@@thomasdaywalt7735 My Mom might be coming around- I’ve noticed little parenting things that my Mom is adjusting with my little sister, in addition to trying to use my pronouns (they/them btw). She still misgenders me sometimes, but she’s started to correct herself, so she’s definitely improving in that regard. Still not the best, but things may kind of be looking up...? I don’t have to feel trapped as my AGAB forever.🥺🌈
Alador is/was a bad parent, but not a bad person. I feel like his mindset at the start of the season was "I don't agree with the way my wife treats the kids, but arguing would just cause unnecessary drama and i'm already tired enough". His neglectful personality ins't excusable at all, but at least he cares enough to try and be better. The dude loves his kids, he was just... VERY misguided. Can't wait to see more of him, he's an interesting character.
i agree mostly! but i also think it was less "arguing would cause unnecessary drama/i'm tired" and more that odalia was manipulating him by using their children against him. she threatened to get them started in the "family business" and i think it's supposed to be implied that it would mean overworking them or possibly worse, as he looks upset/worried at the idea. i'm assuming he thought stepping in would make things worse for the kids. alador was also being abused/mistreated by odalia- and she used threats against their own children to keep him in line.
Kitty Monk: Part 1: Alador Blight isn't a good parent Part 2: Is Alador Blight still a bad parent? Part 3: Ok, Alador Blight MIGHT be a good parent. Character development at its finest
I like him way better than odalia. He truly cares about his children. And when he learned about the draining spell he did everything his power to stop it. Well odalia didn't even care.
@@Spectorwing People are even liking Kikimora more than after her “redemption” with helping King defeat Belos by releasing the Collector. Granted more between a rock and a hard place and she did it more for her own revenge against Belos.
@@toadlord8594 , had Belos freed the Collector and allowed Kikimora to remain the Witch Hunter in the Boiling Isles whenever Belos left into the human world then Kikimora wouldn’t have helped the Wild Witches to take down Belos for good.
He was physically, emotionally, and financially abused so I really can't blame him. He's not innocent but still. He was only neglectful because his wife forced him to work all the damn time in horrible working conditions as his goddamn employer and threatened him with her spirit thing. Hell, the reason he didn't want to agree with her was because she threatened to make the kids work in that same condition. I feel so so bad for this guy, it's clear he cares about his kids by the mittens section and he truly tried to love them but just,,, couldn't because of his shitty ass wife. Poor dude. I love this guy sm.
He honestly reminds me so much of Ursa from ATLA, both are extremely flawed yet “good” and “well-meaning” parents who want nothing but the best for their kids 👧👦 but due to their abusive spouses, they’re unable to love and care for them properly because harm would befall them if they went out of line of their spouses’ orders, truly one of my 2 favourite cartoon characters/parents from children’s cartoons shows 👍🏽👌 excellent writing on their characters 👏
If we accept the theory that Alador is neurodivergent, then him being a bit "absent" and being an "enabler" makes more sense. It could be that Odelia knows of his mental situation, and forces him to work to the point where he has barely any energy to think about what's going on, so he just goes with whatever Odelia tells him to do, or what he thinks will make his day easier. It's my personal headcanon, and I like it, since... I can completely relate to it. Though I'm no parent, or work yet, I still often find myself doing horrible things once I'm too mentally exhausted to do anything, just so I can have a break.
Tbh if Odalia was doing this on top of the whole "comply or the kids will be forced to work in our factory" thing, it'd cement her even more as kind of just being one dictatorship away from being Belos 2.0. I'm by no means opposed to it.
The Owl House gang on their way to rescue Luz: *Alador:* I think I forgot something. *Amity:* If you forgot it then it probably wasn't that important. *Alador:* Yeah, you're probably right. *The twins:* ..........
Alador and Odalia's lovers spat, when the latter reveals she's totally okay with helping Belos commit genocide, is one of the most satisfying break-ups I've seen in a cartoon in a while. Good for you, Alador. When the apocalypse is over, make sure you get full custody of all the kids.
After this episode I got the impression that perhaps at least in part Alador was neglectful as a result of being overworked to the point of not having a lot of energy on the average day to get into a fight or pay attention to the kids. While it’s not really fair for the kids to have to deal with that and Alador being the adult takes the responsibility it’s semi-understandable now. Like if your spouse is also your boss and making you do hours upon hours of work all the time, no weekends off in 5 years, cutting your staff while increasing demand and so on, that’s exhausting. And while again he needed to do what he did in saying “I’m done” for a long time, I understand that when one is perpetually kept busy and working to the bone you can reach a state of exasperation where you’re too out of it to take a step back and see you’re neglecting stuff, as one may get to a point of being on autopilot. That and honestly I wouldn’t put it past Odalia to do this purposefully as a means of wearing Alador down via work so much that he has little energy to put into being an equal partner with their own stuff to say leaving her with free reign to do as she likes.
Also, adding on to the not leaving thing, long term abusive relationships can be HARD to leave. But this comment as a whole is basically all my other thoughts wrapped into one.
Im so glad that my headcannon turned out to be true tbh. Male abuse in a relationship is rarely called out aside from if the abused guy is the butt of the joke for "letting his wife boss him around". Honestly im inclined to think their marriage may have been arranged for buissiness reasons.
My theory: Kiki knows where the Golden Guards ended, but she thinks, that wouldn't be her fate, because she won't dissapoint Belos. "The failures" endet there, but she isn't a failure, so she will be the best Golden Guard ever and Belos will love her. All in her head.
Not gonna lie, alador has to be one of my favorite characters of the owl house so far. He has such an interesting perspective since he plays the part of the neglectful parent. He plays the role of being the parent that is too busy with work that he doesnt spend time with his kids. He doesnt hate his kids, and he is not mean towards them(except for that one time in the past that we have seen), he just has no time which has some interesting morality. He is also funny and I like that he is makes machines. Hes not perfect in any way, but the fact that he is the better parent that is willing to change is something I really like about his growth.
I’m so proud of Alador for putting in the effort to improve things. He might not be father of the year but he’s improving and working to earn his children’s love back
The only reason Alador was a problem for me was how the fandom would treat him. Making him seem like a goofy guy who did no wrong alongside the horrible Odalia (She is but that’s a another thing.) He did wrong, he’s been doing wrong, but it’s great to see him growing from his actions. I felt crazy sometimes when i’d talk about him being a somewhat bad father in some regards.
