Part 2 of Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation did what fans clamored for and turned the dial up to 11. It’s almost as if the episode splits were intentional to keep us from being too well fed all at once. While it’s interesting to see Netflix adopt this release strategy on an animated series, the wait is still well worth it for the underlying payoff and subsequent setup. If you felt the first half of the show moved slowly in terms of action, they more than make it up in this back half loaded with many great moments.
If you haven’t already, read Tucker’s part 1 (spoiler-filled) review to get caught up on where we left off with Teela, Prince Adam, and Andra. But back to mine, Kevin Smith pulled a second half that is even better than the first. Thanks to the time spent alongside Evil-Lyn, The Sorceress, and Teela we know even more of the reliance on magic in Eternia. As I thoroughly enjoyed the series and the surprises showed throughout and want you to do the same when this second half of the series arrives on Netflix on November 23rd, I’ll keep my spoilers to a minimum.
Picking up from Skeletor’s grand victory as he wields the sword and exclaims “I have the power!” and transforms into an impressive and beefier version (I’m aware of how weird that sounds) ready to take over the universe. Many of you have wanted to actually see what the Power feels like when wielded by someone ready to strike with its full force. Oddly enough, it is not Skeletor that does this but He-Man. As we saw in the Part 2 Trailer (below) – Prince Adam is able to call upon the power without having to wield the sword.
But that is where the show transcends everything from the first half – gratuitous action to balance out the adventurous tales we already experienced with Teela. Savage He-Man (as I will call him for now), reminded me of the rage that Hulk brought forward in Avengers: Age of Ultron after Wanda messes with Hulk’s mind. Savage He-Man is untethered and goes right into nonstop punching, intending to wipe Skeletor’s face with the entire might of Eternia.
Part 2 felt like a different show from the first five episodes, and I mean that in the best sense possible. Although Prince Adam (and to some extent, Evil-Lyn) is literally stabbed in the back by Skeletor who was hiding alongside Evil-Lyn in her staff, this moment felt minor in the shadow of magic. In a flashback setting up things that unravel at the end, we see Man-At-Arms and the Sorceress tearfully embrace before she becomes the guardian of Castle Grayskull and magically bound inside its walls. Teela channels energy she wasn’t aware of beforehand, rescues Prince Adam from certain death, and the Sorceress intervenes by protecting them from Skeletor and teleporting them away.
While the first part focused on deception, the latter is now focusing on honesty, compassion, and the other traits that truly make up a hero. As we know, Prince Adam constantly returns the power and reverts back into his human form rather than staying as He-Man permanently. But now our fears have become realized and Skeletor wields absolute command over the magic of Eternia, and with this level up – the universe itself. At the same time, he is losing control over Evil-Lyn after making her Sorceress, more on this later.
The relationships between the characters are what really stuck with me throughout, Prince Adam and his parents, the one between the King and Queen, and Skeletor with Evil-Lyn. The overwhelming relief of King Randor and Queen Marlena seeing their son again and coming to terms with the revelation of who Prince Adam really is. The impact of their son’s secret was as devastating as his death, the King and Queen have become distant from one another as a casualty of it. I loved the familiar (and necessary) fatherly embrace and acceptance when King Randor hugs Prince Adam and says, “I’m proud of you”.
Meanwhile, there is a struggle for Teela to embrace sudden changes and truths. It trudged alongside the main plot such as her father’s capture by Skeletor and finding out her mother is the Sorceress. Suddenly even more of the past has become clearer for Teela as she begins to question what her role in Eternia should be, and how her past has molded her to reach that height. It was awesome seeing her continue to rally for what she believes is right, her actions staying in line with her beliefs from the first half. As mentioned, relationships are important in this series and the ones she has created through this point remain important to how she establishes her newfound powers. Both admirable and inspiring, Teela is empowered to not break the bonds with her friends and equips them comfortably to protect everyone.
While the heroes keep recruitment efforts active in anticipation of an all-out brawl, Skeletor begins to ponder the bigger questions yet remains fixated on He-Man. This obsession is another relationship that I enjoyed, with all the power in the universe he can’t get over the one who constantly bested him. His abuse towards Evil-Lyn is what drives everything underneath the surface, blaming her for Prince Adam’s ability to call on the power without the sword and gleefully encasing her to a servitude shackled to the castle.
They even touch upon Evil-Lyn’s life before Skeletor ‘rescued’ her to which she still feels indebted, cruelty included. The characterization of Evil-Lyn as self-reliant before Skeletor was interesting as it’s shown that she never really needed him – he needed her. Beast-Man dares to speak of mutiny and highlights that the power, after all, flows through her and is hers to exercise over Skeletor.
Taking a step back, the final battle and (hopefully) follow-up for another season were fantastic. Bridging together all the things loved about He-Man: magic, technology, battles, and friendship. The sequence of two Powered beings working side by side was by far my favorite part, Mark Hamill had incredibly hilarious lines even in the serious scenes that kept me laughing.
The Savage He-Man fight is still etched in my mind as you see him pummel Skeletor so much that he calls out “Someone get this guy off of me!” which I found equally funny and terrifying. Seeing the tease of what Tri-Klops was up to was also a surprising delight at the end! The magic sequences and costumes introduced were amongst my favorite part (I won’t say whose, but there are 2) and the magical awakening scenes all felt well-earned. Especially in how they equated it to parental acceptance for both Teela and Prince Adam.
If you even partially enjoyed part 1, you should absolutely follow up and finish the series so we can see where they will go with it. I don’t wonder too much about where they are going with it (it is very exciting though!) as they do a pretty clear cut to what we can expect if they get another season, but it’s one I eagerly anticipate hearing about.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix! Part 2 arrives on November 23rd.
Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revolution is Another Fun Trip to Eternia
