Teela speaks, He-Man listens (potential spoilers)
This is my response to this show in the form of a dialogue between two apparently unreconciled people:
Adam: "By the Power of Grayskull, I have the power!!!!" [Thunder and lightning, power surging to the ground, transforming in it's burst the form of Adam into the formidable He-Man]
Teela: "What? WTF! No, you don't have the power!"
He-Man: "Huh? What do you mean?"
Teela: "This little ritual you do is fake and insulting to my intelligence."
He-Man: "Um, Teela. It's only make-believe and designed to entertain mostly young children. It's truth is within our fictional world of Eternia and my mission to help elevate the good and vanquish the evil. Nothing about it infringes on your personal space or values."
Teela: "I beg to differ. You get all the glory while I and other female characters are forced to play second fiddle. It's humiliating. It's proof also that cartoon stories back in the day were designed to perpetuate the Patriarchy and demoralise young girls instead of empowering. That She-Ra bitch was a ridiculous condescending attempt to distract females from their rightful paths of power in society."
He-Man: "Okay, I see what you're saying. I don't think it's our job to be specifically promoting a political agenda. However, we should tell stories that encourage fair play among people of all kinds. It seems to me that all of our female characters are strong women. I'm for my part proud to serve with you. You've always been confident and capable."
Teela: "The point is that the guys do most of the talking and the leading. I'm not just a token heroine or eye-candy. In Kevin Smith's show I'm getting a more equitable role where I can show my personality and abilities without asking for permission or standing to one side for the men to decide what will occur."
He-Man: "Hang on a second...I remember you always being independent and as I say steadfast in the face of the enemy. Yeah, sure, you were often supporting me and defending my rear from attack, but I was never standing in your way. Remember I am blessed with incredible strength and the magic sword - it's incumbent upon me to take action immediately and help others."
Teela: "Okay, it wasn't all bad for me personally. But this still doesn't answer the questions and address the imbalance in writing female characters as implied second-class individuals. In 'Revelation' most of the show focus on the team I have with this pretty terrific black girl who is smart and sassy. I'm tough and independent and not flowery and girly. We are an implied lesbian couple. It's clear we don't need men and have our lives figured out running a small business. The men in my life failed me and were shown to be liars - Skeletor wasn't alone in the fact of being a treacherous bastard."
He-Man: "I think you're being harsh. Skeletor has a special role as a determined opponent of good aims and an implacable agent of evil, so of course he is open to harsh criticism. By contrast in my actions I needed to keep the pretense of not being Adam and visa versa to protect my friends and the palace from unforeseen consequences. Another reason is that back in the day He-Man was originally a barbarian living in the wilds of Eternia until I was civilised by the Sorceress and learn who I could be. This back story had to be suppressed as I was mean't to be the noble son of the king. So the betrayal you feel is misplaced but understandable.
And anyway the new story by Smith makes it's own interpretations. How do we know it's really canon?"
Teela: "Anything which corrects gender bias should be canon."
He-Man: "Well, like I said, at the heart of it the original show was about respecting others regardless of who or what they were. Even Skeletor."
He-Man: "Listen: Something I noticed at the beginning of the series was the introductory narration. It promised a story of great deeds yet one might ask if that promise was delivered on. I was ignored for most of the series as myself and Skeletor had disappeared and apparently dead. That left the path clear to tell stories about the other characters which is good, but that being said I'm the principle hero of the narrative. I don't buy the suggestion that heroes have their course and must be replaced - that isn't necessarily so, at least I was shown to be done with much too prematurely and stabbed in the back too no less. In principle the idea is true - things evolve and change, mortals have a finite life - but is seems suspicious that an agenda is being pursued to force you Teela into being my replacement for the sake of female empowerment. I can't agree that is a good enough reason to change something. I was chosen by a high spiritual authority because order had to be restored as powerful warlords were gathering strength and threatening the stability of Eternia. You're mission has always been to lead the King's Guard. That is your destiny and talent."
Teela: "Sounds overblown to me. We'll have to see I suppose what happens in the second series."