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takerfoxx · 3 years

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The Owl House, Season 2, Episode 2, "Escaping Expulsion," First Impressions!

Best girl is BACK!

Okay, I've made no secret that my primary reason for checking this show out was the massive crossover fandom between it and She-Ra and PMMM, primarily due to Catradora and MadoHomu parallels with Lumity. Plus, the show itself looked fun and interesting, so I decided to give it a roll.

And no surprise, the Lumity thing has been my favorite part, and Amity has been my favorite character. And I just loved how the writers knew well ahead of time what a massive ship this was going to be so they just decided to fast forward past the rivalry bit and start building their friendship and establishing Amity's crush almost from the word GO. Which isn't to say it's felt rushed or anything; there has been a clear progression of Amity's feelings toward Luz and it does feel natural. I'm just saying they clearly know which side of their bread the butter's on and things have a LOT more forward momentum than your standard rivals-to-MAYBE-lovers, and the mutual attraction is 100% canon and was always intended to be. It helps that it's written by an actual queer woman who made no secret that Luz is bisexual and Amity is gay, so good on her.

Unfortunately, Amity has been AWOL for quite a while. Ever since the sports episode, in fact, owing in-series to her broken leg, but it's really because the focus needed to be elsewhere. Still, I'm really glad that she's back.

Anyway, here we finally meet Amity's oft-discussed but never fully revealed parents, giving them some much-needed characterization! And as it turns out, while our earlier impression of them being a bunch of Northwest-esque upper-class snobs was not incorrect, there's more to it than that.

See, Amity's family runs Blight Industries, a security firm that specializes in abominations custom-made for defense. Amity's mom is the CEO and promoter, and is definitely the controlling one. To again compare to Gravity Falls, she's what you get if you combine Mr. Northwest's classism and manipulative control over his family with Gideon's carny showmanship. And she has natural green hair. Meanwhile, her dad is the one who actually makes the abominations, is a bit of a scatterbrain prone to chasing after shiny things, and looks just so tired and fed up with his wife's antics and yet is just resigned to putting up with them. Also, he naturally has brown hair.

And as for Amity, she is a natural brunette but dyes her hair green. SYMBOLISM!

Anyway, Amity is usually the showgirl for her parents presentations, but lately her heart just hasn't been in it, owing mainly to her caring more about her friends. And when this leads to her botching a presentation, Mommy Mearest decides to confront the problem by throwing her societal weight around and getting Luz, Gus, and Willow expelled!

Anyway, plotwise things progress as one might expect: Luz agrees to take Amity's place as the showgirl for the Blights' abomination presentation, which puts her in mortal peril because Mommy Mearest is an asshole. Amity finally stands up to her family to protect her. Luz and Amity con the Blights' guests into thinking that the abomination actually kills them to get them to just order the damn things, because apparently child murder, including the presenters own DAUGHTER, makes for a great sales pitch! Daddy Dearest finally snaps and makes Mommy Mearest ease up on the trying to kill her daughter's friends thing because a bargain is a bargain. Luz, Willow, and Gus are un-expelled, and the Blights...well, we'll get to that later.

As for the b-plot, as predicted, as the resident glyph master, Luz now has to teach the Clawthorne sisters how to use magic without actually having direct access to magic! And surprise, surprise, they have completely different aims in doing so. Eda wants to dick around, experiment, and see how far she could push glyphs into going, while Lilith is really getting into the whole dutiful student role and wants to learn things from the ground up. This strikes me as funny, since it wasn't too long ago that it was Eda telling Luz to learn things from the ground up and not try to rush, but now that the shoe's on the other foot that all goes out the window. And it all goes horribly wrong, but of course the sisters reach a compromise, as it's Lilith's ground-up work that lets her understand glyphs' natures enough to figure out a way to make Eda's more creative ideas work. And they also discuss finding other glyphs than the four already known, probably setting things up for a future episode.

