4K!dsTV Talkback: Winx Club "Operation Boyfriend Rescue" (Spoilers)

[Freedom Fighter]

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Come join the club...Winx Club Season 3 resumes, with the Trix teaming up with a new villain in Baltor, and our heroines trying to obtain their Enchantix powers! Layla's already got hers, and so does Stella... who will be next? Keep watching to find out!

This Week's Premiere: #161 "Operation Boyfriend Rescue"
Airs: Saturday, Mar. 3, 2007 at 8 am
Summary: Bloom and the Winx Club must save Sky from Diaspro.
Apparently, that's the summary 4Kids sent Zap2It for their listings. :sweat:

Spoiler Rule: As you know, we're a few episodes behind the original Italian version, and I'm aware spoilers of those advanced episodes are floating around the 'Net. As a common courtesy to those who only have access to the English dub, it is asked that any spoilers be placed in a spoiler box (which can be removed after the episode airs, if it refers to this week's episode only). Please respect the well-wishers of your fellow talkbackers and don't spoil the show for us!

Let the operation begin!

[Darcy]

An okay episode, but rather confusing. They kept alternating between treating Sky like he was spelled and like he wasn’t. Vanessa and Mike were the brilliant voices of reason. There was no way Bloom could act all angry at Sky because SHE was spelled last season and he didn’t get mad at her for it. So it was a spell there, but later on, Bloom tried to just talk to him and that didn’t work. It worked for him when she was spelled, but Baltor’s no Darkar. He’s way more powerful. Riven also acted like Sky wasn’t spelled. Freakin’ continuity, people! Either you all think he’s spelled or you don’t. Pick one and stick with it. This flip-flopping is crap.

Bloom: I enjoyed seeing her in pain. My need for Diaspro to get revenge is fulfilled. :D

Stella: A strong showing, even if she hadn’t used her Enchantix powers. She was good this entire episode. Very Stella, but not the annoying version.

Flora and Musa: Meh. Not much going on there.

Tecna: I liked seeing her technical side instead of her going with them. With her abilities, she sometimes needs to stay out of action and be vital to other parts of the mission.

Diaspro: I’m confused about her status. She’s called princess, yet they say she’s “Diaspro of Erakylon.” Can she be a princess without being of Sky’s family’s blood? Shouldn’t she be the princess of her own realm or something? Her dress also annoyed me. The animators really need to tighten up their work, because there were definite moments where it was indecent. And she’s a princess who’s very concerned with fashion, so why is she still wearing her party dress? I had this same problem with Stella in the last episode. Both those girls should have had different outfits, Stella for the party and Diaspro for this episode.

Riven: It was awesome to see him helping out and I like his take on Sky and Bloom. It doesn’t jive with them thinking Sky’s spelled, but it does provide a different opinion on the situation.

The barrier: What kind of crappy barrier can be breached by a little device made by a student? This barrier is supposed to be some super-powerful spell, right? So why can it be breached that easily and why does breaching it once hurt it for future use? Time for them to upgrade that old spell scroll and get a new barrier spell.

Layla: And here’s the new drama. Layla’s gotta get married. Feh. I’d say screw the kingdom and become something else. No one forces me into marriage. But Layla’s more diplomatic than I am. I just hope her relationship with Amidala…I mean, Naboo is very slow and very difficult. She’s gotta give him crap. She’s just gotta.

School: And is it just me or is everyone blowing off school this year? Everyone has ditched theirs twice for parties. Layla left school to help her realm. The others went with her except Stella who just kinda worried about her own problems. Now Bloom’s taken off for home. Doesn’t anyone have any classes this year?

[Hordesman]

Freakin’ continuity, people! Either you all think he’s spelled or you don’t. Pick one and stick with it. This flip-flopping is crap.

I've gotta wonder how much is in the original script and how much is 4Kids being 4Kids.


Diaspro: I’m confused about her status. She’s called princess, yet they say she’s “Diaspro of Erakylon.” Can she be a princess without being of Sky’s family’s blood? Shouldn’t she be the princess of her own realm or something?

