“Beyond the Shattered Sea” on Disney+

The penultimate episode of Willow is right here and we expect it’s the perfect one but. If you’ve watched any style TV prior to now decade, that is smart; the second-to-last episode is often the perfect. It’s when the whole lot the viewers has been invested in or ready to see involves a head, ending proper on the sting of that one ultimate factor main into the finale. And so too was the case with the seventh episode of Willow, which options each character’s breaking level and supreme evolution—in addition to so many superior coaching montages, Rocky could be proud.

From the very first episode, we’ve recognized the hunt Willow and the group are on would take them past the Shattered Sea. So the episode being known as “Beyond the Shattered Sea” gave you a good suggestion this complete quest to save lots of Prince Airk is coming to an finish.

But first, there have been two cliffhangers to scrub up from final week. The first was this thriller lady (performed by Game of Thrones’ Rosabell Laurenti Sellers) who randomly confirmed up within the Immemorial City with Arik. She explains she’s from town of Cashmere, one of many Realm’s main cities, and shuts down Arik’s creepy flirting. Before it will get too awkward although, Arik sees his sister Kit in a rust-colored pool of water. And so he dives in, reaching out to her—and the display screen flips, and now it’s Kit’s perspective. We final noticed her caught underneath the bottom of Skellin and he or she’s nonetheless there. She reaches out to her brother and nearly grabs him, earlier than Elora’s spell lastly works and frees her.

Kit and Willow have lastly been rescued, Boorman has secured the Kymerian Cuirass, and the journey can proceed. Or can it? Beaten, bruised, and drained, the group has lastly reached the Shattered Sea, the place all of the maps finish. Willow explains they’ll have to stroll the remainder of the best way however Kit is just too sick. They want relaxation, and wouldn’t you realize it? There’s an inn close by.

The inn is run by a person named Zeb, performed by Lucasfilm legend Julian Glover. (He was the evil Walter Donovan in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which marks concerning the fifth direct Indiana Jones reference we’ve seen throughout the present.) Zeb provides the crew meals, shelter, and even a trip within the type of a creature known as a Mudmander. He additionally explains how he’s been on the Shattered Sea for therefore lengthy he can’t even keep in mind why he’s there (he rattles off a number of doable quests, considered one of which once more evokes Last Crusade), and that he doesn’t assume there’s something past the Shattered Sea.

It’s only a very bizarre state of affairs throughout, one which appears to achieve a boiling level when the group is attacked as soon as once more by the Gales. Now, look. The Gales have been a brilliant cool foe within the first few episodes however by this level, our heroes have handled them pretty simply a number of occasions and the suspense is all however gone. Nevertheless, the group takes off on a ship powered by the Mudmander and chased by the Gales. An enormous battle ensues, Kit is injured, Graydon realizes he can do magic, and finally, the servants of the Crone are thwarted but once more. It was most likely the perfect scene involving the Gales up to now, with loads of nice moments—however, once more, any sense of hazard from them is lengthy gone.

Back in Immemorial City, Airk finds his thriller lady watching an enormous vivid mild. She desires to enter it, believing perhaps it’s the one means out, however he’s in a position cease her. He’s confused although. The metropolis appears to be altering round him and he learns that this lady, like him, is a princess additionally captured by somebody and introduced right here. The plot thickens, as does belief between them.

After their battle with the Gales, the group stops to relaxation. Graydon names the cute Mudmander Kenneth and Willow tells Graydon how impressed he’s that he was capable of finding magic in him. Elora has had it, although. She’s achieved losing time and tells Willow it’s time to coach. As she and he alternate just a few spells, Kit will get up the vitality to spar with Jade too, and it’s montage time!

What’s higher than a coaching montage? Absolutely nothing… except that montage entails folks taking pictures cool-looking spells at one another with magic wands. Thanks largely to the dynamic, 360-degree lighting results, these Willow scenes made the Harry Potter films look laughable by comparability and have been simply probably the most lovely visuals on this whole season up to now.