Oh hey, I know you’re still mad about him neglecting the twins but I would like to point out that when he was talking to King before the day of Unity, he actually did say he wanted to get to know his *kids* which I believe implies he wanted to connect with the twins as he realized he was neglectful to them while giving amity all their attention, it is definitely a very minor detail but I’m hoping he gets the chance to follow through with it somewhere within the three episode specials because he never actually got the chance to interact with them between realizing his mistake and being incapacitated by the day of unity, but I do agree it would be a necessary part to fully redeem his character
I’m genuinely impressed how they handled Alador as a character, I’m not excusing his neglect but how they show he was a very troubled father who genuinely wanted to connect with his kids shows how poor his marriage was, I’m happy that he finally opened his eyes at how repulsive Odalia is, I don’t want him to be forgiven that quickly but it’s nice to see him trying to fix his old relationship and finally get away from odalia. He’s so we’ll done as a character, and making Odalia irredeemable was a good choice as not everyone should be redeemed.
Lord dominator from wander over yonder is one of those villains who should never be redeemed imo. Because it goes against what was established for her character. Lord hater is more deserving of being redeemed as he is shown to care for peepers captain Tim and the watchdogs there's even a fic for when wander gets sick and he does not want to beat him like this
Thank you for making the point that being neurodivergent does not absolve one of one's responsibilities for one's own behaviors. Luz is canonically ADHD, and she very actively takes responsibility when she makes poor decisions. She apologizes and tries to make up for it. Alador is a little easier to forgive because of the extent to which he was being manipulated by Odalia (he was the victim of abuse in that relationship), but he is nonetheless still responsible for his own decisions and actions toward his children. He was there watching as Amity made the conscious decision to step out from under her mother's control, and he knew the twins were already at the height of their teenage rebellion period. He could've chosen then to join their rebellion. He chose instead to continue protecting them in the only way he was familiar with, and that's a decision he did come to regret. It's a decision he has to own and work to make up for. It's not something that can be dismissed just because he might possibly be neurodivergent. And he knows it.
He's actually making an effort to build/fix his relationships with his kids, while Odalia would refuse to believe she's doing a pretty crappy job as a parent entirely. Alador admitted to this and is willing to make an effort to fix it. He's a pretty okay parent I'd say
also, i love that when luz is completely breathtaken by that kiss she doesn't even switch languages like normal bilingual people, instead she switches to an australian accent
12:29 Personally one line that reminds me of '20 More Adventures' but in a completely different manner is Philip's line about how the Boiling Isles is something so 'Horrid and yet so fantastic that few minds could've dreamt it', it feels like it's the creators praising themselves (rightfully so).
22:45 I legit love this moment when Alador’s like “ The jet pack actually works!” To “Oh the jet pack actually works-“ It’s just a little moment that I love
I think it's important for shows to recognize that a perpetrator of abuse (neglect and usually not stepping in when Odalia went too far) can also be a victim, without completely absolving them of all wrongdoing. Alador was absolutely abused by Odalia, to what extent we don't really know (was it all verbal/emotional manipulation? probably, but Odalia's clearly not above using brute force when she needs to), but he was also complicit in her abuse to the children by taking a backseat. He probably is neurodivergent- we see him being easily distracted and I bet he probably hyperfixates on things- which is probably something Odalia used to her advantage in the relationship. Give him something to fixate on, tell him that she'll handle the kids, and that was basically all she needed to do to keep him from interfering. Even if Odalia wasn't abusive, I think Alador would've been a slightly neglectful parent- not intentionally, but incidentally. Odalia took advantage of his weaknesses as a parent, and he trusted that she would do what was best for their kids. The whole Blight family relationship is so complex, it really is nice to see. Also, fuck Odalia.
I think that Alador venting to King was a very clever way to humanize him and contextualize his characterization. It's a great way to let viewers infer depth while saving on time, a great tool in this kind of crunch situation the team had.
Well if you think about it in the end odalia is the controlling type even her husband is under her thumb and she hasn't even he hasn't done the right thing but by the time you manage to step up and become a bare parents from the first episode and the episodes following it he went from neglectful dad to best father in the whole house
@@thomasdaywalt7735 I don't understand what this has to do with what I mentioned, which was using time-saving writing effectively and efficiently when under pressure from a corporate studio cutting a show's time short. Like, this character would be an excellent study on how to get the point of a character across and get an audience invested in their growth within a limited timeframe. Did you maybe respond to the wrong comment?
I kinda wish that we had more screen time to see Alador's arc development more naturaly. Mostly because i wanted to see him try to bond more with all of his kids, i still find sad we never see him interact directly with Edric and Emira. Is not like that we got at the end isn't good but it could had been so munch better, more moments with the kids could had help his character arc a lot more, so could more interactions with Odalia to have a more clear view of their relationships.
With every interaction between Alador and Odalia, I become more and more convinced that they were business parters that decided to get married for tax reasons and then Odalia had the idea to have kids for the free labor.
So Odalia knew that Belos was planing to kill everyone with a sigil (she performed oracle magic and she also used Illusion magic when she summoned Luze's wanted poster so she clearly doesnt have one) and she still not only went along with it but never told Alador about it? Was she actually ok with him dying as long as she got the money and the new possition? Alador literally cant divorce her fast enough!
IDK if that's how the Sigils work. They might not cut you off from all magic of other types. but instead limit high level magic to one type. like if each magic type has levels 1-5 level 1 and 2 might be use able by everyone, but 3-5 are exclusive to your sigils type. Belos probably lied to her and said she and her family would be fine if they played along. I don't see a high profile person like Odalia being able to get away with not being a part of any coven and thus without Sigil.
@@GaleGrim , Lilith worked for Belos almost her entire life, but yet he allowed to remain without a Sigil, and him allowing her to keep her Palismin, so it isn’t that far fetched for Odalia thinking that Belos would allow her to have better perks than Lilith herself.
@@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr Doesn't Lilith have a sigil? I thought she was emperors coven? They do have sigils last time I checked, they just don't have limits on their magic. Or has something been revealed in an episode I missed? I'll admit I'm a few behind here and there in eps and it's all a bit foggy cause I've been rushing.
