RJ Writing Ink

A Deep Character Dive into Luz Noceda from The Owl House

Well, here we are, at the end of this week-long, deep character dive into my favorite characters from The Owl House. I decided to save the best for last, the character that I think has changed the most on the show, and is responsible for changing almost everyone else I’ve mentioned. I’m, of course, talking about Luz Noceda.

When we first met Luz, she was a self-assured, confident, and optimistic girl who couldn’t fit in on Earth. So when she found her way to the Boiling Isles by complete accident, she saw this as the chance to live the life she always wanted. To become a great and powerful Witch like her hero, Good Witch Azura! The Boiling Isles proved to be equal parts amazing and difficult. Luz learned how to use magic, she made many friends, and even found love.

However, time and again, she found herself facing great loss, hardship, and evil that threatened to tear her apart. By the time she returned to Earth, she was an empty shell of what she once was. However, the people she met along her journey stood by her like she stood by them, and while she still has a ways to go, she managed to regain the idealism that the world tried to take from her. More than that, though, she found something she didn’t even know she was looking for: people who understood her.

As someone who is himself neurodivergent and can be seen as different like Luz, her story has resonated with me in a way that few characters in fiction ever do. While she goes through hell during her journey in The Owl House and begins to think of herself as a failure, the lives she’s changed for the better tell otherwise. I’m RJ Writing Ink, and as we get ready to watch the series finale tonight, we finish our deep character dive into The Owl House. This is the story of the girl who’s the light that could save the Boiling Isles.

My First Impression of Luz Noceda

When we first meet Luz Noceda in the series premiere, our initial impression of her can be summed up in two words: she’s different. She’s energetic, likes to express herself in ways that others think are weird, and can’t seem to fit in with her peers. This, of course, tends to get her in frequent trouble with her teachers at school, who all just want her to act like everyone else. 

Like I said before, I’m neurodivergent myself, and was no stranger to being treated differently in school while growing up. My behavior was seen as disruptive (which it could be), and I frequently got in trouble with adults trying to keep me in check. I lost count of how many times I got sent to the Principal’s office at one point, and based on what we know, it looks like Luz dealt with similar problems. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to have people in my life who knew how to channel my energy toward something positive best. Luz, though, never seemed to have that sort of thing. 

Why Luz Ran Away From Home

Time and time again, people would get frustrated with Luz’s free-thinking nature, trying to make her conform rather than helping her. As we see in the series pilot, it got to the point where her Mom’s convinced the best thing to do is to send her to a summer camp to teach her how to be normal. The universe, though, seemed to have other ideas, as she winds up in the Boiling Isles, a terrifying and wonderful world that seems like a dream come true. 

After spending the pilot helping Eda and King break into prison, leading a prison break, and beating the Warden, Luz realizes that she fits in far more on the Boiling Isles than she does on Earth. So Luz basically says “screw summer camp. I’m going to stay here and learn how to be a Witch.” And thus, Luz begins her new life on the Boiling Isles, something that will be more wonderful and terrifying than she could’ve thought possible.

Learning a Few Lessons

As Luz learns on her second day living in the Boiling Isles, things aren’t going to go like they would in the fantasy books she’s always reading. For starters, she finds out that Eda doesn’t really know how to be a teacher and keeps dragging her heels on her lessons. Secondly, she learns that being a Witch as the Boiling Isles sees it is impossible since they’ve got an extra organ that generates magic for them. Something she very much lacks. Lastly, her wide-eyed and idealistic nature makes her a magnet for trouble, like how she got conned by one of Eda’s rivals. Or almost got dissected at Hexside.

Despite her shortcomings and having to continually re-learn that there’s no shortcuts to becoming a Witch, Luz does start to make a positive impact on those around her. She quickly endears herself to both Eda and King, neither of whom are used to having someone so nice around the house, with Eda coming to view her as the daughter she never had.

Making Friends, and Discovering Magic

Her sneaking into Hexside gives Willow the chance to show her true talents with plant magic and get into the track she’s good at, and provides the Human-loving Gus a chance to meet an actual Human. And while she and Amity start off on the wrong foot at first due to the latter seeing her honest attempts to be nice as malice, the events of “Lost in Language” finally see her start to get through Amity’s barriers. It also helps that both of them share a love for The Good Witch Azura books. 

More than that, though, Luz manages to prove everyone who said a Human couldn’t do magic wrong when she discovers Glyph magic. As the first season progresses, she continues to discover more Glyphs, allowing her to use more and more magic, and she proves to be a natural at it!

Continuing to Make Moves and Shake Things Up

Eventually, Eda makes the decision that she can only teach Luz so much at her home. So, despite loathing the educational system for failing her, Eda gets Luz enrolled into Hexside, trusting that her student will be smart enough to not buy into the “one-track magic” system and be able to change things for the better. Once we learn that Eda had tried, and failed, to do exactly when she was Luz’s age, this vote of confidence takes on new meaning.

As it turns out, Eda’s faith in Luz is well-founded. Despite Hexside trying to force her into a single track, and then put her in detention when she rebels, Luz meets other like-minded students who combine magic as she does. And when they save the school from a Greater Basilisk, they convince Bump to let students study as many tracks as they want. Only in school for one day, and Luz is already changing things for the better!

Luz’s kindness and enthusiasm only continues to change the people around her for the better once she’s in Hexside. Thanks to her shenanigans, she indirectly manages to get Amity and Willow to confront the long-standing issues that caused their past friendship to fall apart, helping Willow get rid of years of repressed anger. She helps Willow stand up to the likes of alpha girl Boscha and win the respect of her teammates. Most significant of all, though, her kindness makes Amity Blight go from hating her to having a massive crush on her!

“Grom Fright” is One of those Moments on TV I’ll Never Forget

Now, because we have to talk about this, it’s time to discuss “Enchanting Grom Fright.” That episode wasn’t just a major episode for the show, but it was a major milestone for Disney as a whole. Fans blew up the Internet when they saw Luz and Amity’s dance, and that only increased when it was revealed that the person Amity wanted to ask to the dance was none other than Luz. Dana Terrace eventually followed this up by not only revealing that Amity was lesbian but that Luz herself is bisexual, a first in Disney’s century-long history. When you consider how Disney, straight-laced Disney, agreed to let this happen, then you know that Luz has to be special. 

