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Disclaimer: Amphibia is a Disney Channel show from Disney Television Animation. I don't own this image.

Hello there. This is SofiaBlythe2014. After an over 4 month wait, season 3 of Amphibia has arrived. There's plenty that's happened, as I'll explain in this article covering the first 5 episodes. Let's begin.

1. The New Normal (Half Hour Special)

Writers: Adam Colas & Todd McClintock

Directors: Joe Johnston & Jenn Strickland

Date: October 2, 2021

Synopsis: "Anne returns home."

So after how intense "True Colors" was, this episode helps ease into a new transition. We have Anne and the Plantars finally reuniting with her parents. Things are not easy with trying to keep the family safe while Anne tries to show how she's matured. This episode is just really satisfying to watch. The two main elements that make this work are this. One is because of the emotions and how all the characters interact with each other. The other is with the message on how people are capable of changing, and you shouldn't judge them solely based on who they used to be. Let's break this episode down.

Act 1:

We start with everyone finding themselves in the human world during a traffic jam, with Anne realizing that she's now back home. There's a real sense of atmosphere that's done quite well. There's some funny bits with the Plantars taking in the human world, but much more emphasis is placed on Anne trying to reel in what happened, and get the courage to talk to her parents. You can definitely tell how much this has changed her since she has a lot on her mind. Will her parents accept the Plantars? Will they be safe? What's happening with Sasha and Marcy back in Amphibia? When is King Andrias going after her? I do like how she's able to be calm and just think more about how she wants to ease her parents into the situation. Given how something like living with frog people sounds pretty absurd, it's no surprise that she would ask everyone to hide, and only come out when she gives a bird signal.

We continue this sense of atmosphere when we cut to inside. Mrs. Boonchuy is shown using a mixing bowl, and is barely holding back tears. You can just feel the despair she's going through because she doesn't know how her daughter is doing. However, a knock on the door makes her ecstatic when she sees Anne alive and well. The same goes for Mr. Boonchuy. It's just a really sweet moment seeing then hug things out. For a brief moment, you can almost feel like everything will be okay. And then we hear a bird signal, which the Plantars mistook for Anne's signal, and they expose themselves early on in a pretty funny way. Inside, she then tells them a very abridged version of her time in Amphibia, only bringing up how she was staying with a frog family, and how the portal went wrong and it sent all of them to earth. She doesn't bring up anything involving King Andrias, Sasha's backstabbing tendencies, and Marcy's death. I'd say, at least for now, this is a smart decision. Having to house talking frogs is very absurd. Bringing up everything else would essentially be a one way trip to trouble. It's best shown with how Mrs. Boonchuy mentions possibly turning them over to the government. Sure, she mentions it's to keep them safe, but even without knowing everything else, the government, according to Anne, would no doubt try to dissect them or experiment on them if they were under their custody. It's because of this that they let them all stay in the house. It probably helps that Anne brings up how she was in a cave before being taken into their home.

Things are not that easy though. They're all under lockdown, and can't leave the house. Yeah, they're going into overprotective territory in not letting Anne do even simple errands, but given how she was missing for months on end, them being very smothering is not really a surprise. We then get some hijinks with everyone being so amused by earth life, such as Sprig microwaving everything (including non food items), Hop Pop and Sprig taking a bath in an overflowing tub, and Polly kicking anything so she can test out her legs. We also see Mrs. Boonchuy really getting smothering when she follows Anne around. I mean, at one point, she's brushing her hair while she's asleep in bed. At this point, she's right to call a family meeting.

Act 2:

Anne calls up a family meeting. While she's happy to be home, and she still understands her parents' concern for her, she thinks they're overprotective. She just wants to go out for an hour, but they think something bad could happen to her. They're going out for groceries, and Anne wants to come, but they still say no, bringing up how she's irresponsible (even having a childhood drawing where she's proud of that). There's definitely a conflict here over how responsible Anne is, and if she's able to handle this, and it's done quite well. For the Boonchuy parents, she went missing for five months. Even if a lot could happen in that time, they wouldn't know if she could handle herself in a wild environment like that, and something bad could have happened. Their concern is pretty valid since they last remember her as being rather reckless. On the other hand, Anne also brings up how she's been able to handle herself over these last few months. Even with that, there's also the matter of how she's only going to nearby places, not out of town or anything. She's showing her maturity by keeping things to a reasonable distance and just wanting to make use of the free time she has in a constructive matter. Hop Pop does at least try to defend her, although he does it poorly. Nonetheless, we do see that they'll agree for at least this time as long as she keeps the Plantars under her watch.

We then get a pretty chilling cut to King Andrias, where he says that his plans are almost complete. It's also shown that Marcy is in some kind of containment unit, so he's definitely trying to revive her for something sinister. I mean, he's sending out a robot assassin made up of Frobo's robot parts to the human world to kill Anne and get the power he needs. Just the sheer ruthlessness in how he composes himself when saying this is very chine spilling. And yes, even his humorous scene of him getting a copy of Marcy's favorite book series for him to read doesn't undercut it.

Back in the human world, we have Anne giving everyone various disguises. Hop Pop puts on some clothes and glasses while Sprig and Polly operate a trench coat with Polly at the bottom. We get some over protectiveness with Mr. Boonchuy bringing up lockdown again, but Anne came prepared. Since he forgot the grocery list, she made sure to take a picture of it, which they're quite impressed. I do like how the interior of the market, feeling like a traditional Thai market. Plus, as Anne mentioned, there's barely anyone there, so they can't be caught. And if they want to go somewhere, like the noodle court, she'll keep an eye on them and have her phone on the ready. You can definitely share the feelings her parents have in how she went above and beyond to make sure there's as little trouble as possible. Of course, something like this requires a challenge, and that something is the robot assassin, who uses invisibility to sneak in and attacks Anne and the Plantars. Dun! Dun! Dun!

