#catra going back for adora despite adora not believing she’s worthy of it…….parallels me thinks | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thoughtfulfangirling · 4 years

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Something I've been wanting to write about for some time is how thoroughly the arc between Glimmer and Adora in season 4 parallel Catra and Adora's relationships and in this way, creates space for Catra's redemption, both for the characters in universe and for us as the audience. (btw who edits or revises things before posting them? Not me! Good luck!)

I remember thinking while watching season 5 for the first time and observing Catra and Glimmer's bonding, how Glimmer isn't quite as angry with Catra as one might expect given Catra's actions resulting in Angella's sacrifice. But it occurred to me: Glimmer's mistake just before the events of season 5 could have been just as destructive as Catra's in season 3, wherein that sacrifice took place.

Since then, I've been pretty blown away on the similarities between these arcs, and it came to a sort of head today while rewatching the first episode via Netflix Party with a friend of mine who is also still reeling over the season 5 finale.

In the first episode, Adora refuses to let Catra come back with her to the Whispering Woods to find what called out to her. She does this despite Catra's wanting to go with her because Adora fears that the consequences to Catra if they're caught would be too great. This means Catra isn't there when Adora makes her discovery about the Hoard. Catra isn't there nor a part of the decision of Adora's to abandon the Hoard. What might have been different if Adora had allowed her to come along?

But that's the thing. At that point in time in that first episode, it's not just Catra grossly influenced by the manipulations and abuses of Shadow Weaver, but even while more subtle, it's just as prevalent in Adora, and her acting on that which lays at least one foundational brick in the wall that springs up between them.

It's very well articulated in this Fandomentals article how Adora had to draw in on herself and her impulses and be the best that she can be in order to protect Catra.

"Adora wasn’t always like this. Her goofball side shows up lots of times in young adulthood, and we see that as a kid she wasn’t afraid to get in a bit of trouble. Not only did she tease Octavia to goad a violent reaction for her and Catra’s amusement, the excursion into the Black Garnet chamber was arguably her idea. That unfortunate encounter clearly stuck with Adora despite her not being the one who got in trouble...

...The thing Catra does not realize is that part of Adora’s drive to be good in Shadow Weaver’s eyes came from a desire to protect her. Shadow Weaver made Catra out to be a bad influence and threatened her because of it. If Adora was really really good and showed that Catra was not having a negative effect on her, then Shadow Weaver would have no reason to follow through."

And this drive to protect becomes a habit for Adora, a driving need. It's tied very much into the idea that if she can just keep doing everything she can to keep someone safe, she can keep bad things from happening to those she loves.

She carries this into her new relationships, and notably here, with Glimmer. It's only enhanced by Adora's feelings of always sacrificing her self for what she can do for others in the S3 finale when she has to sit on the sideline while Angella sacrifices herself in what Adora feels is her place. Not only does Adora walk away from that moment feeling that unless she can save the world, it should have been her, but she interprets Angella's last command to "take care of each other" as an order for Adora to protect Glimmer. It might also be worth nothing that the season ends with Adora being clear with Catra that she is done covering for her, that it's time for Catra to bear the responsibilities of her actions for herself and that Adora no longer accepts responsibility for her. I think it's not unlikely that this creates a bit of a vacuum for Adora, one which Angella seemed to suggest someone else for which to fill.

And the ramifications of that pulse ever more strongly as season 4 progresses. Adora hides behind the idea that this new sense of protectiveness for Glimmer is because Glimmer is the queen, but anyone can see that Glimmer needs to be a part of things and is more competent and capable than ever, and so it seems only reasonable to assume that Adora has gotten caught up in this protection impulse. And while Glimmer's own sense of desperation at the Hoard's advances and the death of her mother propel her ever ready anger and frustration, Adora's need to keep leaving Glimmer behind drives a wedge down between them. It's easy to see Glimmer's anger and her sharp tongue and her bursts of frustration as at fault and the cause of these issues—just like it is easy to see Catra's impulsiveness and possessiveness to appear to be the cause of all her and Adora's issues. But in reality, it's a two person game. Adora's behaviors are at least as destructive to these relationships, if less obviously visible.

So just like Adora makes a decision about going to the Whispering Woods and defect from the Hoard after leaving Catra in the Fright Zone, Adora leaves Glimmer behind at the end of Season 4 to, as she did in the beginning, do what was right at all costs.

Between getting information Adora doesn't get about Horde Prime arriving at any moment to Etheria followed by the blow that once again, just like many times before this season, Adora and Bow have gone off on a mission on their own, she makes a rash decision to try and use The Heart of Etheria.

In season 3, Adora tells Catra not to open the portal or the world could be destroyed. In season 4, Adora tells Glimmer the Heart of Etheria cannot be used without the world being destroyed. Catra pulls the lever, and Glimmer activates The Heart. The consequences of Catra's actions result in Angella's sacrifice. The consequences of Glimmer's actions pulls Etheria out of Despondos, into the path of Hoard Prime, and causes Adora to lose She Ra.