Milestones aside, this episode also revealed how deep-rooted Luz’s issues with her Mom are. Not only has she been lying to her about being in the Boiling Isles, but her biggest fear is her Mother finding out the truth. She honestly thinks Camila’s ashamed of who she is, and is terrified at the prospect of telling her the truth. As it turns out, she’s right.

A Deep Dive into Hunter from The Owl House

Most fans of The Owl House will agree with me when I say this: Hunter is a sweet cinnamon bun and must be protected at all costs!

Joking aside, Hunter might be one of the absolute best characters on The Owl House. Played to masterful levels by Zeno Robinson, Hunter started the show as this younger, goofier version of Darth Vader. He was the Emperor’s enforcer, his right-hand man, this man of mystery. However, it took a little while for us to get a look behind the mask to find he was anything but a Vader. Instead, he had more in common with Prince Zuko from the Avatar franchise. He’s this young, inherently compassionate person who devoted his life to trying to please this toxic authority figure he looked up to. Hunter began to learn more about the outside world by meeting Luz and, later, her friends. Thanks to them, he realized that the man he looked up to was, in truth, an abusive monster. So, he ran and would’ve kept running had he not found people who cared about him for who he was. 

Hunter’s story in The Owl House is about someone who’s been the victim of domestic abuse his entire life. It’s a journey that helps him to slowly realize how horrible his life truly is and seeks to escape it with the help of the people that truly love him. More importantly, it’s about said victim finding the strength to overcome said abuse, stand up to the person responsible for it, and come out on the other side a better person than their abuser ever was. This is the story of Hunter, this generation’s Zuko.

Our First Impressions: Like Vader, but Goofier

Introduced in the final moments of the season one finale, the Golden Guard was subject to rampant theories and fan speculation during the seasonal interim. Who was he? What was he like underneath the mask? Was he going to take Lillith’s place as Emperor Belos’ chief enforcer? Would he become Luz’s main rival in the second season? 

Eventually, the season two premiere of The Owl House, “Separate Tides,” rolled around, and we got our first look at the Golden Guard. From Lillith’s own experiences, he was this hotshot young Witch that got special treatment from the Emperor, much to her and many others’ jealousy. Once he gets involved in the plot, serving as the primary threat of the episode, we see his reputation isn’t unwarranted. He’s authoritative, confident, and willing to use underhanded tactics to get his way. Case in point, he blackmails Luz and Eda into doing his dirty work by using King as a hostage. That’s a very Vader move!

At the same time, though, the Golden Guard is quite unlike Vader. He acts like a typical teenager, finding enjoyment in messing with King. He even undercuts how threatening he is with his goofy farewell to the trio.

I knew right away that I would enjoy having the Golden Guard around. However, I didn’t realize how much we’d grow to love him.

Getting a Look Underneath the Mask at the Real Hunter

Besides a brief appearance at the end of “Escaping Expulsion,” Hunter’s next appearance would be in “Hunting Palismen.” That episode would give fans our first glimpse underneath the mask and see who the boy underneath really was.

It starts in the episode’s cold opening as the Golden Guard sees Belos away when his health catches up to him. He looks away from the silhouette of what Belos transforms into, but otherwise, he stays by his side. His concern for Belos, who we learn is his “Uncle,” is genuine. Yet Belos threatens to skewer him when he suggests using wild magic to cure him before ordering him to bring him a new Palismen.

Thankfully, his mission doesn’t succeed, thanks to the wild card that is Luz Noceda and the jealous rival that is Kikimora, the latter of whom tries to kill him. Thankfully, Luz’s compassionate nature prompts her to save him, much to his anger. The remainder of the episode amounts to Hunter going through a conga line of humiliation. He gets slapped by Luz, brushed off by the Emperor’s Coven, forced to reveal his lack of magic to the Human, and then outsmarted by the girl as she escapes with the Palismen. By the end of it, most of the mystique he had as the Golden Guard’s non-existent. 

In exchange, though, we got something better: we got to see a little bit of what Hunter’s like underneath the mask, literally and metaphorically. For starters, he’s not just a teen; he’s young enough to pass for a Hexside student and a very skinny one. In addition, without the mask to hide his face, Hunter’s emotions are free for all to see, and we see someone whos very insecure about being a magicless Witch. Thus, he must constantly prove himself to Belos, his father figure. However, despite obediently following Belos’ commands, Hunter’s curiosity about wild magic shines through, even as he spouts the Emperor’s rhetoric that such things are dangerous. This desire proves strong enough that one of the Palismen, a cardinal named Flapjack, stays with Hunter, much to his confusion.

Forming the First Positive Relationship in His Life

The next time we see Hunter is in the episode “Eclipse Lake.” Following his failure to capture the Palismen, the young man finds himself on thin ice with Emperor Belos. Desperate to retain his Uncle’s approval, he sneaks out behind the Emperor’s back to travel to Eclipse Lake. His goal is to sneak past Kikimora and the Emperor’s Coven, retrieve the vial of Titan’s Blood Belos needs to activate the Clawthorne family’s portal to Earth and win his favor again. It’s a poorly thought-out idea, but Hunter is desperate to prove himself useful. Too bad for him, his plan goes sideways when he’s captured by Amity, Eda, and King, who are there for the same reason he is.

Continuing from his previous outing, this episode takes every chance to humiliate Hunter, forced to follow the Owl House gang as their prisoner, with Eda and King taking the opportunity to dunk on him. Or, in King’s case, bite his head. He and Amity do briefly connect due to their shared beliefs that they have to earn the approval from the ones they care about to matter to them, but unlike Amity, Hunter doesn’t grow out of this.

Then we have the big moment when we see Hunter at one of his lowest points. Eclipse Lake’s dried up, the Titan’s blood is gone, and Hunter knows he can’t return to Belos empty-handed again. So, he starts digging his own grave! At the time, it seemed like an example of black comedy. However, later, we learn how justified Hunter’s fears are, and the joke…isn’t as funny as before.

In the end, Hunter manages to get his hands on the portal key, meaning his quest isn’t a waste. More importantly, though, throughout this experience, Flapjack stuck beside him, supporting him no matter what. The experience helps the two bond, and by the end, Hunter’s formed the first positive relationship in his life. 

More will soon follow.

