Owl House Spoiler Recap: Follies at the Coven Day Parade
We have survived the hiatus! The Owl House is back with “Follies at the Coven Day Parade,” and boy, was it a doozy of an episode! There was so much packed into these twenty-two minutes, so let’s get started breaking all of this down.
The writing of Luz and Amity’s relationship gets stronger with every episode. Something this crew is so good at is not falling into outdated and harmful tropes. Amity has a suspicion that Luz is lying to her about whether or not Luz talked to her mom in “Yesterday’s Lie.” Amity’s worries about the entire situation would make it easy to take the wrong path. She could have invaded Luz’s privacy after finding Luz’s phone with a video to her mom. It would have not only broken Luz’s trust, but it would also give Amity reason to be upset for Luz lying. It’s a plot that’s not necessary and a very overused writing trope in media.
These writers are better than that though. In “Follies at the Coven Day Parade,” we see their skill on display. Instead of causing needless drama, these cute girlfriends instead showcased healthy communication. Amity didn’t look at Luz’s phone. Instead, she asked Luz directly in a supportive manner and put the power in Luz’s hands whether or not to open up. There is also no lie dragged out for episodes to blow up later at some heightened moment. Lumity is a relationship built on trust. It is way healthier than a lot of relationships on television! Drama does not need to come from tropes. The world and situation are enough for that. It’s quite a fresh take showing the right way to handle this kind of situation.
One heartbreaking moment is Luz’s remembering her conversation with her mother in “Yesterday’s Lie.” Or should I say misremembering. One eagle-eyed Twitter user spotted this.
Camlia’s dialogue from the last episode has been slightly changed. What Camila said sounded more like her own regret as a single mom and not being there for her daughter. What Luz heard and remembers is way harsher! In her memories, Luz heard her mom making her swear to stay on Earth and never return to the Boiling Isles.
This is what sets up the drama of the episode. Luz feels torn between the two worlds she is now part of. It’s such a subtle change and a good writing choice. It’s also so realistic! People don’t remember every single word of a conversation. They remember the emotions and the impact the words left them with. And like the Lumity relationship, it’s not a choice we often see especially in all-ages shows. This moment completely changes the emotional context of Camila and Luz. This small change is a big setup for the rest of the season.
It was also really nice to see Willow and Amity have a moment to start repairing their broken friendship. We last really delved into this past in “Understanding Willow.” I hope this is the beginning of a Willow arc. While Gus got his big episode of the season, Willow has been pretty much sidelined for a good chunk of season two. I’ve wondered what’s been going through her mind. Her best friend, Luz, is now dating her ex-bully, Amity. There has to be a ton of churning emotions with Willow. I hope we get some insight from her. Though, it’s very sweet that Amity is the one that gives Willow her new hairstyle that she’ll be sporting for the rest of the season.
I love Eda and Raine! I am like Luz and my little shipper heart bursts for this sweet, dorky duo!
When we last saw Raine in “Eda’s Requiem,” they had sacrificed themself to save Eda from Darius, Eberwolf, and Kikimora. As the head of the rebellion, it was assumed that a horrible fate had befallen them.
It turns out that Raine is out in the open for everyone to see. But it’s quickly established that something isn’t quite right with them. Raine seems to love the emperor and is all gung-ho about the Day of Unity. They’re quick to question Kikimora when she’s acting reluctant about the Coven Day parade. Raine is completely obedient to Terra Snapdragon, the Plant Coven leader introduced this week. And whenever Raine tries to remember anything from the last month and their time with Eda, they’re hit with horrible headaches. Terra presses them to drink tea when this happens.
Raine is being mind-controlled by Terra.
What’s worse is when Eda faces Raine in a fight. She knows there is something wrong with them, but she has no idea what it is. This also shows Eda’s love too. She knows Raine, and she knows this is not the witch who was already rebelling before she ever reunited with them. It’s what drives her to try and get through to them.
Their fight is another example of the subtlety of this episode, especially in the animation. Every time Eda challenges Raine’s new dogma, they start to sweat. She lets them listen to their song, and they look confused. Raine holds back in the fight, not actually wanting to hurt Eda. Most importantly when Eda is forced to flee, Raine cries with their back to the audience. It’s very clear that Raine is still in there, trapped deep in their own mind. They want to break out and fight back. If they were completely controlled, Raine would have captured Eda on the spot. I can only hope that Eda planted the seeds to break them free in the future.
Kikimora is interesting to me in “Follies at the Coven Day Parade.” I was not prepared to see this panicking and stress crying side of her. It does make sense. I’ve talked before about her growing paranoia over the course of the season. Added pressure from her family piles on her to Kiki’s breaking point. She is cutthroat in the Emperor’s Coven like when she tried to kill Hunter. Seeing this softer side did help give her character new shading that I appreciated.
