My Top 10 Episodes for The Owl House (Season 2)
While Dana Terrace’s series The Owl House surprised many with what it had to offer in its first season, I also became a believer when the first season was available through Disney+. Like many, I was eager for news of the shows second season, but when that information came about, it shook many of the shows fans (and much of the internet) up
While the second season was granted a 21-episode run (two more episodes than the first season), word was the series would end with its third season. Unlike the previous seasons, the third would be condensed into three, 40-minute episodes.
Needless to say, there was a loud decrying from fans at the treatment of one of their favorite shows, but it was said that fan anger and petitions would do no good: the crew of The Owl House already saw the writing on the wall, and were already hard at work to do what they could with the time and episodes they had left.
With this information in mind, I couldn’t help but notice what effect the studio decisions had on the show’s second season. Story elements seemed rushed, the growing romance between Luz Nocera and Amity Blight felt severely truncated, and storylines involving Eda’s former flame Raine Whispers, struggled to find footing amid a number of additional story elements.
I tried to review each of the episodes for this season as I had with the previous one, but found myself struggling given the way many of the episodes were formatted. However, after some recent thoughts (and viewing the most recent releases for season three), I decided to work on crafting a Top 10 list for season two.
*This list contains my own personal choices regarding favorite Season 2 episodes. It may not be the same as a number of other lists out there, and I have tried to keep most episode spoilers to a minimum.
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10. Hollow Mind
This was one that bounced around my list before settling in the tenth spot. The story of Luz and Hunter getting trapped inside Emperor Belos’ mind is intriguing, and the story dynamics reminded me of their team-up in the episode, Hunting Palismen. Much like the season two episode Elsewhere and Elsewhen, this one ties into showing us some past elements related to Belos, when he was just a wandering human known as Philip Wittebane. The episode brings about a shocking revelation into just “what” Hunter is, but it felt to me like the storytelling let up too soon in revealing the specifics about Hunter, as well as the numerous Golden Guards who came before him.
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Of Luz’s friends at Hexside, it often felt like Gus was the character just off to the side for most stories, let alone it seemed like his Illusion magic wasn’t as cool as stuff like Abomination or Plant magic. With this episode, it was nice to see him on an adventure of his own with some students from Glandus, and the return of the ever-annoying Mattholomule. Even the “B-plot” of the episode of is decent, with Luz requesting Amity’s help to find a book in the restricted section of the towns library. Personally, I would have swapped the B-plot for the A-plot, to give us as close to an actual “date” storyline for Luz and Amity, as they explore more of the library. Even with these issues I have, the episode does have a nice end.
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Much like with the series Gravity Falls, The Owl House would use one of its seasonal episodes to do things a little differently. For this episode, Hooty happens to be the glue that links the three segments together, as he sees King, Eda, and Luz struggling with personal issues, and wants to do his best to help them. A character that can be creepy-yet-funny, there’s fun and earnestness to the “bird-tube’s” efforts, including a sequence revolving around Luz and Amity that feels like it moves their relationship forward.
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Luz is sad that an event to have a palisman choose her, does not go as planned. However, she is soon thrust into an unexpected adventure that involves Hunter, The Golden Guard. This episode proved to be quite a surprise, notably in how it focuses on one main storyline, let alone revealed more about the newly-introduced Golden Guard, a figure whom Luz seems unsure just how to feel about. It also shows trouble brewing within the Emperor’s Coven, both with Belos himself, and Kikimora, an assistant who seems to be jealous of Hunter’s closeness with the Emperor.
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After sending a message out to find his father, King receives a letter that sends him, Luz, and Hooty to the other side of the world in search of answers to his lineage. The story ends up being quite an adventure, not only in taking us briefly outside of The Boiling Isles, but also leading to a place that holds a few secrets regarding King, and what his future may be. Comedy is used sparingly in this episode, and the trip makes up the main plot of the story, cementing it as one of two King-centric storylines that left an impression on me this season.
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Of all the characters introduced in Season 2, it feels like Raine Whispers is the one that series creator Dana Terrace could have just gone on and on about if she had more time. This episode to me, felt like the most solid appearance we had of Raine for much of the season, mainly because it is coupled with giving us a view of Eda from her past as someone who didn’t play by the rules in school. One can only imagine what additional episodes/stories of young Eda and Raine could have shown if the series had more time.
