#the duality of grom

[sepublic]

Gus and his Illusions

I freaking love how this episode reveals the root source of Gus’ insecurities that all of his previous episodes and arcs were built off of, and how it thus just ties them all together so concisely, in such an explanatory way. It was basically a character study for him.

How Gus is an illusionist who both ironically and fittingly has impostor syndrome, thinks he’s faking it but isn’t smart at all, just dumb... How he’s trusted Mattholomule, the Glandus kids, and Hunter; Only for that to backfire as Gus doubts his ability to see through illusions, questioning how a worthwhile illusionist can be fooled by others not even of that track?

And this impostor syndrome makes Gus doubt his own abilities and his actual self-efficacy... Assuming the worst (we don’t know if that fake partner’s friend actually would’ve laughed at Gus), believing he’s not actually fit for illusions when he clearly is. Being about appearances yet overlooked, which is part of the duality of his magic expertise; Gus doesn’t so much fool others as he lies to himself about who he really is, and even how others think of him to an extent. It’s all about perception to Gus.

Gus doesn’t know if he can trust himself and his own judgment in magic and friends (does he actually know people?!), and these successive betrayals led to him doubting his choices, being suspicious of Hunter for a while... Willow helped uplift him as she wants to do with others (expressed to Clover), and Gus started the HAS to give others a voice in response to his own trauma; And eventually helped King, who also felt overlooked and forgotten! Up until now, Gus’ own prodigal skills were also fittingly overlooked by the fandom for Willow’s!

The way Gus can put up the facade of a confident kid, as a Grom announcer for example; But he’s an illusion, he’s just a dumb kid, right? He’s not as clever or cool as he thinks he is, the kid has fooled himself into thinking he’s put on an illusion and that one is even there. Gus really is just all about having a sense of reality, having his insecurities lowkey gaslight himself, figuring out who to trust, getting a sense for his actual abilities and judgment, as well as his understanding of people (which leads to a crisis when Gus doesn’t recognize Willow as a fake this episode, as if he’s lying to himself about who his friends are).

The kid has impostor syndrome badly and it’s all just both fitting and ironic for an illusionist... Gus really does just embody his magic so thematically in terms of his arcs and personality. Not knowing if his actual abilities are real or just a sham, if others are real or not; And when he messes up, Gus exaggerates the extent of his mistakes and his alleged incompetence. His eyes glow because his vision is altered...

He manifests past betrayals like the Glandus kids, his own mind is messing with Gus and making him believe in its lies, taunting him; Putting voices in his head that aren’t there and might not even reflect how people actually are, just rolling with the worst version of them created by Gus’ anxiety, because ultimately, it’s Gus’ self-doubt wearing the face and voices of others to taunt him with. It’s himself, his own insecurity, wearing a believable mask of all the people he’s felt tricked by.

It’s fitting that Gus doesn’t trust Hunter at first this episode, too; Given how his suspicions were validated from their previous interaction! He looked out for Willow then because he’s used to being tricked and is trying to find the truth, the ulterior motive. But ultimately Gus still chooses honesty instead of hiding his intentions like that fake partner, or his arguable foil in Adrian Graye or the Glandus kids. He’s still learning to embrace himself and the truth, and not hide that, nor believe in the tempting self-deprecation! Gus learned to trust himself again, as well as Mattholomule and Hunter.

Like Hunter learning to trust again this episode after being fooled for so long, as he and Gus relate to having a ‘friend’ with an ulterior motive; Amity learning to see the real Willow after imposing a misconception of her (which ties back to Willow’s previous appearance about being underestimated and wanting to be seen for who she really is), learning to trust in Willow’s own agency, as Willow is able to trust in her old friend once more to BE a friend to her.

Not to mention how Gus’ trauma manifests. How Willow helped Gus quell that... But the successive betrayals I mentioned, it just made Gus doubt his ability to trust, either himself or others; That seems to be the inciting incident for these episodes. Gus realizes he can’t trust his partner, or Adrian Graye. Gus’ trauma hates his soul to the rest of the school, his memories being overlaid everything else, both hiding reality but also revealing his own???

The interplay of truth and falsehoods, trust VS doubt, confidence VS impostor syndrome... Do you believe or not and is it real, is the question! It’s all so compelling and this really was Gus’ episode. If Gus feels like he doesn’t have an understanding nor grip on reality, his own illusions and misinformation take over... And if that ain’t a mood I dunno what is.

#the owl house #gus porter #augustus porter #character analysis #meta

[abiiors]

The mietter thing is partially my fault which makes it so much funnier to me.

Also I actually didn't Google it I just realised you got up for work around 3am for me and guessed grom there. Most of my ross content comes out around 3am for me for that reason.

