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The Owl House Episode 10 Review

It’s mid-season finale time for The Owl House, and with no word on when the other episodes come out, the show has to stick the landing. The show’s already given us great moments and big mysteries, which I have been avidly keeping track of. In “Escape of the Palisman”, the writers touch on a recurring mystery in the series. In addition, they set up a new one alongside it.

The Power of the Palisman

With the show having focused on each of the Owl House’s residents, the only one left is Owlbert, the headpiece to Eda’s staff. Known as a palisman and created using ancient wood by Eda, Owlbert’s not just a tool; he’s completely sentient capable of feeling pain. This episode sees Luz learning about this the hard way. When she tries using the staff to take her, Gus, and Willow to a sports game, she ends up hurting Owlbert. Like a pet that’s been hurt by its owner, the little owl reacts with fear, going to stay with the Bat Queen. As it turns out, she’s a former palisman that was abandoned. Now she protects other palisman’s from those who’d hurt them.

I thought that this whole story was like watching a pet owner trying to win over an animal that’s been abused in the past. We know Luz never meant to hurt Owlbert, but she still has to show him that she can be trusted not to do it again. It’s a very sweet story that I think pet owners can relate to.

Eda’s Curse is Getting Worse

Meanwhile, King tries to establish himself as king of the local playground and get revenge on some kid who usurped him. His solution? Use Eda, who’s stuck mid-transformation, to scare everyone. It works about as well as you’d think it would. Compounding this problem is the fact that Eda’s elixir is no longer working. Indeed, King’s only able to snap her out of her curse by humiliating himself.

Ever since we learned about Eda’s curse, it’s been the subject of much speculation and fan theories. It’s that big mystery of the show, much like how “who wrote the journals” was the big mystery of Gravity Falls. Like Gravity Falls, though, The Owl House has only given us scraps of information thus far. What “Escape of the Palisman” does confirm, though, is that this could be a big focus in the second half of the season.

An Okay Mid-Season Finale

As far as mid-season finales go, “Escape of the Palisman” was pretty standard. It does set up what the big problem may be in the second half of the season. Beyond that, though, it doesn’t do a lot to grab my attention.

I can think of several Disney cartoons in recent years that have done a great job handling the mid-season finale. Season two of Gravity Falls ended on a massive cliffhanger with the reveal of the author of the journals. Season two of Star vs. saw the main character lose magic book of spells to her arch-enemy. Then, Season three of that same show gave a bombshell revelation that upended the show’s status quo! In other words, these were great mid-season finales. They knew how to draw viewers in and leaving them curious enough to want to come back. “Escape of the Palisman”, though, seems to lack that spark.

There’s no telling when the remaining episodes will come out, given the Coronavirus Pandemic going around. In hindsight, going on break when people need entertainment more than ever could be a bad idea. However, I’ll patiently wait as long as I have to for more of this amazing show to come knocking. I just hope the season finale will stick the landing better.

I Give “Escape of the Palisman” a 2.5/5

Stray Observations:

• King is still cute when he’s angry.
• That snot-nosed kid King was fighting over the slide was actually trying to overthrow him. Nice twist on that joke.
• The Monster Hunters return, now reduced to animal control
• I think Luz copied the move that cheerleader did in the pilot.
• Could one of the palismans with the Bat Queen become Luz’s one day

Favorite Quotes:

• Bow to me, you snotty underlings! Bow!
• Yesss. Appease your master!
• EDAA! That monster took my throne!

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Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 24-Gravity Falls

If I had to choose the most important TV shows of the decade, Gravity Falls would be near the top. Its one of the best cartoons in living memory, and I’d argue it kick-started Disney’s slew of great cartoons. It’s quirky and imaginative, yet also filled with mysteries. Just ask Nostalgia Critic: the guy loves the show! Best of all, its perfect for both summertime and the season of Halloween because it mixes the appeal of both. While the entire show’s worthy of a Halloween binge-watch, there are actually two episodes that are proper Halloween specials. Tonight, we cover the first one, Summerween.

Summerween

In the town of Gravity Falls, the people love Halloween so much, they celebrate it twice a year. For someone whose loved Halloween all their lives, this would be like a dream come true; it certainly is for the Pines Twin, who can’t wait to get free candy.

