The She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power Episode Fans Want First-Time Watcher To See
When Netflix announced a reboot of "She-Ra and the Princess of Power" in 2017, few fans could have predicted how successful it would be. After all, the news was met with some controversy from fans of the original series, who took to social media to complain after the "She-Ra" revival photos were unveiled. As time has proven, though, the reboot series has been very well received, as evidenced by its 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Debuting in late 2018 following "Voltron: Legendary Defender" — another '80s cartoon that was revived for Netflix — "She-Ra and the Princess of Power" chronicles Adora aka She-Ra (Aimee Carrero) as she spearheads a rebellion against the tyrannical overlords who rule over the planet of Etheria. Most of the core elements from the original "She-Ra" remain intact — magical swords, heroic transformations, episodic storytelling, etc — but the reboot also contains compelling long-term story arcs that pay off in exciting ways.
"She-Ra and the Princess of Power" produced plenty of beloved episodes during its five-season run on Netflix, but there is one episode that some fans love more than most. Furthermore, it's the one episode that they'd encourage all newcomers to check out.
Save the Cat is one of the series' most acclaimed episodes
"Save the Cat" sees "She-Ra and the Princess of Power" come full circle. In the pilot episode, Adora left the Horde without Catra (AJ Michalka ), which led to the latter harboring bitter feelings for years. Catra felt that Adora left her behind, so it's understandable why she was upset for a while.
In "Save the Cat," however, Adora makes amends by saving her old friend from the clutches of Horde Prime after Catra sacrificed herself to save Glimmer (Karen Fukuhara) in the previous episode. It's a powerful episode that re-cements Adora and Catra's bond while centering around an exciting, action-packed rescue mission.
Per IMDb, "Save the Cat" is one of the series' most acclaimed episodes, boasting a 9.5 rating at the time of this writing. Many fans of the show wanted to see Adora and Catra reunite, so the episode gave them plenty of satisfaction. At the same time, the episode is beloved simply due to its powerful storytelling.
Fans believe that Save the Cat is one of the most powerful She-Ra and the Princess of Power episodes
The best episode of "She-Ra and the Princess of Power" is a hotly debated topic among some fans, but many of them hold "Save the Cat" in high regard. Reddit user u/jeremy_thegent created a tier list that placed the episode at the top, and there wasn't much disagreement from other fans.
But what makes the episode so special in the eyes of its strongest proponents? According to Redditor u/somethingtipsynostalgic, it showcases Adora and Catra at their most authentic. "I love the absolute rawness of Catra and Adora, stripped down to their barest selves, forgetting all the unnecessary conflict and bravado of the rest of the show," they wrote.
For u/annieduty, meanwhile, "Save the Cat" marked a major turning point for the series, highlighting the emotional power of Catra's story arc. "It's such a pivotal moment in the series. Everything changed after that," they wrote. "The entire dynamic of Catra vs Adora's friends shifted to become Adora's love interest learning to belong with Adora's friends. I'm emotional just thinking about it."
Similarly, u/Veela_42 described the episode as an "emotional rollercoaster," echoing the sentiment of other fans. People who haven't seen the show before should check out "Save the Cat" to see the series at its most powerful. That said, watching every episode that comes beforehand makes the payoffs in "Save the Cat" more effective.