The Podcast of Power: A She-Ra Companion Podcast

Welcome back, dear listeners, for one last trip 'round the old Podcast of Power. Nearly a full year since its recording, the conclusion of our actual play podcast of She-Ra inspired tabletop game For The Honor is here and ready to be enjoyed by all. Featuring special guests Cass (@whatiscosplay) and Jordan (@dori_mingu) from the Strangers Fiction podcast, we jump into the exciting finale of our desert spaceship adventure. Goo pods, angry robotic stewards, First Ones- I mean Precursor memory technology trips, and a smouldering rivalry perhaps blooming into something more... this episode's got it all, and we're very proud of it. Special thanks to all of our listeners and patrons, past and present, we're so deeply grateful to have gone on this podcast adventure with you all. Despite the trials and tribulations from life that have surrounded this production, we loved it dearly, and we hope that all of you will join us on our adventures into Final Fantasy 14 over at Radio Free Hydaelyn (@HydaelynRadio)!

Another file from the lost episodes folder, here's the minisode we recorded a while ago on a few bits and pieces of apocryphal canon surrounding Save the Cat, including (most notably) Noelle's... creator fiction? Deleted scenes? Can't really call it fanfic when the showrunner is writing it now can you. Either way, boy it's good, and we get right down into the weeds of it here for about a solid hour, along with a few other assorted goodies. Enjoy! If you need a link to that fic, by the way, it's called Don't Go (linked here).

Hello dear listeners! It's been a while, but finally rolling out is the bonus content we've had in the works for a few months, starting here with the first part of our actual play podcast of the She-Ra inspired tabletop game For The Honor!   With special guests Cass (@whatiscosplay) and Jordan (@dori_mingu) from the Strangers Fiction podcast, we embark on a tabletop adventure of wild proportions. There are mysterious pyramids, robots and sneeple (snake people), horrible man-spiders, and a smouldering rivalry between old friends that definitely doesn't hint towards anything more don't worry about it. Enjoy!

It's after the war, and we're all here to pop some bottles and send off the show with a bang as both of us open up the depths of the Email Pit. We've got some final pieces of juicy analysis, some good laughs, and a lot of reflection on the past year and a half of doing this show for all you lovely listeners out there. Thank you all so much for accompanying us on this journey, and we hope to see you all in the future in our next project, Radio Free Hydaelyn (@HydaelynRadio)!   Special thanks for our very special intro for this very special episode, "After the War", composed and performed by Reinaeiry (@Reinaeiry)!

It's time.   Live in studio together for the first time, we have gathered our powers and abilities for this, S5E12 & 13, 'Heart Part 1 & 2', the ultimate episodes of the show that put us on this journey in the first place. Etheria is in dire straits, all hope seems lost, and even this episode itself seemed as if it may never surface... but the intro to the show holds true. We all really did win in the end, and our titular characters finally get to share their ultimate moment. (Bonus game for the viewers at home: see if you can catch all the moments where I had to choke back tears!)

I hope you like ominous flaming hallways of destiny because those dang wizards are at it again. We're in the penultimate episode of the show, S5E11 'Failsafe', in which shadow Weaver is back in peak form, Glimmer gets to formally re-meet her dad, Catra makes a very serious decision, and Adora fully accepts her destiny. The question remains, though: should she?

Before you can reach the end you must go back to the beginning. This week we take a look at S5E10 'Return to the Fright Zone'. Perfuma struggles to hold onto her ideals while being forced to face down a dear friend, Netossa pinpoints everyone's weakness in the hopes of getting her wife back, and Catra has a very bad, wet time. Meanwhile, Bow and Glimmer have some EXTREME LORE REVALATIONS while looking for Bow's dads. In the spoiler zone, we go in deep on Horde Prime's chips, their use as metaphor, and discuss how delicious lime dusted tortilla chips are (very).   Additionally, we finally announce our next project! Stay tuned for more information!

Does it count as a lost episode when the reason it was lost was mostly just being dumb? Either way, here's ours for this series, taking a look at the appropriately equally lost planet of Krytis in S5E8 'Shot in the Dark', in which Catra gets her chops busted, Wrong Hordak is radicalized, and Entrapta makes our newest team member the world's cutest spacesuit (complete with little kitty cat ears). Maybe bring a map though, I've heard its easy to get lost yourself down here.

