Across The Spider Verse Thoughts

Across the Spider Verse Thoughts

Across the spider verse was my most anticipated movie of 2023. I came in with sky high expectations and yet somehow the movie managed to surpass them.

By the end of the opening sequence across the spider verse had me sold that this was going to be one of my favorite spider-man movies and when the movie finished that belief held true. Spider-Man across the spider verse is easily one of my favorite superhero movie sequels of all time (I actually think it might be my favorite). The movie just came out and I’ve already seen it, what my brother has dubbed, “too many times” (Though I vehemently disagree with him on that point).

It’s a movie sold on its scope and love for all of spider-man and his lore and yet it never loses its heart in the spectacle. It manages to be a fantastic middle chapter to what is quickly becoming one of my favorite film series of all time.

There’s a lot I want to talk about so I’m just going to get right into it.

Miles is a great protagonist

Miles Morales is a character that I felt Into the Spider Verse really elevated. I had read all of the ultimate comics spider-man run that was his debut series and, while I liked Miles, he was never in the top tier of my favorite superheroes, but that quickly changed with Into the Spider Verse. They managed to explore his struggle and hesitance to accept the Spider-man mantle in a way that was far more compelling than his comic book counter part.

Across the Spider Verse takes the already really strong basis that Into the Spider Verse created for Miles and builds on it through a brilliant meta narrative on what it means to be spider-man and asking the question of whether or not Miles really is spider-man.

Trauma is so ingrained into the creation and growth of spider-man as a character. Ask anyone to list what the most iconic moments in spider-man comics are and you are bound to get answers that include uncle ben’s death, the death of gwen stacy, the death of Jean DeWolfe, Captain Stacy’s death, etc.

There are a lot of moments of loss within the spider-man mythos that define the character and these moments are carried over into a lot of spider-man media outside of the comics. Miles’ rejection of this narrative and the necessity of loss to make a hero in this movie is what truly makes him become spider-man.

The first movie had him accepting the mantle but this is where he truly grows into the role.

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In defense of Gwen in Across the Spider-Verse

Okay. First of all: This post is gonna be super long and have tons of spoilers so if you don’t want to get spoiled for Across the Spider-Verse then don’t read this post. I have seen way too many people hate on Gwen because of her actions and her behavior towards Miles in Across the Spider-Verse. I’ll show you why that hate completely misses her arc in the movie and her true intentions/relationship with Miles. This post will also delve into Gwiles/Ghostflower since that is a big part of what shapes her intentions.  Many people say Gwen betrayed Miles and doesn’t really care about him. They say Miles shouldn’t forgive her and that she is a snake for what she did. I’ll show you why the opposite is true by going through the events of the movie in cronological order: The movie literally starts off with Gwen talking about Miles. She is drumming away, which is, mentioned by herself, a way for her to cope with her feelings. That opening from Gwen is a small glimpse into her head. We see how she feels and what she thinks. The interesting thing is that it’s basically Gwen broadly narrating the events of the entire movie. We even see glimpses of future scenes in that intro. The line of narration that is most important here is Gwen saying “I didn’t want to hurt him. But I did. And he is not the only one.” This shows us IMMEDIATELY that Gwen did not intend to hurt Miles AT ALL. Quite the contrary. It also shows that she is AWARE she hurt Miles. She knows she fucked up. That is going to be important later on when she needs to make the tough decision regarding Miles/The Spider Society. 

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Best of Animation 2021 - The Last Lullaby (Centaurworld)

Centaurworld is a deceptively deep show*. From the marketing it received the show felt jarring and disjointed almost as if two incompatible worlds had been thrown together haphazardly but the moment you boot it up and start watching it is obvious this is far from the case. 

Centaurworld is about grief, loss, depression, and learning to heal. It uses its vastly different tones and visual styles to elevate these aspects of the story. 

It’s a fantastic and fun ride and I believe its finale “The Last Lullaby” is the best example of how it uses all these seemingly contradictory parts to get all these themes across, especially with the music.

