Hooty facilitates character development for all!

Hooty: I’m writing to let you know that I am a genius!

Hooty’s become pen pals with Lilith, as promised, so when he writes about feeling down about missing out on adventures, she cheers him up and plants an idea.

Lilith: But, Hooty, you are the Owl House. You take care of everyone inside you. If that isn’t a worthy purpose, then what is?

Naturally, everyone is facing separate issues: King is angsting about his dad and wondering what kind of creature he even is; Eda is panicking because Raine told her about Belos’ plans (and subsequently got caught), so she wants to be powerful enough to protect everyone again; and Luz…

Luz: Can you please be quiet? You’re scaring the echo mouse! And if he’s not happy, I’ll never make my way into Amity’s heart…I mean, make a portal back home.

Hooty: You were right, Lulu. These three needed my help. So I devised the plan of plans.

He starts with King, since his issue is the simplest, at least in concept.

Hooty: Our little bundle of joy was growing up, and he had questions. As the only other demon in the house, I had answers! But would he accept help from me? Never! unless…

So he swallow/kidnaps King to force him to listen.

I love how the only thing he’s definitively ruled out is “Cthulu”, presumably because he’s too cute. Also, “Pocket Monster” is the original term for “Pokémon”.

I’m still not completely clear on the difference between demons and witches, and although Hooty explains a lot here (including that the Owlbeast is a demon while Eda is not), I’m still a bit fuzzy on the distinctions between demons and witches in general. I suppose that means the humanoid people are designated as “witches”.

Hooty: All demons can be placed in three categories: Bug, biped, and beast. […] Now, I’m pretty sure you’re not a bug, but we can’t rule anything out. As a type of worm myself, I’m an expert on this subject. Let’s begin!

Hooty: Well, your dance was offensive, and your attempt to spin a cocoon was just sad, honestly.

He runs a gamut of tests, and eventually, Hooty comes to a conclusion.

Hooty: You…are you! The blood tests were inconclusive. We don’t really know what you are, but that’s okay, because we don’t need to know that to be your friends!

King: I thought you had real answers…

Hooty: The only real answer is inside your heart!

King: I don’t need you to tell me to love myself, Hooty. I want to know where I came from. What my dad looked like, what I’ll look like when I grow up. I don’t have any responses to my video yet, or my wanted posters. Maybe my dad is gone. Maybe there’s no one else like me, and I’ll live my whole life without any answers!

Hooty: No! I didn’t want to make you mad!

King: Well, I am mad, at him, for not being here! He left me alone!

Then his voice cracks!

no really, his voice can break stuff now.

But seriously, King only seems concerned with where he came from because he’s searching for some hint about his “real” family.

Hooty (understandably) doesn’t stick around to witness the fallout for King, so he moves on to tricking Eda into taking a nap.

By which I mean he just sets out some sleep-inducing cookies for her, and like a sleep-deprived moron, she just starts eating them.

Hooty: One bite will put you to sleep for hours!

Eda: Sleeping nettles don’t just put you to sleep, they heighten your dreams! Do you realize who you just stuck me with?

But, on second thought, she realizes this might actually be an opportunity.

Eda: The Owlbeast is why I ran away from home. The Owlbeast is why I never got close to anyone, and the Owlbeast is why I don’t have magic.

My, but she does blame the Owlbeast for an awful lot…

She quickly realizes she’s reliving a memory, but can’t quite pin down which one.

Eda: Dad! It’s so good to see you again.

Dell: I was only gone for an hour. Hey! I know I won’t be home for a while, so that’s why tonight-

Eda: Wait. I remember this now.

Dell: I’ll be leaving in style.

Eda: No! I won’t let you ruin this again!

It seems that, in this case, it was a case of sensory overload combined with anxiety about her dad leaving that caused an “outburst”.

And she ended up scarring her dad’s face.

But when she tries to lash out at the Owlbeast…

She only hurts the ones she loves.

Raine: Woah! What are you doing?

Eda; Ah, Raine…nothing. I’m fine.

Raine: You’re lying, again. It’s like I don’t really know you. So…I’ve made a decision.

Eda: Okay, okay, I know how this plays out. I hope that I’ll be ready this time. You hear me, birdbrain?

Raine: I’m joining the Bard Coven, and…

Eda: No, no I hate this part.

Raine: I think we should see other people. I’m sorry, Eda. It’s over.

Raine: Are you okay? Is this the curse?

Eda: Just tell them! Let them help!

So Raine was one of the only people Eda ever let herself get close to, but she still kept them at arm’s length with regard to her curse, seemingly in an attempt to keep them safe, but it only resulted in Eda being alone for all those years.

