Time for episode 14, "Bloom's Dark Secret". By this title we can infer that a big secret about Bloom will be revealed this episode. Or not. 4Kids called it "Witch Trap" based on the trap set by the Trix. Usually I prefer accuracy in titles, so point to 4Kids. RAI 6. 4Kids 4.
It's class time at Cloudtower. Mirta is answering a question for Griffin in front of the whole class. She hesitantly says that witches shouldn't cast transformation spells during a full moon because it can cause negative interference which lead to unwanted and permanent changes. I wonder if that applies to fairies as well. Griffin tells her she's right, but she needs to be more confident. At the seats other students are mocking Lucy for the whole Miss Magix thing.
It's also class time at Alfea. A fairy named Judith got an A. Faragonda calls up Bloom to go next. Bloom is transformed in front of the class, Faragonda, Wizgiz, and another teacher who we barely see. Bloom's target is a rose in a floating bubble. As Bloom makes her way to the rose, she uses acrobatics to dodge light beams. She grabs the rose bubble before it's hit by the light beams. She flies through the beams and is about to place the rose down when Faragonda summons a large blue blob over her. Bloom destroys it before it hits her and places the rose down. The other Winx all cheer Bloom on before Faragonda tells them to settle down. Faragonda congratulates Bloom, who detransforms. Interesting test, and it allows us to see that Bloom is managing fine at Alfea without blowing stuff up.
Bloom is getting ice cream with Brandon in Magix. Brandon is telling a story, but stops when he sees that Bloom is sad. He asks what's wrong. She was thinking about her parents. Her face looks really derpy in this scene. She has so many questions right now. The only things she's sure of are Brandon and the Winx. She shouldn't be sure of the former. Brandon wants to help Bloom, who thinks she can find answers at Cloudtower. It's probably more useful than Alfea since Faragonda removed books just to keep Bloom in the dark. Brandon says he can give her a lift. He doesn't care about the risk.
At Red Fountain, Brandon and Timmy are discussing how to get up Cloudtower. Timmy says Brandon can zigzag up with his Windrider. Brandon nonchalantly tells Sky he'll be careful. Sky seems to have some concerns, since accidents happen, and this could result in a 300-foot freefall. Considering their secrets, Sky should've been a little more against this. Brandon says he's doing it. Sky wants to make sure Brandon got his warning. Timmy offers to go over the plan again. Riven was listening in on them and telepathically contacts Darcy.
It's night at Alfea, but Bloom is still awake. Brandon knocks on her window, having gotten up their on his Windrider. He admits he had to sneak in. Bloom thinks that was for the best, if only to avoid Griselda. Brandon wants to go now, since a round trip will take some time. Bloom thinks they can spare a few minutes for her to change out of her pajamas. Sneaking out after curfew into Cloudtower. Because that worked out so well last time didn't it.
At Cloudtower, Lucy is ranting to Mirta that she refuses to show her face in public after the Miss Magix fiasco. She tells Mirta to go on. Go on to what I'm not sure, but it doesn't matter. Mirta says it was the Trix's fault for playing a cruel trick on her, and she should avoid them. Mirta then says that she hardly recognizes Lucy anymore. Lucy goes off that she wants to be powerful like the Trix, not a loser like Mirta who is always picked on or ignored. Why are these two friends again? Lucy at least has been a terrible friend this whole time. Lucy doesn't want Mirta to talk to her and calls Mirta pathetic. She leaves. Mirta is devastated.
Check that, Mirta is angry. Angry at the Trix that is. Apparently Lucy has only been mean ever since hanging around with the Trix, who she calls harpies. Harsh. She heads to the outside porch, where the winds are strong. She tells herself that she and Lucy have been friends forever, and that she won't let the crazy girls lead Lucy down the wrong path. She's a dedicated friend. Just like all good witches.
She tries a spell, but it fails. She tries again, this time making it work. Her spell spies on the Trix just as Icy says they'll tell Bloom a lie that will break her heart, then comfort her, then rip out her power. That was convenient timing. Mirta thinks that's terrible. She's never been one for dickishness. She decides to repay the Trix in kind for turning Lucy against her by warning Bloom. She starts to cast another spell. This is why I like Mirta. She's not doing this to be nice. This is good old fashioned revenge. She's just being nice doing it, because she's a nice girl.
Brandon is driving Bloom over some water. The water looks off, but it's not that bad. The Windrider and its occupants however, still look off. They start climbing up Cloudtower by circling around it. For some reason they stop in midair and take off their helmets, just to look at the long fall that's waiting for them. Lightning from Cloudtower zaps the Windrider, causing them to drop their helmets. So much for safety. According to Brandon it was something meant to destabilize them, since at this height that's all they need to do. He also mentions Cloudtower doesn't need anti-aircraft artillery. Brandon manages to drop onto Cloudtower, though the two get thrown off the Windrider. Bloom briefly freaks out at almost falling over the edge, but she tells Brandon she wasn't scared.
