Creating a show that children and adults can appreciate is an incredibly hard thing to accomplish.
The trick remains keeping the humor level where kids can get most of the jokes while keeping a few things in there for adults as well. Well, Disney Channel’s The Owl House has done it and then some!
For those who do not know, The Owl House is about Luz, a 14-year-old girl who loves fantasy so much she is starting to live more in her fantasy world books than in real life. Her worried mother sends her to a camp to get more into the real world. However, at camp, she finds a portal to Boiling Isles, a magical world. There, she meets Eda “The Owl Lady,” a renegade witch, and her pet/friend King, the self-declared king of demons (and absolutely adorable). Because she loves magic, she asks to stay and be trained. Eda agrees almost more out of amusement of having a human kid around, and so the story starts. From this simple set up, an incredibly close bond emerges between these three.
Luz is by far one of the most likable characters I have seen in years. She is full of energy, earnest to a fault, rushes in to help even when not needed or wanted, and always apologizes when she screws up (again a lot). Her love of magic varies from thinking its cool to really delving into how, as a human, she can use magic as she takes on responsibilities within her new home and becomes more social. Yet she never loses that optimistic, goofy, caring nature she has had since the first episode.
She also changes up representation in kids shows since she is Dominican-American and bisexual and, instead of making it THE thing about Luz, it is just part of who she is. Her personality and actions are what make her. In other words, she feels like a real person. That said, her relationship with Amity has been praised for showing a lesbian relationship on a Disney Channel show. While that is a positive step, what is truly wonderful is how great they are as a couple. Besides the two of them having the cutest blushes (seriously, that is a thing many fans comment on), they naturally complement each other: Amity being the more serious grounded one and Luz being impulsive. They are the ultimate ship.
Eda goes from just being a wacky, not very good teacher to seeing how the curse about being “The Owl Lady” has caused her to isolate herself from people. We learn more about her backstory and how, through various events, she has pushed away her family, a boyfriend, and others. We also see how caring for Luz and King has given her something to care about beyond just surviving and insulting stuck-up individuals.
King starts as just a cute little megalomaniac (who still loves Luz petting and scratching him) but begins to deal with wondering where he comes from and what he is. He goes from being a sidekick who wants to declare himself king of the playground by having a huge owl monster scare kids to a character with a crisis of identity and the importance of his unconventional but very real family.
Keeping this balance of emotion, humor, and sense of terror is done with great care. We have the evil emperor as a big bad, but a recurring joke sprinkled throughout is the emperor’s guards becoming stressed out in their jobs and wanting to quit each time, done with a great deal of creativity and variety. Emperor Belous himself is a bigoted, manipulative individual who cares little for anyone around him but also wields a great deal of magical power. He makes for a very threatening antagonist and someone who is the flip side of Luz, yet not in a cliched way that jumps out at you.
The finale of season two–without getting into spoilers–was set up for a final showdown with the big bad of two seasons, making me wonder how they could even have a third season. Not only did they succeed in giving a great set up for season three, having left little hints throughout the second season of “somethings” that could be an issue, but it emerged beautifully. Plus it almost made me cry with where so many characters are at and a sense of dread of what could be coming. Even with all the viewers and critical praise, Disney Channel is limiting the final season three to just three 44-minute specials because the show doesn’t fit the Disney brand (whatever that means).
So, let’s give The Owl House an Emmy nomination, not just because it deserves it, but also to give it a proper send off!
