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Clouds on the Horizon
With only a few episodes left and stakes risen significantly already, it’s no surprise that the climax for Season 2 is higher than ever with big intensity. As the long-awaited Day of Unity slowly unfolds, this episode aims to get everyone prepared for it. It’s all highlighted by build-ups to promising strategies, endearing character moments, and some big surprises, all coming together as a start of a grand experience.
The most central element to the episode which everything else builds off of is the plan our main protagonists are following to stop the Day of Unity. Having teamed up with Raine Whispers and their team, the CATTs, their strategy involves having Eda take Raine’s place as coven head, sigil and all. Since Belos’ draining spell is powered through the coven heads, it’s necessary for Eda to take the place of one because of her curse. It was shown before that its effects corrupt magic and causes other spells to disintegrate. However, it should also be remembered that Eda has low chance of surviving the effects herself. Even if by some miracle she does, the sigil will prevent her from using all forms of magic despite her curse already weakening her abilities. Eda, who for so long has resented this practice, is willing to go along with it if it means saving everyone, demonstrating great character growth from where she began. After all, consistent character development is one of the trademarks of this whole show. Still, there’s reasonable worry about Eda’s safety since this could take her entire life. From here, the main trio goes their separate ways ready to protect the Boiling Isles, while also worrying if they’ll see each other after all this with debatable confidence.
All the while, the threats the Day of Unity imposes are ever-growing not just with its known truths, but also with the mystery behind Belos and the Collector. Though the Collector’s first impressions depicted them as all-out bad, there seems to be more of a relatable desire at the center of their frenetic chaos here. They need Belos to be free, while Belos needs them to perform his draining spell. Regarding the Collector wanting to be free, there’s noticeable complexities to his situation. It’s easy to tell they’re in there for a reason, but these present feelings and desires put things in a different perspective. This becomes clearer later in the episode.
Going forward, a major theme covered here is the each of the protagonists’ desire to help in this serious circumstance with all three expressing these feelings in varying degrees. Though his feelings are shown the least prominently of the three, King does stand out for wanting to protect his family as well as his home, considering he’s a Titan. However, everyone tells him to stay out of the action because he’s too important, and such a reveal could lead to danger. Still, he has clear feelings that he should be doing more given his status, especially when he notices his connection to the Collector again. In fact, him hearing their worries of whether or not they can trust Belos does bring the promise for him to uncover a major truth to their nature. As for Eda, since she’s carrying the weight of being the one to potentially corrupt Belos’ draining spell, there’s a lot riding on her role in the plan. There are a lot of mixed emotions to what she sets out to do since, again, she might not make it out alive. Still, she holds onto her brave demeanor and wants to go through with it, while Raine and the rest of the CATTs look unsure about her going through with anything.
Out of all the protagonists, Luz takes on the most burdens of protecting the Boiling Isles from the Day of Unity, and she’s not just worried for Eda. It’s clear the best thing about her time here is the connections and social life she’s made for herself, something she never really had in the human realm. Along with the fact that she’s already lost a close family member, it’s no wonder she’d do whatever it takes to make sure nothing happens to her newfound loved ones. It could also be a reason why she’s sure enough of her future to know what she wants her palisman to be, which turns out to be an egg. That said, she endearingly agrees to have the egg take its time to hatch when it decides its future too, a very commendable approach.
Going back to her matters of protecting loved ones in addition to Eda, attention is given to wanting to make sure her girlfriend, Amity, is all right. In fact, Amity ends up standing out significantly in this episode, taking action to stop her parents from sending their trade of abomination robots to aid in Belos’ deadly plan. Speaking of her parents, especially her mother Odalia, it feels like featuring her for the first time since this season’s second episode was to build up to her absolute worst and make it impactful. She was bad before of course, but here she’s downright impossible, cruel, and heartless, going to extreme lengths in prioritizing business over the feelings and well-being of others. Amity actually wants to be reasonable and simply talk about how what her mother is doing is hurting people, but the problem is that Odalia is too stubborn to listen. The moment she catches Amity and her siblings sneaking around the workplace, she has them grounded without giving them a chance to talk. She even destroys Amity’s Tamagotchi device so Amity can’t even send a message to Luz. This in turn makes Amity especially fearful over things, but lucky for her, Luz’s instinct to protect others is in full force. Encouraged by Eda and the others, and aided by a helpful entourage of Willow, Gus, and Hunter, Luz goes through with a big rescue to release Amity from her house arrest.
Beating back the tight security and ascending herself up to her balcony like a fairy tale hero, Luz’s grand gesture is very reflective of how big the weight to be there for others is for her. It even unfolds at the perfect time with Amity successfully calming herself by thinking of how Luz would approach a situation like this. Then, as a measure of great relief in reuniting after many episodes apart, there’s a full sequence of endearment with a tight embrace; promise of a date; and finally, a full-on kiss on the lips. The latter occurrence is especially a grand milestone for this growing relationship, and the audience can’t help but be immersed in how far these two have come. It’s a true testament to just how beautiful and meaningful Luz’s relationship with Amity really is as a big reason why the Boiling Isles as a whole is very important to her. This blissful moment is also a good way to start off the next major action piece for the episode.