The two are making their way through Cloudtower thanks to a map Timmy integrated into their GPS system. They find the archives. Brandon asks if she really wants to grow through with this. Bloom says she needs to find the truth. They head in, and Bloom notes the room has changed since she was last in their. Brandon finds a legendary lost book, which is said to contain the answers to every possible question. What is the meaning of the universe? How does magic really work? Will Tecna ever get some backstory?
Bloom didn't think they really existed. She asks who she really is. She gets a creepy vision of three really old ladies cackling, then a planet covered in ice, then the old ladies watching over a baby surrounded by flames. Bloom is freaked by all of this. She is apparently the incarnation of the three prime evil witches. When she becomes a true fairy (probably means Enchantix), they'll posses her. Brandon recognizes them as the evil Ancestors. More commonly known by fans as the Ancestral Witches. Brandon backs away from Bloom, which doesn't comfort Bloom. She begs for help, but she's still traumatized. She thinks this is her fate. She asks to be taken back to Alfea. That would probably cause someone to rethink their purpose in life.
At Alfea, Stella is doing her hair when someone knocks on her door. Flora comes in and tells her that Bloom never came back. Stella seems worried fro once. Tecna and Musa come in, confirming they can't find Bloom. They talked to Brandon, who did take her back. Bloom never entered the building though. Musa's voice is really off here. Maybe Bloom fell down the well.
In the forest, Bloom wakes up from under a pile of leaves. Kiko is sleeping near her. So, Bloom is a hobo now? She's disappointed that it's already morning and that she hasn't made it to Magix yet. She wants to get there before putting the dimension in danger. At least she's not thinking solely for herself for once. Mirta is walking through the forest, not too far from where she's going according to her... emo images? I don't think that's what she's saying, but that's what it sounds like. I think it's in the same category as Musa's bagel monster. Mirta hears something and hides behind a tree.
Bloom asks who's hiding. Mirta and Bloom introduce themselves. Mirta says she knows and that she's been looking for her. She tells Bloom something important. The Trix have tricked her. Oh no. Big shock. If only this was a new thing.
The Trix are walking through the forest when Stormy shoots a tree for no reason, setting it on fire. Temper temper. Pepe seems annoyed by that. Stormy shoots another tree. Darcy tells her to cut it out, or she'll set the whole forest on fire. I don't think Stormy would care. Pepe agrees with Darcy. Stormy shoots Pepe, who's right at Darcy's feet. Darcy is mad. Stormy, who's voice is also off, says there was an ugly creature there. Icy tells them to shut up and keep looking for Bloom. Darcy and Stormy apologize. This is why Icy is the leader. She can keep focused on the task at hand the most.
The other Winx decide they have to find Bloom now, and they can only do that with their powers. They transform for the first time in three episodes, complete with obligatory pose at the end. Flora asks the grass where Bloom went. It gives a direction. Flora says grassy fields have an excellent memory. They do? I hope they don't tell anyone [REDACTED]. I can believe they have a better memory than Brandon.
Musa probes the field with an ultrasonic wave. So Musa is a bat. Interesting. She gives the data to Tecna, who's able to locate her. Stella brags that it's her time to add her two cents with her beauty and shining disposition. Tecna just asks if she's going to do it. Stella starts to shine to light up the dark forest. She knew that they'd need her help one of these days. Stella claims she's essential. Since it's the middle of the day, I don't think they need the extra light. They should call her when they need teleporting help. They fly off.
Mirta finishes explaining everything to Bloom, who apparently can't grasp a simple concept like, the Trix made the book lie to her. She still has a bunch of questions about herself. The Trix arrive. Icy is amused that Bloom wants to know about her powers, but says they'll be theirs soon, so Bloom won't have to worry about it much longer. That's nice of Icy. Icy recognizes Mirta as the witch who transforms emotions into images. I translate that as illusions. Icy thinks they make a good couple of losers.
Mirta calls Icy mean. Icy corrects that to diabolical. At least Icy is honest about herself. Mirta does something. Before Icy can blast them, Stella interrupts her by calling for a fair fight. Yay, the Winx are here. Stormy launches a tornado at them, but the Winx dodge it. Darcy tells her not to waste her energy as she makes the Winx illusions disappear. Darcy says trying to trick the queen of black magic with an illusionary effect was a bad trick from a bad witch. Darcy is certainly skilled. Icy is annoyed that Stormy fell for the trick. Stormy is pissed.