Act 3:

And so the chase is on. Things get intense, not just because of the robot going after them, but also because of Anne's parents being in the area. She has to get mackerel from the counter without arousing suspicion from either of them. We then get to see Anne be simultaneously responsible and reckless at the same time. She gets the idea to play music over the intercom so that no one can hear them fighting the robot. At least no one can hear them making a mess, including her parents, but at the same time, the Plantars can't hear her either. Sprig says she could use her powers, but it's not exactly easy to do. There would have to be some kind of mortal danger involved. That's a good point. She then goes inside a room meant for employees only, but it's the freezer, and since frogs are cold blooded, they end up frozen except for Anne. Interestingly, the robot also tries to avoid getting caught by someone.

We do at least get an attempted awesome moment when Sprig tries to get his family to use their icy bodies to push the robot. It doesn't work, but it wasn't a bad idea in theory to give an extra push. When the robot starts targeting them, Anne is emotional enough to activate her powers and get enough strength to defeat the robot, but she passes out right afterwards. It's an awesome, yet also sad scene. When Anne's parents meet up with her, they say they're proud because of how responsible she is. This scene works from two perspectives. From the parents point of view, she was able to get the items on the shopping list and not make a mess. Heck, they think someone else made the mess at the food court. From Anne's perspective, even with her mistakes, she took the initiative to fix her mistakes and keep everyone safe. As they walk back to the car, Anne tells Polly about how she felt bad for using her powers. The implications behind this are interesting. They seem beneficial, yet draining, but she felt bad for using them? That's definitely something. At least things can get better at home. .... Oh and the robot goes through an upgrade. Well that's certainly a way to end an episode. Talk about a great season 3 premiere.

2. Hop Til You Drop

Writer: Gloria Shen

Directors: Roxann Cole & Kyler Spears

Date: October 9, 2021

Synopsis: "Anne brings the Plantar family to the mall."

It's time to journey into the one of the dangers of the urban jungle, the mall. Joking aside, the episode has Anne trying to teach the Plantar family how to survive in the human world by taking them to the mall. However, it's not easy for them to adjust to. This episode goes the message on how you shouldn't just throw people into the unknown, expecting them to survive. Let's go and break this down.

First Half:

We start with Anne just going out to the mailbox, but the Plantars are shown to be too clingy and treat this as a grand adventure. She then says that they come, but they get in trouble. Polly insults two kids on bikes, Sprig almost goes into a wood chipper, and Hop Pop almost falls for a scam. When Anne's parents give her some advice about easing into things, she sees them almost get in trouble again, and decides to train them. I do like how this opening showcases the flaws for the Plantar family. Sprig is shown being distracted by the wood chipper because of how shiny it is, and wanted to touch it, fitting with how he's kind of reckless and curious. For Polly, she's someone who loves to get aggressive, so it's no surprise that she would get more confrontational when faced with the unfamiliar. With Hop Pop, he is wise, but moreso when it comes to stuff from Amphibia. Outside of that, he's completely clueless. Anne is like a parent in this role, which isn't surprising. Since she's back at home but the Plantars aren't, she has to take care of them since she's the only one in the family to who they are inside and out. Plus, while she's stressed, she at least tries to maintain her composure at first, only really letting it loose when they don't hear her the first time.

In any case, in order to prepare them for the human world, she decides to bring them to the mall. That may seem like a typical teenage thing to do, but the strategies she sets up are pretty good. Polly has to make a custom plushie at a toy store without fighting anyone, with this being a good test of if she can do an activity non aggressively with those around her age. Sprig has to walk through an art gallery without touching anything, with this being a good test of if he can go through a public place with restraint. With Hop Pop, he has to go through a kiosk alley without buying anything, with this being a good test on if he can think smart in a strange environment. Oh, and they all have 20 minutes to pass the tests while Anne watches them from the top floor.

Second Half:

And so now we begin. Polly tries to build a toy, but while she starts out calm, she can't seem to contain her anger when the babies keep taking her toy parts. Next comes Sprig. He comes by various exhibits, and he's tempted to touch all of them, especially a fancy machine. We see Hop Pop try to avoid being fooled, and while he avoids a shady photographer, Mark the security guard sees Hop Pop in his trench coat, and he thinks that he's a dangerous stranger. They are partially at fault for not showing self control, but Anne just basically threw them into the mall without proper training. We also see how, while unintentional, she can he distracted in her own way too. She meets up with an old acquaintance named Gabby, where she thinks she went to Alaska. She seems nice enough, but she's also incredibly talkative and cannot stop talking to her. Anne puts up with this even though she doesn't want to, showing how her good intentions can sometimes distract her when she wants to avoid conflict.

And then things get really bad. Sprig sees that Anne is not looking and he goes to touch the machine, and it goes off, destroying the other exhibits. A baby destroys Polly's toy deliberately, and she goes to attack them. Hop Pop sees a fountain full of coins, and he gets confronted by the security guard, and then he becomes green from the coins. Yeah it's safe to say that they failed. Of course, that's not important at the moment since they have to deal with the security guard and a bunch of angry mothers for Polly being violent. Fortunately, Anne thinks of a way out of this when she puts Sprig and Polly in a disguise and redirects the angry mothers to the security guard asking a lot of questions so that Hop Pop can escape undetected. Anne then apologizes for not preparing them well enough, and just throwing them into the fray. They then bring up how they took care of her even when she got into trouble. It's a nice parallel to the beginning of the show. It's just fun hijinks with a sweet ending to cap it off.

