Back outside Alfea, Miss Faragonda tells Saladin and Codatorta that, according to Tecna's and Timmy's advanced warning system, there's a major invasion on the way. Codatorta doesn't understand what good the warning system is. Good point. I mean, they all know that they're up against impossible odds, right? Codatorta feels that this could be the end. Faragonda tries to get Codatorta to be more optimistic, telling him that the girls put together a pep rally for the fight ahead.
Codatorta: That's youth talking.
It's not that he's pessimistic. He's just being realistic. If this weren't a kids' cartoon, the Trix sisters probably would win. Flora, Tecna, and Musa run up to Miss Faragonda, warning her of something coming, materializing in the field. It's Stella, Miss Griffin, Knut, Brandon, Riven, and the other witch students. Flora mentions that it's the imprisoned witch girls. How did Flora know they were imprisoned, anyway? Miss Faragonda and Miss Griffin walk up to one another. They both remember a time when Griffin turned a sorority at Alfea into goats, and she left seven inches tall in a jar. They seem to be looking back at this as a happy memory, too. I guess sort of how a mature adult looks back at fun youthful pranks, or something. Random specialists are all happy to see Brandon back at Alfea; Riven looks hurt that none of them seem to acknowledge he is also back. Of course, being Riven, he's going to pretend he doesn't care, but he's obviously hurt here. Flora, Tecna, and Musa ask Stella where Bloom is. Stella tells them that Bloom was supposed to be back at Alfea, that she and Sky stayed behind to keep the monsters from entering to portal, but were supposed to come right back to Alfea.
Back in the forest, Bloom tells Sky that walking through Blackmud Swamp would be quicker, but Sky tells her that the tree tops of the forest will offer better cover. Hasn't Sky learned a thing by now? The Trix sisters have as heavy surveillance as Dr. Claw. They know every move everyone is making. They can't hide. Sky's just being stupid again. Bloom tells Sky she's scared, that without her powers, she's just a helpless Earth girl. Sky tells her she's the Princess of Sparx, but Bloom says the only thing that made her the important princess of Sparx was the dragon fire, which she no longer has. Prince Sky reminds Bloom of when she told him that when she found out Prince Sky was Prince Sky, that it did not change who he was. When did she say that? Oh yeah, she didn't. A voice calls out to Bloom to go to Lake Chrysalis. Gee... "chrysalis." Do you suppose this lake's name is just a weird coincidence? The name alone pretty much gives away what's special about this lake. Bloom tells Sky she thought she heard a voice, though Sky says he didn't hear anything.
At Cloud Tower, the Trix sisters are, indeed, watching Brandon and Bloom walking through the forest. And Sky thought they couldn't be seen in the forest... just so stupid. Stormy wants to puke, watching Sky and Bloom walking through the forest. Darcy wants to puke because the witches are with the fairies. Icy thinks it's all amusing. Darcy warns that Bloom's headed toward Magix, but Icy writes Bloom off as something they don't need to worry about, and Stormy agrees. Icy, Icy, Icy... have you learned nothing from past evil geniuses? You should never just write off what seems to be a non-threat, because it will always be much more detrimental to your success than you are currently aware! It seems more appropriate for Stormy to carelessly write off Bloom, at least. Just Icy who needs to show a little more responsibility, you know, being the leader, and all.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #1
At night at Alfea, Faragonda, Griffin, Saladin, and Codatorta are all in Faragonda's office. Miss Faragonda says that the Trix sisters told Bloom they were part of the original coven. Codatorta says that they were banned for eternity from coming to school in Magix, and no headmistress is allowed to override the rule. Miss Griffin does not appreciate the accusation, telling them that the Trix sisters claimed to be from a more benign realm, though she did wonder why her parents never came to conference week. I guess that does not happen often in Magix. Pretty common occurrence on Earth anyway.
Outside Alfea, the Army of Decay is back on the attack, with flying leeches in addition to the flying stingrays, bug soldiers, and giant soldiers. Several fairies are seen fighting--not one witch, though. Weren't the witches supposed to be here at Alfea too, helping with the fight? One of the leeches knocks Flora down, for some reason, not in Winx form. Why were the girls, save for Stella, not yet in Winx form? They need to be a bit more prepared. The girls all transform to their Winx forms. Including Stella, despite already being in her Winx form. Seems odd that she'd do the transformation when she's already in her Winx form. Stella preforms a relocation spell right as a giant soldier is about to smash them, and Flora performs her vine wrap on it. Tecna and Musa blast a second giant soldier, but its remaining bug parts turn into four regular-sized bug soldiers, and the giant soldier in the vine wrap escapes from the vines.
Back in the forest, Bloom and Sky are sitting around a campfire. Bloom tells Sky she has a bad feeling, and she doesn't think they should stop. Sky tells Bloom they need to get some sleep. Sky says he couldn't sleep either on his first mission, so he just closed his eyes and thought of home. Bloom says she can't, because she doesn't know where her home is. Sky tells her about her home in Gardenia. Sky's right this time. Seems almost like Bloom was forgetting her own family in Gardenia. They should count for something, after all, being the people who've raised Bloom all her life.
Back outside Alfea, more monsters are coming. Riven and Brandon both attack one of the bug soldiers, but it repairs itself instantly. Riven reminds Brandon of a move they learned in double duel class, and they bring it down with the attack... for a few seconds. It gets right back up afterward. Kiko digs a hole in the ground as a leech is about to eat him. He looks kind of drunk. Where is Pepe, anyway? Why isn't Pepe with Kiko here? One of the stingrays carries Tecna off, though she expands her wings to their hang glider form to destroy it. Codatorta is grabbed by one of the bug soldiers, though Saladin is there to save him.