Well, perhaps Erakylon has multiple royal families- much like Germany did at one point. Another possibility is the whole Helen of Troy bit: Helen wasn't Trojan but once she became part of the royal family the name stuck. Of course, it could just be a writing, translation or rewriting error.


Riven: It was awesome to see him helping out and I like his take on Sky and Bloom. It doesn’t jive with them thinking Sky’s spelled, but it does provide a different opinion on the situation

And keeps the boys' ranks from being entirely full of compliant Ken dolls or spelled Ken dolls. I kinda like this Sky going around with those bulging eyes, though.

[Viper]

Ok, here are my comments for today's ep:

1. Aw, I thought that was a nice attempt by the Winx girls & pixies to try to cheer up Bloom with that picnic. I liked how Stella made Kiko their personal waiter.:anime:

2. Uh, how did Flora recover so quickly from last week?!:confused:

3. I was very happy and relieved when Miss F announced that Bloom would be staying at Alfea, regardless of how the others' parents felt about it.:) That is, until Bloom decided to leave anyway for her friends' safety.:sad: However, I can understand how she felt and I guess she just wanted some time to herself, that's all. Too bad being back in Gardenia didn't help much.:(

4. WOW! I loved those words of encouragement from Bloom's Earth parents!:D Plus, I loved Bloom's "look of determination" when Stella told her Sky got engaged to Diaspro.:D

5. I agree with Musa about Riven's unsupportive words to Bloom. Although, I do agree that Sky should have the right to choose who his "true love" should be. I just hope he makes the right decision.

6. YES!!! Stella's "fairy dust" Enchantix removed the spell from Sky!:D

7. I'm so glad they made it through the barrier in the nick of time!:sweat: Only now, I shudder to think what kind of punishment they'll get for weakening it!:eek:

8. Poor Layla!!! Because of Tides' laws, she's forced to marry someone she never met before! How awful!!!:crying: :crying: :crying:

I thought this was a great episode because it had a lot of great moments! I give it 5 stars!!!:D :D :D

I only wonder how they'll protect Alfea from the Trix next week, now that they've weakened the defense barrier. I don't even wanna imagine what their upcoming punishment will be.:eek: :ack: The next ep is one not to be missed, that's for sure!!!:eek: :ack:

[Darcy]

Too bad being back in Gardenia didn't help much.

Except that it did help. Bloom's parents words of wisdom were quite effective and something she needed to hear. They spoke some of the smartest words I've ever heard on this show.


I agree with Musa about Riven's unsupportive words to Bloom.

Being realistic isn't being unsupportive. Riven didn't want Bloom to get her hopes up too high because he didn't want her to get more hurt. That IS being supportive and it's one of the nicest moments Riven's had. I hated when Musa said what she did. It made Riven look bad when he was doing something very thoughtful.


I'm so glad they made it through the barrier in the nick of time!

Except they didn't. I wish it had been someone else's ankles that triggered the alarm. Flora or Musa doing it wouldn't be so bad, but Bloom's already caught the eye of some parents. Now she's sneaking back in after curfew and weakening the barrier. That's going to make her look like more of a Baltor ally.

[Viper]

Except that it did help. Bloom's parents words of wisdom were quite effective and something she needed to hear. They spoke some of the smartest words I've ever heard on this show.



Being realistic isn't being unsupportive. Riven didn't want Bloom to get her hopes up too high because he didn't want her to get more hurt. That IS being supportive and it's one of the nicest moments Riven's had. I hated when Musa said what she did. It made Riven look bad when he was doing something very thoughtful.



Except they didn't. I wish it had been someone else's ankles that triggered the alarm. Flora or Musa doing it wouldn't be so bad, but Bloom's already caught the eye of some parents. Now she's sneaking back in after curfew and weakening the barrier. That's going to make her look like more of a Baltor ally.You're right on all these points. I messed up my review a bit.:(

[Darcy]

I didn't mean any offense or anything. You know how I like to discuss. ;)

[Viper]

Ok.:) I'm just wondering, should I maybe re-word my review?