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This is an episode that is still entertaining on repeat viewings! We finally get some more insight into King’s past, along with putting him, Luz, Lilith, AND Hooty on an adventure to a mysterious and deadly new environment! The writing stays witty and active to the point that it moves along so well, you almost don’t want it to end! Plus, Eda’s inclusion and information reveal adds an extra layer that one doesn’t fully expect, and plays into a number of other stories in the season.
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The Day of Unity is upon the Boiling Isles, and Luz and her friends get to work, to prevent Emperor Belos’ nefarious plans. Much like season 1’s final episode, there’s not a lot of comedy in this one, as there’s pretty high and dramatic stakes here. What moves this episode down to this spot, is that it’s overflowing with stuff, like Terrace and the crew were trying to overpack a suitcase. Even so, there are moments that make it probably the most emotional episode of the entire season.
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Luz manages to make a connection back to the human realm, where she finds that her mother has a a new guest…one that resembles her! This episode proved to be one that just kept making things more and more interesting, as we learned a little about where Luz grew up, let alone who has been impersonating her, and how even the human realm has dangers for those from the demon realm. Plus, we get some added (and surprising!) character development for Luz’s mother, Camilla.
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Much like season 1, the second-to-the-last episode of the season to me, just feels like it is a ball of awesome! We have our leads getting ready to take on Belos as the Day of Unity approaches, character interactions all around, and some verbal and emotional moments that just make me grin from ear-to-ear! A smaller highlight is we finally get to see Alador Blight (aka Amity’s father) get his chance to shine this season in a great way as well!
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And that’s my Top 10 episode ranking for Season 2 of The Owl House.
I’ll always wish that Dana Terrace and her collaborators could have been given a full third season to complete the story, but I won’t deny that despite the ups and downs of season 2, there were some glimmers of emotional content and some dramatic moments that I did not expect. However, maybe in the future, additional Owl House material in the form of graphic novel or chapter books could be published.
At the time of this writing, the final third of the series’ third season is just days away from being released. My current plans are that once The Owl House ends, I’ll be able to give a proper review of its third season, and share it here on my blog.
Until next time…
Show Review: Stranger Things, Season 4 (Part 2)
After three years, I did wonder if there was enough fandom left to still drum up enthusiasm for the fourth season of Netflix’s Stranger Things.
As it turned out, there apparently is.
From breaking a number of viewing records to giving a song from the 80’s a second life on music charts around the world, the first part of the latest season ran seven episodes long, and reintroduced us to a number of familiar faces, a few new ones, and a villain the likes of which the series hadn’t encountered before.
Now with it’s final two episodes, the latest season draws to a close.
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With additional information revealed about the creature from the Upside-Down known as Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb Mclaughlin), and his sister Erica (Priah Ferguson), hatch a plan to end the nightmarish entity that has been plaguing the town of Hawkins, Indiana.
Over in Russia, Jim Hopper (David Harbour) is reunited with Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder). The reunion leads to some startling revelations, as well as a struggle to get back to the US to save their children.
Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has gotten her powers back and has regained her knowledge of a traumatic event in her past, but now once again in the presence of Martin “Papa” Brenner (Matthew Modine), she finds herself struggling with the emotional sway he has over her.
Meanwhile, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wllfhard), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), and their friend Argyle (Eduardo Franco) attempt to figure out just where Eleven is.
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With part two of the season containing only two episodes, they serve almost like a yin-yang effect. Episode 8 (Papa) is almost 1 1/2 hours of setting us up, before Episode 9 (The Piggyback), pushes its characters into battle with the series’ longest runtime for an episode, at 2 1/2 hours.
Past battles have usually resulted in everyone converging into one central area, but this season, the battle takes place across multiple locations. Miraculously, all events are taking place at the same time (with one party not even in-the-know regarding what their efforts are doing).
One of the more fascinating things about the season for me, has been Vecna. The tail-end of part 1 revealed revelations about him, and part 2 carries on with more reveals, including connections to previous seasons of the show.
Speaking of newer characters, Eddie Munson continues to get better with every episode, while Argyle still kind of meanders along (he almost becomes to this season, what Suzie Bingham was to the last one).
Surprisingly, some of the storylines that I felt were rather slow in the first part of the season, get a little extra “oomph” in the second part.
For the final episode in Part 2 (The Piggyback), it does feel like the showrunners really did find themselves in a bind: one of the longest episodes in the show’s history, but one that they claimed they couldn’t figure out how to shorten, or find a proper way to split it into two episodes. In a sense, it almost becomes their equivalent of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (though in one instance, the Duffers do something that Peter Jackson seemed unable to do).