A Deep Dive into Eda From The Owl House

What is there about Eda the Owl Lady that still needs to be said? She’s magical, sassy, powerful, confident, rebellious, and, as Luz puts it, “Surprisingly foxy for her age.” Luz is right, too. Eda has many people who think she’s hot, both in-universe and out. When we first meet her, she’s an outlaw and the most powerful Witch on the Boiling Isles. While it looks like she’s living her best life, as the show progresses, we start to understand how lonely she is. And while she may have lost most of her power, she gained something just as valuable: the chance to open up to others again. 

I’m RJ Writing Ink, and as part of my attempts to get hyped for the series finale of The Owl House, I’m deep diving into some of my favorite characters, exploring who they are and how they’ve grown over the show’s run as we head into the series finale. First, we have everyone’s favorite Witch, Eda The Owl Lady.

Man, she is awesome.

Eda, the Bad Girl, Meets Luz, the Human

Introduced in the opening minutes of the premiere, when her familiar, Owlbert, accidentally steals Luz’s prized Good Witch Azura book, Luz and Eda’s first meeting is chaotic. After realizing that she’s no longer on Earth but in another world entirely, Luz manages to impress Eda with her know-how by attracting customers to buy her Human-related junk. However, their meeting gets cut short when the cops come, and Eda has to bounce, dragging Luz along as an accessory to her crimes. After taking her back to her hideout, the titular Owl House, and introducing her to Hooty and King, Eda makes a deal with the young Human. Help them break into the Conformatorium and reclaim King’s “Crown of Power,” and she’ll send Luz back home. It’s not like Luz has a say in the matter, anyway.

While they’re on their caper, though, something unexpected happens: Luz starts to bond with the pair. Having spent her life on Earth is an outcast herself, Luz sympathizes with them after Eda admits that King’s Crown doesn’t give him any power, but since it was important to him, it was to her. As Eda put it, “us weirdoes have to stick together.” Luz takes those words to heart when she returns to save Eda and King from getting captured by the Warden and freeing several other prisoners in the process.

True to her word, Eda offers to send Luz back home, but given how that means sending her to a summer camp meant to make her act normal, she takes a different option. She offers to stay with Eda and King and serve as Eda’s apprentice, despite Eda saying that humans can’t do magic. Impressed by her resolve, though, Eda agrees. She doesn’t know it yet, but Luz coming into her life ends up becoming the best thing Eda could’ve ever hoped for.

A Rocky Start as a Teacher

Despite agreeing to teach Luz, problems arise almost right away. Despite Luz being more than eager to learn magic, Eda doesn’t share her enthusiasm. At all. 

It soon becomes clear that despite her promise, Eda has yet to learn how to teach Luz to use magic. She doesn’t even know how such a thing might be possible in the first place. Thus, for the first week or so, she treats Luz less like a student and more like an errand girl to do jobs for her. This comes close to blowing up in her face when Luz grows impatient to begin her training and ends up sneaking into Hexside to learn magic there, something that Eda hates due to having to drop out when she was young. When Luz ends up getting herself banned, though, Eda can’t help but be proud of her for it.

Despite this, the magic training makes little progress until the events of “The Intruder.” When King and Luz swipe Eda’s elixir, they learn Eda’s big secret: she’s been cursed to transform into this Owl Beast, with those elixirs the only thing keeping her from permanently changing into it. It’s the reason why she’s an outcast. The show frames it like someone with a medical issue that someone has to take medication to control, which is pretty mature. 

Ultimately, the incident serves as a means for Luz to figure out a way to perform magic via her glyphs, proving that humans can do magic, something that Eda can’t help but be proud of. The deadly incident ultimately brings the three closer together and gives Eda people she can trust to help her when she needs it.

Reuniting With her Sister, Moonlight Conjuring, and Enrolling Luz in Hexside

As time passes, the trio of Luz, King, and Eda go on even more adventures and grow closer together in the process. Eda reunites with her estranged sister, now head of the Emperor’s Coven, and humiliates her in the episode “Covention,” with Luz learning Eda’s past is more complicated than it seems. When the trio swap bodies for the day to see who has the worst life, they all learn that they each have their own problems that are hard to deal with. Most importantly, though, while in Eda’s body, Luz learns from an unknowing Lilith that Eda had trouble controlling her magic when they were younger, thus motivating her to reject the Coven system as a whole. And who can forget the events of the moonlight conjuring where Luz and her friends animated the Owl House and saved Eda and King?

Eventually, though, things progress to the point where Eda realizes that there’s only so much she can teach her student. Wanting the best for her but not wanting to put her in a school that destroys free-thinkers, Eda finds herself in a dilemma. Ultimately, her growing concern for Luz leads her to swallow her pride and enroll Luz at Hexside. Even if that means she has to make up for everything she did as a student.

Good times. Joking aside, Eda pulls Luz aside and lets her know she has enough faith in her not to fall for the whole Coven system nonsense. As Luz learns on her first day at Hexside, Eda had tried and failed to fight against the one-track system at Hexside. Where Eda failed, Luz succeeded, convincing the school to allow students to study more than one type of magic.

Sacrificing Herself for Luz’s Sake and Losing Her Powers

Despite how much happier her life has gotten since meeting Luz, Eda’s still facing many problems. Throughout the first season, the audience learns that Eda’s elixirs are less effectively than they used to. As a result, she’s becoming more at risk of permanently changing into the Owl Beast. Despite this, and despite learning that she shouldn’t keep her condition a secret, Eda opts to do just that, not wanting to worry Luz. In addition, the Emperor’s Coven doubles its efforts to capture her, with Lilith unable to keep letting her go. Even with everything going on in her life, though, Eda feels happier than she’s felt in a long time, thanks to Luz. Before meeting her, Eda was a loner wasting her life, living on the edge of society and surviving by selling scraps. Meeting Luz and seeing her enthusiasm and passion for magic helps to break down the barriers she’s put in place ever since she got cursed. Luz becomes the daughter that Eda never had, and she’s all the better for it.

Which only makes what happens next harder to watch.

When Lilith captures Luz to lure her to the Emperor’s Castle, Eda loses it. She fights her sister with everything she has, showing how she is the strongest Witch on the Boiling Isles. However, trying to protect Luz, and the revelation that Lilith cursed her, prove to be too much for her to handle. While she manages to save Luz, she succumbs to the Owl Beast and is captured, leaving the residents of the Owl House devastated.

