With only a shortened Season 3 to wrap up the story, The Owl House was only expected to do so much. The odds were against from the start. As such a plot-heavy show – a rarity for Disney Channel – it seemed impossible that The Owl House could do what it set out to do, when dealt such a lousy hand. And yet, showrunner Dana Terrace and the rest of the show’s creators manage to defy all odds and deliver a taut emotional story that resonates far beyond just three episodes.
Watching and dreaming, the last episode of The Owl House, doesn’t hold back the emotional punches. In fact, what really seals the deal is a particularly devastating moment that the show pulls off with singular finesse. It’s a risky, overused trope that’s somehow perfectly trodden – and in doing so, the finale takes on a level of poignancy that elevates the already great show to a new level.
[Ed. Note: This post contains major spoilers for the series finale of The Owl House.]
Image: Disney
“Watching and Dreaming” picks up where the previous one left off. After making their way back to the demon realm and finding out what the hell happened to everyone, Luz and her friends are spotted by the Collector, the all-powerful yet childlike entity that 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 make it clear to the Collector that his idea of fun isn’t so much fun, while the evil Emperor Belos steals the heart of the Titan possesses. the great sleeping creature that forms the landmass of the Boiling Isles so that he can carry out his master plan to wipe out all witches.
Unlike the previous two specials made this season, the finale is less introspective. That’s not a bad thing. Luz has spent the past two episodes looking inward, forgiving herself for her past mistakes and learning what she really wants. Most of the emotional foundation has already been laid this season. This episode uses all of that as a launching pad, catapulting Luz back at Eda and King as they save the day.
Image: Disney
Since we’ve seen Luz work out her issues and confront them head-on, it’s very clear how both Belos and the Collector represent these trials that once stood in her way. Emperor Belos, who we currently know to be colonial-era witch hunter Phillip Wittebane, represents control and conformity – Luz’s external fears. But the Collector, with their childlike impulses and deep insecurities, is more a reflection of Luz’s worst fears. Now that Luz has vanquished them, she can reach out to the Collector and try to show him what he’s doing wrong. She, Eda, and King tell the Collector about their story, which means they revisit familiar spots and reminisce. It’s typical finale fare, with both the characters and audience getting one last romp down the memory lane.
And then the unimaginable happens. Midway through the episode, Luz dies.
More specifically, she sacrifices herself to save the Collector, after Belos takes full possession of the Titan’s dead body and infects everyone and everything with a fungus-like growth from The last ohf Us. As the mushroom growth consumes her, she wide-eyed 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 few little orbs floating around the Boiling Isles visiting all the other characters. They don’t know exactly what happened, but when they look up at them, there is a deep feeling that they realize it’s a goodbye.
Image: Disney
Of course, this is a Disney Channel show, so this one dead is not permanent. (Don’t worry! Killing the main character in the middle of the finale isn’t the move either in a story that’s fundamentally about finding your place and being around people who love you.) But throughout for a good five minutes it feels like it just might be real. The characters certainly think so. And the episode gives this Disney Death just enough time to impress but doesn’t drag it out, so it’s a gotcha moment five seconds before the end. 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 – who is still trapped in a frozen puppet form – sheds a tear.
But more importantly, this is when the Collector learns that there are people who will do the right thing no matter what – and that there are people who care and should be worthy of care. (Oh, and that death too is something that happens to mortals, but that is somehow secondary.)
It’s a tricky trope to get into, but The Owl House hits the nail on the head. And that only makes Luz’s eventual comeback all the more satisfying. It feels earned, especially with the heart to heart she has in the “Space In Between” with the original Titan herself. Luz confesses one last concern – that she is no better than Belos in her desire to protect her friends. But the Titan rejects it. Comparison is pointless. Belos is selfish and wants to be the hero of his own story. Luz has only ever acted for others. It’s the last metaphorical hurdle she has to jump over, one last uncertainty to think about, before she can pick herself up and fight again.
And picking herself up again she does – with a cool new (albeit temporary) makeover. She, Eda and King kick each other in some of the most beautiful animated fight scenes in Disney Channel history. The most satisfying part of all of this is knowing that Luz’s emotional journey is complete. She has accepted and forgiven herself.
In the end, the Big Bad is defeated. Luz and her friends win, and they are all reunited. There’s even a time-skipping epilogue that spoils a lot of fun character moments. But it’s not just pure fan service (although some of it is). From the beginning, The Owl House was about found family. Showing us that these characters still mean something to each other over time really resonates. This isn’t a story where the found family falls apart after the adventure or grows bittersweet apart; these bonds are made to last and they will last. The Owl House gave us almost everything it could have had in the three-episode limited final season – and also gave us a gut feeling in the finale that will stay with us for a while.
The Owl House finale will be available to stream on Disney Plus on April 9.