Updated: 23 Dec 2018 6:04 pm
Posted: 23 Dec 2018 6:00 pm
If not the best villain in the series' 78-episode run (Lotor is pretty tough to beat), Honerva still a very compelling and nuanced character. She has a very tragic character arc in these 13 episodes. She's a villain who lashes out at a universe that took everything from her. She doesn't recognize the irony that she sacrificed her old life in the pursuit of knowledge and power, and now she's using that same power to try and make things right again. It helps that voice actress Cree Summer is able to bring so much more to the table now. Summer delivers a much more varied performance than ever before, drawing sharp distinctions between Haggar the power-hungry witch and Honerva the grieving wife and mother. The voice cast on this show has always been top-notch, but Summer is the definite MVP of Season 8.
Part of Season 8's success isn't just that it delivers a healthy mix of lighthearted and more dramatic storylines, but that it often manages to do so within the same episode. For example, even as the season premiere, "Launch Date," sees our heroes making their final preparations before the hardest part of the war begins, it also focuses on their efforts to enjoy one final day of R&R. There's a great, meta-aware subplot in this episode that directly acknowledges the original animated series and the stark difference in the way some characters are portrayed between the two. There's also "Day Forty-Seven," an episode that frequently veers between silly humor and life-or-death stakes, all the while being presented in the form of a faux-documentary. This close to the end, it feels as though the writers and directors were willing to take more risks, and those risks tend to pay off.Another major strength of Season 8 is the way it capitalizes on long-simmering plot threads and character arcs. Keith's story frequently satisfies, as we see him fully embrace the leadership role that Shiro always envisioned for him. Lance and Pidge also enjoy some meaty material in between their comedic relief moments. It would have been nice to see Hunk face more personal challenges and crises of conscience here, but he seems to be the one character fully comfortable in his own skin at this point.
Ultimately, Season 8 boils down to the conflict between Allura and Honerva, and it's those two characters with which the writers are most concerned. One wants to save the universe and honor the legacy of Altea, while the other wants to burn it all down. Allura's difficult journey is as compelling as anything else in Season 8. She's faced with many of the same challenges and temptations as Honerva before her, and the conflict really comes down to a question of whether she can resist the destructive temptations that once ruined Honerva. There are certain aspects of the Allura/Honerva rivalry that seem a bit rushed in the final episode, but not enough to diminish the ultimate impact of that conflict.
Thematically, this is a very rich season. The writers find a way to take a moral as cliched as "We're stronger together than apart" and still make it feel fresh and emotionally resonant. That goes hand in hand with the heavy emphasis on history and legacy in these episodes. As amusing as the early references to OG Voltron are, they also speak to a larger desire to reflect on the past and the many heroes that play a part in making the universe a safer, more just place.
Voltron remains a visual and aural stunner, to boot. Brad Breeck's score is always a treat to hear, with just the right blend of synth and orchestral music. The numerous battle scenes look fantastic, with fluid motion and an immense sense of scale. There seems to be a heavy Neon Genesis Evangelion influence this season in terms of the new mech designs, the flow of the battle scenes and just the general look and feel of the action. There's that same quasi-religious feel and hyper-kinetic sense of motion. The action scenes do have a noticeably more pronounced CG quality compared to past seasons, with the 3D elements standing out more than I'd really like, but it's a worthy trade-off for mech action that looks this good.
Note: the rest of this review contains spoilers for Season 8!
Bearing all that in mind, her change of heart in the finale did seem a little too abrupt. I was glad to see her story end on a redemptive note, but the transition from vengeful mass-murderer to remorseful savior of the multiverse happened entirely too quickly. I would have gladly sacrificed a few minutes of the extended epilogue for a little more context and depth there.Another minor complaint is that the season probably could have done a little more with the Allura/Lance romance. Seeing that relationship blossom was a nice reminder of how far both characters have come over the course of eight seasons. It's laughable to think of Season 1-era lance winning Allura's heart, but not so much nowadays. Unfortunately, once that bond formed it never seemed to quite receive the attention it deserved throughout the season, which made those final scenes with Lance becoming the keeper of Allura's memory seem a little odd.
It was also interesting to see the series take a page from The Legend of Korra and close its final episode by showcasing two LGBT characters in love -- a nice, very human moment on which to end the series. That said, it would be far more effective to see one of these animated shows acknowledge their LGBT heroes from the very beginning and not save moments like these for the literal last minute; with that rushed reveal (after spending no time establishing Shiro's new relationship or even hinting at it), Voltron relies too much on the audience's affection for Shiro to give the moment resonance, rather than earning an emotional response from its storytelling.
Verdict
Minor storytelling quibbles aside, the final season of Voltron: Legendary Defender captures pretty much everything that has made this series great. The action scenes are fantastic. The story combines humor and character drama better than any season before it. These 13 episodes tie up nearly every loose end on a satisfying note and raise the stakes of the show higher than ever.
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