Owl House Spoiler Recap: Watching and Dreaming
Here we are. The Owl House is complete with its final episode, “Watching and Dreaming.” I could go on and gripe some more about the shortened season and what we could of had. But that would completely downplay the incredible feat Dana Terrace and her crew accomplished. They took 22 episodes worth of content and put out three solid specials to bring the series to a close. The finale was emotional, powerful, charming, queer, funny, and everything else in between that The Owl House is known for. Maybe down the line, we’ll get spin-offs, comics, or something. For now, this is the end of an era for storytelling in a generational-defining show.
The stakes were set from the get-go with the opening nightmare scenario pulling Luz, Eda, and King together. So much of “Watching and Dreaming” mirrored many of the stories from season one to bookend the overall narrative. The opening battle with Amity was eerily similar to Eda facing off against Lilith in “Agony of a Witch,” setting it in the exact location at the palace. Eda’s personal hell occurs at the Conformatorium, the prison she spent so much time avoiding. Her mother and sister are her wardens. King must face the Titan Hunters, the people who wish to complete the genocide of his kind. The opening segment blended all the wonderful horror elements with the scene’s emotional weight, making it a fantastic opener. Coming into this episode, the audience wondered what the Collector’s game would be. With the reveal that this “game” was the suggestion of Belos, it’s a psychological torture that only that messed up jerk would come up with.
As the heroes break free from the Collector’s hold, the reunion between Eda, King, and Luz was beautiful. It gave me all the overwhelming warm fuzzies it should, especially when Eda met Luz’s Palisman, Stringbean, for the first time. Even though it was only three specials for season three, the months of space between each special added the weight of our real-world time to the weirdo family’s separation. Their reunion was worth the wait for fans.
It is short lasting as the Collector, following Belos’ suggestion, returns to play with them. I love the mix of characters the Collector parallels. He is like the childish nature of King from season one, mixed with Luz early in the series seeking escapism. The reveal that the Archivists, his very own family, pushed him away is horrible. Later, we discover that King’s father sealed the Collector away when he was innocent, making him a victim. Along with Belos’ manipulative machinations, the Collector truly is a victim in all this. The Collector represents so much of Luz’s story, someone looking for a place to belong and wanting friends. The central trio are the perfect ones to help him on his journey.
The most significant piece of dialogue that completely redeemed the Collector of any wrongdoing in my mind was Luz asking this all-powerful cosmic being, “Do you... not understand what death means to mortals?” That question carried so much weight for his character because they have no concept of how they’re hurting the people of the Boiling Isles.
That’s why the transition from the first to the second act didn’t fall flat for me. It would have been easy to make the story overly corny where Luz and the gang teach the Collector the ‘POWER OF FRIENDSHIP™.’ While that is what happens in a way, Luz, Eda, and King make the Collector see the consequences of his actions. There are some things he picks up right away. As they arrive at the Grudgby fields, the Collector sees Matt, Jerbo, and Celine hiding. The Collector is immediately hurt when they flee in fear from him. He might not understand the depths of it, but his previous actions are being held against him.
He begins picking up the lessons more gradually. Sadly, the heroes run out of time when Belos has taken over the Titan’s body and is coming to life. By now, Collector has been armed with the knowledge of “friendship and forgiveness.” If this was an average kids' show, the ‘POWER OF FRIENDSHIP AND FORGIVENESS ™’ would be enough to stop Belos. The Owl House is better than that. I screamed as Collector approached Belos to hug him, thinking that would make everything okay.
This is why Luz’s sacrifice has so many layers. I adored that she told the Collector he did a good job. His heart was in the right place to forgive Belos. The lesson here is not everyone is forgivable, certainly not Belos. Forgiveness must be earned, which is something that Belos has never tried to do. Belos believes he’s right. He will always think he’s right. On the other side, Collector finally understands what death is to a mortal. He sees that his powers cannot bring back Luz. Death is not a quick fix. They witness the rage that pours out of Eda and King, becoming mourning, shrieking beasts lashing out at Belos. The Collector understands that life isn’t a plaything. People are not toys. There are consequences to actions. This episode section fires on all cylinders and has perfect lessons for all ages.
