Chapter 86: Closing the Gates
Art by Crash X Fusion: Today, everybody comes home.
After escaping Purgatory, our heroes rush to shut down Stan's portal before it runs the risk of destroying reality.Tropes that appear in this chapter:
- Abusive Parents: Isaac and his wife forced Abigail to stop telling people about Angel's death after seeing she was resurrected and after she got kicked out of the Huntsclan, they told her she's a disappointment.
- Adaptational Backstory Change: Downplayed. While his age wasn't officially confirmed in his series, Randy was likely born in 1999 as "How Howie Met Randy" was set in 2005, where he was six, making him 13 in the present. In the LCU, seeing as he's two years older, he was now born in 1997.
- Alternate Self: Implied. When the portal starts to bring Ford back, Luz sees at least a dozen variants of herself as everything fades to white.
- Ambiguous Situation:
- Acorn was really determined to leave for the Demon Realm with Amity, but her shifty eyes show that there's a reason behind it.
- Anne has returned to Earth but now it raises the question of how she returned and what events led up to it.
- Arch-Enemy: Abigail no longer hates all of magickind: she only hates Eda for killing Angel.
- Berserk Button:
- Do not mention the Gremlins movie in the presence of actual gremlins.
- Downplayed. Angel says that if Clara was willing to protect a witch, she's no different from her mother. Abigail is not amused by the implications.
- Big Badass Battle Sequence
- Bittersweet Ending: Ford has been brought back to Earth but Stan gets arrested for using the portal to do so despite the warnings and risks, which means Dipper and Mabel are left in Ford's custody and the Mystery Shack is shut down. Luz & Camila reunite with/meet Abigail and Clara and promise to visit Earth to spend time with them while Eda promises the same with the Long family. Nora and the Gatesfield teens will stay in Gravity Falls to provide testemonies against the Archangels, with Clara possibly worrying about Masha developing an attraction to Vee but promising to clear the air with Gus G. Lilith informs Vee of her no longer being a threat and accepts Vee being incapable of forgiving her. Jenny is left at Jake's mercy as Gus. P tells her off for leaving him behind before disowning her for good. The US government will now meet with the Dragon Council to combat the threat of the Archangels as Angel goes into hiding with Helga, and they confirm that they've handled things with Jackie's family in Echo Creek. The Boiling Isles residents return to the Demon realm with Star and Acorn joining them, but in order to keep Belos from learning what happened to Amity, Willow, Gus P. and Eve, they'll have to remain in the Owl House in order to figure out a way to explain their disappearances. The chapter ends with Anne having returned home and about to reunite with her parents for the first time in 7 yearsnote .
- Break the Cutie:
- After learning what his guardian did to reunite with his brother and being informed that Stan is being arrested for nearly destroying reality, Dipper begins crying and has a panic attack.
- Gus P. is so downhearted from both learning about Vaggie's murder and causing Michael's death that he isn't ecstatic at the idea of meeting a fellow Gus when he and Gus. G. are introduced to each other.
- Brutal Honesty: After Ford explains his past working together with McGucket, the old coot tells Ford he didn't seem to be a good friend.
- The Bus Came Back:
- Not counting Puck taking his appearance in "Tragedy at Eclipse Lake" and the flashback in "How to Save a Life", Ford appears for the first time since "Understanding Lilith" from last season.
- Anne returns for the first time since returning to Amphibia at the end of "No Big Deal".
- But Now I Must Go: Star decides to follow up on returning to the Boiling Isles with the witches to meet with Hunter and discuss what they know about the winged mechanical creatures, so she says goodbye to Vee.
- Call-Back:
- While talking with Gus. G, Willow brings up how Amity apologized to her for ending their friendship and Boscha apologized for destroying Luz & Amity's relationship after becoming a pariah because of it.
- Amity is shown teleporting for the first time since the Glandus War; only this time, she intentionally does it.
