Extracurricular

Extracurricular is the twenty-first episode of RWBY, which premiered on the Rooster Teeth website on August 28th, 2014.

Summary
Pyrrha Nikos spars one-on-four against Team CRDL. She soundly defeats them, leading to Glynda Goodwitch asking for a volunteer to step up for one additional battle. She singles out Blake Belladonna, who looks surprisingly sleep-deprived, but Mercury Black volunteers to fight instead. Although Glynda wants him to choose a new partner, he wishes to fight Pyrrha.

Pyrrha and Mercury do not fight for very long before he decides to forfeit, much to everyone's surprise. As everyone leaves the arena, Mercury comments that he was merely studying Pyrrha.

As Team RWBY exits the arena, Sun Wukong approaches to ask Blake to the upcoming dance. Blake rejects the idea, but the rest of her team is emphatic about her attending. Upon returning to the dorms, they mention they have learned that the White Fang are operating out of Southeast Vale and that Vale has been the primary target of Dust robberies, but Blake is not satisfied.

After Blake leaves left the room, Jaune Arc appears at the door to serenade Weiss Schnee. She turns him down, explaining to her friends that boys are only interested in her for perks.

Out on the roof of Beacon Academy, Pyrrha and Jaune spar. Jaune has improved a lot since arriving at Beacon, but is hesitant to begin training in Aura use, despite Pyrrha's assurance that he will soon discover his Semblance. Jaune is too distracted by Weiss' rejection to concentrate, to which Pyrrha responds by urging him to ask someone else to the dance. He claims that someone as popular as Pyrrha could never know the rejection he has to face, jokingly saying that if she does not arrive with a date to the dance that he will wear a dress.

Meanwhile, Mercury and Emerald Sustrai discuss the Beacon students with Cinder Fall. They describe Pyrrha as being rather subtle with her use of her Semblance. Mercury is tired of waiting for their next order of business but Cinder assures him that he will not have long to wait.

Trivia

 * Pyrrha gearing up for her duel is similar to Carolina from Red vs Blue where both characters share the same scene as well as the same attack where they launch themselves toward the enemy in the air.
 * Some of the first scenes of the fight are the same ones used in the second opening.
 * Pyrrha's final move against Cardin, a throat grapple with her weapon, is a reference to Agent Texas' final move against Agents York, Wyoming, and Maine in her spar in Red vs Blue.
 * Cinder's comment about Pyrrha being fated for victory is possibly a reference to the root of her last name, Nikos (Νίκος), Greek meaning "victor of the people".
 * The whole of Team SSSN makes their first appearance, shown as RWBY exits the arena. Later, Team CFVY is mentioned by Weiss for the first time in the series.
 * Emerald was originally meant to be wearing her uniform disguise while spectating Mercury sparring with Pyrrha, as evidenced by early images.