Layla: Remember, there are shadow monsters and gator hounds just waiting to gobble you up!
I love this little bit. Layla is making all the motions to try to scare Lockette, too! Lockette is scared off by Layla, but is determined to go with them anyway, that Bloom is her fairy. Then the other pixies start deciding that they're going to go as well. Even Digit says sometimes you can't rely on logic, despite admitting herself that the odds of their surviving a second trip is only 9.8%. Of course, if we're using logic here, then the odds of them surviving a second trip are the same as the odds of their having survived the first trip, considering they already survived the first trip.
Outside Alfea, the six Winx girls and five Specialists are boarding the ship. Timmy says he's modified the ship to be darkness resistant, so that it won't lose power when they touch down in the UnderRealm. Tecna says she's calculated that the ship is 50% too big to fit in any of the cave entrances to the UnderRealm. Brandon asks if they could just use magic to make the openings bigger. Riven and Flora say that magic won't work. Sky suggests Brandon ask Queen Amentia for assistance, to use one of her guardworms to break down a bigger entrance. Brandon wants nothing at all to do with Amentia. Sky teases Brandon, saying he's just scared. Watch Tecna in the background. She's getting such enjoyment out of watching Sky and Brandon arguing about Amentia! Faragonda says that Brandon should go, and that Sky and Layla should go with her. Now Brandon gets to laugh at Sky. Sky asks if Timmy will be all right without him. Timmy says Tecna can co-pilot. Faragonda says that if they stick together and believe, that they can prevail on this mission.
Layla, Sky, and Brandon head off, riding hoverbikes. Layla seems particularly psyched here. They go through a rocky area, until they find a small entrance to the UnderRealm. A couple of monsters attack the guys before they enter, though. Eventually, they take out the monsters.
From the ship, Timmy finds one of the entrance points, without their friends there. Helia notices the bad condition the bikes are in. Stella worries about what might have happened to them. Timmy says nothing's happened to them. Riven agrees, saying keeping a positive attitude was taught in heroics 101.
Stella: Reality 101: our friends are in danger, so don't tell me to pretend everything's peachy keen, OK Riven? I'm worried!
Riven may have a point, but let's face it: Stella would have good reason to worry if this were real life. Also, Stella gives a really cute "sugary" look when she says "peachy keen." Flora questions Riven, that he has to be t least a little worried. Riven admits that he is, but doesn't want to dwell on it.
Nearby, the Trix sisters float overhead. Icy asks how fast they can destroy the ship. Stormy says a second, but that wouldn't be fun. Darcy agrees, and wants to make them suffer.
In Shadowhaunt, Bloom is tied to a table, with a metal thingy over her mouth, so she can't scream. Guess it's Darkar's version of a gag. I thought Darkar might've been the type who'd like hearing the screams of a victim, but I guess not. Fake Avalon asks what Darkar plans to do with Bloom. Darkar explains how he needs both the darkness and the light to enter the realm of Realix, that the dragonfire and the shadowfire must be united, and then he will gain the ultimate power. He gloats over Bloom that she has no choice.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #1
Layla says she believes Downland is down a cliff they're by. Brandon just jumps down the slope, and Sky and Layla follow. At the bottom, Brandon declares it was fun, but Layla meant for them to use the leviboard. Brandon recognizes the crystals, so he knows they're near Downland. A Downlander, Gargantua, picks up Sky and Brandon, and asks for hygiene certificates to enter Downland. Brandon says they're trying to see the queen, but Gargantua still asks for hygiene certificates. Layla says they're friends of the Queen. Gargantua asks if they really are friends of the Queen. Sky says she and Brandon almost got married. Gargantua still says he has to ask a few questions.
Gargantua: When was the last time you showered, and what kind of soap do you use?
Brandon: Yesterday, and I use this beautifying body wash my girlfriend gave me.
Gargantua: Nope, that won't do. The Queen banned body wash. Bar soap kills more germs.
Sky tells Gargantua that Amentia will be furious when she finds out he turned Brandon away. Gargantua agrees to take them to Amentia, but tells them not to mention the body wash, and that Amentia expects all men to present her with the gift of a wild dragon feather. Layla says they're expert dragon wranglers. "Right?"
Brandon and Sky climb a cliff, and find a sleeping dragon. Brandon says it doesn't look so tough, but a scene later, they are running from the dragon. They jump into the river to escape, but the dragon does too. They get out, though, with Sky grabbing a feather, while the dragon gets washed away. I dunno' how "expert" that was, but they did get the job done!
