The Book of Rannells: Princess Power: Season 1, Episode 9 – “Princess Dad-Dilemma” (2023)

This is the first episode of Princess Power where Andrew Rannells does more than a 30-second opening or closing scene. And it’s still a goofy kids’ show, but he did amuse me here.

When Bea convinces King Barton to go hang gliding with her, he’s nervous but willing to try something new. Unfortunately, he loses control of his hang glider at an inopportune moment and gets stranded in a precarious position. Bea rallies the other princesses to help her save her dad.

By this point, the format is well established. A problem and/or challenge arises, the girls put their heads together to fix it, and everybody has a particular contribution to make. It’s much the same here: there’s some trial and error, plus some added complications along the way, but the princesses remain tenacious and industrious until they find a solution.

Side note: I appreciate that Rita’s fashionista talents are viewed as just as valuable as Bea’s athleticism, Kira’s knowledge of biology, and Penny’s STEM prowess. In all the 21^st century eagerness to show “strong/empowered princesses!”, media can sometimes equate strength with eschewing traditionally feminine interests. Rita creates things that help the girls achieve their goal, she just makes sure that whatever she makes also looks fabulous. At one point in this episode, she exclaims, “What? I bedazzle when I’m in high-stakes situations!”

So far, I’ve only ever seen the princesses off on their own, problem-solving without any adult oversight. This episode is different in that one of their parents, King Barton, is present. But since his predicament is the problem they’re trying to solve, he’s not there in any sort of supervisory capacity. Instead, he seems fairly content to sit tight and watch his daughter and her friends work.

But even if he isn’t very active in the proceedings, that doesn’t mean Barton is just a non-entity. Rannells has goofy fun with the dialogue here. In his previous brief appearances, Barton was 100% a generic dad character with no real defining features. But here, we get both an oblique fatherly lesson and some silly lines from him. While hang gliding with Bea, he says, “I’m glad I brought my lucky whisk! …But why did I bring my unlucky ladle?” And after he gets stranded, Bea flies off to find the other princesses, telling him, “I’ll be right back! Don’t move!” As he watches her go, Barton remarks, “…Where would I go?” It’s cute and fun.