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[psychotakublabs]

The Red Knight by Ami Thompson

Updated 12/1/21 

Updated 12/31/21

Updated 1/29/22

Updated 3/12/22

Updated 4/23/2022

Updated 5/10/2022

Updated 8/13/2022

Updated 9/4/2022

Updated 10/25/2022

[psychotakublabs]

Luz’s Softness in Thanks to Them

We all knew Luz was going to have an angst arc in Thanks to Them. Her angst had been building long before then, and King’s Tide was the final straw.

Angst is popular in characters like Amity and Hunter, who act cold and mean as a result of deep pain on the inside. If they cry, it’s in secret, hidden away from anyone who might see through their confident persona. The “bad but sad boy.”

That’s not what Luz does. Luz cries multiple times in  front of others in Thanks to Them, and even has an emotional outburst in front of her teacher in classmates.

It’s the classroom scene that has a lot of people saying Luz is being “cringey,” and that they have to cover their eyes from “second-hand embarrassment.” I’ve seen post after post mocking that scene, saying Luz needs to “sit down and shut up” and that she has a “y/n complex.”

Whether a vulnerable person gets sympathy or ridicule from others is based on mysterious standards of what are acceptable and unacceptable ways to act when we are at our worst. And what is acceptable for some isn’t acceptable for others (racism and misogyny play a big role here, especially in the fandom’s response to Hunter’s over-the-top emotional displays vs Luz). 

Luz’s outburst in the classroom was highly impulsive and not something many would do, but Luz doesn’t know how to ask for help, not when she feels too guilty to confide in her friends and family.

Luz is at best passively suicidal in TTT. She doesn’t see herself as the Y/N main character, she sees herself as the selfish villain, the “evil Lucy” rather than the good witch Azura. Her self esteem is at an all time low, to where she doesn’t think she truly deserves love.

It’d be so easy to lock herself away, bottle those feelings inside and turn cold. Many thought this was the direction her character was headed in. And Luz does indeed isolate and keep her inner feelings secret.

But she remains soft and tender-hearted, constantly cheering on her friends and supporting Hunter through his hardships even when she herself is at her worst. She even lets her silliness peek through, calling a possum a “little angel.”

Despite her low self esteem, she very clearly WANTS someone to help her and intervene. She wouldn’t have had the classroom outburst if she didn’t think there was some worth in making her feelings clear, some hope that someone might respond to her and perhaps tell her something different. Which makes it even more heartbreaking when the class gives her a weirded out look and then ignores her.

If someone behaves this way in real life, it should be taken as a serious warning sign, not as a “Oh my god that’s so cringe” moment. 

You can see multiple times in the episode Luz fighting her depression, like when she goes to cuddle with Camila. When she asks Camila to let her stay in her bed, it struck me how amazing she really is for being able to do that.

Luz feels she doesn’t deserve to live, yet she still desperately wants to. She wants to hold on so much that she manages to seek comfort, despite her guilt telling her she shouldn’t be receiving it.

When I was her age and in her mental state, I didn’t have the ability to do something like that. Seeking help when you’re in that kind of state is one of the hardest things to do, and Luz does it multiple times.

For people to call her a cringey embarrassment for having an outburst is in very poor taste, and a bad sign for how we view signs of mental illness in real life.

Not everyone who angsts will be like Hunter and Amity, becoming aggressive and/or cold towards others. Not everyone can hide behind thick skin. Some become softer and more sensitive, cry more easily. The latter is in fact the healthier and often more difficult option. 

Some expected a cold, withdrawn cynic, hiding away her emotions. Instead we got a messy, tender-hearted girl desperately seeking help in impulsive outbursts.

Luz is a loving, kind, strong, beautiful disaster, and she deserves better from this fandom.

[psychotakublabs]

Hunter and Belos Grimwalkers

With “Hollow Mind” drawing near and being the crew’s favorite episode, I wanted to explore the Grimwalker theory since “Eclipse Lake”. (It has taken me months to write this theory due to my life and bad health, but here it is!). According to the synopsis of “Hollow Mind”, Hunter and Luz enter a mindscape that becomes twisted. From the promos and clip we have seen, this is related to Belos/Philip’s past and plans since they are entering his mind. This may include Hunter’s real origin of being a Grimwalker and his true purpose to Belos. In “Eclipse Lake” we see a book having ingredients of creating Grimwalkers, which seems to be clones. Because of the similarity to Hunter (nose and eyes) and unknown origins, it is highly speculated he is a Grimwalker and there is much evidence to prove it. However, Hunter may not be the only Grimwalker in existence.

