Musa: And tell her what, Stella, that we're all going on an emergency ski vacation?
Stella gives a really cute smile and pose here. Stella pretends to be talking on the phone with the nurse, using her hand, pretending to tell the nurse she has a cold and fever, fake sneezing the while. Bloom says that no one would fall for it. Stella says it's all in the delivery, and that since she's an expert with such excuses, she should cover for the rest of them. Musa complains that Stella just wants to avoid going to Tides. Musa's been in a kinda' sour mood lately. Wonder what's up with that. Stella says she needs to stay at Alfea to monitor the situation on Solaria, realizing that for King Radius not to recognize Stella must have taken a powerful spell. Stella also questions how Countess Cassandra and Chimera got enough power to turn her into a monster and take over Solaria. And of course, it's the power Baltor gave them. We see their marks in a flash-elsewhere on Solaria. Stella also mentions Beta being secondary to Alfea. Which makes sense, considering the names. I mean, Alfea being Alpha, Beta being... well, Beta. Layla atells Stella that she understands, that her world is in trouble too, and says that Stella needs everyone's support just as she does. And then group hug time! Aww!
A bit later, still in the girls' room, Tecna says that she and Timmy just created a small device that, if it works, it'll create small interdimensional passages through which they can travel. Musa questions the "if." Tecna says it is new. Not as confident as she once was. Guess being wrong a few times last season shot down her "I'm always right" attitude. The girls all enter, except Stella, who wishes them luck. Kiko is mesmerized by the portal. Stella's ready to call the nurse, but Amore's worried that Stella will say the wrong thing and get in trouble. In the nurse's office, the nurse seems to believe Stella, saying how bad it is for five students to get the flu in one day. She worries it's an epidemic. The nurse's younger assistant says it might also just be a test that's harder than usual. The assistant reminds me vaguely of Darcy, but with brown hair. Back in the girls' room, Stella says it's time for leisure. Amore says she was really convincing. But why did Stella says only five girls were sick? If she wasn't going to class, shouldn't she have also included herself, saying six girls were sick?
The portal brings out the girls straight to the throne room of Layla's castle. I wonder how good an idea it was to have the portal exit them out straight into the throne room, not thinking the king and queen might be worried it's an attack. But then, they didn't seem too worried about it, anyway. Maybe they just figured they were friends of Layla, since Layla was with them. Layla runs up to her parents to hug them, who get up from their thrones. Tecna is happy that her invention worked, though gets conked by it falling onto her head. Layla says the other girls are her friends, and want to help save Tides. Layla's father says that they should not have come, and her mother says that Baltor is the most dangerous enemy they've ever faced. Her father says that they can't ask outsiders to take such risks for them. Layla says her friends aren't outsiders. Her father says in that case, the decision is theirs, but they should know that since he escaped, Baltor has turned half of their mermaids into monsters, and taken their powers as his own, and that his army can't even find Baltor now, but suspect that he'll soon launch a major attack on Tides. Layla's mother knows she's strong, but worries for her safety. Bloom promises they'll protect her. I dunno', Bloom... you don't even really know just what you're up against yet....
Elsewhere, not too far, Baltor walks with the Trix, and Baltor senses Bloom nearby. Stormy says they can take care of her, and feed her and her friends to the mermonsters. Icy says better yet, they'll witch her up and bring Bloom straight to him. Baltor likes Icy's idea. And there's Stormy, looking all lovey-dovey at Baltor. It's the exact same scene as from the beginning of The Princess' Ball, but it doesn't work here. Why would Stormy not care that Icy just shot down her plan, and Baltor liked Icy's plan better? She should be giving Icy a death glare here! Guess that's one problem that comes with recycling scenes for later episodes... don't always fit properly for the later episode.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #1
Outside on Tides, the girls are by the sea. Layla says it used to be so pristine, and now looks like a wasteland. Bloom says the water is stagnant and lifeless. Bloom scoops up a little of the water, which looks oily in her hand. I hope the whole invasion is why Tides is ugly. But then, it also looked like this before Baltor escaped, so... maybe the sea predicted his escape, or... something? Bloom is started by a mermonster that jumps out near her. A look into the sea shows a lot of mermonsters randomly jumping around for no apparent reason. Tecna says they need to get a sense of what Baltor's power is really like, to figure out his weakness, so they should try to break one mermonster's spell, and if they succeed, they'll know how strong his magic is, as well as weaken his mermaid army. Layla says they could use the goodness restoration spell Palladium taught them last year. And cue the transformation sequence! Layla tells everyone to summon their strongest positive memories, as they bring a gentle energy ball to surround one of the mermonsters. Bloom tells her not to be afraid, and that she can trust them. Layla says they want to help her, but the mermonster just slaps near them, blasting them away.