3. Turning Point

Writer: Jenava Mie

Director: Joe Johnston

Date: October 9, 2021

Synopsis: "Sasha and Grime escape to Wartwood."

Let's not beat around the bush. This is awesome. It's about Sasha and Grime escaping to Wartwood to hide out, and the former has to face the consequences of her actions. This episode goes for the standard message on how you should realize the mistakes you've made and know how to do the right thing. The way the pieces connect makes to work. Let's talk about it.

First Half:

We start out on a pretty interesting note. It takes place during the climax of True Colors, where we see from Sasha and Grime's perspective what happened when Marcy got stabbed and everyone was teleported from the temple. They're both confronted by robot guards until they jump out the window onto Marcy's bird Joe Sparrow. King Andrias sends a robot after them. Probably what I really like here is that there's a sense of genuine care from Sasha. Even with finding out that Marcy intentionally sent them to Amphibia, she still feels bad for her supposedly dying, is definitely devastated for Anne being transported to some unknown place (although we know where).

Since Toad Tower is totalled and they're basically wanted fugitives, Grime then decides that both of them should hide out in Wartwood and lay low in the Plantar household for 1-2 days. It's here where Sasha is apprehensive on if they'll accept them, especially when everyone asks questions on where Anne and the Plantars are. As such, Grime says that King Andrias is a ruthless tyrant (which is true), but then he makes up a lie about how Anne and the Plantars went on a dangerous quest and that the two of them were meant to act as guardians for the town. To Sasha's surprise, they believe them. I'm not surprised with Sasha's behavior given that, even with her attempts to amend, she still has the reputation of being manipulative, and thus not easy to trust. She really sinks into a depression when inside the house. She decides that she should sleep in the barn, feeling that she deserves this punishment

Second Half:

We then cut to the next morning, where it's anything but good for Sasha. Mrs. Croaker comes by with some pie, where she talks about how good she and Grime are. Wally comes by, where he talks about how Anne taught him a lot, and that any friend of hers is a friend of his. Grime then says that he got a message from his sister Beatrix about the toad council hiding underground for survival. We see them get into a bit of conflict, but it's done well. Grime knows how Sasha is rather manipulative and backstabbing, so she shouldn't be this conflicted about him wanting to join the army. His loyalty to gaining power is shown with how the robot attacks the house, and he thinks that they should leave, unlike with Sasha wanting to make up for what she did and help them out. Of course, he can tell that she needs some time since she helps him defeat the robot and he says that she should think a bit about what she really wants. For as much as he wants loyalty from her, he does still look out for her well being.

We then get a very intense scene. Sasha is looking around Anne's room when she sees her journal. In said journal, there's an entry from Battle Of The Bands, where she talks about how there's a real chance of going home and how she was glad to trust Sasha again. This is what really gets to Sasha since she threw away friendship for power and control. She actually tears up from this, and it's pretty powerful. She then decides to better herself for Anne. You go girl. She then tells everyone in Wartwood about the robot army. She says how she lied and that Anne was transported somewhere else, and she feels like a fraud. Despite this, she wants to protect the town. We then get some good action of Sasha trying to take down the robot army, but she's cornered. Just as it looks like she's done for, Grime comes in and helps defeat some robots. I do like how this shows how he cares for Sasha even with his quest for power. He's able to demonstrate great loyalty when the time calls for it. This is reinforced when everyone in Wartwood helps take down the robots. That's awesome. Sasha and Grime then redirect some bombs by running around so that they'll move out of the way and the bombs will hit the big robot instead. That's pretty awesome. Everyone in town then says that while Sasha has done some horrible things, they recognize that she's trying to do the right thing. This is awesome. We then end with Sasha becoming a hero for Wartwood.

4. Thai Feud

Writer: Michele Cavin

Director: Jenn Strickland

Date: October 16, 2021

Synopsis: "Sprig tries to get rid of a food truck threatening the family business."

Now that title is a good pun. Let's talk about the episode. It involves a food truck parking itself in front of the Boonchuy family restaurant. Sprig tries to get rid of it in order to help out. This episode has a nice message on how you shouldn't have to do anything reckless in order to prove family worth. Let's break this down.

The Setup:

Things start out pretty normally when Mrs. Boonchuy offers the Plantar family eggs, but Sprig eats them straight from the pan. He also eats hot sauce right from the bottle, and she's not happy with him being a bit too insensitive. Yeah he's not exactly being considerate, but there is an interesting reason. Sprig thinks that the Plantar family is now part of the Boonchuy family, and he's just making himself comfortable. He's not trying too mooch off of anyone, but his desire for a stable family unit is causing him to push his boundaries due to his impulse. He's actually surprised when Hop Pop and Polly mention them only being guests, showing that he wants to feel like he's part of something special. Mrs. Boonchuy then asks Anne to help out at the Thai Go restaurant today, and Sprig comes along so he can make up for what he did. It's nice that he wants to help but Mrs. Boonchuy gives him a drink and tells him to sit down. I do like how that don't make her out to be bad, but she clearly isn't that comfortable with this. She does try to be a good host, but more from obligation and less from love.

Down With Ned:

We then come across Ned, the number 1 customer at the restaurant. He's definitely shown in an interesting light. He is shown to be rather friend and courteous, but he has dollar signs in his eyes. He wants to be business partners, as evidenced by the food truck he got that's also named Thai Go, but Mrs. Boonchuy keeps saying no since the recipes are for family only. While he does come on insensitively, he also doesn't become aggressive or mean when turned down. He just goes back to his food truck and tries to offer quality food as a way to persuade her with his customers. Since the truck won't move, Sprig decides to take matters into his own hands.

