ok just a short(ish) post on my opinions on huntlow in for the future and from the rest of the show.
I really like their progression. this episode felt nice and sweet, and unique from other romances in the series, too
last season it felt kinda rushed; hunter was dealing with his general life and existence crisis and it felt to me like willows character development was getting overshadowed by a romance. i know hunter was introduced later in the series and has had a lot going on, so they simply haven't had time to give hunter and willow as big an arc as they deserve. the shortening of s3 adds to this, as well.
it's becoming clear that huntlow is a canon ship (or getting there). there's been a lot of romantic connotations that have been used with other couples in the show, and their interactions feel balanced between good friendship and a blossoming romance.
willow deserves someone who genuinley likes her. a lot of her struggles are with feeling like she's not worthy; romantic interest doesn't fix anything by any means, but based on my personal experience, it's definitely not unhelpful.
hunter has been the golden guard his entire life and is just figuring out how to be a normal teenager. he said that willow and gus mean the world to him; they're clearly all very close. him developing a crush on willow is such a dorky teen thing to do, it feels very natural.
i like that they clearly care about each other a lot as friends. they didn't jump straight into anything - it's the middle of a war. they don't know what's next. they're just trying to hold onto each other. but i think even if they didn't get together, they'd always be really good friends.
however, the romance side - they've been shown to appreciate each other in ways that feel romantic (not that certain things have to be romance-coded. that's just the way i feel the crew is leading us). and also their little blushes around each other are adorable. they've stated that they care about each other a lot which is a big step forward in their friendship/growing feelings. and they held hands <33 which is, again, not specifically romance-coded, but it feels very 'awkward first teen relationship'.
in summary - at first i wasn't sure of huntlow. it felt rushed and a little crowded with the characters' other storylines. but i like how it's developed with for the future and i think they're gonna make a great couple, if it end up like that <3 to use their words: they mean a lot to each other, in any way.
also: other interpretations are still valid! i know a lot of people like ace- or aro-spec hunter and willow, or lesbian willow, or mlm hunter. the owl house is a show that places a lot of importance on being kind to people, so as a fandom that kindness should show as well - i.e not bashing anyone for their opinion or personal interpretation.