This could very well lead to an issue that I feel is quite apparent in the show, which is that it seems to juggle a very large cast of characters. There is some thinning of the ranks that is to be had in this season, but it still feels like it is not enough.
Part 2 also has some issues with pacing in some cases, and it feels like that is also due to how many characters have to be juggled here as we move across the different groups.
Much like previous seasons, there are still a few mysteries left unsolved, but surprisingly, this season ends on a cliffhanger.
The Duffer Brothers had said in previous interviews that they could see the series lasting up to five seasons, and by the sounds of how well this one was received and has been talked about over the last month, Netflix will probably give them whatever they need to conclude this series in the right way.
It still feels surprising that this season was able to weave together the story that it did. I felt there were some pacing hiccups and story issues with Season 3 of the series, making it feel somewhat like an over-bloated Summer movie in places. Season 4 has a somewhat better focus storywise, but does struggle with the juggling act of keeping them all active and interesting for the audience (though I am hoping that one of the subplots that was part of seasons 3 and 4, is now successfully closed).
I was very entertained by this season moreso than season 3, despite some of the storylines faltering at times. At least there is still a decent amount of enthusiasm built up for anticipating what may come next.
Final Grade for Season 4, Part 2: B
Final Grade for Season 4 overall: B+
Show Review: Stranger Things, Season 4 (Part I)
Since it’s debut in 2016, the Stranger Things series is still one of the most popular brands the Netflix streaming service has to offer.
Buried under the small-town facade of Hawkins, Indiana, we soon found out about alternate dimensions, hellish creatures, girls with psychic abilities, and even the nefarious machinations of the USSR.
And now, after a 3 year wait, the series returns for it’s fourth season, separated into two parts (Episodes one through seven debuted on May 27th, and episodes eight and nine will debut on July 1st).
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After the events of the Summer of 1985, a number of our characters lives have changed.
Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), along with Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and her family, have been relocated to California, which has caused some long-distance issues for several characters.
Back in Hawkins, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) struggle with losing Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) to the school basketball team, while Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) is still coping with the loss of her brother, Billy (Dacre Montgomery).
Events are set in motion, when several high school students are found murdered in a horrifying manner. While some in the town are quick to blame Satanists or a curse, our young cast of characters suspect that these deaths might tie into what they have been fighting over the last few years.
Plus, Joyce receives a shock when she gets a package from the USSR.
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If there is a theme for season 4, I’d dub it “secrets and lies.”
The majority of characters this season seem to be struggling with something under the surface. Whether it be Eleven lying to Mike about her new life, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) struggling to tell Mike something important, or Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) being unable to relay some news to his long-distance girlfriend, Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), it seems everyone has a secret.
The secrets naturally, are what fuel this season, notably in regards to the supernatural element Stranger Things is known for.
This time, a new threat has emerged from the Upside-Down. Unlike the multi-fanged Demogorgon or a monstrous Mind Flayer, evil comes in the form of a somewhat humanoid creature the characters have dubbed Vecna (based on another creature’s name from Dungeons and Dragons).
There is definitely something akin to Freddy Kreuger about him (including some rather stomach-churning makeup work), let alone elements that are rather fascinating to try and unravel. Most notable, is that he is causing chaos from the Upside-Down, but there are no open portals for him to use…so, how is he doing this?
Trying to unravel the mystery of Vecna has so far been one of the highlights of this new season. One of the downsides, is that the storylines can get a bit unwieldy given how many people there are in the cast, leading to at least four different sub-stories vying for attention.
Out of all of these, the one revolving around Joyce and her package from the USSR, felt the weakest to me. Even bringing in investigative crackpot Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman) for her to bounce ideas and talk off of is good for some laughs, but just didn’t do enough for me.
Even so, the balancing act of keeping all the storylines in the air is rather commendable. The flow-through for this season surprisingly, feels like it works better than what we got in Season 3. Maybe that could be because the comedy gets toned down a bit, and the more serious tones bubble to the surface here.
The season also pushes Eleven to the forefront, as she struggles with the loss of her powers, and trying to resolve some issues from her past. This leads us to some flashbacks prior to the events of the first season, including the introduction of a character named Peter Ballard (Jamie Campbell Bower), an assistant to El’s “Papa” (played again by Matthew Modine) at Hawkins National Laboratories. This definitely adds some more history to Eleven, and even embellishes information about her that we thought we knew.