Okay, character stuff! AGAIN bringing things back to the Northwests, Mommy Mearest's way of controlling Amity really brings to mind Mr. Northwest's bell, and is very creepy. Not as creepy, as it's more fantasy-based and wacky, and Amity is already rebelling by the time Mommy Mearest was introduced, but the parallels are striking and probably intentional. We also have more of a reason for her being as controlling as she is, as her family's business kinda depends on it. Not a justication of course, but it's nice to have it rooted in more realistic motivations than just her being a snobby asshole. I do know that Amity's Weasley-twins older siblings don't get the same treatment as her. Maybe it's because they're natural green-hairs so they're more favored?

Anyway, Amity crushing on Luz is already established and has been so for some time. But now it's starting to be reciprocated, as Luz moves into the italicized Oh stage of their relationship. And it! Is! Adorable!!! Part of me wants Amity to run away to the Owl House and just live there from now on, in part to get her away from a toxic environment, but also because it means more Lumity cuteness, because I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.

And damn, good on Amity for crushing that crystal. Be interesting to see how this power play between her and Mommy Mearest continues. Nice to see that the twins have her back, even if they still love messing with her.

Also, I really like how the sisterly relationship between Eda and Lilith is shaping up. Now that they've buried the hatchet, it feels like their adolescent dynamic is resurfacing, because that's how it was when things were last good between them and they never learned how to be siblings as adults, so the constant competing, roasts, refusal to ask for help, and overall pride plays a major factor. We also get to see more of Lilith's goofy side, which is really endearing, and I love how she and Hooty are besties now.

And I legit cheered when the Golden Guard showed up to appropriate all of the Blights' abominations. He's got to set some kind of record for becoming a fan favorite so quickly after his debut in the second season. It also shows that the whole Emperor thing will play more closely than it did in the first season, which is very welcome, and also that he wants none of his subjects building their own forces, so THAT'S interesting.

Moving things back, Principal Bump was genuinely broken up about his favorite mischief makers getting kicked out. Aw, he really does care!

And congrats on the puberty, Gus.

#the owl house #luz noceda #amity blight #lumity #odalia blight #alador blight #eda clawthorne #lilith clawthorne #the golden guard #reaction

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sepublic · 3 years

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Happy Birthday to The Owl House!

Honestly, I’m… REALLY shocked to think back on how it’s been a year? It’s been a full, actual year, since that first episode?

I remember when The Owl House was first announced around early 2018. Something about it, the premise, the characters from that one poster we got; It really drew me in, and I kept track of the show’s progress in eager anticipation. Whenever Dana released art of Luz, Eda, and King, I was ecstatic- And when the show was delayed to 2020, I was dismayed.

Then we got our teaser trailer; The opening them, the end credits, even a little sneak peek! I remember speculating a lot about Luz and all of the other new characters we were introduced to, such as Willow, Amity, and Gus- And then we got more and more trailers in the days leading up to the show. I wondered about Luz’s home back on Earth and where her family was, I listened intently to the Hooty and the Parliament music video, finding an almost melancholic, weirdly nostalgic (despite having never watched the show yet) vibe to it- Whilst also avoiding looking at the screen and seeing all of the various clips it offered, because I wanted to be surprised! It was two years of anticipation, two years of wait for this show- I’d never looked forward to a series before like this, last I can recall… So having this content FINALLY come out, seeing these characters in animation, hearing their wonderful voices! My soul was vibing, it was time, it was coming after all this time…!

Eventually I finished Infinity Train Book 2, the same day that The Owl House premiered… I was blindsided when I woke up to the first episode’s release online, in full- I was already planning to wait until later to watch it on television, so having it permanently accessible from the internet was such a pleasant surprise! And the show… The show, man- That premiere caught me off-guard with how much I enjoyed it! I knew I was looking forward to this show, but still…! It blew away my expectations, and even now, has continued to; It was like my personal investment and attention had paid off so patiently well! I even got a DisneyNOW subscription so I could watch each new episode ASAP, the day it premiered, hours before it aired on television!