Belos could be a partial Grimwalker. From “Elsewhere and Elsewhen” it seems Philip (who is Belos) is the creator of the Grimwalker recipe. In the past, it seems he was beginning to experiment with creating Grimwalkers (this includes resurrecting Basilisks to study their ability to drain magic). “Eclipse Lake” shows a book with ingredients to create Grimwalkers, meaning Belos/Philip were able to perfect the cloning process. At first, I thought Belos would be a full Grimwalker of Philip. Philip is human and extending his life either requires a special elixir or transferring his soul/mind into a Grimwalker. That theory seems to be debunked after “Elsewhere and Elsewhen” showed Philip’s body becoming unstable from engraving multiple Glyphs on his arm and absorbing palisman essence/magic (that seems to make the scar from Lilith’s punch grow and change color). However, there is a possibility Belos is a partial Grimwalker. His body may have changed because of the curse (height, pointy ears, and turning into a mud monster, which probably got worse from the scar). But there was a detail in “Agony of a Witch” that caught my eye: the stone heart in Belos’s throne room. Many thought this was the Titan’s heart/bile sac. However, when Belos was angered, the heart started to beat fast as if it was his own. We also saw in the book the ingredient for a heart is Galderstones and the season one poem stated “two hearts of stone”. Although Belos acquired power from Glyph magic and technology, it is very unstable and is already putting a tremendous amount of strain on his body. It also seems he never leaves the castle throughout the series. To keep his body more stable outside of draining palisman and possibly keeping drained magic, Belos created a giant Grimwalker heart to either sustain his unstable/aging body and/or storing drained magic. This makes Belos/Philip a partial Grimwalker and the giant stone heart may be a part of his body. The heart could even be a part of Day of Unity.

Hunter is a Grimwalker of Philip’s brother. The Grimwalker image from “Eclipse Lake” resembles Hunter, especially the red eyes and hook nose. We also have the statues of Philip and his brother in “Yesterday’s Lie” and a doodle image of the two brothers in “Elsewhere and Elsewhen”, all resembling Hunter. We also learned he is Belos’s “nephew” from “Hunting Palisman” but that may be false since Hunter’s past is unknown and Belos is known to fabricate stories to fit his narrative. With loads of evidence, it is highly possible Hunter is a Grimwalker of Philip’s brother.

Why would Belos create a Grimwalker of his brother? Philip never mentioned anything about his brother in the journal and in “Elsewhere and Elsewhen” Philip was defensive when Luz asked who the other character was next to Philip in the journal. Either Belos has a grudge/difficult relationship with his brother or something happened that he wishes not to speak about. In “Hunting Palisman” Belos blamed wild magic for destroying his family and that may not be completely false. Something may have happened between his brother and himself that involved magic. Especially in “Yesterday’s Lie” when Jacob the museum curator said two brothers were tricked into the Demon Realm by a witch (possibly Philip and his brother). However, it is still unknown if Philip and his brother were in the Demon Realm together in the beginning (Eclipse Lake theory) or if his brother joined him after Philip’s journey on the Boiling Isles ("Yesterday's Lie" history). However, the two were together in the Boiling Isles, something did happen between the two brothers. Now to the question of Belos creating Hunter in the image of his brother. It is unknown if Philip has always been apathetic to sacrificial offering for gain. Quite disturbing to see someone sacrifice many without remorse. From the doodle in his journal, Philip looks sad/apathetic while his brother looks happy. There is a possibility he either sees himself lesser than his brother for some reason (Lilith and Eda sister relationship similarity) or is grieving of his brother and blames himself for it. He may have made Hunter a Grimwalker of his brother out of sentiment or a grudge. In “Young Blood, Old Souls” and “Elsewhere and Elsewhen”, Philip/Belos have no issue with sacrifice if it leads to succession of his plans. Depending on how he feels about his brother, Belos has no issues sacrificing his brother’s Grimwalker (Hunter), possibly a second time or for a greater purpose. All we know is Belos created a Grimwalker of his brother for his plan for Day of Unity and his reasoning is unknown for the time being.

