Netflix has today debuted the first season of its much-anticipated He-Man relaunch Masters of the Universe: Revelation. A continuation of the original 1980s animated series from Kevin Smith, fans have been waiting for this one for a while. But now it’s here, the show makes plain right off the bat that it’s not just a re-heat of the old cartoon and is looking to subvert audience expectations. The premiere episode features a huge twist that shakes up the franchise’s status quo from top to bottom.
Episode 1, “The Power Of Grayskull”, opens on the day that Teela (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is proclaimed the new Man-At-Arms. However, the ceremony is interrupted when Prince Adam (Chris Wood) receives a distress call from the Sorceress (Susan Eisenberg). Skeletor (Mark Hamill) is unleashing his biggest siege on Castle Grayskull yet. He successfully uncovers the Heart of the Castle, a subterranean garden where the Council of Elders buried the Secrets of Grayskull. By threatening Teela, Skeletor tricks He-Man into using his Sword of Power to unlock the Hall of Wisdom.
It turns out that Castle Grayskull is just a façade for the Hall of Wisdom, which houses the Orb, the center of all magic on Eternia. Skeletor cracks the Orb, starting off a chain reaction that would unravel the universe. The Sorceress is able to briefly pause time, long enough for He-Man to devise a plan – if he summons the Power of Grayskull while already in his superpowered form he can channel the energy through his sword and contain it. However, it would destroy him in the process. With no other option, He-Man sacrifices himself, killing Skeletor in the same blast.
As had been rumored, this leaves Teela as the show’s main character, with the heroine joining forces with some unlikely allies in order to restore magic to Eternia. He-Man and Skeletor continue to appear via flashbacks. This twist is a bold move that is causing a lot of controversy online, but Smith’s definitely succeeded in delivering a mature and surprising reimagining of this universe.
Catch all five episodes of Masters of the Universe: Revelation on Netflix now.