#I actually think emiras relationship to her sons is more interesting

[shouldprobablybereading]

Maxim and emiras death suck so much, emiras at least is an attack and not from making a stupid decision. If his son who’s the strongest magician in their world can’t face osaron then maxims spell was sure as hell not gonna do anything. I guess you could make some argument that he doesn’t trust kells plan but it’s still just so pointless. Like they died because rhy needed to become king and let kell go in the end, which makes it not feel natural at all. It’s like they never finished any of the conflicts, which might work if it was one parent but both is a bit too much.

One solution that I think could be more interesting would be if they had killed maxim, through a slightly more meaningful sacrifice, but let emira live. That way rhy is still in power but that whole conflict doesn’t go away

[sepublic]

Gus meeting the Blight Twins!

           With regards to recent developments with characters and whatnot… I think it’d be interesting to see Gus interact with Emira and Edric. Gus is someone who is proudly a dweebus, like his father Perry before him, and so on and so forth; He mentions a ‘long’ line of dweebuses to Eda, after all! So there’s this shared concept of a family lineage that one ‘lives up to’, or at least carries out… Although given how well-adjusted Gus is compared to the Blight kids, obviously Perry was far more lenient about it than Odalia and Alador, and Gus’ interest in being a nerd was something genuine that came from a legitimate appreciation of his dad!

           Meanwhile, Emira and Edric clearly make fun of the idea of being a nerd, although they don’t seem maliciously against it, nor do they seem like people who’d insist on bullying someone else… The exception of course is Amity, but they still DO care for her as their little sister. Plus, there may have been concerns about what Amity’s dedication to schoolwork was doing for her mental health, how a lot of that may have come from the expectations of their parents… And so it can make it difficult to discern where Amity legit enjoys learning, and where she’s doing this for Odalia and Alador.

          That could lead to maybe the Blight Twins infantilizing Amity, believing they ‘know’ her better than others, and wanting Amity to get away from being a nerd and teasing her about it… When in reality, like Amity herself probably, they don’t realize the distinction between learning, and school itself as a system, particularly under Belos’ rule. Regardless, after seeing what when on with Mittens, and their concern for her amidst it (even if they didn’t handle this concern very productively despite likely meaning to)… I have to wonder how this could apply to Gus?

          I can see the Blight Twins getting to know Gus, they think he’s a cute little kid, and like everybody else, they adopt him as a little brother! Gus eats it all up, he’s a kid who likes the attention of course. No doubt, Emira and Edric are inspired by Gus’ skill with illusions, likely seeing him as capable of being better than even them, and encourage it! Gus, of course, is flattered and feels better about himself.

           It’d be cute to see Ed and Em give Gus a few pointers on Illusions… Maybe receiving a lesson or two from him, because even if they don’t like school or learning, they’d at least enjoy the pragmatic effects of illusions in pulling off pranks and their little rebellions! However, I can also see them maybe looking down on Gus as being even younger to them than Amity is… Without meaning to, they might accidentally contribute to Gus’ feelings of being overlooked. Especially since Emira and Edric might try to encourage Gus to join in on their mischief, or ‘misuse’ his lessons to pull off pranks…

           Gus could feel a bit conflicted. But on the other hand, he HAS gone through growth, and Perry was clearly a much more supporting parent than Odalia and Alador. I can see Gus vouching for himself, refusing to participate in anything… And worst-case scenario, Emira and Edric wonder why he’s being so stuck-up, but otherwise they respect the kid’s decisions, and don’t try to force him in! They didn’t hold any grudges against Luz for going against their plan to post Amity’s diary entries, after all. Maybe Gus enjoys the role of being a teacher, but also feels obligated to do more than just provide academic lessons, but emotional ones as well…

           Either through Luz, through his observations of Amity’s crippling self-loathing, and/or hearing down the grapevine… Gus realizes that Emira and Edric aren’t doing so well! Maybe he tries to ‘set them on the right track’, or at least try to provide some form of therapy… He probably feels bad because Odalia and Alador are utter trash, whilst current evidence points towards Perry being one of the best parents this show has to offer!

           And while I can see Ed and Em being touched and flattered by the gesture, maybe they’re also put off by it as well, because Gus is WAY too young to be telling them what to do… But like with Luz, they hold no grudges and mostly just appreciate the sentiment, at least. Maybe this contributes to Gus feeling like he’s not listened to, and maybe some genuine concern for Ed and Em as yet another addition to his collection of surrogate older siblings… I can also see Gus getting in over his head, thinking he really DOES know best, and perhaps intruding on some boundaries!

