Let’s fight back.

So, this is the first of three long episodes that constitute the entirety of Season 3, and honestly, this feels the most abridged of the three, like they really wanted to do regular episodes and build gradually (there’s not one, but TWO montages that obviously could have been fleshed out into individual episodes). And to top it all off, they have to start by recapping some of the events of last season, which while necessary in the story sense (they need to catch up Camila on what went down and how they ended up on her doorstep), it’s still a little bit awkward and repetitive, especially when you’re binging the show (a very natural thing to do after the pace picks up toward the end of Season 2).

And after they’ve begun to settle in, Hunter and Luz basically repeat a conversation they had when they were first reunited after “Hollow Mind”, but I’ll give that a pass, because this episode is mainly going to focus on the two of them.

Hunter: What about you? How have you been since…

Luz: Since we were in Belos’ mind? Since I found out I helped him meet The Collector? Oh my gosh, Hunter, they’re all gonna hate me.

Hunter: What? No, of course they won’t. They won’t hate you anymore than me when they find out I might be a clone of…someone who was a witch hunter. With Belos.

Luz: We’ll tell them. When we’re ready.

And Camila is shockingly chill about taking in Luz’s friends (although she never seems to figure out what they like to eat).

Camila: It’s not much, but I hope you two will be comfortable.

Gus: We will, Luz’s Mom!

Hunter: Thank you for providing us with shelter, ma’am.

Camila: Please never do that again. And you can call me Camila. Buenos noches. [Good night]

The boys settle down in the basement, while the girls (including Vi) stay in Luz’s room.

Luz: Mamá, I know I shouldn’t have left. I never meant to lie, but I had to stay, and it wasn’t because I-

Camila: Hey! Hey, we’ll have time to talk later. I’m just so happy you’re home.

Luz: Yeah, I’m home…but they’re not.

Luz, for the thousandth time, DON’T GO BLAMING YOURSELF FOR EVERYTHING!

But that leads into the opening montage (because they needed a different opening sequence anyway). Including this scene where Luz comes out as bi to her mom (I still personally think she’s on the ace spectrum, too, but that’s not as flashy).

Aside from that, this montage works to establish how the people that have been reverse-isekai’d are generally adjusting to the human realm, mainly by showing them working on fixing up the abandoned house that led to the portal (and a few of their attempts to make a new portal). Also Willow gives Hunter a haircut.

And then they just play in the rain (and Amity and Luz are adorable as always).

Another small (but relevant) thing this montage reminds us of is that Luz’s magic doesn’t work in the human realm, but the native magical beings (like Amity, Willow, and Vi) can still perform magic. Hunter never really tries magic, but then, he never had magic in the first place, either.

Camila: Ooh, I like what you’ve done with the place. No more exposed nails or possum nests…but this [Hooty] still confuses me.

Willow: Yeah. He still confuses us, too.

The gang is accustomed to hanging out in their “clubhouse” while Luz is at school, and they frequently study Spanish with an app there.

Camila: I’m going to pick up Luz from school. Pop quiz! Como se dice eso en Español? [How do you say this in Spanish?]

Hunter: Oh, oh! Uh, voy a Luz…a la escuela? [I’m going to Luz at school]

Vi: Voy a recoger a Luz de la escuela. [I’m going to pick up Luz from school]

Camila: Muy bueno! [Very good] Keep it up.

To be fair, anyone could trip up when they don’t know the right word (I had to look up “recoger”, and I’ve been studying Spanish pretty much all my life).

But Amity’s getting tired of sitting around just learning Spanish (only partly because Vi’s better at it than her).

Amity: Maybe we need to look elsewhere. There’s an entire human realm to search!

Willow: But Luz has school most of the week.

Amity: So? Let’s explore the town ourselves. After all, Luz went into the Boiling Isles on her own.

And then, Flapjack finds something beneath the floorboards…

Gus: Looks like a map?

Willow: Or a secret code?

Hunter: Flapjack, is this what you’ve been looking for? What does it lead to?

Amity: That eye…it kinda looks like the old portal door.

So they all agree to investigate the thing they found, intending to keep it as a surprise for Luz if it actually amounts to anything.

Meanwhile, Luz gets into a literary debate with her teacher.

Teacher: This epic ends with the homecoming of not just a man, but a hero.

Luz: Hero? Everywhere he went, people ended up suffering.

