Chapter 72: Escape from Gatesfield
Art by Crash X Fusion: Something's seriously wrong in Gatesfield, or my name's Archibald. And it's not.
As Luz tests out her portal, a group of kids from the town of Gatesfield find themselves helping Willow out of her current predicament.
Tropes that appear in this Chapter:
- Adaptation Expansion:
- Regarding Masha, the authors have stated that they're using the headcanon that they came out as non-binary between "Yesterday's Lie" and "Thanks to Them", so for the time being, they're using she/her pronouns.
- Manny's given some backstory in his line of work; he went into engineering due to being inspired by "Cosmic Frontier".
- Adaptation Name Change: Since Masha hasn't come out, she's known to people (mostly her parents) by her birth name, "Marsha".
- Affectionate Nickname: Masha tends to use "Rudy" for Rudo and takes to calling Clara "Sarah Connor".
- Ascended Extra: Clara, who is an unnamed extra in the actual show, and Masha, a minor supporting character with only a few scenes, are the main characters of the chapter's A-plot. Masha's friends are given supporting roles while the human Gus, who is only mentioned by Luz in "I Was a Teenage Abomination", not only physically appears, he also gets a major role.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: It's not just Luz's friends and the teachers who are crushed by the disappearances of Amity, Willow and Gus; Hexside's entire student body falls into a depression that Nina compares to the atmosphere Glandus High had.
- Berserk Button: Making fun of her mother's suicide attempt is one for Clara.
- Big Damn Heroes: The Gatesfield teens serve as such for Willow by taking down Jacob and breaking her out of her cell. Willow ends up zig-zagging this by protecting herself and saving the teens from the Department A soldiers that have them surrounded following the breakout.
- Big "NO!": Belos gives one when Hunter's severed arm is shown to him followed by a Rapid-Fire "No!".
- Call-Back:
- Odalia's fear of losing Amity for good, as seen in "Understanding Odalia", re-emerges. She also meets up with Lilith at the same cafe where they broke up.
- Due to Gus P's disappearance, the Human Appreciation Society takes a hit and closes for the duration of his absence. This is the second time the club stopped meeting since he wouldn't be joining them.
- The Cameo:
- A large portion of the cast on the Boiling Isles appears in the beginning, everyone being shown reacting in sadness to Amity, Willow and Gus disappearing.
- Slasher tries to talk to Skara while she's at home sulking.
- Larry puts up missing posters at the library which Malphas and Gary see later on.
- Edric watches Geist drinking apple blood in concern over Amity while Emira's freaking out outside.
- Alador is shown being given the news by Arthur and Destiny at the Abomination Coven.
- Lilith meets with Odalia to give her the news in person.
- Gilbert and Sully are shown declaring they'll take action to find the kids themselves.
- The entire Hexside Abomination track is sulking and Prof. Snope decides to cancel class for the students' sakes.
- Viney, Mattholomule, Amelia, Cat, Bo and Simon are shown hanging up missing posters in the hallway.
- Barcus is blaming himself in the Oracle track homeroom while Tyler and Felicia are seen in the back, the latter keeping an eye on her scroll for updates.
- Amity, Ghost, and Gus briefly appear when Luz contacts them and tells them what to do and where to go.
- Belos is seen in his throne room being given the news about Hunter.
- The Collector is heard speaking to Bloody Mary from their prison in the In Between Realm.
- Abigail appears in the last scene overlooking the graves of her brother and Manny.
- A large portion of the cast on the Boiling Isles appears in the beginning, everyone being shown reacting in sadness to Amity, Willow and Gus disappearing.
- Character Development:
- Gilbert and Sully decide that they're no longer going to do sit on the sidelines waiting for the Emperor's Coven to do something about the disappearance of their daughter and her friends. They're willing to do whatever they have to in order to bring them home, even if it means breaking a few laws or resorting to violence to get answers.
- Odalia apologizes to Lilith for suggesting the curse and openly breaks down in front of Lilith when she learns about Amity's disappearance, which is different from the past where she would do this in private in order to avoid looking weak in front of others.
- Nina skips school and attempts to comfort Skara, who stayed home because of how upset she was from learning about the disappearance of her girlfriend and friends. While Nina admits that she's not very good at being comforting, she still tries.
- Camila decides that she's ready to tell Luz about her father died, which is a step forward in improving their relationship.
