.
Well you gained a new subscriber cause like...this video is SO smart, SO well done, SO...perfect.
DEFINITELY underrated but yeah.
Thank you! Also, I explained why I moved down Save the Cat to A tier in my season 5 review. I'm working on one for each season so stay tuned for those!
@@TheCicada oh I'm sorry, I haven't watched any of your other videos YET. I will be seeing them tho cause like I said I am fan now 😌
@@anacapitao6640 :)
S1 was the weakest in writing, because the show was just starting and it was more kiddie oriented (think of the weakest episodes of Avatar) than the future seasons and they wanted to play it safe. But after the huge positive response to Catradora (the Princess Prom episode) and the writers given more freedom in terms of arcs and character progression, the story was let to grow up alongside its viewership. It had to for us to get Save The Cat, otherwise that serious script would've been cut from the drawing board for not having a bridge for it in the show.
Although, and I do completely agree with you, I think it kind of went out the other end by the time season 5 went around. Not sure if you've seen my update comment, or my s5 review, but I revoked Save the Cat's spot at S+ and did not speak highly of the surroundings. Season five seems to me like a slightly higher stakes and higher budget version of season 1, losing lots of the nuances in characters that it builds so much in seasons three and four. While it's not immediate, and I do think lots of early episodes still carry their own weight, overall I think it sort of sells out. The writing becomes pretty standard for a finale season; while it is not strictly bad scripting, it isn't unique scripting. Some aspects were glossed over or dramatized to the point that they became comical, like Horde Prime going from disgusting to laughable, or the microchips all being taken out at once with no consequences. Also it didn't help that Corridors, the best episode in the show alongside Hero and the likes, was right in the beginning. Putting all your quality out near the beginning does not help the season's structure and really highlights the blandness of the rest of it. I digress, since I've had this discussion before, but I will leave you with this: I like season 5. I know people that love season five and I don't disagree with them. Please don't take this as She-Ra slander or dunking on your opinions. Unless you like Swift Wind, in which case you are wrong and should feel bad.
@@TheCicada Na it's fine, I don't like SW either lol. I personally love S5 for being a solid final season, almost on par with Avatar TLA S3, but like you said there were some eps that needed polishing or more time to keep that strenght in writing quality consistent with the progress S2-S3 made that paved way for S4. I still believe that there should've been an episode between 9 and 10, have the reunited reduced rebel cast go through a Head Hunter infested Crimson Waste with Catra now as an ally guiding them through it rather than jump straight to the FZ, I mean S5E1 did open with Prime declaring open season on She-Ra's head, we finally see Adora and Catra fight side by side as we didn't see it proper in ep 9 and 10 was a stealth mission, and we get to see Huntara get chipped, and see Prime get humilated again BEFORE we get to see him seethe in anger at the sight of his space colonies being inspired by She-Ra to rebel against him. Because Prime going from invincible and menacing to panicky to borderline Salem-esque (just stands there being evil but doing nothing) in a matter of an episode didn't feel right even through first viewing. I think the writers also botched a possible link between Mara and Prime, but it is understandable from Prime's end just because of how old he is.
Still think Save the Cat deserves that spot of S+ though not gonna lie
@@falconeshield Yeah, the strain before episode 11 felt a little bit rushed in that season. Maybe if they pulled a Bojack Horseman and did a two-part season with 16 episodes instead of 13, that would have helped ease it along more naturally. It's a hard task, resolving the genius chaos behind season 4's vivid storyline, and this season didn't really do it justice. In regards to Save the Cat, I removed it's position in S+ because mainly pacing. There was no need to introduce a B plot into it, as Bow, Glimmer, and Entrapta do absolutely nothing to further the plot. Wrong Hordak is funny and all, but introducing him undermines the dark and devastating tones of Adora and Catra's interaction. Because of basically a whole 12 minutes being wasted on nothing, the actual half that matters is paced incredibly fast and there is not enough time to feel truly uncomfortable. Catra's chipped personality was the only one in the whole season that was actually uncanny, and she was gone in a matter of minutes. Drawing that out for an entire episode's worth of runtime instead of only one half of the plot was a poor choice on the writer's part and brought it down pretty far in my books. I still have it in A tier, which is really high, but it just doesn't cut it like the rest of the greats on that S+ list. Especially not Destiny, Fractures, Hero, or Corridors.
@@TheCicada You can tell ND is a BJ Horseman fan because having the wham episode in the 11th slot was a staple of the series before S6 launched in late 2019/early 2020. I'm glad She-Ra branched out from that after S3, but the influence roots where still there. My only gripe with She-Ra is that the quailty of S4-5 wasn't present in most of S1-3 aside from a handful episodes you covered under the S tier. Maybe Hero is the ep that deserves the S+ tier the most, but StC still holds a special place in my heart lol
@@falconeshield Yeah, I always struggle with recommending she-ra because I'm always like "this show has the most LIFE CHANGING WRITINGafterseasontwo". It's great what they finally did with it though and the flourish of season 4 will never fail to impress me. While it may not be the most well rounded of shows, that particular season is strong enough that I'm making a pretty strong claim about it in an upcoming video, but that's spoilers so I'll be quiet about that...