Teacher: It does get bleak, but no one said his mission would be easy. And when you take into account the ripple effects of his actions-

Luz: Who cares about the ripple effects? He was just a pawn in someone else’s game! And he was never smart enough to realize it. If his friends and family knew about his mission, they’d know that their lives would never have been in danger if it weren’t for him. They should hate his guts, and it would be better if he literally never existed!

I have no clue what book they’re supposed to be talking about – since the teacher described it as an “epic” with an important “homecoming”, my first thought was The Odyssey, but that doesn’t really fit the actions they attribute to the “hero”, so I’m stumped on this. But the really important thing is that Luz is clearly blaming herself (again!) because of things beyond her control.

Anyway, Camila taught Hunter to use the sewing machine, and he’s being adorable.

Hunter: These are mystical beasts called wolves, and I love them.

Because OF COURSE Hunter’s a wolf boy.

Gus: That looks great! You know, you’ve been smiling a lot more since we’ve been here.

Hunter: It’s not like I don’t want to return, I just, uh, need a way to pass the time. That’s all.

Gus: No, it’s good to see you happy. One of us might as well be. What was it like to be in the Emperor’s Coven for so long?

Hunter: I trained a lot, I studied a lot…I wasn’t really allowed to be around the other scouts. But weekends were nice! I got to leave the castle for missions.

Gus: Do you miss it?

Hunter: I miss knowing who I’m supposed to be.

For the first time in his life, Hunter’s free, even if he feels a little guilty because the others have family they’re separated from (also probably for the first time in their lives). And it’s also scary! When you escape from a life someone else laid out for you, it’s hard to break free from their expectations even when they’re gone – especially when your life’s purpose was centered on them.

Then Gus introduces him to Not-Star Trek (because he’s already a human nerd, why wouldn’t he get into a nerdy human franchise?). Hunter is clearly most interested in the character of a clone spy, because of course he is.

This episode is the first where Camila gets significant development, and I can really see that they wanted to do it more gradually with a full season, but this is what they got, so most of that development comes in the form of a dream sequence, recontextualizing some of her actions from the beginning of the series.

Parent: [Luz]’s such a tryhard.

Camila: Oye! What did you just say?

Principal: I said, grief can manifest in different ways, like how Luz has been acting out for attention.

Camila: Losing Manny was difficult for both of us, but Luz has always done things differently.

Principal: Didn’t you say you were bullied in high school, Mrs. Noceda?

Judging by a flashback from earlier in Luz’s childhood (before her dad died), Camila’s assessment that Luz has always “done things differently” seems accurate. But with so many people around her judging her parenting based on Luz “acting out”, and with her own grief on top of all that, she’s eventually convinced that the best thing for Luz is to send her to a camp to make her “normal”.

Principal: You don’t want Luz to struggle like you did, right?

And now she’s trying her best to make up for that.

Luz: Mom, why aren’t you mad at me?

Camila: Oh, baby. Come here. I’ve been terrified, sure, but believe it or not, I do understand what it’s like to want to run away.

Luz: I’m so sorry.

Camila: But the point is, you came home, and everything is okay now.

Luz: But it’s not! It’s my fault everyone’s trapped here, and I don’t even know if King and Eda are okay! I wanted you to meet them so bad, but I keep messing up!

Camila: Hey, everyone makes mistakes. What matters is that you learn from them.

Luz: Can I sleep here tonight?

Camila’s made mistakes, too, but if Luz can rely on her now, that counts for a lot.

And Belos isn’t quite as dead as could be hoped after being reduced to a puddle of goop last episode…

The next day, the kids are preparing for their little quest in the human realm.

Hunter: According to Cosmic Frontier, this is what the modern human male wears.

Vi: This was written in the nineties about the year 2008.

Amity: Hunter, I don’t think the world is ready for the brave fashion choices of the year 2008. Please change.

Willow: Don’t listen to her!

Ultimately Amity wins the argument, though (with the support of Vi, who’s much more attuned to modern fashion in the human realm), so Hunter ends up staying behind to change.

Hunter: You know, maybe you’re right, Flap. Even if I’m not who I’m supposed to be, I like who I am right now.

That bird is precious.

But then Hunter catches a glimpse of Belos in the mirror, and so he forgets all about going into town…

Meanwhile, the others visit all sorts of interesting places, like this statue of Philip and Caleb. And the zoo, where they meet a giraffe and discover why they might have been banished to from the demon realm, before they just head to the museum (which they’d been avoiding because, y’know, Vi was kidnapped by the director there once).