Centaurworld is a musical that has a lot of songs that I have fun with but I would say it is usually “all bops and no bangers” (credit where credit is due. I heard this from Sarcastic Chorus). 

The one place I really love their music and think it makes itself stand out is in its reprises. The way it brings songs from earlier on back and completely changes the meaning through the context of the scene. 

This episode does the same thing with Rider’s Lullaby and The Nowhere King’s lullaby. These songs are closely associated with the protagonist and antagonist of the show respectively and the way they are brought back in this finale really brings their arcs full circle. 

I especially love how the Nowhere King’s lullaby is brought back because it really accentuates the tragedy of his character and his relationship with the purple haired woman. I wish this relationship was explored in greater depth throughout this season but what we did see of these two characters was hauntingly beautiful in a way that you wouldn’t expect from what is essentially a single episode exploring their relationship. 

The Nowhere King’s death didn’t feel triumphant or glorious like you would have expected after his introduction in the two part finale of season 1. It’s quiet and personal. He returns to his original form one final time before the woman he loves ends his life once and for all.

The purple haired woman hesitated to go through with this before this point but she’s resigned herself to the fact that she must be the one to bring this nightmare to an end. Despite the love between the two their story doesn’t have a happy ending. It’s very tragic and the last lullaby the purple haired woman sings gets across the emotions of the scene between the two characters accentuates this.

The backstory of the elktaur chronicles the slow self-destruction and mutilation of someone who feels trapped on the outside looking in due to his internalized self-hatred. It becomes a tragedy about someone who felt undeserving of love to the point where their internal war with themselves became external. 

“They’re the same being locked in this everlasting fight with himself.”

This is an interesting exploration of morality that accepts that people are steeped in shades of gray. It’s like what the Nowhere King says to horse “we all have good and bad”. 

This episode shines brightest when it takes a microscope to all these characters and forces us to look at them for all they are. 

The Nowhere King is a horrible monster that has caused so much suffering but he is also a victim. 

The general is a monster wearing the mask of a hero that perpetuates a conflict he will never end because he ultimately holds his own self interest and preservation of utmost importance. 

The purple haired woman was blinded by her love and awe of the elktaur and centaurworld and it is ultimately her love that prevented her from ending this conflict when she had the chance. (She isn’t evil. I’m not blaming her. She understandably struggled to end the life of someone she loved.)

That being said I do have a few issues.

My issues with this episode don’t stem from the content within the episode itself but rather the lack of screen time and build up to certain important aspects of this finale. 

I think there should have been more of the general before this moment because the twist that he’s part of the nowhere king is meant to completely flip the kindly, righteous leader visage on his head but since we didn’t spend enough time with him it doesn’t hit as hard as it could have. The general’s betrayal of Rider would have been even more of an emotional gut punch if we trusted him like Rider did, which could only be built up if there was more time allotted to him. 

I think the purple haired woman should have had more screen time because it’s the tragedy of her life and love of the nowhere king that is a driving factor in the entire story. In fact it’s her ending with the nowhere king that is what I would argue to be the emotional climax of the episode and by extension the series so I wish more time was given to them.

Everything that happened in the episode was great and it hit all the beats it was aiming for but like I said above I feel like some of them could have been strengthened if the series had given the characters involved more focus.

For example Rider being stabbed by the general is comparable to Marcy being stabbed by Andrias and yet I would argue that Marcy being stabbed is much more of a gut punch due to the amount of time their relationship was afforded within the show. We see how much Marcy trusts Andrias and we know why. Even if we knew he was up to no good we got to see how well Marcy and Andrias clicked and how much they had in common. 

Marcy is also given more screen time herself which allows us to grow attached to her in a way we couldn’t with Rider. So when the moment of truth happens and Andrias makes the decision to stab Marcy in the back it is a complete gut punch. We care about Marcy, we know how this relationship made her feel seen, we understand the full depth of the betrayal. 