Ultimately, Lilith’s efforts to help her sister are for naught, with Emperor Belos reneging on his deal in favor of executing her. All he wanted was her portal to Earth; he couldn’t care less about Eda herself. This revelation makes Lilith turn on Belos and join forces to free her while Luz destroys the portal in front of Emperor Belos, with everyone escaping. Afterward, Lilith and Eda reconcile, with the former using her magic to split the curse between them, allowing Eda to return to Witch form. However, doing so costs both their magic, potentially for good. But at least they have each other now.

The Owl House Season 2, Episode 20 Review

When I first saw Odalia Blight, I knew I’d hate her guts. She’s abusive, manipulative, controlling, and an all-around terrible mother to Amity and her siblings. She made a very prestigious list in the penultimate episode of The Owl House’s second season. As Emperor Belos prepares to wipe out the Boiling Isles, Odalia proves herself worthy of being on my list of “Worst Moms Ever.”

The Plan to Stop the Day of Unity

There are less than twenty-four hours left before the Day of Unity, where Belos will use the Draining Spell to wipe out everyone on the Boiling Isles and free the Collector. With almost everyone on the Boiling Isles fooled, it looks like nothing can stop Belos. However, the CATTs have a plan, and at its center is Eda.

Having seen how Eda’s curse can warp magic firsthand, Darius, Eberwolf, and Raine decide to use that to their advantage. The plan’s to have Eda pose as a Coven Head, take Raine’s place, and use her to ruin the Draining Spell. It should work, yet…it feels like this will all go wrong.

It’s a Trap

Firstly, there’s the sacrifice Eda will have to make. She’ll have to brand herself with a Coven sigil, sealing her magic away. If Eda’s willing to throw away her freedom as a wild witch, things are truly desperate. However, there’s another reason why viewers should worry. A member of the CATTs might be a spy for Belos, and I’m worried it might be Raine.

It sounds far-fetched, but hear me out: the look on Raine’s face throughout the entire episode as they discuss the plan is extremely uneasy. Could Raine have tried to make a deal with Belos to keep Eda safe from the Day of Unity, or are they still brainwashed? Either way, the CATTs are walking into a trap.

The treachery only gets worse from here.

Odalia Blight’s True Colors

After what happened at Hexside, Amity, Edric, and Emira tried to warn their parents about what they’re helping Belos do. Instead, Odalia Blight grounds them, forcing Luz, Gus, Willow, and Hunter to rescue the Blights from their home. 

A quick side note, when Luz and Amity reunite, the two share their first kiss. This is a milestone in their relationship and a milestone for Disney by having their first same-sex kiss onscreen. One can only assume this is motivated by Disney’s decision to cut the final season down to three specials. One last defiant jab at Disney from Dana Terrace, and I love it.

What I do not love is Odalia Blight, who proves to be even worse than what fans had come to expect. During the episode’s climax, everyone was horrified to learn that Odalia was well aware of the Day of Unity’s story and went through with it anyway. Her rationale is that Belos will make them royalty in the world that comes after. 

Facepalm

I’m sorry, but that deserves a facepalm. How can Odalia Blight think that Belos will honor his end of the bargain? Is she that stupid? Belos has proven time and again that his word cannot be trusted. At one point, King even hears the Collector talking to themselves and starts to doubt what Belos will do. Her family disowns her right then and there, likely for the best. At least Alador realizes he’s been a parent and vows to do better, should they all survive.

Is the Collector the Villain, or Belos?

Then, we have the Collector. When we first saw them as the figure that turned the Owl Beast into a curse, we thought the Collector was evil. As far as we know, he is evil. He helped wipe out the Titans, and is willing to kill everyone on the Boiling Isles to be free from imprisonment. However, the last two episodes made me doubt how evil he truly is. He sounds genuinely lonely and upset at the idea that Belos might betray him. Could he just not realize that what he’s doing is wrong?

It’s just speculation, but maybe someone can help him become a better person if this is true. Someone like Luz, perhaps?

Luz Takes Matters into Her Own Hands

Despite the adult’s best attempts to keep Luz away from the Day of Unity, Luz Noceda refuses to stand back and let Belos destroy the Boiling Isles. So, when Kikimora (who’s been demoted) reveals that Belos knows about what’s coming, she doesn’t hesitate to rush off to help. However, she disguises herself as Hunter and lets herself get captured, meaning that she’ll be taken right to Belos.

If the show were ending next episode, this would be the moment where Luz and Belos would have a rematch for the fate of everything. Yet, since it is not, I’m worried something worse might happen. Something comparable to the end of “True Colors” for Amphibia. What if Luz ends up possessed by the Collector, and the show ends the season on that big cliffhanger. It would leave fans distraught!

The Day of Reckoning

With Amphibia now over, everyone’s attention is on The Owl House. Thus, next week’s season finale is likely going to be all anyone can think about. Can the Day of Unity even be stopped? Will anyone survive? What will Luz’s Palisman end up being?

In a surprising reveal, Luz’s revealed to have carved her Palisman into the shape of an egg. Her reason is that she wants the Palisman to decide what it wants to be. It’s a nice reflection of how Luz wants nothing more than the freedom to choose how to live her life, and if we’re lucky, it will take its final shape by the end of the season. 

But what do you think will happen? I want to know!

I Give “Clouds on the Horizon” a 4/5

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The Owl House, Season 2, Episode 19 Review

Even though the series finale to Amphibia is tonight, and I meant to get that out first, The Owl House also deserves my attention. After today, it’s going to be the show that will have everyone’s undivided attention. It’s not hard to see why, though. The last few episodes have been a whirlwind of revelations, nightmare fuel, and trauma. Belos plans to wipe out everyone on the Boiling Isles. Hunter warned everyone at Hexside of the planned genocide. And King learned that he was the only known Titan left in the Demon Realm. Everything’s coming to a head, and a rebellion is brewing. A rebellion that will put Luz and the Owl House residents right in the center of things.

The Time Crunch

The events of last week left fans wondering whether the last two episodes take place concurrently or not. While this week’s episode doesn’t answer that exactly, it’s safe to say that they are. Given how the second half of Season Two takes place over a month, it’s safe to say that the series is feeling the crunch, both in-universe and outside. 

Many fans were outraged by Disney’s decision to reduce Season Three of The Owl House to three, forty-minute specials, but there’s nothing that can be done at this point. No one’s happy about that decision, but Dana and her team want to do the best with the hand they’ve been dealt with. Thus, they’re trying to tie up any loose threads in these final episodes, with “O Titan, Where Art Thou,” bringing several of them full circle. Case in point, Eda’s growing maternal love for Luz and King, Luz’s desperate attempts to remain positive, and King dealing with who he really is. And also making a jab at Disney for their decision in a throw-away line.

