In Shadowhaunt, the pixies are still trapped in the green magical barrier. Tune complains that some runebats outside are chewing their food too loudly, and Chatta agrees. Digit says the runebats only eat once a year, and that they aren't chewing, but making a predatory call intended to scare them. Chatta gets annoyed with Digit's logic, and the two get into an argument, and Tune, annoyed with it all, yells at the runebats to be quiet please. With the "please" being screamed from the top of Tune's lungs. Lockette sadly goes over to the edge of the barrier, looking over at where Charmy once was, sad that she's gone. Um... she's dead? I mean, 4Kids may not have actually used the word, but at least they're not trying some sort of lame cover up either. I mean, you could reasonably write off their not using the word "dead" since it might upset Lockette. Lord Darkar, spying as always, changes into a snake to go into their cage and threaten them, still wanting to know where the pixie village is. Darkar Snake wraps around the pixies, and even licks poor Chatta, insisting the pixies tell him where the pixie village is. Lockette and Chatta ultimately tell him, but he threatens that they'll regret it if they're not telling him the truth.
Back outside the cave, to get to the place where Sky should use the PHA, Layla figures they could snowboard down a nearby slope, except without the snow. Sky and Layla do just fine, but Bloom and Stella have trouble, as Bloom falls off, and Stella crashes into a large rock, breaking it. Only Stella is disgusted when Sky tells her it's actually petrified monster poop. It means there're tunnels nearby, though, but Sky thinks he's found a spot they could use the PHA.
Bloom: And what if it's just solid rock?
Sky: We'd implode.
Whatd'ya know? A funny Prince Sky line. He just says that so casually and happily, too. Brandon, Layla, and Sky exit the portal immediately, but Stella doesn't get through until the last second, leaving Bloom worried that she's been trapped inside the wall until then. Even managed to get a worm on her, grossing her a bit, but Layla's declared that they've finally made it to Shadowhaunt.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #1
In Queen Amentia's palace in Downland, Sponsus and others are getting Brandon prepared for marriage, and they must give Brandon seven doses of pristine complex-B, received with seven shots in the butt. Angry, Brandon throws all the clothes being prepared on the floor, as the guys all worry and try to clean up the mess Brandon made. But right then, Queen Amentia enters the room, very upset to see the clothes scattered on the floor, and wants to know who did it. She immediately goes for Sponsus, but Brandon owns up and admits he did it. Amentia doesn't believe him, though, and just thinks he's being sweet, taking the blame for the servants.
Meanwhile, back outside Shadowhaunt, our quartet tries to think how they'll get over the large chasm to get inside.
Layla: We can take that bridge.
Sky: I don't think Stella's going to want to go up there.
Stella: Sounds to me like you're the one who's scared. Maybe you should hang tight and let the fairies take it from here. You're slowing us down, anyway. Without you, we could just fly.
Bloom: We're not flying, Stell.
Stella: Oh, right, because why use our magic?
Bloom: Stell, because! Our winx drains big time down here! We have to save it for when we really need it!
You can just visualize Stella rolling her eyes when she gives her last line there. And how great it is to see Stella trying to toughen herself up by passing the buck over to Sky. I mean, hey, she can fly, and Sky can't, so by taking some of the facts, and ignoring others. Kinda' trying out her own Tecna-ish logic, except not really as well as Tecna does it. On the other hand, though, it is still a great exchange. Goes along nicely with one a little later, when they're crossing the bridge:
Stella: You people are forcing me to admit it, I'm still scared of heights! There, I feel better now.
Bloom: We knew that already, Stell.
Stella: That's embarrassing.
Ooh, poor Stella. Trying to release her burden, not even noticing that everyone else knew already. One of the reasons we all love her! Back at Alfea, though, Tecna is taking a shower. And rapping in the shower.
Tecna: If E equals MC squared's a fact, just add a spell and then subtract!