Codatorta: I'm fine. Don't tell any of the boys about that.
A random specialist yells for someone to do something about the flying stingrays. And yes, the boy really did call them flying stingrays. Nice to know that I've been calling them by an appropriate name this whole time. Timmy takes some shots at them, but misses. Tecna takes care of one that is about to take Timmy down, and in return, Timmy shoots down a few that are after Tecna. No comment. Except that comment, and this comment explaining that first comment. Miss Faragonda and Miss Griffin float above the school in a bubble, sending out a bright light that destroys several of the monsters... but again, they come back to life. Miss Faragonda worries that she does not know what to do.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #2
Back in the forest, Sky wakes Bloom up, telling her they should get going. The voice--Bloom now recognizes it as Daphne--tells Bloom, again, to come to Lake Chrysalis. Bloom asks again if Sky heard the voice, but again, Sky didn't hear it.
Back at Alfea, in the morning, Faragonda asks why the Trix sisters pulled back their forces. Miss Griffin tells her that the Trio are toying with them. Saladin thinks that maybe they're weakening, but Miss Griffin says that doesn't matter anyway, that they can't beat the Army of Decay unless they are able to take out the Trix sisters themselves.
Outside Alfea, everyone is pooped. Stella and Brandon are sitting down next to each other. Stella worries that they won't be able to survive another attack. Brandon tells her not to worry, that he'll protect her, but Stella says it'll be she who protects him. Brandon insists he won't be a squire forever. Stella asks if he means he'll become a knight or a man at arms. Brandon says yeah, but Stella comforts him, saying that doesn't matter to her. To look at her parents, the king and queen of Solaria, and see how great their relationship is. Stella is such a sweetie. Not sure how anyone could dislike her. So much more to her than her superficial cover. Musa comes up to tease Stella's relationship. Not trying to be mean, just teasing Stella in jest. Flora defends Stella's relationship. Stella magically creates a pillow to throw in Musa's face to knock her down. Also just in jest.
Musa: That's fighting with magic! It's against the rules!
Brandon: Ha! You sound like Griselda.
Stella: No snide comments, please. Only I can torment my friends.
Yay! Been a while since we've had a great Stella line. Stella starts worrying about Bloom. Brandon tries to comfort her, telling her Bloom will be back. Timmy and Riven come up to them, telling them that Miss Faragonda has called an assembly.
Miss Faragonda, and the entrance of Alfea, tells all the students how bravely they've all faught, but that the battle is not over, and they must muster all they've got. The four Winx girls all look, especially Musa, and especially especially Flora, all look pissed at hearing Faragonda's words. Seems an inappropriate reaction. I have to wonder what Miss Faragonda was telling them in the Italian version... Miss Griffin tells everyone that she knows they can win if they all work together, and at that moment, the Army of Decay comes back swarming into Alfea. Kiko peeks out of his hole, only to hurry back in upon seeing the monsters. Stella complains that there're thousands of the monsters.
Back in the forest, yet again, Bloom notices the Army of Decay headed straight for Alfea. Sky says they need to hurry for Magix immediately, but Bloom tells him that she needs to go to Lake Chrysalis. Sky says he'll go with her, but Bloom tells him she needs to go alone. I can understand that Bloom needs to do something at Lake Chrysalis by herself, but it might be a good idea for Sky to at least bring Bloom to Lake Chrysalis, to make sure she's not attacked along the way. I mean, she is still powerless, after all, and Sky has no way to know that Icy's being too cocky to bother with Bloom.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #3
Back outside Alfea, the Army of Decay is on the attack again. After a giant soldier tries to crush Timmy, Riven slices it up. Brandon catches ride on a flying stingray that knocked him down, and proceeds to slice it. One of the giant soldiers randomly decides to climb one of the towers of Alfea as if it were King Kong, and knocks the tower to the ground. Flying leeches and stingrays are swarming toward the Winx girls, and Musa asks Stella to teleport them to behind the monsters. Musa gathers the other Winx girls inside her protective disco ball, and sends out a blast from it to destroy several of them. Musa and Tecna blast at some more bug soldiers on the ground. Miss Faragonda tells the fairies to concentrate all their powers for a single attack. Miss Griffin tells her witches to unite their powers with the fairies for the attack. That thought probably makes most of the witches sick to their stomachs. Then again, while several students are shown concentrating their attacks, they're all fairies--why aren't the witches actually here, helping? A large orange bubble is formed around Alfea, and all of the monsters are destroyed.
At Cloud Tower, Stormy is screaming because all of the attacking monsters were defeated. Icy says this isn't fun anymore. All the Trix sisters agree that it's time to pay them a personal visit, to take on all the fairies and witches themselves.
In Magix, Sky arrives, only to find the place abandoned and destroyed. Sky doesn't believe how empty the place is, and calls for anyone who may be there.
At Lake Chrysalis, Bloom asks for Daphne, saying that she is ready for her destiny, as she steps into the lake.
There was, at least, one standout spot in the episode: Stella and Brandon's little talk, about Brandon wanting to become more than just a squire to impress Stella, and Stella telling him how that isn't important. That was sweet. And amusing once Musa butted into the moment. Speaking of Musa, she wasn't annoying in today's episode. Wish Musa were like this more often.
...then again, some people may have seen Musa's interrupting Stella's moment as just completely obnoxious.
6 out of 10 on the old scale.