Each new season also takes a newly-introduced character from the previous one, and gives them more to do. In this case, that distinction falls on Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke). Much like Eleven and Max got some girl time in Season 3, Robin and Nancy have the chance to ditch the boys a little while, and we get some more insight into Robin’s “mindset.”
With Robin gaining some more time in the spotlight, this somewhat short-shrifts fan-favorite Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), who seems to be frustrated that he’s striking out on the dating circuit, and is stuck taking care of the younger characters, even with Dustin being his best bud. Steve to me has an inordinate amount of frustration this season that is milked for comedy, but makes me wonder if he’ll make it out of Season 4 alive.
Will Byers is also a character that feels like he has also sunk further and further into the background. Season 3 was the first time he was able to not be chased or possessed by dark forces, and he just wanted to hang with his friends again. For quite a bit of this season, it just feels like he’s there just to be included, and I do wish they could do more with him.
Even with our current roster of characters (several of whom I haven’t name-dropped), the series still finds time to squeeze in some new ones. From a pot-smoking pizza dude named Argyle (Eduardo Franco), to D&D club leader Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), the guys have their moments, though as the season goes on, Eddie is probably going to be the one that most people find themselves warming up to.
The show also gets a taste of 80’s horror “royalty,” in the form of Robert Englund as Victor Creel. Though his role is brief, he manages to also tie into the history of Hawkins. Almost every town has something horrible in their past, and Victor is tied into one such incident here.
Surprisingly, I was of the thought that the series would stumble about now, after taking some major story risks with the third season (a secret Russian facility built miles below a mall in Indiana!?). Here, they manage to inject some new life and information into the story, that had me wanting to know more.
Sure, the drawback feels like the show is a bit too overloaded with characters and some of the story points drag at times, but there’s more good than bad about the season so far. As it stands now, we’ll have to wait and see what kind of payoff we’ll get when Part 2 drops at the beginning of July.
Final Grade: B+
Episode Review: The Owl House (Season 2, Episode 15) – Them’s the Breaks, Kid
In the first season of The Owl House, Eda made it clear on a number of occasions that she was not at all enamored with The Emperor’s Coven, let alone the idea of Luz taking an interest in studying at Hexside School of Magic and Demonics. However, Eda softened on her feelings when she saw how the school might be good for Luz in some respects.
Eda already had a reputation at the school, but we never did see much about her during those days…until now.
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To get Luz’s mind off of what Emperor Belos has planned for The Day of Unity, Eda offers to tell her a story.
Soon, she is reminiscing about her days at Hexside, and how a deal with the former Principal Faust, pushed her and then Vice-Principal Bump, to attend an academic event presided over by Plant Coven head, Terra Snapdragon.
Eda finds the entire event a waste of time, until she meets a student from St Epiderm, named Raine Whispers.
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When it comes to flashback episodes, I can be a bit judgmental, unless they have something to add to a character’s backstory. And in that respect, this episode opens up some doors in regards to Eda, as well as Raine.
What really helps this episode succeed, is that much like the episode Hunting Palismen, this story focuses on just one event, and is stronger for going this route (it feels like they could have cheapened out and had something where Eda’s sister Lily kept attempting to prove her worth to being in this event, but the narrowed focus really helps this story).
We’ve heard actress Natalie Palamides previously voicing teenage Eda, but it feels with this episode, she really gets the chance to own the role. There are certain little inflections she does that really makes it feel like she is channeling Wendie Malick.
A little element that I wished there had been more of, was Eda and her sister Lily interacting. The episode gives us a few examples here-and-there, but alas, Lily is quickly sidelined.
I think this might also be the most invested I’ve felt in regards to Raine. The character really gets a chance to feel more grounded, and there are some areas where it feels like one can totally see why Eda became enchanted by them.
The episode also includes some fun little easter eggs showing a number of the show’s adult cast as kids, let alone how even back then, Bump seemed to try and be a voice of reason and order, as the less-abrasive Vice-Principal.
There are some areas where I felt certain story elements were a bit flimsy. Notable is how Bump seems rather oblivious to knowing of Eda’s trouble-making reputation, given in a season 1 episode, he was witness to some of her handiwork. One would assume with the evidence Principal Faust has, Bump would definitely be more informed.