From not too far, Baltor watches the Winx girls trying to bring a mermonster back to normal. Baltor comments about fairies always trying to help others, and how they actually believe it's the right thing to do. The Trix laugh. Maybe it's just Baltor talking tough, but it makes one wonder... does Baltor honestly believe that it isn't the right thing to do? Does he truly believe he's in the right? Or maybe I'm putting more thought into the line than was intended.
Back with the Winx girls, they try the restoration spell again, and it works! For a few seconds, anyway, until the mermaid changes back to the mermonster again, and immediately knocks Tecna into the water with her tail. Musa shoots music beats at the mermonster, who swims away. Flora makes a bad joke about the mermonster having different taste in music from Musa.
Back at Alfea, in the girls' room, Nova knocks on the door, saying there's an emergency. Stella asks if it's about Solaria, but Nova says it's nothing about that. We then see Griselda knocking on the door, with some tea, asking to see the sick girls. The girls are all there, giggling like crazy. Stella says how thoughtful it was of her. Griselda says they look better. Bloom, in a squeaky voice, says she feels a little better. Right after Griselda sets the tea down, Flora hops on over, nibbling strangely on some of the food on the tray. Griselda notices Bloom sounds bad, and says she must have a nasty throat bug, and to get some rest. As Griselda leaves, Nova, sneaks out a nearby room, back to Stella's, asking if Griselda bought it. Stella says yes, changing the "Winx girls" back to the pixies and Kiko, saying that Bloom shouldn't have talked, and Flora should have acted less rabbity. Kiko jumps into Stella's arms, and Nova giggles.
Back on Tides, the girls are flying away from a tidal wave, which crashes them onto the shore. Layla says her father was right, that Tides is too dangerous. Bloom says the wave was actually kinda' refreshing. Layla says she knows they'd never complain, but feels she's putting her friends at risk, and says that Baltor's going to release the other prisoners if they don't close the Omega portal soon. Bloom says that every time Baltor's name is mentioned, she gets weird visions of the destruction of Sparx, seeing things she couldn't have remembered because she was just a baby, with everything racing through her head until it all goes to black.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #2
Back where ever the Trix are, Icy plays with fire, saying the new power Baltor gave her is cool. Darcy and Stormy are jealous that Icy's his favorite.
Stormy: We know she's his favorite, but don't worry: she'll mess it up just like she always does.
Icy: Spoken like a real witch, but true, although perhaps Baltor will be different. Nah. Eventually he'll disappoint me, but in the meantime, it could be fun.
Um... OK... I love the sibling rivaly on Stormy's part, but why the heck is Icy saying that Stormy's right, that she'll mess it up? Since when does Icy ever admit she's fallible?! Anyway, they say they're going to get the fairies. Baltor steps out and says to save Bloom for him.
The Winx girls are flying, talking about how they'll save the mermaids, but the Trix sisters fly up to block them. They make the obvious comments of the Trix supposed to be locked away in the Omega Dimension, and the Trix make the obvious comments about feeling like leaving. The Trix start shooting fairly slow, random blasts at the fairies, until Stormy finally hits Flora, knocking her out of the sky. Bloom goes after Flora, but Icy freezes her wings. Of course, being the fire fairy, she just heats herself up to free herself from it quickly. Icy should've seen that coming, really. Layla goes to help, but winds up in a blast match with Darcy instead. Tecna and Musa go to Flora's aid, though, catching her right before she hits the water. Bloom and Icy have a struggle, Icy shooting ice blasts at Bloom, and Bloom shooting fire blasts at Icy. Icy doesn't even use her new fire power. Go figure.
