The Owl House

The Owl House is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that premiered on Disney Channel on January 10, 2020. The series stars the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles, Wendie Malick and Alex Hirsch.

In November 2019, the series was renewed for a second season prior to the series premiere, which premiered on June 12, 2021. In May 2021, the series was renewed for a third season consisting of three specials, ahead of the second season premiere, later announced to be the final season of the series.

The Owl House has been highly praised by both critics and audiences and has become particularly notable for its LGBTQ+ representation compared to other Disney media, including becoming the first Disney property to feature a same-sex couple in leading roles. The series also won an award for Children's & Youth Programming at the 2021 Peabody Awards.

Critical reception
The Owl House has received a positive reception from critics. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media said putting different elements together made the series quirky and likable. It was also described as well written and animated, and speculated that "[the show] likely will be one you will want to watch alongside your older kids and tweens, giving you the opportunity to discuss these kinds of themes as they come up." LaughingPlace.com's critic praised the series for its unique visuals and voice acting, stating "The performances fit together beautifully as the diversity in their delivery showcases the characters’ unique roles in the Demon Realm." Collider's Dave Trumbore gave the series' first episode a 4-star rating, feeling that the episode "[has] got a dark, yet darkly comic edge to the whole thing."

LGBTQ+ representation
During its series run, The Owl House has dropped subtext and hints that several characters within the show are LGBTQ+. Series creator Dana Terrace implied so on July 7, 2020, when responding to a fan who posted a screenshot from the upcoming episode "Enchanting Grom Fright" on Twitter, which showed one of the characters in the show, Amity Blight, putting her hands on the shoulders of Luz Noceda, the show's main protagonist, and looking into Luz's eyes. Claiming "there is no heterosexual explanation" for Amity's action, Terrace responded, "there really isn't". On August 8th, 2020, the episode, written by Molly Ostertag, aired, openly presenting and confirming Disney's first animated LGBT+ female non-recurring character. Amity is shown to have a crush on Luz, confirming her to be LGBTQ+. In the episode, Luz and Amity dance together, while casting spells, to defeat the "grom," a manifestation of their deepest fears. The animation supervisor for the show, Spencer Wan, hinted at this, referring to their intimate dance, which he storyboarded with Hayley Foster, as "the gay thing" and the first time he got to "do anything even remotely queer." The following day, he posted an animatic of Luz and Amity's dance scene.

In the episode "Understanding Willow", one of the main characters (Willow) is shown to have two dads. In a tweet, Terrace described the challenges of putting LGBTQ+ characters in the show on Disney Channel due to restrictions, saying: "In [development] I was very open about my intention to put queer kids in the main cast. I'm a horrible liar so sneaking it in would've been hard haha (sic). When we were greenlit I was told by certain Disney leadership that I could NOT represent any form of bi or gay relationship on the Channel." Disney later approved the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters in the show, with Terrace saying, in later tweets, that the show has a bisexual character, while calling for expanded LGBTQ representation. Additionally, Terrace stated that creating characters for the show helped her come out as bisexual in 2017 and hoped the characters would create "positive vibes" for people in the future. Later that night, Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls, chimed in, stating that the show has "explicitly queer" animated characters and lamented his challenges of getting LGBTQ representation in his show. The same day, PFLAG praised the LGBTQ visibility in the series, while GLAAD was excited by the "LGBTQ-inclusive storytelling" in the series.

LGBT Cast and Crew

 * Avi Roque (Raine Whispers)
 * Dana Terrace (Tiny Nose)
 * Erica Lindbeck (Emira Blight)
 * Mae Whitman (Amity Blight)
 * Parvesh Cheena (Tibbles)

Gay

 * Gilbert and Mr. Park

Bisexual

 * Luz Noceda
 * Edalyn Clawthorne

Lesbian

 * Amity Blight

Non-Binary

 * Raine Whispers

LGBT Episodes

 * Understanding Willow
 * Enchanting Grom Fright
 * Escaping Expulsion
 * Through the Looking Glass Ruins
 * Eda's Requiem
 * Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Hooty's Door