It's S5E8, 'An Ill Wind', and we're in for a mission fit for only the finest of Far Cry sequels. We're saving mushrooms, we're fighting a juiced-up Spinnerella, we're capturing control points, and our good friend Catra gets to meet the rest of the team! It goes... well it certainly goes, is the thing. They're all working on it.

This week we're hiding before your very eyes in S5E7, 'The Perils of Peekablue', in which we (mostly) take a break from the intergalactic escapades of the Best Friend Squad to go sleuthing around in the seedy underbelly of the sea with the side cast. Mermista and Sea Hawk pull way too much aggro, Perfuma gets a little too into character, and Scorpia serenades the sea scoundrels in this classy underwater party adventure. It's a black tie affair, so make sure you dress accordingly.

Welcome back everybody! It's time to talk about S5E6, 'Taking Control', in which we have the cavalcade of Entrapta Faces, Catra truly going through it, an extremely normal rebel town don't worry about it, and She-Ra who... uh... um... sorry what was I saying I got. Distracted. The girl is uh. Big.

Hello there! Due to some personal stuff that came up this week we aren't gonna be able to put up the Taking Control podcast until next week. So to tide you over we figured that we would put the first episode of our Infinity Train side cast on the main feed. As you can tell we're really impressed with the show already, and can't wait to get deeper into it. So enjoy this sneak peek of our Patreon content, and thank you for being patient!

It's time everyone. We're gonna go save that cat. It's S5E5, and our girl is in some truly dire straits as Adora and the gang race off to rescue her from Prime's clutches. We get a funny new Hordak, Glimmer has a new comfy space suit, and Catra and Adora have... some scenes. A lot of scenes, in fact. Do you like angst? Do you like extremely charged and intimate fight scenes? We sure do.   Also, as we covered in the lead-in to this episode, please if you're able to we would extremely encourage you to help out the people of Palestine. They need our support more than ever. Palestine Children's Relief Fund: pcrf.net BDS Movement: bdsmovement.net Decolonize Palestine: decolonizepalestine.com

The title really says it all on this one, I feel. We've crash landed into S5E4 'Stranded', in which the gang forgets the cardinal rule of road trips: always fill up on gas before you leave. Luckily they run into some funny guys and their pet bird, and everyone learns a valuable lesson about the dangers of unstable tectonic zones. Also, She-Ra might be back? Who's to say (Swift Wind's to say, and she is (sort of)).

[Content Warning: Discussions of Religious Trauma] So! S5E3 Corridors, huh? It's quite the heavy episode. We go through it with Catra and Glimmer aboard the Velvet Glove, the Best Friend Squad experiences the last 15 minutes of hit Matt Damon comedy The Martian, and our girl finally makes one single good decision in her whole life. We really get into it with Horde Prime and his character background, and discuss the connections to Noelle Stevenson's illustrated memoir, The Fire Never Goes Out. Listen as we try not to cry while talking about it! It's a real hoot!

Well, Season 5 can't be all bangers, I suppose. We're tackling the... controversial S5E2 Launch, wherein we get some good Adora development, a very nice quiet moment aboard the Velvet Glove, and... well. Let's not beat around the bush, some genuinely kind of insulting content with Entrapta and her "funny" adventure to one of Mr. Prime's spires. Not a lot of questions this week, but we Do get a book report assignment, and I think that ends up going pretty well!

We're finally here everyone, it's time to dig into season 5 starting with a very strong introduction with S5E1, Horde Prime. The man himself appears with all the power and horror that he and his infinite supply of Mountain Dew can muster as he imposes his dominating will upon the rest of the cast. The rebellion is on the run, Adora takes a pretty big step forward in her path toward self-actualization, and Glimmer and Catra enjoy a very tense dinner. Try the cubes, I've heard they're to die for.   New awesome logo courtesy of our good friend Bailey! You can find him on Twitter over @blindpr0phet

Oh, you thought the only thing we were uploading on April Fool's was a joke episode? Surprise! We've got our Season 4 emails all rounded up (all 9 pages of them, woof) and ready to go, so after you enjoy the comedy stylings of Hordak exploding from pie, why not take a listen to some analytical dives into Glimmer's arc, Shadow Weaver's position in the season, Horde Prime's toxic masculinity - and, of course, answering the all-important question: what are everyone's favorite Shakespearian plays?