From his little area, Baltor watches the fight, "feels" Bloom from where he is, and realizes Bloom is the lost heiress to the throne of Sparx.
Back on Tides, Bloom knocks Icy down, but she freezes some water to land on. Meanwhile, Layla sneaks up behind Stormy and Darcy to shackle them. How did Darcy not sense Layla sneaking up on her, anyway? That's really not like her at all, able to be sneaked upon like that. Stormy says it'll be easy to break, and the two fly off in different directions, but the shackles pull them back together, and they get tangled up in the wire. Icy is understandably embarrassed. So am I, really. The Trix aren't meant to be bumbling villains like this! She insists that she won't lose in front of Baltor. But the Winx girls, for reasons I don't understand, think the Trix are out of the way, completely oblivious to Icy standing there, out in the open. Icy shoots Bloom with a giant icicle, knocking her away.
Icy: Does it look like I'm out of the way?!
Anyway, I can only guess Bloom's knocked out cold, since she falls into the water. But a platform underneath her rises from the sea, with Bloom lying semi-conscious. And a mysterious figure approaches. Ooh, could it possibly be Baltor? Ooh, I wonder who it is!
COMMERCIAL BREAK #3
Baltor goes up to Bloom, saying they met on Solaria, and that he's Baltor.
Back with the fight with the other Winx girls versus Icy:
Flora: You hit Bloom in the back, that's low Icy!
Icy: And fighting four against one? What do you call that?!
Good point, Icy. That's not exactly "fair" either, Flora. Besides, you're fighting Icy! Since when does Icy fight fair, anyway? You really should expect that from the Trix by now! Anyway, they continue fighting, no one really hurting each other.
Back with Bloom and Baltor, Baltor tells Bloom not to be scared, that he doesn't want to hurt her, but just see her face to face. Bloom notes that he's destroying Tides and turning mermaids into monsters, and asks what he wants. Baltor says he wants what belonged to him a long time ago, to take his rightful place as the greatest wizard in the entire magical dimension, and he's here as an old and nearly forgotten courtesy to warn Bloom to stay out of his way. Bloom asks what he means by that. Baltor says they have a shared past, of something Bloom is too young to remember.
Meanwhile, back with the Icy fight, the Winx girls use convergence to shoot a blast at Icy. A slow blast that Icy doesn't even bother realizing she can just fly away. She must be losing it. The girls spot Bloom, and shoot blasts at Baltor. He just hops the blasts as if it were a game, and says even combined, Bloom and her friends are too weak to fight him. Baltor says he would have liked to have avoided it, but sees it is inevitable, that Bloom was born to be Baltor's enemy, and to challenge his rein, but later, as Bloom is too tired now, and an easy victory against Bloom would not be satisfying. Layla flies up to challenge Baltor, saying that Tides is her realm, and he's done here. She shoots random blasts that do nothing, and Baltor gets furious, taking away Layla's sight. Layla gets worried, suddenly not being able to see anything. Bloom just comforts her, saying they're there for her.
Back in his place, Baltor says Tides has nothing more for him. Icy asks where they'll go next. Baltor says they're going to the rest of the realms, all with more power for him to take.
So Baltor gave Icy a new fire power! Except Icy seemed to forget all about it during the fight. Why did they introduce the new power again?
And why did they go to Tides just to take on Baltor by themselves, without knowing anything about Baltor? Simply foolish. They really should have done a minimal amount of research, at least. Find out exactly who they were going up against and all, instead of just assuming they'd be able to easily take him out? Really.
On the up side, though, Nova again! Nice to see that she's got a recurring role.
6 out of 10 on the old scale.