- Continuity Nod:
- Emira falls back into her smoking habit again to cope with her sister's disappearance.
- Arthur and Destiny are shown manipulating their son against Odalia after Terra brought them in to keep an eye on him in "Understanding Odalia".
- Like Luz, Abigail is shown to have the newspaper article about Camila's death in her home.
- When Nina puts on music, Skara asks her to play a CD on the CD player she got from Luz for her birthday in "Have a Little Hex with my Friends".
- Contrived Coincidence: By sheer luck, Amity, Willow and Gus all ended up in the United States when they got trapped in the Human Realm.
- A Day in the Limelight: The Gatesfield teens (Clara, Masha, Gus Gordon, Dana and Rudo) take the stage as the chapter is set in Gatesfield. The five human kids team up to uncover the secrets behind the organization Clara's family leads and find themselves helping Willow escape Gatesfield before they take her into custody.
- Deus ex Machina: Nora shows up just after the teens flee from the Historical Society and Willow curb-stomped the entire fleet of armored personnel, and she gives them all a ride out of town in her car.
- Disappeared Dad: Gus G.'s father Luke perished in a firenote while working for Department A. Based on what Leonora implies, it's been a long time since he's asked her about it.
- Downer Beginning: The first quarter of the chapter is this. Things begin with Clara starting her day doubtful of her mother getting better, then the scene switches to Willow imprisoned by Jacob Hopkins and a large passage of everyone in the Isles reacting or taking in the news that Willow, Gus and Amity are now among the long list of people who've gone missing.
- Foreshadowing: Abigail is visiting Joseph and Manny's graves in the last scene, but not Angel's for some reason...
- Friend or Foe?: Parodied. Gus G. treats Clara with mistrust because he suspects that if she knows of his or anyone else's motives for investigating the Historical Society, she'll rat all of them out due to being a Gates. Since she's got the key card that allows everybody to enter the building, he agrees to work with her like Masha and her friends, but he won't like it.
- The Ghost:
- Clara's aunt, aka Joseph's wife, is only mentioned or alluded to.
- Mabel and Bill are mentioned, and Dipper references everyone else at the Mystery Shack when he tells Luz he'll inform them about their talk.
- Given Name Reveal: Abigail's daughter is revealed to be named Clara.
- Grave-Marking Scene: At the end of the chapter, Abigail pays a visit to the cemetery to see her brother and Manny's graves.
- Groin Attack: Masha lands one on Jacob as the start of the teens' No-Holds-Barred Beatdown.
- In Spite of a Nail:
- Luz breaches the In Between Realm testing out the new portal, sees the family member in the human realm she's trying to contact, and helps the demon realm inhabitants who ended up there as well.
- Dipper mentions having to face off against Blendin Blandin on Soos' birthday.
- Internal Reveal:
- Everyone in Bonesborough is now aware of Amity, Willow and Gus disappearing into thin air.
- Dipper informs Luz about Bill Cipher's true nature, and that he hurt Mabel. Luz then tells Dipper about the deal she made with him only for Bill to disappear before telling him about Amity, Willow and Gus's disappearances.
- Luz finds out that Amity, Gus, and Willow were sent to the Human Realm, that Amity has bonded with Ghost, and that Hunter wasn't lying about the "old witch".
- "It" Is Dehumanizing: Jacob doesn't acknowledge Willow as a person, but as a creature which rubs the Gatesfield teens the wrong way.
- It's All My Fault: Barcus unfairly blames himself for not being able to perdict his friends disappearing.
- Laser-Guided Karma:
- Jordan insults Abigail in retribution for Clara ignoring her and their friends, and she's subjected to a bloody beating at Clara's hands.
- Jacob is beaten up by the Gatesfield teens for showing No Sympathy to the unconsious Willow, who he keeps imprisoned like an animal under orders.
- Literal-Minded: Luz learns that the cubes in the In Between Realm will allow someone to see a person whose name they say. After saying "Mother—er", she hears a man's voice and wonders if it's her father.
- Lower-Deck Episode: While most of the main cast appears, they're Out of Focus while Luz alone leads the B-plot. This time, the main focus goes to some newly-intruduced supporting characters: the Gatesfield teens.
- Manipulative Bastard: To turn Alador against Odalia, Arthur and Destiny lie and say that Odalia's actions are the reason Amity's vanished, even saying Odalia could have had something to do with it. It actually leaves Alador feeling conflicted.