@@GaleGrim , I should put a spoiler warning for the Season 2 Finale I’m sorry for mentioning that for people that haven’t caught up yet, but I was always indifferent towards Lilith and Kikimora, so my viewpoints are entirely different than The Owl House fanbase, so that’s probably why my interpretation of the events of the Day of Unity is entirely different than people like yourself.
You can still do basic spells even if you had a sigil. She didn't know it would kill everyone because she say's we'll be royalty in the new world. It would have killed her and alador too.
Alador is a parent who failed to realize his greatest creations were his children, not his abomatons. It correlates with how Tony Stark hated how his father loved his business and work more than his own son when in truth his father sees Tony as his greatest creation.
There's no mystery in how Odalia handcuffed the Scooby Gang; Blight Industries specializes in abomination-based "home defense" products. I think that what makes Odalia's lack of homophobia so shocking is that she demonstrates it while still being a petty elitist witch and an abusive mother. She tries to control every aspect of Amity's life, but doesn't care that Amity likes girls; it's a superb way of showing that homophobia just isn't a thing on the Boiling Isles.
Hes been under lock and key for so long they probably did love each other in the beginning but its sad he couldn't just leave or else he would've lost his kids
12:30 NOT Only do I still Blame the executives at Disney for shortening there 3rd Season I'd still Blame them for rushing there 2nd Season and yet I'd still secretly wished The Owl House lasted a little longer as Luz quoted if we had time for 20 More Adventures But they didn't And I'd still Blame Disney for that
I really did think for a second that “What if Alador was a rat but Odalia used magic to change him into a human” and then she undid the spell as punishment to him during the episode but then I remember Odalia had kids with him so 🫢
I’d argue that Clouds on the Horizon was the turning point in Alador’s arc. Reaching Out gave him a new perspective to consider but it was more of a good step rather than a complete change. It’s like how in the Third Temple in Amphibia, Sasha begins to have doubts about her plan but doesn’t fully change until later. Clouds on the Horizon was for Alador what I think Turning Point was for Sasha; the full realization of the situation and their actions, and now they’re moving down the path to redemption, but aren’t necessarily redeemed at the moment. Unfortunately, like Sasha, I don’t know if we’ll see more of the bumpy road that comes with changing and trying to be better. Given the limited amount of time left for the show, maybe we can get some scenes with him working with all of his kids (not just Amity) to stop the Collector and maybe an epilogue where they’re all close again, but I’m not expecting much more
I’m honestly even it if it felt quick a bit(but we all know already because of the cancellation), I’m glad Alador gotten this development and that the Blight kids will finally have a good parent raise them(well more like a now starting to be a good parent dad), especially since he still has some years with the kids before they eventually leave the nest(the twins probably still be around when they’re 18, just in BI equivalent to college maybe?). It may seem like Odalia is fully the bad parent now(which she is) and Alador was a bit of a victim in her manipulation, but I’m glad the show still shows that “Yeah, you neglected your kids and their needs for years even if you’re a bit of a victim in it too.” Hopefully now that Amity is with the Scooby Doo group in the HR, maybe we can get some of his relationship with the twins on the other side during the s3 specials. Also one note about Kikimora: Okay so I think the reason why Kikimora still wanted to become a Golden Guard despite knowing that she could die like them is she’s probably so desperate to earn or be worthy to Belos’ approval, that she’ll risk her life(or what’s left that she hasn’t thrown away) to have it.
I'm glad they go that route with him, as someone with an abusive mom and a dad who didn't do shit but keeps apologising: Alador actually DOES something about it. And I hope he and the kids get to heal and bond in the future and be happy without Odalia
something I found interesting (but am unsure if intentional) is in Alador's last scene in the second season, when he kisses Amity's forehead he stands about the same distance as in reaching out when Amity stops his hug. Sometimes during the specials, the two, and maybe the twins, might share a hug. This is not to say that everything is suddenly okay between them, but instead to say that they are willing and ready to be a family together.
Alador is that kind of parent who makes excuses to avoid conflict with their co-parent and doesn't realize that it starts to build up over the years and causes a lot of harm until they literally have their face shoved into it They usually end up neglectful because they're trying to find some way to ignore/distract from what's happening so they're "not a part of it" and can end up being almost as harmful as the directly abusive parent But he is making amends and trying to be better Edit: accidentally clicked send too soon
"Of course, I can't use it because people would think I'm a furry." You are literally a pink haired cat person. I think it's a little late to prevent people from thinking you're a furry. XD
I wish Edric and Emira got at least a little discussion both in the show and in the fandom when the blight parent's abuse got brought up because there is no way they got clear of it and it seems like with how the two of them act that they have likely been ignored completely by both of their parents post Amity's birth. It even sadder considering that Alador seems to be working for a better relationship with Amity but doesn't seem to say much when thinking about his other two children.
He said he wants to be a better father to his KIDS, as in all 3 of them. "I wish Edric and Emira got at least a little discussion both in the show and in the fandom when the blight parent's abuse got brought up because there is no way they got clear of it and it seems like with how the two of them act that they have likely been ignored completely by both of their parents post Amity's birth" What now?
That mouse, and lack of explanation really upset me too. Like, EXPLAIN! You can’t show an Alador looking mouse, and just keep going like that didn’t just happen!
He definitely was absent and allowed Odalia to abuse her kids, but he was also abused by Odalia and she manipulated him, also him being neurodivergent also explains some of his behaviour
I honestly don't think we'll see much more from him with the season being so short. I feel like we will see him as he is now, caring and aways from his wife but nothing more in terms of development.
I think he either dies redeeming himself/Amity avenges him, or they get to have a happy ending where the siblings and Alador get to actually be a family.
Never really got the sense he was ignoring the twins. Last episode you mentioned him not speaking directly to them, instead telling Amity to "round them up". Well, if they were far away enough to be rounded up then they weren't in speaking distance. Since Amity is a main character, Amity is always the child on hand so I'd blame the writing for not having them speak so often rather than put it down to him not caring as much about them. During this episode, he always referred to "the kids" when he was soul searching, not just Amity.