That is, until Dipper learns that his unattainable crush, Wendy, is going to a Summerween party. Not wanting to look bad in front of her, he tries ditching Mabel and her friends and trick-or-treating by faking being sick. When Mabel finds out he’s lied to her, she’s understandably upset. Especially since she takes it as a sign that Dipper’s too old to enjoy Halloween anymore.

A big part of Gravity Falls is that it’s a coming-of-age story in which Dipper and Mabel must mature to face the dangers in the town. However, as Alex Hirsch says in the real life Gravity Falls Journal 3, “growing old isn’t the same as growing up.” In other words, getting older doesn’t mean people have to wholly abandon the quirks and wonder of their childhood. In addition, I fail to see why Dipper would think he’s too old to go trick-or-treating.

Teens Can Enjoy Halloween, Too

In my personal experience, I fail to see why getting older doesn’t mean one can’t enjoy trick-or-treating. I kept doing it until I was well into my teens, and I wasn’t ashamed of it. Firstly, it’s fun dressing up and seeing all the costumes and decorations. Furthermore, it’s free candy! Who would say no to free candy?

Alex Hirsch Likes Anime

My favorite part of “Summerween”, though, was the monster of the week, the Summerween Trickster. It’s a local monster that punishes kids who lack the spirit of the holiday, and demands the kids give him 500 pieces of candy before the night is done or it’ll eat them. They almost succeed, but then Dipper messes up, causing the Trickster to shift into a monstrous form.

The Summerween Trickster’s shape and movement resembles the character No-Face from Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. In that film, No-Face was a spirit that took on a monstrous appearance after eating other spirits. I loved that in the movie, and seeing it in the show was fun.

It turns out, though, that the Trickster is all the discarded holiday candy no one eats. Its bitter over this fact, so it eats all the kids. At least, until Soos eats its candy heart. If it weren’t for the fact that its made of candy, that would be messed up. Way to dodge the PG rating, Hirsch!

A Delightful Gravity Falls Episode

Like Nostalgia Critic says, there’s really no bad episode of Gravity Falls. I was a casual fan of it, and I kept up with it until the show ended, but this was one of its best episodes. It’s got a great plot, it makes some great allusions to pop culture, and if it weren’t a kids show, it would be very gruesome to watch! This episode is perfect for Halloween! Plus, we got these cute meme’s of Waddles.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Mystery Shack Plug-In

If you’re a big fan of Gravity Falls or other cartoons like I am, then I have the perfect store for you. Introducing the Mystery Shack; a real-life one! Located somewhere in Georgia, this is the one-stop-shop for fans of western animation. They’ve got merchandise from all the great cartoons and anime of our time. They’ve got everything from Star vs., Rick and Morty, Steven Universe, and of course, Gravity Falls. I shop from them a lot, and they make quality merchandise.

If you’re interested, then click the link below to go check out their website. They’ve got plenty of cool stuff!

PS- I’m not doing this because I was paid to. I’m doing this because they’re awesome and you should buy their stuff.

Jay’s Month of Scares, Day 17- Disney’s Sleepy Hollow

After recalling the tale of the Hopping Hessian from the Rocko Halloween special, I knew what I wanted to watch tonight. I have seen many ghostly stories and ghoulish tales in our culture. Out of all of them, though, I think that my favorite has to be The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

First published by Washington Irving back in 1820, Sleepy Hollow‘s one of the most enduring stories in American fiction. Over the years, Irving’s famous story has been adapted and reimagined into many different iteration. There’s that Sleepy Hollow show a few years ago, a Johnny Depp movie, and cameos and references in all manner of shows and books. However, of all the adaptations, my personal favorite has to be the Disney cartoon. Coincidentally, the special turned 70 earlier this month.

Disney’s Sleepy Hollow Balances Scares with Silliness

I’m well aware that Disney’s version of Sleepy Hollow is far more light-hearted than the original story. Above all, it is Disney that’s making this. Most of the segment relies on the humor that Disney garnered a reputation for. It’s silly and relies on visual gags and sound effects, but nonetheless, it has that Disney charm.