Icy says payback time is going to hurt as she freezes Bloom, Mirta, and Kiko. All they need to do is break the sculpture and rip the power out of Bloom's heart. Are they going to rip out Bloom's heart? Seems a little dark for a kids show. The Trix are then hit by Stella. Looks like these aren't illusions. Stella wonders who Mirta is. She tells the Trix to leave them alone. Stella melts the ice on Bloom and the others. Stella did make herself useful after all.
The Trix are getting frustrated with all the problems coming in. Next thing you know, an army of Specialists is going to come in for witch hunting. Stormy goes to take on the airborne Winx by herself. She surrounds them with two tornadoes and binds them together. As I've said earlier, Stormy is the one to be afraid of. Bloom transforms to help out. She gets promptly shot down by Icy. Great work. Looks like the Trix may win this one.
Once again it's up to Mirta to save the day. For a few seconds she conjures up a giant monster thing that yells loudly, freaking the Trix out and breaking Stormy's attack. Even Stormy needs her concentration. Icy is now really angry at Mirta. She tries to come up with insults to Mirta, but has a hard time thinking of some until she sees the pumpkin on Mirta's shirt. She decides a pumpkin will do. Mirta realizes she's outclassed. As the Winx watch, the Trix turn Mirta into a pumpkin. Specifically, the most adorable pumpkin ever.
Bloom then does what she does best, explode. Kiko and Pepe are fighting, but Pepe realizes the Trix are gone and runs off. The Winx have all detransformed after that burst of power. They think Bloom has disappeared again. They need to put a leash on her. Or not, as Bloom is just in some bushes. Tecna asks what Bloom did to the Trix. She says they got their just desserts. Were they turned into spinach? Flora asks who Mirta was and goes to the pumpkin. Bloom explains that Mirta helped her. Flora declares that they can't do anything because Icy's black magic was too powerful. Wasn't this the sort of thing Flora did for her midterm?
At Alfea, Bloom is sleeping. Flora quietly says she needs it. She goes to Mirta the pumpkin, who's in her room. She says she'll take care of her until they can turn her back to normal on the word of a Winx. Wait, shouldn't they talk to a teacher about this? I'm pretty sure the teachers would be willing to help a witch who was cursed like this. End episode.
Overall, that was an excellent episode. Mostly because of Mirta. The Mirta storyline has been built up for awhile and has paid off well. Bloom gets some false information on her past, but it does grant us our first glance at the Ancestral Witches. The Trix start gunning for Bloom's power. Mirta is now a pumpkin, which is how she'll remain for awhile.
Bloom was pretty good all around. She's inquisitive about her past. Maybe too inquisitive, but this is important to her. She seems genuinely depressed when she gets her fake backstory, not helped at all when Brandon hesitates to help her. She didn't argue with Mirta when she revealed the truth, so that's nice. Her explosion this time seemed a bit more controlled.
Stella was yelling a lot for some reason. When she heard Bloom was missing she did seem worried, so pints for her. Flora met Mirta and seemed resolved to find a way to help her. Until something better comes up, I'm going to ship Flora/Mirta. Actually, I'm still going to ship them even when something better comes up. Helia is boring. Tecna had one good line. Musa's voice was off and was otherwise just there.
Brandon made himself useful getting to Cloudtower. His reaction to Bloom's backstory was good, but it's slightly understandable considering she was talking about the Ancestral Witches. Sky was concerned for Brandon, but was willing to let him to what he wants. Timmy was a smart guy. Riven is still spying.
The true star of the episode was of course, Mirta. The most adorable witch, and probably character, in the entire show. Her motivation is helping Lucy, and if that means she has to confront the Trix, so be it. No matter how much of a jerk Lucy is, Mirta still cares for her. She's still a witch, so her main goal was revenge, not helping Bloom. She is perfectly fine with helping Bloom though. Her illusion powers were pretty nifty. It's a pity Darcy can beat them easily, and they don't really appear much later. She's a pumpkin now, but that's not going to stop her.
The Trix were great again. Darcy cut through Mirta's illusions with the bat of an eye. Stormy took on four Winx by herself and nearly won. Icy came up with a good way to isolate Bloom and collect her power. If it hadn't been for Mirta, which she couldn't have seen coming, she might have won right there.
Thanks to Mirta, the episode was great. Bloom managed to not be annoying, which is also good. The Winx didn't get to do much though. The plot is moving again, which is a good sign after the mostly filler episodes. Hopefully Bloom will get some answers on her past soon, because she's going to become grating real quick if she keeps this up.