[Darcy]

Nah, it's fine. Don't worry about it. :anime:

[The_Magick_Hat]

Cool episode. I did like the whole "Raging Psychopath Sky" bit. It's also good to see Mike and Vanessa again doing what they do best, supporting Bloom. That had to be my favorite part of the episode.

I was pretty annoyed at the parents wanting to get Bloom out of school. I understand that they're thinking of their children's safety first and foremost, but the whole let's sacrifice one to save our own" way of thinking really annoys me.

Was the whole thing with Sky really resolved? We never do get to see if Stella's pixie dust actually worked since Sky was still unconscious. I think we did see the Baltor symbol disappear, but I can't remember at the moment. I just thought the whole thing ended really quickly, but then again the girls were in a hurry.

I wonder how Faragonda is going to react to the Winx girls slipping through the barrier. She is, after all, the one who vouched for Bloom in the first place. This isn't going to make either of them look good.

And Layla's engagement!? Well, I guess that's about the only way you're going to force Layla to settle down, because she certainly isn't in a hurry. If the writers are going to develop this relationship, as I'm certain they will, I hope they do it in a credible fashion.

So next week, according to the preview, is the attack on Alfea by Baltor and the Trix. Looks to be pretty heavy in the action, to me.

[Darcy]

On the parents: As one of my community members pointed out, Faragonda said Baltor has a history with Bloom and herself. Do the students' parents know about this? Because if they're going so far as to try to make a student leave, why not just ask FG to resign? After all, Baltor could come after her even if Bloom was gone.

On Sky: The Baltor mark disappeared from both his shoulder and his eyes. His eyes were clear when he looked at Bloom. But that's all we saw.

On Layla: If they turn that into another Flora/Helia, I'm going to write them a nasty letter.

What I'm most looking forward to next week:Seeing Mirta fight in fairy form!

[The_Magick_Hat]

On the parents: As one of my community members pointed out, Faragonda said Baltor has a history with Bloom and herself. Do the students' parents know about this? Because if they're going so far as to try to make a student leave, why not just ask FG to resign? After all, Baltor could come after her even if Bloom was gone.
I don't think the parents know about Faragonda's connection to Baltor, otherwise things might have gone differently. Bloom is simply an easy mark because of the fiasco at Eraklyon, as I believe that was mentioned by the parents. Still, considering that Baltor is after the scroll at Alfea and not specifically Bloom or Faragonda, removing either of them is a moot point.

Speaking of that, if Faragonda was being targeted then would that mean that Griffin and Saladin are also in danger? They were, according to Faragonda, also in the Legion of Light. Depending on what happens to Faragonda next episode, I think we'll see some involvement from them as well.

On Sky: The Baltor mark disappeared from both his shoulder and his eyes. His eyes were clear when he looked at Bloom. But that's all we saw.
I do wish they had cleared that up a bit more, as that scene kind of leaves things ambiguous to me. I'm wondering if that scene was cut from the original italian broadcast for time reasons. Perhaps one of our italian viewers can shed some light on that, though keep spoilers to a minimum if possible.

On Layla: If they turn that into another Flora/Helia, I'm going to write them a nasty letter.
I don't think we have to worry about that. At least I hope not. Layla isn't nearly as shy or soft-spoken as Flora. She pretty much speaks her mind the way Musa does. She definitely isn't for this arranged marriage thing, so I think we could see some sparks fly in this one. If they do turn Layla into another Flora, you won't be the only one annoyed by it.


What I'm most looking forward to next week:Seeing Mirta fight in fairy form!
Hell, I'd be happy to see Mirta fight in any form. We already know her witch powers can be formidable, but it'd be cool to see if she's earned her fairy wings. It has been two years since she transferred to Alfea, after all. The lack of Mirta in this season so far has been disappointing.

[Darcy]

I don't think the parents know about Faragonda's connection to Baltor, otherwise things might have gone differently. Bloom is simply an easy mark because of the fiasco at Eraklyon, as I believe that was mentioned by the parents. Still, considering that Baltor is after the scroll at Alfea and not specifically Bloom or Faragonda, removing either of them is a moot point.