However, all that largely changes in the final part of the story as a result of Brom Bones’ song. While watching Ichabod freak out was funny, it consequentially leaves viewers on edge as Ichabod makes his way home. By the time the Horseman actually appears, most of the humor is gone. Even the antics of Ichabod during the chase do little to lighten the mood.

American Gothic At Work

I took a college course on American gothic storytelling, and I remember a few things about it. Among the major themes found is the sense of isolation and fear of the other, the unknown. Disney’s Sleepy Hollow did an impressive job of matching this. From the time Ichabod rides into the Hollow, the setting serves to remind us of how utterly alone he is. Even the narrator stops talking, and aside from repeating a line from Brom’s story, there is no dialogue. As a result, everything’s conveyed through sound effects, music, and Ichabod’s screams.

I thought that this is masterful storytelling. As a result of the lack of talking, the tension continues to build as Ichabod begins seeing danger all around him. Therefore, it keeps the viewers constantly on edge, before letting that culminate with the appearance of the Horseman to create sheer terror. The entire sequence is legitimately scary, and I can see how it would scare most kids. Even the more realistic way the Horseman’s and his steed are drawn is unsettling. They had to keep Sleepy Hollow appropriate for the kids. If I saw this as a kid, I’d probably be too scared to watch. That’s awesome!

One of the Best Sleepy Hollow Adaptations

It may not be apparent, but I’m a little obsessed with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It’s one of my favorite Halloween stories. Remember how I said I made a text-based game for St. Patrick’s day? The original purpose was what can essentially be called fan fiction. I wanted to do a story involving the Headless Horseman, only instead of horses, we’re riding Harleys.

My point is that while there may be scarier adaptations of Sleepy Hollow out there, my favorite remains the 1949 Disney Cartoon. It brings the humor of Disney with the gothic storytelling of the story. Plus, it’s got a really catchy song.

Happy Halloween!

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Ducktales, Season 2, Episode 20 Review/Recap

Well, after that awesome episode on Thursday, we’re back to one that isn’t as awesome. Since it’s Ducktales, though, it’s still good. Even the bad episodes are fun to watch, especially with a story that screams “classic Ducktales” like Cornelius Coot.

Recap

Webby and the Triplets are at the historic fort of Cornelius Coot, Della’s ancestor/Duckburg’s founder. Legend says that Coot left behind a treasure that not even Della could find, so Webby’s determined to be the one to do so. She drags the boys along an underground passage, and becomes obsessed with finding it in order to surpass Della. So she’s pretty let down when it’s discovered that Coot’s “golden treasure” was really piles of corn.

Meanwhile, Della’s planning on flying her plane over the fort for the day’s event, but realized she has to deal with Launchpad. She easily loses her temper with his lack of flying skills, but his ability to crash things ends up saving everyone.

The Beagle Boys, who’ve been pursuing the kids to steal the treasure, capture them only to be thwarted by Launchpad’s crash-landing. Then when Webby turns all the corn into popcorn, Launchpad saves them again by crashing the plane through a hillside. So the boys sell the popcorn at the fort and Webby learns to stop trying to prove herself to Della.

Review

I read Kevin Johnson from the AV Club’s review for this episode and I have to agree: this episode feels off. Cornelius Coot has all the makings of what should be a classic Ducktales episode. I can’t get into it, though, and I jump at the idea of treasure hunting stories.

Also, I know Webby’s always looked up to the Duck Family as her idols, but I don’t see why she needs to prove herself. She’s already an amazing adventurer. Oh, and that C-plot about Big Time Beagle trying to prove himself to Ma Beagle didn’t interest me at all.

At least Launchpad knows he doesn’t have to prove himself. Despite his record with crashing every vehicle imaginable, we know he’s a good pilot. If he wasn’t, then he wouldn’t survive all those crashes. The twist on Cornelius Coot’s treasure was pretty funny in hindsight, but that’s about the only good thing I can think of. Maybe next episode will do better.

Also, I think this episode confirms that Dewey changed his middle name to Turbo. And I still think “Turbo Duck” sounds awesome.

I Give “The Golden Armory of Cornelius Coot” a 3.25/5. Bonus points for “Turbo Duck”

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