Of the 5 episodes I’ve covered so far, this one is probably the best. Sure, ‘The Intruder’ may have it beat in terms of atmosphere, but when it comes to character development and story, this is the point where I’d say the show was really finding its footing.
‘IWaTA’ hinted at the fact that magic tracks in the Boiling Isles are very restrictive; once you decide to specialize in a certain type of magic, you’re restricted from ever doing another type. This episode makes that fact much more apparent thanks to the titular Covention. Once a witch decides to join a particular coven, they have an enchantment placed on them that prevents them from doing any other magic. The episode itself basically brings it up in passing, and as it is, it’s a nice bit of foreshadowing for the overall theme of individuality and living up to your full potential.
The main focus of the episode is on Luz wanting to experience the Covention for herself despite Eda’s insisting otherwise. I have to mention the reason Eda ends up going with her anyway; if she didn’t, King was going to subject her to the overly flowery dialogue in Luz’s Azura book. Yes, according to Eda, witches having flowery dialogue is unrealistic and cringey. It’s a great way to poke fun at the kind of language that fantasy characters tend to have, using it as a form of subversion and demonstrate to kids that this isn’t going to be that kind of fantasy story.
It’s here we’re introduced to Eda’s sister Lilith as well. While the exact details of their history together aren’t made clear yet, you can tell from their interactions that there’s clear tension between them both, yet also a bit of sisterly love that could be blossomed if given the proper treatment. The idea of Eda joining the Emperor‘s Coven to join her sister makes Lilith legitimately eager, like she’s relishing in the chance to properly reunite with her sister. But due to Eda’s views on covens and their already estranged relationship, it‘s understandable why she would refuse. Lilith proves herself to be quite a fascinating character this early on already, but the good amount of nuance present in their conflict makes both of them even more so.
Before I get to Luz and Amity, I want to briefly mention King. For the most part, he’s there just for comic relief. Due to his wanting to be treated like a proper King of Demons, he takes the free swag the covens are giving him and treats them as offerings. It’s a hilarious mix of “you will treat me with respect like I deserve” and “I’m literally just here for the free shit”, and Alex Hirsch’s performance only makes it even funnier.
Anyway, Luz and Amity. Their rivalry established in ‘IWaTA’ continues on from here, and at first, you would think that it would go like you’d expect; the protagonist faces off against the stereotypical bully and comes out on top, either in the challenge itself or morally. And while it does start off going that direction, what it does instead creates a snowball effect for both of them, taking their relationship together in an excellent direction while making Amity much more interesting than she first seemed.
Once the witch’s duel actually does happen, both sides end up cheating, and neither of the girls are made aware that their respective teacher is helping them cheat until after they’ve started. So in terms of the challenge itself, Luz and Amity are on equal grounds in terms of fairness. The only reason Luz went along with it was because it was all already set up before she could back out of it, and Amity had no intention of using any under-handed tactics. It’s a small touch that I haven’t seen others mention before, but it’s a great indicator that Amity has a certain level of dignity and respect to not cheat when you would expect her to.
Once the challenge ends at a draw, the two of them come to an understanding of sorts. For Amity, she’s worked long and hard to become a powerful witch, and the fact that she was humiliated by a human like Luz is devastating for her. Given her behavior, it hints that there’s some deeper issue going on that we have yet to see. Perhaps some poor treatment from her parents? Luz demonstrates how she can do magic despite being human, and you can tell Amity is gaining a little respect for her way of improvising. While the two of them aren’t necessarily friends yet by this point, it’s at least the start of something better and more healthy for them down the line, with both of them getting the chance to learn something from each other.
’Covention’ is the perfect mix of comedy, heart, action, and hinting at plot points to come, all of which capture why the show itself is so amazing. It’s not my favorite episode of the show, not even close, but it’s certainly an excellent one.
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