Nothing is the Same Anymore

As Luz, King, and Hooty return from their trip, they’re horrified to discover the Owl House has been ransacked by the Emperor’s Coven, with all their stuff looted, and the group the Boiling Isles most wanted. Fortunately, Eda and Lillith both managed to escape to the Knee, leading the three to meet up with the Clawthornes and come up with a plan. There’s just one problem: there is no plan.

No matter what Eda and Lillith think, they can’t think of a way to stop Belos’ plans for genocide, yet Eda lies to Luz about it, not wanting to see her spirit break any further. Meanwhile, once they reveal that King’s a Titan, Lilith goes full-on cultist mode. In one of the best examples of character development in the show, King’s actually put off by this. Yeah, King. The guy who wanted everyone to worship him and do whatever he said now hates that idea. The irony’s not lost on him, either. 

Steve the Breakout Character

King ends up getting help from the most unlikely of sources: Steve the Coven Scout, who’s likely the breakout character of the whole show. When fans last saw him, Steve questioned his choice to work for the Emperor, and as seen in this episode, that led to him quitting the Emperor’s Coven. He gives King the pep talk he needs not to let his identity as a Titan mess with him while also waxing philosophical about the notion of someone speaking for the Titan of the Boiling Isles. Who says the Titan wasn’t just some normal person.

Meanwhile, Luz and Eda’s relationship comes close to a breaking point. Luz wants to keep fighting, while Eda just wants her and King to survive the Day of Unity. This culminates in them fighting, which is both heartbreaking and impressive as it shows how powerful Luz has become. Ultimately, though, Eda comes clean about having no plan. In true Owl House fashion, though, all’s not lost.

The Rebellion Joins Forces

The previous episodes already showed it, but this episode confirms it. Darius and Eberwolf were planning their own rebellion against Belos, and when they learned what Raine was doing, they joined forces with them. Now, they are the Covens Against The Throne, the C.A.T.T.S!! They have a plan, and now the Owl House Residents are a part of it. I doubt that they’re the only ones, though. I’m willing to bet that this rebellion will be joined by many others. I.E., everyone Luz has befriended on the Isles will join forces to stop the Day of Unity. On top of this, the episode ends with Luz finally ready to carve her own Palismen.

So, why does it feel like things won’t end well? Given how the show has the three specials to wrap things up, there’s a chance that, even if the Day of Unity gets stopped, Belos could still free the Collector. This, in turn, will take us into the series final act. Given how the second season of Amphibia ended, it might not be out of the question for The Owl House to end on a bittersweet cliffhanger. Or maybe not. Either way, next week, The Owl House will be the big focus of this blog.

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The Owl House Season 2, Episode 15 Review

From the moment we met him, Raine Whispers became a hit character on The Owl House. Outside of the residents of the Owl House itself, Raine is probably the person that Eda’s closest with. The two came close to taking down two Coven Heads, but Raine got captured in the process. When we next saw them, it looked like Raine was brainwashed by the Emperor’s Coven. However, a flashback episode this week shows us that Raine’s not as controlled as they appear. Also, it serves as a great look into the lives of the older generation when they were Luz’s age!

When Eda Was Luz’s Age

The episode starts off with Luz trying out the various glyph “constellations” that she got from Phillip’s Diary, only to fail miserably. So, to make up for it, Eda decides to tell the story of how she and Raine first met…

When Eda and Lillith were Luz’s age, they attended Hexside alongside many of the adult cast members. However, Hexside was an even less friendly school than it is today, under the tyrannical rule of its then-principal Faust. Faust is everything that I hate in an educational figure, punishing and expelling students for the dumbest of infractions. And when he catches Eda pranking him, he threatens to expel her unless she brings home a blue ribbon from this Coven event. Oh, and Bump (who’s only Vice Principal) will get fired if she doesn’t.

I got a real kick out of seeing a young Eda, before she got cursed in a misguided attempt by her sister to win. She’s every bit as cocky and trouble-making as she grows up to be, and just so much fun! If she and Luz knew each other then, they’d be best friends. And, of course, she can’t help but cause trouble at what amounts to a half-baked convention.

That’s when she meets Raine, studying at a different school.

A Perfect Match Taking a Stand

From the getgo, Raine proves that there’s a reason why they eventually became a Coven head, using bard magic to accomplish many incredible feats. They and Eda are perfectly suited as partners, and as they discover, they each have similar views about the state of the Boiling Isles.

In the final event of the H.E.C.K. thing, the host, a younger Terra Snapdragon, has the students split into two teams, “Wild Witches,” and “Coven Witches.” The Coven Witches must catch the Wild Witches before time’s up to win. On the surface, this may seem harmless, but in truth, it’s not. It shows just how corrupt things under Emperor Belos were even then. Seeing Terra gleefully pit the students against each other is meant to brainwash them into hating wild witches, as that is what Emperor Belos wants. Thankfully, despite being on opposite teams, Eda and Raine refuse to play Terra’s sick game.

Lucky for them, Terra’s the kind to be impressed by their acts of defiance, and while no one wins a medal, she ensures Bump keeps his job and Eda stays at Hexside, with Raine now attending alongside her.

Cut back to the present day, and we get a big reveal revolving around Raine.

Raine, You Sly Fox

When we last saw Raine, it looked as though they were brainwashed to follow Emperor Belos’ orders, with Terra feeding him drinks meant to keep him that way. However, it’s revealed that this isn’t the case. While Raine is getting the potions from Terra, they’re using Bard magic to dispel whatever allows Terra to brainwash them. They’re still fighting Emperor Belos right under everyone’s noses! Of course, this only makes their treatment of Eda at the Coven Day Parade all the more heartbreaking. Raine has to lie to protect the most important person in his life, but soon, they may not have a choice.

Fans have been speculating that this “Day of Unity” Belos has planned will involve a massive amount of magic being used. This episode all but confirms it to be so. Raine, and the audience, learns that the Day of Unity involves a draining spell that will absorb the magic from everyone in the Covens, for a purpose we still don’t full understand. However, such an act will likely endanger the lives of everyone present. Clearly, Belos needs to be stopped.

