Review: Elena of Avalor “Coronation Day”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Elena’s coronation is close at hand, and she’s ready to become queen of Avalor. Except for one thing: the big test that Quita Moz foretold has not yet come to pass. So of course, it falls on the day of Elena’s coronation. Matteo finally figures out how to break Ash’s cloaking spell, and Elena and the gang go to confront them. It doesn’t quite go as planned though, when Elena allows Ash to free the Shadows of the Night by going after Esteban first.

She and Ash are trapped in the spirit realm while the Shadows are unleashed to wreak havoc on Avalor. Elena participates in a game of Olaball for a chance to return to the world of the living, and Isa takes charge of the kingdom in her absence and bans together with their friends in an attempt to defeat Esteban and the Shadows. Elena eventually makes it back to the real world after learning a valuable lesson in forgiveness from her parents. She forgives her cousin and together, their magic banishes the last of the Shadows from the realm. The ceremony finally gets underway and Elena officially becomes the ruler of Avalor — no more Grand Council for her.

Our Take:

It’s been a long time coming, and the day has arrived. Elena of Avalor is stepping up from her role as a princess to that of a queen. Four years have passed since she was freed from her prison and in that time, she’s learned so many life lessons and met so many new friends. All of them are coming for the coronation, and they’re expecting great things. But can Elena deliver on the promise of the big day?

The one-hour series finale gets off to a good start with a callback to the very first episode, paying homage to Francisco’s tendency to randomly start playing his guitar thanks to the omnipresent offscreen hand. It’s just the start in a long line of ways the finale honors what has come before. Coronation Day is packed with old friends returning, old musical themes returning, and old wounds being restored to health.

There’s plenty of big battles in the episode, and they look better than ever. The crew really gave it their all and it shows. From more intricate, realistic facial animations to exciting camera angles and fighting sequences, Avalor and its populace have never looked so good.

The new villains are amazing as well, which is a big achievement considering this is the first time they’ve ever shown up. It’s a little strange to introduce four brand new antagonists in a show’s final episode, but it pays off here, giving the characters a final challenge that feels new and dangerous. The Shadows are interesting characters in their own right, full of mischief and malice. The way the head honcho, Cahu, is animated is just lovely. The way she floats along with her dark hair twirling above her is eerie.

Elena’s big decision in the episode comes when she chooses to forgive Esteban. It’s a beautiful moment that hits home after all the two have been through together, but I can’t help but wonder if this was the right moral to lean into for the conclusion. Sure, forgiveness is nice and all, but maybe showing kids that sometimes you have to take a hard stand would’ve been better? Esteban has betrayed his family every chance he’s gotten, and after his choice to stay with Ash even after her own family has left her, it’s very hard to see how he could be realistically redeemable.

The songs are better than ever. While Elena has always produced catchy tunes, their quality can vary episode to episode. In the finale, there’s no weak link. All the songs serve their purpose well and keep cringey lyrics to a minimum. There’s so much more that could be said: about Esteban’s choices, Elena’s dance partner(s), or the way Isa straight up murdered a man with a lightning rod. But I think the best thing to say right now is that Elena is finally ready to rule.