Brandon: What if Amentia still has feelings for me?
Sky: The girls' not into you, Brandon, she's totally into Sponsus... unless... let's just hope she's not allowed to have multiple husbands.
Back on the ship, Timmy lands it. Riven says he's getting a signal. Helia says it's from Brandon, telling them to meet at rendezvous point C. Stormy blasts the ship with special lightning, that not only shorts the ship, but seems to keep all the electrical components messed up and frizzy-like. Timmy says it's going to get bumpy, and warns everyone to stay in their seats. Stella complains that she is too stressed to stay in her seat. On one hand, that's dumb. But on the other hand, when did the ship get back into the sky in the first place?! The ship is still on the ground when Stormy hits it, but a few seconds later, they're high in the sky! Use common sense, Timmy! Why would you send the ship far into the sky when there's such a more-than-likely chance of having it crash?! Timmy says there is major interference, and that the main system is crashing. Tecna transforms to her winx form, then sprouts out tentacle-ish green tubes from her back that connect to the controls.
Tecna: Timmy, consider me your new computer.
I guess this is to make up for the lame digital triangle last season! In Queen Amentia's throne room, Sponsus leads Brandon, Sky, and Layla to Amentia. Amentia says that she knows Brandon loves her, but that she's in love with Sponsus, so he'll have to just get over her. Amentia spots the dragon feathers. Brandon says they got them just for her. Amentia says they're wet and stinky, so they'll have to be punished. Layla says that it's not his fault, that he didn't mean to be rude. Amentia agrees, that he's still in love, and just has to get over her. Layla lets Amentia believe that, saying it is part of Brandon's heeling process, and continues, saying that they seek Amentia's help, that Lord Darkar is about to get the ultimate power, and will destroy everything, including Downland. Brandon asks Amentia to join them in fighting Darkar together. Amentia says that just because Brandon is a pretty boy with a symmetrical face, that it doesn't mean she'll fight alongside them. Brandon says it'd be a good strategy, but Amentia won't have it, saying that if she wants to fight alongside her, that Brandon will have to defeat her in one-on-one battle. Sponsus and Layla don't care much for the idea. Layla says that Brandon and Sky are both awesome warriors. Amentia thanks Layla for reminding her that "the blonde one" must also be tested, and he will fight Gargantua.
Back at the ship, Icy forms a large ball of ice above the ship, being help up by a skinny little stick of ice, soon to collapse, and soon to crush the ship.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #2
The giant ice ball is about to crush the ship. Chatta panics, but Flora goes out to handle it, using her Charmix to create giant vines to hold up the ice ball. Everyone else cheers Flora when she returns to the ship, and she giggles. Of course, wouldn't it have made more sense to just have Stella melt the ice? Icy is upset that Flora stopped it, and decides to give them her blizzard blanket, which produces a lot of snow. Oddly enough, the snowfall looks pretty light. Go figure.
Back in Shadowhaunt, Lord Darkar taunts Bloom for resisting him. He says her heart will turn dark. Bloom insists she won't let that happen. Guess Bloom forgot about the little incident when she was under his control.
Back in Queen Amentia's throne room, Amentia and Brandon start battling, with Amentia actually getting the upper hand. Sky and Gargantua battle as well. Layla asks Sponsus if he can stop this. Sponsus says that he has no say in what Amentia does, but that he can make a good cup of tea. Amentia says she's glad she didn't marry Brandon, since he's not a very good fighter. Brandon mentions that Sponsus can't fight. Seems like the logical thing to ask. Or to tease about. Amentia waves her arms in slow motion, then impossibly fast before punching him across the room.
Layla: Whoa, this is the best tea I've ever had.
Possibly the most hilariously "random" moment ever! Gargantua pushes Sky around, but Sky soon sends him flying across the room. Amentia says Sponsus may not be good with a sword, but he's great in the kitchen... then Gargantua lands on her. Sponsus is worried Amentia might be hurt. Amentia is impressed Brandon defeated her, and will fight with them. Awfully generous considering that Brandon was kinda' losing, and just got lucky that Gargantua just so happened to land on her.
Amentia: There's just one thing Brandon: I heard about the body wash.
Brandon: Uh, I'll switch to bar soap.
Amentia: Make that anti-bacterial bar soap.
Sponsus runs up to hug Amentia, but she steps out of the way, leaving him to fall on his face.