We just don't stop being in it with this show, dear listeners. Once again we have a real heartbreaker of an episode, 'My Enemy, My Friend'; a tale of loss for many, and a deep insight into the truly tragic figure cut by Hordak. Make sure you have tissues on hand, this one's a real tear-jerker. In the spoiler zone, we discuss the implications of Hordak's culinary training, and how that thematically maps onto the rest of the season.

God himself may have tried to stop this podcast, dear listeners, but Destiny cannot be denied. We are looking at the infamous two-parter of S4E12 & 13, and experiencing the truly epic highs and lows of Etherian warfare. Glimmer and Catra collide, Adora defeats her destiny, the Fright Zone explodes, and Double Trouble dishes out the sickest burns that have ever been uttered by a lizard person (Especially in this show. Looking at you, Tongue Lashor). We have a boatload of questions, a deep-dish spoiler zone, and nearly 2 and a half full hours of content for you all to peruse at your leisure. So kick back, grab some popcorn, and luxuriate with us in the high melodrama of Destiny parts 1 and 2.   Special music for this week is "Ghost" by Reinaeiry (@Reinaeiry on Twitter)

Welcome, dear listeners, to Beast Island! It's S4E11, and we're finally setting foot on the mysterious landmass where dreams (and roboticists) are sent to die. We've got razor-sharp claws, razor-sharp teeth, even razor-sharp razors, and all of them are pointed directly at the Best Friend Squad. Will they make it out alive? Eh, probably. There's gonna be an episode next week either way. Also, in unrelated events, Glimmer asks to speak to the Crystal Castle's manager.

Remember how last week I said we were really in it? Well we don't stop being in it with S4E10, Fractures. Come along for an extremely normal one where the Best Friend Squad attempts to fly a spacecraft, Scorpia learns what a sal-ad is, and Catra... oh Catra. Extra short spoiler zone this time, but we've got plenty of questions to stretch this one out to a cool hour and a half listen.

Woof, okay, we're really in it now with this one. It's S4E9, Hero, and it's all about wacky baking hijinks sprinkled inbetween vignettes of Horrifying Knowledge. Razz has secrets to reveal, and not all of them are her recipe for wildberry pie. In the spoiler zone, we talk about Mara, her role in the show, how she's an amazing character, and also we maybe get really choked up while talking about her (its fine! its fine. it's Good don't worry).

Welcome back, dear listeners! It's been a grip but we're back in the saddle here with a real rip roarin' good time as we partake in S4E8, the epitomal 'Boy's Night Out', an episode full of fun and high-seas adventure and absolutely no horrible emotional devastation whatsoever. Sea Hawk and Mermista even sing a song! How could it possibly be sad. No spoiler zone on this one, by the way - we're saving that for next time.

Good evening, dear listeners. We have gathered you all here to answer one single question; whom is the spy in Bright Moon? Hm? It's Double Trouble? Right, we knew that one. This week Nero and Jane put on their deerstalkers to talk about S4E7 'Mer-Mysteries', an episode full of fun character moments and goofy cameos, dramatically punctuated with the growing fractures between Glimmer and Adora. But enough about that, who wants to watch Sea Hawk do some squats?!

Whew! This week your hosts are talking about S4E6 'Princess Scorpia', a critical moment in Scorpia's character arc. They go in deep on the emotionally heavy stuff this episode deals with, speculate on the vague backstory of the Scorpion Kingdom, and criticize the Horde's improv skills. Man, Adora turned that dude's bones into jelly, huh?

Don't you just hate it when you get stranded in the woods by a freak acid spore storm, and you have to deal with your annoying hologram mentor who has lost all of her memories? Well, at least some juicy character drama would probably come out of it. This week Nero and Jane look at the excellent bottle episode 'Protocol', which gives the Horde Cadets a starring role and makes it painfully clear that they REALLY need a union. Also, we don't know how to delete the spiders. Send help.

Season 4 really wastes no time getting into it, as this week Nero and Jane go deep on 'Pulse'. As the Horde's strategy evolves and they field new weapons, cracks begin to appear in the Best Friend Squad. All the while Double Trouble is running rampant behind the scenes, and Glimmer is getting caught in Shadow Weaver's web. But most importantly, Spinerella and Netossa FINALLY do something.