Papa Titan is perfect! From the dad bod to the pajama pants to being gender non-conforming, Papa Titan is perfect in every way! Also, as a Game Grumps fan, I adore Arin Hanson voices him. The little Hooty coming out of his eye makes me question what we don’t know about our lovable tube bird demon, but I’m okay with not knowing. I don’t think every question in a series needs to be answered. I sort of love the idea of never understanding what Hooty is and how or why he’s part of Papa Titan’s body. Hooty is Hooty, and that’s perfectly okay. Let there be some mysteries for the fans to always ponder.
The lesson that Papa Titan bestows on Luz is exactly what she needs to hear. Since season two, Luz has struggled with fate vs. free will. She wondered if fighting for what she believed in made her as bad as Belos, who does the same thing. It reminded me of lessons often found in Star Wars properties: It’s not about whether or not your fight; it’s about how you fight so you don’t lose your soul. To quote Rose Tico from The Last Jedi, “That’s how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love.” Belos sold his mind, body, and soul in a holy war he created to be the hero. Luz found love in the Boiling Isles, family, and friends and flourished by seeking understanding and belonging. Phillip came with hate. Luz came with love. That’s why one wins and the other loses.
I need to talk about Raine Whispers because they continue to be the MVP of this series. Their determination to save the people they love was so viscerally palpable. Physically struggling against a literal monster inhabiting their body, Raine fought tooth and nail to stop a dictator without fear of losing their life. I even love the little acknowledgment from Belos that Raine is a powerful witch, and they are a force to be reckoned with. Raine took every chance they could to fight back, from whistling to smashing their instrument because the act can make a sound they can weaponize. Raine slowed Belos enough for Luz, Eda, and King to work on the Collector. The couple's reunion is delightful when Eda finds them amid Belos’ being. My favorite ship was reunited and never parted again. It was a moment worth the wait, and watching the group fight together was fantastic.
At the end of the day, it always needed to be Luz, Eda, and King that beat Belos. Luz’s titan form is a wonderful mix of her found family, with nods to King and Eda. She might still be human, yet she fights with her knowledge of the Demon Realm. Eda guiding her through the battle reminded me of her early lessons in season one, like in “Adventures in the Elements,” adding an excellent bookend for the series. The family together pushed back Belos’ onslaught to finally confront him at the heart of the Isles. Coming full circle, Luz is a good witch, and she proves it by using the power given to her to rip Belos out of the Titan once and for all.
The line, “Now eat this, sucka!” will always be a perfect moment.
In my “For the Future” review, I went on about how incredibly satisfying it was to watch Belos suffer, just the best schadenfreude. The character deserves every second of struggling, pain, and failure. Which is why I absolutely savored his death in the finale. This is where Luz’s lesson to the Collector rang true. Belos doesn't repent. He doesn't want atonement. The last act of his life is a final gambit to manipulate Luz. He does not deserve forgiveness. He gets exactly what he deserves:
Luz doesn’t acknowledge him.
She says nothing, and she doesn’t give into his ways. Going from lies to manipulation, Belos becomes more desperate before he grows angry. He tries to put fear into her, saying she will become a monster like him if she doesn’t save him. All it does is show how incredibly pathetic Phillip Wittebane always was. It’s a satisfying ending for one of the best Disney villains ever created. Also, Eda, Raine, and King smashing him to bits didn’t hurt either.
