"To Queen or Not to Queen" is the seventy-sixth episode of the Disney Channel animated series Elena of Avalor. It premiered on August 16, 2020 and is the twenty-seventh episode of the third season.
Plot[]
At Avalor Palace, Naomi, Gabe, and Mateo are giving Elena their birthday gifts for her. They then play a game of What If. When it's Elena's turn, Gabe asks her what she would be if she wasn't becoming Queen. Elena can't say as she never thought about that. After her friends go home for the night, Elena can't sleep. So she goes out to where her father's picture is. Zuzo appears and casts a spell so Elena can see what the world would be like if she wasn't becoming Queen. The casting makes Elena fall asleep.
When Elena wakes up, she finds that no one knows who she is. She is horrified to learn that Esteban and Doña Paloma are King and Queen of Avalor. She is even more horrified to learn that they have made Avalor a place where people can only do the jobs they are assigned. Elena helps Mateo and Gabe enter a contest, only for Esteban and Doña Paloma to declare some other team the winners. Elena discovers that this is because the pair paid Esteban to declare them the winners. Elena confronts him, only to be thrown in the dungeon.
Naomi, Gabe, and Mateo break Elena out. Elena asks them whats the plan and Naomi says they get her out of the palace and hide her in Mateo's mom's basement, then Gabe tells her they could get her a job and that she could work in the bakery with him, but Elena says she doesn't want to live in a place where a King rules with an iron fist. She says she wants to make life better in Avalor for Naomi, Gabe, Mateo, and everybody. She is thinking that it's time to stand up to that bad King Esteban. Together, the four of them rally the citizens of Avalor and end Esteban's reign once and for all. Elena suddenly wakes up again. Zuzo reveals the spell was to make her sleep and dream what life would be like if she was not born royalty and wishes her a happy birthday. Elena heads back to Avalor Palace.
Cast[]
- Aimee Carrero as Princess Elena
- Jillian Rose Reed as Naomi Turner
- Jorge Diaz as Gabe
- Joseph Haro as Mateo
- Keith Ferguson as Zuzo
- Christian Lanz as Chancellor Esteban
- Constance Marie as Doña Paloma
- Mikey Kelley as Higgins
- James Monroe Iglehart as Bronzino
- Alma Martinez as Lady Yolanda
- Joe Nunez as Armando
Song[]
Trivia[]
- The title is a parody on a famous quote, "To be or not to be", from Hamlet by William Shakespeare, while the episode similar to the short story "The Greatest Gift" and its more well known movie adaptation It's a Wonderful Life.
- This is the penultimate/second-to-last episode of the show.
- It is revealed that spirit animals are capable of casting strong spells.
- This plot is similar to The Emperor's New School episode "Yzmopolis", where both characters have never been monarchs as well as the short story "The Greatest Gift" and its more well-known movie adaptation It's a Wonderful Life..
- Princess Sofia is given a shoutout in this episode when one of the guards in the alternate reality says, "Now Sofia, that's a princess name".
- Elena turns into a jaquin again for the second time since "Shapeshifters".
- The episode ends right on Elena's birthday/coronation day.
- This is the last episode in the series with no title card and where the title is spoken.
- Moral: Everybody must be free to choose their own path.
International Premieres[]
Gallery[]