I think showing a parent move on from bad behavior/parenting and make it up to their children slowly is a great concept but it depends heavly on execution and the pacing and how bad things they did in case of alador he may have met these criteria but we'll see in season 3 what will happen
He's trying to be better. It doesn't excuse his neglect but seeing someone recognize their mistakes, take full accountability for those mistakes, and making genuine changes to make things better reflects they have good character and can be redeemed. Unlike Odalia who is basically a narcissist and will never accept they made mistakes in the first place. Even as she was getting drained she was likely justifying her own actions to herself, convinced she never did any wrong.
To me, alador is a good parent coming back to is roots after disastrous years. Also, everything related to Odalia seems to point that she tried to take away anything related to Alador from amity (time with him, the hair)
He isn’t a good parent but he’s making an effort to be better which is more than odalia and that’s why we like him better. Odalia seems to be either oblivious or a tad sociopathic/lacks empathy but hey alador is pretty much just overworked dad who was progressively pushed off to work after being emotionally drained and mental fortitude worn
11:34 Actually Hunter must’ve told them at the end of *Labyrinth Runners* as both Ed and Amity *(I don’t remember if Em was there)* were there when Hunter explained what the *Day Of Unity* was rlly abt.
Well, to say categorically that Alador is a good or bad parent would be ignoring all of the complexity of the situation Alador is a parent who has failed in the past, badly, but is making an effort to improve. Maybe before you could call him a bad parent, but now he’s recognized his failures and is working to make the future better, which is all that can really be asked of him in the moment. He’s on the road to becoming a good parent in the future Also, with the “we can find you a new girlfriend” line is because it shows that Odalia thinks Amity views relationships the same way she does, like interchangeable business transactions.
700 snors power always gets me also I think an additional reason Odalia may have been disappointed in how her children were hiding was because both Ed and Em are trained in illusion magic so they could've made themselves and Amity Invisible or disguised as something inanimate. Also I love how everyone questions what is with that mouse that looks like Alador.
I did feel that people were a little quick to give him a pass early on, but they did a good job of turning him around. Moreover I think it worked better for him because from the start of season 2 it seemed like Odalia was the one who was a bad parent because she was overbearing/manipulative and he was a bad parent for being passive, which is a bit easier to understand coming back from.
He's neglectful, complicit, and a pushover, but he has at least some moral fiber and capacity to care for his kids, which makes him a better parent than Odalia at least.
I think the "we'll find you a new girlfriend" line was such a shock to so many was because it's a very common trope of whenever a story features a POC or LGBTQ+, there's _gotta_ be that one person who is blatantly racist and/or homophobic. It's a quick and cheap way to make an antagonistic character more hatable and obvious. I don't like it. It more often than not makes the sexuality and/or race of the character, well, their whole character.
I understand your point, but whether you like it or not, that's the reality, usually the real-life "villains" are going to be racist, homophobic, misogynistic, at least the villains of my life are I understand that in The Owl House (at least on the boiling islands) there is no homophobia, but if Odalia were human, I'm sure she would be homophobic
15:02 that mouse has now been confirmed to be aladors palismin not joking it's actually a rat and came from a joke that was cut referencing ratatouille they mentioned it in a post end interview
I think the reason why Kiki said that was the fact that she thought that she could be better than all the other Golden Guards, valuable enough that Belos will keep her as his right hand, since she always thinks she is better than Hunter sooooo.,.....
From the first moment I actually saw alador i knew he would a victim too, what he does reminds me of what my mom did for me when we were In a situation like this. She had seemed like she was ignoring what was happening to me but she would protect me from having it worse, and I appreciate her so much for that. I have to work on my ptsd and my mom has been patient with it still since she was in a worse situation than I was, and so seeing a character in a kids show like this, and especially that it was a man being the abused parent since I hate that men get victim blamed, it just made toh even more special to me than it already was
Ah yes, one more example of the millenial dream: where parents apologize and actually try to do better in the future
“The millennial dream” send me 😂
The only difference between the millennial dream and the Gen Z dream is that Gen Z might still have hope that it'll happen when we grow up.
that should happen more often because this is a cycle of villiany
@@thomasdaywalt7735 My Mom might be coming around- I’ve noticed little parenting things that my Mom is adjusting with my little sister, in addition to trying to use my pronouns (they/them btw).
She still misgenders me sometimes, but she’s started to correct herself, so she’s definitely improving in that regard.
Still not the best, but things may kind of be looking up...? I don’t have to feel trapped as my AGAB forever.🥺🌈
@@gpettus9508 gen x parents explaining why they're the wizest people on the planet and should be worshipped by gen z
Alador is/was a bad parent, but not a bad person. I feel like his mindset at the start of the season was "I don't agree with the way my wife treats the kids, but arguing would just cause unnecessary drama and i'm already tired enough". His neglectful personality ins't excusable at all, but at least he cares enough to try and be better. The dude loves his kids, he was just... VERY misguided. Can't wait to see more of him, he's an interesting character.
i agree mostly! but i also think it was less "arguing would cause unnecessary drama/i'm tired" and more that odalia was manipulating him by using their children against him. she threatened to get them started in the "family business" and i think it's supposed to be implied that it would mean overworking them or possibly worse, as he looks upset/worried at the idea. i'm assuming he thought stepping in would make things worse for the kids. alador was also being abused/mistreated by odalia- and she used threats against their own children to keep him in line.
He is willing to try and fix his mess and well... it's like the dad who is kinda stuck standing by because his wife has better lawyers
He is also a victim of her abuse.
Kitty Monk:
Part 1: Alador Blight isn't a good parent
Part 2: Is Alador Blight still a bad parent?
Part 3: Ok, Alador Blight MIGHT be a good parent.
Character development at its finest
part 4: alador turned out to be a great parent
@@crimsonxvamp a possible future, but we will have to see
@@crimsonxvamp No no a ok parent that's part 6.
I like him way better than odalia. He truly cares about his children. And when he learned about the draining spell he did everything his power to stop it. Well odalia didn't even care.
She never realized that a WMD designed to wipe the titan’s population would drop her, being part of the titan’s population.
Well I mean being better than odalia is literary rock bottom.
Alador is definitely better than his wife. He's willing to see his kid's point of view and accept it while she doesn't
@@Spectorwing People are even liking Kikimora more than after her “redemption” with helping King defeat Belos by releasing the Collector. Granted more between a rock and a hard place and she did it more for her own revenge against Belos.
