The Freaky Friday Episode

The Owl House Episode 8 Review

Ah, the body swap/life swap scenario. It’s a trope so popular, it has its own page on tvtropes.org. When two or more characters think the other has it easy, they swap places for a while. They then realize the hardships they each deal with, learn to appreciate their lives, and make up. I’ve seen it done many times in cartoons, to the point where it no longer has the same appeal. As a result, this week’s episode of The Owl House, while funny, didn’t fully hit the mark for me.

It’s still funny, though.

Freaky Friday, Boiling Isles Style

On a slow day at the market, Luz, Eda, and King get into an argument over who has the worst problems. In a moment that seems to lampshade the trope it’s invoking, Eda says there’s only way to solve a dispute of this nature: body swap. They swap bodies for the day, with the last one to cave getting out of house-cleaning. Which, since Hooty is completely sentient, means cleaning him.

I believe that the setup to this episode qualifies as lampshading the Freaky Friday trope. Heck, Luz even points out how it’s like 2000s film called Freaky Fraturday. For those who remember, Disney released a 2003 film adaptation of Freaky Friday with Lindsey Lohan.

Execution is Key

The remainder of the episode focuses on the trio trying to fit in each other’s shoes, so to speak. Luz tries to outdo Eda as a salesperson; King tries using Luz’s body to gain the respect of some teens who mocked her; and Eda uses King’s cuteness to get pampered.

Having seen this or variations of this scenario, I knew what would happen next. Everyone would do great at first, things blow up in their face, they realize it’s not as easy as they thought and make up. I’ve seen this enough times to know what happens.

That said, seeing the Freaky Friday plot unfold can still be fun as long as the stories remain interesting. As far that goes, though, it was either hit or miss. Eda using King’s cuteness wound being mixed with her foxy personality. As a result, it gave me some confusing emotions before she got trapped in a cat cafe. Luz, meanwhile, went overboard with Eda’s powers and got captured by the Emperor’s Coven. Fortunately, this led to a key moment between EdaLuz and Lillith. More on that later, though.

The story I loved, though, was King’s as he took Luz’s body for a joyride. King’s a big part of the show’s comedy, due to his small size and big ego. Once in Luz’s body, though, King channels his inner Bill Cipher and wreaks havoc on Bonesborough. I could tell Alex Hirsch was having a blast doing this. Too bad it ends up backfiring on him just like it does with Eda and Luz.

Lesson Learned and Another Clue?

In the end, the trio each learns to stop giving each other grief over their lives, they escape their pursuers, and the Freaky Friday ends with Luz stuck with cleaning Hooty. However, while it seems inconsequential now, Lilith’s talk with Luz in Eda’s body did reveal some more info about Eda’s past.

From what Lillith said, Eda wanted to join the Emperor’s Coven as much as her sister did when they were kids. For some reason, though, she was unable to control her magic, which likely killed her dream and led to her current lifestyle. We’ve already seen how her curse inhibits her magic; could that also be the cause of her potentially destructive capabilities? The mysteries keep coming, and I love them.

So, this whole freaky friday episode wasn’t my favorite one of the show thus far. However, I’m going to weigh my judgement carefully. I’ve learned that once a show you love is over, you tend to better enjoy the episodes that do little to advance the plot. I’m probably going to end up watching it again once it comes out on Disney+.

I Give “Once Upon a Swap” a 3.5/5

Stray Observations

• Thanks to a post on Instagram, I can’t help but think that Boscha’s what it would be like if Tom Lucitor and Janna from Star vs. had a kid, only meaner.
• How did Lilith not recognize that Luz was in Eda’s body. Their voices didn’t change, it’s an obvious sign.
• Eda in King’s body gave me some very confusing emotions. Wendie Malick is a great actress!

Click here to see my other animation stuff.