I’m not saying this to hold one show up on a pedestal above the other, I’m using it as an example to explain why I think this certain plot point would have benefitted from extra attention earlier in the series.

That being said, I believe the way the general’s betrayal played out was very effective coming from Rider’s perspective (just not as much when it comes to the general and their relationship). The show has done a good job up to this point portraying Rider’s unwavering belief in the general. She is a child soldier that has dedicated her life to this cause that the general leads and yet he never meant to actually end the war or his people’s suffering. 

It also leads into a very touching reprise of Rider’s Lullaby. 

This was the first song we heard in the series and it was the defining song of Rider and Horse’s relationship. Having the song come back around with Horse being the one to sing it to comfort Rider in an inverse from the pilot would have been a fantastic bookend to their relationship.

This is why I’m mixed on how they chose to have this scene play out.

I’ve never been a big fan of fake out deaths and this one still has me conflicted. This is purely a personal preference thing. I’ve just never been big on these types of scenes. 

This leads me to the episode’s ending.

Centaurworld is a story of two wildly different worlds and tones that come together to elevate each other rather than detract. On the one hand the show can cover the bleak reality or war, loneliness, and loss and on the other it triumphs family, love, and connections. This episode is a nice blend of the two with the finale showing the clash of the tragedy of the past (the elktaur and the purple haired woman’s story) and the hope of the future (the ending with horse and her herd).

This decision holds true to the series to this point.

This episode was a fantastic ride from start to finish. There were some aspects of the episode I was mixed on but I ultimately love the end result and find myself revisiting the tale in my thoughts and on rewatch. 

I am interested to see what Megan Nicole Dong does next!

*The marketing for this show wasn’t great. I know many people that were turned off from the show because of the trailers they had seen which is disappointing. But I’ve seen a lot of fairly big youtubers cover the show and help give it the attention it deserves.

Extra Thoughts

I thought almost all of the comedy hit, especially all the gags with Stabby. “I have unquantifiable corpses on my conscience.” is one of the funniest lines in the entire show. I really wasn’t a fan of the fart joke with horse in the elktaur’s mind and thought it really fell flat.

Barbie Thoughts

I think my favorite thing about Barbie is that on top of everything else it tackles it’s also a touching exploration of the beauty of life and the creation of art.

The line: “Ideas live forever.” which has been featured in most of the trailers has a completely different meaning through this exploration. It shows that it’s people who create meaning. Be it through movies, comics, toys, etc. It’s their life, experiences, and creativity that make something of the ideas and art that are made in the world.

Barbie herself wouldn’t have meaning if not for the personal inspiration that drove Ruth to create her or the way she impacts the people who play with her (at least until the end). It’s this desire to be seen and understood (and inspire) and help others to feel less alone that drives creation and creates meaning.

That meaning put into creation is found in all aspects of life. And Barbie emphasizes that life isn’t perfect. Life is hard and painful and rife with change and conflict but it’s also beautiful in its own way. Barbie is inherently optimistic about life and shows the beauty of aging. Of mistakes. Of learning and growing. And that’s what makes its final message about creation and connection hit harder. Life is imperfect and doesn’t last but you can find and create meaning in it.

And it’s this aspect of the movie that hit me the hardest and makes it really great to me.

Alastor Episodes 7 and 8 Thoughts

These two episodes really gave us a lot in regards to Alastor and I cannot wait to see where they go with him in season 2. What I find most fascinating about what they established with him in these episodes is how I think this perfectly sets up Alastor to directly challenge the show’s main themes of redemption.

Alastor is the only character in the main cast that I think could effectively challenge Charlie’s idea of redemption by making her face the question of “where the line for who can be redeemed and who is too far gone is?” 

Even Vaggie and her past as an exorcist couldn’t challenge Charlie’s ideals in the same way because Vaggie so clearly wants to be better and is trying to be better. She could only challenge Charlie’s idea of who could be redeemed. She couldn’t truly challenge the line of when someone is too far gone unlike Alastor. 