- Lilith socks Ford for leaving her behind and she rebukes his statement about family holding them back.
- The agents's case against the Archangels will make use of the photos Rudo took of the Department A facility the Gatesfield teens found Willow in.
- The events in Echo Creek are mentioned to have been smoothed over.
- Commonality Connection: Gus G. admits to Willow that he was a victim of bullying and is surprised that she was too, despite her magical strength.
- Continuity Nod:
- Fu Dog reminds Jake of his making a fool of himself during his photo shoot for "Magic Wall Street" Magazine.
- Willow remembers that Boscha was paralyzed and hopes she's recovered.
- As they're saying goodbye, Star promises to finish her match against Vee in "Fight Fighters".
- Dark and Troubled Past:
- Gus G. suffered from bullying at the hands of Clara and her friends over his dream of being a musician along with his taste in music.
- Abigail had to endure years of everyone calling her crazy because her parents and brother made her keep the truth about Angel under wraps.
- Tinker Bell denies telling Amity anything about what happened on Neverland, and Amity more than understands and accepts this.
- Death Glare: Lilith gives Ford an intense one after punching him and gives another when warning him to look after the Pines twins.
- Dysfunctional Family
- Everyone Knew Already: Both Joseph and his mother were in on the truth about Angel.
- Everyone Meets Everyone: The Boiling Isles residents and their allies, the Pines family and their closest friends, the Gatesfield teens, Nora, Jake & Randy, Abigail, and Agents Powers, Trigger and Tinker Bell all meet and interact with each other.
- Flashback B-Plot: The first quarter of the chapter details how Willow, Nora, the Gatesfield teens, Jake, Fu and Randy got to Gravity Falls and learned about the agents trying to locate the portal.
- Foreshadowing: Witch Hazel mentions being part of a book club.
- Forgiveness: Averted with Vee, who can't bring herself to ever forgive Lilith for letting the Emperor's Coven and the Hieron Labs alchemists torture the basilisks no matter what she does to atone for it. Lilith understands her decision and accepts it.
- The Ghost:
- Willow brings up Boscha's former posse and how they used to bully her, singling out Skara (who became her girlfriend) and Boscha (who apologized but she isn't sure she's forgiven for everything she's done and is unsure if everything she did was because of Nicole's influence).
- Randy mentions the Sorcerer and Evil Julian when remembering that he hasn't fought much crime since defeating them both.
- Tres, Megan and Ivy are all mentioned, with Vee saying she'd want to return to the Boiling Isles just to see them again.
- Amity brings up Jackie and protecting her from Mr. X, being reassured there's no need to worry about her mermaid friend.
- Along with the former Banshees, Bo, Mattholomule, Edric and Emira, Willow's dads and Odalia are mentioned as being the only people who know where Amity, Willow and Gus P. have been.
- Given Name Reveal: Dana and Rudo's last names are listed as "Underwood" and "Stewart".
- Green-Eyed Monster: Clara pouts when Masha shows an interest in Vee over her shapeshifting abilities.
- Heel–Face Turn: During the Equinox Hunt and her final test to join the Huntsclan, Abigail couldn't bring herself to kill the unicorn and was surprised to see it comfort her while she was breaking down. Following this, she would come to realize the sadistic nature of her family and swore off following their legacy of hatred against witchkind... mostly.
- Held Gaze: Vee and Star share a laugh as they say goodbye, but end up looking at each other long enough for it to become awkward.
- Hidden Depths:
- Gus G. shows a diverse range and interest in multiple music genres based on his preferences to Iron Weasel, Gorillaz, and Panic! at the Disco. He also seems to appreciate the old-school special effects and stunts performed in movies over CGI.
- Dana seems to be a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, given how she specifically singled out Thor when asking Star what kind of being she is.
- I Choose to Stay: Zig-zagged with Camila. Abigail arranges for Powers to cover up Camila's death so she can begin life anew in the Human Realm, but Camila refuses because she intends to stay in the Demon Realm to be with Luz.