Whatever Belos’s reasons are for cloning his brother, he does have a purpose for Hunter. That purpose is definitely related to Day of Unity as he stated the Titan has a big plan for Hunter in “Eclipse Lake”. That is already suspicious as Philip (“Elsewhere and Elsewhen”)/Belos (“Young Blood Old Souls”) will use sacrifices to attain his goal. There is a theory that Hunter is going to be sacrificed as a vessel and that theory is likely to happen. The question is a vessel for what/who? There are a few possibilities. 1) New body for Belos/Philip. Belos’s body is starting to become more unstable because of the Glyph curse. He has only been able to stabilize because of palisman but that is becoming scarce from overharvesting. So it would make sense for Belos to acquire a new body. But why use his brother? He could have made a Grimwalker of himself. But the issue is his curse. His curse could be easily spreadable to the Grimwalker and he needs a Grimwalker close to human DNA to become transferable. There could also be an inferiority complex and by using his brother’s Grimwalker, he gains more confidence in himself. However, this is all pure speculation on my part and Belos/Philip may not need a new body after Day of Unity. 2) Resurrecting his brother. This seems highly unlikely as Belos/Philip is very apathetic. However, he did state in “Hunting Palisman” how wild magic destroyed his family and that may be true. We also saw a small doodle of the two brothers in “Elsewhere and Elsewhen” meaning he could have felt guilt at what happened to his brother and wants to resurrect him. This is only if he feels remorse and this plan seems more intricate than simple resurrection (but the series has pulled the wool over our eyes before and it’s worth mentioning. 3) Possible vessel for the Titan. There have been multiple theories of Belos wanting to resurrect the Titan. It could be possible, but there are many holes. For Day of Unity, he only wants to transport the skull and uses his connection to the Titan as a ruse to gain favor of the citizens. Besides having a powerful monster on your side, there isn’t much the Titan can offer, especially if it’s been dead for a while. Honestly, this theory is less likely as there is no purpose in resurrecting a being long gone and Hunter’s body may not be able to house it. 3) Used as a vessel for the draining spell. After learning about this spell in “Them’s The Breaks, Kid”, its main function is to drain Coven witches of their magic and to draw it at the eclipse. This will probably activate the modified portal door to unite the realms. The spell will be drained from the Coven brands on witch’s wrists, transferred to the 9 heads, and use a single point towards the eclipse. However, if the portal door is moved, how will Belos harness that magic in a single point. That single point will be Hunter, since Belos had plans on using him for Day of Unity. With Hunter being a powerless witch, he would be able to absorb the magic. However, this will put tremendous strain on his body and definitely kill him. This could also coincide with Belos needing a new body and may have a plan to keep Hunter’s body intact. Basically a two birds with one stone scenario. Whichever is used, Hunter is doomed to be a vessel for Belos’s plan on Day of Unity.

Hunter is definitely a Grimwalker and Belos could possibly be a partial Grimwalker to keep himself alive. “Hollow Mind” is drawing near and with promos, clips, and photos, we will be exploring Belo’s past and intentions with Hunter and Luz. This will also include the mysterious purple kid, who is quite possibly young Philip. The kid is sporting a wooden Belos mask and in “Understanding Willow” there is always an inner self. This young Philip/Belos may help us understand his plan as well as tell us his true intentions for the Boiling Isles. Belos has created a false narrative and erased history to paint himself as the savior and rightful ruler to create the current magic system. In “Through the Looking Glass Ruins” Philip wanted to harness the Titan’s power just to create a portal door, but in “Elsewhere and Elsewhen” we learn it’s to put  his plan to fruition. We also had a foreshadowing of “Hollow Mind” in “Yesterday’s Lie”. When meeting the trio of campers, the fortune teller said, “a past connection has left a mark on your soul and is asking you to shed your old ways and enter a metamorphosis! Becoming the spiritual leader you were meant to be.” This could possibly be Hunter starting to fully realize Belos’s plans and finally rethink his whole worldview/thoughts to save the Boiling Isles. This won’t be immediate as future titles are hinting that Day of Unity is still happening. Either way, Hunter will figure out he is a Grimwalker of Belos/Philip’s brother to be used as a vessel for Day of Unity and possibly find out about how Belos became Belos, possibly being a partial Grimwalker.

[psychotakublabs]

SPOILERS from the new ep but I can't bleieve my theory was somewhat on the mark!!!!

Day of Unity

“Hunting Palisman” gives us a glimpse at what “Day of Unity” is. However, Belos is manipulative and secretive. There seems to be something hidden within “Day of Unity” that only Belos is aware of. The basic premise of his plan does hold some truths but there is more to it than we realize, but it has yet to be revealed. Something sinister is happening and “Day of Unity” seems more like a calamity.