- Misplaced Retribution: Belos kills the coven scout who delivered the "news" about the Golden Guard just for confirming it's Hunter's arm they brought back.
- Mistaken Death Confirmation: Possibly implied. Since the scout party only found Hunter's severed arm near a trail of blood, he's presumed dead with Belos appearing to deny it.
- Mythology Gag: This Moringmark comic
inspired the "Mother—er" scene in the In Between Realm. Another one is referenced when Masha calls Willow "Poison Ivy". - Named by the Adaptation: Several of the unnamed Gravesfield teens get names here. The blonde cheerleader with the pink stripe in her hair is named Clara, while Masha's friends are named Dana and Rudo.
- Never Trust a Trailer: The official summary for the chapter imples that Willow would get A Day in the Limelight, but the A-plot's true stars are the five human teens who break her out of the Gatesfield Historical Society, which makes her a Living MacGuffin.
- The Nicknamer: Masha is this, calling Clara "Stripe" and "Sarah Conners" and Rudo "Rudy". She also calls Willow "Poison Ivy" and "Green Thumb".
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Clara gives one to a girl named Jordan who made fun of her mother's suicide attempt. The Gatesfield teens also deliver one to Jacob Hopkins.
- No Sympathy:
- Principal Faust tells Hexside's student body that Amity, Willow and Gus disappearing is no excuse for their grades taking a hit, not seeing or understanding why they're upset. Hell, even Felicia and Nina pay some level of respect to the situation.
- Jacob treats Willow like a wild animal which leaves the Gatesfield teens with no regrets when they beat him up.
- O.C. Stand-in: Since the human characters featured in this chapter haven't had enough scenes in The Owl House proper to have any real characterization (or, in the case of human!Gus, haven't actually appeared in the show), their personalities here are made up entirely from scratch.
- One-Steve Limit: Hearing that Willow has a friend named Gus causes Gus Gordon to lampshade it.
- Open-Minded Parent:
- Nora, Gus G.'s mother, is initially skeptical about Willow being a witch but after seeing her use magic and hearing from her son and the other teens how Willow won't live if she remains in Gatesfield, she agrees to help the witchling.
- Subverted with every other adult in Gatesfield. None of them try to hear out their children and would rather expect them to conform to their society's way of life. Masha's parents in particular embody this perfectly, throwing away all her occult possessions and not accepting her name change.
- Out of Focus: Luz leads the B-plot which doesn't have many scenes, while the other residents of the Owl House and the rest of the main cast have either small appearances or cameos. Maya has no appearance or mention and there aren't any updates on Boscha or Hunter's conditions.
- Pet the Dog:
- Morty and Summer help Luz access the Human World, finding her a bit of Titan's Blood to activate her portal.
- Despite not fully getting the situation, Nora understands that Willow's in danger of being killed and agrees to help her son and his acquaintances get the witchling to New York.
- Nina skips school in order to attempt to comfort a miserable Skara, even offering to pet her.
- Please Put Some Clothes On: When Luz sees Dipper again, she catches him toweling off after a shower. She continuously demands he get dressed before they move on to having a proper conversation.Luz: Thank Titan it wasn't Stan.
- Point of Divergence: Differences from "Yesterday's Lie": the most obvious one is that Vee doesn't appear due to her being in Gravity Falls. Luz isn't able to contact the Demon Realm native trapped in the Historical Society and she isn't able to help them escape from Jacob Hopkins.
- Police Are Useless: This is the reason Gilbert inspires Sully to look for their daughter and her friends themselves; the Emperor's Coven isn't going to prioritize finding missing children over hunting down wild witches, and they weren't any help in the Coachman's defeat or bringing Skara home. Because of this, the Parks vow to find every missing person on the Isles instead of expecting the EC to do something about the issues.
- Pop-Cultural Osmosis Failure: Masha keeps calling Clara "Sarah Connor", and it's obvious Clara doesn't have a clue who she is.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Prof. Snope cancels class as Jerbo, Puffer and Lambi are too worried about Amity to learn anything.
- The Reveal:
- Abigail attempted suicide at some point in the past.
- The organization that the Gates family runs is known as "Department A".
- Joseph Gates died in a fire fourteen years ago. He also got married prior to his death.
- Manny was an engineer who worked for the Gates family at Department A. He died in the same fire that killed both Joseph and Luke Gordon, which was caused by an explosion.