- Immediate Sequel: Once the flashbacks with Willow's party end, things continue from the Boiling Isles crew escaping from Purgatory in Fazio's truck, Eda being comforted by her kids and her sister.
- Innocently Insensitive: Rudo asks if the gremlins would let him and his friends watch Gremlins as an in-flight movie. One of them gets pissed at hearing the request and one of the others says the movie's incredibly offensive to them.
- In Spite of a Nail: Ford returns to Earth, begins planning to dismantle the portal, and refuses to make amends with Stan.
- Internal Reveal:
- Willow, Nora and the Gatesfield teens have learned that the Norrisville Ninja is a teenager.
- Wendy and Soos learn about Ford and the portal.
- Luz and the Pines meet Abigail, who learns that the Nocedas are alive.
- Ford meets Luz and Eda for the first time.
- Luz, Amity, Gus P., Vee and Star meet Nora, the Gatesfield teens, Jake and Randy for the first time. In the process, Luz learns that Clara's her godsister.
- Lilith tells Vee that she's no longer Head of the Emperor's Coven and of her helping to free Megan with Luz and Tres.
- Amity meets Tinker Bell and informs her about Puck.
- Jerkass Realization: Abigail has come to accept that she wasn't as good a friend to Angel as she believed, her behavior towards her being the reason she ran away with Eda.
- Jerkass to One: But while Abigail gave up her family's hatred of magickind, she won't forgive Eda for killing Angel.
- Karma Houdini: Angel manages to escape from Purgatory with Helga, everyone none the wiser about her fate.
- Kicking Ass in All Her Finery: Amity and Eve still continue to kick butt in their party formal wear.
- Lampshade Hanging:
- Willow meeting Gremlin Gus, him saying it's a common name and mentioning he knew a human Gus results in Dana questioning if this is going to get confusing.
- Fu Dog's response to Gus G's quip about Los Angeles having its own magical issues baffles everyone, but he doesn't elaborate on it.
- Stan's reaction to Lilith being angry with Ford would imply he figured out their exact history, but nothing is said to support it.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Jenny's final punishment is being arrested by Jake to be tried for her crimes, with Gus P. officially renouncing her as his mother.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Amity is noticeably stunned to hear Tinker Bell's voice sounds so similar to hers, referencing the fact that Mae Whitman voiced both characters.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Intentionally invoked. Due to the very high risk of Belos potentially learning the Clawthornes have recovered the portal key and have a working portal to the Human Realm, they tell the returning witches that they must stay in the Owl House to avoid that risk and not warn anybody outside those who know the truth. As such, Eve can't call her parents or the SSE to tell them she's back.
- Luminescent Blush:
- Clara does this when she realizes she's still holding Masha while laying on top of her after the Gatesfieldians experience a gravitational anomoly.
- Vee and Star look away sporting one each after their Held Gaze moment.
- Mythology Gag
- Noodle Incident
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Stan's placed under government arrest, Dipper and Mabel will now have to adjust to having Ford as their guardian and the Mystery Shack is shut down, putting Soos and Wendy out of a job. Due to the threat the Archangels pose, Jake suggests members of the U.S. government meet with the Dragon Council in order to investigate and stop them.
- Not So Above It All: Clara can't help rubbing it in Gus G's face when Abigail confirms she's not a witch hunter like the rest of their family.
- Oh, Crap!: Mabel lets one slip out after the agents state they've contacted her parents and told them what transpired with the portal.
- One-Steve Limit: The name "Gus" is milked at least four times between Gremlin Gus, who mentions knowing a human named Gus that he met in World War II, and both Gus Porter and Gus Gordon meet face to face for the first time.
- Only a Flesh Wound
- Out-of-Character Moment: After Lilith punches Ford for leaving her in the past, Eda admits she's never seen her sister that furious before.