Fortunately, it’s under new management now.

Masha: Say, have we met? Something about you seems familiar.

Vi: Uh, no, I’m new in town. I just have one of those faces. But just the one. The normal amount of face.

Masha: What a coincidence! Me too!

Because of course they did meet Vi before, when she was pretending to be Luz.

And this might be as good a place as any to discuss the episode title. Considering the overt references to the non-binary in this episode, I think it’s safe to assume that the titular “them” is singular, in which case it’s probably referring to The Collector. It’s thanks to them that the kids are in the human realm in the first place.

And Masha is the first person who recognizes what their clue is: A rebus.

Masha: It’s like a riddle where pictures and symbols make up a word.

From there, the kids are able to decipher that the rebus is a map leading to a stash of Titan’s Blood.

Willow: It’s been nice to finally spend some time together.

Amity: Yeah. I can’t wait to show everyone at home.

And this is yet another moment where it’s obvious the creators had a lot more stories that they wanted to tell in the human realm, but they’re all relegated to a scrapbook.

Meanwhile, Luz is talking to her little palisegg.

Luz: What will you be, little palisman? A bird, like Owlbert? A cool bug? Maybe an octopus, so we can hold hands? Or maybe…maybe you’ll never hatch. I messed up your life, too.

It appears that there’s some sort of reaction from the glyph, but Luz is frustrated at the moment, and also she has to pack up and leave with her mom.

Meanwhile, Hunter is getting (understandably) antsy about Belos.

Hunter: Did you know about this? That he was here? I can tell you’re hiding something! Sorry. I shouldn’t take this out on you. I’m just scared.

And when Luz gets home, he intercepts her to tell her about what he saw (at least he’s not trying to go it alone).

So they go back to investigate the clubhouse.

Hunter: We have to take care of this ourselves. Titan, I hate this! I was never scared as the Golden Guard!

So they don masks for confidence (mainly for Hunter)!

But they explore the entire house, even the basement which had been blocked off, with nothing to show but a possum.

Hunter: No one’s here. I guess it was just in my head.

Luz: Well, can’t blame you for being paranoid after everything we’ve been through.

Hunter: Yeah. You know, I just want to make sure everyone’s safe.

Luz: Same. And that includes you, too.

Luz: Yeah, gonna make sure you’re safe too, Hunter. You’re family now.

And that means an awful lot to someone whose only “real” family up until now was an evil uncle.

Hunter: Everything’s okay. Belos is gone.

Then the gang prepares for a Halloween festival (mainly coordinating costumes), with Amity planning to reveal the rebus to Luz after the festivities, and Luz planning for a very different sort of revelation.

Luz: Dear diary. All I ever wanted was to be good at something, to be around people who also liked that something. And when I found the demon realm, I thought, “Wow, I found it! I can learn magic, I can be a witch! I won’t be the dummy in the principal’s office anymore.” But I messed up too much, and put everyone in danger. Mamá says I have to learn from my mistakes. So I know what I have to do now.

Yes, this IS leading up to a terrible life decision!

On a lighter note, yes, Lumity is cosplaying Azura and Hecate, because of course they are, and Gus and Hunter are doing Cosmic Frontier. And while they normally make sure to hide their ears in public, they can get away with it on Halloween.

Masha: Let me tell you the eeriest unsolved mystery of Gravesfield: The tale of the Brothers Wittebane.

Amity: Wittebane? Isn’t that Belos?

Masha: The year is 1613. Two orphan brothers arrive in Gravesfield. Their names, Philip and Caleb.

This subject is a little touchy for both Hunter and Luz, but they’re already on the hayride, and it would be even more suspicious if they were to suddenly bail.

Masha: Caleb did his best to take care of his younger brother. They tried to fit in with this town, and its unsavory practices. They became witch hunters. Local lore suggests that the Brothers Wittebane met a real witch from another world.

The whole Gravesfield legend is a bit of a plot hole, too (there are several things that don’t add up, like the fact that it seems Philip was still a child when he entered the demon realm), but I don’t care because FLAPJACK WAS CALEB’S PALISMAN!

