'Willow' Episode 5: "Wildwood" Recap and Review
A trip into the mysterious forest reveals truths about the group to themselves
WARNING: Contains Spoilers
The Wildwood forest is might as well be called the forest of reveals. The focus of the episode was character development, or attempted character development to be more accurate. No one actually changes in the episode. Instead, they all take turns revealing truths to each other thanks to the aptly named “Truth Plums” in an attempt to sew conflict for the rest of the season. The only issue is that most of these reveals were so heavily telegraphed to the audience before hand that it serves only to inform characters about what the audience already knows. The result is an episode that is relatively dull. There were a couple surprises and a fun and well meaning cameo from an original cast member but none of them were enough to save the episode from the feeling of boredom.
We begin Episode 5 with our group running from their lives from the Gale. After losing the Gale amongst some ruins, Willow (Warwick Davis), Elora (Ellie Bamber), Boorman (Amar Chadha-Patel), Kit (Ruby Cruz), Jade (Erin Kellyman), and Graydon (Tony Revolori) decide that the best course of action is to loose them into the perilous Wildwood. The forest leaves them in awe when they first enter. Willow and Elora take the moment to learn more about magic. While stopped, Boorman calls out Graydon for his perceived crush on Elora and gives him some love advice. However Boorman notices somthing off and prepares the group mentally to be ambushed, which they immediately are. They are escorted deep into the forest to a Reaver camp where they are introduced to the leader, who knows Boorman personally. She separates Boorman from the group and Kit tries to flex her royal status to the leader. Her name is Scorpia (Adwoa Aboah), and she is unimpressed. Jade makes known her distrust for the Reavers and Scorpia decides to separate Jade as well for a bit of “sport.” Boorman and Scorpia are alone in her tent and she demands answers from Boorman. Willow and Graydon are alone in their own cell so Graydon takes the time to ask Willow about his chances with Elora, which are not favorable. Suddenly Willow sees a tiny house on the side of a rock which warms his heart, the Brownies. In another cell Kit panics for Jade and Elora tries to keep calm. Kit unconvincingly denies being in love with Jade when Elora reveals her plan to escape, the wand she took from Willow. In the tent, Boorman does his best to explain his past to Scorpia. Willow wakes the Brownies and finds his dear old friend Rool (Kevin Pollak). Rool is confident he can help Willow escape with the help of the wand, precisely when Willow realizes he doesn’t have it. Elora nervously points the wand at the cell door and fires off a blast that destroys the door and sets off alarms. Her and Kit find themselves surrounded by Reavers but they are scared of the wand so Kit demands they release Jade or face consequences. They of course refuse and easily disarm the two. Jade manages to escape in the confusion and takes Scorpia hostage, or so she thinks. Her and Scorpia tussle with Scorpia taking the upper hand. Just as she is about to strike Jade down she notices a marking on the back of Jade’s neck. She lets Jade up and sends her off to her tent. Rool tries to help by giving Willow a map written on a leaf. Willow wants Rool to come with but he refuses. In Scorpia’s tent, she reveals to Jade that she has the same mark on her neck a familial mark. Jade is Scorpia’s sister and everything Jade knows about her past is a lie. Willow and Graydon sneak around the village when they find a Reaver party going on and Elora unharmed. The party is in Jade’s honor. They party together. During the festivities, Boorman shares a dance with Scorpia and the two share a kiss. Kit and Jade sneak off and Kit tries to be honest with her but chooses her words poorly and angers Jade. Graydon and Elora find a moment to talk and he apologizes to her for what happened at Nockmaar. Elora reveals that she had a vision where she saw Graydon kill his brother when they were children. Graydon reveals that he was possessed as a child and it haunts him. Elora finds Kit alone and and the two bury the hatchet. Kit asks Elora for advice with Jade. Elora gives it the best she can then realizes she has to talk to Graydon again. Willow tries to reassure Graydon by revealing that he is not actually the great sorcerer people think him to be, Elora hears this and storms off. Kit and Jade go off alone to have another talk. Kit confesses her love to Jade and she reciprocates. The two are about to kiss when a Troll appears out of nowhere and kidnaps Kit. The party is is broken up by an attack.
Jade is a Reaver and the Reavers are not as bad as we thought. In fact, she is basically a princess of the Reavers and little sister to the leader, Scorpia. This is a huge moment for her character, but rather than allow the moment to breath and let Erin Kellyman stretch her Thespian legs, she goes from angry, confused and traumatized to carefree and happy in a single cut. Even though her trauma was the most interesting thing she had going for her, the moment of change in states could have been interesting but happens off screen and is thus wasted. It shouldn’t ever be brought up that this is still the same group of Bone Reavers who killed Jorgen Kase in episode one. Kit spends the episode apologizing to everyone for being so unlikeable, this of course scores her a girlfriend it seems, that is, before she got kidnapped by trolls. The kidnapping comes so far out of left field it almost comes off as comical. But if we are being honest, it’s a nice change from having Elora getting kidnapped this time. Her progress when it comes to magic is a nice touch. Progressing at a natural rate and developing in an interesting way. Her character isn’t progressing near as well, she seems to be stuck in the surprisingly good at everything and immensely likeable stage of her chiched character. So likeable, in fact, that Graydon is helplessly in love with her which pretty much sums up his arc thus far. Elora of course got confirmation that Willow is not the great sorcerer that no one believed him to be which will be addressed in an upcoming episode. But the episode revolves around Boorman getting his groove back. His prowess with the ladies is on full display here but it is somewhat hard to believe due to his treasure obsessed, self serving nature.
This type of character is notoriously hard to figure out, though right now he is not quite a Han Solo. While most of the inner-group conflict was unceremoniously tied up there is still a few large bits to look forward too. Elora confronting Willow should be a nice moment, the love… pentagon? between Arik, Graydon, Elora, Kit and Jade is getting more complicated by the episode, and there still is a bit of mystery surrounding Madmartigan and Boorman. But first, they must rescue Kit from Trolls… or whatever.
Two episodes in a row with little to no story development does not make for riveting television. The sad part is they aren’t even that bad of episodes. Last week had the interesting haunted house concept and this week was at the very least funny. But their mediocrity is amplified by being pressed up against one another this deep into the season. There is still time to end the season on a positive but the hope that the quality will average out as positive overall is quickly fading.