As one of the last higher-ups in Emperor Belos’ inner circle, Kikimora’s slow descent into paranoia is a look at the villains’ side of the Day of Unity. It has to be perfect. Anyone who steps out of line will be tossed out. The time for mistakes is over. This applies to everyone, as we saw Hunter’s full-on mania in “Eclipse Lake.” All the higher-ups are feeling the pressure. They’re all starting to break down mentally and emotionally. Watching Kiki and Hunter falling to pieces should be a warning of something sinister coming.
Especially with Kikimora’s loyalty getting tested by the newly introduced Terra Snapdragon. It’s always fun meeting a new Coven Head, and Terra is no exception. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love a good villain. Not only is Terra fabulous, but she’s ruthless and deadly. “Follies at the Coven Day Parade” was just a taste of what she is capable of.
But Terra’s arrival gave me a lot more questions than answers, especially as one plot point was brought up. Terra tells Luz that Emperor Belos is looking forward to meeting her. But Luz and Belos have already met, something Amity is quick to point out. That has to mean one of two things:
One, Belos lied to Terra and is hiding his previous encounter with Luz. Which would fit his character. He is a known liar. Two, and the far more sinister of my theories, what if Terra is mind-controlling Belos? What if she is the true mastermind? Or maybe all the Coven Heads are the Big Bads which is why they’re watching Kikimora, someone in Belos’ inner circle.
Every episode of The Owl House has a hidden code for each episode. At the time of writing this article, the current code is “Seething seas and puppet strings, he no longer dreams of kings…” Maybe Belos is the one on the puppet strings. We know that Terra is controlling Raine. While Darius and Eberwolf seem loyal, what if Terra is already controlling them too? Perhaps all the Coven Heads are actually puppeting Belos and he’s the fall guy for their machinations. That would be a crazy twist if Belos was a puppet king the entire time!
It’ll be interesting to see whether or not my theory works out. Either way, Terra Snapdragon is a scary new villain who is not here to play around.
I find the lack of communication among the villains truly fascinating. It also feels very purposeful from the writers. These baddies are ready to throw each other under the bus at a moment’s notice. The factions are also starting to become more apparent. From what we saw in “Eda’s Requiem” and now this week in “Follies at the Coven Day Parade,” Darius, Eberwolf, and Terra do not like or trust Kikimora. The feeling is mutual as Kiki is becoming paranoid around them. Hunter is clearly hiding a huge secret that he now has a palisman.
It makes me wonder how much Belos knows about his own day-to-day operations. Season one implied that Belos is omniscient of a certain extent. I have to believe that is only inside of his castle. Raine rebelled for months before Eda joined up with them. Hunter has had his palisman for some time. Kikimora teamed up with the heroes this week. If Belos was truly omniscient, he would have seen all of these occur. There is also the reasoning that he just doesn’t care about these little things. Big Bads often have that attitude. But I’m starting to get the feeling that Belos isn’t as powerful as we think he is. Don’t get me wrong; he definitely a strong witch who smacked down Lilith, King, and Luz with no problem.
He’s also a pro at wielding propaganda, something we’ve seen for two seasons now. The removal of his mask at the end of the episode is a deliberate chess piece. Whether or not he knows what the Coven Heads, Kiki, or Hunter are up to, it doesn’t matter anymore. He has the citizens behind him. While Luz, Eda, and their friends have their loyal supporters too, Belos is reaching a point where he can do no wrong in the eyes of the population. He’s becoming more than a person. Belos has become an idea.
And ideas are the hardest kinds of villains to stop.
Random thoughts to round out Follies at the Coven Day Parade:
-LET EDA SAY CURSE WORDS!
-Raine’s favorite movie is Die Bard 2, and I love this sweet dork. I can’t wait for them to get rescued!
-I adored Edric’s quick scene of selling fireworks to King. Season two is starting to give us more scenes of Ed and Emira separated. I want to see them develop on their own more as separate characters.
-HOOTY’S BEEN AROUND FOR ROMANCE! I need that story.
-I love Hooty, but somehow this crew finds new ways to make him the most horrifying character on this show. I never ever want to see Hooty do laundry ever again.
-I adore the float that our heroes build this week. I would love to have that as a plush.
-Speaking of the float, HOOTY AND KING’S CHAOS IS THE GREATEST MOMENT OF THE EPISODE.
-I love the idea of Principal Bump keeping the hand dragon at his house. I hope it was just a big lap dog of a pet who would smother Bump in affection.
- There is a sweet moment of Kiki and Raine talking and joking together. It made me wonder if they were once friends before the pressure of the Emperor came down on them.
-I highly suggest checking out WhitneyVision on YouTube. Whitney does an awesome job comparing Belos’ plan for the Day of Unity to a lot of the iconography of King’s palace in “Echoes of the Past.” It’s a fascinating watch!
“Follies at the Coven Day Parade” was an amazing way for The Owl House to come back from hiatus. While hitting on all the things that makes the series great, it also raised plenty of new questions as well. The stakes are set for the back half of this season!