Masha: Her name was Evelyn, and the older brother was spirited away. She dazzled him with magic and visions of a strange yet beautiful place. They used a secret code to travel between worlds. Philip set off to save his brother and bring the witch to justice. But neither were ever seen again! Maybe Philip saved Caleb, and they went on to lead peaceful lives. Or maybe he’s still chasing his brother, caught in a cycle of horror and strife! Sounds like Big Bro got a hot witch girlfriend and Little Bro got upset, but that’s just me.

Masha always seems to be spot-on with these sorts of things…

And then Hunter sees Belos again, but since Luz is beginning to think it’s all in his head (none of the others have seen signs of Belos), he just goes and spoils Amity’s surprise by telling Luz about the Titan’s Blood, because he figures that’s what Belos might be after.

Luz: We need to find the Titan Blood first, just to make sure. I don’t want to freak anyone out yet.

Hunter: You don’t believe me yet, do you? Fine. I’ll prove he’s here. Flapjack, can you get the rebus?

And Flapjack just glares at him, because he knows a bad life decision when he sees it.

Hunter: I’ll say that again. Get the rebus!

Luz: Hey, what the heck?

Hunter: Sorry…I don’t know what came over me.

Meanwhile at the house, Camila stumbles upon Luz’s video diary (the first entries are from years ago, so I can’t blame her for being curious about her thoughts from back then). I don’t really get the horror movie references in her room, but I sure see Not-Soul Eater there (not to be confused with Soul Eater Not!). Then she gets to the lead-up to the events of the first episode – seeing Luz’s mindset not long before she ran away.

Luz: Mom saw my report card. “Mija, if you just applied yourself…” But I am applying myself! My baseball stitches are so small, they’re practically invisible. And I can read and write witchtongue in five different dialects! Also, I can sit so perfectly still, that woodland creatures come and sit on me. But I guess none of this is gonna matter on the SATs. It’s been really rough for Mom since the funeral.

And then she gets to Luz’s most recent entry, the reason her diary was open in the first place.

Luz: Mamá says I have to learn from my mistakes, so I know what I have to do now. On Halloween, after the hayride, I’m telling everyone I’m staying in the human realm. Permanently.

And Camila promptly rushes over to stop her from making a choice she’s sure to regret, because how could any decent parent do otherwise?

Meanwhile, Hunter’s run off with the rebus, leaving Luz to try and find the Titan’s Blood on her own and yes, it IS a bad idea to run off into the foggy night when Belos is potentially on the prowl, but as we’ve established, Luz is thinking less than usual today. Or at least as far as making decisions – she’s doing a fine job accomplishing whatever goals she sets for herself.

Luz: Think, think! Hunter’s following the rebus to the Titan’s Blood, but how can I find the blood without him? Come on, you can do this! […] Glyphs are powered by the magic of the isles – by the Titan itself! The closer I am to the Titan Blood, the stronger the glyphs become.

Then Camila comes over to the festival, and as soon as Amity realizes that Hunter, Luz, and the rebus are gone, they start tracking Luz’s phone.

Then Luz finally catches up to Hunter.

Luz: Hunter, are you okay? Did you see Belos?

Hunter: Oh, no. Just my imagination playing tricks on me again. Why don’t you find the Titan Blood while I find my palisman? Little guy got spooked off.

Luz: Good idea. All this Belos talk has me on edge. I hate to ruin Amity’s surprise, I really appreciate that everybody wanted to do this. You guys are great friends.

Hunter: Have you found the blood yet?

Luz: Flapjack? Why do you look so scared?

“Hunter”: Luz, didn’t you use an ice glyph to get here? Your magic is working.

But the others are also catching up.

Belos: I saw you. Glyphs do work here.

Luz: You! You survived.

Belos: I did. Thanks again for all the help, Luz. But I don’t need you anymore.

He finds the Titan’s Blood, but of course, now that Luz has her magic again, she knocks it out of his hand and starts a fight – while the others watch, very confused.

Belos: You’re not even trying right now. What, afraid you’ll hurt him? […] See, this is why you’re so useful, Luz. You’re so desperate to help people, you even helped me meet The Collector.

Amity: What?

Luz: I didn’t mean to. I thought I was doing something good.

Belos: You did do something good. I thought this one [Hunter] was another lost cause. Because of you, we can finish our work as witch hunters, starting with them!

That’s their cue to join the fight, and once Willow snares him with a vine, Vi has the brilliant plan to just suck his magic…until he breaks the ice bridge that she’s standing on.

Luz: I know you can hear me, Hunter. Fight him off!