           Which, this could lead to Emira and Edric maybe getting a bit more hostile, if they see similarities to Amity because of this… And then they might realize that hey, Gus IS a lot like Mittens, in a sense! They’re both young, child prodigies who do incredibly well, they speak of a family lineage they’re proud of and apparently feel obligated to carry out… Amity is aiming for the Emperor’s Coven, but even SHE hasn’t ascended a few grades like Gus has! Which could lead to some concern for Gus, that maybe Perry is pressuring him, maybe imposing the ‘Porter’ legacy onto the kid…

           And while Gus DOES have some insecurities here or there, of being younger than the rest in his grade- I’m pretty sure he’s ultimately happy with the decision, and it’s something he agreed to alongside Perry! I say this because he’s clearly more happy and confident in himself than most of the cast, really, and if he DID have an issue with being above his grade… Like with Willow, the kid probably would’ve had this addressed and changed. I think it’s more than likely that Gus actually enjoys learning a lot, and he DOES appreciate ascending a few grades- He really seems to enjoy Illusions! It’s just that as a kid, and because of his unusual situation, he’s entitled to some insecurity here or there, but in the end, he doesn’t regret his decision; Just as Eda may have suffered from loneliness as a Wild Witch, but she DID choose this, she’d never change her mind to become a covenscout, and maybe her sister Lilith needs to acknowledge this!

           Which, if Emira and Edric also act as (surrogate) older siblings, like Lilith was to Eda… Then maybe they’ll have to learn to recognize Gus’ own decision and autonomy when it came to passing a few grades. Or at the very least, they first try to do things for Gus’ ‘own good’ like they did with Amity… Perhaps they misread the situation Gus has with Perry, maybe they project some of their own experiences, and accidentally try to vicariously live out another rebellion against parents through Gus…

           Either way, they try to get Gus to rebel, to care less for his grades, to not listen to Perry, etc. And while Gus may at least learn to voice a thing or two with Perry (assuming he hasn’t already), it could lead to an artificial rift between father and son. Gus might feel uncomfortable, but he also recognizes that Ed, Em, and Amity WERE abused, so maybe they DO know better what his situation at home is actually like…

           Spoiler alert, Emira and Edric have no idea! And while they mean well, this could lead to them trying the same tactics as they did with Amity, towards Gus… Again, encouraging him not to be a ‘rule-follower’, unintentionally belittling him and encouraging Gus to listen to them! Maybe not- Emira and Edric MAY have learned their lesson with Amity by now, but it’s not out of the question for them to occasionally, accidentally, relapse into old habits. Abuse and toxicity are hard to unlearn, man.

           Maybe Emira and Edric even convince Gus to move back down to a lower grade! But in the end, Gus isn’t happy with this, he feels his intellectual needs aren’t being meant and his mind isn’t stimulated enough- He misses being back at his older grade level! Emira and Edric might try to dismiss this, that this is for his own good… But in the end, Gus has a lot of self-respect. He’s not Amity, nor Willow… He’s a lot more like Luz in that regard. He WILL eventually have to vouch for himself, and/or Emira and Edric will notice how uncomfortable he is before that has to happen.

           In the end, Ed and Em realize that they’ve been mistakenly projecting their own insecurities onto Gus, and that they’ve screwed him over like they did Mittens, assuming they know the best; When in reality they don’t! This could lead to a crisis for the two, doubting their own judgment in anything… And Gus reassures the Twins that while they’re not perfect, they DID make progress against Odalia and Alador, and at least they’re trying! And then Gus says he’s proud of them, as a teacher, and as a ‘little brother’ to them in a sense… And Emira and Edric remember that even though Gus is a little kid, he knows a lot and has a lot of advice to offer- So they accept this, and they accept Gus’ autonomy and decision.

          When Gus refers to being a part of a ‘long line of dweebuses’, he takes pride because his relationship with Perry is likely pretty good, and he genuinely looks up to his father and admires him because of this… And Gus WANTS to be a dweebus, because it’s something to be proud of; Knowing who you are and sticking with it! It’s Perry making Gus self-confident, that causes the kid to take pride in the Porter legacy, so to speak…

           I can see some apologies being made, especially if Gus may have gone overboard himself, here or there- Maybe to the same extent as Ed and Em, maybe not. Either way, I can see Emira and Edric trying to leave Gus alone, for fear that they’ll just mess him up like they did Amity… And either Gus respectfully gives the two time to figure themselves out, and/or he once again reassures them! And Emira and Edric are baffled at how precocious this kid is, but are also impressed, while recognizing that Gus is still a kid by the end of the day and needs emotional support, just as much as anyone else, just as much as Mittens…!