With Belos gone, the only major storyline to resolve is the Collector. Coming into “Watching and Dreaming,” I wasn’t sure how they would “defeat” him to save the day. Instead, there was no big baddie to beat. Ultimately, he was a kid looking to belong like Luz, King, and Eda. The choice to not give him a finite, definitive ending is one of the series' strongest narrative choices ever made. What separates him from Belos as an antagonist is that the Collector wants to earn forgiveness. He wants to atone. This isn’t the end of his story but the start of it. It allows the character to continue growing. From a show-running perspective, this kind of open ending lets the creators have a character they can revisit the world with. It’s a brilliant choice for future properties and a solid character choice for the Collector.
The final ten minutes melted my heart. It’s a perfect ending; honestly, I could probably write a ten-page essay about this part. I was worried if The Owl House would follow in the Amphibia finale's shoes by separating the characters. I’m glad they didn’t. Having Anne return to her world and never seeing her frog family again worked for her journey and the story of Amphibia. But if Luz was separated from Amity and everyone on the Isles, people would have rioted, myself included. The series didn’t make historic strides with queer representation just to permanently separated the girlfriends. This ending worked for The Owl House, and it's the ending it always needed to be.
I’ll get into the individual points of the ending in a moment, but I want to touch on two big finale topics with Luz and Eda. I adore the final middle finger to Belos with Eda becoming the headmaster of the University of Wild Magic. Her school is built on top of where his castle once stood. While not confirmed, it looks to be made from Palistrom trees, the very plant that Belos almost wiped out to extinction. Belos personally targeted Eda all series because of his petty hatred for his brother’s witch lover. Yet, Eda is the one who comes out on top in his place. Magic is thriving. Life is taking back over from his reign of terror. She is shaping the next generation, and it’s the best “eff you” she could ever give Belos.
As a chapter of Luz’s life closes, I love the infinite possibilities for her future. Stringbean being a shapeshifter, she represents all the paths Luz could take. With King discovering new magic glyphs she can learn, Luz’s future can go anywhere, which is the best ending for her journey. It allows a beautiful open conclusion where we can always check back in with Luz, Amity, Willow, Hunter, Gus, and the entire Owl House crew.
Some random thoughts to round out Watching and Dreaming:
-In the opening scene as the Collector is capturing the kids, Willow reaches for Hunter to try and save him, and my shipper heart is NOT OKAY
-Eda meeting Stringbean is perfect! She loves that little palisman immediately!
-Amity saving herself through her puppet form was a fantastic moment for the character. While I think it was the best choice to let Luz, Eda, and King have the final battle, I like that the little moments like this slid in for Amity, Gus, Willow, and Hunter.
-Also took me two watches to realize why the light glyph turns the puppet forms back into people. It’s titan magic and nullifies the Collector’s powers. It’s super subtle, so I wish that was clearer.
-Camila knowing that Luz had died broke my heart! That moment made me tear up that even as a puppet, Camila knew her daughter was gone.
-Eda and King going full beast mode was scary and awesome
-Camila is the best mom, helping the kids save their people! And knowing she helped rebuild the Boiling Isles is terrific too!
-Luz’s demon form is amazing! Such a good design!
-Eda’s little kisses on Raine’s face when she saves them from Belos make my heart cry of joy!
-I have to repeat it because it was my one fist-pumping moment of the episode: “NOW EAT THIS SUCKA!”
-As all of Belos’ remnants crumbled away, that ending reminded me a lot of Princess Mononoke when the death of the Forest Spirit is blown away, and life grows back again. Even Raine and Eda pop up in the grass the same way that Ashitaka and San do. I wonder if that was purposeful.
-King getting to see his father, even briefly, made my heart melt.
-The bread pun was perfect too. You're the best dad, Papa Titan.
-We get one last Steve moment as he hugs Lilith! I’ll miss you, Steve!
-HAPPY DIVORCE DAY, ODALIA! GET BENT, YOU HORRIBLE WOMAN!
-GUS AND HIS DAD ARE HUGGING!
-Hunter waiting with Willow as she’s looking for her dads is proof he’s the best boyfriend.
