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The Hunted
When starting something new, it’s normal to not be great at
it the first time. With the Paladins,
they’ve been on missions and formed Voltron for about the entire series. This time, they’re just getting used to their
new dynamic. One of the original Paladins
is gone, and some of the lions have new pilots.
They’re major changes from the norm they have to deal with, but Keith,
the newly appointed leader of the team, feels they can take on a serious
mission.
At the end of the previous
episode, he put a tracker on a ship belonging to Prince Lotor, son of Lord
Zarkon, and here he leads the Paladins to take him out. The beginning showcases just how big a change
the Paladins face. Lance and Allura in
particular have trouble controlling their lions which is understandable
considering they’re out of their comfort zone.
Heck, Allura learns the hard way that Voltron lions are not the same as
the castle. Keith is another main source
of the Paladins’ problems, and not because of his lion, especially since he’s flown the black lion before. It all has
to do with his leadership in which he’s overly aggressive with his teammates
when they’re having trouble, and doesn’t think logically through situations. It’s basically support towards his hesitation
for being the new leader, and it grows as he ends up leading everyone into a
trap.
Lotor observes the Paladins’ strategy,
and proves far more logical and strategical as a leader. He takes advantage of his enemies’ shortcomings
considering that they’re a mess while fighting and even fail to form
Voltron. His trap is on a planet called
Thayserix, with immersive gas and unbalanced magnetic poles. These conditions mess with the lions’ systems
which separates everyone. They can’t
even launch attacks because the gas is combustible, leaving Lotor free to
attack them hard.
Through it all,
Keith’s leadership is at its most problematic when he puts the mission above
teamwork. This wouldn’t be a big issue
if it wasn’t established throughout the series that teamwork is vital to the
Paladins’ success. However, when
conditions further separate the Paladins, there’s emotional satisfaction. Keith gets a moment of humility when he
realizes what his leadership has done.
Even more impressive is that Lance, the goof who’s often at odds with
him, is the one to give him emotional support to keep trying to lead well. I still say that Keith should have already
known the importance of teamwork, but I applauds this much of a humble backbone
from his support.
Allura also has strong
humility that follows up on her emotional weight from the previous
episode. By acting like Lance, she
surprisingly taps into his more vulnerable side by admitting her helplessness
to the blue lion. Not only does it
respond, but it even unlocks a new power of a sonar map. This helps her find all the Paladins and lead
them off of Thayserix once and for all, which is very rewarding after all their
hardships. The same is true for when they
finally form Voltron and take out Lotor’s fleet. It also feels like something was learned when
Keith suggests not going after Lotor and waiting until they’re ready, and I believe there’s a lot of truth to that message. Through
it all, Lotor still shows greatness as a villain where even though he was wrong
and the Paladins can form Voltron, he still believes he can win.
A few key messages may be lost, but those
this episode does teach are highly impactful, enhancing the appeal of everyone
adjusting to their new strategy.
A-
Season 3 Rankings
1. Red Paladin
2. Changing of the Guard
3. The Hunted
The next review brings us to an alternate reality where it's suggested that maybe Allura's origin planet of Altea wasn't as moral as she gives them credit for.
If you would like to check out other Voltron: Legendary Defender reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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