Eda: Stop pushing them away! You. It was always you! It was all your fault! Stop ruining my life!

But then we switch to what seems to be the Owlbeast’s backstory.

The Collector: Don’t bother, beast. You can’t run away anymore. It’s over.

Then that person evidently sealed the beast inside of a scroll (inside of a curse?).

That curse bound the beast to Eda, but it could only come out when she was upset – when she let it out. And it’s only now that she’s starting to understand that they’re both trapped here.

Eda: It’s okay. Now, I thought these were a way to fight you, but I think they’re the reason we can stand here face to face. Listen, neither of us want to be here, but we are, and there’s no changing that. If we can’t accept each other, this nightmare will never end. So what do you say, truce? For now?

It wasn’t until she stopped blaming the beast and took responsibility for her own actions that she could really start to move forward.

I just gotta say I love the color scheme for this dreamscape.

The resulting monstrosity is surprising, but Eda takes it all in stride.

Hooty: I made it worse. I made it worse!

Eda: Hooty, wait, it’s okay! Girl, this is a hot look.

In other news, Hooty’s kidnapped Amity now (just go with it).

Hooty: Luz’s heart was torn between finding a way home, and the pursuit of love. […] She wasn’t gonna make any progress if her attention was split!

Luz’s problem has the most straightforward solution, but of course she makes it much harder than it needs to be by trying to suppress her dork side.

Luz: Ah, well, this is our basement. I am so sorry about this. Hooty’s been acting weird all day.

Amity: Yeah. House demons get like that after a couple thousand years. It’s fine. Listen, about what happened at my place…I kinda…if we could just forget about the whole thing, maybe?

Luz: Hey, all I care about is getting you our of our dirty weird basement!

And thus they begin their journey through the Hooty-themed Tunnel of Love! (yes it is exactly as horrifying as you imagine).

But alongside the sickeningly sweet messages is this, basically a quote from Luz.

Amity appreciates it.

But what with Luz destroying basically everything in sight for fear of being perceived as “cheesy”, it’s not all that romantic in general.

Luz: This was a nightmare…

Amity: Yeah, it kinda was. I’ll get out of your hair.

Luz: Amity, wait! This wasn’t me, this was all Hooty’s stupid idea.

Amity: Yeah, this was stupid. I mean, us, dating? That’s stupid, right?

Hooty: NOOOO! I did it again! I can’t help anyone!

And then Hooty attempts to self-destruct.

Long story short, they’re spared any lasting damage through the power of character development (or powers from character development, as it were).

King: I think I got a power!

Eda: Are you two okay?

Luz: Woah! Not as okay as you! Dang, girl. I have a few questions for later.

But they can catch up later. Now they have to stop Hooty from destroying the house!

Hooty: I failed you all!

Eda: No, Hooty! You actually weirdly helped me. I’m like a harpy woman now!

King: And I can explode things with my voice powers!

Then Eda asks what Hooty was trying to help Luz with.

Luz: He was trying to help me ask Amity out.

Eda: Oh, whoa. Do you wanna?

Luz: Mm-hm.

Eda: Then do it!

That’s a good Owl Mama you got there, and she distracts Hooty long enough to give Luz a little privacy.

Luz: I was just, I’ve been wanting to ask you something for a while, but I wanted to do it in the best way, and in the Tunnel of Love, I thought, “Amity’s too cool for this.”

Amity: I’m not as cool as you think.

Luz: Okay. Everything is so crazy right now, and I have no idea what my future holds, but it would be so cool if you were in it. So, uh…

Amity: Do you wanna go out with me?

Luz: No, I was so ready…

Amity: I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You can say it.

Luz: Okay. Amity Blight, do you wanna go out with me?

Amity: Yes!

Luz: Okay!

Luz: Why is this still so scary?

THESE TWO!

So of course Hooty wraps it all up.

Hooty: King may not know where he came from, but he’s learning more and more about himself every day. Eda can become Harpy Eda now. She still drinks her elixir, but she’s accepted the Owlbeast as part of her. It’s progress! And Luz’s new GF showed her tips and tricks to get more information from that old human’s diary. They’re adorable, and deserve all the happiness! I had to promise never to help anyone again, but nevertheless, I’m a genius! Everything’s solved! No more mysteries!

Hooty said it all. Especially about Lumity.

I beg your pardon, would you see this [letter] finds its way to King Clawthorne?

Then Hooty eats the letter, because that’s a story for another episode!

Seriously, I love to see everyone grow. And Lumity deserves all the happiness.

Until next time…