He fights her off again, and then he’s alone with Flapjack…

Belos: That’s right. You wouldn’t want me harming your precious palisman, would you? But then again, I don’t care what you want. Goodbye, Evelyn.

But that’s the last straw for Hunter.

Hunter: You know what I’d like, Belos? I’d like to leave the Emperor’s Coven and never step foot in that throne room again. I’d like to study wild magic and learn how to carve palismen! I’d like to attend Hexside as a regular student, and play flyer derby with my friends! But most of all, I’d like to make sure you never hurt anyone again!

Then he throws the vial of Titan Blood into the water. Of course, Belos makes him dive in after it, but that’s still pretty metal.

And then it’s Mama Noceda to the rescue, because evidently she’s the only one that can really swim.

But once Hunter is back on dry land, Belos just leaves his body of his own accord, having gotten what he wanted.

Belos: Caleb! You would stab me in the back?

Luz: You did it to him first.

Then he opens the portal.

Belos: This is for the good of your souls. You’ll thank me later.

Camila: That’s the Belos you’ve been fighting this whole time?

Willow: Guys, Hunter isn’t moving!

Camila suggests calling an ambulance, but that just raises more issues.

Willow: Do human doctors know about possession?

Luz: Or grimwalkers?

Because if Luz’s secret came out, Hunter’s secret might as well, too (even if it’s less relevant than the possession question). And it all ends up being irrelevant, anyway, because they don’t have cell service.

But Flapjack has a plan.

HE SACRIFICES HIMSELF TO HEAL HUNTER and i can’t

Hunter: Hey guys. Is everyone else okay?

Gus: Actually…Flapjack-

Hunter: Don’t-don’t. I already know.

This episode contains basically all the background we ever get about Caleb, but it’s enough to piece together a few things. It seems that he just wanted to live peacefully with Evelyn and learn magic from her (she had a similar symbol to Eda’s, but it’s never clarified if that’s because she was an ancestor, had a similar curse, or what). But Philip, being the more young and impressionable brother, took to heart the anti-witch sentiment of the Puritanical town, and thus viewed all magic as evil. And so, when he caught up to his brother in the demon realm, Philip rejected his lifestyle, and ultimately killed him. More than perceiving the demon realm and its people as a physical threat to mankind, Belos was born from the idea that magic is inherently evil, so all of those people must be killed to stop others from falling into “temptation” like Caleb. Sadly, even in this day and age, that mindset is still prevalent among many Christians (if not always so openly violent).

The implication is that Flapjack couldn’t help Caleb, so he’s not going to let Hunter die.

this show

Amity: Luz, what did Belos mean when he said you helped him meet The Collector? I mean, that was a lie, right?

Luz: No, it was true. If it weren’t for me, the Day of Unity would’ve never happened. […] I met him when he was still just Philip, and I taught him the light spell. I introduced him to The Collector. I set everything into motion. I’m sorry, everyone.

Amity: Why did you keep all that a secret?

Luz: I was scared. I thought you’d all hate me for it. Which is why I’ve made a decision. I think it’d be in everyone’s best interest if I-

Camila: Took your mama to the demon realm!

Because she’s not ready for Luz to give up on her dreams!

Amity: I couldn’t hate you, Luz. The fact that you still stand up for us means enough to me.

Camila: Mija, now that I’ve seen what you’re up against, there is no way I’m letting you go back alone. It is our duty to help your friends get back to their families.

Luz: But-

Hunter: You were tricked. That’s what Belos does, he tricks people. But if it weren’t you, it would have been someone else. And then there’d be no one left to fight back. So let’s do that. Let’s fight back. Please. For Flapjack?

Luz: For Flapjack.

So they all head through the portal, because it’s starting to close.

Hunter: Time to go home, Flap.

i still can’t

Amity: Luz, I know things are scary, and I don’t know what the future holds, but it would be so cool if you were a part of that. But no more hiding, okay?

Luz: I understand. See you on the other side. Promise.

COMMUNICATION! See, that wasn’t so hard.

also she’s repeating luz’s line when she first asked her out and THESE TWO

Camila: Are you ready?

Luz: Are you? I’m not sure what we’ll see on the other side.

Camila: Then we don’t want to leave unprepared. A good witch always has to have her hat.

and then the ending music starts playing and i seriously cannot

Then the actual credits play over a series of illustrations of other scenes they didn’t have the chance to flesh out.

THIS SHOW

until next time…