Winx Club - Episode 201

The Shadow Phoenix is the first episode of the second season of Winx Club.

Synopsis
The Winx celebrate the start of their second school year at the Alfea School for Fairies. The party ends with the arrival of a new fairy, Aisha. She has just escaped the clutches of a powerful enemy, the sinister Lord Darkar, and his army of Shadow Monsters.

Plot
Aisha, a Fairy, scaling the cliffs of large fortress, exhausted but determined. She is currently on a solo mission to rescue her friends, the Pixies. Meanwhile, Chatta is trying to devise another plan of escape because her previous ones failed. Aisha arrives at the cell the Pixies are imprisoned in, though the Pixies were cautious at first but when Aisha steps closer, they are relieved to see her. The Pixies are relieved that Aisha was not captured by that horrible creature, the Shadow Phoenix; Aisha however, affirms that she was captured but was able to escape. She worriedly checks up on Piff, her bonded pixie, whom Tune awakens. Piff is overjoyed to see Aisha.

Now, they have another predicament: escaping altogether. Aisha is too weak to breakdown the barrier of the cell, until Lockette points out that the lock is on the wall. Gathering all her strength, Aisha is able to break the lock and free the Pixies. Aisha gathers her Pixie friends and start to run but the Phoenix is tracking their every moment and sends his shadow monsters after them.

Aisha and the Pixies make to the main level's room but are ambushed by the shadow monsters. They are able to defeat them by dodging their attacks that end up hitting their own allies. Aisha and the Pixies continue to flee and make it out of the castle. However, the Shadow Phoenix arrives and demands Aisha to hand over the Pixies. When Aisha refuses, the Shadow Phoenix overpowers Aisha and take back the Pixies. He then tries to kill Aisha but she summons the rest of her strength to create a shield that diverts his claws away from her. He then uses his powers to grab hold of her and drops her from his floating castle, seemingly plummeting to her death.

At Alfea, everyone is getting ready for the party. Bloom goes around to see if anyone needs her help but no one requires it and so she proceeds to eat some peanuts with Kiko while she walks down Alfea's hallways. She then notices a flying pet and tries to get a hold of it. It escapes and flies away from her, she follows it into an unknown hallway. She reaches a dead end but looks at a picture which suggests a door on the opposing side. Bloom opens it.

Bloom enters an archive of which she had never seen before and is in awe when a Pixie greets her and explains that this is Alfea's forbidden magic archive which is why it is unknown. Bloom is having difficulty comprehending all of this. The Pixie introduces herself as Concorda and that the magic pets Bloom had seen are her friends. Concorda explains that she is the keeper of the archive and is tasked with maintaining it as well as keeping "nosy students" out of it.

Bloom wonders if she should leave but Concorda would prefer it if Bloom introduced herself, which she does and she also explains that she got here by accident. Out of curiosity, Bloom inquires Concorda about Pixies. Concorda explains that Pixies are magical beings who help Fairies battle evil and perform spells. She also explains that some Pixies will achieve bonding, which is when a Pixie forms a deep relationship with a Fairy, a bond similar to that of twin sisters which are inseparable, this is considered to be very special moment for a Pixie. Bloom wishes she had a bond and asks if Concorda is bonded to Faragonda. Concorda answers that she is in fact bonded to this archive, she does not get bored and the magical pets, which are called Pixie Pets, are her companions.

Bloom is very intrigued by all of this but she remembers the party is about to start and that she will be late. Her friends are waiting for her in the quad and Stella jokes about how she is always supposed to be the one fashionable late. Bloom arrives and Stella notices her outfit needs some adjusting. The girls then hear the sounds of the Wind Riders and quickly head for the school's entrance. As the Specialists are heading towards the entrance, the girls end up observing Riven and Sky racing. By the time the Winx's favorite Specialists arrive, the party begins.

Faragonda gives a speech and calls Bloom up to the stage. However, Bloom feels that the efforts were not just hers but her friends as well and so she has them come up with her too. On stage, Faragonda now declares Alfea is now open and unveils the newly built East Tower that was destroyed during the battle against the Trix. Bloom hopes that this year will be peaceful, something Flora hopes as well.

At the Shadow Phoenix's fortress, he interrogates the Pixies for the location of their village. None of the Pixies budge despite his frightening presence. Chatta yells at him to stop frightening her friends, he does but not without absorbing their energy first and causing them to faint. He proceeds to interrogate Glim, Zing, Tune and Amore, knowing very well that the Codex is hidden in their village. Chatta tells him to leave them alone once again and the orb that was containing her is removed, she falls onto the table and the Shadow Phoenix proceeds to interrogate her next.

At Alfea, with the speech done, the Winx and Specialists are spending time together. When Timmy and Tecna walks up to them leading Stella to insinuate something special is happening between the two. Brandon then reminds everyone that it is getting late and that they needed to return to Red Fountain.

As Stella waves goodbye, Flora is feeling uncomfortable, sensing that there is something in the forest and notifies Bloom. Bloom investigates and sees Aisha, weak, exhausted, distress and in tears. Aisha then faints. Musa wonders if Aisha is okay. Tecna scans Aisha and tells the Winx that she is alright, just very exhausted. Bloom hoists Aisha up just a little and tries to awaken her but then something falls out her hood - Piff. Stella notices and points it out. Bloom checks it and informs the girls that this is a Pixie and she wonders who Aisha is and what could have happened to her.