What We Know

In the meeting with the nine Coven leaders, Kikimora states the “Day of Unity” is to purify wild magic under the Coven system by the will of the Titan. Belos rewards the leaders by giving a vision of “Day of Unity”. The blue flames show the Titan’s eye socket glowing while time passes and merges with the Human Realm with an eclipse above. During the vision, Belos monologues his plan of unifying the two realms to create a utopia where only the worthy shall claim and be free of wild magic as well as having more power to unite the realms by having more followers in Covens. From the episode and multiple analysis/breakdown videos “Day of Unity” is merging the Human and Demon Realm to nullify wild magic and make the Coven system the new natural law of magic.

Something Fishy

Let’s talk about purifying wild magic. Purifying doesn’t necessarily mean to clean. Belos wants a world free of wild magic, so purifying wild magic probably means to eliminate or nullify wild magic. However, according to Eda from “Adventures in the Elements” wild magic is a gift from the Titan. Magic comes from the Titan and wild magic, like Luz’s glyphs, harness magic around the Titan. To rid the Boiling Isles of wild magic means to rid all magic in general. With “Day of Unity” that can be made possible. The Human Realm has no magic. In “Young Blood, Old Souls”, Luz couldn’t cast her glyph magic because there was no magic to harness in the Human Realm. By merging the Boiling Isles in a realm with no magic, he can eliminate wild magic by getting rid of magic all together.

However, wild witches could still perform magic using their bile sacs. Although the main purpose of using wild magic is to use alternative magic spells by harnessing magic around the Titan, wild witches still have bile sacs they can use to perform magic. In Belos’s society, wild witches is more of a label used for witches who do not join a Coven. Instead of joining a Coven that limits your magic, wild witches roam free and use magic without restrictions. If “Day of Unity” only eliminates magic from the Titan, wild witches can still perform wild magic using their bile sacs. Lilith was able to perform her magic in the Human Realm in “Young Blood, Old Souls” because she has a bile sac with stored magic. So how do you stop wild witches, outside of being captured or petrified, to stop using wild magic? The answer is quite simple: the Coven system.

During the meeting Kikimora stated wild magic would be purified under the Coven system and Belos said the more Coven members that join the more power they have to unite the Human Realm. Now the Coven system is a system Belos created where witches who join can only perform the magic from their chosen Coven and are restricted from other types of magic. That purpose is true but there may be more to that system than just restricting magic. Belos mentioned only the worthy will inherit a utopia free of wild magic. But how is one worthy or chosen to keep magic? It’s simple: the Coven system itself. The tattoos or brands (not from actually branding just as a  permanent logo) Covens place does seal other forms of magic except magic related to the joined Coven. However, what if having that tattoo and joining a Coven ensures you keep your magic? The worthy are the Coven witches who get to keep their magic while wild witches lose all their magic. This does not mean they can perform all magic, it just means they can keep the magic of their chosen Coven. (Side note: this would explain why we are seeing more of those tattoos/brands from other characters in Season 2). By stripping all magic from the Titan and wild witches, the Coven system becomes the new law of magic and changes magic in the new merged realms.

Belos

Before we get into why this “Day of Unity” is bad, let’s talk about Belos for a moment. From what we know in “Hunting Palisman” Belos has a severe hatred for wild magic. So much, even getting help from wild magic makes him sneer or lash out. This could be because his family, according to Belos, was destroyed because of wild magic. Because of this incident, Belos has a deep seeded hatred for wild magic. It is still unknown what exactly happened as Belos does not share his past with anyone and lashes out when asked. All we know is his family and Belos were affected by wild magic, most likely by a curse, witches causing chaos, or something in the family utilizing wild magic gone wrong. What happened in the past caused him to hate wild magic to the point he wants to get rid of it.

“The Day of Unity” may not be pure evil. At least Belos’s intentions may not be evil. The damage done by the Savage Ages does seem possible because everyone was ready to follow Belos’s ideals without question. However, some information regarding wild magic during the Savage Ages was restricted or rewritten to fit the narrative of Belos being a messiah (whether he truly believes he is a messiah or lying to keep control). Like some villains in media (Thanos, Toffee, etc), he could be planning “Day of Unity” because he believes it will do good for the Boiling Isles to be rid of wild magic. From his experience, he doesn’t want others to suffer the same fate he did. By eliminating wild magic, Belos thinks he is saving the Boiling Isles. Much like Hunter and himself, he wants to live in a world where witches like him can thrive or at least have a chance at survival. This includes eliminating Belos’s curse since wild magic will be gone. While making a deal with Luz in “Young Blood, Old Souls”, Belos said he does not wish invasion on the Human Realm. Maybe Belos did want peace between the two realms by getting rid of wild magic and creating a utopia for witches to thrive.

