This Is Fair. Also to be fair, I haven't actually gotten to watch any more because dayshift knocked me on my ass every day the past few months lol.

Hey, y'all.

So uh. Unfortunate news. I SUCK at liveblogging lol.

I feel like my commentary is good, but it's hard for me to sit down and watch an episode with the express purpose of liveblogging it.

I'm at a bit of an impasse for what to next regarding this blog then.

Would y'all want me to like- do a live commentary while rewatching an episode instead? Would that be alright? Or would you rather see full meta posts at the end of episodes?

I also just think I have too many spoilers for TOH to truly liveblog react to it. I know pretty much all the major spoilers already. Same for Amphibia which I plan to watch when I'm done with TOH.

So I guess- what do y'all wanna see?

Hey, y'all.

So uh. Unfortunate news. I SUCK at liveblogging lol.

I feel like my commentary is good, but it's hard for me to sit down and watch an episode with the express purpose of liveblogging it.

I'm at a bit of an impasse for what to next regarding this blog then.

Would y'all want me to like- do a live commentary while rewatching an episode instead? Would that be alright? Or would you rather see full meta posts at the end of episodes?

I also just think I have too many spoilers for TOH to truly liveblog react to it. I know pretty much all the major spoilers already. Same for Amphibia which I plan to watch when I'm done with TOH.

So I guess- what do y'all wanna see?

I’m just gonna stick with the first episode at the moment because I’m in desperate need of a nap. I wanted to make it through the first one for sure, though. 

And that’s a wrap on the first episode! I had more to say about it than I’d expected, but I’m glad I did. 

I love this as a first episode. It sets everything up beautifully while still maintaining a great pace; it’s done wonderfully. The characters are surprisingly fleshed out for a beginning episode while still leaving so much to be discovered about them, the world is a great big unknown but a welcome one, and we’re very easily able to put ourselves in Luz’s place- especially if her position as an oddball resonates with us. 

You can definitely tell physical affection like hugs was a big part of how Luz was raised and taught to express companionship. 

But then again... she’s never had friends before. She’s only had her mom as far as we know so far. 

It also leans into the character coding of Luz being neurodivergent that I’ve noticed. I’m not about to diagnose anything- it’s not my place and I’ve only seen three episodes- but the resonance is definitely there and I am sure I’ll come up with my own headcanons. 

I love Eda’s genuine surprise that Luz had fun and wants to stay. She practically trapped Luz into staying before, after all, so the change is sudden and probably somewhat dramatic from Eda’s perspective. 

Ah yes, the parallel they’ve been setting up the entire episode. 

I’m honestly a fan of these sorts of realizations no matter how cliche they might be. 

Luz’s speech here really does bring home the fact that she accepts and even likes who she is. It’s honestly a role model attribute I wish I could’ve had when I was younger. 

“This just happens when you get older.” Is it?? Is it a witch thing that they can just... come apart??? That’s twice in one episode they’ve used it for shock value of some sort, so I hope to see it come back in the future. 

How did the warden even GET a humans-only forcefield? Is this just a thing that exists for them? Why??? 

“There’s no place for you in society if you can’t fit in.” 

This line really speaks for itself, huh? Big Yikes. 

The Conformatorium = Luz’s summer camp. 

I know this parallel is rather obvious, but I just had to mention it. It makes a very real example of how Luz would feel if she were at the camp right now. 

How does King talk? Telepathically? Just without moving his mouth? Is this question I’ll have answered at some point? 

The Conformatorium = Luz’s summer camp. 

I know this parallel is rather obvious, but I just had to mention it. It makes a very real example of how Luz would feel if she were at the camp right now. 

Big Mood to this entire scene. 

The explicit use of “PG fantasy world I imagined” is very fitting for what we know about Luz so far. She’s only ever had her imagination, but she’s still a child. A young teenager. The human imagination doesn’t generally picture worse than what the person can handle. This is why I can read horror books despite my intrusive thoughts. If I see horror, the images become what my brain is capable of picturing. They burn themselves into my brain and my brain uses them against me. But if I’m imagining the scenario myself? I don’t generally go beyond that point of what I can handle. It’s a defense mechanism. 

Luz is shown very quickly that she has a right to be fearful of this Unknown. 

I love the nod here to what we know of as haunted and witchcraft respectively. The conversation about Luz being human and valuable to Eda is an interesting one as well because it sets up the beginning dynamic that even in a place full of Other, Luz is still an Other. She doesn’t fit in anywhere; it’s just that here, she’s among so many others who also don’t fit in even among magic folk. There’s always a status quo, and she defies all of them. It’s a tough but wonderful position to be in. 

Can I just say that I absolutely love how the Boiling Isles is introduced? 

It’s immediately set up as very Not Human and Not Ordinary. It’s Other, and that’s an important dynamic to set up right away. It also immediately makes one rule very clear. 

Don’t trust your eyes and don’t trust your initial reaction.