Even the appearance of Terra Snapdragon has some faults too. It is nice to see some additional elements to her character, but how they resolve her tests at the academic event, feels like the writers trying to wriggle out of a corner they wrote themselves into.
Episodes of the show that have one definite focus just push my buttons, and this story so far is one of the season’s highlights. It’s informative and fun, and tells a full story about Eda and Raine that makes me wish there was more about their time growing up.
The story does get a little flimsy near the end as it tries to resolve some things, but there’s enough good stuff here to push through to a satisfying conclusion, let alone a coda on the end that ties into the larger story for Season 2.
Final Grade: B+
Episode Review: The Owl House (Season 2, Episode 14) – Reaching Out
When The Owl House returned for it’s second season, it didn’t take long before the show introduced us to the parents of Amity Blight: her mother Odalia, and her father, Alador.
However, after their introductory episode, the Blight parents have been largely absent (with the last information we had, being that the Emperor’s Coven had purchased their whole supply of Abomaton figures).
With Reaching Out, the episode seems intent to give us some information on Alador, along with several members of the Blight family.
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Something is bothering Luz, as her phone keeps buzzing about a reminder for the day.
Intent on finding something else to focus on, she attempts to help Amity win the Bonesborough Brawl, an event that Amity’s father Alador won many years before.
Meanwhile, Eda still suspects something is up with her friend Raine Whispers, and attempts to get information out of Warden Wrath, who has also come to the Brawl. Eda soon gets some unexpected help, in the form of Amity’s older brother, Edric.
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When he was first introduced, Alador was mostly kept in the background. With this episode, the writers attempt to expand on his character, as well as give some more insight into his role as Amity’s father.
We can see Amity trying to make a connection with him, but it’s another case of “a father being too busy to connect with his kid(s).” Not a bad plot-point per se, but I would have liked to have had something a bit stronger regarding Alador and Amity.
The stronger emotional connection within the episode, comes from Luz’s dilemma. Her story point hits a number of emotional chords, as she struggles to ignore her phone, but continues to be distracted by it as she tries to help Amity.
The appearance of Edric and Emira in this episode, acts almost like a bridge between the “A” and “B” plots.
Most notable is we get some more insight into Edric, who seems to have some self-confidence issues. It was hinted at in some previous episodes that Edric seems to be the less serious of the Blight twins, but this episode seeks to show that Edric does have some skills. It is also notable to see him get interaction time with Eda and King.
Emira can be a bit more serious and learned, and it is here that we see her being the one helping out her sister (and at times, Luz) during the Brawl.
Overall, the story points revolving around the Brawl and Eda making her potion just feel like ways to keep the story “busy,” while there are story points that tie into emotional family connections, that probably could have developed into a much better storyline overall.
Like the previous episode, this is another one where certain emotional elements pushed the final grade a notch higher.
Final Grade: B
Episode Review: The Owl House (Season 2, Episode 13) – Any Sport in a Storm
When he was announced as a cast addition for Season 2, The Golden Guard gained quite a bit of fan-gushing from the online Owl House community.
While there has been scant information learned about Hunter (aka The Golden Guard), it has usually been while in his service to Emperor Belos. This latest episode release, looks to throw him into an area that he hasn’t had much experience with: other persons around his own age.
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After being questioned by the Abomination Coven head Darius on his strength of character, Hunter sets out to prove himself worthy of the Golden Guard title. At Hexside, he attempts to recruit students into the Emperor’s coven and happens to come across Willow starting up a Flyer Derby club, which he decides to use as a cover for recruiting “the best and the brightest.”
Meanwhile, Amity informs Luz that the author of The Good Witch Azura books is holding a signing in town, and the two eagerly go off to meet her.
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After her interactions with Amity in episode 11, it was nice to see Willow getting some additional character development in this story. We’ve seen her grow into a competent witch with her plant magic, but it is nice to see her stepping up to take on a leadership position in a school program.
Even so, the issues Willow faces with starting her club at Hexside feels a little flimsy, given one of the school’s professors hangs the fate of the club on whether her team can beat his at a Flyer Derby match (feeling like a small callback to season 1’s Wing It Like Witches).
Getting to see Hunter out of his element is a nice touch, let alone reminds us that he’s around the same age as some of the school students, but doesn’t seem to know how to really interact with them. In a real world comparison, his recruitment methods feel like Armed Forces recruiters going to high schools, to convince kids that their skills can greatly benefit their country.