Although I say his intentions may not be evil, this does not justify his actions. He created a society that forced conformity and those who did not were either imprisoned or petrified. Some of those witches or residents could have been innocent. Let’s not forget the damage he has done to the Boiling Isles. He overharvested Palestrom wood to keep his curse in check, killing innocent creatures, rewrote history to fit his narrative, and being abusive and manipulative to Hunter. He may not even be a messiah as he lied about sparing Eda because of the Titan and the Season 2 incomplete secret message (Seething Seas and Puppet String, He). Also what will happen to witches who have yet to join a Coven on “Day of Unity”? There are students who have not joined yet. Will Belos and the Emperor’s Coven force them to join before “Day of Unity” or will their magic be stripped without a choice? Either way it puts the students in grave danger and Belos will not give them a choice. Whether Belos’s intentions are for the greater good, his actions such as using manipulation and fear to control the Boiling Isles as well as being secretive of his plans does not justify anything that has been done in the present in the Demon Realm and to others.

Belos could have used other ways to stop wild magic from going amok and doing something good without using fear and manipulation. He could have used his influence and experience to warn others of the consequences of wild magic and maybe embrace wild magic like Eda. Instead of erasing or rewriting history, Belos could have written about the consequences of using wild magic wrongly instead of demonizing the practice and created a system to stop wild witches from using it for bad intentions. I am not talking about a Coven system, but a society that embraces all forms of magic and maybe making a task force to stop wild witches from hurting others. He could even find a cure for his curse or used his experience and curse as a story to show other witches what happens when wild magic is used for bad or misdirected intentions. Belos could have created a peaceful society embracing individual magic and less chaos from wild magic. Instead his hatred from wild magic led him to a society built on forced conformity, ruling as a dictator, harming others with manipulation and fear, and creating a plan to merge two realms to get rid of magic. Again even if his intentions are good, this further proves the fact his actions and behavior are not justified.

Day of Unity Not Good

Whatever intentions Belos has with “Day of Unity” it sounds more an apocalypse than a utopia. And not just from the screams in the vision. First off, forcing two realms together without contact with each other is going to cause chaos and panic. Especially with a giant skeleton full of demons, witches, monsters, and beasts that will most likely scare every human in Connecticut. There is also the fact humans outnumber the Boiling Isles but witches outpower the humans. This is going to cause chaos with both realms and may even start a war.

Then we have the question of what will happen to the witches, wild or Coven, during and after the “Day of Unity”. Belos stated the more followers a Coven has, the more power they have to unite the realms. Meaning he could be using Coven members as a power source for the “Day of Unity”. Wild witches will lose their magic all together. In “The First Day” we saw the effects of having magic drained and it places a physical toll on the body. “Day of Unity” could have dire physical consequences to all witches because it gets rid of magic all together. Coven witches could be weakened because of their magic being limited permanently and wild witches would be defenseless and weak because all their magic is gone. This could put witches in serious danger against humans in the Human Realm because of their weakened state.

What will happen to the ecosystem and residents of the Boiling Isles after “Day of Unity”? With no magic, it could affect certain creatures and plants from the Demon Realm. There are leaks from the two realms caused by Titan’s Blood, but there was still magic in the Demon Realm and anything from the Boiling Isles that leaked into the Human Realm were dismissed as myths. With the two realms combined, how will the plants and animals thrive with no magic? Some creatures from the Boiling Isles do not require magic to thrive, but how will they survive in the Human Realm? Then we have the residents. There seem to be some who do not use magic and would not have been affected by the loss of magic. However, some may not be able to cope with the sudden merge. Especially since humans have negative connotations with demons and will become hostile. The ecosystem and residents of the Demon Realm will drastically change and either adapt or will face consequences without doing anything.

Whatever happens in “Day of Unity” we can all agree it’s not good. Belos is a manipulative and secretive person who uses fear and control to make his plan a reality. Even if we got the basics of “Day of Unity” I believe there is something Belos is hiding from everyone. Honestly, “Day of Unity” sounds more like “Day of Calamity”. We will learn more in future episodes.