Major Events

 * A new fairy named Aisha is introduced.
 * Aisha goes to Darkar's Fortress to save the pixies.
 * The main villain, Darkar, is revealed.
 * Aisha's powers are revealed.
 * The Winx Club begin their second year at Alfea.
 * Aisha arrives at Alfea with Piff in a very weakened state.

Debuts

 * Aisha
 * Lockette
 * Amore
 * Chatta
 * Tune
 * Digit
 * Piff
 * Glim


 * Darkar
 * Shadow Monsters
 * Concorda
 * Darkar's Fortress
 * Zing
 * Kimmy
 * Miky
 * Magic Archive

Major Characters

 * Winx Club
 * Bloom
 * Stella
 * Flora
 * Musa
 * Tecna
 * Aisha
 * Pixies
 * Lockette
 * Amore
 * Chatta
 * Tune
 * Digit
 * Piff
 * Glim
 * Zing
 * Enemies
 * Darkar
 * Shadow Monsters

Recurring Characters

 * Specialists
 * Sky
 * Brandon
 * Riven
 * Timmy
 * Alfea Staff
 * Faragonda
 * Griselda
 * Palladium
 * Wizgiz
 * Red Fountain Staff
 * Codatorta
 * Animals
 * Kiko

Minor Characters

 * Alfea Students
 * Miky
 * Kimmy
 * Selene
 * Alice
 * Kaie
 * Heidi
 * Ahisa
 * Guardian Pixies
 * Concorda

Spells Used
None.

4Kids

 * We Are the Winx
 * Hero
 * We Are the Winx (Instrumental)

Cinélume

 * Under the Sign of Winx
 * We're Back Again
 * The Girls of the Winx Club

Scripts

 * 4Kids
 * Cinélume

Trivia

 * The outfit Bloom is wearing is the same outfit she wears in Season 3, only with yellow hearts and arm band instead of pink.
 * She is also the only one to be wearing an outfit from Season 3.Winx Club - Episode 201 Trivia.jpg
 * Riven wears a Union Jack shirt that looks just like the shirts worn by the members of the 80's band "Def Leppard".
 * Scenes from this episode, episodes 28, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 45, 46, 49, 50, 51 and 52 were used for the final Winx special with the same name as this episode.

Differences Between Adaptations

 * The scenes vary depending on which version is viewed.
 * In the original and Cinelume versions, the scenes are as followed:
 * First, Aisha is scaling the walls of Dakar's Fortress.
 * Second, the Winx are shown.
 * Third, the Specialists arrive
 * Fourth, Faragonda's speech.
 * Fifth, the boys and girls talk.
 * Sixth, the boys depart.
 * Seventh, meeting with Aisha.
 * In the 4Kids version:
 * First, the Winx are shown.
 * Second, Aisha is scaling the walls of Dakar's Fortress.
 * Third, the Specialists arrive, and they talk to the Winx.
 * Fourth, Aisha is tossed away by Darkar.
 * Fifth, Faragonda's speech.
 * Sixth, the Specialists departs.
 * Seventh, meeting Aisha.
 * In the Cinélume dub, Bloom and the others do not even get a mention of Aisha until she arrives at Alfea barely alive at the end of the episode.
 * In 4Kids, when appearing before Layla (Aisha) and doing his above mentioned Superman reference, Darkar says his name; while in the Cinélume dub, his name is not revealed until episode seven.
 * This is the sixth episode of the series and the first of the second series without transformations.
 * In the 4Kids version:
 * Darkar uses a Superman reference for himself.
 * Musa went on the "Wizard-palooza" tour with her dad.
 * Flora learned Aromagic Therapy.
 * Stella had an internship at "Teen Fairy."
 * This info was updated on the Fox-box Winx Club website in each girl's blog between the season one finale and the season two premiere.
 * The song "Hero" is heard at the end of the episode in the 4Kids dub.
 * Unlike the other episodes for which a song is featured in 4Kids' "Crystal Ball Video" segment, this song was played before the ending credits and was not presented being a part of the "Crystal Ball Video" segment.

Mistakes

 * When Aisha opens the door to a room on the main level, Piff is seen in her arms despite that Piff had already moved to her hood.
 * The pixies cannot fly due to the sticky residue on their wings but as Aisha reaches the door of the fortress that leads outside, Tune is seen flying.
 * When Bloom sees Concorda for the first time, her sleeves are blue instead of yellow.
 * As Bloom voices that she hopes it will be a peaceful year, her arm band is missing.
 * During Ms. Faragonda's speech, there are two of Kimmy.

Quotes
"So... the girl dares to attempt an escape from my fortress. Worthless pixies. You think you are safe with her? But how wrong you are. And as with you, pesky little fairy, I will stop you with my shadow monsters."

- Darkar

"Foolish girl, you barely have the strength to stand. Hand over the pixies!"

- Darkar

"Never! I won't let you have them!"

- Aisha

"I find your meaningless bravery tiresome, but no matter. Time for you to pay for your mistakes, girl!"

- Darkar

"But, but how is that possible? You should be too weak!"

- Darkar

"It's not so easy to beat a fairy!"

- Aisha

"Isn't it!? Goodbye, fairy! No one could survive a fall from this height."

- Darkar

"My dear, we Pixies, are beings of magic and we often help fairies fight evil and perform their spells. ... Yes, in fact some fairies and pixies form deep connections. A bit like falling in love, then, the two become inseparable. Like twin sisters. ... We refer to this as bonding and is a very special thing for a pixie."

- Concorda