With Amity still hoping to get her parents to stop supporting Belos with their weaponry, since Odalia wouldn’t listen, the group tries to get the message to her dad, Alador. Considering a positive step in Amity’s relationship with her dad happened not long ago and an earlier moment of him being uneasy with Odalia’s rule, it does feel like they have a good chance. However, an attempt to get to him during Odalia selling a new invention to Kikimora backfires, and Luz and the others are put in intense force field-based lockdown.
It’s at this point where there’s a major contrast in parenthood from both the Blight parents. Odalia is very overbearing with control to the point where she’s simply unacceptable, not caring a bit about her own daughter’s feelings. This is especially apparent as she and Luz stand up for each other, and Odalia straight up disapproves of their love (the reason being for Luz being on wanted posters by the way). It’s so infuriating, it leads Amity to aggressively pound away at her mother’s force field, and still Odalia’s unmoved as abusive parents typically would be.
As for Alador, if his last major appearance merely suggested he had a heart, this one officially confirms it. King finds him, and offers Alador a way to communicate his problems, as he reveals how much he resents his job and regrets not knowing his kids well. It says a lot about how unhealthy the Blight family has become because of Odalia when even her husband suffers under her control. This makes it rewarding that Alador wants to be a better parent as he even claims that he'll put in the effort after the Day of Unity. As a way to really act as a Titan and savior of the Isles, King explains the truth behind the Day of Unity, and that moves Alador to really get active in his claims.
The climax really intensifies when Alador finally confronts Odalia with what he learned about what they’re helping the emperor do. Then to make Odalia truly irredeemable much to the horror of Alador and the audience, she knew and doesn’t care that they’re helping to hurt people. As long as they apparently get great status and live like royalty, nothing matters, making her completely inconsiderate of what anyone else says and how they feel. Since this also includes family, there really is no hope for her. It’s here when the action really hits its high point as the Blight parents go at each other in a brawl of abomination and oracle magic. For an added measure, Luz’s protective instinct for the episode kicks in again thanks to Kikimora. She talks of plans to take Hunter, the fabricated grimwalker clone, to Belos to be disposed of, as well as a hint that the emperor is aware of the rebellion Eda’s a part of. Struck with fear of losing another family member as well as a newfound ally facing a frightening fate again, Luz is driven to do something very drastic. It cleverly unfolds as the battle makes its way into the Blights’ factory and Kikimora grabs what appears to be Hunter, causing a lot of damage in the process.
Things only escalate as Amity finally disowns Odalia as a mom, and Alador shows approval of this by shutting down operation of his work and quitting his position in the factory. Take that as a special form of divorce, the only way to do so in this family. Though this means Odalia is defeated, she still leaves an ominous impression, promising to return with a new partner, begging many questions for the future. That said, it's hard to imagine her with a big role with how much time that's left in the show, but that's another matter.
This isn’t the only unwell thing though. During this scuffle, Kikimora got away with Hunter, so everyone is quick to get on an airship and save him. Then there’s a twist in which as Alador welcomes Luz into his home at any time, it turns out that with the help of Gus’ illusion magic, she switched places with Hunter. One can only imagine the major shock everyone feels from this, especially Amity who just had a major kiss with her. Gus is quick to explain that Luz did it to protect Hunter as well as Eda from the emperor’s wrath, but now everyone is fearful of her being taken to him. Luz, however, seems brave enough to face whatever is going to happen, but there’s still a strong air of uncertainty for the audience as well as the characters. It builds excitement for the next and last episode of the season, but delivers major fear over what’s to become of this great character, justifying reasons for all her peers to worry.
As the end of the season draws near, this episode really knows how to go all out with execution. The cast is immersive and filled with strong moments of likable dynamics, and welcome development whether they come with charm, intensity, or heavy emotions. Everything they do is backed not just by the underlying fear of the Day of Unity, but highlighting instances of action and drama. All the pieces are in place to do their part in elevating the episode to real grandeur as a work of animation while at the same time reminding that there’s still more to come…
A+
Fan Art
Series Ranking
1.
Clouds on the Horizon
2.
Knock,
Knock, Knockin’ on Hooty’s Door
3.
Reaching
Out
4.
Hollow
Mind
5.
Enchanting Grom Fright
6.
Eda’s Requiem
7.
Follies
at the Coven Day Parade
8.
Yesterday’s Lie
9.
Agony of a Witch
10.
O
Titan, Where Art Thou?
11.
Elsewhere
and Elsewhen
12. Hunting Palismen
13.
Echoes
of the Past
14.
Escaping
Expulsion
15.
Understanding Willow
16.
Lost in Language
17.
Adventures in the Elements
18.
The Intruder
19.
Covention
20. Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances
21.
Eclipse Lake
22.
Through
the Looking Glass Ruins
23.
Labyrinth
Runners
24.
Edge of the World
25.
Them’s
the Breaks, Kid
26.
Young Blood Old Souls
27.
Any Sport in a Storm
28.
Separate Tides
29.
Escape of the Palisman
30.
Wing it Like Witches
31.
The First Day
32.
I Was a Teenage Abomination
33.
Witches Before Wizards
34.
Something Ventured, Someone Framed
35.
A Lying Witch and a Warden
36.
Sense and Insensitivity
37.
Hooty’s Moving Hassle
38.
Really Small Problems
39.
Once Upon a Swap
The next and final review for The Owl House Season 2 covers the Day of Unity itself, and how it changes everything going forward.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is the epic season finale of Amphibia, "True Colors."
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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