I loved the twist involving Raine Whispers, as this was something that I did not see coming. Now, I have no idea what to expect in the remaining episodes of the season! One thing’s for certain: this is getting good!

I Give “Them’s the Breaks, Kid” a 4/5

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The Owl House Season 2, Episode 14 Review

One of the things that Luz and Amity have in common is that they don’t have the best relationships with their parents. In Luz’s case, her relationship with her Mom’s strained by her choice to stay in the Demon Realm. Amity’s is because she’s got a control freak of a Mom and an absent-minded Dad. But they still have each other, and are there to help each work through their problems. Even if one of them refuses to admit that they have a problem to begin with, like Luz with her Dad.

A Very Important Day for Luz

While Luz has shown no interest in returning to Earth beyond showing her Mom she’s alright, the day this episode takes place is an exception. We open up to a reminder on her phone for a very important event with her Mom that she quickly tries to ignore. In addition, she spends the rest of the day trying to stay as busy as possible by helping Amity with her problems.

The annual Bonesborough Brawl is taking place that day, and Amity’s always dreamed of winning it like her Dad did back in the day. However, her Dad’s too busy to care and wants her to go to the Emperor’s Coven tryouts. Rather, her Mom wants her to go, something she has no interest in. It drives home how much of an influence Luz has been on Amity when she says she may not even want to join a Coven at all. Luz’s solution is simply to go anyway and compete in disguise.

However, things get derailed when Luz decides to ultimately compete in the Brawl herself, all while claiming that nothing’s wrong. It all comes to a head when Luz ends up alerting Alador to what his daughter’s really up to, making Amity mad at both of them and storming off. What follows is something that fans suspected but is now confirmed.

RIP Mr. Noceda

From the beginning, fans have speculated about the abscence of Luz’s father. Some people thought that her parents were divorced. Others thought that he was a Witch. However, I guessed that he was actually dead this whole time; and it turns out I was right. Luz’s dad died some time ago, and this date marks the anniverserary of his passing. Her Mom and her would lay flowers on his grave to honor his memory every year, and the fact that she can’t do it is eating away at the poor girl.

Once again, I would like to say that this was something that I already suspected. However, knowing this doesn’t diminish the importance of this moment any less. If anything, Luz’s obvious grief tugs at the heartstrings even more. Despite loving her life in the Boiling Isles, she does miss some things from Earth. And this led her to cope by trying to help Amity sort out her own paternal issues.

Hearing her motives is more than enough to get Amity to forgive Luz, and hearing her girlfriend’s lack of a father spurs her to confront Alador as he’s fighting a mutated Warden Wrath (long story!) Afterwards, the two have an honest heart-to-heart, where Alador admits that he hasn’t been the best parent, but is willing to respect her daughter’s choices and be there for her. I hoped that Alador was the good parent.

Cracks in Belos’ Reign

In the b-plot of the episode, Eda, King, and Edric team up to learn more information about what Belos is planning, and why Raine’s acting weird. Their planned blabber (truth) potion backfires, though, and leads to Wrath being mutated and everyone having to lay down the smack on him. It doesn’t even matter in the end, though, as Wrath got demoted for stealing coworker’s lunches! However, they do learn a little bit of information.

It turns out, not everyone in the Emperor’s Coven is into the Day of Unity plan. Belos claims it will unite them all with the Titan, but some think that no good could come of that. If all the signs shown thus far are true, than they’re right to be afraid. Belos might be planning on using the Boiling Isles residents as fuel for a massive spell, one that could destroy everything in the process. However, we won’t know until the Day of Unity arrives.

Parent-Child Bonds Transcend Worlds

The episode ends on a very somber note. In the Boiling Isles, Luz and Amity pick flowers and send them skyward on an Abomination balloon. On Earth, Mrs. Noceda puts flowers in a vase while solemnly looking off into the night sky, thinking of her husband and daughter. It’s a very sad moment. In fact, the whole situation seems sad.

This was a suprisingly emotional episode of The Owl House that touched on character arcs and past decisions, but it was one that I loved. It showed just how far Amity has come since we first met her, and how far she has to go. And while Luz might not be able to work things out with her Mom right now, she’s not alone. She’s got others to help her through this.

I Give “Reaching Out” a 4/5

Stray Observations

• I love how Alador automatically calls Luz Eda’s kid!
• The tree from Grom is still there
• My friend JP-Ryder and his beta-editor got Luz’s Dad right in their fanfic!

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The Owl House Season 2, Episode 13 Review

I’m sorry that I didn’t get to this yesterday, but I had a busy day. But do you know who probably had an even worse day? Hunter, AKA the Golden Guard, AKA Emperor Belos’ supposed nephew and/or magical clone of his brother. Ever since he debuted in the second season premiere, fans have just fallen in love with Hunter. He’s funny, adorkable, and probably in more dire need of a hug than anyone on the Boiling Isles. The more time passes, the more we see how bad Hunter has had it in life, growing up under an emotionally manipulative man such as Emperor Belos. After seeing this Hunter-centric episode, though, I feel more sorry for him than ever before.

Hunter Just Wants Some Respect

Poor Hunter really has it rough in life, and that’s not just because he’s the Emperor’s supposed nephew. All he wants is to earn the respect of the people who work for Belos, and they treat him like dirt. When Belos puts him in charge while he’s doing other things, the Coven Heads outright reschedule a meeting just so they don’t have to deal with him. Being the insecure teen that he is, he ends up taking the head of the Abomination’s Coven remark about “finding new recruits” as an actual mission. Thus, he goes undercover at Hexside to do just that.

Meanwhile, it’s club day at Hexside, and Willow’s looking to start the school’s first Flyer Derby team, which is like Quidditch meets capture the flag, only more extreme. Through a series of events beyond his control, Hunter gets drafted into joining Willow’s team for their first match against her old Abominations teacher. From then on, the episode shows just how messed up Hunter’s life has really been. It turns out, joining the Emperor’s Coven means going through boot camp that would make the Navy SEALS look tame in comparison. What’s worse, Hunter’s grown up thinking that it’s normal to lie and stab your friends in the back, as this is what the Coven heads do under Belos.

This just shows how messed up things are under Belos. He emotionally manipulates people to do what he wants, while also having them at each other’s throats to curry his favor and keep them from becoming a threat. It’s like the Skeksis from The Dark Crystal, but for kids.

