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Them’s the Breaks, Kid
Considering that the characters of this show are put through dangerous and emotional challenges of life very often, it’s rewarding for them to get more pleasant starring roles. As a way of giving the cast as well as the audience a break from drama, this episode fits such a pleasant criteria. Through looking into the past of one of the central characters, it brings interesting background to one of the most standout relationships of the series.
There’s a more simplistic tone to this episode to sell the positive feel made noticeable by how it all unfolds. Eda notices Luz hard at work trying to learn more glyph combos and that she really misses her mom, suggesting her becoming more open with her problems after last episode. To cheer her up, Eda tells Luz a story from her past, the day she met her love interest, Raine Whispers, and this is where the bulk of the episode unfolds. It’s a journey to the past that gives Eda’s younger days the most focus they’ve ever gotten after short references and flashbacks in past episodes. Now the show has come to an episode that’s a full-on flashback, immersing itself in what life was like for the character long ago. To set itself up, there’s a focus on established elements of Eda’s past. In addition to cameos of younger versions of well-known adult figures, Eda’s background is established with a look at her relationship with her sister Lilith. They were said to be very close when they were younger, and what’s seen here confirms it. They’re shown to have different perceptions though with Lilith very studious and Eda being very outgoing with mischief and leisurely fun like grudgby. Above all, they frequently talk of a now outdated shared dream of joining the Emperor’s Coven, though in Eda’s case, it feels like it was more of a way to keep up connections. For that, where the story goes does raise a few stakes for her.
Hexside, which Eda had attended in her younger days, is revealed to have had a significant difference in its management. At this time, it was run by a different principal named Faust while Bump held the position as vice principal. Faust is shown to be a practical tyrant, giving out harsh punishments, especially expulsions, for even the most minor offences. All the while, Bump would point out how these punishments are too extreme, which would ultimately leave the school without a lot of graduating students. That’s not even mentioning frequently stated beliefs that no student is beyond redemption. It’s kind of no wonder that Bump is so caring of his students now and adds strong emotion to a more recent expulsion he was ordered to enforce. Anyway, since Eda’s recklessness at school has been referenced a lot throughout the show, it’s not surprising that it caught up with her at this point. One act of delinquency too many caught the attention of Faust, and it proved to be more serious than average. This act basically left Eda doomed to be expelled, but she did have one shot at getting out of it. The school system of the Boiling Isles has a seminar for gifted students every year. Eda would have to bring back a blue ribbon for Hexside from there to lift all her charges, and more importantly, secure her future with a good connection. However, she would get an even better connection from this seminar, little did she know.
Because of her boisterous ways and love of destruction, it’s not surprising that the seminar and all its challenges based on certain disciplines proved difficult for Eda. This only added to her bad situation, but it was also the perfect time for her to get some reassurance.
While sitting alone, she happened to come across another student from a different school, the non-binary figure themselves, Raine Whispers. They were here for the basic purpose of getting a scholarship to an even higher education, and even had experience with earning blue ribbons in previous years. Despite being set up to think highly of education, Raine was a more adventurous free spirit at heart, a contrast to their more restrained and less confident persona nowadays. It was a perfect blend of practicality and liberation for Eda, so much so that they both bonded and got along very well from the very moment they met. Furthering this promising chemistry, Eda and Raine would stick together for the rest of the seminar, and their talents put together would get them through the challenges. Again, it’s impressive to see how well they got along after just meeting and how quick they invest the audience in their potential as a couple. It’s like an ideal portrayal of young love, though knowing what would become of them in later years makes them more realistic.
Interestingly enough, Eda and Raine’s compatibility would soon bring challenges of its own to the seminar. With its moderator being plant coven head Terra Snapdragon, she had intended for them to be grueling enough to really break the students participating. Then again, she’s clearly demented, so that makes perfect sense. Now, because Eda and Raine have made the challenges seem very easy, mainly from Eda’s more mischievous approaches to them, Terra had the last challenge be especially dangerous. Students would be broken into groups of witches in covens and wild witches and fight to earn their blue ribbons instead of everyone getting one.
If that wasn’t enough, Eda and Raine were on opposite sides. They’d have to use their magical abilities to protect themselves and beat everyone. Of course this would be very difficult for two witches who just met and seriously bonded, but as was true with many connections in this show, the genuineness of this one won out. When Eda and Raine were the only ones left, they astounded the masses by at first appearing to attack each other, but then start working together to beat Terra. Bold as this was, it would mean that no one would get blue ribbons after all spelling Eda’s expulsion. Then, in an admittedly convenient fix, Terra would agree to put in a good word for Raine and especially Eda seeing that both their magical abilities had great potential. Considering how they would later handle Raine, there’s no doubt an ulterior motive here as opposed to a genuine compliment.