Who is that lovely little girl with stars in her eyes? Surely she must be trustworthy! This week, Nero and Jane discuss S4E3 'Flutterina', an episode all about Catra's 5th dimensional galaxy brain chess plans, cool parties, and Adora being OVERconfident for once. How many ways can Swift Wind sit in a chair? We have our top scientists working on the matter.

Season 4 gets started in earnest as we revisit the Crimson Waste, meet a fun new scoundrel, and spend some time with Perfuma. Nero and Jane go through Double Trouble's introduction, Perfuma's little character arc, and discuss how the Princesses seem to be getting more and more powerful as the show goes on. In the spoiler zone, we catch up with a couple more emails, and give a little preview of Glimmer's arc throughout the season.

We've talked a lot about how much we love season 4 of this show, but it gets off to a VERY rocky start. In your host's humble opinions, The Coronation is the weakest episode in the entire show. Why is that? Well strap in as Nero and Jane walk you through the episode's missteps, and how it could have been done better. In the spoiler zone, we hit an email that we missed from last episode, and talk about Adora's character arc throughout the rest of the show.

It's time for our season 2/3 wrap up! We got a lot of emails for this one, covering a huge variety of topics, including speculation and theories about Corrupted Catra, Angella's sacrifice, and how the show explores mental health, along with some lighter fare. Remember, spoilers are abound, so if you aren't caught up you might wanna skip this one and come back later. We're gonna be off next week, so tune in on December 19th to hear the start of our journey through season 4!

Here we are, at the earth shaking season 3 finale. As reality collapses around our heroes, Nero and Jane talk through the various parallels that fill these episodes, how these events effect Catra and Adora's characters and relationship, and Angella's sacrifice. In the spoiler zone, your hosts grapple with the big ticket discourse question that haunts the show; is Catradora abusive?  Our special opening this week is 'Want You Gone' from Portal 2, written by Jonathan Coulton and performed by Ellen McLain.

The stage is set for the season 3 finale, and all of the players have gathered in the Fright Zone. Nero and Jane go through this setup episode that moves at breakneck speed, and positions Catra to make the ultimate heel turn. Also the other princesses are technically in this episode, but you could have fooled us!   Sorry about the delay on this one folks, shouldn't be a problem in the future.

It's time to wrap up our journey in the Crimson Waste for now. Nero and Jane have a blast talking about this Catra and Scorpia focused episode that deepens their relationship, and offers Catra an opportunity to start over with someone who cares about her. Will she take it? Of course not! In the spoiler zone, they go deep on Mara and what she means for Adora's character over the course of the series. 

'Huntara' marks the end of the mid season slump that characterized much of season 2 and the first half of season 3. As the show kicks into drive heading into the season 3 finale, Nero and Jane discuss the gang's adventures in the Crimson Waste, Entrapta and Hordak's burgeoning friendship and what it means for their characters, and just how large Huntara is. The answer is "very".

It's time to start season 3! After quickly dealing with the cliffhangers at the end of season 2, we move right into an episode that is entirely standing around and talking. Shadow Weaver is in jail, Catra is in jail, and the animation looks kinda wonky. it's the calm before the storm on 'The Price of Power'.

It's time for the season 2...finale? All Netflix weirdness aside, this is a fantastic episode that deepens Bow's character and widens the world of She-Ra. Nero and Jane dive into the comedy of the episode, the dynamic between Bow and his dads, and discuss the implications of all this lore, all to answer one burning question; what on earth is Adora doing in this episode?

S2E6 'Light Spinner' is quite a dense episode, and your intrepid hosts dig into it with glee. Shadow Weaver is a fascinating character, whose presence and actions are felt through the entire show. In this episode, Nero and Jane try to get to the center of what her character means, her relationship with Catra and Adora, and what she can tell us about the show's idea of redemption. So strap in, we're talkin' Shadow Weaver.

Finally, the sophomore slump of season 2 is over! Nero and Jane finally have some juicy character drama to dig into in S2E5 'White Out'! Is Scorpia really trapped in the closet? Did Catra steal her plan from Jurassic World 2? Where did Sea Hawk get that kickin' coat? What the **** is wrong with the First Ones? All these questions and more will be answered within this podcast! But seriously, you guys think Sea Hawk is cool, right?

