Winx Club S4 E1

A few things before we start. First, this was where I originally started watching the Nick dub, but this is also the last season that Cinélume dubbed. I'm still going to review the Nick dub though. This is also the first season with flash animation instead of hand drawn, and the first not to feature the Trix as villains. I honestly don't like the flash animation. It just looks weird seeing the girls in their old civilian clothes but with new animation. I don't know, maybe I'm just nostalgic for the classics. Or maybe it's because I associate the new animation with terrible writing. The new voices are fine. Not great, but not terrible. At least Bloom doesn't have that weird verbal tic anymore. Because it's Nick, they have a theme song. It's the same song as the one for their opening of season 3, but with new theme song only scenes, which I like. What I don't like is the lack of Tecna in the opening. And Bloom is in a lot of the shots. Less Bloom, more everyone else please! *Do you know the power you have? Can you feel the magic that is inside of you? Fly with us and you'll understand You are magic if you just believe that it's true It's amazing what you can do Winx! You're magic now Winx! We'll show you how Fly with us and see The amazing things you can be Winx! Together we're strong Come and join our song Your life is magic from now on Yes, your life is magic from now Winx!*

## Plot

The girls are back at Alfea to teach the students. They've become celebrities since saving Domino. And by them, I mean Bloom, because she did everything. Expect lots of ranting about her this season. Makes sense though, since in the movie they were made the new Company of Light, the defenders of the universe. Trust me, they're most well known for that, not defeating Valtor. That being said, they did become true heroes in the season 3 finale. All the girls admire them, except some girl with attitude named Clarice. If you recognize Clarice and Alice, that's because their models have been used as background characters before. There's also this other girl that looks exactly like Amaryl from the earlier seasons. This is because she is Amaryl. I remember seeing this and thinking, "Wait, why are they still in school if Alfea is only a three year college like law school?" Well, Miss Faragonda says that the Winx are the youngest girls to earn Enchantix, which is required to graduate. So none of the other fairies have earned Enchantix and have to stay at school until they do, like how Bloom didn't graduate in the movie. Which also explains why it was just the Winx graduating. And it's clear that Alice and Clarice are first year fairies, since we don't see Alice transform. Faragonda calls the girls to her office. She gives them pins/brooches of their Enchantix wings. They're keys to enter the heart of Alfea, behind Faragonda's mirror. It's like a museum. The Winx are in there for all of their accomplishments. Faragonda explains that the girls aren't done yet. There are new levels and powers. The next is Believix. She gives them the Great Book of Fairies. Bloom goes exploring on her own, and discovers paintings of the Winx Club's past enemies. Despite Faragonda telling her not to, she pulls a sheet off of a covered painting. It has four men on it. During their first class, the Winx take the students to the courtyard to show off a special obstacle course they made. Clarice throws a firework from her home world into it to try and humiliate the Winx. Ha! Good luck with that! She plants the box in Alice's backpack. Bloom and Aisha make it through, but Flora is caught in the explosion. She's alright, but she wants to talk to Alice about why she did it. Alice is expelled from Alfea and will leave the next day. She's expelled for a prank? Don't get me wrong, it was a very dangerous prank that could've seriously injured or killed a lot of people, but that seems extreme. Don't they have some kind of truth telling potion or detective spell or something to see that she isn't lying? Alice decides to leave early, but hides when she sees Flora looking for her. Suddenly, the four men from the painting show up looking for Bloom. My guess is that they were imprisoned in the painting and Bloom accidentally freed them, which would explain why Faragonda was so freaked out. They try to bluff Flora, but she calls them out. They stop playing nice and just split up to search for Bloom, and the leader, Ogron, knocks Flora out. Alice saw the whole thing and runs to get help from the Winx. Duman is a shapeshifter, Gantlos can create shock waves, Anagan has super speed, and Ogron can absorb magic, especially fairy magic. All of them can teleport. The Winx transform to fight the wizards, but they get their asses kicked. Alice, why are you just standing around? Go get more help, like some teachers! Everyone does eventually notice the commotion, but Ogron steps in so they don't interfere. The wizards join together to open a portal and drag Bloom into it. They wanted to capture the last Earth fairy, which they thought was Bloom. Read the news sometime boys, she's from Domino! Because Bloom isn't an Earth fairy, the portal rejects her, and the wizards leave. The Winx worry that they disappointed everyone, especially all the girls that look up to them. I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're being too hard on yourselves! In a story sense at least. In a meta sense… Well, let's just say that the seasons to come involve a lot of disappointed people, myself included. These new enemies are called the Wizards of the Black Circle. Clarice told Griselda and Faragonda the truth. She was going to be expelled anyways, but Alice changed their minds because they're "friends". Friends with the girl that got you in trouble on purpose and almost got you expelled? Seriously? At least Clarice is nicer after this. Faragonda tells the Winx more about the Wizards of the Black Circle. *We are superheroes We can save the world together Take my hand Say you wanna believe again* Oh my gosh guys, was that ending song actually subtle and heartwrenching foreshadowing for what happens near the end of the season? Because if so, I'm gonna go cry my eyes out now.

## Review

I like seeing the Enchantix outfits again I'm going to miss them so much! This season is the first where they really started beating you over the head with obvious messages. Exercise! Take good care of your pets! Take care of the environment! Deforestation is bad! The good old days of subtle PTSD signs and genuine fears are gone. This is the age of mediocrity. In fact, now that I think about it, this season had lots of firsts. Most if not all of which happened to work against them. It's the first time with a new transformation style, as well as a new English dub with new actors. The first time the Trix don't show up? They were fan favorites for a reason, before everyone agreed that by season 7, they were overused. The first time the girls get their new transformation at the same time? No individual character development for them. The first time with a group of villains that aren't the Trix? They don't even last a whole season, one dies early, and there's a second group of antagonists for the Winx later on, during which the wizards disappear completely. The writers must have run out of mediocre plots to give them. And spoilers, but in the season finale, they get defeated in *five minutes!*