Recap / Voltron: Legendary Defender S2E6 "The Ark of Taujeer"

Taujeerian: I would feel more comfortable with all five paladins.
Shiro: Duly noted.

After a narrow escape from Zarkon, Allura and Keith are convinced that they are responsible for Zarkon tracking them. As they sneak out at night to see if this is true, Pidge programs an algorithm to track Galra activity on various galaxies, so as to take the battle to the Galra. They end up in the Ark of Taujeer, where the inhabitants are stranded on a planet that will shed its skin and turn into a celestial body of acid.

Tropes for this episode include the following:

• Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene: As the rest of the team scrambles to save the Taujeerians, Allura and Keith have a conversation about if there can be any good Galra.
• And Then What?: Keith asks Allura what they will do if Zarkon tracks them. While he can pilot them to safety if Zarkon appears, it means they can never return to the castle, and Keith can no longer pilot the Red Lion.
• Bad Liar: Allura and Keith when they try to give an excuse as to why they were out near the pods late at night.
• Bait-and-Switch: With no one to pilot the Red Lion, Coran dons a suit and prepares to do so, to beg for the chance. The Red Lion then goes out into space to find Keith.
• Brutal Honesty: The Taujeerian leader says that they'd feel safer with five Paladins rather than four.
• Catapult Nightmare: Keith has one about his (possible) Galra heritage and Zarkon constantly finding the team by tracking him.
• Chekhov's Gun: One from Season One goes off (literally) in this episode. Coran warned Pidge that her modifications would turn that shuttle into a bomb.
• Chekhov's Skill: Pidge uses her new vine powers at Lance's suggestion to hold the planet together.
• Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like: The Taujeerian leader says that they'd feel safer with five Paladins rather than four. To be fair, the other Paladins are in obvious agreement with him on the matter.
• Continuity Nod: Keith references his fight with Zarkon as a possible reason for why he may be the reason why Zarkon can find them.
• Dirty Coward: The Galra general tells his soldiers to continue to attack Voltron despite the fact that they could do very little in their current condition. He tells them that dying for the empire was the greatest honor and once the soldiers turn their backs he whispers to another soldier to prepare his escape pod.
• Falling into His Arms: Played more for laughs. Upon finding Allura trying to sneak off in one of the ships Keith calls her out, causing her to flail wildly and Keith catches her in his arms. She immediately jumps away and claims she wasn't doing anything.
• Fantastic Racism: Allura tells Keith during that she doesn't believe there are any good Galra, as they had 10,000 years to do something about Zarkon.
• Follow in My Footsteps: Coran says this about Alfor when he approaches the Red Lion and offers to be its temporary Paladin.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Allura and Keith were willing to leave the Castle of Lions to keep Zarkon from tracking down the team.
• The Hunter Becomes the Hunted: Lance says this when Pidge relays her strategy.
• Kissing In A Tree: Lance asks the others if they wondered if Keith and Allura were "sittin' in a tree" after the team found out they both left the castle in the middle of the night.
• Nightmare Sequence: Keith gets this which signifies his fear of what his true lineage is and comes to the conclusion that Zarkon is tracking the castle through him.
• Wham Line: Shiro announces that he's deduced how Zarkon is tracking them: the Black Lion.