Like to credit Roundtable (“The Golden Guard and Luz Team Up! Hunting Palisman Breakdown”), Cartoon Universe (“The Day of Unity and The Witches Coven Leaders Explained: The Owl House Breakdown and Analysis!”), and Charles J. Thomas (“What You Missed in Hunting Palisman”) for their theories that helped me break down and polish this one. Please comment on what you guys think “Day of Unity” I would love to hear your input!

[psychotakublabs]

Emira knowing healing magic hits so much harder in the context of Blight parent’s neglect and abuse.

Though we don’t see much of Edric and Emira post-Through the Looking Glass Ruins, the twins make a full return in Reaching Out, the A plot of the episode centering on Amity and Luz’s relations with their respective fathers and the B plot of the episode dealing with Edric’s feelings of inadequacy as he uses his varying skillsets to aid Eda in her quest recover Raine. While Amity and Edric take a prominent role in the episode, both independently working through some of the trauma related to their abuse, Emira takes a more passive role, supporting her siblings (and Luz) through her use of healing spells - a skill viewers were previously unaware that she possessed. It’s through this skill that viewers are once again presented with the responsibility Emira has assumed in Alador and Odalia’s absence.

At this point in the series, viewers are well aware of the chaos that follows Edric and Amity. From Edric crafting illegal fireworks, to Amity playing a contact sport, being used to demonstrate at her parent’s weapons showcase, and involving herself in dangerous situations to support Luz, one can only assume that the two come home banged up fairly often.

Coupled with the knowledge that Odalia and Alador are at best neglectful unless for self-serving purposes, the fact that Emira went out of her way to learn healing spells speaks volumes to her character and the gravity of the situation. While episodes like Adventures in the Elements and Through the Looking Glass Ruins do a good job of exemplifying the varying ways she’s previously stepped up to assume a protective and responsible role for her siblings’ benefit (e.g., looking after Edric, encouraging Amity’s growth as both a witch and a person), Reaching Out highlights the extent to which she has embodied it.

At this point, I think its worth noting that while the personal impacts of Odalia and Alador’s abuse have not been directly highlighted for Emira as they now have been for Amity and Edric, they have been hinted at on multiple occasions. This mainly is conveyed through Emira pleas to “[not] tell mom” of her involvement in situations that could lead to punishment. Most jarring in its potential to be overlooked however, comes just seconds after Edric is gifted a “Bad Girl Coven” shirt from Eda. Quickly taking the stage, Emira delivers a somewhat comedic yet passionate plea: “I want a shirt too!”

“How is this indicative of abuse?” you might ask? Because for Emira, its more than just a “Bad Girl Coven” shirt and comedic plea. It’s a symbol of hope and a vocal desire to be recognized. It’s an opportunity to belong to a family with an adult who cares and a need to let go. It’s a want to be heard and a chance to heal as she has healed others. It’s an open door to a mentally, physically, and emotionally healthier tomorrow.

While I could go on, I’ll close this out by saying, Emira, like her siblings, deserves way better than the abuse she’s been dealt and certainly deserves more than having to parent in her parent’s absence. And though there not a single part of me that doubts that Edric and Amity show Emira they care, Emira deserves to feel like she has someone she can fall back on.

And with that, while I know time is limited, I really hope at some point this season we get to see Emira have her “shirt” moment too.

[psychotakublabs]

TOH Spoilers below 👇

This episode had so many good moments but this one was by far my favorite. Not many shows talk about death, grieve, and mourning and TOH did so well. It didn't shy away from the topic and it's important that children and adults see this. Heck I'm 27 and nearly bawled my eyes out because I can relate to Luz on ignoring her issues and grieving for a family member (especially when you are far away). It's a serious topic and TOH nailed it perfectly.

It also showcases Amity and Luz’s relationship which is by far the most healthy and realistic relationship I have seen on media. Amity and Luz showing the ups and downs of a relationship. The fact Luz didn't tell Amity about her conflict and were able to be open about it is so good. It's also great for Luz to know she has a support system. Even when Amity didn't understand, she still made sure she was listening and to help Luz. Communication is important but can be hard for some. Lumity!

Honestly, this is my favorite episode so far. However, it bring up some stuff up. So be warned if this triggers you in anyway, take a break and take care of yourself. Great episode but can be much for some and that's valid. Cannot wait for the next episode!

