The Owl House delivers one final, perfect emotional gut punch (2024)

With only an abridged season 3 to wrap up its story, The Owl House was only expected to do so much. The odds were against it from the get-go. As such a plot-heavy show — a rarity for Disney Channel — it seemed impossible that The Owl House could pull off what it set out to do, when dealt such a shitty hand. And yet showrunner Dana Terrace and the rest of the creators on the show manage to defy all expectations, telling a tight emotional story that resonates far beyond just three episodes.

“Watching and Dreaming,” the final episode of The Owl House, doesn’t hold back on the emotional punches. In fact, what really seals the deal is one particularly devastating moment that the show pulls off with particular finesse. It’s a risky, well-worn trope that is somehow treaded perfectly — and with it, the finale takes on a level of poignance that elevates the already great show to new levels.

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

“Watching and Dreaming” picks up right where the previous one left off. After finding their way back to the demon realm and figuring out just what the heck happened to everyone, Luz and her friends end up getting spotted by the Collector, the omnipotent yet childlike entity 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 need to somehow convey to the Collector that his idea of fun isn’t so fun, all while the evil Emperor Belos possess the heart of the Titan, the large dormant creature that makes up the landmass of the Boiling Isles, so he can enact his master plan to eradicate all witches.

Unlike the previous two specials that made up 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 groundwork has already been laid this season. This episode uses all of that as a launchpad, catapulting Luz back to Eda and King as they save the day.

Image: Disney

Because we’ve seen Luz work out her issues and confront them head on, it’s very evident how both Belos and the Collector represent these trials that once stood in her way. Emperor Belos, who at this point we know to be the colonial-era witch hunter Phillip Wittebane, represents control and conformity — Luz’s external fears. But the Collector, with their childish impulses and deep insecurities, is more of a reflection of Luz’s greatest anxieties. Now that Luz has conquered them, she can extend a hand to the Collector and try to get him to see what he’s doing wrong. She, Eda, and King tell the Collector about their story, which means revisiting familiar haunts and recounting memories. It’s typical finale fare, giving both the characters and the audience one last romp through memory lane.

And then the unimaginable happens. Halfway through the episode, Luz dies.

More specifically, she sacrifices herself to save the Collector, after Belos has fully possessed the dead body of the Titan and is infecting everything and everyone with some fungus-like growth out of The Last of Us. As the mushroom growth consumes her, she looks wide-eyed at King and Eda and confesses that she doesn’t know what to say. And then she’s gone, all that’s left of her some little orbs of light that float around the Boiling Isles, visiting all of the other characters. They don’t know exactly what happened, but as they look up at them, there’s a deep sense that they realize it’s a goodbye.

Image: Disney

Of course, this is a Disney Channel show, so this death isn’t permanent. (Don’t worry! Killing the main character off in the middle of the finale also isn’t the move in a story fundamentally about finding one’s place and being around people who love you.) But for a good five minutes, it feels like it just might be for 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 five seconds before the end. Eda and King’s sorrow turns to rage as they lash out at Emperor Belos. Amity and the rest of Luz’s friends are shell-shocked in the moments before they rally. Most heartbreakingly, Luz’s mother Camila — who is still trapped in a frozen puppet form — sheds a tear.

But more importantly, this is the moment the Collector learns that there are people out there who will do the right thing no matter what — and that there are people out there who care about them and they should be worthy of that care. (Oh, and also that death is a thing that happens to mortals, but that is somehow secondary.)

It’s a tricky trope to tread, but The Owl House nails it. And that just makes Luz’s eventual comeback even more satisfying. It feels earned, especially with the heart-to-heart she has in the “Space In Between” with the original Titan himself. Luz confesses one last anxiety — that she’s no better than Belos in her desire to protect her friends. But the Titan dismisses it. There is no point in comparison. 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 needs to vault over, one last insecurity to reflect upon, before she can pick herself up again and fight.

And pick herself up again she does — with a cool new (albeit temporary) makeover. She, Eda, and King kick some ass in some of the most beautifully animated fight sequences in Disney Channel history. The most satisfying part of it all is we know that Luz’s emotional journey is complete. She’s accepted and forgiven herself.