And to explain this I'll just jump right in.

It’s clear these two episodes were meant to show a shift in Alastor and Charlie’s relationship in some capacity. It’s a bit more of a subtle shift than with the other characters, but I think it’s setting up this future conflict well for the limited time the show has. 

At the start Charlie doesn’t think Alastor cares and calls him out on this. She directly states that she believes he enjoys the suffering. He refutes her idea of him by stating she doesn’t know what he feels. He purposefully hides his feelings behind a smile as a sign of control. (The first shift. It tells her there’s more beneath the surface)

Then Alastor helps Charlie enlist cannibal town and says he wants to mentor her in the song. This is more than the initial indifference and humor he got out of Charlie at the beginning. There’s an interest in seeing Charlie grow and being a part of it that wasn't there before. And, with Alastor helping Charlie here, trust is being built (at least on Charlie's end).

Then Alastor talks to Niffty (who he is clearly fond of) and admits he finds the group enjoyable to be around. He says he could grow accustomed to them after Niffty says she really likes them almost in agreement with her. He's very candid with Niffty and doesn't seem to feel the need to hide his emotions around her. They appear to be on the same wavelength.

And finally, Charlie is upset when she thinks that Alastor died against Adam and hugs him happily when he returns. In Charlie’s eyes Alastor has been helpful and risked himself and his power to protect the hotel. This is a true shift in their relationship on Charlie's end.

This bond is necessary because if (at the very least) Charlie doesn't care about Alastor then he won't be able to truly challenge her idea of redemption and the show implies it doesn't just go one way. It's just obscured.

To explain what I mean I want to look at Alastor's role in the final battle and that moment when he is alone after he escapes.

At the beginning of the battle he felt like the trump card he should have been. He makes the exorcists, before Adam destroys his shield, look like a joke. And he gives Adam a run for his money before he becomes overconfident and lets his guard down. He didn’t expect Adam to bounce back and have that much power left to show. He was caught completely off guard and paid the price. 

And instead of staying to face the end with the rest of the people in the hotel Alastor opts to save himself. He places himself first. When he leaves he seems almost smug, spouting off a one liner and smiling as he sinks into the shadows. It seems calculated and calm, but alone is a completely different story. This moment shakes Alastor and that moment alone puts his fight against Adam and decision to flee in a different light.

In this moment when he's alone he starts to lose it, saying there has to be a way out. This isn’t where things end. He will come out on top. 

He can feel his control over the situation slipping. His power and notoriety has been challenged left and right this season. First Vox, then Lucifer, then the loan sharks, now Adam. It’s one right after the other. And Adam almost killed him.

He’s struggling to grasp onto what little control he has left by forcing himself to keep on his smile and it calls back to the beginning of episode 7 when he says to Charlie that just because she sees a smile doesn't mean she knows how he really feels. His smile is a sign of control. And even in this moment you can see that last bit of control slipping. And it’s left him even more desperate for his freedom than before.

The Radio Demon was introduced almost as if he was an all powerful entity and now he is being brought back down to earth and he’s raging against it, barely keeping it just below the surface. 

But there’s even more to his breakdown than just his pride. The lines “Great Alastor, altruist, died for his friends. Sorry to disappoint that is not where this ends. I’m hungry for freedom like never before. The constraints of my deal surely have a backdoor.” strongly imply that he really does care for the residents of the hotel more than he wants to admit even to himself.

He is freaking out because he got too close to dying trying to protect and help people that he never thought he would care at all about and he’s doubling down on his plans from before. 

His immediate desperation to be free implies he is at the hotel because he is forced to be there, but he’s desperate to get out of the contract because he doesn’t like how it’s changing him. Alastor has always put himself first and here he is almost dying trying to protect this hotel and it's rattled him even more deeply than the blow to his pride.