Kit and Jade are additionally coaching, but in addition flirting, and after they deal with one another to the bottom, Kit professes her love as soon as once more. They begin to make out and get what nearly felt like a intercourse edit (which is whenever you slowly fade away from a passionate kiss, implying the pair are about to do one thing you possibly can’t present in your Disney+ present). Willow continues to problem Elora to dig deeper, to search out elements of herself she doesn’t like, and the train brings out Elora’s most threatening spell but. You get the sense, when she says she’ll kill the witch, she not solely means it, she’ll ship.

Back with Arik and thriller princess, she talks about how she was by no means completely happy in her kingdom of Cashmere. She doesn’t need to be beholden to any guidelines, and so she kisses Airk. He, uncharacteristically, pushes her off, saying he’s actually in love with Dove aka Brunhilda aka Elora, which is when the princess lets all of it out. She reveals she’s been within the Immemorial City for a very long time and, actually, she’s the one who introduced him right here. Yes, buddies, in the event you had “Mystery Girl Is Actually the Evil End Boss” in your Bingo card, we expect you nailed it. It’s not explicitly acknowledged, but it surely appears likes she’s the Crone and he or she slowly begins to tug Airk to her aspect. He runs, however by episode’s finish, he’s come crawling again and tells her he’ll do no matter she desires. What she desires is him to drink from a particular cup, which isn’t signal.

Back on the Shattered Sea, everybody appears to be shedding their minds just a little bit. Elora and Kit share a second the place they lastly join over their insecurities. Boorman tries to activate the Cuirass, but it surely doesn’t work. Willow has desires of his daughter, Mims, being grave hazard and needing him. He even tries to contact her, solely to be visited by a imaginative and prescient of her being contaminated by evil. His guilt over leaving his household lastly offers us an evidence of what occurred to the remainder of them from the unique movie. Sometime prior to now, whereas off on one other journey, Willow’s spouse wanted him however he wasn’t there. She then died and his son was so mad, he left. This explains Willow’s need to cease the mission and go house. That would possibly even have occurred too, however can’t as a result of Graydon let a sickened Kenneth go.

They’re out of meals and have little to no motivation or vitality, however the journey should go on. Elora thinks Willow was proper within the first place, they have to stroll to the tip of the journey. And so the unraveling continues. A large cranium on the horizon might be actual or a mirage. Graydon tells Elora he loves her and although he is aware of she doesn’t love him again, thanks her for making him the person he’s at all times wished to be. And then they attain the sting of the world.

A large waterfall marks the sting of the Shattered Sea and everybody desires to surrender. They thought they’d see town, but it surely’s not there. Elora is particularly distraught as a result of this was to be her future. To go to the Immemorial City, defeat the Crone, and die. Wait, what? Yup, she is aware of the imaginative and prescient Willow had all these years in the past—the one we’ve seen a number of occasions all through the collection. He’s fully damaged by each her data of it and the actual fact he hasn’t been capable of save her. Emotions are operating excessive and everybody is prepared to surrender, however not Kit. Kit tells Elora she’s by no means believed in something her whole life, however she believes in her. And the pair determine they’ll proceed on collectively, by leaping off the waterfall because the group watches in shock.

As one would possibly count on, two of the present’s leads don’t die after the bounce. In reality, they discover themselves the place they need to be: the Immemorial City. Which is when a door opens revealing… Prince Airk. Only, it’s not the identical Airk they keep in mind. With that, the objective at the start of Willow was reached. Kit and Elora have discovered Airk. But that is an Airk seduced by the Crone, the mortal enemy of Elora Danan. Maybe, within the season finale, the showdown audiences have thought of for 30 years will occur: Elora vs. the personification of darkness.

As I acknowledged in the beginning, “Beyond the Shattered Sea” is my favourite episode of Willow but. I’ve mentioned that just a few occasions on this recap journey however every time, I’ve meant it. Here it’s as a result of not solely did we get some tremendous enjoyable motion and funky, thrilling montages, however every character accomplished their journey. They’re a distinct particular person than after they set out at the start of the present. The solely query is, if these new, extra skilled variations of the characters will be capable of defeat the Crone as soon as and for all.

There’s only one extra episode of Willow’s first season left. Watch “Beyond the Shattered Sea” here.

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