Disney’s Owl House finale delivers a perfect ending

With just an abridged Season 3 to wrap up the story, The Owl House was only so much expected. The odds were against it from the start. With such an action-packed show — a rarity for Disney Channel — that seemed impossible The Owl House could pull off what it set out to do when given such a shitty hand. And yet, showrunner Dana Terrace and the rest of the show’s creators manage to exceed all expectations by telling a tight, emotional story that stretches well beyond just three episodes.

“Observation and Dreaming”, the last episode of The Owl HouseShe doesn’t hold back with emotional punches. What really seals the deal is one particularly devastating moment, which the show executes with particular finesse. It’s a risqué, well-worn trope that’s somehow perfectly kicked – and with that the finale takes on a poignancy that takes an already great show to new heights.

[Ed. Note: This post contains major spoilers for the series finale of The Owl House.]

Image: Disney

“Watching and Dreaming” picks up right where the previous one left off. After finding their way back to the Demon Realm and finding out what the heck happened to everyone, Luz and her friends are eventually discovered by the Collector, the all-powerful but childlike being who has taken control of the Boiling Isles. From there, it’s a race to save the day: Luz reunites with King and Eda, and they must somehow convey to the Collector that his idea of ​​fun isn’t so funny, while the evil Emperor Belos possesses the Titan’s heart. the great dormant creature that makes up the landmass of the Boiling Isles so that he can implement his master plan to eradicate all witches.

Unlike the previous two specials that make up this season, the finale is less introspective. That’s not a bad thing. Luz has spent the last two episodes looking within, forgiving her past mistakes and learning what she really wants. Most of the emotional foundations have already been laid this season. This episode uses all of that as a launch pad, catapulting Luz back to Eda and King as they save the day.

Image: Disney

Because we’ve seen Luz solve her problems and face them head-on, it’s very evident how both Belos and the Collector portray those trials that once stood in her way. Emperor Belos, whom we now know as colonial-era witch hunter Phillip Wittebane, represents control and conformity—Luz’s outer fears. But the Collector, with his childish impulses and deep insecurities, is more a reflection of Luz’s greatest fears. Now that Luz has defeated her, she can shake hands with the Collector and try to get him to see what he’s doing wrong. She, Eda and King tell their story to the Collector, which means they revisit familiar places and recount memories. It’s a typical finale, giving both characters and audience one last romp through the memories.

And then the unimaginable happens. In the middle of the episode, Luz dies.

More specifically, she sacrifices herself to save the Collector after Belos completely possesses the Titan’s dead body and infects everything and everyone with a mushroom-like growth from it The last ofor us. As the fungal growth consumes her, she wide-eyed at King and Eda and confesses she doesn’t know what to say. And then she’s gone, all that’s left of her are a bunch of little orbs of light floating around the Boiling Isles and visiting all the other characters. They don’t know exactly what happened, but as they look up at them, they have a deep sense that they realize it’s a goodbye.

Image: Disney

Of course, this is a Disney Channel show, so this death is not permanent. (Don’t worry! Killing the main character in the middle of the finale is also not the step in a story about finding your place and being with people who love you.) But for a good five minutes, it feels it could only be real. The characters certainly think so. And the episode gives this Disney death just enough time to feel impactful, but doesn’t drag it out so it’s a gotcha moment with five seconds to go. Eda and King’s grief turns to anger as they lash out at Emperor Belos. Amity and the rest of Luz’s friends are shocked in the moments before they gather. Most heartbreakingly, Luz’s mother, Camila – still trapped in a frozen doll form – sheds a tear.

But more importantly, in that moment, the Collector learns that there are people out there who will do the right thing no matter what – and that there are people who care about them, and they should be worthy of that care. (Oh, and that death too Is

It’s a tricky trope, though The Owl House nail it. And that makes Luz’s eventual comeback even more satisfying. It feels deserved, especially with the heart-to-heart she has in Space In Between with the original Titan herself. Luz confesses one final concern – that she is no better than Belos in her desire to protect her friends. But the Titan rejects it. It doesn’t make sense in comparison. Belos is selfish and wants to be the hero of his own story. Luz only ever acted for others. It’s the last metaphorical hurdle she must overcome, one last uncertainty to contemplate before she can pick herself up and fight again.

And she’s bouncing back—with a cool new (albeit temporary) makeover. She, Eda and King kick ass in some of the finest animated fight sequences in Disney Channel history. The most satisfying part of all is knowing that Luz’s emotional journey is complete. She accepted and forgave herself.

In the end, the Big Bad is defeated. Luz and her friends win and are all reunited. There’s even a time warp epilogue that features lots of fun character moments. But it’s not just pure fanservice (although some of it kind of is). From the beginning, The Owl House it was about found family. Showing us that these characters still mean something to each other even after time really resonates. This isn’t a story where the found family breaks up after the adventure or bittersweet grows apart; These bonds are made to last and will last. The Owl House gave us almost everything it could have in its last three-episode season – and also gave us a punch in the pit of the stomach in the finale, which will stay with us for some time to come.

The Owl House Finale is available to stream on Disney Plus on April 9th.