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al-n-cartoons · 2 years

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Let's talk about season three of The Owl House, shall we?

Hi, I’m Wakerrife, and I have thoughts about season three of The Owl House. Here I shall discuss how episode three could have been so much better.

There are a lot of issues with the writing this season, and I mean that in a very particular way: the serious events is good, but the focus on characters (thus the emotions) rather sucks. It’s clear that, given the shortened run time, the show has increasingly been cramping its story tighter and tighter so as to cover as much as it can and that’s a problem. The character beats ring hollow.

For the Future just bounces from different plots for different characters the entire time, each person being some degree of miserable, the tone is saturated (more on that later). With the time restrictions in mind, the show’s priorities should have been re-evaluated and subsequently dealt with.

Take Hunter for example. What happens to him at the end of Thanks to Them is atrocious and it’s barely story relevant. He certainly acts the part for what’s happened to him (being restless, irritable, and teary) but it’s peripheral at best. Honestly, I would have preferred Thanks to Them be the last episode he plays a pivotal role in because (1) you do not kill someone’s closest loved one and then have that not be central focus and (2) in spite being many people’s favourite character (myself included), he was introduced to the show far later than the others, thus his story should be allowed to wrap up before the show ends so as to allow focus to be given to the characters built into the show (Luz, Willow, Gus, King, and Eda).

There are inklings in For the Future of an amazing story idea for Hunter where him having Flapjack’s magic is a show that one’s loved ones will always be with them, but because it’s barely a part of the story we get, it should have been cut.

Keep the fight scene in Thanks to Them, keep Hunter being paranoid and lashing out, keep the possession, keep Belos going after Flapjack– all of that could work and was great to see), but have Flapjack be injured or have Hunter fight off Belos the moment Flapjack gets put in harm's way.

Actually, heck, move the fight scene to be earlier in the episode, maybe about midway through. Why would we do that, you might ask? Simple, make the fight and Flapjack getting hurt not be the climax but the catalyst. What’s the point of this episode? It’s titled “Thanks to Them”. Really think of it for a second: Thanks. To. Them. Willow has things to be thankful for regarding the Boiling Isles, as do Gus, Luz, and Amity. Hunter has only pain, isolation, scorn, and fear to associate with the Isles (save for maybe near the very end when Willow and Gus adopt this sassy stray). The human world thus far has been a place of peace for him, take the scene in which Hunter talks about sewing and wolves. Take Gus’ response of being disheartened to what he has lost (his father and home). There is a split in priorities, use it.

In the human realm, Hunter seems to have settled into a far more domestic role. He enjoys passive activities (sewing) that keep him productive and allow for him to relax. Make then the threat of combat horrifying; a source of anxiety and a trigger for his trauma. He just escaped that life, would he really want to go back to it? Would his friends really want him to? Luz says that she needs to keep Hunter safe in that one (amazing and sweet) scene, could that not build into the idea that the best thing for Hunter is to remain in the human realm if that is what he so chooses? He’d act like he wants to go back and help them all return to their families, and they’d certainly want him to come along, but could he go?

This is why the events with Belos should remain. Hunter has found a respite in the human realm, Belos threatens that, and panic begins to claw its way through once things have settled. If Flapjack is hurt, Hunter takes to attending him. Let’s say that Belos escaped and that they’re all still looking for the last bit that allows them to return to the isles. Hunter begins to creep out of the story’s focus, his plot giving way to that of the other characters who are still looking for the door. Have Hunter be with Vee, who might know how to treat wounds caused by having magic drained from you given what she is and her history.

Contrasts are very important for any medium. As aforesaid, the tone is saturated; muddled. This is why Hunter’s story should be sidelined in the second half of the episode; the audience needs a chance to breathe. Luz should not have been written to mope given that she is who carries the show’s tone. Have Amity or Gus be the moping one, or have all of the friends (homesick and missing their families) be the ones struggling emotionally. Luz has mounted her father’s death, managed her neurodiversity, and always responded to trauma proactively. Keep her missing Eda and King but have her be more… optimistic? Reminiscing? Have her still be making drawings of them and of glyphs, but make sure that her energy is always positive (angry at Belos and/or the Collector rather than sad and resentful of her actions).