@@toadlord8594 , had Belos freed the Collector and allowed Kikimora to remain the Witch Hunter in the Boiling Isles whenever Belos left into the human world then Kikimora wouldn’t have helped the Wild Witches to take down Belos for good.
He was physically, emotionally, and financially abused so I really can't blame him. He's not innocent but still. He was only neglectful because his wife forced him to work all the damn time in horrible working conditions as his goddamn employer and threatened him with her spirit thing. Hell, the reason he didn't want to agree with her was because she threatened to make the kids work in that same condition. I feel so so bad for this guy, it's clear he cares about his kids by the mittens section and he truly tried to love them but just,,, couldn't because of his shitty ass wife. Poor dude. I love this guy sm.
He honestly reminds me so much of Ursa from ATLA, both are extremely flawed yet “good” and “well-meaning” parents who want nothing but the best for their kids 👧👦 but due to their abusive spouses, they’re unable to love and care for them properly because harm would befall them if they went out of line of their spouses’ orders, truly one of my 2 favourite cartoon characters/parents from children’s cartoons shows 👍🏽👌 excellent writing on their characters 👏
If we accept the theory that Alador is neurodivergent, then him being a bit "absent" and being an "enabler" makes more sense. It could be that Odelia knows of his mental situation, and forces him to work to the point where he has barely any energy to think about what's going on, so he just goes with whatever Odelia tells him to do, or what he thinks will make his day easier.
It's my personal headcanon, and I like it, since... I can completely relate to it. Though I'm no parent, or work yet, I still often find myself doing horrible things once I'm too mentally exhausted to do anything, just so I can have a break.
Tbh if Odalia was doing this on top of the whole "comply or the kids will be forced to work in our factory" thing, it'd cement her even more as kind of just being one dictatorship away from being Belos 2.0. I'm by no means opposed to it.
She's an abuser!
The Owl House gang on their way to rescue Luz:
*Alador:* I think I forgot something.
*Amity:* If you forgot it then it probably wasn't that important.
*Alador:* Yeah, you're probably right.
*The twins:* ..........
IM GLAD I WASN’T THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICE THIS
He’s a parent who has realized his mistakes and genuinely wants to improve. How many people can say their parents are like that?
Still can't believe Odalia was using the kids as a sort of leverage to get Alador to play along.
Alador and Odalia's lovers spat, when the latter reveals she's totally okay with helping Belos commit genocide, is one of the most satisfying break-ups I've seen in a cartoon in a while. Good for you, Alador. When the apocalypse is over, make sure you get full custody of all the kids.
After this episode I got the impression that perhaps at least in part Alador was neglectful as a result of being overworked to the point of not having a lot of energy on the average day to get into a fight or pay attention to the kids. While it’s not really fair for the kids to have to deal with that and Alador being the adult takes the responsibility it’s semi-understandable now. Like if your spouse is also your boss and making you do hours upon hours of work all the time, no weekends off in 5 years, cutting your staff while increasing demand and so on, that’s exhausting. And while again he needed to do what he did in saying “I’m done” for a long time, I understand that when one is perpetually kept busy and working to the bone you can reach a state of exasperation where you’re too out of it to take a step back and see you’re neglecting stuff, as one may get to a point of being on autopilot. That and honestly I wouldn’t put it past Odalia to do this purposefully as a means of wearing Alador down via work so much that he has little energy to put into being an equal partner with their own stuff to say leaving her with free reign to do as she likes.
Also, adding on to the not leaving thing, long term abusive relationships can be HARD to leave. But this comment as a whole is basically all my other thoughts wrapped into one.
Im so glad that my headcannon turned out to be true tbh. Male abuse in a relationship is rarely called out aside from if the abused guy is the butt of the joke for "letting his wife boss him around". Honestly im inclined to think their marriage may have been arranged for buissiness reasons.
My theory: Kiki knows where the Golden Guards ended, but she thinks, that wouldn't be her fate, because she won't dissapoint Belos. "The failures" endet there, but she isn't a failure, so she will be the best Golden Guard ever and Belos will love her. All in her head.
But isn't she somewhat aware that all golden guards are grimwalkers. That's not a position non-grimwalker can have.
@@DeathKitta Kiki hasnt seemed to have a full good understanding of how things go.Poor little goofball is very gullible and insecure
Not gonna lie, alador has to be one of my favorite characters of the owl house so far. He has such an interesting perspective since he plays the part of the neglectful parent. He plays the role of being the parent that is too busy with work that he doesnt spend time with his kids. He doesnt hate his kids, and he is not mean towards them(except for that one time in the past that we have seen), he just has no time which has some interesting morality. He is also funny and I like that he is makes machines. Hes not perfect in any way, but the fact that he is the better parent that is willing to change is something I really like about his growth.
I’m so proud of Alador for putting in the effort to improve things. He might not be father of the year but he’s improving and working to earn his children’s love back
The only reason Alador was a problem for me was how the fandom would treat him. Making him seem like a goofy guy who did no wrong alongside the horrible Odalia (She is but that’s a another thing.) He did wrong, he’s been doing wrong, but it’s great to see him growing from his actions. I felt crazy sometimes when i’d talk about him being a somewhat bad father in some regards.
Oh hey, I know you’re still mad about him neglecting the twins but I would like to point out that when he was talking to King before the day of Unity, he actually did say he wanted to get to know his *kids* which I believe implies he wanted to connect with the twins as he realized he was neglectful to them while giving amity all their attention, it is definitely a very minor detail but I’m hoping he gets the chance to follow through with it somewhere within the three episode specials because he never actually got the chance to interact with them between realizing his mistake and being incapacitated by the day of unity, but I do agree it would be a necessary part to fully redeem his character
I’m genuinely impressed how they handled Alador as a character, I’m not excusing his neglect but how they show he was a very troubled father who genuinely wanted to connect with his kids shows how poor his marriage was, I’m happy that he finally opened his eyes at how repulsive Odalia is, I don’t want him to be forgiven that quickly but it’s nice to see him trying to fix his old relationship and finally get away from odalia. He’s so we’ll done as a character, and making Odalia irredeemable was a good choice as not everyone should be redeemed.