He goes to Ned's truck and buys some food, and he pretends that it turned his stomach pink. Surprisingly, the customers want more, and he gets frustrated by this to the point of calling the customers morons. Yeah that's not nice at all. Anne and Mrs. Boonchuy drag him back inside so he doesn't cause more trouble. Surprisingly, she scolds Anne instead of Sprig, with Anne saying how she only scolds family members, not guests. At least she's nice enough to let Sprig know that his intentions are good, but his actions to go ahead with them are not good at all.

The Bonds That Be:

He distracts Ned with a note telling him to go into the restaurant while he gets the truck going. Yeah he's basically about to commit a vehicular crime. Anne sees Sprig from behind the dump and she sees that he wants to drive off with it. She at least tries to stop him, but they accidentally set it off since the brakes don't work, which Ned and Mrs. Boonchuy see from inside. We do at least get some teamwork between Anne and Sprig, where she drives the truck while he uses his tongue to help them make turns. For someone who's only driving experience is with Bessie the snail and video games, that is quite impressive. They do manage to stop the food truck, but it gets totaled. When Sprig confesses to what he did and apologizes for overstepping boundaries, Mrs. Boonchuy apologizes for treating him like an outsider. I do like this little moment showing that Sprig just wanted to feel happy with a mother figure, and he felt his actions went against that. Similarly, while Mrs. Boonchuy didn't mean to do it, she did admittedly did treat him as more of a nuisance that she just put up with. Ned cries from this, and he says that he just wanted to be part of the restaurant family. I do like how we the episode shows him as sympathetic even if his actions are wrong. He admires the food they make, but just went about showing it in the wrong way. Mrs. Boonchuy then goes for a compromise where he can be the delivery guy so that they can still be secret family recipes and yet he contributes. Mrs. Boonchuy then scolds Sprig for his reckless actions, and he's happy about this. It's a sign that he's now part of the family. It's an interesting, but still sweet way to end an episode like this.

5. Adventures In Catsitting

Writer: Todd McClintock

Directors: Roxann Cole & Kyler Spears

Date: October 16, 2021

Synopsis: "Everyone brings Domino to the vet."

Everyone brace for impact! Domino is on the loose! Joking aside, let's dive into this. This episode has the Plantar family volunteering to deliver Anne's cat Domino to the vet. However, they have trouble on the adventure. This episode goes for the message on how you shouldn't feel like you owe something since you already work hard enough. Let's break this down.

The Setup:

We start out with Domino acting very hyperactive, particularly as she runs around to try and catch a fly. We then cut to our little froggy friends in the backyard, where
Hop Pop says that he enjoys getting some pampering and being treated like guests. When Sprig saying they've been here a week, he thinks they're freeloaders like Cousin Stanley was to them. As such, Hop Pop decides that he wants all of them to make a contribution in some way. Things are pretty good so far with Hop Pop. He's all about hard work and always trying to be active. The fact he feels they're mooching off of the family would get to him. He isn't one to take advantage of others unless it's for a good cause. It probably also helps that he doesn't demand anything from others. He's just become a bit too complacent. In any case, Mrs. Boonchuy tells Anne that she has to go to the dentist (which she doesn't like), and since Mr. Boonchuy is running the restaurant today, Hop Pop volunteers for everyone to take Domino to the vet today. Considering how everyone has their hands full today, this is probably the best they can do. Plus, Sprig and Polly don't object to this, so he's not forcing them.

Getting To The Vet:

Everyone goes to get Domino, and they see that she's basically a nightmare much like Domino 2 back home. You'd think a simple bus trip wouldn't be a problem, but you'd be mistaken. They get onboard the bus, and while it starts fine, it then it moves and they all fall back.Hop Pop accidentally licks everyone while he tries to get everyone to stick together, and they all get kicked off the bus as a result. If nothing else, one can definitely admire how quick on his feet Hop Pop can think, but he just needed some time to take it easy with his decisions. Sprig thinks they should call Mr. Boonchuy, but Hop Pop says otherwise. We have good old fashioned stubbornness at play. He's not exactly one to ask for help in a difficult situation. While they encounter a bunch of obstacles in the way like scooter riders, Earth herons, and Domino's behavior, they do make it there relatively unscathed. The vet examines Domino and she's actually fine.

The Big Rescue:

Things seem to be going fine, but that's not the case. They come on too hard with asking questions about frogs, and in the confusion, they accidentally leave Domino behind at the vet. Sprig goes ahead and calls Mr. Boonchuy even though Hop Pop tries to stop him. He then says to go to the nearest shawarma restaurant. This is a case where Sprig's impulse is an asset since Hop Pop is acting even more impulsive and actively trying to avoid help. He does at least get a pretty cool moment where he makes a pretend fire alarm sound to get everyone out of the restaurant, and they battle Domino to get her in the cage. It's this kind of obscure knowledge that can help him out in times like this. Mr. Boonchuy then comes in and saves them. We then get a pretty sweet moment. Hop Pop feels bad since he thinks they're all freeloaders and were too complacent to perform one job. However, Mr. Boonchuy says that this isn't the case since they helped keep Anne safe when she was in Amphibia. They don't have to go this far to prove their worth. What I like about this ending is with how it reinforces the idea of found family. The Plantars and Boonchuys are not related by blood, but they may as well be since they would do anything to look out for others and keep them safe. It's really nice. As for Anne, it's shown that she had 8 cavities and cricket legs, and the gas is making her act loopy. It's just really hilarious.

6. Fight At The Museum

Writer: Adam Colas

Director: Joe Johnston

Date: October 23, 2021

Synopsis: "Anne and the Plantars rob a museum."