If the moping and sadness is omnipresent or near constant, it loses weight. That is why a whimsical or cozy tone makes the emotional beats that much better; the contrast. Seeing a very sad person cry is a continuation of previous behavior; having a peppy or outgoing person cry is an escalation.

So Luz, Gus, Amity, and Willow are all running around on the search, the tone gradually getting more and more jovial as this lead turning into a genuine hope; they are going home. They can rejoin their families. Of course, Luz still has school and it might take a while to get there, so the search goes on over the course of a few days. Include some scenes of Hunter, Vee, and Flapjack together (with Flapjack recovering)-- maybe have a scene in which they all run around town exploring (that one zoo scene). Make it clear that Hunter loves this new home and that the others are making the best of it, everyone besides Hunter running off for the search once Luz gets off from school.

Then they find the portal. How, you might ask? Well, probably from spotting Belos who has also been on the hunt. Maybe have someone message Camila, Hunter, and Vee (those who had not been on the hunt) telling them to come fast (just before anyone spots Belos). Have this be after the possession attack, have it be that everyone else arrives just as Luz and co. chase down Belos. Have Hunter just manage to see Belos and panic. Camila and Vee try to get him out of his panic attack, meanwhile Willow, Gus, Luz, and Amity are on the move, attacking. Belos manages to open the portal and leaves, whomever has the most to reclaim bounds after the portal (probably Willow), and is stopped by someone else (maybe Gus), made to realize that Hunter is on the ground… He can’t slow down his breathing and Camila has gotten him to put his head between his knees. Hunter, unable to control himself, admits to them all that he can’t go back and that Flapjack might get hurt again. This is the climax, this is when the title “Thanks to Them” best applies. Thanks to his previous life, Hunter is scarred. He wants to be there for his friends, but– Willow assures him that they’ll be fine and that they all love him, they all get a moment, and Hunter and Vee stay behind in the human world. Boom, a careful use of one’s time and resources that tells a good story (and still gets the plot to where the writers want it; with Luz and co. going through the portal).

Okay, great, but I did pretense this with my discussion being about the newest episode. How does any of this affect it? Well, it makes the message more positive, acts as a conclusive story to one of the characters so that more time and focus can be spent more economically, and would allow for the main, main, main characters to play out their stories.

Let’s keep For the Future about Luz and Willow, and let’s keep both of their plotlines/themes: Willow’s trying to be brave and supportive (and is slowly drowning in her own anguish), Luz is stressing about her palismen and the decision to never return to the Boiling Isles once they’re done. Good? Good. Camila, Gus, and Amity (love me some cute romance and sapphic adorableness) are all on point, so keep them as they are. Let’s go.

Remember, we want to keep the tone fairly whimsical or else the heavier moments ring hollow. They’re good scenes to watch clips of, but not great when put into a story, at least not nearly as good as it can be and that’s my problem.

How do we keep the theme but maintain a good tone? Well, first off, either make Luz’s plan on never returning either a niggling voice in the back of her head (not a literal voice, but make it clear that she’s considering it) or make the decision one that creeps in as the Collector’s effects on the land and people become more apparent. The Collector is playing a game as the role of Luz (sort of), use that as a sort of guilt. “King wouldn’t have sacrificed himself if he hadn’t needed to protect me”, that sort of thing.

As for Willow’s story, it's mostly fine as is. Since Hunter is no longer around (I’m too maternal for this, hiss) the role of snapping Willow out of her distress goes to someone else. An important line to keep in the story is the bit where Willow is told to never call herself “half a witch” again, but Gus is used to her self-deprecating and used to her calling herself that, so he’s out. He’s still being comforted by Willow and follows after her when she goes to repress her emotions, but the line goes to someone else (Put a pin in that). Instead, have Gus say or do something that conveys the message “you’ve always been my shoulder to lean on, but you need shoulders, too”. Obviously Gus-afy it, but that’s besides the point.