I feel like they know exactly what Alastor can mean thematically and they want you to know he’s a villain while seeding hints there could be change under the surface (ones that Alastor himself is afraid of and wants to double down against). There’s a balancing act going on with him and it seems they really do want to challenge the idea of redemption with him. Not just Charlie’s, but his own as well.

Alastor is still in my opinion the best written character in the series. There’s just so much to unravel with him and he’s the most fun to try and dissect to me. I can’t wait to see what they have planned for him in season 2.

Thanks to Them Thoughts

The first special of The Owl House’s third season recently dropped and I can say with full certainty that it hasn’t lost what made the second season so special.

I don’t think I’m in the minority when I say I was disappointed that the third season got shortened to three specials but I wanted to come in hopeful for what these specials could bring. The Owl House proved to me in its second season just how phenomenal it could be within a limited time frame with episodes like Eda’s Requiem, Knock Knock Knockin’ on Hooty’s Door, and Hollow Mind. I know that the situation is different but it’s proof just how much this show knows how to tap into the emotional core of its characters, stories, and relationships in 22 minutes.

This episode does the same thing by digging into the core of Camila, Luz, and Hunter. 

Camila is a character that had the fandom split and in my opinion received way too much hate. She was a single mother doing her best with a specific set of struggles due to the point she was in her life and the circumstances surrounding the start of the series. This episode understands that Camila loves her daughter and wants to do right by her but parenting rarely has a perfect answer. 

Camila’s choices are given more context and shown in a different light. I was already in the camp that believed Camila was a loving parent that made some mistakes because she’s only human, but this episode solidified it.

The nightmare Camila has about halfway through the episode is a poignant way to explore the concept of generational trauma and trying to break that cycle.

Luz found a community that will accept her the way she is and a place where her strengths can flourish. Once Camila has had time to grapple with the reality that Luz went to the demon realm by her own choice and she gets to see just how good this place has been for her she embraces it.

She even wants to go to the demon realm with Luz so she can be a part of that aspect of Luz’s life as well (and look out for her daughter in a very dangerous situation). It’s just a really touching portrayal of motherhood.

That’s actually the part I’m the most upset we missed out on due to the shortened season. Seeing Camila be a supportive mother to Luz and give Amity and Hunter their first real experience with a caring parent is something I would have loved to see considering how much their abusive/complicated home lives we’ve gotten to explore over the show. (I specify Amity and Hunter because we know that Gus and Willow have loving home lives. I would still love to see Camila be a parental figure to them too)

We still have some more time. I’m hoping we’ll get to see more of surrogate mother Camila over the next two specials.

Hunter especially needs that care because he cannot catch a break.

Season 2 and now season 3 has been one long trauma conga line for Hunter with so much of that trauma being born from his twisted relationship with Belos. 

Hunter being possessed by Belos is a very fascinating turn of events that foreshadows so many possibilities with Belos but there is one area I think could have been handled better. 

I want to touch on the scene where Hunter stood up to Belos first. This has been a long time coming. Hunter has submitted to Belos’ ideas for his future for most of his life and even after leaving the emperor’s coven he didn’t get the chance to have a confrontation with Belos where he was given the time to address this area of growth.

Hunter finally has the chance to choose his destiny which is something he stated he was jealous Luz could do back in Hunting Palismen. Due to his journey in the human realm he has the self worth and the security to stand up to Belos for the first time in his life and it was a powerful scene because of the build up.

Hunter has gained so much that he has lacked all his life due to his time away from Belos and in the human realm. It makes this moment and his sacrifice hit all the harder because of how far this episode shows he’s come.

He has a family

He likes who he sees in the mirror 

He has friends who value him for who he is and not what he can do

He can take part in his hobbies and indulge his interests 

He no longer needs Belos like Belos tried to make him believe. He can finally be the person he was always meant to be. 

Hunter is brave, caring, and kind. No matter what Belos did or said to him he never lost those qualities. He is willing to stand up to Belos and possibly sacrifice himself to protect everything he has come to love. He has people that will extend that same care and compassion towards him.