-Also, seeing Willow’s dads kiss is a massive deal. Gay men are often seen as "riskier" choices in stories since gay men are often framed as “predatory.” Queer women are usually more likely to be shown in relationships because they’re seen as “safe.” And to be blunt, the corporate old men prefer women kissing. So seeing Willow’s dads kiss on screen is, again, a massive deal.
-DARIUS AND EBERWOLF ARE ADOPTING HUNTER! Okay, they don’t say this in the show, but I am making it so
-HUNTER IS SHOWING HIS DADS HIS WOLF SHIRT
-Principal Bump getting the love and retirement he deserves!
-Steve, Darius, and Eberwolf leading the rebuild are what they deserve. I hope Steve becomes president. President Steve has a nice ring to it.
-EDA AND RAINE NESTING
-EDA IS SO NERVOUS TO MEET CAMILA! And, of course, Camile loves Eda instantly!
-Amity being creeped out by Hooty will forever and always make me smile
-I love that King gives the Collector Francois. It shows King’s growth and helps the all-powerful beings stay connected.
-Now in the flash forward to the future: ALL THE KIDS HAVE MATCHING FLAPJACK TATTOOS
-VEE AND LUZ GREW UP AS SISTERS TOGETHER
-It’s a nice touch that Luz’s writing scholarship was signed by Dana Terrace, the show’s creator
-Love the little picture of Camila and Eda hanging out in Luz's room. They are the best moms and best mom friends.
-WILLOW AND HUNTER WENT TO GROM TOGETHER
-Vee went to Grom too!
-King finally got to play catch, and it’s with Eda and Hooty, his family
-The Nocedas bought the old house in the woods, and I noticed there are gnomes on the porch and in the bushes around the house. That has to be a nod to Gravity Falls
-I like that it’s the Collector that powers the door, not the Titan
-HUNTER IS A PALISMAN CARVER, AND HIS NEW PALISMAN IS NAMED WAFFLE
-Del and the Bat Queen are helping to make new Palismen too! Gosh, I hope we get more about Del in side stories.
-The Bat Queen’s babies going through their punk rock phase is the best thing ever
-HUNTLOW IS CANON
-FLAPJACK’S TOMBSTONE
-Look at Boscha working a real job. Good for her.
-Kikimora having to work under Matt is the perfect punishment for her.
-HOOTY IS THE CURATOR OF LILITH’S MUSEUM
-HARPY LILITH, HARPY LILITH! DO YOU SEE HARPY LILITH AND HOW PRETTY SHE IS?
-Amity working under Lilith is a nice full circle from season one too
-MY BOY BARCUS IS A TEACHER
-Alador working with Raine, Jerbo, Viney, Emera, and Darius to remove the coven marks is an excellent development for him. I love seeing him working to atone for his work under Odalia.
-I’m calling Darius and Alador canon. I make the rules. They are going to be husbands
-Raine looks AMAZING, and I love their fox palisman too!
-Edric teaching at the wild magic university is perfect thanks to his bond with Eda
-GUS’ FUTURE DESIGN IS SO GOOD! Love the dreadlocks on him!
-Eda would have a hook for a hand!
-Eda is wearing an earring similar to one Raine used to wear. Therefore, they are married. I MAKE THE RULES NOW
-KING IS A TEENAGER! He’s getting so big!
-I will say I’m bummed that Hooty didn’t have any dialogue in the episode. I needed one more time of Alex Hirsch being our lovable bird tube.
-Ending on the group “BYEEEEEEE!” was the best way to finish the series.
And that’s it. The Owl House is over. It’s a historic series, not just in the Disney pantheon. In the next five, ten, twenty years, I can guarantee that this series will be discussed as one of the shows defining a generation. The next generation of queer kids has this show to tell them they are valid and loved. The world is better because of The Owl House.
Thank you, Dana Terrace, cast, and crew for this series.
I can’t wait to see what you do next.
