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Any Sport in a Storm
The cast of this show has a lot going on with character backgrounds, so any two characters can make for interesting dynamics. In this episode’s case, the dynamic it covers is very surprising, featuring two characters who seem different, but grow to realize that they have a lot in common. As a result, their backgrounds are given welcome acknowledgement, and they start to change for the better. It all unfolds in a story that highlights just how meaningful little leisurely pleasures in life can be.
On one side of the dynamic is Willow in her long overdue starring role for this season. Moreover, after mostly serving as a generally nice and supportive friend, this episode explores the relatable life challenges that have defined her character arc. She’s setting out to start her own sports team at school with very endearing motivations behind her goal. She’s spent such a long time believing she wasn’t good enough and feeling insecure about her magic potential. However, events of the series have shown her to become noticeably more confident and active, really improving her social life in the process. Along with a bit of an adrenaline kick from playing grudgby back in Season 1, Willow is set up to do something this big. It’s a very promising sport too called Flyer Derby where witches use their flying staffs to perform great areal tricks while capturing the other teams’ flags. Since Willow has been practicing the sport at home and that she and most of her class have recently gotten their staffs and palismen, everything checks out.
For the other part of the dynamic, over in the Emperor’s Coven is the Golden Guard himself, Hunter. Despite possibilities for him to move on to a better life for himself, including getting a palisman of his own, his past two roles show that ultimately, he was too stuck in his old ways. Still, like Willow, he has a stigma in believing that he isn’t good enough and has to work hard to prove his worth. It’s brought to light here when he gets words from Belos that he’s put in charge of leading the coven heads today. However, before he even has a chance to try that, they all reschedule their meeting and bail for a basically self-imposed day off. If that’s not enough, Hunter is brutally put down by Darius, the abomination coven head, who brings the impression that he’s not fit to be the emperor’s right hand man. Confiscating his robe with a just recently sewn-on Golden Guard sigil only enhances this feeling, and makes Hunter’s desire to overcome any doubts much more intense. While Darius’ attitude towards Hunter may seem condescending and harsh, it interestingly plays a role in the discovery of what Hunter really needs to do with his life revealed later on. For now, Hunter’s approach in making a name for himself and crushing all doubts involves searching for the best possible witches to recruit for the Emperor’s Coven.
At Hexside, both paths cross with Willow forming her Flyer Derby team, and Hunter, disguised as a student, going around asking other kids to join the Emperor’s Coven. They’re facing challenges that exacerbate their self-doubts. Willow is threatened to lose something that means a lot to her since forming a full team is difficult with only Gus available. Regarding Hunter learning that most of the students don’t want his offer, it’s an especially interesting circumstance. There's a pretty significant contrast to how easily impressed people were with the Emperor’s Coven in the past. It’s one of many instances of this episode where the cracks in the entire coven system are apparent. Anyway, their matters come together when Willow sees Hunter flying on his staff to escape a creature from the beastkeeping class, resulting in impressive flight skills. She’s quick to ask Hunter to join her Flyer Derby team, and while he refuses, he does agree to help her find new recruits for the team.
Unbeknownst to Willow, he’s only interested in getting the absolute best flyers so he can name them as the best witches for the Emperor’s Coven. The teammates they end up recruiting, however, don’t seem too desirable or productive for the task at hand, leaving Hunter in frustration. It’s here where the episode’s main dynamic really lets itself be known. Willow admonishes Hunter for judging the teammates so harshly after only just meeting them and that they should all be given a fair chance. Hunter explains that where he comes from, second chances are scarce, especially for those considered half-a-witch like him. This right here is the biggest connection with Willow who’s also dealt with being called half-a-witch, no doubt enhanced by her former friend under the influence of her cruel parents (technically her mother). In relating to feeling weak though, Willow demonstrates the faith and confidence she’s developed to really conquer what used to hold her back.