Lord dominator from wander over yonder is one of those villains who should never be redeemed imo. Because it goes against what was established for her character. Lord hater is more deserving of being redeemed as he is shown to care for peepers captain Tim and the watchdogs there's even a fic for when wander gets sick and he does not want to beat him like this
Alador: *literally just existing*
Kitty: It's free real estate
Thank you for making the point that being neurodivergent does not absolve one of one's responsibilities for one's own behaviors. Luz is canonically ADHD, and she very actively takes responsibility when she makes poor decisions. She apologizes and tries to make up for it. Alador is a little easier to forgive because of the extent to which he was being manipulated by Odalia (he was the victim of abuse in that relationship), but he is nonetheless still responsible for his own decisions and actions toward his children. He was there watching as Amity made the conscious decision to step out from under her mother's control, and he knew the twins were already at the height of their teenage rebellion period. He could've chosen then to join their rebellion. He chose instead to continue protecting them in the only way he was familiar with, and that's a decision he did come to regret. It's a decision he has to own and work to make up for. It's not something that can be dismissed just because he might possibly be neurodivergent. And he knows it.
But he is starting to make up for it.
8:57, Lol, He's just playing with the tail-
He's actually making an effort to build/fix his relationships with his kids, while Odalia would refuse to believe she's doing a pretty crappy job as a parent entirely. Alador admitted to this and is willing to make an effort to fix it. He's a pretty okay parent I'd say
also, i love that when luz is completely breathtaken by that kiss she doesn't even switch languages like normal bilingual people, instead she switches to an australian accent
12:29 Personally one line that reminds me of '20 More Adventures' but in a completely different manner is Philip's line about how the Boiling Isles is something so 'Horrid and yet so fantastic that few minds could've dreamt it', it feels like it's the creators praising themselves (rightfully so).
22:45 I legit love this moment when Alador’s like “ The jet pack actually works!” To “Oh the jet pack actually works-“ It’s just a little moment that I love
I think it's important for shows to recognize that a perpetrator of abuse (neglect and usually not stepping in when Odalia went too far) can also be a victim, without completely absolving them of all wrongdoing. Alador was absolutely abused by Odalia, to what extent we don't really know (was it all verbal/emotional manipulation? probably, but Odalia's clearly not above using brute force when she needs to), but he was also complicit in her abuse to the children by taking a backseat. He probably is neurodivergent- we see him being easily distracted and I bet he probably hyperfixates on things- which is probably something Odalia used to her advantage in the relationship. Give him something to fixate on, tell him that she'll handle the kids, and that was basically all she needed to do to keep him from interfering. Even if Odalia wasn't abusive, I think Alador would've been a slightly neglectful parent- not intentionally, but incidentally. Odalia took advantage of his weaknesses as a parent, and he trusted that she would do what was best for their kids.
The whole Blight family relationship is so complex, it really is nice to see. Also, fuck Odalia.
Well at least now he's making up for it.
I laughed when you called them the Scooby Gang. A second later and realization struck. Why does it fit?!
I just realized watching this, Kiki getting demoted to delivery is a reference to Kikis delivery service
I think that Alador venting to King was a very clever way to humanize him and contextualize his characterization. It's a great way to let viewers infer depth while saving on time, a great tool in this kind of crunch situation the team had.
Well if you think about it in the end odalia is the controlling type even her husband is under her thumb and she hasn't even he hasn't done the right thing but by the time you manage to step up and become a bare parents from the first episode and the episodes following it he went from neglectful dad to best father in the whole house
@@thomasdaywalt7735 I don't understand what this has to do with what I mentioned, which was using time-saving writing effectively and efficiently when under pressure from a corporate studio cutting a show's time short. Like, this character would be an excellent study on how to get the point of a character across and get an audience invested in their growth within a limited timeframe. Did you maybe respond to the wrong comment?
Thanks to an ad, what I heard when I watched 12:45 was, “Still, it weren’t for this, we wouldn’t have gotten ALL NEW FRESH LEMONADE FROM ARBY’S”
they never really address his relationship with any of his kids but amity.
I kinda wish that we had more screen time to see Alador's arc development more naturaly. Mostly because i wanted to see him try to bond more with all of his kids, i still find sad we never see him interact directly with Edric and Emira. Is not like that we got at the end isn't good but it could had been so munch better, more moments with the kids could had help his character arc a lot more, so could more interactions with Odalia to have a more clear view of their relationships.
With every interaction between Alador and Odalia, I become more and more convinced that they were business parters that decided to get married for tax reasons and then Odalia had the idea to have kids for the free labor.
Thank goodness I thought I was the only one who saw the little cut they made to the raine and eda moment
So Odalia knew that Belos was planing to kill everyone with a sigil (she performed oracle magic and she also used Illusion magic when she summoned Luze's wanted poster so she clearly doesnt have one) and she still not only went along with it but never told Alador about it? Was she actually ok with him dying as long as she got the money and the new possition? Alador literally cant divorce her fast enough!
IDK if that's how the Sigils work. They might not cut you off from all magic of other types. but instead limit high level magic to one type. like if each magic type has levels 1-5 level 1 and 2 might be use able by everyone, but 3-5 are exclusive to your sigils type. Belos probably lied to her and said she and her family would be fine if they played along. I don't see a high profile person like Odalia being able to get away with not being a part of any coven and thus without Sigil.
@@GaleGrim , Lilith worked for Belos almost her entire life, but yet he allowed to remain without a Sigil, and him allowing her to keep her Palismin, so it isn’t that far fetched for Odalia thinking that Belos would allow her to have better perks than Lilith herself.
@@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr Doesn't Lilith have a sigil? I thought she was emperors coven? They do have sigils last time I checked, they just don't have limits on their magic. Or has something been revealed in an episode I missed? I'll admit I'm a few behind here and there in eps and it's all a bit foggy cause I've been rushing.
@@GaleGrim , I should put a spoiler warning for the Season 2 Finale I’m sorry for mentioning that for people that haven’t caught up yet, but I was always indifferent towards Lilith and Kikimora, so my viewpoints are entirely different than The Owl House fanbase, so that’s probably why my interpretation of the events of the Day of Unity is entirely different than people like yourself.
You can still do basic spells even if you had a sigil. She didn't know it would kill everyone because she say's we'll be royalty in the new world. It would have killed her and alador too.
"I can't use it because people will think I'm a furry"
-Kitty Monk 2022
Alador: "I will miss them hips though."
