A Witch Loses a Teacher

The Owl House Episode 18 Review

So, I went ahead and watched the new episode of The Owl House on the DisneyNOW App on my phone hours before it would air on TV. I’m glad that I did, because I would need the extra time to process what I just saw. Heck, I’m still trying to process everything! But that’s not going to stop me from writing a review of what may be the biggest episode thus far. If you haven’t seen it yet, then turn back now, because this will be filled with spoilers. Spoilers, and tears, because this episode gets very sad as a witch loses a teacher.

Emperor Belos’ Endgame

This episode marks the first appearance of the ruler of the Boiling Isles, Emperor Belos, played by Matthew Rhys. And what we see of him filled me with a mixture of fear and revulsion. He’s every bit as imposing and intimidating as many of the show’s characters have made him out to be. Given how this and the previous episode show that he was the one who started the Coven System in the first place, though, that’s to be expected. What disturbed me about him, though, is the fact that we him cut open a palisman and then pour its magical essence into his eyes, seeming to restore his power.

This scene actually reminded me of another villain I’ve seen: the Skeksis Emperor from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on Netflix. In that show, the Emperor would drain the life essence out of people so that he may drink and sustain his own life. Could Emperor Belos be doing something similar in this case to maintain his magical power? At the moment, this is just a theory, but it may explain why he wants all the witches of the Boiling Isles to submit to him. That way, none can oppose his rule and he can keep killing Palismans for himself. Either way, that man is dangerous and Eda seems right to not want to work with him.

A Witch’s Breaking Point

As we see in this episode, Eda’s curse is slowly starting to overcome her. With the elixir’s no longer working, she has to refrain from using large amounts of her magic just to keep it in check. It’s gotten to the point where Luz is beginning to worry about her. While Eda tries to brush her concern off, its evident that she appreciates how much Luz cares about her.

As a matter of fact, this episode makes it a point to show how much Luz has come to mean to Eda and King. Eda can’t help but feel proud of how much she’s grown since she stumbled into the Boiling Isles. And the way she says it is a lot like a parent speaking about their kid. I truly think that by this point, Eda sees Luz as a surrogate daughter.

Likewise, I’m sure that Luz feels the same way regarding Eda, as this episode shows. After learning her class is going on a field trip to the Emperor’s Castle, Luz’s first instinct is to slip away. Her ultimate goal is to find an artifact that can cure Eda’s curse. With help from Gus and Willow, she does find something, but we’ll never know if it would have worked. Lillith catches them in the act and captures Luz to lure Eda to the Castle. And Eda. Is. MAD!

A Shocking Revelation and The Loss of A Witch

In the battle that follows, we see just how powerful Eda truly is, and that her title as “Strongest Witch on the Boiling Isles” isn’t just for show. Even as the curse is threatening to take over, Eda still manages to keep Lilith on the defensive. In fact, the only reason Lilith even gains the upper hand is because she uses Luz as a literal human shield. It’s a cowardly move that disgusts Eda, but she still manages to protect Luz and back her sister into a corner. Then, in a fit of jealous rage, Lilith drops the biggest bombshell of the series thus far: she was the one who cursed Eda.

While we still don’t know why she did it, right now it looks like she did so out of jealousy. The ‘why’ doesn’t matter, though, as this revelation pretty much kills any sisterly bond the two had left, and sends Eda into a rage. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the woman so mad before! In the end, though, it’s not enough. Thanks to Lilith, Eda has to use too much of her magic to save Luz. In a moment that I think will leave most fans crying, Eda only has time to give a heartfelt goodbye to her beloved student, letting her know having Luz in her life meant the world to Eda.

A moment later, Eda’s in her cursed owl form, captured by Lilith, and Luz can only watch. The last thing we see is Luz being comforted by King and Hooty as she breaks down crying.

A Game-Changing Episode

I’m just to come out and say it: this episode came close to leaving me in tears. It was just the right combination of dark moments and shocking revelations to do so. And just to hammer home how serious things are, the end-credits lack the normal scene of Luz walking around the Boiling Isles. Instead, all we get is a look at the Emperor’s Castle in silence as the credits roll. The last time I saw Disney do that was three years ago with the Season Two finale for Star vs. The Forces of Evil. From the way the audience is left reeling to the silent credits, I got the exact same feeling. It wasn’t fun to have to relive.

Then there’s the fact that Lilith was the one who cursed her own sister. Whatever reasons she have had doing that, it’s still messed up on so many levels, and left me feeling disgusted with her.

With only one episode left in the season, I think we all know what Luz is going to do: she’s going to break into the Castle, rescue Eda, and find a way to remove the curse. Now, we’ve seen Luz go from a novice witch to someone fairly proficient in magic over the course of the season. And as we saw at Grom and the Grudgby match, she’s very creative with how she uses magic. But can she hope to take down Lilith, or even the Emperor himself? I don’t know, but I’ll be rooting for her all the same. Next week, Luz is going to go to war!

I Give “Agony of A Witch” A 5/5

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