Amentia: My darling, how many times have I told you hugs are by appointment only! Won't warn you again!
She says it so happily, too. Back with the ship, the Trix sisters "know" the Winx girls and Specialists are doomed, so they leave. I'm sorry, but that's just dumb. They should know better than that. They should know to stick around just in case they escape. Darcy, try knocking some common sense into Icy and Stormy already!
Stella: This is my fave outfit, but I wish I'd worn something with shoulders.
Wow... a case where Stella admits that sometimes practicality beats fashion! Tecna says the temperature has dropped thirty degrees in the last two minutes, and the extreme cold is draining the ship's power. Musa says it's so cold that her pigtails are freezing. Sorry Musa, but Stella's better with the witty comments. Timmy says he and Tecna are close to coming up with a solution, and that they just need to make a few more calculations.
Stella: Forget it! No more stupid calculations! I'm gonna' go out there and use my Charmix!
Timmy: No Stella, we have a plan. Look, it's gonna' work.
Stella: You can plan all you want, but I'm in a tube-top dress, and it's ridiculously cold in here, so I'm gonna' go fix this right now!
Stella makes a hilarious exaggerated expression on "forget it," practically crashing into the television screen there! Whole this is great Stella, really! Stella activates her Charmix, then uses solar blast to melt all the snow outside, except for the big ice ball itself. Timmy says it worked, though, and that they're regaining power. Tecna says that the vines have caught on fire, though, and that the ice block will crush them. Timmy and Tecna do an emergency takeoff to escape the ice sphere. And all this could have been avoided if Stella had just melted that stupid ball of ice in the first place. And witches? This is exactly why it was stupid to just bolt like that. They escaped, and it's your fault!
Back in Shadowhaunt, Bloom yells, saying she will never been evil. Lord Darkar says that Avalon was a cloud spirit, the purest beings, and that if he can convert a cloud spirit, he can convert anyway. And he's probably lying, since we all know by now that this guy is not Avalon. Darkar's probably lying when he says fake Avalon was a cloud spirit. Course, no point in him telling Bloom that, I guess. It'd just diminish his point.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #3
In Downland, from the balcony of her castle, Amentia declares to her people that they are going to join the upworlders and get rid of Lord Darkar for good.
Sponsus: I'll pack you some of those sandwiches you like, dear.
A guardworm breaks through a cave near the ship. This is surprisingly more guardworm action than we saw back in "My Boyfriend's Wedding," where the guardworm supposedly captured them, or something, but was never seen. Brandon, Sky, and Layla exit with it. Stella is really happy to see Brandon. Sky says that Brandon even got out with both eyebrows intact. Riven says that he read that most girls wish their guys would groom their eyebrows. In the ship itself, Tecna tells Timmy how great his navigation skills are. Timmy tells Tecna her engineering skills are awesome, but Timmy would rather talk about him and Tecna, takes his glasses off, and goes in for the kiss. A G-rated kiss, mind you. And unlike Darcy, Timmy looks a lot better without his glasses on.
Tecna: Your boyfriend skills are not too bad, either.
Really cute moment there. Back at Alfea, in Faragonda's office, Griselda tells Faragonda that she's really worried about the girls. Faragonda asks if Griselda would feel comfortable conducting an assembly and attending a meeting with the board of magic education. Griselda says she thought Faragonda was doing those things, but Faragonda says she is going to Shadowhaunt herself to help out the girls. Whoa... that's possible? I mean, an important adult figure like Faragonda actually going to get her hands dirty, rather than just doling out semi-cryptic advice? Unheard of, but yay!
Back in Shadowhaunt, Darkar explains that Bloom will appear as light to the gates of Realix, but her hear will be dark. Bloom still defies Darkar, but he puts his spell on Bloom to change her back to Evil Bloom, again with the dark clothes and yellow eyes! So it's nothing to do with really converting Bloom... looks more like force. But whatever works, I guess.
Queen Amentia's gotten just more enjoyable since her appearances early in the season, while still being a lot snootier than Stella! Again, she shows just how great a fighter she is, and if not for getting splattered by Gargantua, she was so going to win against Brandon!
...as opposed to the Trix sisters. They seemed to be more "stereotypical villains" here, and less the more intelligent villains they normally are. Why not just destroy them? And then, why not make sure they're dead, before just "assuming" they'll die and head off? Sloppy, sloppy. I'm disappointed in you three.
And Tecna as the computer! So great a power, it bears its own special mention down here!
10 out of 10 on the old scale.