Roll your podcast listening modifier and try not to get a critical fail for this week, because your hosts are talking about S2E4 'Roll With It'. Probably the only episode of this show that is pure filler, it makes up for it with lots of fun gags and character beats, even if the lesson the characters learn at the end of it is kind of weird.

Nero and Jane talk about S2E3 'Signals' in the shortest episode to date. A fun, yet inconsequential, scooby-doo adventure for our main trio combined with some good Horde side character work makes this episode feel more like filler than anything else in the show, but don't get spooked, there's still lots to talk about even in this light episode! Just make sure not to get scared by Shadow Weaver's creepypasta, and avoid the Suffocation Rhombus at all costs.

Nero and Jane are back in the saddle after the hiatus to talk about the fun romp that is S2E2 'Ties That Bind', an episode that is a tour de force for Catra being a complete terror. Listener questions get them talking about shipping, which characters would swear the most, and Adora's severe lack of coping mechanisms. Also, despite Shadow Weaver not appearing in this episode she still manages to come up in the Spoiler Zone because we can't NOT talk about her.

Hey everyone, we didn't upload an episode last week. If you're wondering why, the intro to this episode holds all the answers you need. We will be returning to our regularly scheduled programming next week, but for now please enjoy this free preview of one of our patreon exclusive shows, the Kipocast. It's a really fun and creative little show that we can't wait to dig deeper into. This is the only episode going onto the free feed so think of it as a little treat. Please enjoy, and thank you for sticking with us.   Links The internal artwork of Bow's brothers An Essay on the horrible history of stereotypes that makes 'Sow' so bad Noelle's first statement Noelle's Longer statement/actionable list of responses

We're finally in season 2, and starting things off with a bit of a lighter episode. S2E1 'The Frozen Forest' is the start of a trend towards more episodic adventures in season 2, without a whole lot of long reaching threads. Topics of discussion include Glimmer's character growth, the muddy and weird chronology of this show, how nothing would get done without Bow, and how weirdly flirty that Simulated Catra is.

This week, Nero and Jane recap their thoughts on season one before diving headfirst into the mailbag for a spoiler filled discussion, responding to theories and analysis of episodes they have already covered, as well as some more light-hearted questions.    Also, we have a Patreon now! If you want to support us and maybe get some cool bonus shows along the way, check it out!

We made it to the end of season one! Your hosts end up getting fairly critical of the uneven season finale, but ultimately even a messy episode of She-Ra is still good TV. Topics of discussion include Too Many Boarders, Adora's atlas complex rearing its head once more, toyetic armors, and how the show doesn't really succeed in telling war stories.

S1E12 'Light Hope' hits us with a huge bundle of exposition (and a talking horse), so Nero and Jane dig through the information to figure out what really matters, and why this episode works as well as it does when it is 75 percent talking about lore. Plus, in the Spoiler Zone, they discuss Light Hope and what she represents on the show in detail. 

Nero and Jane roll up their sleeves to dig into the landmark episode 'Promise', a bottle episode all about Catra and Adora's shared past, and the turmoil that characterizes their future. This is a big one folks, so settle in for talk of trauma responses, giant security spiders, and tail touching. In the Spoiler Zone, we dive in on Shadow Weaver's mask and the symbolism it has, and the groundwork this episode lays for the show going forward.   Our special intro this week is 'Empty Space' by Reinaeiry. Find her other amazing songs on youtube, and follow her on twitter @raenaeiry!

In contrast to the previous episode, this one is all talking, and your hosts are loving it. Topics of discussion include; the parallels between Angella and Shadow Weaver, how weird Etherian food is, the ways physical affection and emotional manipulation are intertwined in the Horde, and Adora's troubling habit to put everything on her shoulders. Also, Catra Get Ipad.

Nero and Jane find that there isn't much to deep dive on in an episode like No Princess Left Behind, but that won't shut them up! Topics include; Shadow Weaver's favorite Shakespearean play, the strengths and weaknesses of the shows animation, Mermista's no good very bad day, and pondering the fact that Shadow Weaver can apparently mind control people. Seems a little messed up if you ask me.