Today's episode is one that hits hard. Let's talk about it. This episode involves Anne trying to get more information on how to get everyone back home at the museum. She comes across some kind of pottery with Amphibia information on it, but since she doesn't trust Dr. Jan, she goes to steal it. This episode has two pretty solid messages:

1. You should sometimes take a risk with trust and ask for help when you need it.

2. Learn to take some time off.

Let's break this down.

The Setup:

We start out in the morning with everyone still sleeping. Anne is on her laptop, where she's been trying to find some answers to her dilemma all night on how to get the family home. This even extends to TV time, where she's talking about how she's been staying up for sometime, and even thinks there could be a second calamity box. She's clearly off her rocker here, but it's not surprising. She's someone who always wants to do what she can to help others out, especially if she was tied to something bad that happened. The issue here is with how she can sometimes go too far when trying to make things right, resulting in her thinking irrationally and acting more on impulse. She thinks that she's the only one taking things seriously while Sprig says that it's okay to take some time off every now and then. He's not wrong there. If they're going to be stuck in the human world for awhile, they should try and enjoy themselves. We then get a bit of a reality check when Mrs. Boonchuy says that Anne and the Plantars can go to the library where she'll make up her school work she missed while she cleans slime in the house. Well, she's not wrong there, and it gives e good excuse to go to the library.

Library Time:

Before going to the library, we see the assassin robot, named Cloak Bot, is looking for Anne and camouflages himself so he won't be seen. As they take in everything at the library (at least before getting getting picked up at 6:00), Hop Pop says that Anne should unwind since she'll burn herself out from exhaustion if she keeps going on. His words fall on deaf ears when she sees some kind of ancient artifact that has Amphibia all over it. It's here where we're introduced to someone named Dr. Jan, the museum curator, and she's shown to be quite the history buff. She's basically an adorkable nerd because of the general excitement she has in showing off the ancient artifacts. She even pretends to fly off like a superhero, and generally acts nice. She's certainly one to leave an impression. She's also shown to think that the frogs on the pot might be aliens due to how they're bipedal, showing that she's a bit eccentric. As Sprig tries to ask her if she knows anything about portals to help out with the Amphibia adventure, Anne cuts him and says that they don't need help with anything. Anne is still skeptical of others, and it's getting the better of her. She think she could have some kind of ulterior motive, and thus doesn't trust her. This isn't surprising given how she's dealt with people she knows backstabbing her in some way. Her trust issues are definitely showing, and she says that they should go through with a heist to steal the pot.

The Big Heist:

And so we go through with the heist later that evening. If nothing else, she did come up with a great plan despite being sleep deprived at this point. Hop Pop pretends to be a cat so he can steal a shoe from one of the guards and they'll chase him, meaning a good 20 minutes to pull things off. Polly sneaks into the vents so that she can open the door while Sprig takes out all the security cameras with his really long tongue. Now that's a good use of one's strength. The Cloak Bot sees them, and when Polly sneaks around the lasers so that she can steal the vase, he comes in and the security system is activated. We do get a pretty intense action scene of them trying to take down the robot, though some of the exhibits get destroyed or broken in some way. Things will seemingly turn out bad when the security guards come in with Dr. Jan (who sees the robot fly off). Surprisingly, she covers for them by saying that they're actually a group of performers and were reenacting some kind of historical event, which the guards believe. I do like how's she's sort of like a parental figure in how she takes Anne's story at face value, and immediately comes to her defense. She does have a way of sensing what people are like, and is thus able to help out however she can even with her more eccentric side. She also shows a good deal of sympathy to Anne when she mentions how she can also get caught up in her work, especially when she was younger. She then says that if Anne goes home and gets some rest, she'll keep her secret and help out with the research. That sounds pretty fair. She may have her own exclusive interest, but she's also genuinely helpful. We then cut to the next morning, where she sees that there's a secret message in the pot when she uses blacklight. Well this should be interesting.

7. Temple Frogs

Writer: Gloria Shen

Director: Jenn Strickland

Date: October 23, 2021

Synopsis: "The Boonchuys bring the Plantars to a temple."

It's temple time everyone. Let's break this down. This episode has everyone going to the nearby temple for Market Day. However, Anne tries to see Dr. Jan, and she tries sneaking out. This episode has a pretty strong message on how you should respect the values of tradition and community. Let's break this down.

The Setup:

We start with Anne getting a text from Dr. Jan about something important, and she heads off to the museum. She gets stopped by her mother saying that it's the monthly Market Day at the temple and they all have to take part. She then says that if Anne can stay for one hour to help out, she can go to the museum. So far, things are looking pretty solid. Anne wants to help out her friends get out of this situation, but she's letting her stubbornness and impulsiveness get the better of her. She does still have that sense of determination and altruism to keep her motivated. Mrs. Boonchuy also brings up a good point since she says how the Thai community hasn't seen her in awhile. So it's not just about helping her out, but also those a community who are basically a surrogate family. We then get a scene where Anne gets seen by some students, who all want to know about "the girl who went missing". She then says how to the Plantars about how she's been going to the temple since she was a kid and thinks that the experience is boring. She doesn't hate her Thai culture, but she is letting her sense of excitement and always being on the move get the better of her.