Regarding the actual Flyer Derby team, they may not seem too impressive, but that’s how they ultimately fit the theme of overcoming doubts and shortcomings. While his work for a staff may not have suggested it at first, Gus’ flying skills are very unique, impressive, and productive. Then there are the other two recruits Willow gets for her team who are very unique choices who even get welcome development. Viney, one of the former students of the detention track, is given a new extracurricular outlet where she can also put her healing magic to use. There’s also Skara, who for the longest time was basically nothing more than a background character with her most standout element being her cute design. Here, her typical teenage habits of looking at her phone are helpful in calculating the right Flyer Derby moves.
All of these moves are given a proper demonstration during the actual Flyer Derby match. It’s very exciting to watch and full on a kinetic fast-paced energy needed for something like a sport. Not to mention, it’s an inspiring moment for Willow and the entire team who easily prove their worth despite all doubts others may have for them. This is especially apparent when they win the match and establish themselves as an official team with their own name, the Emerald Entrails.
In a simpler story, Willow forming her team and proving her worth would be the conclusion. However, with this episode being more about the theme of self-worth, it smartly doesn’t stop there as it also gives acknowledgement to Hunter’s goals for the episode. After the Emerald Entrails win the Flyer Derby match and accept Hunter as their friend, he proudly declares they’re fit for the Emperor’s Coven, and reveals his true identity. Willow and the others are shocked at this offer, especially with the reveal that it means being taken away from their homes and families. This is yet another interesting instance of people catching onto the cracks of the entire coven system. It even makes itself clear how harsh its recruitment practice is when the Emerald Entrails are imprisoned while waiting to be brought there. During this imprisonment, Willow is once again put down by her own self-doubts since she trusted someone she allegedly shouldn’t have. This is telling for her character, but since this is the only prominent instance of her self-doubt in the episode, the emotional weight honestly isn’t as strong as it could be. The feel is only enhanced by the episode’s real resolution coming into play just after the team is picked up by Darius coming to allegedly bring them to the Emperor’s Coven.
It’s at this point where Hunter really gets to shine as a character as he reflects on what comes with being recruited into the Emperor’s Coven. There’s talk of grueling tasks as part of basic training, which unlike the business of being separated from family does start to get to Hunter. However, the biggest drawback that gets to him is the fact that Belos will take their palismen and consume their energy. It makes sense that this would get to Hunter not just because of the thrill of a sport palismen are a big part of, but because he himself has a personal connection to one.
As a way of showing genuine devotion to his own palisman, Hunter sets out to save those of the Emerald Entrails from meeting that fate as well as the Entrails themselves. He goes after Darius’ airship, starting an impromptu rescue, and when Willow notices this, she gets the confidence to quickly go along with it. After they escape the airship, Darius is about to attack them again, but Hunter is quick to defend them and defy Darius’ authority. In other words, after spending the episode desperate to prove he’s worthy to be the Golden Guard, Hunter is casting those motives aside for his new friends.
At this point, there are results set up to turn Hunter’s life around for the better. Willow, despite seeing Hunter for who he is and leaving him to his old position, decides that she did make a good judgement after all, letting it be known she considers him a friend. Even Darius is positively moved by Hunter’s actions where instead of being bitter over the boy’s rebellion, he actually praises it. He says that it’s about time Hunter started making friends his own age and helps him along with that by having set up his own social media account. This episode has had a lot of hints of people starting to catch onto the faults in the coven system, and one of the coven heads pointing out its faults is pretty huge. It leaves the audience pondering hard about what could possibly become of it going forward, especially with Hunter legitimately growing as a character as a result.
While all of this goes on, there’s also a subplot to explain what keeps Luz and Amity from helping Willow form her Flyer Derby team. For the most part, while it seems disconnected from the rest of the episode, their role does stand out with its own interesting developments to several areas of the series. As the plot truly unfolds at a school club fair, it’s a good place to see something done with an activity set up for them way back in Season 1, an Azura book club. This is very meaningful considering how their shared fondness for the Good Witch Azura book series was essentially the catalyst for their growing relationship. This really rings true for this episode when looking at Amity. Rather than concealing her interest in the simple fantasy novels like she used to, having obtained a strong connection with Luz, she’s fully open with what she likes. In fact, the episode implies that the both of them may be the only ones into that very series which in turn makes their entire subplot and its discoveries very personal.
