Elena of Avalor S2 E2

## Plot

Elena and Luna are hanging up wanted posters of Victor and Carla. Migs and Skylar show up with a lead. A farmer spotted them heading south towards the mountains. It sounds like they're trying to get out of Avalor. Migs and Luna will head south to search for them while Elena goes back to the palace to hold an emergency grand council meeting. Victor, Carla, and Shuriki are planning to cross the border into the neighboring kingdom of Paraíso to look for a jewel to make a wand, after Victor and Carla failed to get the jewel of Maru in the previous episode. Esteban informs Elena that the kingdom of Paraíso will never help them, because they have a feud with them. It all started generations ago when the king of Avalor gave some Avaloran chocolate to the king of Paraíso, who was insulted. He thought that the king of Avalor was saying that his chocolate was better. Next thing you know, it's out with an alliance and in with a feud. Elena decides to invite the princess of Paraíso so they can form a new alliance. Naomi, Luisa, and Francisco agree and side with her. Esteban, unsurprisingly, does not. Princess Valentina arrives at the palace, and asks to just be called Val. Elena tells her about Victor and Carla. Val innocently insults Avalor and everyone present by basically saying that Paraíso is better than Avalor at literally everything. She turns everything into a competition. However, everyone has to keep a lid on their tempers and hold their tongues if they want her to sign the treaty. And when I say she insults everyone, I mean *everyone*, from the guards to Elena's friends and family to the staff, whose work she disrupts and insults through an admittedly really catchy song. Elena, Naomi, Gabe, Val, and her personal assistant Manuel all take her super big, girly coach and tour the kingdom. They play a game of olaball, which Val wins, 26 to 0. Victor crashes Shuriki's coach after he goes too fast. He, Carla, and Shuriki continue on horseback. Esteban informs Elena that the jaquins found the carriage not too far from the border. They decide to take Val to the one place she can't criticize them: The Twin Xolos statues, which their kingdoms built together. It's based on a myth about twin dogs that never left each other's side. Elena and Val decide to ride ahead to get to know each other better. They bond a bit over their similar royal duties, and Elena asks her if it's nice to have someone to confide in. However, Val interprets this as Elena saying that she has no friends and challenges her to a race. Elena finally snaps and agrees. They race to the statues on horseback. Val wins, but only because she had a head start. Elena points out that they're not done yet and races to the top on foot. Manuel takes over for Gabe and tries to catch them with the coach. Val runs after Elena and takes out a tamborita. It turns out that she's taking lessons in magic too. Elena bumps her on purpose, which throws off her aim and causes her to say the wrong thing. The spell hits the statues, which brings them to life. Val explains that she was trying to cast a speed up spell on herself, but wound up casting a wake up spell on the statues instead. The dogs chase after the carriage, which tries to head back. Elena and Val chase after them on their horses. The carriage is sent off a cliff and onto a bumpy road. The dogs continue to give chase, and knock down a large tree, which blocks the road for Elena and Val. Neither one of them can move the tree on their own. Val admits that she turns everything into a competition because she wants to prove that she and her kingdom are just as good as Elena and Avalor. She heard stories about Elena and Avalor, and then she came here and saw that it was all true. She felt insecure and wanted to impress Elena. The girls apologize to each other and work together. The dogs have caught the carriage. They wind up damaging it, and it's almost sent over a large cliff with everyone in it. Val uses her magic to levitate the tree and use it as a stick to distract the dogs while Elena rescues the carriage. Val is able to turn the dogs back into statues again. Elena and Val sign the treaty, and vow that their kingdoms will always be friends and protect one another. Val has Manuel send word home about the treaty, and an order to double security to see if they can catch the Delgados. Speaking of which, they and Shuriki arrive at the border, but see the guards looking for them and are forced to turn back. Shuriki says that the only other jewel that's powerful enough will be impossible to steal, so they better start planning.

## Review

This lesson is a great one: It doesn't matter who's the best. What mattered was that Elena and Val's friends were in trouble, and they were the only two who could save them, but only if they did it together. Also, Elena had her scepter with her in the opening scene, proving that while it's still not as mobile as an amulet, since she doesn't carry it with her throughout the entire episode, with two dangerous criminals on the loose, keeping it nearby as much as possible would be a reasonable precaution. It continued the ongoing storyline, however bare bones it seemed in this episode, and introduced an interesting new kingdom and character. I really hope we see Val again, and maybe later on we'll actually get to see Paraíso. I do have to wonder if the jewel Shuriki is speaking of is the one in the Royal Carnaval tiara that Victor and Carla tried to steal in season 1. If they're going to try again, it could lead into the 5th episode this season, which is about a spy in the palace.