You would risk your entire planet, the entire solar system, for what? For more power?" These final three episodes of season three completely contrast that of the first four, for one particular reason - they concentrate on the bigger picture. We've now established that Voltron has experienced a reshuffle, but Shiro has been found and has returned to the group, meaning there are more Paladins than Lions. This conundrum could be problematic when it comes to making a move against Prince Lotor, especially now that Keith has assumed Shiro's leadership role and despite the Black Lion's continued loyalty to its former master, it has now chosen a different pilot. With these interesting changes, the series starting to get into the gritty detail and giving us all the answers we've been waiting for. Indeed, when the series initially began, I believed it to be quite bare and unpopulated, but now it has grown to become something quite voluminous, with more disparate species than I can count.
Starting with The Journey, here we have a wonderful character piece for Shiro, who has seemingly been a prisoner of the Galra Empire for quite some time, has escaped their ship and found a couple of rebels on a backwater planet. The means of his escape, and especially his success rate, is suspicious (doubly so thanks to a comment made by one of the Galra soldiers as he escaped), but the story gives a lot of breathing space for some lovely character development. Always the leader, and unsung warrior, Shiro is briefly interrogated by the rebels as a Galra spy. The two rebels make wonderful supporting characters and provide some comedic respite in a particularly dreary episode. I particularly liked their realisation, after setting Shiro free with his own ship, that they are now left without a ship for themselves. Finally, after escaping with a Galra ship and following the flight path of Voltron for what seems like aeons, Shiro is reunited with his fellow Paladins. The episode is self-inclusive, balancing between a nice character-building process for the former prisoner and a chance for us to glimpse other rebels in the Universe. Tailing a Comet is a more traditional episode of Voltron, giving us a good old space battle that our heroes somewhat win. It's a difficult decision seeing as Prince Lotor has now acquired a vehicle that is just agile, powerful and durable as Voltron itself. The most interesting part of this episode though is its continuity. I'm all for continuity, mainly because it is a powerful mechanism for tying storylines together and giving the audience a chance to join the dots on a potentially complicated plot collage. In the midst of discovering Lotor is stealing a Teladuv, Princess Allura realises that he means to use Haggar, as we recently discovered in the finale of Season 2 is an Altean - someone who can conveniently control a Teladuv. Equally, one of Lotor's Generals turns out to be the lone Galra who joined Keith inside the belly of a Weblum all that time ago as they attempted to acquire scaultrite. All these details help to create wonderful setup for an upcoming conflict that could be rather catastrophic. Even more interesting is that we are now aware fully that Lotor is not following Zarkon and Haggar's original plan, but is independently plotting his own destiny. Arguably the best episode of Voltron is the season three finale as we get the origin story we all wanted. Initially, it seems reckless to introduce us to entirely different team responsible for Voltron, but the details are few and far between as we catch a glimpse of how Voltron came to pass and Zarkon turned against his friends to seek dominion of the Universe. The animation is particularly revolutionary for this episode and the action sequences remind me of the beautifully drawn Legend of Korra and Avatar: The Last Airbender. The story is perhaps more simplistic than these two masterworks, but there's enough here to give us a full account of the early decisions that gave the series its consequences. Perhaps a little rushed towards the end, but everything is covered, even the emotional ending for King Alfor as he is struck down by his own friend. The big revelation, however, is the origin of Haggar and her dealings with quintessence which she had acquired from an alternate reality. Succinctly, this was a fantastic way to end the series, giving us a great kick-starter for the much-anticipated fourth season as we see the action truly come into its own. All these details will be vital in moving forward as Voltron finally faces Prince Lotor with more experience regarding his plan and execution. For the record, I'm hoping the threat levels will increase - whilst the Prince is a brilliant villain, there's not enough threat to surmount to any consequences. However, we've still got all the members of Voltron to think about. Each has their own ambition and incentive - Princes Allura more than most as she attempts to avenge her father. Generally, things are looking exciting as we head towards a tumultuous chapter in this well-made series. The Journey - 8/10 Tailing a Comet - 8/10 The Legend Begins - 9/10 Overall - 8/10
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Keith, these are my people, and they could be our best hope of winning this war." The family-friendly science-fiction animation is back with a shorter third season. Never fear, however, as the fourth season is only two months away. Fans will be anticipating the answer to the second season cliffhanger, but it's clear early on that the answer to that question could be far from being revealed. Instead, Voltron decides to take a different route and shake-up the respective roles of the paladins. Indeed, there's a new perspective to get used to, but there's also the same old loveable characters, excellent battle sequences and a new evil in the Universe.
The premiere is a great start to the new season, instantly dropping us amidst the chaos of ongoing warfare, while simultaneously introducing us to the new big bad - Prince Lotor, the son of Zarkon. Not to mention the fact that the writers address the absence of Shiro, the Black Paladin, who has mysteriously disappeared following the skirmish with Zarkon previously. This discrepancy causes conflict between the Paladins as they attempt to reorganise Voltron and secure a strong leadership. Meanwhile, we have a very cool first glimpse of Lotor as he shows himself to be unconventional villain - one that has an immense arsenal of skill at his back, but with a merciful streak that contrasts with his father's ruthlessness. The three following episodes don't maintain the standard of the premiere, but they do give us the chance to adapt to the new order as Keith is given leadership of Voltron. Interestingly, this also leaves a space for Princess Allura to join in the fray as the new Blue Paladin, much to Coran's reluctance. The second and third episode deal with Lotor's cunning schemes to bring out the Paladin's of Voltron and overlook their strategies. The resulting chases and confusion may be a bit silly and unprofessional on the part of the Paladins, but there's great character development for Keith as he learns to keep a calm head and detract from making impulsive decisions as he is known to. Lotor continues to show a fresh side to the opposing menace as he and his group of mercenaries regularly cause Voltron mayhem and strife in their attempts to find comfort in the new order of command. Hole in the Sky, the fourth episode, is an interesting instalment in the series and is a chance for some fun science-fiction and alternate reality storylines. Initially, we're excited to perhaps get the chance to see more of Allura's people, as the Alteans are known for their power and wisdom, but it is quickly turned on its head as a reality where the Alteans have essentially enslaved other races in order to keep them in line and ensure peace in the Universe. I would've liked to have seen more coverage of the alternate Altean-people and perhaps a bit more of the culture, as the general portrayal seemed a bit bare, but with Slav and Sven (Shiro's alter ego) involved, it was a great laugh. So far, this is the same old childish show, with some exquisite animation, but there's a hint of a darker and more dangerous storyline ahead. Shiro still hasn't been discovered yet and neither has Pidge's brother, but with the addition of Prince Lotor - an enemy who seems to have the upper hand this time - things could get a bit more interesting. I'd like to see Hunk utilised in better fashion, however, as he seems to still be present for comic relief rather than as an important member of Voltron. Changing of the Guard - 8/10 Red Paladin - 7.5/10 The Hunted - 7/10 Hole in the Sky - 8/10 |
AuthorA very passionate Welsh nerd... Archives
October 2017
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