In the end, the Big Bad gets defeated. Luz and her friends win, and they’re all reunited. There’s even a time skip epilogue that indulges a lot of fun character moments. But it’s not just pure fan service (even though, some of it kinda is). From the get-go, The Owl House has been about found family. Showing us that these characters still mean something to each other after time has passed really resonates. This isn’t a story where the found family dissolves after the adventure or bittersweetly grows apart; these bonds are made to last and last they will. The Owl House gave us almost everything that it could’ve in its limited three episode final season — and also gave us a gut-punch in the finale that is going to stick with us for some time.

The Owl House finale will be available to stream on Disney Plus on April 9.

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The Owl House delivers one final, perfect emotional gut punch (2024)

FAQs

Did Owl House get a proper ending? ›

Every bit of the Belos goo across the Boiling Islands disintegrates, leaving only a dissolving Belos that gets melting by the boiling rain and trampled on by Eda, King, and Raine. The Collector frees everyone he turned into puppets and Luz is reunited with all of her loved ones.

What happens to EDA in The Owl House? ›

By "Agony of a Witch", Eda's curse worsened and the elixir she took became less effective, forcing her to strongly limit her use of magic to keep the curse at bay. Her curse eventually overcame her when she used all of her magic to save Luz, seemingly turning her permanently into the Owl Beast.

Is Watching and Dreaming the last episode of Toh? ›

The episode served as the third and final episode of the third season, and the 43rd episode of the series overall. In the episode, Luz, after reuniting with Eda and King, manages to befriend the Collector and stop Belos from destroying the Boiling Isles.

What year did The Owl House end? ›

The first episode of the final season premiered on October 15, 2022, followed by the second episode on January 21, 2023, and the series finale on April 8, 2023.

Which arm did EDA lose? ›

What happened to Eda's arm? Eda's right arm disintegrated into dust in "King's Tide", but that was because Raine Whispers only wanted to save her from disintegrating into dust. Raine Whispers did that to Eda Clawthorne just to save her life.

Is Raine Whispers a girl? ›

Trivia. Raine Whispers is non-binary, as Raine themself goes by they/them pronouns. Their voice actor, Avi Roque, is also non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. Blu del Barrio, who voices a young version of Raine Whispers, are also non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

Does EDA get pregnant? ›

She asks Piril initially not to tell Serkan that Kiraz is Serkan's daughter, but Eda later reveals the truth to Serkan, and they get married. Eda gets pregnant and gives birth to their son.

Does EDA get married? ›

Eda and Serkan's decision to get married is greeted with enthusiasm among their friends.

Did Luz lose her magic? ›

After the spirit of the Titan passes on, Luz loses the ability to use glyphs. However a few years after, King discovers he has his own glyphs and agrees to teach them to her. Light spell: Creates an illuminating orb of light and is the first spell Luz learns.

Will there be an Owl House movie? ›

Beloved Disney series The Owl House ended in April after just three seasons. It was a short but incredibly sweet run, and fans of the show need not worry – your favorite characters Luz, Eda and King are coming back for a movie this summer.

How old is Luz from Toh? ›

Luz Noceda (voiced by Sarah-Nicole Robles) is a 14-year-old Afro-Dominican-American girl from Gravesfield, Connecticut who ends up on the Boiling Isles and becomes Eda's apprentice and a new exchange student at Hexside Academy.

Is The Owl House for kids? ›

I'd say this show is suitable for ages 12+. There's characters drinking alcohol, going into pubs, etc. Characters were also burnt, cut, and slashed. There's not that much blood or gore at all considering it's made for kids.

Is The Owl House completely over? ›

The Owl House ended with season 3 after Disney surprisingly canceled the show in spite of its critical acclaim, and viewers were left wondering why it wasn't renewed.

Does The Owl House have a happy ending? ›

Beneath it all though, we are all worth something. Luz Noceda got her happy ending, and so did we.

Why does Disney not like The Owl House? ›

The Owl House cuts very much against the Disney grain, presenting characters who march to their own beat in a world that defies any expectations. It's the kind of storytelling that should be encouraged at a company like Disney, and instead has become another unfortunate chapter in a long-standing trend.

Will there be a season 4 of The Owl House? ›

However, to the viewers' disappointment, Disney announced the third season as the final installment. While there are a lot of demands for the return of The Owl House with season 4, the makers have as yet held their stand about greenlighting the show.

What happened at the end of Luz? ›

In the end, they re-connect and determine what they had was genuine feelings for one another and now want to be together moving forward.

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