           And, I can see this leading to Emira and Edric better understanding Amity, and treating her with more love and respect; Especially now that they know that her situation is certifiably worse than Gus’. Obviously I can’t compare insecurities and act like Gus’ are lesser than Amity’s, his feelings are still valid… But let’s be real, Odalia and Alador are objectively worse than Perry! Either way, Gus DOES pass on a lot of wisdom to the twins, and ends up improving the Blight siblings’ relationship without even meaning to! Way to go, kid.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I thought about every episode of The Owl House Season 1 (Part 1/2)

Salutations random people on the internet who probably won't read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

Hey, do you miss Gravity Falls?

...

Yeah, I know, dumb question. Which is why I have good news! Not only is there a new series that is just as good as Gravity Falls, but in some ways, it's even better. That new series would be none other than Disney Channel's latest hit: The Owl House.

The Owl House, slowly but surely, became my new obsession since Eda reacted to decapitation with an unconcerned, "I hate when that happens." I wrote fan-fiction, made fan-art, and even began to separately review new episodes. Unfortunately, I got in a little late in the reviewing game and only managed to analyze the last four episodes of season one. And like an idiot, I promised that I'll review the rest when they came out on Disney+. Seeing that all of the first season has finally come on a legal streaming service (which means WATCH IT RIGHT NOW!), it's time I finally saw through to that promise. However, I'm not going to over-analyze each episode because that would be insane. So instead, we're going to lightning round these suckers. Because it's my Tumblr, and I get to decide what I review and how the hell I review it...hooah.

Which means this is your last chance to avoid spoilers if you haven't seen The Owl House yet. Seriously, it's a great show, and you can catch up right now on Disney+. A week-long trial is more than enough time to watch the series, so DO IT! With that out of the way, let's get started with:

“A Lying Witch and a Warden”: This episode gets a lot of flack for having poor pacing and being too preachy with its message. And to that, I say...you're not wrong. Yeah, I wish I could be that person who can defend this episode against criticism like that, but these are understandable problems that just left this icky feeling in my tum-tum when watching. But that's only when looking at it as a regular old episode when in reality, people need to see it as a first episode. The first episode in any show needs to get viewers interested enough to continue watching by answering these five essential questions: What's the plot of the show? What's the tone? Who are the main characters? What's the world they live in? And what are the rules of the same world? "A Lying Witch and a Warden" does a great job of answering all of these questions. And if you stuck around until the season finale, then that means it did a great job of keeping you interested in sticking around as well. So seeing how it got its job done, albeit, with mixed results, I give this episode a B-.

“Witches Before Wizards”: Don't mind me. Just reveling in the fact that Luz escaped to a fantasy world to avoid Reality Check Camp, only to get a reality check anyway. Because that's what this episode is in a nutshell. Through the "quest" that Luz goes on, she learns two important lessons: One, don't trust strangers who offer you something nice and shiny (bonus points for Eda warning Luz to avoid men with sandals and then have Ategast wear sandals). And two, there is no such thing as having a predetermined destiny. I love the idea that Luz coming to the Isles was just a twist of fate, and everything that happens afterward is pure dumb luck. And that moment when Eda gave a speech about making your own path instead of waiting to become something special? That was the moment when I went from thinking this was going to be a fun show to thinking it's going to be a great show. So consider this episode a solid A in my book.

“I Was a Teenage Abomination”: How is it possible for an episode to get better and worse with time? Because here's the thing: This episode does a great job of showing how perfect Amity's development is. After one single season, it already feels jarring, seeing the way she acts in certain scenes. However, in that same respect, it's the same reason why this episode got worse. I didn't mind that Willow practically got away with cheating and vandalizing the school with her magic because she and Luz were basically trying to show up a two-dimensional bully. But knowing what we know in the future, it does seem unfair that Amity gets punished for their bad behavior and Willow got little consequences for it. Sure, Luz got banned and had to work at gaining Amity's trust, but what about Willow? Although, despite this complaint, I don't really hate this episode. It builds a believable connection between Luz and her friends, and the B-plot King and Eda show off their budding friendship. So while this episode is a C-, it's a somewhat enjoyable C-.

“The Intruder”: Is it weird for anyone else that King gets most of the blame in this episode? Yes, he took the potion, but Luz was the one who kept pushing him. This is why it never sat right with me seeing how everyone, including himself, blames King for this episode's incident. That being said, "The Intruder" is fantastic. Eda, as the Owl Beast, is legitimately threatening, and the way the episode treats Eda's curse like a chronic illness is actually kind of sweet. It teaches kids how this is something that just happens to people, and they're not any weaker because of it, as long as they take the right steps. Which is cool, and it's why this is another solid A episode for me. Sure King getting the blame bothers me, but it pales in comparison to everything else “The Intruder” does right.

