Season 7, Episode 5, titled “Sticky Fingers,” directed by George Samilski and written by Paige VanTassell, continues the Netflix series The Dragon Prince. This episode follows Callum bonding with Rayla’s family, Terry warning King Ezran about Aaravos’s plans, and Amaya attempting to redeem Karim.

The central theme of this episode revolves around redemption. Both Terry and Karim grapple with their past questionable choices: Terry aiding dark mages out of blind love for Claudia, and Karim’s attempt to become a tyrant to restore the Sunfire Empire. Terry, with King Ezran’s guidance, begins to resolve his desire for redemption. By appealing to Terry’s inherent kindness, innocence, and desire to do good, Ezran helps him see a path forward to protect Xadia from Claudia and Aaravos. In contrast, Amaya tries to help Karim redeem himself, but his pride and arrogance overshadow his ability to reconcile his love for Miyana and his unborn children with his obsession for power.

The Forage Feast

Callum (Jack DeSena) joins Rayla (Paula Burrows), Runaan (Jonathan Holmes), and Ethari (Vincent Gale) in preparing for the Forage Feast, a Moonshadow tradition where elves gather food from the Moonshadow Forest to create a celebratory meal. Callum’s task is to watch over three mischievous Moonshadow Elf children while the others collect ingredients. His humorous attempts at babysitting lead to a heartfelt discussion about his love for Rayla, sparking the children’s wild speculation that Callum wants ten children with her. This misunderstanding leaves Rayla flabbergasted, Runaan amused, and Ethari laughing.

The group eventually enjoys the Forage Feast, highlighted by Callum’s first taste of Moonberry Surprise, a cake so delicious that he imagines himself dancing with it in a surreal, comedic sequence. Ethari explains that such an experience is common for first-timers. By the feast’s end, Callum wins the approval of Rayla’s adoptive parents, Runaan and Ethari, affirming their acceptance of his relationship with Rayla. The moment is interrupted by Astrid (Boone Williams), who arrives to warn Callum and Rayla about Aaravos’s impending return.

Terry and King Ezran’s Pact

At the Banther Lodge, Terry (Benjamin Callins) meets with King Ezran (Sasha Rojen) and Opeli (Paula Burrows) to warn Team Zym about Aaravos’s plans. Terry’s condition for sharing information is Claudia’s safety, a guarantee Ezran cannot make. Despite this tension, Terry reluctantly shares crucial details about Aaravos’s schemes, leading to an awkward but necessary truce between him and Ezran.

Ezran uses this information to send a letter to Queen Aanya of Duren, requesting the urgent delivery of fire ruby ballistas to Katolis in preparation for the battle with Aaravos. Additionally, Ezran dispatches Terry, Soren (Jesse Inocalla), and Corvus (Omari Newton) to the Moon Nexus to confront Aaravos and Claudia. To address the emotional challenge of persuading Claudia, Terry proposes bringing Soren and Claudia’s mother, Lisa. However, since finding Lisa in Del Bar would take too long, Lujanne (Ellie King) agrees to use illusion magic to impersonate Lisa based on a family photo Soren keeps.

Karim and Miyana

At the Sunfire Refugee Camp, Queen Amaya (Rena Anakwe) and Gren (Adrian Petriw) meet with Karim (Luc Roderique) to convince him to reconcile with his sister, abandon his pride and ambition, and focus on raising his twin children with Miyana (Cecilly Day). Amaya brings Miyana to the meeting, hoping her presence will sway Karim, but her sorrow and Amaya’s frustration only deepen his resistance. Karim’s pride and obsession with restoring the Sunfire Empire left him seemingly irredeemable, his kindness extinguished after the fall of Lux Aurea to Dark Magic. Despite his stubbornness, Karim promises to stay alive for Miyana and their children. Whether he will keep that promise or not remains uncertain.

Rating: 9/10