- Parental Substitute: As she's saying goodbye, Luz admits that Stanley's the closest thing she's had to a father and states she'll see him again. Soos also confesses that Stan is this for him and Vee addresses Blubs and Durland as her fathers for the first time.
- Plot-Relevant Age-Up: Downplayed. Randy mentions he's going into his third year as the Ninja. With the Adaptational Backstory Change, this would make him 15 years old.
- Point of Divergence
- To the second half of "Not What He Seems" and the entirety of "A Tale of Two Stans": Wendy sees Ford emerging from the portal instead of Soos, who's knocked out while keeping people from heading down to the portal room, Dipper avoids pushing the button to shut down the portal instead of Mabel, the government agents don't get their minds wiped, Ford reunites with McGucket sooner, and Stan gets taken into custody for stealing Ford's identity among all his other crimes.
- More importantly regarding the events of The Owl House, Luz and Eda now have a portal to the Human Realm again, subverting how they couldn't build a new one in Season 2 and Masha and her friends discover Vee's a basilisk the second they meet her as opposed to never learning the truth even after Luz returned to Earth.
- Put on a Prison Bus: Stan ultimately gets placed under government arrest for his multiple crimes and is taken away by Powers and Trigger. Luz expresses hope and conviction that this won't be the last time everyone sees him.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Powers and Trigger officially prove themselves to be this as they explain their motives to the Clawthornes, clear the magical beings of all charges of attacking their agents, agree to Jake's suggestion to collaborate with the Dragon Council to deal with the Archangels, and allow everybody to say goodbye to Stan before taking him away.
- Resolved Noodle Incident: During the four years she spent with the Long family, Eda got kicked out and banned from Susan's high school for smoking in a chemistry class.
- The Reveal:
- Willow and her party arrived in Gravity Falls via an airplane run by gremlins.
- Gus G. was bullied by Clara and her friends back in Gatesfield regarding his interests in music. He also reveals that he's a fan of Gorillaz and Panic! at the Disco in addition to Iron Weasel.
- Haley is going to take over as the American Dragon soon.
- Clara called Abigail and left a message for her telling her she was leaving Gatesfield with her friends to protect Willow. Abigail responded to this by going to Purgatory to convince Angel to abandon her plans, which fell on deaf ears. Abigail was also present during the riot and was the one driving the Department A van following everyone back to town.
- Jake is capable of speaking pixie as dragons can naturally understand them.
- Jake heard about Luz, Eda, and King's trip to Sleepy Hollow.
- Amity has learned how to teleport at will.
- Abigail got kicked out of the Huntsclan for sparing a unicorn.
- Helga is revealed to be alive and notes that Department A's got resources worldwide.
- Trigger reveals that the agents know about Amity dealing with Mr. X in Echo Creek and have taken care of things for Jackie and her family.
- Anne has returned to Earth and reunites with her mother in Los Angeles.
- Rule of Three: See Talk to the Fist down below.
- Running Gag: Everyone reacting in shock to seeing Fu Dog talking.
- Sequel Hook:
- Per Willow's advice, Gus G. decides to talk to Clara about why she bullied him in the past.
- Angel survives Purgatory's destruction and escapes with Helga, off to one of their other facilities.
- Jake recommends the agents and the Dragon Council meet to discuss how to fight against the Archangels.
- There's now signs of a potential Love Quadrangle between Clara, Masha, Vee and Star.
- Vee considers returning to the Boiling Isles when things aren't hectic so she can see Tres, Megan and Ivy again.
- The Owl family must now come up with a cover story for why Amity, Willow, Gus and Eve disappeared so Belos doesn't suspect they've been to the Human Realm.
- Anne has returned home and reunited with her mom, but how she got home will have to be explained.