There also is some new information, that the title of The Golden Guard is older than Hunter himself. Up until this point, I had assumed this was a title Belos had bestowed exclusively on Hunter.
We also get the return of background characters Skara and Viney, and Gus even shows how supportive he can be towards Willow, though one scene makes it possible that maybe he harbors feelings for her.
The return of Darius is rather quick, but surprising. His last appearance in Eda’s Requiem went by like a blur to me, but recently we’ve been learning a bit more about the different Coven heads. With what we see here, it does make me wonder just how loyal most of the heads are to the Emperor.
While Willow and Hunter’s interaction is the “A” story of the episode, Luz and Amity encompass the “B” story, dealing with their love of the Azura books, and their attempt to meet author Mildred Featherwhyle.
We had a slight blip in the relationship arc between these two with the last episode, and it is nice to see a subplot about something that they share a common love over. Plus, we do get to see somewhat of a payoff from Luz in Season 1, wanting to start an Azura book club at Hexside.
Unfortunately, the “B” story starts out with an intriguing premise as the two question the author’s heritage (Luz purchased her books in the human realm, but is the author from the demon realm?), but feels like a bit of a “mystery box” distraction as the girls try to find answers for the questions they have.
The episode overall has some strong moments, but shows some flimsiness at times as the stories make their way to the end. Even one moment in the resolution of Hunter’s story arc made me question the “logic” that was used. However, after the last episode felt like a tease for things to come, getting an episode that brought about some character development for both Willow and Hunter was quite enjoyable, and some of these moments helped raise the rating on this episode just a bit more for me.
Luz and Amity’s plotline did feel a bit pointless, though a saving grace was getting to see the two off on a little quest, bouncing ideas and theories off of each other.
Final Grade: B
Episode Review: The Owl House (Season 2, Episode 12) – Elsewhere and Elsewhen
When it comes to The Owl House, the show can surprise us with where character development can go.
In the first season, Amity Blight character arc proved to be an unexpected treat as the season went on. For the second season, the character that gained notoriety was Eda’s sister, Lilith “Lilly” Clawthorne.
It’s been awhile since we saw her, but the latest episode will surely entertain a number of her fans (and maybe even enthrall some new ones).
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Eda throws her sister a party, for her new role as assistant curator for the Supernatural Museum of History. However, Lilith grows upset in trying to figure out what to do for her first exhibition, wanting to prove herself to a former mentor who still works under Emperor Belos.
Meanwhile, Luz is still struggling to understand more about how Philip Wittebane made his portal door that allowed access between the human and demon realms. When Eda mentions that Lilith dabbled in trying to find time pools (holes in reality that can transport one back to various times), Luz teams up with Eda’s sister to find one that can lead them back to the Deadwardian Era, when Philip was alive.
The party also brings around an unexpected visitor, when the witches’ father shows up. Though he requests to see Eda, she is apprehensive given something that happened between them in the past.
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Season 2 episodes with Lilith have grown rather interesting, and here, we see the writers continuing to have some fun with her. Her interaction is largely with Luz, and it’s really the first time they both have done something together.
Earlier in the season, we saw how Luz had taken to teaching the Clawthorne sisters “glyph magic,” and Lilith was most enthralled. Here, we get a bit more character development, in seeing that she also has a special affinity for the history of the Boiling Isles, with some of that information rubbing off on Luz.
When it comes to interacting with Philip Wittebane, I was expecting a bit more than what we got. However, it does feels like for those “keeping score,” his true identity is hinted at in a pretty major way. Plus, Lilith and Luz’s interactions may have contributed in what happens to the Boiling Isles in the future, on a level they probably cannot comprehend at this time.
The time pool concept in the episode felt a bit too convenient for me, but given my fascination regarding the space time continuum in shows, I was intrigued to see where the concept could go. Plus, the episode did remind me a bit of the time-hopping in an episode of Gravity Falls.
While Luz and Lilith’s adventure takes up a story-heavy “A” plot, the “B” plot about Eda nervously avoiding her father feels rather flimsy. This isn’t the first time this season we’ve had a “B” plot feel like it could have been excised altogether. The show has a thing for often trying to juggle two separate plot strands, but this is another case where I wish we could have just focused on Luz and Lilith (even if there are some possible future revelations in Eda’s story, regarding where things might go with her).