During the club fair, Luz and Amity hear of a book signing from the author of the Azura books herself. As they discuss the affair, one of the most interesting mysteries of the series is brought to attention; that being how these books can exist in both the human realm and the demon realm. Well, it turns out that both Luz and Amity got their books from shops in their respective realms, leading them both to believe that the author is native to where they come from. The mystery thickens when they look at the author picture on the back of their books. With her seeming to have both a round ear and a pointed ear, an impression is made that she has the ability to travel between realms and live the best of both. This has a lot more weight to this with Luz currently wishing that she herself could live within both the human realm and the demon realm. So, she and Amity set out to meet the author and potentially learn more about her. Along the way, they both brainstorm all sorts of theories of how she can exist in both realms. Most theories they come up with sound a bit ridiculous, yet they seem to have a legit basis at the same time. All the same, it’s very relatable to fans of most animated series these days, mainly serialized ones. The amount of videos and social media posts covering theories of certain animated series is practically innumerable. Besides audience relatability, this is all very demonstrative of the feel to Luz and Amity’s truly healthy dynamic. They’re both with someone who shares their true interest, and as they converse over potential reveals about the author, their connections and mutual happiness is just that endearing.
As to actually finding the author, it unsurprisingly comes with a lot off challenges. When they get to the book signing, they find out that it’s been cancelled. Shortly after that, they see a figure who bears a strong resemblance to the author and chase them down, all while continuing to come up with many creative theories about her.
They eventually catch the author, but she turns out to be a fraud, and if that’s not enough, just about every question about the Azura books gets a swift and blunt explanation. They were part of a scam crafted by the frequently seen petty demon con artist Tibbles. In accordance with a background detail from a previous episode, he found a box with the Azura books in the water and had the author photo edited to resemble a witch. Then, he sold the books to the local book store hoping to make some good money off of them, except Amity was the only one who showed interest. The basic meaning behind all this is that the author of Azura was wholly human after all with no secrets to living in two realms at once to her at all. It’s one of the harsher reminders to Luz that fantasy and reality are not the same thing, and worse, it leaves her without the hope she needs to get around her dilemma.
Still, there is somewhat of a silver lining to take from this. Luz has some faith in finding a long-awaited solution, her own pride and self-worth in being fully human like the author, and Amity to continuously bond over Azura with. In fact, all the theories they came up with, despite none of them being true, inspire them to make their Azura book club a writing club which also relates to a big interest of Luz’s. Through relatable atmosphere, breakthroughs both creative and honest to reality, and pleasing character dynamics, there’s a lot to admire in this subplot.
While several other episodes stand out much more than this one, what’s presented is still very endearing and inspiring. The challenges they go through, the ways they develop, and what they learn saying a lot about themselves and their interests are relatable and well-executed. It's clear that this show knows what it’s doing through allowing even the simplest things in life to leave many significant impacts.
A
Fan Art
Series Ranking
1.
Knock,
Knock, Knockin’ on Hooty’s Door
2.
Enchanting Grom Fright
3.
Eda’s Requiem
4.
Follies
at the Coven Day Parade
5.
Yesterday’s Lie
6.
Agony of a Witch
7.
Elsewhere
and Elsewhen
8. Hunting Palismen
9.
Echoes
of the Past
10.
Escaping
Expulsion
11.
Understanding Willow
12.
Lost in Language
13.
Adventures in the Elements
14.
The Intruder
15.
Covention
16. Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances
17.
Eclipse Lake
18.
Through
the Looking Glass Ruins
19.
Young Blood Old Souls
20. Any Sport in a Storm
21.
Separate Tides
22.
Escape of the Palisman
23.
Wing it Like Witches
24.
The First Day
25.
I Was a Teenage Abomination
26.
Witches Before Wizards
27.
Something Ventured, Someone Framed
28.
A Lying Witch and a Warden
29.
Sense and Insensitivity
30.
Hooty’s Moving Hassle
31.
Really Small Problems
32. Once Upon a Swap
The next Owl House review is big on emotions as Luz helps Amity connect with her dad during a big brawl while also dealing with her own grieving thoughts haunting her mind.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews from Amphibia is "Ivy on the Run" and "After the Rain."
If you would like to check out other Owl House reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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