I watched the Descendants trilogy for the first time as a fully grown adult this week. As a Disney baby, I’ve always enjoyed the wholesome musicals that are equal parts cringe and charm. A quick reminder: Descendants is a series of films that tells the story of the kids of popular Disney characters; specifically, it’s about villain kids and how they deserve a second chance because everyone has a touch of good in them. In The Rise of Red, we see Alice in Wonderland’s “Queen of Hearts” get a redemption arc. She’s certainly one of the most malevolent Disney villains of all time, and not hearing “off with their heads” anymore from her will certainly feel odd. But, to get to the heart of this story, let’s quickly recap the important details and explore Descendants: The Rise of Red‘s ending.
Spoiler Alert
Why Does the Queen of Hearts Allow Red to Come to Auradon?
Princess Red has always been different from her mother’s expectations. She finds herself at odds with her all the time, and this isn’t just teenage rebellion; she just feels different, and the empress of “Wonderland” doesn’t approve of anything she does. On the other hand, Uma is now the principal of Auradon Prep because Mal and Ben have left her in charge. While Mal freed the villain kids of the Isle, there was one place she couldn’t reach—Wonderland. Everyone’s afraid of the Queen of Hearts, and so they’ve never reached out to her daughter. But Uma plans on bringing her on board because that would certainly make Auradon an even better kingdom. Plus, she believes Mal left her in charge specifically because she would do something as tough as this. Though the Queen basically has Red under lock and key in Wonderland, she immediately agrees to send her to Auradon Prep because that would give her a chance to rule Auradon, too.
A little before receiving the letter from Uma, Red spends some time with her friend Maddox (yes, Mad Hatter’s son). After hearing how sad she is about how her mother treats her, Maddox tells Red that he has a surprise for her. He’s created a time machine (it’s a pocket watch; wonder who he got that idea from, huh?) and offers it to her so she can fix her relationship with her mother.
When Red and the Queen arrive at Auradon, it doesn’t take the empress long to stage a coup and proclaim herself a tyrant. This is when we learn that her name is Bridget, and she used to be best friends with Cinderella, so what went wrong exactly? Ella tells Bridget that she won’t kneel to a tyrant because it goes against all her principles (this Ella is certainly very steadfast; we love it). Bridget gets Red to stand by her side and become the ruler she’s destined to be. Red says Ella has committed treason, and so that can only mean one thing: “off with her head.” Realizing her mistake, Red decides to pull out the pocket watch, and at the same time, Chloe, Ella’s daughter, pulls out her sword to fight her. Red tries to stop her, and together they end up on a magical trip back in time.
Why did Bridget change?
Now you must be wondering how Bridget and Ella were friends all those years ago, and Red and Chloe are about to find out after a little dance-off, which leads to them deciding they’ve got to work together. It seems Bridget used to be the sweetest person in Auradon when she first came in. At the time, there was no Auradon, and the kids all went to “Merlin’s Academy.” Red and Chloe pretend to be transfer students in front of Merlin and end up joining classes and eventually meeting Ella and Bridget. Red’s totally shocked by her mother’s drastic change; she doesn’t even wear her classic Red but wears pink and hands out cupcakes to everyone.
See, Bridget’s a loner because she’s so kind, but the villains (which include Maleficent, Hades, Hook, and the lot) don’t appreciate her kindness. In fact, Uliana, Ursula’s younger sister, steals all the flamingo feathers from Bridget’s cakes, leading to her turning into a flamingo herself. So, of course, Uliana blames Bridget and wants revenge. Chloe and Red quickly realize that Bridget turned into the Queen of Hearts because of the prank that Uliana ended up playing on her during her first school dance, the “Castlecoming.”
How Do Chloe and Red Save the Day?
Chloe, the princess, learns a lot from her mother’s younger self. She never realized the conditions her mom lived in, and she always thought she was a good person because that’s what her parents taught her, but she never realized the privilege in which she lived, which completely messed with her perspective of kindness. When the time comes for Chloe to help Red steal a cookbook from Merlin’s office because it has a spell that would turn Bridget into a monster, she backs out because stealing is bad. When Chloe discusses her moral dilemma with Ella, the wiser girl explains how there’s always a gray area and nothing is purely good or evil. Chloe then agrees to help Red, and together they defeat the enchantment that’s set up in Merlin’s office to keep the wrong hands off these banned books. Uliana and her gang show up then because Red and Chloe have done all the work for them. But when Uliana opens the book, it paralyzes her and the villains. Ultimately, they’re sent off to detention, and Chloe and Red decide to go back home without even checking on their moms during “Castlecoming.”
In Descendants: The Rise of Red‘s ending, Red and Chloe return to Auradon as besties, but also with the hope that Red’s mom is a changed person and Ella is saved. They arrive just before Bridget has staged the coup, and to their surprise, Bridget brings out her playing cards. However, when she throws them in the air, it’s not scary red clouds but beautiful pink hearts that float up in the school, bringing everyone joy. Bridget is still sweet, and she truly loves her daughter, but is that all?
Will There Be Another Film?
Before the credits roll in, Uma asks us if we thought this was the end. She then reminds us that anyone who messes with the continuum of time is sure to face consequences. This means that despite Red getting her happy ending, there’s probably some other villain kid whose life has been permanently changed. Descendants: The Rise of Red reminds us that anyone can be taught to be good, and with the right company, anything can be accomplished. Though I’ve got to say, I’d have liked to see this “Castlecoming.” If there is another movie, I hope we’ll see it then!