Seeing Luz and Lilith together was definitely a highlight, but the episode left me wanting to see more about Philip, let alone more of Bonesboro from the past. Eda’s story about dealing with her past and her father, really made me wish it was a stronger, better structured story point that could have given us much more than what we got here (it feels like it could have worked better as an “A” plot story in another episode).
This was an episode that I was really hoping would open up some major revelations, but it felt like it was moreso about providing scant hints about things that will probably be paid off in future episodes.
Final Grade: B-
Episode Review: The Owl House (Season 2, Episode 11) – Follies at the Coven Day Parade
The last seven months was almost sheer agony as many waited for the remaining Season 2 episodes of The Owl House to hit. Speculation ran wild on a number of fronts, and the slightest of possible release dates led to some social media sites causing the show to trend again.
Now with the episodes officially coming out, we are continuing on our journey for the final full season of the show.
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After returning from her brief visit to the Human Realm, Luz struggles with wanting to stay in the Demon Realm, while also dealing with her promise to her Mother that she would come back.
After encountering Emperor Belos’ assistant Kikimora struggling to bridge issues between her family and work life, Luz thinks she may have found a way to figure out how to have things both ways, if she helps the little demon out in regards to Coven Day Parade duties.
Luz also learns that Eda has been following up on information regarding Raine Whispers (her ex-partner), and tries to set up a rendezvous with them during the parade as well.
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With this episode, the show wastes little time in jumping into the action. Stuff seems to fly at us pretty quickly in regards to information, but surprisingly, the action stays moving at a good clip as we bounce around a number of elements happening during the parade.
One of the more unexpected elements is Kikimora being willing to be part of a plan to help Luz and Eda. Given what we’ve seen in the past, I had assumed Kiki would be much more ruthless of a character, but the episode seeks to cast her in a grey area. It is a little flimsy in Luz’s logic that she thinks that Belos’ assistant can help her resolve her own dilemma, but then again, Luz is just hoping her plan works.
The episode also introduces another Coven head, in the form of the Plant Coven’s Terra Snapdragon. Unlike some of the other coven head introductions, her use here manages to make her both intriguing and terrifying (she has somewhat of a “Big Brother” vibe given how she tends to pop up unexpectedly). Plus, given her powers, one has to wonder if Willow and her might meet up in the future.
Earlier in the season, Raine Whispers was an intriguing addition to Eda’s past, though events after his last appearance have affected him in unexpected ways. We get some hints that something is going on, though the scenes between him and Eda feel moreso like they may have a bigger encounter in the future. As it is, it almost feels like this part of the story could have been jettisoned, and repurposed as something a bit stronger in another episode.
We also get some interesting dilemmas when it comes to Luz and Amity’s relationship. Luz has been tight-lipped about her “attempt” to visit the Human Realm, and upon finding Luz’s phone, Amity is curious regarding what it contains, but struggles with her thoughts that she may be invading her girlfriend’s privacy. The issue is also helped by her going to Willow for advice, leading to a short-and-sweet scene between the two.
When I sat down and thought about it, it felt like this episode ended up juggling quite a number of elements to it. However, unlike some of the earlier Season 2 episodes that had balancing issues, I think what saves Follies is that the different elements actually have time to transition from one to the other, without feeling like they are cramming 2-3 episodes into a 22-minute time-frame.
The episode balances a bit precariously at times with it’s storytelling, but it has enough going for it that it manages to be entertaining, while also opening up some extra questions that need resolution (hopefully before the season ends, and we have to wait for the multiple specials that will conclude the series).
Final Grade: B
Episode Review: The Owl House (Season 2, Episode 10) – Yesterday’s Lie
Finally, it is here…the last Owl House episode before the series goes on hiatus, only to return with the remaining batch of Season 2 episodes at an undetermined (at this time) date.
But enough of that, let’s get into this episode.
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After studying Philip Wittebane’s diary, Luz has been able to construct an unstable variation of his doorway, in hopes to be able to communicate with her mother.
Upon testing out the doorway, Luz is able to peer into the human realm and see her mother…along with a figure who looks just like her!
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Like the episode Hunting Palismen, this is a story that holds a singular focus around Luz and what she observes. There isn’t a “B” storyline to get in the way, which makes things much easier to follow.
Since the end of season 1, there had been hints that there was a version of Luz in the human realm that had taken her place. The fandom had thrown out plenty of theories as to what was going on, but none of them came close to what was revealed to be a creature that dubs itself as Vee.
