Welcome to season 1, episode 2 of the re-imagined world of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Episode 1 ended with Prince Adam wielding his power sword to morph into the hulking He-Man and smashing his first droid with the POWER OF GREYSKULL!
Spoilers ahead.
1. He-Man, now young and…self-aware?
There’s a moment early in episode 2 that reveals a major difference between this version of Prince Adam from his previous incarnations. He and Teela are being crushed by an avalanche of droids, he raises his sword and Teela asks him what he’s doing, his response is “I have.. No idea!!!” before going Super Saiyan instead of his normal catchphrase. You’re expecting him to say “I have the power!,” but the writers subvert your expectations.
In the original series He-Man is the straight guy. His inner dialogue is often literal as opposed to introspective. He would actually say things like “I’m going to climb that tree” while climbing said tree. Also, old He-man resembled Superman in the way that Prince Adam was his disguise but he was always He-Man. Even as Prince Adam, he was buff and manly. This version of Prince Adam is young and inexperienced, and he knows it.
Yes ladies and gentleman, Prince Adam is now precocious, self-aware, and totally more charming for it.
2. Underdog with a journey
The new Prince Adam feels like a mashup of Aladdin, Mogli, and a young King Arthur in a good way. He is starting from the outside the kingdom, and growing up with the natives has made him scrappy and rebellious. He has nothing to live for other than his friends and that has given him a unique perspective on life. This is a much more interesting setup to allow him to grow into the role of He-Man, and really earn it. I have no doubt he will have many humbling lessons along the way to share with his new audience.
3. Lessons for all ages
There are moments in the episode which impart subtle wisdom and life-advice, such as Prince Adam admitting he doesn’t know what he’s doing, which teaches kids it’s okay to not have the answers all the time or expect to be perfect right off the bat.
Or the fact that Duncan is now a turncoat like Finn from Star Wars. He starts off on the wrong team but joins team Adam and this teaches us that we make mistakes and we can change for the better. It also shows the importance of friendship with the right people.
4. He-Man, now with Super Saiyan upgrade
Speaking of Super Saiyan, that fireball he launches from his power sword would make Goku proud. It’s so HUGEMONGOUS (it’s a word I swear); to give perspective they make He-Man so small, you can cover him with your thumb while the fireball fills the screen. Instead of a measly bolt of lightning, he shoots a powerful bolt of lightning into the heavens and calls down three fireballs to infuse his body with Super Saiyan juice. The fireball he spits across the ground feels twenty feet high, comparatively.
It’s really fun and well-swiped from anime, who swipe such things from each other regularly, so no problems here, IMO.
5. Father, where art thou?
As part of the b-story, we find Prince Adam’s father King Randor lamenting the loss of his brother and his son as he stands head down in front of a family portrait. He fears the power of the stolen sword, which he believes is responsible for the death of his child. He wants this sword back and it’s personal. His performance has a Shakespearean bent, setting us up for an emotional reunion at some point in this series.