“Covention”: If you want my personal opinion (obviously, seeing how you're reading this), "Covention" is the perfect episode to show a friend to get them into watching the The Owl House. Everything there is to love about the show is seen in just these twenty-two minutes. Eda being a chaotic good, Luz being a sweet and understanding character, some incredible/natural world-building, an actually decent B-plot, an epic fight scene, great comedy, and, my personal favorite, the building of Luz and Amity's relationship. In fact, this episode has the most quintessential moment between these two, that Dana Terrace herself took charge of making the animatic for it. A scene that is so perfect that you can do an analysis of these few minutes alone...which is what I did. Click here to read it! "Covention" gets an A+ in my book and might possibly be the best episode of the season. Maybe even the series!

“Hooty’s Moving Hassle”: There's not really a lot I can say about this episode. I don't hate it, but I'm not exactly in love with it. The interactions between Luz and her friends are adorable, and there are a few good jokes that kept me laughing. But the story is kind of bland, and I just find Eda's sudden obsession with Hexes Hold'em kind of odd. Especially since a card game is what nearly defeated the "undefeatable" Owl Lady. If it wasn't for the nice reveal of Willow's and Amity's friendship (which comes into play in a far better episode), I'd say that you could skip this one on future rewatches. Because this is a C grade episode that just doesn't grab me as well as others.

“Lost in Language”: Ah, yes. The episode that made dozens of fans jump aboard the Lumity ship...unless you're like me, and you've been shipping these two since the show's theme song (And I don't know why, either. It's just the second I saw Amity my first thought was, "Oh, honey. You're gonna fall in love with the main character, aren't you?" AND I WAS F**KING RIGHT!). But jokes about shipping aside, "Lost in Language" is a fantastic episode. It has a great lesson about how people are more complex than their first impressions (Or to not judge a book by its cover, if you wanna stay on theme). Edric and Emira seem like a chaotic duo who cause mischief all for good fun. But Luz, as well as the audience, learns that Ed and Em are kinda the worst (they get better in future episodes, but still). Then there's Amity, who hasn't had the best first impressions in the last few episodes. We got glimpses of a good person here and there, but for the most part, that's all they were. Glimpses. Then there's this episode, which gives us more than a small look, but some actual insight into who Amity really is. Better yet, who she wants to be. It's something that I appreciate about The Owl House in that it wastes no time in developing Amity's character. So much so that I can forgive this episode for shoehorning a "Two idiots and a baby" plotline that does nothing but add maybe two minutes of padding. So yeah, it's an A+ for sure.

“Once Upon a Swap”: "Ugh! It's the body swap episode! How cliche and-" SHUT UP! Shut your mouth, and listen: Something being cliche does not always make it bad. Only when the cliche fails to tell an entertaining story does it have the right to work as a complaint. "Once Upon a Swap" may have a cliche premise, but it's still an enjoyable story (or stories) with great laughs and even some ok lessons. I can understand if you hate the episode because its premise is something you've seen a dozen times to the point where your sick of it. My most hated story idea is the "Character A saves Character B, and Character B becomes a life slave." If you have seen this story once, you've seen it a thousand times, and it's the same case with a "body swap" episode. But guess what: The Owl House is a kids' show. Kids'. Show. You can complain all you want about predictability, but kids are the type of viewers who will be new to this experience, despite if it's one that is done to death. Which is why this is solid B of an episode if you ask me.

“Something Ventured, Someone Framed”: Can people please stop shipping Gus with Mattholomule? Because that slimy, greasy, weaselly little son of A BASTARD BITCH WEASEL DOES NOT DESERVE LOVE IN WAY POSSIBLE!

...

But enough about how Mattholomule is the worst character ever, because "Something Ventured, Someone Framed" is a B+ in my opinion. Sure it shows the worst side of Gus and lets Satan's little herpe win in the end, but there is still quality to be had. We get insight into who Gus is as a character, on top of Eda swallowing her pride and cleaning the school so Luz can get into Hexide. Also, Eda's permanent record was the first time this show brought me to tears due to laughing so hard. So while I have to take points off for the inclusion of Mattholomule (I don't make the rules. I just live by them), this is still an episode I wouldn't mind revisiting.

“Escape of the Palisman”: I subscribe to this theory that Luz will one day have Eda's staff as her own. And episodes like this that strengthen the bond between Luz and Owlbert help confirm that theory. Luz's dedication to trying to make things right could just be part of her kind nature, but I like to believe that this is Dana and the crew trying to set up this possible outcome. As for what I think about the episode itself...it's ok. Again, Luz's dedication is nice to see, and King's adventure with Owl Beast Eda is somehow insanely adorable, but there's not really much to say other than that. So it's another B episode for me.

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And that’s the end of part one! Part two has probably already been posted by the time you finish this, so you can go ahead and find that if you’re interested.