I remember scouring Tumblr before the show officially premiered, and there was understandably very little- A few pieces of fanart here or there. And when the show DID premiere, for a while there wasn’t really much of a fandom- There was barely anyone, in fact! But I can remember a few notable blogs who have been around since the beginning… Me, I got invested into this show. I found myself really enjoying Lumity as a ship, especially since I resonated with both characters in it; Luz was such a ball of sunshine that brightened my day, and Amity really spoke to me with her more introverted, top-scoring personality. When the show hit its mid-season hiatus, I remember not handling it too well, as I got impatient and frantic in my speculations- I wanted so badly to learn more about these characters, see what happened- Get a look at Emperor Belos (then known as Bellows by the fandom), etc.

I wrote my Bile Coven piece in preparation for Halloween, even got to know a mutual or two over shared theorizing! I kept track of Dana’s updates, and even had people come to my blog, of all places, to send asks! It was and still has been such an engaging part of fandom for me… I recall impatiently waiting for the Owl Pellet shorts and freaking out over them- And when Adventures in the Elements leaked early? I LOST MY MIND, I remember postponing something I was supposed to go to, just so I could watch the episode- And it was so good! Then I started wondering and hoping the rest of Season 1 would come out, and well- It took a while…

And when Season 1B’s trailer came out, I was all over it; Scouring every possible frame, freaking out over the Grom screenshot, and appreciating the influx of new fans! It was amazing to watch The Owl House go from a relatively minor and obscure fandom, to becoming so much more mainstream and populous! I got into Rebecca Rose’s channel, I began writing more meta and posts about the show, as well as little recaps for each new episode. I feel like my blog really took off from here, as I got to interact with more and more people who shared this mutual love of The Owl House, and I was so ecstatic to see more content and buzz about it!

My mind was solely focused on The Owl House, it was one of my huge hyperfixations, even moreso than during Season 1A’s run- I remember being anxious about Enchanting Grom Fright, wondering if we’d get queerbaited… But NO, Amity was in love with Luz! She canonically had a crush on her, a girl in love with another girl- And I loved it because Lumity was a special comfort ship of mine! Then Amity was confirmed lesbian… It was amazing! And I found myself SO invested, so inspired by the show and its characters, and all of the little allusions to things, the foreshadowing, the moments here or there that made so much more sense after a new episode.

This show inspired me creatively- It got me to write some of my personal favorite fanfics, and I was and still am so touched by whatever feedback I get from them! The Owl House really got me to write, to obsess over characters and analyze them, to look at motifs, to think about worldbuilding… It’s been such an artistically enriching experience, both the show and the fandom! I remember despairing so terribly when Agony of a Witch came out, the genuine betrayal I had when Lilith revealed the truth- Because I’d been legitimately endeared to her character beforehand, even formed a sort of ‘trust’ in a sense… And like many others, I agonizingly anticipated the season finale, the much-needed emotional reconciliation!

I remember how the episode titles were revealed, bit by bit, and how I and others speculated on what they’d spell out! I remember when the fandom obsessed over the Witch’s Apprentice game and its relics, for clues and new lore after each episode, the little hints here or there! I was freaked out by characters like Belos, who lived up to my hopes and expectations- First being alluded to by name, then his amazing appearance… And then his voice and mannerisms and everything about him! And when the Season Finale came out…

Well, there was relief. But there was a bittersweet emptiness- That it was over! The first season was over! There was a celebratory triumph, of course- We finally wrapped up the first, major arc of the show, the first batch of episodes that had been worked upon, the whole thing now unveiled and appreciated! But I was a little dismayed because a part of me KNEW a hiatus much longer than the previous one was ahead of me, and I did not handle the mid-season hiatus well. Of course, then Dana had her Reddit AMA, and the charity livestream; Both of which NOURISHED me creatively, and have helped to fill out the wait! To carry out my momentum, to not flounder about in hiatus; I invested myself into more meta, into various posts, etc. I read fanfiction that genuinely floored me, obsessed over fanart, etc.

