*This article was written prior to the premier of season 3 and may contain spoilers for season 1 and 2
Back in 2020, a new show debuted on Disney Channel called The Owl House. For those who don’t know, the synopsis of the show is that a young girl named Luz travels to another realm and befriends a witch named Eda, who becomes her mentor in magic.
The show has become increasingly popular among kids as well as teens and young adults – so much so that its third season is about to kick off on October 15. In fact, a lot of my friends really enjoy the show and regularly keep up with it. What might explain the show’s success among older audiences? Its successful representation of many identities, of course!
While many of the characters do well at representing different identities, the main character goes above and beyond. So, let’s talk about Luz. Even though other Disney channel shows such as Wizards of Waverly Place and Elena of Avalor have Latinx leads, Luz is especially unique. For one, the creator and executive producer of the show, Dana Terrace, shared in a Los Angeles Times article that Luz was named after one of the show’s story artists. The one request given was that the protagonist, Luz, be Dominican just like her namesake, an ethnicity that is rarely represented on TV if at all.
In addition, Luz is quite the character (pun-intended), as the show highlights her ‘weird’ and ‘quirky’ personality, and she isn’t the only one. Throughout the series, there are countless moments when characters use funny voices or are depicted with funny faces. Terrace explained in the article that her intention was to exemplify how anyone can find a group of people with whom they can freely express themselves, no matter how weird they may be.
The one thing that makes Luz really stand out, however, is the fact that she is bisexual, which has been officially confirmed in the season 3 previews. That’s right – Disney Channel finally has its first main character who is not only Latinx, but also part of the LGBTQ+ community. While Disney as a whole has a long way to go with providing representation (as well as doing more than performative alliance), The Owl House is a step in the right direction.
I could go on and on about this show and why I personally love it, but I do want to point out how well it not only handles representation but relationship development, both platonic and romantic. The characters regularly experience the nice and hard things about friendships, from miscommunication and tough conversations to bonding and building trust.
Although many of us don’t experience the enemies-to-lovers trope like they do, Luz and her love interest (now girlfriend, as of mid-season 2), Amity, also undergo a realistic development. Unlike other children’s TV show couples who take ‘ride-or die’ too literally or find themselves torn in awkward love triangles (or squares), Luz and Amity support each other without sacrificing their values or, you know, the fate of the universe.
Admittedly, what makes The Owl House so near and dear to my heart is how close I feel to Luz since I’m Latinx and bisexual just like she is. I knew as early as elementary school that I was different. I also knew that members of the LGBTQ+ community are often looked down upon and outcasted by the Latinx community, so I suppressed my sexuality until finally re-discovering and accepting myself in college. Thankfully, my family has been very supportive since I came out last year, but I know many others don’t have the same experience.
There’s a scene in the season 3 previews where Luz comes out by introducing Amity to her mom, followed by other characters celebrating and waving bisexual flags. When I saw this, I actually began to cry. It wasn’t until I took a moment to reflect that I realized why: in many ways, this show is helping me heal my inner child – the younger me who felt like she couldn’t come out without risking being outcasted or disowned. Seeing Luz be herself on screen – proudly displaying her quirkiness, using Spanish, and holding another girl’s hand – has given me hope for future shows to implement representation that is both realistic and memorable, just like The Owl House does.