Baby Steps, Hunter

Ultimately, Hunter’s “mission” at Hexside does do some good for him. Willow, Gus, and the other students serve as a positive influence on him, ultimately leading Hunter to stand up to Darius when he’s ready to attack them after trying to escape. And fortunately, Darius actually respects Hunter for this, saying that it’s about time he get a life outside the palace. Maybe he’s not such a bad guy, after all. Then again, he does work for the Emperor, so…

The end result is that Hunter gains yet another positive emotional connection in his life. He’s changing for the better, people, but his full heel-face turn won’t come until he realizes that his Uncle Belos isn’t worth it.

Take That, Us!

Meanwhile, in the episode’s B-Plot, Luz and Amity discover that the author of the Good Witch Azura books is in town for a signing, and they eagerly attend. While doing so, they come up with more and more outlandish theories to explain who the author is. Like, is she a Witch who can travel between worlds? Is she Luz’s mom as a teenager sent forward in time? Kikimora?

Turns out, it’s none of these things. The books are just normal books that find their way to the Boiling Isles and sold by Tibbles. However, it turns out Amity is the only one to buy them.

So, the entire B-Plot of the episode was a funny jab by the show’s team at the fans for coming up with crazy explanations for mundane ideas. It’s all done in good humor, though, and I couldn’t help but laugh about it. You got us, Dana!

This was a fun episode, all around, and I just love seeing Zeno Robinson voice Hunter. He’s a rising star in the VA world, people!

I Give “Any Sport in a Storm” a 4/5

Stray Observations

• More Steve!
• Look and you’ll see a Remy Remington bobblehead in Hunter’s room. A nice reference to his role in Big City Greens

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The Owl House Season 2, Episode 11 Review

It’s been nearly six months since we last saw them, but The Owl House is back with new episodes, and things are as crazy as ever. However, that might not be for the better as far as the characters in the show are concerned. The midseason finale saw Luz go through a very unpleasant trip back to Earth (sort of), and it’s clear the event has given her some heavy baggage. Since this is the kind of show that doesn’t sweep trauma under the rug, the midseason premiere has Luz work through her problems. And she does it against the backdrop of Emperor Belos’ Coven Day Parade.

Luz Has Some Issues to Work With

It’s been a short while since the events of “Yesterday’s Lie“, but Luz is still trying to come to terms with what happened. Thanks to poor communication on both their parts, Luz made a hasty promise to her Mom to stay on Earth once she finds a way home. Or, as she remembers it, never go back to the Boiling Isles, which Camilla never outright says. As far as Luz cares, though, it might as well have been.

The events of “Yesterday’s Lie” were a very traumatic experience for Luz, and the prospect of never seeing the Boiling Isles again and having to keep the truth from her friends starts eating away at her. The worst of it, though, comes from having to withhold the truth from Amity, who’s clearly excited to go to Earth and meet Luz’s Mom. As a result, Luz doesn’t tell Amity she tried making a portal to Earth, and it leads her to make a rash decision.

It turns out, it’s time for the annual Coven Day Parade, an event meant to remind the Boiling Isles “Covens good, Boiling Isles bad.” And Belos’ lapdog, Kikimura, gets torn between her desire to do her duty to her boss and see her family. So, since Luz is an impulsive teen who doesn’t always make the best decisions, she decides to help Kikimura. By pretending to kidnap her!

You can see the flaws in this, right?

The Return of Raine Whispers…or is it?

Meanwhile, Eda has her own stake in messing with the Coven Day Parade. It turns out, her ex, Raine Whispers, will be taking part in the Parade, and since she last saw them being captured by the other Coven heads, Eda’s determined to rescue them. Chaos ends up ensuing, and right as Luz grabs Kikimura, Eda grabs Raine. Only, Raine is not as Eda remembers them.

The end of “Eda’s Requiem” made it clear that Belos had plans for Raine that kept him from killing them, and fans guessed that Raine would be kept under control. That guess is confirmed this week, as we see that Raine has been brainwashed by the head of the Plant Coven, Terra Snapdragon. As a result, Raine believes its been ten years since they last saw Eda, and doesn’t remember their attempted rebellion. And Terra regularly feeds them a potion that’s all but confirmed to keep them under control.

I liked Raine when they were first introduced, and I think they gave us some new insight into Eda’s life. So, seeing them come to blows with Eda in this episode was very heartbreaking to watch. For the moment, Eda has to give up on Raine, though I doubt that she’ll stop trying.

Lumity Goes Through a Rough Patch

Meanwhile, Amity suspects that Luz is not telling the truth about making the portal to her, and questions what she do about it. Ultimately, this leads her to helping Luz with her Kikimura plan…and also fighting alongside her when Kikimura double-crosses Luz.

I’m sorry, but we all knew that it was coming. We’ve seen that Kikimura’s the kind of person who’s only out for herself. She’d ditch her own family if it meant staying in Belos’ good graces, which is what she does in the end when she learns of a potential promotion. Thankfully, she gets a dose of Karma in the end. However, the whole experience confirms to Amity that this whole thing wasn’t about the Coven Day Parade, but Luz having issues.

Relationships can be hard to maintain at times. That’s as true in fiction as it is in real life. But a surefire way to maintain one is to be honest with the other party, be it a friend, a family member, or romantic partner. Thus, Luz ultimately decides to tell Amity everything that happened, and the two agree to work through things one day at a time. Lumity lives!

The Day of Unity Approaches

So, in the end, relationships prove to be the heart of the Coven Day Parade. One relationship gets salvaged, another frayed. But the backdrop of the Coven Day Parade takes on new meaning in the episode’s final moments. Emperor Belos broadcasts himself live to proclaim the approach of the Day of Unity. In one month, when the tide’s at its lowest amidst a solar eclipse, the denizens of the Boiling Isles will journey to the Titan’s Head and claim their utopia free of wild magic.

We still don’t know what Belos’ endgame really is, despite much speculation, though it might not be as good as everyone thinks. However, the Boiling Isles firmly remains behind Belos’, especially when he decides to unmask himself before everyone, giving a face to the name for all to see. It’s a brilliant propaganda move, and only makes things harder for the heroes. Regardless, all they can do now is take things one day at a time.

I, for one, am going to enjoy the rest of the season. After all, even if we’re getting 3 specials after this, this is the last season of the show as a whole. We gotta make it count! Also, kudos to the animators for the new end credits scenes. And for giving us this nightmare fuel.