I supported the show’s release on Disney Plus, ecstatic to get this kind of ready access. I revisited past episodes and characters, looking at them in a new light, appreciating things; Like Luz’s relationship with fantasy… King’s surprising development, all of Eda’s little hints and clues. There’s been an emotional catharsis with these characters for me- And I genuinely feel like I’ve been a lot happier lately because of this show! I’ve met so many other blogs and gotten to know them, seen their ideas and displayed mine as we appreciated one another… I even remember doing another blog’s fanart prompt prior to the show’s release, in preparation!

I feel like The Owl House has genuinely given me a new appreciation for meta, for fandom and analysis… For headcanons, for writing my own stories and contributing my own ideas and speculations, etc.! It’s contributed SO much joy to me as a hyperfixation, and rapidly risen through my blog as my most frequent tag! And even as I explore other fandoms and hyperfixations, both then and now, especially to pass on this crippling hiatus… This show holds a VERY special place in my heart for me. It’s really made me feel for these characters, the love and sadness, the excitement and sense of comfort… Its love and emotions, angst and found family, lore and speculation, it hits so hard to me in a way that other media hasn’t!

It’s provided representation- Such as canonically queer characters, or protagonists who speak so well to the neurodivergent experience for many people! I’ve had delight in seeing people suggest Amity as autistic, when before Season 1B, I lowkey headcanoned and saw her as such- So seeing more evidence for this resonated deeply in my heart! I remember all of the discussion about King as a character, the confusion and talk about whether or not he WAS a King of Demons, when that first announcement in 2018 had made a similar claim… I looked forward to Eda and Lilith’s relationship, speculated on who cursed Eda, and remembered when I’d considered the Blights as a potential culprit! I remember thinking about Hooty, wondering what his deal is- And thinking then and now about that Owl Deity mural in the Owl House! Watching Luz’s development as a character and as a witch, seeing her become more proficient with magic until it finally pays off with her squaring up against Belos, and wounding him- I’d never felt so proud of a character and their progress before!

There’s still so many more questions and mystery, lore… as well as just genuine character interactions, to look forward to! I think The Owl House is one of my favorite shows of all time… It’s deeply touched me as a person and creator, and I genuinely strive to create something even close to this one day. This show has inspired me, made me laugh and cry, compelled me to creatively make content; It’s introduced me to a wider fandom that I genuinely feel like a part of, had me meet other mutuals… It really is something special to me. And while I am eager for Season 2, I also want to appreciate what Dana Terrace and her crew have already established. I love this show’s art style and animation, the designs and overall weirdness of its characters- I love speculating and thinking about them, getting more and more details, and so forth.

If it’s for a better product, I’m fine waiting for Season 2. And honestly, I love what we already have, and I’ve done a lot with so many people. I’ve even looked over supplementary materials and stuff posted by the crew or news articles, in my need for content… And I love every bit of update, art, and/or acknowledgement of the show’s hiatus, and Season 2’s development! There’s so much to look forward to… And there’s so much that I’ve enjoyed, after plenty of anticipation!

Thank you @danaterrace, and everyone who worked on this- For everything. It really is crazy to reflect on this entire year, to realize it’s been a full year since that first episode, since that first premiere that lit up my world like Luz’s light spells; And it feels like such a milestone that we’ve reached! I look forward to what comes next, and I also intend to keep appreciating and cherishing what we’ve already gotten. Here’s to this show’s second year, people- It’s been such a journey to look back on and remember each step, each phase, each particular moment and stage… And I can only imagine what will come next! This show has SUCH a special place in my heart, and has made me feel in so many ways I haven’t before!

Happy Birthday, The Owl House! You’ve earned it!

#the owl house #toh #owl house #the owl house luz #luz noceda #the owl house eda #edalyn clawthorne #the owl house king #lumity #happy birthday #dana terrace #ramblings #nostalgia #meta

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