With this episode, three more of the show’s major players get introduced, and in that respect, it does so pretty damn well all around. It’s not quite as good as the previous two, but it’s still a good time.
With Luz looking for a magic school to teach her since Eda doesn’t appear to be super helpful, we get the first appearances of Willow, Gus, and Amity. Willow is given the most to work with out of the three, and she makes great use of it. She’s rather timid and unsure of her own potential, but once her power is tapped into, it’s incredibly impressive the kind of things she’s capable of. Amity is berating her through the first act, making her feel like she’s incapable of doing great things, but thanks to her skills with plant magic, she’s able to help get her new friend out of danger. Willow is very lovable right out the gate, and it makes it all the more satisfying when she comes through in the climax.
It’s also worth noting that with Willow being restricted to a single track of magic skill, it also foreshadows more the kind of society that the elusive Emperor governs: a society that restricts your potential, and it doesn’t matter what you want to do in life, you’re stuck with what you’re assigned to. This will get expanded on in the future, but as it’s set up here, the way the school works carries a lot of fascinating implications.
Gus is given the least amount of development out of all of them, but what he does have is great. He’s president of the human appreciation club, and so he can’t help but gush when he sees Luz for the first time. He’s eager to learn more about their culture and their history, which is just adorable to see. The episode is also smart to make sure that he’s not an expert on humans. He has some misconceptions around their biology and various trinkets, and is humble whenever he’s corrected on it. It’s hard for me to say whether I like Gus or Willow more, but regardless, they’re both great.
And then there’s Amity. Of the three, she’ll be given the most development later on, and I love what they do with her later. But as far as she is here, she’s…fine. She’s little more than a sterotypical school bully, the kind that flaunts how great she is and putting others down just to make herself seem better. On top of that, when her title of Top Student is given to Willow instead, she’s livid about it. It does serve as an effective primer for the kind of arc she’ll be given later on, but yeah, her first appearance could have been better.
As for what Luz has to do with it all, she gets it in mind to help Willow out with her Abomination magic class by posing as one herself, motivated by the fact that Willow hasn’t wanted to kill or eat her(a pretty funny bit there). Due to Eda‘s methods of teaching appearing to be ineffectual, Luz desires to be taught at a magic school, but over the events of the episode, Eda’s seed ends up coming into play, teaching her that Eda does have helpful advice for her after all. And with Luz being banned from the school by the end, she really has no choice, lol. But Gus and Willow are willing to help her, which is a nice ending. Luz proves to be a very kind and helpful person here, with plenty of moments for her goofiness to shine.
The episode also manages to squeeze in Eda and King to have their own subplot, and while it’s mostly silly fun, it also does wonders in developing their relationship. They have a bet to prove that King can be a better teacher than her, and he’s given a trash slug as the subject. King maintains his ego and confidence, but once he realizes things have gotten beyond his control, he isn’t afraid to ask for help from others. It’s a humbling time for him as he gets his ego taken down a notch, and for Eda, it’s satisfying to see her come to his aid by the end, especially given how he’s talked down to her the whole time. It’s consistently entertaining and funny, with a nice touch of heartwarming by the end.
There’s honestly not much wrong with the episode, as it’s consistently solid. It just doesn’t reach the same heights as the first two did. Still, it’s far from a dud by any stretch, and ihad a fun time with it.
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