Amity, Ed, and Em: "DAD!"
Alador is a parent who failed to realize his greatest creations were his children, not his abomatons. It correlates with how Tony Stark hated how his father loved his business and work more than his own son when in truth his father sees Tony as his greatest creation.
There's no mystery in how Odalia handcuffed the Scooby Gang; Blight Industries specializes in abomination-based "home defense" products.
I think that what makes Odalia's lack of homophobia so shocking is that she demonstrates it while still being a petty elitist witch and an abusive mother. She tries to control every aspect of Amity's life, but doesn't care that Amity likes girls; it's a superb way of showing that homophobia just isn't a thing on the Boiling Isles.
Hes been under lock and key for so long they probably did love each other in the beginning but its sad he couldn't just leave or else he would've lost his kids
6:47 "To think he was gonna get absorbed by bellos"
Well did disney have a surprise for you
Great video btw, still fun all these months later❤
"A less perverted Stolas" I mean your not *WRONG* but did you have to describe it like *THAT* !
Alador: *exists*
Kitty Monk: Stupid Alador, stupid!
"Thankfully, he smokes the devil's lettuce, so he will be easier to control."
12:30 NOT Only do I still Blame the executives at Disney for shortening there 3rd Season I'd still Blame them for rushing there 2nd Season and yet I'd still secretly wished The Owl House lasted a little longer as Luz quoted if we had time for 20 More Adventures But they didn't And I'd still Blame Disney for that
I really did think for a second that “What if Alador was a rat but Odalia used magic to change him into a human” and then she undid the spell as punishment to him during the episode but then I remember Odalia had kids with him so 🫢
I’d argue that Clouds on the Horizon was the turning point in Alador’s arc. Reaching Out gave him a new perspective to consider but it was more of a good step rather than a complete change. It’s like how in the Third Temple in Amphibia, Sasha begins to have doubts about her plan but doesn’t fully change until later. Clouds on the Horizon was for Alador what I think Turning Point was for Sasha; the full realization of the situation and their actions, and now they’re moving down the path to redemption, but aren’t necessarily redeemed at the moment. Unfortunately, like Sasha, I don’t know if we’ll see more of the bumpy road that comes with changing and trying to be better. Given the limited amount of time left for the show, maybe we can get some scenes with him working with all of his kids (not just Amity) to stop the Collector and maybe an epilogue where they’re all close again, but I’m not expecting much more
when it's confirmed that the mouse is actually his palisman.....
I’m honestly even it if it felt quick a bit(but we all know already because of the cancellation), I’m glad Alador gotten this development and that the Blight kids will finally have a good parent raise them(well more like a now starting to be a good parent dad), especially since he still has some years with the kids before they eventually leave the nest(the twins probably still be around when they’re 18, just in BI equivalent to college maybe?). It may seem like Odalia is fully the bad parent now(which she is) and Alador was a bit of a victim in her manipulation, but I’m glad the show still shows that “Yeah, you neglected your kids and their needs for years even if you’re a bit of a victim in it too.” Hopefully now that Amity is with the Scooby Doo group in the HR, maybe we can get some of his relationship with the twins on the other side during the s3 specials. Also one note about Kikimora: Okay so I think the reason why Kikimora still wanted to become a Golden Guard despite knowing that she could die like them is she’s probably so desperate to earn or be worthy to Belos’ approval, that she’ll risk her life(or what’s left that she hasn’t thrown away) to have it.
I'm glad they go that route with him, as someone with an abusive mom and a dad who didn't do shit but keeps apologising: Alador actually DOES something about it. And I hope he and the kids get to heal and bond in the future and be happy without Odalia
something I found interesting (but am unsure if intentional) is in Alador's last scene in the second season, when he kisses Amity's forehead he stands about the same distance as in reaching out when Amity stops his hug. Sometimes during the specials, the two, and maybe the twins, might share a hug. This is not to say that everything is suddenly okay between them, but instead to say that they are willing and ready to be a family together.
It was confirmed that the rat in Alador's lab is his palisman
Alador is that kind of parent who makes excuses to avoid conflict with their co-parent and doesn't realize that it starts to build up over the years and causes a lot of harm until they literally have their face shoved into it
They usually end up neglectful because they're trying to find some way to ignore/distract from what's happening so they're "not a part of it" and can end up being almost as harmful as the directly abusive parent
But he is making amends and trying to be better
Edit: accidentally clicked send too soon
"Of course, I can't use it because people would think I'm a furry."
You are literally a pink haired cat person. I think it's a little late to prevent people from thinking you're a furry. XD
Odalia probably doesn't have a sigil. Hence she was able to pull up that scroll.
Im guessing the finale of this saga will be "Alador Blight is the best father"
Depends on what happens in the specials lol
I wish Edric and Emira got at least a little discussion both in the show and in the fandom when the blight parent's abuse got brought up because there is no way they got clear of it and it seems like with how the two of them act that they have likely been ignored completely by both of their parents post Amity's birth. It even sadder considering that Alador seems to be working for a better relationship with Amity but doesn't seem to say much when thinking about his other two children.
He said he wants to be a better father to his KIDS, as in all 3 of them.
"I wish Edric and Emira got at least a little discussion both in the show and in the fandom when the blight parent's abuse got brought up because there is no way they got clear of it and it seems like with how the two of them act that they have likely been ignored completely by both of their parents post Amity's birth"
What now?
That mouse, and lack of explanation really upset me too. Like, EXPLAIN! You can’t show an Alador looking mouse, and just keep going like that didn’t just happen!
He definitely was absent and allowed Odalia to abuse her kids, but he was also abused by Odalia and she manipulated him, also him being neurodivergent also explains some of his behaviour
Ah yes, it’s now a trilogy. After what happened in “King’s Tide” I question how will his character/progression continue in the final 3 specials.
I honestly don't think we'll see much more from him with the season being so short. I feel like we will see him as he is now, caring and aways from his wife but nothing more in terms of development.