- Ship Tease:
- Plenty occurs between Clara and Masha; the former confesses to just the latter that she called her mother and is comforted by her, Clara hugs Masha during a gravitational anomoly and blushes due to holding onto her after it ends, Masha grabs Clara's hand while they're floating upward during the portal's peak, and Clara shows slight jealousy over Masha admiring Vee's shapeshifting.
- Vee and Star get a bit as well; the two hug each other when they reunite after the chaos ends, Star comforts Vee after she refuses to forgive Lilith, and as they say goodbye before Star leaves for the Demon Realm, they share a Held Gaze that leads to them blushing and looking away from each other.
- Shout-Out:
- Gremlin Gus makes an appearance as an airline employee.
- The in-flight movie the kids watch is Ghost Rider (2007).
- The Butts from Doom Patrol and Witch Hazel are shown as prisoners of Purgatory in a flashback.
- Upon meeting Star, Dana asks if she's the same kind of being as an Asgardian, specifically from the "Thor" movie.
- Talking the Monster to Death: As Abigail holds the Clawthornes, the Pines, Camila and Wendy at gunpoint trying to deactivate the portal, Camila reveals her resurrection to her in order to calm her down and introduces her to Luz for good measure, which works.
- Talk to the Fist: This is utilized three times: Ford punches Stan after returning to Earth, Lilith punches Ford as payback for leaving her the way he did, and Abigail punches Eda because she hates her for killing Angel.
- Uncertain Doom: Raphael's fate isn't revealed and Angel isn't sure if he even escaped the destruction of their base.
- The Un-Reveal: The "Human Realm" arc is over, but several unanswered questions remain: where did the winged creatures come from; what caused the fire that claimed the lives of Manny, Joseph, and Luke Gordon; is Gibson Oscorne the Grim Goblin or not; what's Mel's reason for coming to the Boiling Isles; who's the third partner Meteora had in mind; who's the new Golden Guard; why is Belos interested in Cross Drakescale; why would Grimhilde be interested in Capt. Hook and Dr. Facilier; what's Donna's past habit and Danny's condition; and now how is Helga alive, how did Anne get back to Earth and did she come back alone?
- Visions of Another Self: Luz seems to have seen at least 12 alternate versions of herself as the portal activates itself.
- Wham Episode: So much has happened:
- Ford emerges from the portal and reunites with his family, Lilith and McGucket;
- Stan's arrested for his crimes which leaves Dipper in Ford's custody;
- The Nocedas promise to return to Earth to spend time with Abigail, Clara and the Longs;
- The Gatesfield teens, Nora, and Abigail remain in Gravity Falls to testify against Department A;
- Angel lives and abandons Purgatory to escape with Helga;
- Jake takes custody of Jenny and will make sure she's put on trial for her crimes;
- The Clawthornes, Amity, Willow, Gus, Eve, Ghost, Star and Acorn return to the Demon Realm;
- And most surprising of all, Anne has managed to return to Earth, reuniting with her mother Oum Boonchuy.
- Wham Shot:
- A woman arrives in the basement, holds Eda at gunpoint, steps out of the shadows, revealing herself as Abigail Gates.
- Instead of ending in the Owl House, the chapter shifts to show one last scene... of a certain Thai human woman in Los Angeles before she opens the door to find her long lost daughter.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Along with Raphael, there's also no word about what became of Abraham, Naomi, or Solomon.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Everyone trying to stop the portal is ticked when Stan learns that it technically is a doomsday device, then tries stopping them from deactivating it when it locks in on Ford's signature.
- What You Are in the Dark
- Woman Scorned: After being knocked out by Ford the last time she saw him, Lilith takes revenge by punching him in the face.Lilith: (shouting) I've been waiting to do that for years!
- Would Hurt a Child: Or let them be hurt. Abigail went to Purgatory to ask Angel to forget about hunting Willow down because Clara's with her, but Angel couldn't care less about her niece getting caught in the crossfire.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Angel says this in regards to Dr. Frakes, no longer caring what happens to her after she lost the portal key.
- You're Not My Mother
