Enchanting Grom Fright
Amity's crush on Luz is revealed during a prom-like ceremony.
The sixteenth episode of The Owl House’s first season, “Enchanting Grom Fright,” aired on Disney Channel on August 8, 2020. Critics highlighted the episode for revealing that Amity Blight has a crush on Luz Noceda, which many considered a significant milestone for LGBT representation in Disney animation.
Quick Facts
- Series
- The Owl House
- Season
- 1
- Episode
- 16
- Production
- 450H-117
- Director
- Stu Livingston
- Story
- Dana Terrace
- Rachel Vine
- Lee Knox Ostertag
- Teleplay
- Lee Knox Ostertag
- Air date
- 8 August 2020
Facts from the source article.
Plot
While practicing a Plant spell, Luz gets a text from her mom, Camila, asking how she is. Panicked, Luz remembers her mother thinks she’s at summer camp and has no clue she’s in another realm studying magic. At Hexside, Willow and Gus tell Luz about a school event called Grom, similar to a prom. Amity is chosen as Grom Queen, which excites Luz, but Amity is anxious because the Grom Queen must battle Grometheus, a monster beneath the school that shapeshifts into a person’s worst fear, to stop it from breaking free and devouring the Boiling Isles. Back at the Owl House, Luz learns Eda will chaperone Grom, and King will co-host the dance with Gus. In the woods, Luz finds Amity, who says she can avoid being Grom Queen if she finds a replacement; Luz volunteers. The next day, Amity’s siblings, Edric and Emira, help Luz prepare by conjuring illusions of her fears. At the dance, King struggles with stage fright. Luz’s fight begins well, but Grometheus turns into her greatest fear: her mother discovering she lied about camp. Terrified, Luz flees, causing panic until King overcomes his fear and directs students to help. As Luz tries to escape, Amity steps in. Grometheus then reveals Amity’s deepest fear: rejection from someone she wanted to ask to Grom. Luz comforts Amity and offers to go with her instead. Together, they defeat Grometheus. Celebrating, Luz asks who Amity wanted to ask, but Amity changes the subject and tosses away her Grom letter—which the audience sees was addressed to Luz. At the Owl House, Luz finally texts her mom back, but it’s revealed someone else has been sending Camila letters claiming to be Luz.
Production
The episode "Enchanting Grom Fright" was directed by Stu Livingston, with a teleplay by Lee Knox Ostertag based on a story by Ostertag, series creator Dana Terrace, and Rachel Vine. Storyboards were handled by Charlie Bryant, Emmy Cicierega, Cat Harman-Mitchell, Hayley Foster, Madeleine Flores, Chris Pianka, and Spencer Wan. Terrace had wanted to make a prom-themed episode since the show’s early development, and also aimed to include prominent LGBT characters, drawing from her own identity as bisexual. Although Disney executives were “extremely supportive” of the idea, it was initially blocked by “a certain Disney leadership” before receiving final approval. Spencer Wan, who storyboarded the dance sequence alongside Foster, called it “the gay thing” and noted it was his first chance to storyboard “anything even remotely queer.” Earlier drafts featured a different prom concept where “P.R.O.M.” stood for “Perennial Ritual Offering Maiden,” but this was altered during production.
Reception
The episode was met with widespread praise from critics, many of whom focused on the moment Amity’s feelings for Luz were made clear. Publications like Variety and the New York Post reported that the installment “made history” by featuring Disney’s first main bisexual character. Marcelo Garcia from CBR called it “a tremendous step in the right direction for Disney, a company that has struggled with LGBTQ+ representation in recent years.” Palmer Harsch of Insider wrote that the episode “helped Disney Channel make a major step forward in terms of LGBTQ representation” and expressed hope it would be “a harbinger of further LGBTQ stories to come on Disney Channel.” Kirby Beaton of BuzzFeed argued that “queer content on the Disney Channel is a huge stride in queer representation,” while Matt Tracy of Gay City News described the series’ portrayal of LGBT characters as “a refreshing development considering the lack of queer representation in animated television during recent years.” Petrana Radulovic of Polygon highlighted the dance between Luz and Amity, calling it “ADORABLE and beautifully animated.” Some commentators noted that the show’s LGBTQ representation was largely driven by its writers and creators rather than by Disney itself. Michele Kirichanskaya of The Mary Sue observed that shows like The Owl House, along with She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and The Prom, help dismantle “old heteronormative traditions” associated with prom. In a review of a season two episode, “Through the Looking Glass Ruins,” Mey Rude of Out referred to this installment as one of “season one's gayest episodes,” alongside “Wing It Like Witches.”
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