That might actually simultaneously be the sweetest and most evil thing someone has done to me. Wow the duality of man

(yes, the miette thing is partially your fault)

#asks #chatty asks #🍓

[too-for-joy]

Uglie

#gromit #shepherd mix #dog #the duality of grom

[capsizedskeleton]

IM FUCKING GOING NUTS BRO EACH TOH EPISODE IS HITTING HARDER THAN THE LAST

- TOH CREW REALLY SAID IT’S GOOD TO HAVE A CAUSE TO FIGHT FOR BUT SELF-SACRIFICE ISN’T THE ANSWER

- EDA BEING SUCH A MOM. WE LOVE FOUND FAMILY

- her hair was up for the entire episode!

- i LOVE raine so much

- we all thought they were going to be an uptight asshole but they’re nervous yet skilled and they blush a lot and look at their outfit

- god the childhood friends to lovers potential, they’re Almost there

- the LOOKS they give each other. gay gay homosexual gay

- stg im gonna write something about helping with a raid that turns out to be kind of a date if they just had more time before luz’s event

- eda kicking ass without her magic, just her fists and knowledge!!

- the little blush raine gives as they’re like “do i really have to say this?” 

- raine’s really fucking powerful? they can command the emperor’s guard? one strum and the abomination coven head’s form breaks?? fucking fantastic

- the scene where they’re younger!! sometimes you just go to a hill and watch with love in your eyes as your chaotic friend plays music huh

- bro the duality of eda’s chaotic, well-known rebellion against belos and raine’s calculated moving through the ranks

- ‘how can you be head bard when you have stage fright?’ ‘how can you be the owl lady with stage fright’ i stg they’re in love

- COVEN HEADS???

- i LOVE THE ABOMINATION GUY AS WELL

-FLUID ANIMATION AND VOICE AND HE’S KIND OF THE ASSHOLE WE ALL EXPECTED RAINE TO BE

- the beast keeping coven head is just like i will be feral and a little shit. on purpose

- very cool how eda’s anti magic? is used, love that potential (esp against belos? 👀)

- the MUSIC the ANIMATION DURING THAT ONE SCENE HOLY SHIT

- I KNEW THE ANIMATION WAS BETTER THIS SEASON BUT THE LIGHTING REALLY DOES WONDERS

- AND WITH THE GROM NIGHT THEME AND THE MUSIC AS LUZ’S CLIMBING UP HUNTER’S SHIP IN HUNTING PALISMEN I KNEW THE MUSIC ON THIS SHOW SLAPPED BUT THE WAY THE MELODIES INTERTWINED AND BECAME CORRUPTED WITH THE MAGIC IT’S. AMAZING

- “you have kids???” you fucking bet she does

- the hand grab the hand grab!!!

- so much in the last few minutes? the adoption papers? 

- KING IS OFFICIALLY A CLAWTHORNE

- eda crying bro me too

- KING’S DAD???

- willow in her room with clover we love that

- amity’s alright!

- kikimora and other eye??? god i just love her design and what the hell are her powers anyway and i wonder how those tattoos work

- interesting how the abomination head disapproves of the blight family’s abomination tech

- how the hell is he an abomination anyway

- RAINE OH NO OH FUCK

- i just. the relationships and connections in this episode i love it so so much. i cannot wait for next saturday

#each episode just *bonk* emotions *bonk* animation *bonk* character development *bonk* new characters *bonk* cool magic shit #literally insane #toh #toh spoilers #eda's requiem #what a good name for the episode too even tho i barely understood it at first #edalyn clawthorne #luz noceda #raine whispers #oh i just realized how their name is so clever #god. god. #rambles #toh meta

[lordgrom]

Grom vs. Grombot

#digital art #my art #vampire #oc #own character #original character #vampire oc #robot #black and red #versus #opposition #duality #counterpart #grom #lord grom #grombot

[sepublic]

Kikimora VS Gus and Mattholomule?

            So a recent post by @trueduckweed has me thinking, if Kikimora is going to go after a Galdorstone in Season 2B… Could she be a parallel to Gus and Mattholomule, in a sense?

         There’s the whole schtick of being a short witch who feels overlooked and not appreciated, despite being very talented and powerful in their own right; At least in Gus and Kiki’s case. Gus started the HAS because he didn’t want anyone to feel left behind, and Kikimora is a spokesperson for the Emperor’s Coven, imploring Gus and his peers to join the organization. They both talk to crowds, with Gus as a comedian at Grom, and Kikimora acting as Belos’ representative; Gus is the son of a reporter, and Kikimora did a news conference for Eda’s petrification.

         So there’s already that duality, the parallelism and foils; Kikimora handles the public relations of the Emperor’s Coven, she’s the social person who talks to people and manages them. Meanwhile Gus is the son of Perry, a reporter who presumably isn’t that fond of the coven either, given how he let Willow hijack his broadcast and even seemed a little swayed by what she had to say. We have the setup for Gus as the investigator who drills and pokes holes in Kikimora’s public façade for the Emperor’s Coven.

