When we last left off on our heroes' adventures in the Boiling Isles, Luz had just destroyed the portal door back to the human realm and Lilith and Eda had had their curse split between them. What happens next? You silly, you already know, but you won't let that stop you from listening to MY commentary! YOU HAVE NO CHOICE! *Pulls out a gun.* NO ONE'S LEAVING UNTIL I SAY THEY'RE LEAVING!
Anyways... let's get started with Season 2!
"My ex-wife still misses me... but her aim is getting better!"
Grunkle Stan sure wasn't lying about that.
"At least my image still commands RESPECT!"
Lilith, I don't think you should be operating the carriage with that poster of your replacement as face of the Emperor's Coven stuck to your face.
Okay, so since this is kind of a seafaring episode, prepare for the info-dumping on boats!
Design-wise, this ship is quite similar to the classic sailing ships of centuries past, but with some steampunk elements added to it, in addition to a bulbous bow like those found on modern ships today. Overall, very well fits the look of the Boiling Isles. And considering the ship is owned by the Emperor's Coven, it makes sense that Belos, who last checked in around the human realm in the 17th century, would commission ships based on the designs he would have been familiar with in his time.
If I had a nickel for every show I watched that had a character named Salty who had this whole pirate theme going on...
I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but, yadda yadda yadda, you know the rest.
"A good friend would respect her wishes... but a beeeetter friend would help no matter what!"
"Take her to sea, Mr. Murdoch... let's stretch her legs!"
This shot where the camera flies over the ship with this awesome sea shanty-style music playing in the background is really awesome.
"I HAVE MANY DEBTS!" proclaims this random member of the crew.
Okay, time for more ship nerd Aubergine... how come the boilers are on the top decks? Usually they're down at the very bottom of the hull, where they are located pretty much adjacent to the engines that they provide steam for, which in turn, turn the propellers. This handy cross-section of an Olympic-class ocean liner will show you what I mean:
But hey... it's a Boiling Isles ship, they can build their ships however they want.
This face. Just this face.
If anything, fire on ships is an even greater danger than taking on water. Sinking is one thing... sinking while on FIRE is a whole other thing.
Here's a little thing I really like: the sailors taking their hats off in respect. Likely for their fallen comrades, but knowing sailor types, it could also be in respect to the ships themselves that were lost before them.
And... Eda just set off an explosion in what appears to be the general area of the ship's boilers.
Boiler explosions are no laughing matter, Eda!
Come to think of it... this ship having its boilers on the top decks proved to actually be a good design choice in this scenario, because when you've got boilers down in the bowels of a ship that blow up... yeah, that's not good.
Oh yeah, I was so busy info-dumping about ships I forgot this guy made his speaking debut. Hello Hunter, you sure have a long way to go as a character, don't you?
"Knock knock, human."
Notice how he's looking AT the camera when he says that. He's not saying it to Luz, or any other human for that matter... he's saying it to YOU!
Although in retrospect, it makes very little sense considering he's a human himself.
Ahh, here we are, we finally meet Odalia and Alador in person... you can see just how much misery Alador is in spending his life with that woman.
It's ironic how all throughout Season 1, Eda was teaching Luz magic, but now the tables have turned, and it's Luz who has to teach Eda magic now. In fact, this whole episode's B-plot involves Eda being impatient to learn more spells, much like how Luz was not so long ago! Once again... the tables have turned.
Also, I love Lilith being such an enthusiastic student.
THAT'S THE APPETIZER!
Gus: "We'll get back into Hexside or die trying!"
Willow: "Nobody's dying, Gus."
Gus: "Not with that attitude, they're not!"
JESUS CHRIST BUMP, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?
Welp... just gonna add that one to Bump's ever-expanding list of crimes.
(Best to read this in Hop Pop's voice:) "FROG DANGIT SPRIG, DID YOU WRITE A BIOLOGY TEXTBOOK ABOUT ME? I'M ONLY 68, I STILL GOT SOME YEARS LEFT!"
Yep... I think this is when we first see that Luz has feelings for Amity as well. Up to this point, she's been pretty oblivious to how Amity acts around her... not that Amity was doing a good job of hiding it, though.
This is the look of a completely sane individual.
JESUS TAP-DANCING CHRIST!
These images don't do it justice... you have to WATCH the actual scene, complete with the SOUND EFFECTS, to truly understand the horrors.
Aww... what an adorable tyrant!
Dang... this part is really heartbreaking. HE'S JUST A KID, WHY MUST YOU SHOW WRITERS FLIP HIS WHOLE LIFE UPSIDE DOWN, GODDAMMIT?
"Special delivery...
PAIN."
(Also, Hooty's voice briefly changes into Grunkle Stan's at the utterance of the word "pain", as he is, of course, voiced by Alex Hirsch.)
TOP TEN BANNED WEAPONS TOO BRUTAL FOR WAR!
What did I tell ya... Hooty's mere existence is a violation of that darn Geneva Convention.
Ah, I love Lilith being a history nerd. King is going through this emotional recollection, meanwhile she's just taking pictures.
King dubs his guardian creature "Jean-Luc". First Francois, now Jean-Luc... it seems King likes his "minions" to have French names. He really does have a Napoleon complex (although Napoleon was average height for his time).
And this is where a young Eda found the portal door. Later, at the beginning of "For the Future", this is the exact same spot where the Hexsquad returns to the Boiling Isles.
As part of her plan to cure Eda, Gwendolyn drops this giant crystal on her... of course.
I love the delivery of this line:
"Help. Mama. Up."
Lives rent-free in my head.
As it turns out, Gwendolyn was scammed by someone who claimed to offer "alternative healing". Actually a really good lesson from this episode; showing that it's not a wise decision to use "alternative" medicine, but at the same time, acknowledging that there are people like Gwendolyn who genuinely mean well but don't know any better.
I really liked this scene... Gwendolyn saying that the curse is a part of who Eda is, and that she should love every part of who Eda is. Not gonna lie... since I have autism, that can be a curse sometimes, but hey, what am I gonna do about it, eh? That was honestly a message I liked hearing.
These two warmed up to each other very quickly. Their friendship really is such a wonderful thing.
And lastly... this ominous shot showing that an IMPOSTOR has been living with Camila!
I love how dark and foreboding this impostor Luz appears, when in reality she just turns out to be, well... Vee!
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