I Give “Follies at the Coven Day Parade” a 3/5

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The Owl House Season 2, Episode 10 Review

We all knew that this was coming, but it didn’t make it any easier to watch. When Luz chose to stay in the Boiling Isles rather than go to “normal camp”, she did so without telling her Mom the truth. The fear of disappointing her Mom remained her biggest fear for a long time, and once she destroyed her only means of returning to Earth, all she wanted to do was find a way back. Not out of a desire to return home, but just so she could let her mom know she was alright.

Unbeknownst to Luz, Camilla Noceda remained unaware of the fact that Luz never went to “reality camp”, and the show made it clear that someone was doing that on purpose. Firstly, there were the fake letters. Secondly, we saw the fake Luz that took the real one’s place. Who was this imposter and why was she keeping Luz’s mom in the dark. This episode sees us get this answer as Luz has a bittersweet reunion with her Mom.

The Portal Is Complete! Sort of.

After learning that the key to the portal had Titan’s blood in it the entire time, Luz and the rest of the Owl House are able to build a rudimentary portal. Having done that, Luz dives inside in order to return to Earth and let her Mom know she’s alright. However, it doesn’t work like they want to.

For whatever reason, the portal’s unstable, instead bringing her to this in-between realm with oozing black liquid. While there, Luz discovers that while she can’t touch anything, she can use reflections to observe and communicate with people on the Boiling Isles and on Earth. So, she hops over to Earth to talk to her mom…only to discover the imposter in her place.

Vee the Sad Shapeshifter

A month ago, AwestruckVox from TheRoundtable on YouTube speculated that Luz’s doppelganger wasn’t an enemy. And it turns out, he was right! This other Luz isn’t an enemy in the slightest. However, she is, in fact, a demon from the Boiling Isles. And not just any Demon, but a shapeshifting Basilisk.

If you recall in Season one, a greater Basilisk attacked Hexside and tried to drain everyone inside of their magic. However, they’re supposed to be extinct. And rather than merely being in hiding, this episode reveals the truth. This young Basilisk, dubbed Number Five, or Vee, was brought into existence by Emperor Belos in order to study her kind’s ability to drain magic. Several of them escaped, and when Luz entered the Boiling Isles back in the beginning, she escaped to Earth where she ended up taking Luz’s place. In other words, she’s the one who’s been pretending to be Luz, but not out of malice.

Oh, and her true voice is done by none other than Michaela Dietz, AKA the voice of Amethyst from Steven Universe!

A Good Foil to Luz

Right away, Vee establishes herself as a good foil to Luz. Whereas Luz is weird, expressive, and fearless, Vee is softer and far more submissive. While Luz starts out powerless but still learns how to use magic, Vee hates fighting. And while Luz wants adventure and excitement in her life, all Vee wants is a life free from persecution.

However, the biggest difference between the two? Vee is far more socially outgoing, having made friends with the kids that Luz would’ve met at camp. Even Luz was surprised by this, calling into question just how much of an outcast she was on Earth. Was she picked on so badly that it ended up jading her to living on Earth? Vee even calls her out for giving up the loving home that she had, while Luz is all too quick to accept Vee living in her place if it means not telling her Mom the truth.

The Wittebane-Gravesfield Connection

After establishing who Vee is, Luz helps the Basilisk find some of the stuff Eda left on her trips to Earth to recharge her magic. By doing so, we end up learning something big: EDA IS STAN PINES EX-HUSBAND!!!!

But seriously, we learn that Luz’s hometown and the Boiling Isles may have a stronger connection than what we previously thought. As we uncover the town’s history, we see this statue of two young men. One of them looks an awful lot like Phillip Wittebane, while the other is very similar to either Emperor Belos or Hunter. In addition, it’s revealed that around four hundred years ago, the town was destroyed when a Witch took two young brothers. Again, implied to be Phillip and someone else.

If Belos is indeed connected to Phillip somehow, then this just adds another piece to the puzzle for us to solve. However, that gets put on hold, as Vee’s taken captive by a local conspiracy theorist whose ideas about demons and witches are so far off, I felt dumber after hearing them.

Long story short, Luz has to contact her mom directly and fesses up to everything, helping Camilla to save Vee. And despite it all, Camilla gladly accepts Vee into her home, letting her live with her for the time being.

A Bittersweet Moment

It’s at this moment, though, that things take a bittersweet turn. Camilla finally lets all the fear she’s now experiencing come out. First, she was afraid that the camp worked too well, but now that’s been replaced by the fact that her daughter’s living in another dimension that’s far more dangerous than Earth. And those fears are then compounded when Luz reveals her initial decision to stay in the Boiling Isles. In other words, Luz was right to be afraid about her Mom’s fears.

The situation gets worse when Eda and the others have to pull her out due to the portal becoming unstable. As a result, Camilla makes Luz promise that when she finds a way back home, she’ll stay there, thinking that her daughter ran away because of how she treated her. Luz has no choice but to accept, leaving her with the prospect of having to lose something she holds dear in the future. She can return to Earth and her mom, but go back to being an outcast with no friends. Or she can break her promise to her mom and remain in the Boiling Isles where she’s now far happier. The final shots of the episode say it all: Luz is guilt-ridden by this.

Though, to be honest, Luz shouldn’t feel bad.

Luz Will Find A Way

It was due to the collapsing portal, but Luz likely never got the the chance to tell her mom the full details of her time in the Boiling Isles. Of how she’s made so many new friends, grown as a person, and even got a girlfriend. In other words, she’s gotten everything she lacked on Earth. But Camilla doesn’t know this, so she inadvertently guilt-tripped Luz about everything. However, given how she came to accept the truth about both her daughter’s, I think Camilla would understand if she knew just how happy Luz had become.

At the same time, I’m not convinced that Dana will end the series with Luz having to choose between staying on Earth or the Boiling Isles. Knowing Luz, she’ll find a way to bridge the two together. As far as we know, Belos is already doing that, but for potentially more sinister reasons. While I may be looking to the future, though, it doesn’t make this moment any less of a tearjerker. In fact, this whole episode was a tearjerker.

With The Owl House now on vacation until further notice, we won’t know what happens next for some time. Until then, the only thing we can do is pressure Disney into giving the show the fourth season it deserves.

I Give “Yesterday’s Lie” a 5/5

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