[psychotakublabs]

The way my poor babies first reaction is to tense up when they think they’re boutta get it is heart breaking 🥺

[psychotakublabs]

TOH Spoilers Below 👇

I am so happy Willow got the episode she deserved! We got to see her development with confidence and gusto in the episode. She is finally becoming the witch she wamts to be and finding her interests with no fear. She is such a team player and recruits people who were misjudged by appearances but she saw the potential they all have (Skara the strategists, Gus the speed demon, Viney the healer, and Hunter the flyer). She gives chances to others when others wouldn't. I also love how she still doubts herself. She was bullied for years because she was a late bloomer. So she will still doubt herself because of those experiences, but she js getting better at pushing through. She even is willing to give Hunter another chance because both were outcasts who had to prove themselves as well as knowing him on a more bonding level. She was able to bond with Hunter and keep it which will be good for Hunter to interact with other people. Willow was the superstar in this episode and it makes me happy to see her develope!

[psychotakublabs]

TOH Spoilers Below 👇

I honestly did not see this coming! Darius is now an interesting character. He does work for Belos as the Abomination Coven Head but he doesn't devote his entire existence to the EC unlike Hunter. He did look down on him but opened up to him about making friends his own age and outside the castle. It's good for Hunter because he needs a good adult role model. Darius encourages him to venture out and find his own thing instead of devoting his life to the EC. Especially since Belos does not treat Hunter well, to the point of abuse and grooming. Whereas Darius encourages Hunter to be his own person and make friends. Even willing to keep secrets from Belos, which is scary. I wanna see more of Darius interacting with Hunter and see the other Coven Heads and their personalities.

[psychotakublabs]

TOH spoilers below 👇

This episode was so good! So many more thoughts but I can't without making a 10 page essay! It was fun watching the episode and I can't stop rewatching!

[psychotakublabs]

Belos Prepared Everything

With the information given about Philip in “Elsewhere and Elsewhen”, there is something strange. We learned Philip is Belos due to Lilith’s recognition of his manipulation and seeing him absorb palisman magic to keep his imprinted Glyph curse from going haywire, From Philip’s actions in the episode he is manipulative, smart, has a deep hatred for witches, and willing to do anything to keep his plan in fruition. This is a man who is thorough in his planning. However there are some odd discrepancies in Belo’s/Philip’s actions and events throughout the series.

There are a few things throughout the series that would hinder Belo’s plan. First we have the journal left in the library. Belos’s past is a mystery and he would want it to keep it that way to hide his identity as Philip. However, Luz got that knowledge from Gwendolyn and was able to use the echo mouse to gather information about Philip and create the portal door. This increases the chance of exposing his identity. Next we have the portal door. Philip was able to create a portal to the Human and Demon Realm. Meaning he could have returned home, but it seems he has bigger plans. But how would he lose the portal door if it was crucial to Day of Unity? Also the door was buried in the Clawthorne estate where Eda found it. The fact Eda is a known criminal who sells human items, Belos could have captured her or procured the door easily. There are other discrepancies such as letting the main characters get away with crimes according to his society, letting Hunter go on missions and roaming around instead of hiding him, not chasing after Lilith after her betrayal, and ignoring/destroying potential obstacles that don’t make sense. Why make an elaborate plan when there are many obstacles to stop or hinder it?

What if Belos purposefully created those discrepancies because it was all part of his plan? Belos buried the portal at the Clawthorne estate to have Eda find it and travel between realms. Years later, Luz enters the Demon Realm. Belos waited for Eda to be captured and Luz to return the portal door to him. Since he had no use for them, he set them free and created a lie to favor his rule over the citizens. Then he assigns Hunter to random missions which could prepare him for Day of Unity. He donated his journal for Luz to find it. Because Luz wants to learn more about the portal, She and Lilith go back in time to meet Philip. The journal seems to be missing information, and from Philip’s betrayal, he could have purposefully left information out and created a fake narrative  to lure Luz and Lilith Not only does he learn about the light Glyph from Luz, but was able to acquire a device to communicate with The Collector thanks to Lilith and Luz. All these discrepancies are not hindering his plan, but were a part of his plan all along. This would explain his calm demeanor to all these hindrances and why they are not a top priority to stop these obstacles.