This brings us to one of the saddest moments in the episode: Flapjack’s sacrifice.

Hunter has gone through so much and Flapjack’s sacrifice hits especially hard because Flapjack was one of the first people Hunter could rely on and probably even call a friend. 

Flapjack was important for Hunter’s development in more ways than one. He provided him with a confidant when he didn’t have anyone else and it helped him question and re-evaluate Belos’ actions in regards to palismen and wild magic. He also met him because of his first real encounter with Luz.

It all comes full circle. He initially protected Flapjack from Belos because he knew Belos would use him as fuel/a life source but now Flapjack is willingly being exactly that for Hunter. He is now a part of Hunter. It’s a very bittersweet ending to their relationship that shows the growth and care that they each had for each other.

That moment where Hunter stops in front of the portal and holds his hand over his heart was a short but very effective moment at conveying his grief. 

This sacrifice was very well executed in my opinion.

All of this works emotionally within Hunter’s character arc. 

However, the battle didn’t quite reach its full potential. It had incredibly fluid animation and was amazing to watch, but it wasn’t as emotional on Amity, Gus, and Willow’s end as it could have been in certain ways. 

You could feel the conflict and pain from Luz’s end. It was made clear that she was purposefully not trying because she didn’t want to hurt Hunter and even hugged him to try and get through to him. She doesn’t want to hurt him because of how much she has come to care for him and this turmoil could be seen in every action Luz took and could be felt in her voice acting performance. 

She’s the only one you could understand the full grasp of her conflict over the fight with Hunter though. There wasn’t any of that same hesitation or desperation on anyone else’s end. You know that all of them are close to Hunter and care about him but you don’t feel the full depth until after the fight.

These connections are really important to Hunter’s character because of how Belos isolated him prior to season 2 and I loved all the moments that showcased how important Hunter is to the group and vice versa. That’s why I decided to point out the lack of hesitation on everyone else’s part. It doesn’t break the episode (in fact the episode is great) but I thought it could have been executed a bit differently.

Hunter is one of the strongest characters in the show and the way this episode handled him was great.

This brings me to Luz.

King’s Tide had real consequences for Luz. She feels like she couldn’t protect Eda or King and she couldn’t stop Belos or the Collector. She doesn’t know the fate of the family she left behind and she believes that everything that happened is her fault.

She’s understandably not handling it well.

Luz this episode and in a few episodes last season is used to explore grief and loss. This is explored in more ways than one through the loss of her father and her newfound family in the Boiling Isles.

Luz’s father was noticeably absent in her life at the start of the series but what happened to him wasn’t revealed until “Reaching Out” (In a fantastic scene by the way). We get even more expansion on it through Luz’s video diary entries. 

Luz was much more aware of what was happening with her family and father than she let on to her mother despite their best efforts to shield her. The way you can see the decline in her emotional state through her entries as her father’s health declines makes the process feel real. This wasn’t a quick but a slow process/struggle for the family over time until he unfortunately passed. It’s something that Camila and Luz are still struggling with. 

The process of healing isn’t linear for any of the characters. 

It also reveals that Manny introduced Luz to the Good Witch Azura. This is really bittersweet and touches on something that this episode emphasized and that is how media and stories can help us process, heal, and feel seen in aspects of life that people struggle with.

Hunter finds connection and healing through the Cosmic Frontier character O’Bailey. Luz finds that same connection and escape through Azura. It helped her during a really hard time in her life by helping her find a connection to her father after he was gone.

It makes everything in regards to her Good Witch Azura book and hyperfixation very bittersweet and puts so much in a new light. It’s a brief but powerful moment in the episode.

The exploration of Luz’s grief in the present day is handled just as well as that short segment. It shows the repercussions on her mental health and how it trickles out in unexpected ways like her rant in class. 