         Then there’s Mattholomule, who already has his similarities to Gus and by extension Kiki; But as he himself declares, he just wants drama and power. Kikimora definitely wants those things as well –look at how she makes fun of Lilith in front of students for example- and like Matt, she’s willing to take what she desires from others who already have it; Mattholomule took leadership of the HAS, Kikimora tried to take Belos’ approval from Lilith and Hunter. Most notably, Mattholomule was part of a ‘friend’ group that undervalued and didn’t treat him properly, and eventually changed his mind after being inspired by Gus, who’d already been kind to him beforehand.

         Given how Kikimora is desperate for Belos’ approval, perhaps we’ll see parallel to this; Her VA Mela Lee did allude to more of Kikimora’s backstory and motives being explored, so perhaps like Mattholomule, Kikimora has that jealous napoleon complex going on. Matt’s also good at playing the innocent sweetheart façade, which fits with how Kikimora presents herself as a dignified representative of the Emperor’s Coven; I could definitely see her weaponizing her small stature, albeit begrudgingly. Doing the innocent “Who me?” schtick, which Kikimora definitely would in regards to Hunter’s attempted assassination.

         Perhaps we’ll see Kikimora go after the Galdorstones in a bid to impress Belos, and maybe take some power for herself; Even if Belos has already used one in making Hunter, we know the Emperor’s Coven is still looking for them in the present-day regardless. We might see Kikimora keep one for herself, setting her up as also a foil to Gus and Mattholomule; Someone who chooses to take the Galdorstones from their keeper, like Bria and her friends. For all we know, this scenario might be a parallel to Eclipse Lake; One of Luz’s friends (technically two, if we consider Mattholomule a friend of Luz through Gus) face off against a member of the Emperor’s Coven.

         Parallels are drawn and compared in-universe, and an offer of friendship is made, only for it to be rejected. I could see Mattholomule pointing out to Kikimora that her dependency on Belos’ approval isn’t exactly healthy… And perhaps Kikimora’s lieutenant could create a duo, to pair off against Gus and Mattholomule respectively. Perhaps roles are reversed, where it’s Kikimora who barely makes it out with a single Galdorstone or a piece of one, while our protagonists are seemingly victorious for the most part.

         Maybe Kikimora WILL take Gus and Mattholomule’s points to heart, but in a more antagonistic way; Deciding to keep one of the Galdorstones for herself, in hopes of supplanting Belos! She’s looking out for herself now at least, but Kiki’s still power hungry and kind of evil… In the intro, we have Lilith aligned with the Owl House, Kikimora with Belos’ castle, and Hunter in-between. These placements likely symbolize their own dilemmas and stances; Lilith has already left by the beginning of Season 2, Hunter is caught in-between. Kikimora however is still loyal to Belos, or at least the values of his coven; So it’s not quite a redemption, but she sort of DOES go through some development and wisen up, in a sense. Kind of a twist on the redemption arc, then, after seeing Lilith and probably Hunter go through with it.

         On a final note, perhaps we’ll see Gus and Mattholomule invoke some memories and motives from Kikimora, via their illusions? Maybe they play mind games with fake Belos constructs, and in her confused frustration, we see Kikimora drop some hints to her motives and backstory, how she feels about Belos, etc., maybe a flashback or two. With the power of the Galdorstones, who knows what Gus and Mattholomule might accidentally accomplish? And this is a stretch, but I’ve speculated before on Gus dabbling in Oracle magic… The head of the Oracle Coven bears a resemblance to Kikimora;

        Maybe this will be brought up, Kikimora tries to sway Gus to her side via this offer of a lucrative opportunity in the Oracle Coven, through her relative? An inverse of Amity offering Hunter a way out of the Emperor’s Coven, we have Kikimora encouraging these kids to join, because that type of social recruitment job has always been her schtick. It could parallel and contrast with Gus and his past role in the HAS, maybe bring up what Mattholomule did with it (or tried to) after Gus left. 

       Maybe we’ll also see Kikimora kill the keeper of the graveyard, if he isn’t already a ghost like Mattholomule surmised; And we might get more lore from the keeper on how the Emperor’s Coven has persecuted and bastardized the old ways of magic, institutionalizing Illusions into one of its main nine covens. Perhaps the Oracle Head will be set up as a parallel to the keeper, as an old man that Kikimora and Gustholomule look up to, or at least have a relationship with. If the keeper IS a ghost, then that could tie into Oracle Gus, if Oracles are related to Necromancy; And then tie back to Kikimora’s connection with the Oracle Head, whom she might even lead the assault with.

       (If you really want to stretch it, one could parallel Gus’ fascination with humans with the idea that Kikimora met and knew Philip... Maybe even followed him into his descent as Belos, though whether she’s made the connection or not is unknown. Kind of a dark parallel to Gus looking up to Luz, if Kikimora was a kid when Philip took her under his wing; Or an inverse of Kiki took care of Philip and refuses to admit how her own charge has begun to abuse and take advantage of her.)

#the owl house #the owl house kikimora #the owl house gus #augustus porter #the owl house mattholomule #gustholomule #galdorstones #speculation #theory