Temple Time:

We then cut to the temple, and I just want to say that this feels really immersive. The general busy vibe and colorful culture hell make this pop out. I mean, we have a scene where Anne has to give out samples and she gets spotted by the bawdry, a group of older women who smother her since she's now back. The people of Thailand certainly know how to show love. Plus, at least she reacts more with embarrassment and less with annoyance. Anne then says how the Plantars have some free time to check out the temple. We really get a good taste of Thai culture. Polly checks out a preschool Thai class, and she impresses everyone with her Thai language that she learned from watching Mrs. Boonchuy's Thai rom coms. It's pretty cool to see Polly basically show off what she recently learned, playing to her ego, yet she also uses this as a chance to be like an assistant teacher in showing off what she knows. Hop Pop checks out a class about a dance called Kon, which is basically dramatic storytelling through rhythmic. Being the performer that he is, he's naturally psyched about it. Heck, no one minds when he messes up and it's quite nice to see him willing to learn. Sprig checks out a ball game called Takraw (it's like volleyball, but without using your hands, although it's not named in the episode) and he impresses the players with his skills. Being how he's one to leap into action, this sport would fit right at home with him.

We see Mrs. Boonchuy returning some dishes she borrowed when Anne sees that she's only been there for 10 minutes..Anne calls up Dr. Jan, where she says she'll be there in 30 minutes, and is unaware of the Cloak Bot watching her. He sends out a bunch of drones to destroy Anne at the temple. She then gets someone to pretend to be her while she tries to sneak off with everyone else. Yeah she's being quite sneaky in trying to avoid her duties today. However, we also see that there's this sense of desperation and she's letting her desire to help out the Plantar family cloud her judgment on other things that she needs to do.

The Power Of Community:

Speaking of the Plantars, she sees everyone having a good time, and leaves them be. She also shows a more genuine appreciation for Thai culture when she sees them having a good time. It shows how she's someone who at least doesn't want to ruin anyone else's good times if they're clearly having a good time. As she runs off, she accidentally bumps into her mother, who immediately figures out that she's trying to get to the museum. She at first scolds her, but then tells her about how this is important since it's all about giving back to the community. Her reasoning is pretty solid. With Anne being gone all these months, many people from the temple helped out the Boonchuys during their time of need, such as donating money and occasionally helping out at the restaurant. They didn't expect anything in return. That is actually quite generous, and it's this revelation that gets Anne to see that she was being a jerk. This little moment really emphasizes the importance of community. Even if Anne still wanted to do something good, help the Plantars get home, she did push away people who just wanted to help her out and readjust to being home.

The idea of community really comes together in the climax. The drones invade the temple, and she tells her mother to get everyone to take cover, making up an excuse on how they're from the school newspaper. She instead comes back with everyone else to help take them down. That's pretty cool. Even with no real combat experience, they actually do a good job thanks to help from the Plantars, such as how Polly leads everyone in Thai, Hop Pop uses his masks, and Sprig uses his ball. Mr. Boonchuy is about to be attacked, so Polly has Sprig throw her at the robot. It's awesome. After all is said and done, the Plantars get exposed as frogs. They're actually willing to keep this a secret, which is quite fitting. They spent all day with the Thai community, basically assimilating themselves. They are Thai family, which is awesome. Anne also decides to stay around a bit. Dr. Jan then comes by with the information she learned in the previous episode. Since she doesn't know what it says, Anne translates the message with Marcy's notes, where the description basically says "Seek the olms, they will guide you to your destiny". Now that's an ending.

8. Fixing Frobo

Writer: Jenava Mie

Director: Roxann Cole

Date: October 30, 2021

Synopsis: "Polly tries to fix Frobo."

It's time to get technological. Let's talk about it. This episode has Polly trying to fix up Frobo, but it doesn't go as planned. This simple synopsis gives way to a pretty engaging story, particularly with its message on it's important to have a noble cause, but you should be patient and not go too far in pursuing it if you don't know everything you need to know. Let's break this down.

The Setup:

We get a pretty funny setup of Anne showing Sprig and Hop Pop pretty much everything about the internet, mainly cat videos. Internet culture strikes. Polly comes in and says how she fixed Frobo when she basically made a walking washing machine. When she mentions bringing him back to life, they're hesitant at him reactivating, and he accidentally fires a laser everywhere until Anne unplugs him. Anne offers Polly hee old animatronic bear while Hop Pop says that she can't work on fixing him anymore until they can see an expert back in Amphibia, with Polly criticizing them for brushing this off. So we have the debate on when to bring him back to life. On the one hand, Polly has worked hard to bring Frobo, who's basically her best friend, back to life. Given her impulse and stubborn behavior, she would be more adamant in bringing him back to life. On the other hand, everyone else raises a good point. As much as they care for him, they don't know how dangerous he is with having a different kind of wiring. At least in Amphibia, they would be in a familiar environment to lessen any potential damage.

Trying To Fix Things:

And so Polly begins her quest to get some professional help. After 2 hours of looking online, she eventually comes across videos for the IT Gals named Ally and Jess. They're girlfriends who are basically adorkable nerds in how much they love making robots, and their passion for robotics is quite endearing. She checks out the self help playlist on how to do robotics, and she seemingly fixes him up, but it doesn't work. You have to admire how smart Polly is when it comes to technology given how she was able to understand everything. Of course, this is all to show that when she shows great determination, she's not willing to do anything to get what she wants.

When she doesn't fix him up, she calls up Ally and Jess for help to see how she can power him up. We get some science terminology that basically translates to being able to get some real power by using the batteries found in animatronic children's toys. She gets the battery from Anne's bear toy, and puts it inside him. They advise her to not test him out at home since he could be potentially dangerous, and they offer to help her out. She declines their offer, and they suspect that she'll turn him on. Yeah it's pretty obvious this won't go well, but it fits the story. Polly has a big heart for others, but she also gets very impulsive and stubborn when it comes to getting things she wants. It's no surprise that she would think she can handle this on her own without help. We also get a nice moment with Ally and Jess which shows them acting like big sisters to Polly. They barely know her and yet want to help her out and make sure that no one gets hurt.