Much like how one can’t judge a book by it’s cover, Vee is one of the most surprising characters in the episode. For much of the story, we follow Luz communicating with her, and learn more about her backstory (which turns out to be quite emotional). It also helps in how voice-actress Michaela Dietz is able to emulate Luz’s voice at first, before we hear Vee’s more timid, somewhat nasally voice that contributes to her personality.
One of the most unexpected storypoints, is learning more about where Luz lives. We get to see that there’s a history to the town of Gravesfield, and it feels like there are clues and hints that may tie into what we have learned about both Emperor Belos, and Philip Wittebane. Plus, we get some information regarding Eda frequenting the town while she had access to Wittebane’s portal.
Most of season 2’s episodes have revealed more about numerous characters, and in this episode, we get some moments with Luz’s mother, Camila. While not a whole lot of time is devoted to her, what we do see is enough to really show us how Luz was influenced by her, let alone just what kind of person she is.
For most of this season, I kept really looking for something that hit emotionally. Echoes of the Past came pretty close, but to me, this episode really delivered. So far, this has felt like one of the most satisfying storylines, even if there are some moments that do get a little hokey.
The hokiness comes in the form of a person working for the town’s historical society, who happens to be quite the conspiracy theorist. The character toes the line between being humorous, yet dangerous at the same time. It does beg the question if he’s a one-off character, or if we’ll encounter him again in the future.
There were also some moments that put me in mind of the series Stranger Things, but even so, Yesterday’s Lie has quickly become my favorite episode of the season. Pity that just as we get something so well-crafted, the season goes on hiatus, leaving us to wonder what is yet to come.
Final Grade: A-
Episode Review: The Owl House (Season 2, Episode 9) – Eclipse Lake
As we near the half-way point for The Owl House’s second season, there’s been quite a lot of information and new characters shown.
We’ve seen Emperor Belos and his coven working on a major project, and when it comes to our main characters who live in the owl house, there’s been some surprising revelations as of late.
With this episode, there’s the chance to not only expand our knowledge of The Boiling Isles, but also get some character development too.
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Amity and Luz have been doing more research on trying to find a way to help Luz get back home. A key element (according to the diary of Philip Wittebane), is said to be found at Eclipse Lake.
Unfortunately, Luz has caught “the common mold.” With Willow, Gus, and Hooty helping her recover, Eda, King, and Amity go off on the journey…where they soon find there are other forces who may also be seeking the same thing.
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Some time ago, I was lamenting that we seemed to have our basic group of characters associated with the owl house, but they have not fully come together for any type of adventure. With this episode, the wish is somewhat fulfilled, even if the group is split in two after a few minutes together.
The “A” story involving Amity, gives us one of the first chances to see her in a more prominent role, let alone one working alongside just Eda and King. After what she and Luz worked out last episode, Amity seems pretty confident, but has some small moments where she is concerned for her girlfriend (and their budding relationship).
In regards to Eda and King, the episode gives opportunities to showcase the new powers they obtained from the previous episode. There are some moments where they try to mine comedy out of Eda trying to get her new “harpy” form to materialize, but it comes off being a bit too ridiculous for my tastes.
The trio also encounters the machinations of Emperor Belos, in the forms of Kikimora and Hunter (aka The Golden Guard). While Kikimora has Belos’ express permission to be at Eclipse Lake, Hunter is trying to prove his worth on his own. What is notable is that both have a certain level of desperation about them, each determined to prove their worth and return with what Belos desires.
This is the second episode this season where creator Dana Terrace is given a sole “written by” credit, and it seems to show. There’s a certain level of focus to the story that allows us to follow along and not get too bogged down by extra things. Plus, just like Luz interacted with Hunter in episode 6, Amity gets the same opportunity here.
The “B” plot story of Willow and Gus taking care of Luz is kept alive at times, but is much smaller in scope to the “A” plot. At the most, it feels like it exists mainly to keep Luz and her friends in the picture.
I usually like most “mission”storylines, and this one does a pretty good job in places. There is a certain element of “who will get there first” regarding what is happening around the lake, but it feels like there are several areas that they try to mine comedy out of, that drags the episode down for me. It is in the character-driven areas that the episode really held my attention (including one area where the animation made my eyes go wide!).
Eclipse Lake’s premise and storytelling is definitely a high-point for season 2, but to me, it needed a little extra “oomph” to really be spectacular. I do wonder what the next episode will have in store, given what we have learned here.
Final Grade: B+
The Entertainment Nut 