Guys, I have a dilemma: She-Ra is addicting and I can’t stop rewatching it. Is there a cure or am I stuck in this loop forever? If there is no cure, then I will accept fate of my euphoria being the death of me watching this show.
What a fascinating death it will be...
Tbh Shadow Weaver dying was my fav part of the finale 💀
Tbh it's kind of the only thing I like about the finale lmao
i love how they said they'd be ranking from f tier to s tier but they started with c lmao
Lmao I really didn't feel like anything fit F tier, this show is so good that the worst episode was a "meh... it could have been better imo"
S5 E5: also gay panic
Me: almost dies choking on Slavia
I may dislike that episode now but goddamn the gay panic was intense
I'm the only. Person that likes all FR ALLLLLLLLLLLLL THE CHARACTERS IN she-ra
Swift and (later season) Horde Prime can fuck right off I'm sorry but I hate them both. Respect tho for liking all the characters
One thing that I disagree on is S1Ep13. I'd say that belongs in the C tier as well. I get that their budget is limited but would it be too much to ask to see at least some of the palace guards skirmish against the invading horde army? And Frosta, Netassa and Spinnerella felt like they came out of nowhere. Of course it made sense for all of them to be there but they should have gotten more screen time beforehand.
Yeah I'm rewatching the show with one of my friends, and when coming to that episode I liked it even less than in first watch. The fight scene between Catra and Adora was more clumsy than I had realized and really nothing about it stands out for a good reason. If there ever was a D tier episode this may even have been it, although I think even this episode is better than that. I go more into this one and its flaws in my individual season 1 review, where many of my analyses are updated. I wanted to do more reviews so I could flesh out the misconceptions from this humongous video I made on 0 sleep, so I'm working on doing all 5 seasons.
@@TheCicada I've just recently watched the show for the first time so I'll probably wait until I watch your in depth videos but it's one of those series that will stick with me and that I'll definitely rewatch.
I guess one could see it as a compliment that the s1 final bothered me so much, since I would have just ignored it in a more generic show but the overall writing was so good that things like this stick out. Adding just a few low detail, out of focus queen's guards (and maybe even some from each of the princesses) in the background would have helped making the battle feel bigger and it would have made the horde feel like even more of a threat. But again, the show was clearly on a tight budget and I'm glad they saved it for better, more important episodes.
My biggest complaint was Frosta really. She was never recruited like the others and desperately needed some dialogue. Just something friendly banter along the lines of:
Glimmer: "Frosta? You came too?!"
Frosta: "Why shouldn't I? You were right and the horde almost blew up my castle! Besides, your friend sure can fight... for an honorary princess."
Glimmer: "Heh, so can you... for a 10 year old."
Frosta: "ELEVEN *AND THREE QUARTERS!"*
**blows up horde tank with ice powers**
or something similar. That would have introduced her real personality better, in my opinion.
@@sirbig8292 Frosta is a character that, thankfully, gets developed a lot more as the series goes on. Season 1 has many issues, but most of them I wouldn't care about if episode 11 "Promise" didn't exist. That episode and some aspects of the ones leading up to it were just so perfect that I could not ignore the artistry that went into writing and animating them. To let us down with a bog standard boring finale was practically criminal. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the rest of the series and my word of advice is to brace yourself for seasons 3 and 4 (4 being my undeniable favorite).
@@TheCicada Sorry, I should have made that clearer. I have watched the entire series, not just S1.
I honestly don't remember Frosta getting much development. During the Princess Prom she was introduced as putting on a fittingly distant, cold Ice Princess persona but when she came back during the finale she revealed her true personality, an energetic tomboy who likes to punch things. I don't think her character ever changes much after that, nor do we learn more about her history. All the other side princesses get more screentime than her. Not that this is a huge problem but I don't think they ever make up for her initial lack of development.
Her best moment is certainly when she punches Catra in the face in S5. As much as I love Catra, her and Adora being my favorite characters and their connection is part of what made the show so great, that moment felt really deserved.
