I’ve come to expect intense, action-packed final episodes from Voltron: Legendary Defender, and the last two installments of season four do not disappoint.

With the Coalition behind them, team Voltron finally makes a big push to regain control over Galra-ruled planets. It’s an all-hands-on-deck operation, and while their battle is raging, Lotor is having problems of his own.

Spoiler alert!

S04E05- “Begin the Blitz”

Right off the bat, team Voltron is making a game plan for taking down the Galra Empire. Pidge and Hunk will ambush the satellite relay station in order to cut off communication, Matt and his team and Kolivan and the Blades of Marmora– including Keith– will take control of powerful Galra canons, and Voltron will attack the planet Noxella (the correct spelling is unknown at this time). It’s wonderful to see all the different groups – team Voltron, the Blades, the Coalition – come together to defeat a common enemy. The fight for peace and prosperity has certainly grown since the first two seasons, when the Paladins could only count on themselves.

As for Lotor, he’s on the run with his three generals – three, not four, because he killed Narti, may I remind you. Zarkon declared them enemies of the Empire in episode three, and they are all to be killed if spotted. Lotor and his team decide to take refuge in an alternate reality accessed by a inter-reality gate, which Lotor ordered the creation of after his mother, Honerva’s, experiments. This is where audiences first find out that Lotor knows his mother is Honerva, but there’s still uncertainty over if he knows Haggar is Honerva. Personally, I think he has no idea the witch is his mother. He’s given no indication of possessing such knowledge, and I’m waiting for that big moment when Lotor – and Haggar, because I don’t think she knows, either – discovers the truth.

With the threat of death looming over their heads and the murder of Narti fresh in their minds, Zethrid and Ezor begin questioning Lotor. They believe he has failed and will soon turn on them as he did Narti. However, loyal Axca refuses to entertain such notions – at first. Toward the end of the episode, Axca gives in and stuns Lotor with her pistol while saying, “For Narti.” It’s nice to know that the generals have a close relationship and aren’t just heartless drones forced to work together. It’s also fun to see Axca break out of her obedient mold and strike back at Lotor.

Though the generals place him in shackles and tote him off to the Galra in exchange for mercy, Lotor escapes by dislocating his shoulders, which was really unexpected. Upon Ezor asking what they should do now, Axca says, “There’s still one option left.” However, audiences are not told what this option is in this episode or the next. Will they team up with Voltron? Will they go to Zarkon, tell him everything they know, and give him the ship Lotor created from the comet as recompense for their lives? Hopefully answers will come next season.

The action sequences, from the space battles to to the Blades operation on the ground to Voltron’s arrival on Noxella, are very well-done. The tension of such sequences only increases when the satellite relay station comes back online and begins sending out distress signals at the end of the episode. Now the Galra Empire will really be bringing in the big guns.

S04E06- “A New Defender”

After killing Narti and performing a contortionist move to escape captivity, Lotor continues to have zero chill in this episode by flying almost completely into a burning, unstable star in order to escape Zarkon, who is sending out hunting parties for his son. It’s an intense scene, and audiences are given little time to breathe when it’s over, as Haggar begins a ritual that awakens a powerful force within the planet Noxella – a kind of gravity generator. Purple force fields coat the planet’s surface, locking in Voltron, and then the gravity mercilessly pulls on the robot defender.

Once the gravity generator is activated, I was on the edge of my seat and could almost feel the pressure on my own heart. I couldn’t imagine what such immense, crushing force might feel like, and the heavy, large stature of Voltron only made the situation seem worse.

The Paladins are forced to abandon the robot and head to the planet’s core, where some decommissioned Altean technology is creating the intense gravity. Allura tries to shut it down since it’s her people’s technology, but she is electrocuted, and this leads to a touching moment where the entire team grabs onto her and works to free her from the energy’s hold. Lance is actually the first to shout her name and reach for her, proving once again that, though he may be a flirt, he does genuinely care for Allura.

Lance’s deep regard for Allura is actually what leads to Voltron’s escape from the planet. The Blue Paladin gives the princess a pep talk, telling her that, with her magic, she can save them. Allura covers Voltron with blue magic, and they are able to escape the planet, which was earlier revealed to be a bomb that could take out all of Voltron’s forces.

I loved these interactions between Allura and Lance; they greatly support and look out for each other. I also enjoyed seeing Allura use her magic again, as her supernatural ability is something that has not been touched since season two. I hope to see more of her magic in season five.

Toward the end of the episode, when the ticking time bomb of Noxella is about to blow, Keith tries to penetrate a Galra shield with his own ship in an act of sacrifice. We just got him back in episode five, and he almost dies in this finale. Such an extreme act makes me worry about his future. Fortunately, he does not go through with his plan, as someone swoops in and takes out the shield with a laser blast – Lotor. The prince, a sworn enemy of Voltron, takes out his own people and saves the Paladins. Lotor then proposes to team Voltron that it’s time for a chat.

What does this mean for season five? Is Lotor really going to join team Voltron? Or does the prince have some tricks up his sleeve? He’s very cunning and deceitful, so I wouldn’t put double-crossing past him. However, I think there’s a part of him that would genuinely put his conflict with the Paladins behind him in order to punish his father. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all.

Verdict

These are heart pounding last episodes and the perfect close to the season. That cliffhanger with Lotor will keep me guessing until season five arrives.

As for the season as a whole, it was solid, with a nice balance of humor and heartbreak. The season definitely had a different feel than the past ones since Keith left and Matt entered, and that took some getting used to. However, I do love Matt. He’s a great addition to the cast and brings out the best in Pidge. I’m still not happy about Keith’s absence, as he is my favorite character. The team just isn’t the same without him. Hopefully he’ll play a bigger role in season five, where we may see Lotor and team Voltron work together. I can’t wait to see that dynamic.

What did you think of episodes five and six of DreamWorks’ Voltron: Legendary Defender? What did you think of season four as a whole?

Edited by: Hannah Wilkes