Elena of Avalor S3 E25

## Plot

Anyone remember those two season 4 Sofia the First episodes that referenced Alice in Wonderland, either through their title or a certain shot? Well, if you were a big fan of the references in those episodes, or the 1951 animated Disney feature *Alice in Wonderland*, then you'll probably love this episode, which features what is basically the Avaloran (Vallestrellan) version of Wonderland. Isabel is watching Peaches and Paco again. She and Elena are trying to decide which dresses to wear for the coronation. She wants to see how the dress looks with the crown, but Elena refuses to wear it until she's queen. When she puts it on Isabel's head, she says it's too heavy and big for her, and struggles to get it off. Symbolism! Luna comes in and says that Quita Moz needs to see "you" right away. Elena tells Isabel that she's in charge until she gets back, but then Luna clarifies that Quita Moz wants to see both of them. Isabel finally meets him, and she's clearly scared at first. Quita Moz had another vision of the future. Elena's test is coming soon. He also saw *Isabel* on the throne. He didn't learn why it was her and not Elena, but basically, she's in charge. She freaks out, saying that she can't take her sister's place, and she doesn't know anything about ruling. Elena tells her that she's smart and resourceful, and she could step in for her if she had to, though she of course hopes it would only be temporarily. Right, plus she's led her own team before, although she didn't use her authority as a princess in that episode, but I'll get more into that later. Isabel says that she may be science lab smart, but she doesn't know how to run a kingdom. Quita Moz can tell that she's scared, and sends her on a quest to find an object that will give her the courage to face anything: The titular Heart of the Jaguar. It's in his closet, and he opens a portal to it. Isabel has to follow the royal path. Elena tells her that if she's going to be on the throne, then she has to be brave. Before she can go through the portal, she asks Elena to come with her. The second they're through though, Isabel starts questioning everything, like what or where the royal path is, or what the Heart of the Jaguar even looks like. She tries to go back to get more specific instructions, but the portal is gone. Elena tells her that the only way out is to keep moving forward. When she wishes for more light, a creature that glows suddenly shows up. She keeps wishing for more light, and more creatures appear out of thin air. They lead her and Elena to a hallway that looks like the inside of the palace. They figure that this must be what the royal path is. When they walk forward, it makes a magic carpet move. Elena follows it, and so does Isabel, even though she's worried about getting lost. Also, *Aladdin* reference. When they reach a door, they open it, which leads outside. Isabel tries to go back, but the castle is gone. Now there's nothing to do but go forward. There's a gate that looks just like the one at the palace, but there's nothing on the other side. Two gold peabunny statues on it come to life and ask who they are. Before Elena can tell them, the carpet covers her mouth, and Isabel nervously introduces herself as Isa, but they don't know an Isa, and try to blow them away with the wind their tails make. Elena tells Isabel to tell them who they are. Isabel says they're Princess Elena and Princess Isabel, and the statues let them in. There's suddenly a palace in the distance now. Elena bemoans running into a giant version of Bruce Butterfrog, who isn't exactly a big fan of her either. This episode also references classic movies, like *Gone with the Wind* and *The Wizard of Oz*. Elena says she's not there to block Bruce's sun, and he makes sure of it by throwing an object at a mushroom, which makes another mushroom sprout up where she's standing, which sends her over a hedge. Isabel asks him about the Heart of the Jaguar, but he says he's never heard of it. She asks him for help, otherwise she'll block his sun. Elena tells her to be tough. When Bruce tries to throw her out too, she steps on another mushroom, then stands on the one that sprouted up to be tall enough to block the sun. He tells her that the Jaguar King probably has the Heart of the Jaguar. He's in the palace, which is just beyond the maze. Bruce tells Isa that if she wants to be right, she has to be left. She'll also need to bring the Jaguar King something to trade with for the Heart first, like the crown jewel at the top of the Turquoise Tower. Bruce leaves, and Elena and Isabel enter the maze. Elena wonders what he meant about right and left, and Isabel tells her that he meant stay