Let’s have these two plotlines merge, shall we? Luz isn’t as used to Willow calling herself “half a witch” and would be much more unlikely to be okay with it. Let’s have Luz reiterate what Camila tells her about mistakes being a part of life (thus Luz accidentally tricking herself into internalizing the message) and have Gus join in (with the shoulders thing). Have Gus and Luz be cheering Willow on as she goes off, venting and crying about everything she’s lost (like she does in the show) (I think Amity is off doing the side plot still?).

Prior to this, with Luz, Luz has been mulling over what Amity tells her regarding how she managed to bond with Ghost via discovering what drives her. Luz concludes that (1) she needs a staff so as to better help make things better (as carrying around and tending to an egg is more of a liability) and (2) if she wants this egg to hatch, she needs to figure out what drives her. Luz goes on to repeatedly verbalize the different things she thinks drives her (diegetically allowing for the thought of her own guilt and the possibility of staying in the human realm to slip out). It would help with the tone, too, per how naturally silly it is for someone to run around in the apocalypse shouting affirmations at everyone. I’m just imagining Luz shouting that she wants to reunite with Eda and King, to which those littler kids to shout back the bit where tey long to feed on the blood of their enemies.

Willow having her vent (and maybe Gus and Luz joining in, talking about what all they miss and wish they had) could be how Luz comes to say the whole “I wish to be understood and accepted” thing. Maybe precede it with Willow wishing that Hunter had come with them and Gus wishing that Hunter had told them about being a grimwalker. Use their acceptance of Hunter as he is and of his decisions bleed into acceptance of Luz (being not a witch) and her decisions/actions. They might not have said that acceptance because why would they think there to be a need? They’ve always accepted Luz; their unconditional acceptance of Hunter is simply a catalyst for Luz to internalize their acceptance of her. Also, Willow and Gus love her, sure, but wasn’t Willow technically keeping them out by refusing to be vulnerable with them? Wouldn’t them all having this talk be a new level of acceptance?

Also, tone down the reveal for String Bean. the slowly cracking, massive glowing thing didn’t really do it for me, probably because Luz’s self discovery was practically breeze through in this episode? There was technically set up for it, but also it kind of just… happened? It felt less like a character beat and more like “Achievement Reached” popping up on a screen. Showing us the cracking and glowing kind of distracts from the message and emotional impact. Have the sound of cracking included, but make it unintrusive. Let there be a comfortable lull in the friend’s venting and screaming (Luz’s admission of wanting to be accepted and realizing that she is being a more subdued, more heartwarming. In the quiet, the light shifts and the reveal of String Bean comes to compliment the scene rather than supersede it. The group cheers, Luz cries, they all hug, and the tone begins to shift into something near comedic as String Bean runs about shapeshifting and being precious. The group wipes their tears, grins at each other, and returns to the fight. Let them be epic and ready for what is to come, as they are in the scene.

Side note: Is the stuff with the Collector really… necessary? Might be better to focus on King and have his scenes be about him when the Collector isn’t around. I do think we should keep the reading scene…. Hm….. Less Collector lets Eda actually play a role and could have them actually do something (like planning what to do, trying to test the potion for Eda, or try to figure out how to free the doll people. Just saying.

This got loooong. I need you to know that I paused at one point to go eat ice cream, and I want you to try and find the point at which I ventured off. Happy hunting [Runs away].

#the owl house #toh #toh spoilers #Thanks to Them #For the Future #Toh Willow #Toh Luz #Toh Bus #toh Vee #toh Camila #Wakerrife Rambles #the scenes are fun to watch out of context #Also- none of my underlined italicized and boldened text came through and I don’t feel like redoing it.#long post

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