Bringing Frobo Back Someday:

She puts the battery inside Frobo, and she goes to show him off to the family. It doesn't go as planned, where they're still skeptical on if he's properly fixed, and think they should turn him on Amphibia. This really gets to Polly, and it's not surprising. She worked hard to try and bring him back to life, and they think he's not ready to come back yet? Even if she's acting more on her emotions you can tell that she can't cope with the fact that they think of Frobo as a secondary priority. She then reactivates Frobo, but he defaults to his factory setting and plans to go back to King Andrias, although he runs out of power.

We then get a really cool scene. Before that, we see Ally and Jess come by and see that she's falling from the sky. A little detail like this shows how much they value their fans that they want to help them out. Back to Polly, she's able to rejuvenate Frobo's memory with one of her tears when she cries and reminiscing about the times they had together. Let's just say that the audience can also shed a tear from this scene. He tries to stabilize the flight plan, but he's unstable, so he puts her inside his washing machine while they crash in the backyard. This is both awesome and heartwarming. While he does fall apart again, at least he's still alive and at least his head has sentience. Polly then apologizes for her impulse and that she should have waited more for some help before going with something risky. I call this a nice moment for Polly since she's willing to act more thoughtfully for those yeah she cares about. Ally and Jess come by all impressed with Frobo, and decide to help her rebuild him. Their gushing and techno babble really help sell this scene as funny and heartwarming. I call this solid.

9. Anne-sterminator

Writer: Michele Cavin

Director: Joe Johnston

Date: October 30, 2021

Synopsis: "A dangerous enemy finds Anne."

Let's get dangerous. Putting that aside, let's do this. This episode has Anne and everyone at home on the run when they're attacked by Cloak Bot. However, he's one step ahead of them at every turn. This episode goes for a solid message on how you may not live up to your parents' expectations, but you should show integrity as a sign that you should be trusted even while still figuring things out. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Cloak Bot updating himself when he gets contacted by King Andrias. Since he didn't kill Anne yet, he activates the bomb in his chest, and if he doesn't kill her in one hour, he'll be killed by the bomb instead. Yeah we're already starting out on an intense note. I mean, Cloak Bot is actively trying to murder Anne, so he's not all squeaky clean. At the same time, he's just following orders from King Andrias, a much more malicious character, and doesn't really have a personal grudge against her.

We then cut to the Boonchuy household where Anne is shown handling various responsibilities such as laundry and trash. Mrs. Boonchuy remarks about how she's changed, especially in how she's more upfront and honest. Anne feels bad about not telling her parents all the details about her disappearance since she isn't being completely honest, and she decides to tell them. Then Cloak Bot comes in and attacks, so she sends everyone upstairs. There's quite a bit to say how Anne and Mrs. Boonchuy. The seeds of a fallout are being sown here, but it works. Anne is someone who tries to do what she can to protect those she cares about. However, with this comes a sense of impulse and acting sneaky. Even if she doesn't want her parents to worry even more about her, she's trying to downplay her problems just so her parents' feelings are spared and they would see her as responsible. She's certainly grown, but she has a long way to go. As for Mrs. Boonchuy, they hide in her workout room, where it's confirmed how she has high expectations of Anne. We see various motivational posters about making it in life as well as dummies of Anne dressed as a doctor. There's also a poster about how long she's been gone. While she does love Anne, she also has trouble moving past her preconceived image of her being irresponsible and reckless, wanting her to take on something that's more practical. Issues like this would take more time to fix up even if she's seeing more to Anne that she didn't see before.

Second Half:

We get a pretty high speed car chase that has quite a bit to show. For one thing, Cloak Bot's clock keeps going down during the chase, eventually going from 30 minutes to 21 minutes. We get some bits of dialogue that cause the Boonchuy parents to react in surprise. For one thing, Hop Pop says how this isn't the first time that they were chased by his robot. The other is when Sprig mentions Anne hitting the king, accidentally leaving out that King Andrias is a tyrant, making it look like she attacked him unprovoked. Yeah specifically stating these facts without full context would make Anne look incredibly irresponsible, explaining their more worrisome behavior. At least we know that Anne is pretty responsible. I mean, she plays tennis with the robot to deflect his attacks before he eventually resorts to lasers. You got to hand it to her for being able to think on her feet. He eventually catches up to them and they hide in the junkyard.

And now we get to the big moment. Mrs. Boonchuy tries to get the full context on why Anne seemingly attracted a killer robot out to get them. Anne hesitates to give the full context, and she concludes that she's still an irresponsible teenager, and wonders when she's going to grow up. Anne shouts "I don't know" when she's unsure of if she could live up to be the daughter she wants her to be. First off, let me give an "Ouch!" since this scene is painful to watch, but in a way that fits the narrative. Even if we the audience know that Anne is trying to protect her family, Mrs. Boonchuy thinks that she's just trying to brush aside her problems so she can act irresponsible. Because of how she's seen Anne as irresponsible, she would chew her out for not telling them about causing even more trouble that need be. At the same time, you really feel for Anne. Even if she has developed considerably, she still has trust issues about fully opening up to others. With this pressure from her mother, it would make her feel like she's not being the daughter that she's supposed to be. Oh dang!

Things do better from here. Cloak Bot comes in, and he has 10 minutes left. Since they don't know the full context for why he's here, they think he's only out to get them. We at least get some awesome moments from the Boonchuy parents as they help Anne take down the robot. I mean, Mrs. Boonchuy uses a sledgehammer. How awesome is that? Too bad the robot is too strong. Just as he's about to self destruct, she activates her blue gem powers and is able to kick his butt like there's no tomorrow. Oh yeah? He then flies into space and self destructs. Even if he was actively trying to kill her, he was just trying to do his job, so you feel a bit bad for him. Still, the real sympathy lies with Anne, with her parents now seeing that she was trying to tell them something more important. She then passes out, and she (off screen) tells her parents the full context of her adventures before she gets some rest. There's just a nice, wholesome moment of real support between them where they'll look out for each other no matter what. We then end this episode with the government seeing this, and they decide to call in Mr. X when seeing the footage of the Plantars. Well call me intrigued.

