Have you ever changed your hair on a whim? Cut it all off, drastically changed the color, tried a popular style like the lob only to realize you loathe or it just doesn’t suit you? Have you ever then wished you could wave a magic wand and undo all the damage? If so, Disney is letting you live vicariously through Rapunzel from Tangled in her new television show on The Disney Channel.
If you’ll recall, in 2010 Tangled introduced us to Mandy Moore’s Stockholm Syndrome’d Rapunzel. The lost princess was blessed with magical blonde hair that could cure any ailment — even old age — as long as it was never cut. Should scissors touch the 70 foot long golden locks, they would revert to a mousey brown and lose their power. In an effort to free Rapunzel from her captor Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), Eugene (Zachary Levi) gave his lady love an impromptu bob. And while it looked 1000% better than any self-inflicted attempt at choppy layers in history, such a drastic change will always have an adjustment period. In fact, Rapunzel is the only Disney Princess I can think of who ends her journey looking superficially different than at the beginning. And based on her merchandise, Disney was partial to her long, blonde locks.
Enter magic. This March, Disney will debut Tangled: Before Ever After. The movie will kick-off Tangled: The Series, which follows Rapunzel and her new friend Cassandra (Eden Espinosa) as they accidentally undo Rapunzel’s cut and style. For some reason, Rapunzel is terrified of her father discovering her hair has regained its blond tone and length, not to mention the locks are now impervious to removal via scissors. Why her parents would lament their daughter having magical healing hair remains a mystery.
This isn’t the first sequel for the Disney’s digital 3D princess. The first look at how she was adjusting to freedom after a lifetime in a tower was the 2012 short Tangled Ever After in which Rapunzel and Eugene wed.The title of the new cartoon implies the show will come after the end of the 2010 theatrical release but before Rapunzel’s nuptials to Eugene. Which makes sense chronologically as Eugene teases at the end of Tangled that it took a while for the two of them to tie the knot. But that also means the indestructible golden hair is not long for the world, as Rapunzel is back to her short brown style for her wedding. But why would she give up the ability to help her people? And how do you cut hair that breaks scissors? And, most importantly, why do I even care enough to spend more than thirty seconds thinking about it?
Every time I think I’m out, Disney gets their perfectly polished Princess claws back in me.
[Via The Mary Sue]