“King’s Tide” Almost Broke Me

The Owl House Season 2, Episode 21 Review

Well, that just happened. Fans knew that the season finale to The Owl House would be very dark going into it. Yet no one expected things to end on such a bleak note for everyone. While not as epic as “True Colors,” “King’s Tide” hits just as hard. Warning: everything that can go wrong does go wrong in this episode. 

The Day of Unity Begins

The moment everyone’s dreaded for weeks has arrived: the Day of Unity is here, and the heroes have one desperate plan to stop it. Using Eda’s curse, they intend to corrupt the draining spell before it can kill everyone. However, as we learned last week, Belos is well aware of the rebellion’s plans, and without Luz to warn them, things derail.

While we don’t know most of the Coven Heads outside of the few introduced, it is still genuinely sad to see them stopping Eda and the other adults. They have no clue they’re dooming themselves, and by the time the draining spell kicks in, it’s too late. One can’t help but feel bad for them, even if a few deserve it. The only one who escapes is Eda, thanks to Raine keeping their promise to Luz. But that’s not even the worst.

Luz vs. Belos, Round Two

As per Luz’s plan, she faces off against Belos once more, and while her magic has improved, she’s still no match for his centuries of training as he prepares to return to Earth. Fortunately, Luz manages to outsmart him once more. First, she flat out tells him that no one on Earth will believe his story. Moreover, even if they do, humanity will likely be disgusted by his act of genocide and see him as a monster rather than a hero. This gets Belos to let his guard down enough to brand him with his own Coven sigil, only to turn him into his true form, a monster. 

The fight between Luz and the Hexside group (including Hunter), while not on the level as Anne vs. Andrias or the Calamity Trio vs. the Core, is still pretty epic. The heroes hold nothing back and were it anyone else, Belos would fall. However, it’s still no use, as they need someone stronger. For better or worse, King ends up finding that someone: the Collector.

King’s Tide: Freeing the Collector

Having used the Collector for his knowledge, Belos then, predictably, betrayed him by not setting him free. What follows confirms everything fans guessed. Firstly, King is the son of the Titan that now makes up the Boiling Isles. Secondly, the Collector’s not a witch or demon, but a godlike being from the stars themselves. Thirdly, they get let out, but by King instead of Belos, who they proceed to splatter against the walls. 

If Belos represents the Devil, then the Collector is an avatar of Chaos on par with Bill Cipher, albeit not as malicious. It’s hard to get a grasp of the Collector, as while they easily stop the draining spell, all they’re concerned with is having fun. From the fan’s perspective, he’s like Majiin Buu: unbelievably powerful but doesn’t get what he’s doing is hurting people. And Luz and her friends can’t do anything to stop him as he decides to remake the Boiling Isles into his play place, forcing the kids to escape through the door to Earth, leaving King and everyone else behind.

The final moments of the episode are among the lowest in a show that’s already given fans plenty of low points. Luz tries desperately to make the door work. Gus breaks down crying, and the others barely manage to keep themselves together. All they can do is go to Luz’s house and stay with her mom as the season comes to an end.

A Bleak Ending

While this wasn’t as epic as that of “True Colors,” “King’s Tide” seems far more visceral an ending to a season. You can tell by the look on the faces of Luz and the other’s that they’re on the verge of mentally breaking down. They lost their home, Luz lost her adopted family, and there doesn’t seem to be any way to get back to the Boiling Isles. 

On a meta level, this ending is especially tough for fans. While there’s a third and final season, it consists of three 44-minute specials. Whereas Amphibia got half a season to explore Earth, The Owl House won’t have that luxury. Still, Dana promises that they will end the show on a high note, and I trust her.

There’s just so much to mentally unpack, though. “King’s Tide” ended on a massive cliffhanger, and there’s no telling what will come next. Can the Boiling Isles be saved? Will Luz have to say goodbye to the Boiling Isles when the dust settles? Will Belos return? Unfortunately, fans will have to wait and cope with fanfiction and artwork until that happens. I know I will.

I Give “King’s Tide” a 4.5/5

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