Elena of Avalor S3 E5

## Plot

Continuing where the last episode left off, the Feast of Friendship is over, and Elena and Isabel see the other royals off at the port. Wait, why is Elena back to wearing her normal dress and not the new light pink mermaid and/or sirena inspired one? And what is Isabel even doing here? Who knows, maybe the royals decided to stay a few days. King Hector tells Queen Abigail that his ships are unsinkable, and dares her to try it out. When she damages it though, he blames her and says that this isn't over. He wants her to buy him a new ship, or he'll ruin Norberg's Family Day. Abigail is telling Naomi and Elena what happened. Naomi says Hector can't ruin Family Day, because her parents already planned a big trip back to Norberg for it. It's a holiday where everyone in and from Norberg celebrates their family by telling stories, singing songs, and making Mulberry juice together. Abigail shows Elena a picture of herself and her daughter Chloe celebrating. Hector can ruin it by refusing to deliver the Mulberries. Norberg's entire crop didn't come in this year, and Hector's kingdom is the only other place where Mulberries grow. Abigail asks Elena to help by mediating a truce between her and Hector. Elena has never mediated before, but she agrees to do it. While looking for books in the library about diplomacy, Esteban comes in, and awkwardness ensues. Elena still hasn't forgiven him for trying to ruin the feast. He apologizes again, and gives her her father's notebook on diplomacy. She thanks him for it, but still doesn't forgive him. He wishes her good luck and a safe journey and leaves. The others noticed how awkward they were with each other. Naomi invites Gabe to come to Norberg with them, and Isabel decides to go too. While sailing there, Naomi tells Gabe that she was just a baby the last time she was in Norberg. She doesn't remember Family Day at all. Gabe tells her that means they can celebrate it for the first time together. Elena has another amazing outfit. For whatever reason, Migs, Skylar, Nico, and Ciela are there too. They pass a large island known for its strong trees, where people from Norberg get wood to build their houses. They arrive in Norberg. Hector is already there, and still hasn't learned his lesson. Abigail arrives with her daughter Chloe, who instantly falls head over heels for Gabe, which annoys Naomi. She and her parents are going to Barlowe's Inn to eat Shepherd's pie, and Chloe takes Gabe back to the palace to show him all of her family traditions. Elena and Isabel try to mediate between Hector and Abigail back at the palace, which is hard, because they act childish and fail at friendship exercises. Hector has enough and decides to leave when Abigail still refuses to buy him a new ship. Elena refuses to give up. At Barlowe's Inn, Daniel and Scarlett notice that Naomi seems sad. She insists that she's happy to be here with them, but she wishes Gabe could be here too. Daniel and Scarlett tell her the origin of Family Day to cheer her up. When travelers discovered Norberg and decided to settle down, the first year was filled with hardship, but they got through it because they had each other, and Mulberries, which got them through their first winter, which is why Norbergians make Mulberry juice on every Family Day. Nathaniel is at the inn, and tells the Turners that Hector is leaving with the Mulberries. Isabel tells Elena that Hector reminds her of Javier. When they just focus on the project, they're able to work together. Elena decides to try and make Hector and Abigail friends by forcing them to work together on a project with a common goal. She decides to strand them on the large island and make them build a raft to get back. They're still no closer to becoming friends, and give up. Hector tells Elena that when they get back, he's cutting off all trade with Norberg and Avalor. Abigail tells her that asking her to mediate was a mistake. Around sunset, Chloe shows Gabe a great view of the harbor. Every year on Family Day, colorful lights appear in the sky, and they call them the Norberg Lights, like the aurora borealis, a.k.a. the Northern Lights. Gabe wishes that Naomi could be up there with them to see this. Chloe realizes that he has romantic feelings for her, and tells him that it's tradition in Norberg to watch the lights with someone special in your life, so he should go be with her. Isabel tells Elena that she and Javier aren't friends. They get along, but only because she realized that she didn't *need* to be his best friend. She just needed to get along with him well enough to do their work. Elena tells Hector and Abigail that they don't need to be friends or even like each other, but they do need to learn to work together for the sake of the people in both their kingdoms. Their arguing is having a real effect on people, and if they care about them, then they have to find a way. Hector doesn't, but he agrees to try it in exchange for another jaquin ride when they get back to the mainland. They're finally able build a raft together to get off the island. Hector is great at tying knots because he spent a lot of time alone as a kid, and Abigail tells him that the wood from the island is the toughest there is. At the pier, Daniel and Scarlett are watching the Norberg lights in the sky, but Naomi is still sad… until Gabe shows up and sits with her, and then she agrees that it's perfect. Abigail finally agrees to repair Hector's old ship with wood from the island, as long as she gets one of his new ships to see if it's as tough as he claims. He finally gives Mulberries to the people of Norberg, and everyone drinks Mulberry juice. Abigail even invites him to join their toast. Elena thanks Isabel for helping her with the mediation, and they hug.

## Review

So, remember back in the season 2 finale review when I said that I didn't ship Gabe and Naomi? Disregard everything I said about that, because this episode changed my mind. And yes, some of the shippers were a little upset when this episode first aired. One of them even said that all their hope was gone. Okay, first of all, calm down. Your life isn't over just because one of your ships didn't become canon. This is what fanfiction and fan art is for. Personally, I was shocked that Gabe and Naomi had romantic feelings for each other. After all, the essential guide confirmed that Gabe had a secret crush on *Elena*, and I believe Craig Gerber also said shortly after the show first started that Elena wouldn't be in a romantic relationship with anyone. For some reason, my weird teenage brain interpreted that as *none* of the teenagers/young adults having romantic relationships with each other, despite being the right age for it, unlike with the child characters on Sofia the First, and it was supported by the fact that during the first two seasons, we only saw overt romantic gestures between older married couples like Luisa and Francisco, Daniel and Scarlett, and Pescoro and Camila. Also, the lighting and animation in the final few scenes is gorgeous, from the sunset, to the lights, to the reflections in the water. I look forward to seeing how the revelations in this episode change the dynamic in Gabe and Naomi's relationship. I know from promos that they dance with each other in the next episode during the Carnaval parade. If there are still any upset shippers out there, rest assured that other popular pairings still get plenty of teasing and screen time. Surprisingly though, most of the shippers in this fandom seem pretty chill towards each other. If only their behavior was the norm instead of the rare exception.