- Bloody Mary lives in the In-Between Realm and is seemingly working with the Collector. She has some history with Philip.
- Witch Gus ended up in Arizona and was picked up by kids from Arizona State University on a party bus to Las Vegas.
- Jerbo has obtained his horned dog palisman.
- The Runaway: With the exception of Gus G. as his mother's giving them a ride, the other Gatesfield teens decide to leave their families to help Willow return home. While, Masha, Dana and Rudo are okay with it, Clara's initially reluctant but chooses to leave as she intends to see things through.
- Sequel Hook:
- Per Luz's instructions, Amity and Gus begin traveling to Gravity Falls to seek shelter with the Pines family.
- Willow, Nora, and the Gatesfield teens are heading to New York City, a supernatural hotspot, to look for someone who can help Willow.
- Bloody Mary is left waiting for the next opportunity to make contact with Belos.
- Time will tell how exactly Belos will respond to Hunter possibly being dead.
- Shout-Out:
- Gus G. has a black and silver shirt bearing the Iron Weasel logo on it. He's also said to have shaggy hair not unlike Tripp Campbell.
- Masha takes to nicknaming Clara "Sarah Connor", after the iconic female character from The Terminator.
- Gus G. wonders if the guard in front of the GHS is part of an organization similar to Checkmate. He later calls him a stormtrooper and Jacob uses a broom as if it was a lightsaber, complete with making his own sound effects.
- Camila notes Luz speaking to everyone through mirror surfaces is similar to Mirror Master. She covers up said knowledge by deflecting with Batman.
- When Willow goes into "alpha witch mode", Masha compares her to Poison Ivy.
- Significant Wardrobe Shift: Odalia no longer wears her hair in a bun and is dressed in shades of blue, signifying how her character is going down a different path than her canon counterpart.
- Spit Take: Amity, who was drinking river water with Ghost, lets one loose when she sees Luz's reflection in the water.
- Stepford Smiler: Clara sees the population of Gatesfield as people who hide who they truly are behind insincere smiles.
- Surprisingly Happy Ending: After five straight chapters of Bittersweet or Downer Endings (excluding "Panic at the Bones Yard"), the chapter ends with Luz learning that her girlfriend and best friends are safe if stranded in the Human Realm, Willow being in the care of the Gatesfield teens and Leonora as they take her to New York City to help her return home, Amity and Gus are now making their way to Gravity Falls, Nina shows signs of Character Development as do Gilbert and Sully, and Camila starts to make progress in repairing her relationship with Luz. Sure Belos thinks Hunter is dead, but that just means Hunter's out of his grasp for now.
- Take That!: When her son suggests traveling to NYC, Nora says it's better than Hoboken, or anywhere else in New Jersey.
- Tell Me About My Father: After Luz's excursion, she tells Camila about her possibly hearing Manny's voice in the In Between Realm. Luz then asks if Camila's ready to talk about him and she does, feeling Luz deserves to know about her late father; this marks the beginning of the Nocedas mending their relationship.
- Three Plus Two: Masha, Dana, and Rudo are close friends; when the Gatesfield teens all decide to investigate the Historical Society, Masha invites Clara along to do so and the four of them run into Gus G. who joins them, the latter two turning the trio into a quintet.
- Troubled Fetal Position: Skara's first shown in one holding a stuffed animal due to hearing about the disappearance of her girlfriend and their friends.
- Villainous Breakdown: Belos loses his mind when he comes to believe that Hunter may be dead, attacking the scout that brought him Hunter's severed arm.
- The Voice: Principal Faust only has a vocal appearance, making an announcement to everyone at Hexside.
- Wham Episode:
- Luz manages to contact Dipper, Amity, and Gus in the Human World through the In Between Realm, telling the latter two to head for Gravity Falls.
- While she's unable to talk to Willow, Luz may have contacted Manny from the afterlife and ends up learning Bloody Mary's in said dimension.
- Gilbert and Sully decide to take matters into their own hands with finding everyone who's gone missing.
- Nina helps Skara during her time of need, possibly beginning to bond with her.
- The Gatesfield teens and Leonora decide to take Willow to New York City, theorizing there's a supernatural way to get her home from there.
- You Wake Up in a Room: Willow wakes up in a jail cell underneath the Gatesfield Historical Society to find Jacob attempting to intimidate her, which fails due to spouting his conspiracy theories which confuse her.