For the sake of the flashback though, it’s nice that it ends with Raine deciding to transfer themselves to Hexside. This in turn would guarantee them and Eda being practically inseparable for the rest of their time at the school, especially since Lilith was now deep into Emperor’s Coven studies. Even if all this happened a long time ago, with how much Eda has to endure in the present, any look back at a happier time for her is welcome and adds somewhat to her background.
This flashback is a welcome way to answer questions on how the relationship of Eda and Raine began. However, knowing that they were very close from the day they met makes it somewhat somber that they’re estranged and distant from each other now. At the same time, the episode ends with compelling depth and complexity to that truth. Raine is still shown to be under the watchful eye of Terra who continues to bring them tea. This in turn requires the audience to look back at the seemingly little details of the flashback. During that story, Raine performed a special bard spell to improve the taste of any drink by blowing on it with a whistle. In the present, when they’re given Terra’s tea intended to keep them brainwashed, they perform the same spell to nullify its effects. In other words, Raine was never brainwashed at all and was faking it to make Terra merely think they were on the emperor’s side. This also means they were faking all the attacks and the claims of believing they haven’t seen Eda in years despite how genuine they feel.
There’s also one more big reveal where they’re working with other coven heads to get information on the Day of Unity. It apparently involves draining the magic of all witches in covens during a solar eclipse which could no doubt bring a lot of harm to them. There’s a suggestion that somehow Eda can help stop it, but Raine refuses to put her in danger again. As noble as it is that they’re still fighting hard for the good of all witches and want to protect Eda, there is a bit of a drawback to their actions. Keep in mind that Raine broke up with Eda because she kept leaving them out of worrisome matters and wouldn’t let them help her. Now, Raine is doing the same thing where they’re leaving Eda out of important information that could harm all of the Boiling Isles for her protection. Through doing so, they’re putting Eda in a world of worry for their safety considering how it really did feel like they were acting against their will. This sets up many questions on how Eda will react when she finds out the truth that last until they eventually do reunite. Either way, this along with their clear chemistry right at the day they met do present Eda and Raine as a very interesting couple. They started out healthy, but then ran into major complications over time, and while they mean well, they lack what’s necessary to overcome them, at least until recently. Since they clearly still love each other, there’s enough hope that they can work out after all, and that’s enough to invest the audience in what will happen next.
This episode is one of the simpler ones of the second season, but it’s a welcome and well-placed break from the drama and emotions currently going on. It makes good use of its break by looking into characters’ backgrounds and tells a story that’s charming and entertaining in the scheme of character development and as its own thing. Yet, it still manages to fascinate and build anticipation in the little ways it does further bigger things to come. In a way, these simpler moments in the characters’ lives are a good way to build care in them as the show sets out to put them through bigger challenges once again.
A
Fan Art
Series Ranking
1.
Knock,
Knock, Knockin’ on Hooty’s Door
2.
Reaching
Out
3.
Enchanting Grom Fright
4.
Eda’s Requiem
5.
Follies
at the Coven Day Parade
6.
Yesterday’s Lie
7.
Agony of a Witch
8.
Elsewhere
and Elsewhen
9. Hunting Palismen
10.
Echoes
of the Past
11.
Escaping
Expulsion
12.
Understanding Willow
13.
Lost in Language
14.
Adventures in the Elements
15.
The Intruder
16.
Covention
17. Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances
18.
Eclipse Lake
19.
Through
the Looking Glass Ruins
20. Them’s
the Breaks Kid
21.
Young Blood Old Souls
22.
Any Sport in a Storm
23.
Separate Tides
24.
Escape of the Palisman
25.
Wing it Like Witches
26.
The First Day
27.
I Was a Teenage Abomination
28.
Witches Before Wizards
29.
Something Ventured, Someone Framed
30.
A Lying Witch and a Warden
31.
Sense and Insensitivity
32.
Hooty’s Moving Hassle
33.
Really Small Problems
34.
Once Upon a Swap
The next Owl House review is a huge one for reveals when Luz and Hunter end up in the mind of Emperor Belos and are traumatized by what they end up learning.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews ins "New Wartwood" and "Friend or Frobo" from Amphibia.
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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