But most importantly it shows how her support system understands that she’s struggling and they are there for her no matter what. They might not all know how to best handle what she is dealing with but they all give it their best and make sure they let her know that they don’t think of her as a burden.

One of my favorite moments showcasing this in the episode is when Amity lets Luz know that Belos meeting the collector because of her help isn’t a failing on her part. It doesn't make her a mistake or the harbinger of doom she believes she is. She assures Luz it’s a testament to her good heart instead.

Luz’s support system doesn’t automatically make her better either. The Owl House understands there is no quick fix to depression and other mental health issues. There is no list of requirements to check off to “cure” it. It’s something that is dealt with on a daily basis.

Dealing with mental health isn’t linear just like dealing with grief isn’t linear.

I am really intrigued to see how they handle Luz’s struggles moving forward and believe that they were handled with a lot of tact in this premiere.

This show has really come into its own. Season one was fun and had a great world and characters that drew you in but lacked a strong vision of where it wanted to go with wonky power scaling, an inconsistent level of control and influence from Belos that changed to suit the episode, and parts of the story that clashed with its core themes. I loved the season but thought there was missed potential. 

Season two came around and reached the heights I thought it was capable of and it seems like season 3 plans to do the exact same. I can’t wait for the final two episodes. If this is any indication of their quality I bet they will be amazing.

Extra thoughts

I love when Camila lets Luz sleep with her after she’s awoken from her nightmare. It’s just a really sweet mother-daughter moment.

I really liked Hunter’s cosplay and how his attachment to the character of O’Bailey speaks to the importance of representation and how it can help you heal and feel seen.

Gus definitely knows that Hunter is a Grimwalker. He purposefully introduced Hunter to a character that he could connect to and even tried to imply that he knew before Hunter covered his ears to avoid spoilers. I really appreciate their dynamic in the smaller moments of this episode.

I said it in my Hollow Mind thoughts but I’m going to say it again here: I think that Evelyn was a Calwthorne. There’s just too many clues in the show for her not to be and the Owl House has a pretty good track record of paying off obvious hints.

The best thing about this episode is how it carries over the consequences of King’s Tide. There are a few times where the tension the characters should feel to get back to the Boiling Isles gets a bit lost. The most notable example was how solving the clue they found to get them back to the isles was framed more as a way to cheer Luz up than a way to return to their families and know if they are okay. 

Yeah, the characters are sad to be away from their families but there isn’t the desperation to know about their fates that would be expected considering what happened with the day of unity and the collector. I like how this plot point was used in regards to Hunter and Luz but thought it was a bit lacking in execution and development when it comes to Amity, Willow, and Gus.

Amity, Willow, and Gus are unfortunately the ones that suffer from this section of the season being shortened. They are fun and engaging supporting characters but they noticeably don’t get the emotional focus or development that Luz, Hunter, and Camila get. I don’t dislike the choice, in fact, I think it was a smart choice to narrow the scope of the episode because it would likely become bloated and lack the strong focus and emotional core that it has.

It’s just unfortunate because Willow and Gus are not as well explored as Amity, Luz, and Hunter. Gus at least has “Labyrinth Runners” as an episode focused on him and a few episode B plots but Willow doesn’t really have her own spotlight episode. Both of her episodes “Understanding Willow” and “Any Sport in a Storm” are actually Amity and Hunter episodes respectively.

I would just like to see a bit more of Willow explored.

This is the first time Hunter has really cried in the show. He’s teared up before but never allowed himself to fully cry. It’s telling that the moment that gets to him the most, that makes him drop those walls and breaks the dam, is when Luz calls him family. It’s not traumatic or violent. It’s quiet and tender. He’s never had a family (something he mentions in Hunting Palismen) and now he does. Earth really did allow Hunter to come into his own and gain so much that he lacked all his life. 

I absolutely adore all the end credits art. Most of it is just so wholesome with my favorites being Luz teaching Camila glyphs (Camila is really committed to learning from Luz) and Flapjack tucking in Hunter (this is just so bittersweet).