left to find the right path through the maze. Before they get to the tower though, they come across a literal and figurative fork in the road, and two gold Noblins. Isabel doesn't know which way to go. The Noblins tell her that she has to make a choice before a bucket fills with water, or she'll get a terrible surprise. One path leads up, and the other leads down. At first she thinks that up is it, but then she says that's too obvious, so down must be the answer, but then she worries that it's a double reverse fake out, so up is the answer, but then she worries that it's wrong. She can't make up her mind. The bucket spills water on the ground, which causes a giant flower to grow, which magically turns Elena into a baby jaquin. She goes through the down path, and Isabel follows her. When she gets to the other side, she looks back again and realizes that both paths lead to the same place. She continues to follow Elena to the Turquoise Tower. The crown jewel is at the top, but she can't reach it. She has baby jaquin Elena get it by bribing her with an anoki berry. They get to the palace, but the stairs keep getting steeper the further they go. When Isabel almost falls off, Elena grabs her and carries her the rest of the way. More symbolism! And, intentional or not, I think it doubles as a callback to an early episode of season 2. Her big sister and her friends won't always be there or be able to protect or carry her though. Sometimes she'll have to do things on her own. They meet the Jaguar King. Isabel gets nervous while talking to him, and introduces herself as Isabel. He refuses to trade her the Heart of the Jaguar for the crown jewel, but says he'll keep Elena. Isabel tries to run away with her sister, but the king chases them, and she suddenly gets smaller and smaller. I bet now she knows how Elena and her friends felt. Elena tries to attack the Jaguar King, but he easily grabs her, and presses a button that opens a trapdoor underneath Isa, sending her somewhere dark. She sees a giant, talking version of Peaches. Paco gives them some light. They're inside the ExerGroomer. Peaches helps her realize that because she was scared, she shrunk down to the size she felt like when facing the Jaguar King. He's not really that scary, if Isabel doesn't let him be. She wishes Elena was with her. To her, it seems like her big sister always knows what to do. She's the Crown Princess of Avalor, and she'll be queen soon. However, Peaches reminds her that she was turned into a baby jaquin, which means that Isabel is now the Crown Princess. Whenever Elena was gone or changed in a way that made it impossible for her to make reasonable decisions, Isabel was technically the acting Crown Princess, she just never realized it or had to use that authority before. Now that Elena is becoming queen though, Isabel will be the Crown Princess of Avalor permanently, at least until Elena has/raises kids, assuming she ever does. There's a light high above them. It's the only way out. Isabel and Peaches ride bubbles to the top, but when they make it, they're all the way back at the gate instead of the king's palace, and Isa is still small. She tells Peaches that nothing makes sense here, so they just have to keep moving forward. She rides Peaches like a valiant and loyal steed through the journey. This time, she tells the peabunnies to open the gate for Princess Isabel, and they tell her that her wish is their command. They stay left in the maze and take the up path when they reach the fork in the road. The Noblins tell her that she made a good choice. When they climb the palace steps this time, they don't get steeper, and Peaches tells Isabel that the path gets easier when you know you can walk it. They meet the Jaguar King again. Isabel is brave, tells him that she's the Crown Princess of Avalor, and orders him to release her sister. She grows to her original size. The king tells her that's the spirit he's been waiting for. He needed to see her stand up for herself, and her sister. He agrees to trade her the Heart of the Jaguar for the crown jewel. Now all they have to do is find the doorway home. Isabel tells Quita Moz that she found the Heart of the Jaguar, so he can bring the door back now, and he opens another portal for them. When they go through it, Elena returns to normal. Isabel thinks Quita Moz broke the spell, but he tells her that she did, because she found the Heart of the Jaguar. When she looks down though, it's gone. Quita Moz reveals that the courage she needed was always inside her; she just had to find it. Elena hopes that she's ready for her test too, and Isabel tells her that together, the Castillo Flores sisters are ready for anything, and they hug. Aw!