by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
Going into the first season of Fate: The Winx Saga, I was expecting another teen drama along the lines of CW hits we’ve gotten in recent years, such as Riverdale, CAOS, and Nancy Drew. In other words, a previously wholesome nostalgic property that had been twisted, overdramatized, and ‘teenified’ until it barely resembled a modicum of its original text.
Color me surprised when the first season resulted in a version of the above that left me intrigued, excited, and wanting for more. Sure it had all the important elements of any hit teen paranormal drama, but the story behind it held up and focused on building a world that I would be interested in revisiting.
Therefore, I was surprised and delighted, when season two dropped last week and allowed me to enter the world of Alfaea once again, this time with a new mysterious threat at the forefront.
Fate: The Winx Saga is a remake of the highly popular animated show from the aughts that follows Fairies as they attend a magical boarding school in the Otherworld.
This season ups the ante, as we now know that our main character, Bloom (Abigail Cowen), possesses a legendary power called The Dragon Flame, and she’s also the first fairy to transform into her ultimate powered self in eons. When forces who want this power descend upon the school and threaten the trepidatious peaceful existence of the Fairies, Bloom and her friends once again find themselves in the middle of a battle for Otherworld’s very existence.
Both seasons of this show have chosen uncharacteristically short runs to tell their stories. While typical shows of this nature will nowadays have between eight and 13 episodes, depending on the network, the seven-episode choice for season two worried me — I thought it might be too short to be able to tell the whole story, and I was right.
The main issue I had with this season was the pacing, and the fact that each element of the overarching plot had very little space to breathe or be properly explored before we moved on to the next chaotic element the showrunners had cooked up. Whether it’s Musa (Elisha Applebaum) struggling with the effects of her powers or Bloom’s constant battle for control, every time we get close to gaining depth on any storyline, it slips away into another character’s point of view. Whiplash isn’t exactly the term for it, as it isn’t overtly sudden; instead it’s more like skipping. Too much time is spent on uneventful plot lines regarding character issues we’d already dealt with last season, while not enough time is spent on other, more interesting ones.
However, the lore is still very much there. This idea of human-sized fairies, whose powers are tied to one of the four elements is the glue that holds these few episodes together. Each girl’s power is explored further with, as mentioned above, some choosing to outwardly reject their own in fear of potentially hurting those they love.
In fact, it is hurting others, which is where the overarching theme of this season lands. The unexpected pain that results from the best of intentions. Whether it’s Bloom’s brutal fire, Musa’s emotional instability, or Terra’s (Eliot Salt) insecurities, this idea is peppered throughout the story. Which speaks exactly to my criticism above. I wanted all of this to be explored further and result in a satisfying end of season wrap up.
I understand that shows need to leave loops open so that they can continue to be explored in future seasons. However, when the threads left hanging is done in the most lazy, unrealistic (which is saying a lot in a show about fairies), and frustrating way, it ultimately affects the overall enjoyment of the season, as you’re just waiting for each one to be further unpacked, when in fact it is left in the dust as the final episode credits roll.
Overall, Fate: The Winx Saga season two has a lot of what made the first season great. However, what it lost is in the cohesive storytelling, or the lack thereof. Characters are left half-finished, storylines are left blank, and barely any of the pressing questions are answered.
It’s a disappointment for someone who was excited to explore this magical, wonderful world further. However it’s not disappointing enough for me to not come back for a season three, should that day come around.
I will say this: if that day doesn’t come, it will continue to bolster my opinion that no show should end on a cliff hanger unless it is guaranteed another season! But that’s a tale for another day.
Score: 6/10
You can follow Alice-Ginevra Micheli on Instagram and Letterboxd