Spoilers

Willow and company continue their quest to defeat the Evil rising in the land.

At the end of the previous episode, we see Elora Dannen tap into her magic for the first time – right before ally-turned-enemy Ballentine captures her and sets off to deliver her to his evil master. Kit’s cringeworthy/semi-amusing line about Elora does sum up the plot thus far. Elora shows admirable stubbornness, courage, and initiative. Hopefully she will also begin to show some smarts because her bad choices in this one can’t all be excused by naivete.

The team splits in two, with Kit and Thraxus in search of magical armor that her father Madmartigan never returned from seeking. Willow and the rest chase down Elora and her kidnappers. Kit learns a bit more history about her missing father; the rest battle a broken wagon wheel before the two groups reunite. They catch up to Ballentine’s minions, and battle ensues.

Even compared to previous installments (as opposed to, for example, either Princess Bride or Lord of the Rings) the swordfighting in this episode looks off in both choreography and execution. They did far better in the series’ opening scene. We also learn – to little effect so far – that Kit’s history with Jade is not what Kit thought it was. It remains to be seen if the revelation ultimately serves a purpose or will end up as peripheral melodrama. We also meet two new characters – whom Ballantine et al promptly dispatch – that seem to be totally wasted.

Elora’s character shows some growth, unlike any of the others. We don’t see Sorsha or Airk at all. Willow demonstrates that he can indeed wield magic although, his explanation notwithstanding, one wonders what he was waiting for. We also lose two characters in this episode, presumably to drive home the great peril all of them face. Perhaps due to the writing, or the directing, or the cast or the score (or any combination of the above) only one of the scene had emotional resonance. The other fell flat, and the character deserved better.

More than anything, this episode treaded water. It didn’t advance the plot that much. It didn’t add depth to any of the characters. It did invoke the trope of a battle in a rainstorm. Willow still has potential, but only if it picks up the pace, and the actors are given the chance to better demonstrate their talent. Neither the sets nor the landscapes have been particularly noteworthy.

One good thing they are doing, albeit far too clumsily, is showing Elora just beginning to find her footing, both with respect to using her magic, and with regard to learning what it means to lead. Hopefully, the show will explore this more fully and we’ll see her come into her own. We also see a character in danger of facing the same fate as Ballentine.

Verdict: Instead of ROUSs (Rodents of Unusual Size) we get wererats.  5/10

Rigel Ailur