How would this be possible if Philip is a human with no magical powers outside his Glyphs? Although he has multiple combinations, there doesn’t seem to be one to see the future. Other witches wouldn’t help him because he is human and seems to have a bad reputation. There is a way he could prepare with a plan: The Collector. The Collector was not a part of creating the portal door, but for him to help Philip’s plan. It is still unknown who or what The Collector is but he seems to be a being of great power. Powerful enough for Philip to seek to help with his plan. Since The Collector is related to astrology (stars, sun, and moon) there is a possibility he could have helped Belos with seeing the future or predictions of future events. This does not mean time travel but seeing the future or using predictions to help his plan. Hence how he was able to prepare everything. However, this power is not full proof. In “Young Blood and Old Souls” , he did not expect Luz to stab his mask and destroy the portal door. It seems there are obstacles he cannot foresee even with The Collector’s help. It could be that The Collector can only foresee certain events and Belos's sight from The Collector or some Glyph magic could be limited. Even with certain hiccups, Belos still concocted everything from the beginning to bring his plan to fruition.

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Spoilers below for "Elsewhere and Elsewhen". Just my thoughts below

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So recounting "Yesterday's Lie" and the diary entry from Dana’s charity stream, there is something interesting. Luz points out from Philip's journal entry that getting the ingredients for the portal door was easy but building it was hard. Despite Philip being very smart and making schematics of the door, he wasn't able to create the portal door.

In the diary entry, Luz pointed out Philip may have had help. The question is who? It couldn't have been his brother since he does not mention him. There doesn't seem to be any witch of that era who would help with the schematics.

But there is a species that could help with building the door: King’s species. In "Echoes of the Past", the tower had a lot of technological advancements. Even Lilith commented how ancient this tech was but from the episode it seems advanced to be security.

It's possible King’s kind was able to create the mechanical constructions of the door and Philip gathered the ingredients. Hence the portal door was created. This could also lead to the hiding of King’s species if Belos did something to them during King’s incubation. King’s kind and the portal door could be linked somehow.

But we will hopefully get a hint in the next episode "Elsewhere and Elsewhen".

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Hey everyone! I will be making theories, analyses, etc soon. Sadly the last couple weeks I've had low back pain and it got worse cuz my job didn't listen to my first modified work .... It wasn't until I was crying at work and my other manager did I go home and was told I am on temporary disability. My doc says I have SI joint sprain. The pain is so bad I can't sit down for more than 10 minutes without searing pain. I'll make more stuff do not worry but the pain is physically exhausting and mentally draining. I hope ya guys understand.

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TOH Spoilers below! Cutting it because I don't wanna spoil anybody! These are just my thoughts on "Follies of the Coven Day Parade".

These are just all my thoughts from the episode. It was a good episode and a great way to start off! I'm looking forward to next week!!!! Remember tag spoilers please!

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If ya guys want to check more stuff check out my Twitter!

Welp gonna log of to prep for thr premieres! Toodles

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Okay this one was a doozy to get into! The post already has enough said but I'll get into it a little bit!

First off, I believe "Hollow Mind" will be like "Understanding Willow" but instead of repairing something, it'll be either looking for info or Hunter trying to prove a point. The background for the screenshot of Hunter and Luz in the palace looks weird as the celing and other side in front is pitch black despite having lit torches. It shouldn't be that dark. At first I thought it would be an underground area in the palace, but why hide paintings depicting yourself as the savior? It makes no sense at it makes Belos look more like the savior of the Bolling Isles.

It wasn't until I notice this looks like something from "Understanding Willow". In Willows mind, she has trees holding paintings of her memories because she is into Plant magic. Belos having the palace as his mind's background makes sense because he is the emperor and that's his identity.

Now if this is inside Belos's mind, two important figures will appear. First is the mystery kid who has a mask similar to Belos. This maybe either Belos's younger self or someone from his past. They will playban important role of helping Hunter and Luz figuring out Belos's past. The second js Inner Belos who sports multiple eyes and a cosmic body. This could be Inner Belos rage or instinct of being threatened much like Inner Willow being on fire. Inner Belos will be the main conflict in this episode as Inner beings in one's mind is usually to protect their host's mind.

Let's also not forget the fortune telling girl's first fortune in "Yesterday's Lie". Took me months to figure out what and I can only think of Belos becauae of the spiritual leader bit. This may have been a hint or foreshadow of Belos's past. It would make sense, especially since TOH is very well known for foreshadowing.

Now if this theory does hold merit, then this episode is going to be a lore dump of Belos's past. Learning the truth this will change how Hunter see's Belos and Luz either becomes fearful of his plan or in conflict with it as it does help her situation. However the episode turns out, it is definitely going to be one of the most eery and frightening episodes yet and I'm all for it!!!