It's arguable what all Glimmer could be aware in regards to these consequences by the time she is taken prisoner, but it stands to reason she might truly believe, in the confines of ship and her cell until she hears further from Prime, that Adora could have been right, and she could have been transported off a planet just before it's destruction. Certainly she believes that the scale of her mistake is quite grave as she truly has a sense of carrying a hell of a burden.

So I think there's some awareness there, when it's Catra and Glimmer, lost in space in brand new and uncharted, horrifying waters that there is a certain likeness of their experiences. It created the space, I think, for Glimmer to recognize how easy it is to make catastrophic mistakes out of anger and pain and even well intentioned desperation. It shows the audience that given faith in Glimmer's heart and intentions and her own remorse, she is worthy of forgiveness.

And it just strikes me that it had to be Glimmer. Glimmer had to be the first to see this good in Catra, and it had to be Glimmer who saw hope in her, because Glimmer lost the most to Catra, something that can't be recovered.

The episode in which it's decided to go back to save Catra is one in which Glimmer spends the entire episode seeking Bow's forgiveness for a wrong even she feels she can never make up for and is only resolved when she says that she can't expect it but that she won't give up. She knows what it means to have messed up irreparably and that this doesn't mean one should just stop trying.

Glimmer: Look, I know you're still mad at me. Maybe you'll be mad at me for a really long time. I deserve it! And maybe— Maybe we'll— Maybe we'll never be friends like we used to be. But I'm not going to stop trying to make it better. I made a mistake with the Heart of Etheria. I should have listened to you, and I'm sorry. You get to be mad, for as long as you need to be. But I'm not going anywhere, and when you're ready, I'll be here.

Adora witnesses this, and it's then that she truly decides they need to go back for Catra. When she approaches the topic, the 'camera' is on her and Glimmer. Bow is there, but she's telling Glimmer, rambling as she tries to get to the point, knowing what Catra took from Glimmer specifically because she needs Glimmer to understand and, I think, give her this blessing, because it's Glimmer who was most hurt by Catra's past bad actions. And Glimmer gives it.

Glimmer: Catra sacrificed herself to save me. Whatever you need to do, I'm with you.

Angella is gone, but Catra is still here. Glimmer knows what it is to mess up profoundly, and she also felt real horror and trauma imprisoned on the Hoard ship. It certainly means Something that Catra risked everything to get Glimmer out, and I think even that it means something that she did it to protect Adora, just like Angella in many ways made her sacrifice largely as a means to protect and save Glimmer.

It is meaningful and impactful that Glimmer plays such a large role in Catra's redemption and that she is cheering her on as she walks the difficult path of admitting and making up for past mistakes. Catra, in some ways, learned how to make things right from Glimmer. Catra watched as Glimmer came to her to end the Hoard's reign at the end of Season 4. Catra watches the realization hit Glimmer that her choice was wrong, destructive as she collapses on the ground being sapped of her power.

Glimmer: Adora was right! Light Hope, used me. She activated the Heart!

Catra: So? I thought you wanted to win. Use your weapon.

Glimmer: I can't! It would destroy everything. I have to try and stop it.

Catra clearly followed Glimmer as she struggled back to the Black Garnet to attempt to destroy the garnet and make right the wrong she did. She must have watched Glimmer strike impotently at the garnet until she collapsed. And finally when they are stuck on Hoard Prime's ship together, and they know Adora is on her way to attempt to rescue Glimmer, Glimmer makes that statement, "Do one good thing in your life."

Catra's redemption has so many moving parts. The show really took it's time to put so many pieces in place, from everything it did with Shadow Weaver (oh hey, also note Shadow Weaver's presence with Glimmer and how it effects her and Adora's relationship too in S4), Entraptra, Scorpia, Double Trouble, etc to put Catra emotionally just in the right place to really hear Glimmer. And part of why she can hear Glimmer, is because she just witnessed Glimmer in her place. She shouts at Glimmer after those words that she knows nothing about her, but the truth is, I think Catra was seeing quite a bit of herself in Glimmer just then, and found herself wanting. So, finally, she strove to do better.

It honestly is just so beautifully done. I can't blame anyone for wanting more time with Catra's redemption, but I do think it was well earned. Glimmer offers a good prep in how a character can be misled and even estranged by the protagonist that leads to bad places. It creates a point of understanding and an example for the in universe characters to jump off of. I definitely saw in Glimmer's enthusiasm for Catra's joining the team a sense of 'if they can forgive her, then they can forgive me.' And it doesn't seem unlikely that Catra even had the exact same thought when she decided to risk Prime's wrath to save Glimmer. Despite her cynical nature, I think she found a spark of hope in her, and she made a leap of faith.

And I think in this way too, we were more ready to accept Catra's redemption. So many pillars were put up in many places by the creators, and even while I can't fault anyone for wanting some tweaks or changes, I think spop did a fantastic job on this redemption and felt it truly earned by the end of the season.

But then again, I might be biased in laying so much credit on Glimmer, cause Glimmer did nothing wrong, and they had to forgive her, and she’s wonderful and perfect!

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