RJ Writing Ink

The Owl House Episode 12 Review

It’s good to be back in The Owl House, people. Aside from a brief leak of an episode in Turkey back in April, Dana Terrace’s show has been quiet the last few months. Thankfully, it’s back as part of an animation powerhouse with Big City Greens and Amphibia. In our next foray into the Boiling Isles, Luz and King try to make it big as writers. But will fame go to King’s head?

Inkspell and the King’s Reach

There’s a book fair and writing contest going on in Bonesborough, and Luz and King decide to enter together. Their reasons differ, though. Luz wants to fulfill her dream of being a writer (which was her backup dream after being a witch.) King, on the other hand, just wants the fame, influence and fans minions that come with it. At first, the two’s contrasting writing styles create an excellent story. But then King makes his own changes and takes all the credit for the story. Thus, a falling out over creative differences ensues.

As someone whose aspiring to be a writer (be it a blogger, fanfic writer or more), I can relate to Luz’s desire to be a writer. If it weren’t for the books I found in libraries, I’d have died of boredom in public school. Therefore, it’s fitting that I do the same for someone else! And given what we see regarding Luz’s writing skills, I think that she’s got a good chance at being one.

King, though, it’s clear that he doesn’t care about the writing process. He just wants to feed his lust for power. That leads him to make a deal with a bigshot publisher and become the biggest author in the Boiling Isles. And all this happens in just a few days!

It’s sad to King throw away his friendship with Luz so readily, but the two make up by the end of the episode. Being a writer has way of boxing people in, both metaphorically and very literally.

Eda and Lilith’s Excellent Adventure

Meanwhile, Eda’s growing more worried over how fast her curse is spreading. So when she hears of a flower said to give people eternal youth, she leaves on a quest for it. Unfortunately for her, Lilith’s on the hunt for the same thing for the Emperor. Thus, the two race to get to the flower before the other. At least, that’s how it starts out.

In truth, though, despite being on opposite sides of the law, this little adventure hammers home just how much the two sisters care about each other. It’s filled with playful light-hearted banter and each admitting that they don’t want to see the other get hurt. Eda even admits that she doesn’t want anyone to take out her sister. Aside from her, that is.

So, it turns out that magic flower was just a scam by the vendor so he could drink their life force. Shocker. After beating the moron up off-screen, Lilith offers to help Eda once more in the Emperor’s Coven. Even after all the things they’ve done to each other, Lili’s still trying to reach out. Sibling love at its finest.

I could tell Eda was tempted to, but she declined, saying she wants to do it on her terms. And Lilith seems to respect that decision. Overall, I thought that the exchange was very touching to watch. Like a gender-bent version of Stan and Ford’s relationship.

King’s Reach Falters Once Again

Once again, King’s reach to amass power fail due to his impulsive nature, forcing Luz to bail him out. On the plus side, their friendship seems stronger for it. As for Eda, she’s no closer to finding a cure for her curse, but at least she has her sister looking out for her.

I’m glad that The Owl House has returned after all these months. We need this kind of distraction with the world in the state that it is. And I missed writing about this show.

I Give “Sense and Insensitivity” a 4/5

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Close Enough Season 1, Episode 4a/4B Review

You know what I’ve learned? That trying to force yourself to be cool or clinging too hard to your younger days can backfire on you. BIG TIME. Something that Josh and Emily both learn the hard way in this episode of Close Enough.

Prank War

Desperate to relive his glory days as a prankster, Josh decides to declare a prank war on the inhabitants of the apartment. Something that gets him called out on for being a desperate way to cling to his lost youth. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Josh included, his terrible pranks end up with a guy in a coma and Emily and Bridgette in jail.

This isn’t the first time that Quintel’s tackled the idea of a prank war. Fans of Regular Show will recall the exploits of Muscle Man, who, admittedly, was great at them. However, it’s apparent that Josh is no Muscle Man. In fact, the harder he tries to prank people, the further away from cool he gets. And given how the episode ends, I doubt Josh has learned his lesson.

Cool Moms

Fed up with having to spend time with the normal mom’s and boring conversations, Emily tries to get in with the cool moms. So, she sets up Candice to hang out with the coolest kid in her class, Nia so she can chug beers with her biker mom, Jojo. But is there a fine line between being a cool mom and being a good mom? After this episode, I’d say yes.

I’ve seen a lot of cool parents in shows before. While I can’t exactly say what makes a cool parent, I know what makes a great parent. A great parent knows how to balance the fun with their kids and when to be responsible and look after them. And after seeing how Jojo raises her daughter recklessly, I can tell that, while cool, she’s not a great parent. While Emily may not be a cool biker mom, she realizes that all Candice cares about is being her mom.

As for the guys, they go on a road trip with Randy when he thinks his Mom’s been kidnapped. I think that the B-plot wound up detracting from the main story though.

Good episode all around, though.

I Give “Prank War” a 4/5 and “Cool Moms” a 3/5

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Click here to see my review of the entire season.

Close Enough Season 1, Episode 3A/3B Review

I don’t have kids yet, but I know what one of the great struggles of being a parent is. It’s the eternal struggle to bond with your kid and look cool to them. However, I do know what it’s like dealing with the stress of adulthood. Fortunately, Close Enough has me covered on both.

Skate Dad

One morning, Josh realizes that Candice’s is not interested in any of the things he liked as a kid. That is, except for skate-boarding. As a result, he’s determined to become Skate Dad, bond, and look cool to Candice. However, his plans get derailed by this local skater called “the Goosh”, that Candice would rather learn from.

I know I’m not a parent yet, but I’ve been taking extensive notes on what makes a good parent. And Josh is trying his best to be a good dad to Candice. He genuinely wants to nurture Candice’s interest in skating as its something they have in common. However, his ego, need for his daughter’s approval, and the memory of how unsupportive his own dad was hold him back. Seeing Josh fail, and then succeed, at bonding with Candice, is hilarious and relatable all at once. It’s also given me some pointers for my future parenting book.

1. Try and introduce your kids to the things you liked growing up and see if they like them.
2. If they develop other interests, accept it and support them as much as possible.

100% No Stress Day

During a routine visit to the Doctor’s, Emily realizes that she’s got way too much stress in her life. Most of which is coming from her family and roommates. So, Bridgette takes out for the day to find what helps her unwind and keep her sane.

Let’s face it: stress is an inevitable part of life. Whether it’s from other’s expectations of you, too many bills to pay, or too much work at your job, you’re going to get stressed. And I get stressed a lot, so I know what Emily’s going through. But what I learned is that you need to find something that lets you blow off steam. For me, it’s video games; and for Emily, it’s also video games.

The surreal parts of this episode come from Josh, Candice and Alex’s quest for “earthquake ham”. This leads to them being chased by ham thieves and a pack of stripper clowns that Alex owes money to. And the only way out is to beat them at this VR game Josh made that, honestly, looks like a lot of fun.

Another Quintel Success

J.G. Quintel has always been great at creating good cartoons, but Close Enough may be one of his best creations yet. Granted, it’s only his second show, but he already made himself a rising star with Regular Show. And just like the last episode, this one has a relatable plot and problems, making it even better. I’m so happy I could binge it on HBO Max.

By the way, if you want, head on over to HBO Max to try your hand at Ladder World. It’s fun! Click the link here to get there.

I Give “Skate Dad” and “100% Stress Free Day” a 4/5 each.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Click here to see my review of the entire season.