She-Ra and the Princesses of Power zeroes in on the rebellion’s best friend squad and the Horde’s evil trio in a second season that emphasizes relationship development and lays the foundation for foreboding future plot lines.

Season one of She-Ra followed a young woman named Adora (Aimee Carrero), who left behind the diabolical Horde—and her best friend, Catra (AJ Michalka)—in order to protect Etheria as the mythical hero She-Ra. While struggling to understand her new powers, she becomes close friends with a teleporting princess named Glimmer (Karen Fukuhara) and an archer named Bow (Marcus Scribner).

The majority of season one focused on the trio’s efforts to recruit other princesses, including Mermista (Vella Lovell), Perfuma (Genesis Rogriguez), and Frosta (Merit Leighton), for the rebellion, but we see much less of these heroines in season two. They appear in a few big battle sequences, but most of the episodes put a spotlight on Adora, Glimmer, and Bow and, on the opposing side, Catra, Scorpia (Lauren Ash), and Entrapta (Christine Woods). Luckily, all six of these characters bring different goals to the table and are extremely likeable—even Entrapta, who I actually wasn’t a fan of in season one.

We get to see the bonds between these characters deepen, and perhaps the most significant bond is the one between Scorpia and Catra. Scorpia wants nothing more than to impress Catra and be her best friend, but Catra is busy trying to prove her worth as a force captain. However, there are a couple of sweet moments where Catra softens toward Scorpia, so I’m interested to see how their relationship will continue to develop in season three.

Speaking of Catra, her scene with Shadow Weaver (Lorraine Toussaint) in one of the later episodes is one of the most emotionally impactful parts of the season. I don’t want to reveal too much, but it’s simply heart-wrenching to see some of Catra’s core fears and desires once she lets her walls down. Beyond that, the smugness, anger, and angst behind Catra’s dialogue throughout the season makes for an even more complex, intriguing character and highlights the incredible skill of actress AJ Michalka.

Season two also develops the relationships between Glimmer and Frosta and between Adora and her horse, Swift Wind (Adam Ray). This was a welcome surprise since we didn’t really get to know Frosta or Swift Wind in season one, but their interactions with Glimmer and Adora are pretty much isolated to just one episode. Also, while I enjoyed these new friendships, I wish season two featured more of Adora and Catra’s friends-to-enemies dynamic.

Again, I don’t want to reveal too much, but a lot of season two sets up future plot lines that relate to Shadow Weaver, Hordak (Keston John), and the First Ones. These plot lines will surely broaden the overall story and scope of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, meaning our heroes—and villains—will face a whole new level of challenges in future episodes. Overall, season two is a heartfelt, humorous follow-up to season one, and I hope we’ll see more interactions between Adora and Catra next season.

Season two of DreamWorks’ She-Ra and the Princesses of Power hits Netflix on Friday, April 26.

Edited by: Kelly Conley