I'm curious how much the general public knows about any of this. I'd think Baltor would have been a well-known menace. Sparx seemed like an important realm, so you'd think people would know about some Big Bad from there. And therefore the Company of Light would be known, too. *sigh* They need to elaborate more on this! I still want to know when exactly all that took place, because...In an upcoming ep, Griffin is shown as a young witch with Baltor, who looks the same as he does now. Does he not age? Did the stuff with him happen that long ago? I can't remember if someone on the show said it happened 17 years ago. If that's the case, someone slipped Griffin some hardcore aging potion.

[Freedom Fighter]

Darcy, you bring up a lot of good points. I came out of this episode feeling disjointed about the whole rescue.

I don't know if there was a difference based on his actions, but in terms of the script and voice tone, Sky seemed as if he was jumping between being spelled and not being spelled. I also agree that Bloom acting as if she didn't feel like Sky was spelled was disjarring. He's always genuine with her and he was more than ready to announce his engagement to her... but Bloom's acting like Sky had been playing her for a fool, which obviously was 100 percent untrue. Are we sure Sky's the one spelled here? Bloom made absolutely no sense this week.

Speaking of Bloom on another matter, I thought it was kind of bold for Faragonda to address the parents' worries about Bloom in front of the entire student body. I understand Faragonda wanted to prove to everyone that she will stand by Bloom no matter what a group of concerned parents say. But that message doesn't strike the same way with said parents. I'd complete understand if any of them walked out of that assembly with the thought that Faragonda had insulted them. I'm surprised we didn't see any of them pull their daughter out right there and then. I'm not calling out Faragonda for not being serious about the claims... I'm calling her out because I believe she went about the wrong way to address them.

Most of it was rendered moot by Bloom leaving school to go home to Gardenia voluntarily. But she came back.

"We've come to congratulate you on your engagement!"

Bloom may have been lying to Diaspro on that bit, and I hope if somebody says it in reference to Layla's own revealed engagement, it better be in sarcasm as well. She's fought pretty much all of the 'traditions' of being a princess so far. Hopefully, she'll fight this one, too.

"Operation Boyfriend Rescue": 3/5.

[The_Magick_Hat]

I'm curious how much the general public knows about any of this. I'd think Baltor would have been a well-known menace. Sparx seemed like an important realm, so you'd think people would know about some Big Bad from there. And therefore the Company of Light would be known, too.

I'd say enough people know about Baltor, based on his recent actions. I doubt, though, that most know of the intimate details the way Faragonda, and perhaps Griffin and Saladin, does. Not a lot of people seemed to have much knowledge of Darkar or the Witch Coven, either. The whole of the magical realm seems to suffer from the "Derry Disease", forget about things they'd rather not ever recall again.

We also don't know how much contact is kept between the realms themselves. For all I know, anyway, each realm could be isolated from each other except for Magix, which is more or less a central hub for everything magical. I'm likely wrong, as Tecna at least displays a knowledge of the different realms when we first see her in S1. Then again, it's Tecna.


*sigh* They need to elaborate more on this! I still want to know when exactly all that took place, because...In an upcoming ep, Griffin is shown as a young witch with Baltor, who looks the same as he does now. Does he not age? Did the stuff with him happen that long ago? I can't remember if someone on the show said it happened 17 years ago. If that's the case, someone slipped Griffin some hardcore aging potion.
Well...
I can't remember if it was ever explicitly said in the show, but I remember the rather huge debate we had about it. We're assuming the attack on Sparx happened 17 years ago based on Bloom's age, but we don't know if there was time travel involved when Daphne moved Bloom from Sparx to Earth. As Baltor is a being made of evil Dragonfire, I wouldn't be surprised if he was immune to aging. Griffin, though, is another story. She does look younger than Faragonda in present time, though there are magical methods of maintaining ones looks.

Errgh...there is just too much we don't know. And knowing our luck, it likely won't ever be explained.