Once Upon a Swap (The Owl House)

"Once Upon a Swap (The Owl House)"
Proof that even a great series can have subpar episodes.
Part of Season: 1 Episode Number: 8 Air Date: March 8, 2020 Writer: Dana Terrace, Charlie Feldman, Rachel Vine Director: Aminder Dhaliwal Previous episode: Lost in Language! Next episode: Something Ventured, Someone Framed!

Once Upon a Swap is the 8th episode of the first season of The Owl House, and the 8th episode overall. It first aired on March 8, 2020.

Plot

Thinking each other has the hardest lifestyle out of all of them, Luz, Eda, and King swap bodies for the day to see wo has the easiest life. The winner gets out of cleaning the house. After the swap is done, Luz is in Eda's body, Eda is in King's body, and King is in Luz's body.

Bad Qualities

1. While there's nothing wrong with a 'body swap' episode, especially since it allows various characters to see what it's like to be each other, that issue with this episode is that not much new is done with this concept.
2. For the most part, this is a filler episode, with little to no impact on the show. You could skip it, and nothing would change.
3. Luz attempts to help Eda set up her business with fancy lights and magic, despite being informed that Eda is a wanted criminal.
   • In her segment, Luz (as Eda) continues to use these fancy lights, which gets her arrested.
4. The trio's stories all play out the same way; they all test their new body out, something good happens with them, until their luck turns terrible, and they meet up with each other again near the end. There is little variety other than the scenery.
5. The Kitty Cafe workers are portrayed in a creepy manner. They at first seem nice, treating Eda (as King) cutely and she starts to enjoy it, until they try to force her to wear a bee costume, and she sneaks into a room where she discovers several babies have been mind wiped from being cuddled so long.
6. Luz suggests that they should think about the body swap plan first, but Eda doesn't listen and does it right away.
7. When Lilith visits "Eda" in jail, she somehow fails to notice that she has a different face, a higher voice, and acts differently.
8. It is unusual that the city's jail and the Kitty Cafe just happen to be a few yards from each other; in reality, they should be miles apart. Also, there was nothing preventing Eda and King from leaving, since the door was right next to them, so why did they stay there?
9. Plot Hole: Eda (as King) simply uses Owlbert to undo the body swap, even though King's body has no magic.
10. After the trio are returned to their original bodies, all of the bad guys after them are still on their tails, so Eda "solves" the problem by using the body swap spell on all of them, including Lilith, not caring much for their well being.
11. In the end, while they agree to work together, Eda and King refuse to help Luz clean Hooty and the Owl House, leaving it on a bad ending.

Good Qualities

1. There are a few funny moments, including the pranks that King/Luz pulls on the town with the teens.
   • Hooty, as usual, is funny in almost every scene he's in.
2. The trio look nice in each other's bodies, like Eda looking cute with Luz's face, and Luz with Kings eyes and fang are creepy yet cool.
3. Luz's segment as Eda does reveal that Eda originally wanting to join the Emperor's Coven as a child with Lilith, which is clever continuity.
4. Eda as King does look adorable in the bee costume.
5. The episode does teach a good moral that dealing with someone else's hardships isn't easy.
6. The episode also introduced the Branding Glove and the Ratworm species, which are seen much later in the show.

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