For the other seasons, yeah I agree with you. Despite me just complaining about S1's finale, I really loved the whole thing. S3 and 4 had some very strong moments but S5 doesn't really fall behind either, with the very strong midpoint episodes Corridors and Save the Cat as well a satisfying finale. Some say that Catra's redemption was done too quickly but I disagree. It makes sense for the main cast to accept her (With Adora knowing her better than anybody else, Glimmer being a fellow "almost world destroyer", Bow being very kind in general and Entrapta being Entrapta) and for the rest of the cast there was simply no time for some drawn out "I don't trust you!" plot, since they all had to work together to save their world. During some of the later parts of S5 the tight budget became the most notable, especially during the Netossa focused subplot, but thankfully they saved enough for the ending. Not was it a good conclusion to the story, but it actually kept me on edge with the visions Adora saw. Of course I didn't expect a real downer ending in a series like this but I was still worried it might end with her saving the world and defeated Horde Prime but she has to stay with the core forever in order to keep it save.
Glad I was wrong about that.
@@sirbig8292 Hahaha sorry I got that mixed up that's funny. Yeah I do totally see your point about frosta and how she is not developed enough. For her, I was willing to accept that mostly because she is young enough that the nuances of the world haven't cracked her psyche enough for her to have an incredibly complex character. She is still a child and acts like one throughout, despite trying to appear more mature. I think for someone in her position, the way she was was fine enough for the show. And about season 5, I really don't like talking about this one because I gave it a 6/10 and I feel bad because people really liked it but I did not see it as being that impressive. Corridors may be one of the best episodes in the show, that's true, but save the cat and the finale have glaring flaws. Mainly being that the uniqueness of the show is traded in for a more traditional final season plot. STC has some of the most breakneck pacing which left less time for Catra's reveal to really haunt the audience and it cuts down the emotion by introducing Wronf Hordak in the B plot (a completely unnecessary plot point for this episode) I would explain myself more about the finale but I don't want to keep repeating myself and I don't want to make a wall of text about that. Generally though I agree with you about Catra's redemption and how well that was done. Some thing people often forget is the less overt time jumps the series pulls off. Catra and Glimmer were up in the ship for months. The crew didn't just get there in 3 days and they didn't get back that fast either. Glimmer and Catra had time to... marinate up in their respective prisons and then the whole group had their time together while traveling home. That also really does help clear up many misconceptions about the midseason of season 5 that a lot of people have said to me. But yeah I loved your take and I thank you for your input. Thanks for being here!
YES YES YES
1ST TRY PART 3
@@TheCicada so happy
Great video
8:56 i kind of disagree with the point here. you linked the video about catra having bpd and i think this could be a side affect of that. for someone with bpd, being alone is an extremely intense fear - scorpia is all she has so it makes sense that she would forgive quickly and put aside the issue. even though it was a huge deal for her before, that doesn't matter because she likely cares more about not being alone. great ranking though i agree with most of it, this show is insanely good
I think in this sense though, catra thinks of scorpia as less of a lifeline and more of a nuisance. She does show a lot of tendencies of bpd, but in this case I don't think it would swing her this far away from her normal patterns. She very clearly is uncomfortable with physical contact after shadow weaver's abuse and Adora's abandonment. It really depends on how you interpret her character but I'm gonna be honest, discussing this makes me like her more. The way she's written leaves room for blurred lines like these. I think you definitely have a point there, but I mostly stand by what I said earlier. Glad you liked the listings!
Remember > save the cat
Fite me
Lmao I'm literally writing a review on why season 5 is bad. If I wasn't a coward Save the Cat would be in low A tier
shot in the dark is my favourite episode tbh
Lmao sorry for rating it lower, I did still quite enjoy it. A lot of later season 5 episodes did the same thing for me, where I enjoyed them but I didn't feel like I was getting much substance like I had in season 4.
@@TheCicada fair enough
yooo Scorpia and Double Trouble supremacy
I crush on DT so hard
This video is criminally underrated
it's got 10k that's pretty good imo
heart deserves S++ tier
Lol upon rewatching it I'd put Heart in B, I have my reasons personally. You enjoying it is valid asf tho thank you for sharing :D
Personnely my favorite episode is heart part 1 and i realized horde prime is my favorite charecter
I could not disagree with this take more but I respect it regardless.
Personally my top five favs are as follows
5. Promise
4. Destiny
3. Heart 1&2
2. Corridors
1. Save the Cat
And Scorpia is best girl
That is a dope list. I personally don't like save the cat but that's for a whole slew of reasons. And scorpia is the best bug.
50:05 gets a gay out of 10 +💖💖💖💖
ENTRAPTA 🥰and Scorpia 🥰
My issue with Season 4 episode 8 isn't the boys singing (well maybe some of it is), but its just the 'your best isn't good enough' line Glimmer said to Adora that was so unforgivable of me, well at least until the next season.
That was not nearly an issue to me. I think it further implemented the episode as a masterful subversion and further characterization for Glimmer. It made sense that she thought that, and her delivery brought chills to my spine. I thought of bringing the episode to a higher rating, but that singing was hard to get through (even if it made the emotional bits more striking)
@@TheCicada okay. Fair enough.