I actually found this amusing--even more surprised Lori did, too! Maybe something about a nerd, generally not knowing how to have fun, trying to rap about math... just something funny about it. Might also be that her voice just sounds so anti-rap... The Rapping Librarian! No one would ever see it coming! After getting out of the shower, Tecna finds her computer frozen, meaning someone's tried to hack into it, and she thinks it looks serious, despite Musa saying that it's probably nothing serious, and that she's just worried because of their friends' mission to Shadowhaunt. Tecna walks out onto the balcony, still worried about why her computer froze, as Livy, flying around on a message, crashes into Tecna's computer. Tecna picks her off, and she flies up, saying she's all right, but then she falls to the ground, then crashes into the ceiling, and falls back to the ground. After Tecna and Musa make her a little more comfortable, she tells them she's the pixie of messages, and that she was delivering a message to Red Fountain, but when she went back to the pixie village, everyone was gone, and she needs to tell someone named Faragonda. Then Piff pops out from under a pillow, and Livy is so happy to see Piff, hugging and crying. Even though Musa and Tecna had already told Livy that Piff was OK, and as such, they realize Livy's a bit on the forgetful side.
Back right outside Shadowhaunt, the quartet is still crossing the bridge, and Stella is still a nervous wreck crossing the rickety bridge. Layla swings on a vine to quickly get there, and get to the pixies, all very happy to see her. She tells the pixies that she brought backup to help this time. Still on the bridge, Stella looks like she's about to vomit, and Bloom worries that Stella is getting weaker, but right then, someone blasts at Bloom and Sky, and whatd'ya know? It looks like our favorite Trix trio is back for some revenge! Finally!
COMMERCIAL BREAK #2
Before any real fighting, the six all have some reminiscing about old times, all the fun they've had beating the witches, and the fun the witches should've had ruling everyone... but enough reminiscing! Time for some butt-kicking on our Trio's part, and they don't seem to have lost their touch! Course, our heroes are weaker, so it helps them, anyway.
Meanwhile, inside Shadowhaunt, Layla is still trying to free the pixies, and changes to her winx form to try, repeatedly, ultimately giving her very strongest attack, but still without luck. Darkar's pet runebat, who earlier must have been sent to go to find the pixie village where the pixies said it was, tells Darkar that they'd lied. Meanwhile, Layla's getting very hands-on trying to destroy the shield, which she succeeds, freeing the pixies.
Back right outside Shadowhaunt, the witches are still fighting. And winning, as Stella and Bloom finally decide to change to their winx forms. It doesn't really help enough, though, as the witches still defeat Stella and Bloom quite easily, with Sky on his own to defeat the witches, until Icy finally uses the ever-popular ice coffin on Sky. He still has one last shot, though, to destroy the bridge, so it'll crash right into Icy, but Icy spots it before it hits, and she freezes and destroys it. Layla comes out right then to try to stop these obviously evil witches, but she can't do very much either. Right then, though, a glowing angel-like figure appears before the witches.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #3
The angel-winged glowing man helps to heal the fairies and free Sky from the ice coffin, as well as very easily defeating the Trix sisters. He introduces himself as a paladin, and that helping them out is just his job, what paladins do. Stella and Bloom are absolutely gaga over the guy, because of his dashing looks and bravery. Sky's a bit jealous. Ha! The pixies all fly toward the quartet, all giggly and happy, all hugging and crashing into Layla. And right away, Amore latches right onto Stella.
Amore: You're so beautiful.
Stella: And you're so adorable!
Sky: Stella's returning a compliment? What's that about?
Layla explains that pixies will bond with their soulmate-like fairy at first sight, and that's what happened with Stella and Amore. Soon after, Lockette latches right onto Bloom. Digit notes that Layla should not have been able to break through the barrier, and Layla agrees, and that along with the paladin, Layla suspects something's up. Stella doesn't give her time to think about it much, though, telling them that they still need to save Brandon from being forced into marrying Queen Amentia.
First, the Trix sisters... always nice to see them. Even nice to see them winning, until some highly improbable situation just had to defeat them. There's always gotta' be something to ruin their fun!
The pixies... Chatta seems very hyper-aware of her own pronunciation, as if she had speech problems at some point in her life. How ironic that would be for Chatta, of all pixies, to have had a speech impediment!
Tune, just too cool, trying so hard to be polite, even when screaming her head off.
Nice to see Stella back in classic form today. Even if, for the most part, she wasn't too helpful today... but with Brandon in trouble, methinks she'll be of great help the next show!
Flora was completely absent from the episode. I think it's the first episode since the very first episode that did not have all five of the main winx girls in it.
8 out of 10 on the old scale.
