FROZEN: FORCES OF NATURE – Episodes 5 & 6 – Recap, Review, and Speculation

Well we’re back with another wrap up of FROZEN: Forces of Nature. There’s more pissed off magical mayhem in the Enchanted Forest and even Elsa admits she can’t stop it this time. As we move on to Episodes 5 and 6 of the podcast, it feels at first like the show is escalating the damage that might befall the Enchanted Forest instead of getting any concrete answers as to who or what is causing it – but by the end of episode 6, action has been taking and blame has been assigned. But have all facts come to light? Are the accused truly responsible? And even if they are – what are they actually trying to do with the copper in the enchanted forest.

But before I get ahead of myself, a few readers asked if I have listened to the entire series yet (it is available on Wondery Plus – for a price, though a free trial is available) or if I am speculating just based on what I am listening to week to week. Right now it is the latter. This keeps it fun and fresh – and frankly I enjoy listening to it on a weekly basis and seeing the action unfold like a TV series.

The Story So Far:

The first four episodes involved Anna welcoming Queen Disa of Sankershus and her people into the kingdom of Arendelle after a natural disaster ravaged their kingdom. At the same time, Lord Wolfgang of Weselton, the nephew of the Duke of Weselton from FROZEN, was also visiting. During their stay, Disa began to ask a lot of questions about Elsa’s magic, prompting Anna to share her books from the castle library. The library “accidentally” caught fire from a lamp made by the Duke. This was followed by an unexpected storm that prompted Elsa to go to the Enchanted Forest to try and find answers. Anna and Disa accompanied her while Wolfgang and Kristof stayed back at the castle and bonded over clean-up duties. At the edge of the river of the Enchanted Forest, Elsa discovered an automoton that looked like a copper spider that was irritating the water nokk. Disa jumped in and helped Elsa dismantle the device and stop its oil leak, presumably the source of the Nokk’s irritation. But all was not ok as the trio suddenly realized that the Enchanted Forest was on fire, which ended episode four.

Recap and Review – Episode 5 – “Unrest in the Enchanted Forest”:

In this episode the fire in the enchanted forest that was first spotted at the end of episode 4 is now a full blown blaze. Elsa is able to put it out using her powers and finds Bruni in the ashes, upset – his mood presumably the cause of the fire. Elsa calms him with her snow and he eventually calms down. Meanwhile Anna and Disa find pieces of metal that appear to be part of another automaton similar to the one found in the river in episode 4 that had irritated the Water Nokk and also similar to the lamp that Lord Wolfgang made way back in Episode 1 that was apparently the cause of the fire in the magic library.

Elsa reiterates to Anna that her sister may not be entirely aware of the actions of those that she has let into her kingdom. Back in Arendelle, Kristof, Olaf, and Lord Wolfgang gather firewood and are attacked by a storm of frogs. Lord Wolfgang misses Magnus in the weirdest ways possible while imploring Kristof to become more industrious. The episode ends with the earth giants now becoming irritated and causing an avalanche of rocks in the forest.

I really enjoyed this episode. While it did feel like a repeat of the first few episodes, Elsa’s interaction with Bruni was genuinely charming. I love visualizing Bruni getting a huge pile of snow from Elsa and playing around in it, and that making Bruni happy. In fact, when Bruni began to get upset and heat up again after Anna found the copper, for the first time in the podcast, I could really empathize and understand the anger of the Enchanted Forest. Who knows, maybe I’m just a big Bruni fan.

Recap and Review – Episode 6 – “Magnus’ Return”:

The earth giants are causing rockslides and avalanches across the forest. Disa asks if Elsa can stop them but Elsa says the most she can do is find out what is irritating the giants. Elsa makes skates for Disa and Anna as she explains that it is the fastest way she can travel. It appears another automaton is to be blamed. Realizing that it is similar to Wolfgang’s contraption from the library fire and that it is collecting copper – something that Wolfgang has been talking about constantly through the series – Elsa gives an arrest warrant to Magnus and tells the bird to deliver it to General Matthias back at the castle. The first half of this episode might be my favorite half of a podcast episode so far. It was great to finally get some answers at least in terms of what the machines were doing – trying to find veins of copper in the enchanted forest as well as some response from Elsa and Anna – sending an arrest warrant to Matthias for Magnus. Unfortunately, the second half might have been the worst half of the podcast so far.

Back at the castle, Kristof, with a little prodding from Lord Wolfgang, tries to rally the public when they begin to become irritated with everything going on in and around Arendelle and they want answers. He doesn’t do so well with the opportunity, but General Matthias steps in and tells everyone to please remain calm. Wolfgang uses his contraptions to serve Hot Cocoa and popcorn to Kristof and Matthias, and then Sven does as well. Overall, this feels like we’re just killing time, like much of the episode unfortunately, until Magnus makes his return with the arrest warrant at the end of the episode. As he is taken into custody by General Matthias and his guards, Lord Wolfgang denies that his machines are responsible as the episode comes to a close.

Speculation and Theory

While get some answers and movement by the end of episode 6, there are still many more questions. Considering this is the halfway point, we seem to have zeroed in on our suspects. But what is their true motivation? How can copper be such a difference maker? Overall speculation at this point feels less about who is responsible (Wolfgang appears to at least be partially responsible in some way, and I still think Disa will factor into culpability) and more about what they are doing with copper besides making lamps and popcorn machines?

Biggest questions coming out of these two episodes:

• Is it really just about copper mining and if so, what is copper’s true value beyond making curios and trivialities like the mechanical lamp, popcorn maker, and cocoa maker, what point is there in risking so much money and time in mining it in the Enchanted Forest – or at all?
  • A bigger question is, could whatever Wolfgang or Disa might be using the copper for be at least somewhat justified so that they do not seem so entirely at fault for the destruction that has been caused? If Disa or Wolfgang’s people are suffering and copper could help to mitigate that, would their plotting be more justified or at least understandable – and perhaps their intentions might even salvage their relationship with Anna and Elsa?
• How does Disa factor into all of this? I still think she will somehow be a part of the copper plot – and if she is, will she and Wolfgang be true villains or just misguided?
  • Remember FROZEN as a franchise may not resolve things in a conventional way but both FROZEN and FROZEN 2 had true antagonists in Hans and King Runeard.
• With that being said, will the Duke make an 11th hour appearance as the “real bad guy” as I speculated early on, possibly using Wolfgang’s inventions for evil?
• Why are Matthias and the troops digging ditches in the frame story? Yes, I did not even mention the frame story this week because at this point it has become useless in terms of analysis – other than the mystery of what exactly is the purpose of their dig on Sankershus. But I think it will take many more episodes before we get that answer.

Overall, I am really enjoying the story of FORCES OF NATURE as it gives fans a ton of insight into the reaction of the surrounding kingdoms to the Enchanted Forest and to how Arendelle’s position in the world might be changing with the discover of the Enchanted Forest. If this is any indicator of where future FROZEN films might, go its a very exciting and unpredictable road to follow.