*Spoilers for seasons 1-2*

It’s time to wave a sorrowful goodbye to Dana Terrace’s “The Owl House”, which – as of  April 8th – landed indefinitely. Though “The Owl House” flew successfully from 2020-2023, it was ultimately grounded by Disney. According to a Reddit post from creator Dana Terrace, “At the end of the day, there are a few business people who oversee what fits into the Disney brand and one day one of those guys decided TOH didn’t fit that ‘brand’.” Some fans speculate the cancellation has ties to the LGBTQIA+ representation and inclusivity in the show. According to Terrace, however, the reason given to her was that “TOH’s” targeted audience didn’t fit Disney’s perceived brand. 

“I will be haunted by my actions forever. Hoot! Hoot!” This quote from character Hooty could readily apply to Disney’s decision. Enraging and upsetting fans, the show’s cancellation could leave a lasting impression on the future of their animated shows. “TOH” was granted only three episodes in its shortened third (and final) season to give fans closure. 

“The Owl House” tracks the journey of Dominican-American Luz Noceda, a fourteen-year-old teenage human who stumbles into the Demon Realm. Specifically, the Boiling Isles: a bizarre archipelago nestled in the bones of a fallen Titan. There, she meets the Owl Lady Edalyn (Eda) Clawthorn and the mighty but tiny demon, King. Let’s not forget Hooty, an extremely long, house-entity owl… thing. Most likely fortunate for us, Hooty’s origin will never be revealed. Having no way to return to her mother in the human realm, Luz adapts to her new, strange world under the care of Eda and her new family. She befriends Willow and Gus, both of whom are her classmates at Hexside School of Magic and Demonics. Faced with the fact that she can’t perform natural magic, she finds her own version with magic glyphs. Magic glyphs are achieved by drawing a fire, light, plant, or ice symbol on a surface, powered by the Titan. The symbols can be combined to produce an entirely different effect. Luz’s struggle to become a witch is what awkwardly introduces her to another character, Amity. Eventually, and with difficulty, she befriends and falls in love with Amity, her former enemy. More characters are introduced over time, such as Eda’s sister Lilith, mysterious Raine Whispers, and my personal favorite former Golden Guard, Hunter. All of these three undergo some kind of character development. In fact, most “TOH” characters change for the better throughout the series. Even Luz gains a boost of confidence. But there is one character, the evil emperor Belos, who only seems to only get more evil. Throughout the second season, and into the third, he develops into a literal monster. 

Long story short, Belos wants to wipe out all life on the Boiling Isles on the ‘Day of Unity’ before returning to the human realm. It turns out that he’s a human, just like Luz. Though, because he’s morally horrible, he looks the part too. By the end of the second season, he looks like gooey play-doh mixed together with antlers and multiple glowing eyes.

Season three follows up on the introduction of a new antagonist, ‘The Collector’, who remolds the boiling isles into his personal amusement park with his god-like powers. Only Luz, Amity, Willow, Gus, and Hunter manage to escape, by fleeing to the human realm in the finale of season two. The fate of the Boiling Isles is seemingly up to King, who is The Collector’s captive, and anyone else able to fight. For the most part, the demon realm has minimal hope for survival. Such a statement could possibly connect to the overall situation with Disney and “The Owl House” itself. Will the Boiling Isles’ Owl House and/or “The Owl House” show survive? The only way to know is by diving into season three.

“The Owl House” was cut short, but the potential of the show was not. Audiences are given as much closure as possible, and perhaps even a spark to continue imagining the fate of the Boiling Isles’ magical inhabitants. I’m disappointed myself that “TOH” is yet another brilliant show cancelled, reminiscent of beloved sci-fi show “Firefly”. This is a bittersweet disappointment, as “Firefly” did get a sequel movie. Perhaps there is hope for “The Owl House” in the future. Even though we have to say our goodbyes to “The Owl House” for now, the magic remains. After all, as Luz says, “Us weirdos have to stick together.”