Sofia the First Brings Back Rapunzel, Mermaids, and More!

Five new episodes of Sofia the First: Royal Magic launched during World Princess Week, and they contain quite a few nostalgia-based throwbacks to a number of different properties. Although the fast-paced reboot lacks the heart of the original series, it's still a wholesome and magical adventure that gives fans a taste of what they've been missing since it stopped airing. The first episode of the reboot teased a visit from Rapunzel, who returned briefly in the new episode "Crown Chaos." Yet, the return was lackluster at best, particularly due to the lack of Mandy Moore, who originated the character in both the Tangled film and series.

In the original Sofia the First series, princess cameos were a huge deal. They were rare and often appeared during hour-long specials, accompanied by songs and important guest stars. With Royal Magic's 10-minute episode formula, there's barely enough time to get excited about a princess's appearance before a new story begins. Royal Magic is already so full of references that the princesses feel more like references to themselves, particularly when they talk about how they all know each other from the Princess Council. In "Crown Chaos," Rapunzel tells Sofia that Snow White and Mulan said "hi," implying that their lives are all linked together, diminishing their individual stories and personas. Another subtle Tangled reference is that the episode's evil sorceress is voiced by Eden Espinosa, who played Cassandra in the animated series.

The new batch of episodes contains many other throwbacks to different the original series, films, and general nostalgia as well. For instance, the episode "Kidding Around" portrays a magic spell gone wrong, in which Sofia's mother, Queen Miranda, became a child again. This same storyline was used in the original Little Mermaid series for the episode "Red," in which King Triton became a rambunctious young merman and again in the newer Disney Jr. Ariel series in the episode "Kid Triton." There are also numerous references to random '80s movies, including the title of the episode "When Clover Met Pepper," which references When Harry Met Sally, and a certain demon character from "Hallows Eve Hijinks" who can be freed by repeating his name three times, like in Beetlejuice.

Another throwback takes place in the episode "The Enchanted Lake," where Sofia uses her amulet to transform her friends and herself into mermaids, something she did several times in the original series when visiting Merroway Cove. Although this episode didn't have the same scope as those specials, it was nice to see her use her mermaid powers again to help her friend Layla recover her sketchbook from an overly friendly sea monster. It would have been nice for Ariel to make an appearance in this episode, but there was still a subtle reference to The Little Mermaid. It turns out that Charmsy, the friendly sea monster, is a collector of human things and lives in a cave that looks extremely similar to Ariel's Grotto.

Sofia the First: Royal Magic trades out the original show's character and plot development for rapid-fire cameos and throwbacks filled with nostalgic sparkle. This week's new episodes pack in Tangled nods, mermaid call-backs, and even ‘80s movie winks, proving the Enchancia crew knows how to entertain multiple generations at a time. Royal Magic is less about deep story arcs and more about giving fans quick, magical hits of the world they missed. What was your favorite from this latest batch of new episodes? Let me know in the comments!