I think he either dies redeeming himself/Amity avenges him, or they get to have a happy ending where the siblings and Alador get to actually be a family.
never thought id ever hear someone describing alador as a less perverted stolas, but it sorta makes sense-
Never really got the sense he was ignoring the twins. Last episode you mentioned him not speaking directly to them, instead telling Amity to "round them up". Well, if they were far away enough to be rounded up then they weren't in speaking distance. Since Amity is a main character, Amity is always the child on hand so I'd blame the writing for not having them speak so often rather than put it down to him not caring as much about them. During this episode, he always referred to "the kids" when he was soul searching, not just Amity.
I think I'm starting to see why Al has such a bitter rivalry with Darius. Odalia likely drove them apart
“Or else people will think I’m a furry.”
Mmmmmm you already are. The first stage is denial but , as a furry, you are one of us.
I'd say he's made some good progress.
I think showing a parent move on from bad behavior/parenting and make it up to their children slowly is a great concept but it depends heavly on execution and the pacing and how bad things they did in case of alador he may have met these criteria but we'll see in season 3 what will happen
He's trying to be better. It doesn't excuse his neglect but seeing someone recognize their mistakes, take full accountability for those mistakes, and making genuine changes to make things better reflects they have good character and can be redeemed. Unlike Odalia who is basically a narcissist and will never accept they made mistakes in the first place. Even as she was getting drained she was likely justifying her own actions to herself, convinced she never did any wrong.
Does that include Lilith?
16:00 i first thought odalia turn him into a mouse for his behavior i was so scared of her
Apparently in an interview the creators said they have no idea what Ratador is- they just did it
To me, alador is a good parent coming back to is roots after disastrous years.
Also, everything related to Odalia seems to point that she tried to take away anything related to Alador from amity (time with him, the hair)
Hope Alador divorces his wife in the upcoming specials
He isn’t a good parent but he’s making an effort to be better which is more than odalia and that’s why we like him better. Odalia seems to be either oblivious or a tad sociopathic/lacks empathy but hey alador is pretty much just overworked dad who was progressively pushed off to work after being emotionally drained and mental fortitude worn
11:28 Uh no. They were there when Hunter spilled the beans.
11:34 Actually Hunter must’ve told them at the end of *Labyrinth Runners* as both Ed and Amity *(I don’t remember if Em was there)* were there when Hunter explained what the *Day Of Unity* was rlly abt.
Well, to say categorically that Alador is a good or bad parent would be ignoring all of the complexity of the situation
Alador is a parent who has failed in the past, badly, but is making an effort to improve. Maybe before you could call him a bad parent, but now he’s recognized his failures and is working to make the future better, which is all that can really be asked of him in the moment. He’s on the road to becoming a good parent in the future
Also, with the “we can find you a new girlfriend” line is because it shows that Odalia thinks Amity views relationships the same way she does, like interchangeable business transactions.
I just love how Fanon Odalia (All those fics where she was a flat out monster instead of a rich jerk) was canon all along
700 snors power always gets me also I think an additional reason Odalia may have been disappointed in how her children were hiding was because both Ed and Em are trained in illusion magic so they could've made themselves and Amity Invisible or disguised as something inanimate. Also I love how everyone questions what is with that mouse that looks like Alador.
Dont know if you know this but the rat turned out to be aladors palismen!
Ah yes, Lilypad, my favourite owl house character (That does sound like an adorable nickname tho)
I did feel that people were a little quick to give him a pass early on, but they did a good job of turning him around. Moreover I think it worked better for him because from the start of season 2 it seemed like Odalia was the one who was a bad parent because she was overbearing/manipulative and he was a bad parent for being passive, which is a bit easier to understand coming back from.
Their relationship was purely business that turned into a family… if you can call it that
He's neglectful, complicit, and a pushover, but he has at least some moral fiber and capacity to care for his kids, which makes him a better parent than Odalia at least.
'I thought he was going to get absorbed' oh honey
I love your Knock Out clips, just have to say that. To the point though, I hope Alador keeps up on his improvement.
*Reaching out is a great episode*
"We'll live like royalty in the new world"
That's the issue
You won't be ALIVE in the new world
I think the "we'll find you a new girlfriend" line was such a shock to so many was because it's a very common trope of whenever a story features a POC or LGBTQ+, there's _gotta_ be that one person who is blatantly racist and/or homophobic. It's a quick and cheap way to make an antagonistic character more hatable and obvious. I don't like it. It more often than not makes the sexuality and/or race of the character, well, their whole character.
naw she's just very classist
I understand your point, but whether you like it or not, that's the reality, usually the real-life "villains" are going to be racist, homophobic, misogynistic, at least the villains of my life are
I understand that in The Owl House (at least on the boiling islands) there is no homophobia, but if Odalia were human, I'm sure she would be homophobic
"It more often than not makes the sexuality and/or race of the character, well, their whole character"
Not sure I'd say that.
Congratulations on 20K
Alador Blight review Trilogy
12:58
Disney: WHAT... DID YOU SAY?
Also Disney: yeah TOH doesnt fit our brand, we are cutting your show and story short. idc what you have to say
15:02 that mouse has now been confirmed to be aladors palismin not joking it's actually a rat and came from a joke that was cut referencing ratatouille they mentioned it in a post end interview
Yah I feel the twins are probably at the conformatorian staging a huge prison break with all the other wild witchs.
Hunter absorbed by belos, that doesn't happen till thanks for the memories special. That's where we say good by to both.
Turns out the mouse/rat was his palisman
Finally someone notices that aldors eyes turn purple! Its diffrent from willows and i like it.
I think the reason why Kiki said that was the fact that she thought that she could be better than all the other Golden Guards, valuable enough that Belos will keep her as his right hand, since she always thinks she is better than Hunter sooooo.,.....
Odalia Blight is a worse parent than Peter Griffin.
Alador: “I’m actually a misguided good guy”
Kitty Monk: “Who could ever believe…”
Everyone: “Ok I believe you”
"I can't use it because people will think I'm a furry"
*Literally has a Fursona Avatar*
Jk, great Video Essay on Alador.
From the first moment I actually saw alador i knew he would a victim too, what he does reminds me of what my mom did for me when we were In a situation like this. She had seemed like she was ignoring what was happening to me but she would protect me from having it worse, and I appreciate her so much for that. I have to work on my ptsd and my mom has been patient with it still since she was in a worse situation than I was, and so seeing a character in a kids show like this, and especially that it was a man being the abused parent since I hate that men get victim blamed, it just made toh even more special to me than it already was