RWBY – Ice Queendom Episode 4 REVIEW – A Chilling Turn
The previous three episodes were essentially a recap of RWBY Volume One, with additional details such as the introduction of the Nightmare Grimm or the character Shion Zaiden (a Huntress who specializes in hunting them). Episode four of Ice Queendom launches directly into its own story.
Ruby agrees to help Weiss, who is now unconscious and under complete control of her Nightmare. Ruby is determined to help her teammate, but the Grimm has taken control of Weiss’ thoughts, and Ruby faces many obstacles along the way, including Weiss herself.
This premise suggests that the spinoff will focus primarily on Weiss and RWBY to escape her “Ice Queendom.” It’s not something I expected, but it’ll be fascinating to see how it develops.
I admit that the episode launches into the story are a little confusing. Instead of team RWBY finding Weiss or doing something similar, the episode starts with Ruby in Weiss’ dream. It feels slightly abrupt after the first three episodes have brought viewers back to RWBY’s roots.
The episode has an interesting premise, but it gets too much attention. Ruby is taken to Weiss’ dream by Shion, who gives her a lot of coins. These coins can help Ruby or allow Shion to use a door to jump between different locations. These coins can only be used once, as they are tied to Shion’s Aura and semblance. This is a great way to build tension.
The problem is in how you do this. Ruby begins the episode with about a dozen coins. By the end, however, she has only one. They aren’t given much importance. Similarly, the movie WILLOW shows the protagonist being given three magic acorns. This gives him more control over when and how to use them. Given that Yang and Blake have not yet delved into Weiss’ dream, it is likely they will come later with their coins.
