History Recap / TheDragonPrinceS3E4TheMidnightDesert

* MistakenForFlirting: Rayla kisses Callum on the lips after he finishes telling her YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre, misreading it as a romantic gesture. While he is attracted to her, in that moment, he was honestly just trying to be there for her during an emotional low point.

* ShoutOut: "Anyway, here's the [[Music/{{Oasis}} Wonderwall]]." And considering that the "wonderwall" surrounds an oasis, it doubles as a StealthPun.

* CuffsOffRubWrists: When Viren gets uncuffed the first action he does is rub his wrists.

* MistakenForFlirting: Rayla kisses Callum on the lips after he finishes telling her YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre, misreading it as a romantic gesture. While he is attracted to her, in that moment, he was honestly just trying to be there for her during an emotional low point.

* {{Kaiju}}: Nyx has an ambler, a gigantic quadruped about the same size as either a Brachiosaurus or a Dreadnoughtosaurus, to cross the Midnight Desert. Apparently, the soulfang serpents don't bother the amblers.

* ActorAllusion: Callum finds the boomerangs on the tip of Nyx's staff to be familiar, a clear and clever reference to his voice actor's previous role as [[BattleBoomerang Sokka]] on the show's SpiritualPredecessor ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. The end credits even have a sketch of Callum with Sokka's boomerang.

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Callum's prep talk to Rayla at the oasis.

* CrossingTheDesert: Our heroes have to cross a large and dangerous desert in order to get to their destination.

* PyrrhicVictory: Discussed. When Ezran learns from Opeli that the victory over the other kingdoms will probably cost the lives of tens of thousands, he replies that it won't be a triumph.

Opeli

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tdp_s03e04.png]]

->''"The night... is even worse."''
-->-- '''Nyx''', about the desert

Leaving the Silvergrove, Rayla and Callum are forced to trust a strange Skywing elf named Nyx to guide them through the dangerous Midnight Desert.

Meanwhile, Ezran is faced with an ultimatum when Prince Kasef reveals he has prepared a siege on Katolis and will attack if they do not join him in a war against Xadia.

!!Tropes

* ActorAllusion: Callum finds the boomerangs on the tip of Nyx's staff to be familiar, a clear and clever reference to his voice actor's previous role as [[BattleBoomerang Sokka]] on the show's SpiritualPredecessor ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. The end credits even have a sketch of Callum with Sokka's boomerang.
* TheBigBoard: Ezran has strategic sessions with his staff using a big board.
* {{Cliffhanger}}: Rayla and Callum are stranded in the oasis, their relationship in limbo, and Nyx has kidnapped Zym. Ezran is arrested and sent to prison after abdicating, and Viren is the new ruler.
* CrossingTheDesert: Our heroes have to cross a large and dangerous desert in order to get to their destination.
* CuffsOffRubWrists: When Viren gets uncuffed the first action he does is rub his wrists.
* EyeScream: Aaravos gives Viren the power to see him as a ghost, but he does it by having the caterpillar spin silk over his eye. This doesn't appear to ''hurt'' so much as really squick Viren out.
* ImpededMessenger: Nyx intercepts Ethari's message to the Dragon Queen and reads it, allowing her to set up her gambit to steal Zym.
* InsecureLoveInterest: It's implied that the reason Rayla is so reluctant to admit how tormented she really is over "being ghosted" to Callum was because of her feelings for him; she didn't want someone she cares for to see her in such a vulnerable state. Given this is [[NiceGuy Callum]] though, she needn't have worried.
-->'''Rayla:''' Please leave me alone. I don't want you to see me like this.
-->'''Callum:''' I don't care if you're crying, I'm here with you.
* KickTheDog:
-->'''Viren:''' I'm sorry it had to come to this.\\
'''Ezran:''' No, you're not.\\
'''Viren:''' ''({{beat}})'' [[BrutallyHonest No, I'm not.]]
* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: Rayla declares this after kissing Callum on impulse leads to an awkward moment between them. Furthermore, she proclaims ThatDidntHappen.
* LongLastLook: When Ezran leaves Bait with the baker, he has a long last look back at him before exiting into the AirVentPassageway.
* AMillionIsAStatistic: Defied. The prospect of tens of thousands of deaths shocks Ezran to the core.
-->'''Ezran:''' 500 men and women. Some are moms and dads and have kids waiting for them at home. All of these are sons and daughters. Sisters, brothers, friends. They're real people, Bait.
* PostKissCatatonia: Rayla briefly induces this in Callum since he was not expecting such an intimate gesture from her.
* PyrrhicVictory: Discussed. When Ezran learns that the victory over the other kingdoms will cost the lives of tens of thousands, he responds that it won't be a triumph.
* SceneryPorn: The Midnight Desert is a beautiful landscape. A desert of black sand with large white rocks.
* ShesNotMyGirlfriend: Nyx asks Callum and Rayla if they would like to share a sleeping bag, before both scream that they need two.
* ShipTease: Rayla kisses Callum after he says a litany of praises to her. Though she says they are not to speak about it again when Callum is caught off-guard.
* ShoutOut: "Anyway, here's the [[Music/{{Oasis}} Wonderwall]]." And considering that the "wonderwall" surrounds an oasis, it doubles as a StealthPun.
* TransformationSequence: Parodied when Callum reveals himself as a human to Nyx in an elaborate animation sequence.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Callum's prep talk to Rayla at the oasis.
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* CrossingTheDessert: Our heroes have to cross a large and dangerous desert in order to get to their destination.

* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: Rayla declares this after kissing Callum on impulse leads to an awkward moment between them.

-->'''--Nyx''', about the desert

!Tropes

* InsecureLoveInterest: Its implied that the reason Rayla is so reluctant to admit how tormented she really is over "being ghosted" to Callum was because of her feelings for him; she didn't want someone she cares for to see her in such a vulnerable state. Given this is [[NiceGuy Callum]] though, she needn't have worried.

-->'''Callum:''' I don't care if your crying, I'm here with you.