These five episodes definitely showed that the series hasn't missed a beat, and will only get better from here.

Here is the cast.

Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy

Justin Felbinger as Sprig Plantar

Amanda Leighton as Polly Plantar

Bill Farmer as Hop Pop, Photographer

On Braly as Mrs. Boonchuy

Brian Sounalath as Mr. Boonchuy, Shopper, Patient

Keith David as King Andrias

Troy Baker as Grime, Grocer, Mark, Cloak Bot, Lord Frankerton

Anna Akana as Sasha Waybright

Jessica McKenna as Gabby, Mother

Laila Berzins as Mrs. Croaker

Jack McBrayer as Toadie

Stephen Root as Mayor Toadstool

James Patrick Stuart as One Eyed Wally

Michelle Dockery as Lady Olivia

Brian Maillard as Leopold Loggle

Kaitlyn Robrock as Felicia Sundew

Katie Crown as Ivy Sundew

Jill Bartlett as Maddie

John DiMaggio as Stumpy

Eden Riegel as Mother, Employee, Emily, Patient, Toddler, Driver

Jenn Strickland as Mother, Patient

Sumalee Montano as Mother, Old Woman, Preschool Teacher

Wayne Knight as Ned

Kevin Michael Richardson as Vet, Shawarma Cashier, Passenger

Sam Riegel as Patient

Anika Noni Rose as Dr. Jan

Kari Wahlgren as Lady Franklin

Kimberly Brooks as Security Guard

Quincy Surasmith as Papi

Matt Braly as Security Guard, Frobo

Alisa Allapack as Papu

Lakkhana Sarkhiri as Woman (she also guided Amanda Leighton when she did Polly's Thai speaking voice and is the translator for the show's Thai dub)

Melissa Villasenor as Ally, Mother

Dana Davis as Jess

Silver Paul as Teddy Lovekins, Government Agents

twitter.com/ChickyAFila/status…

Description
Disclaimer: Amphibia is a Disney Channel show from Disney Television Animation. I don't own this image.

Hello there. This is SofiaBlythe2014. After an over 4 month wait, season 3 of Amphibia has arrived. There's plenty that's happened, as I'll explain in this article covering the first 5 episodes. Let's begin.

1. The New Normal (Half Hour Special)

Writers: Adam Colas & Todd McClintock

Directors: Joe Johnston & Jenn Strickland

Date: October 2, 2021

Synopsis: "Anne returns home."

So after how intense "True Colors" was, this episode helps ease into a new transition. We have Anne and the Plantars finally reuniting with her parents. Things are not easy with trying to keep the family safe while Anne tries to show how she's matured. This episode is just really satisfying to watch. The two main elements that make this work are this. One is because of the emotions and how all the characters interact with each other. The other is with the message on how people are capable of changing, and you shouldn't judge them solely based on who they used to be. Let's break this episode down.

Act 1:

We start with everyone finding themselves in the human world during a traffic jam, with Anne realizing that she's now back home. There's a real sense of atmosphere that's done quite well. There's some funny bits with the Plantars taking in the human world, but much more emphasis is placed on Anne trying to reel in what happened, and get the courage to talk to her parents. You can definitely tell how much this has changed her since she has a lot on her mind. Will her parents accept the Plantars? Will they be safe? What's happening with Sasha and Marcy back in Amphibia? When is King Andrias going after her? I do like how she's able to be calm and just think more about how she wants to ease her parents into the situation. Given how something like living with frog people sounds pretty absurd, it's no surprise that she would ask everyone to hide, and only come out when she gives a bird signal.

We continue this sense of atmosphere when we cut to inside. Mrs. Boonchuy is shown using a mixing bowl, and is barely holding back tears. You can just feel the despair she's going through because she doesn't know how her daughter is doing. However, a knock on the door makes her ecstatic when she sees Anne alive and well. The same goes for Mr. Boonchuy. It's just a really sweet moment seeing then hug things out. For a brief moment, you can almost feel like everything will be okay. And then we hear a bird signal, which the Plantars mistook for Anne's signal, and they expose themselves early on in a pretty funny way. Inside, she then tells them a very abridged version of her time in Amphibia, only bringing up how she was staying with a frog family, and how the portal went wrong and it sent all of them to earth. She doesn't bring up anything involving King Andrias, Sasha's backstabbing tendencies, and Marcy's death. I'd say, at least for now, this is a smart decision. Having to house talking frogs is very absurd. Bringing up everything else would essentially be a one way trip to trouble. It's best shown with how Mrs. Boonchuy mentions possibly turning them over to the government. Sure, she mentions it's to keep them safe, but even without knowing everything else, the government, according to Anne, would no doubt try to dissect them or experiment on them if they were under their custody. It's because of this that they let them all stay in the house. It probably helps that Anne brings up how she was in a cave before being taken into their home.

Things are not that easy though. They're all under lockdown, and can't leave the house. Yeah, they're going into overprotective territory in not letting Anne do even simple errands, but given how she was missing for months on end, them being very smothering is not really a surprise. We then get some hijinks with everyone being so amused by earth life, such as Sprig microwaving everything (including non food items), Hop Pop and Sprig taking a bath in an overflowing tub, and Polly kicking anything so she can test out her legs. We also see Mrs. Boonchuy really getting smothering when she follows Anne around. I mean, at one point, she's brushing her hair while she's asleep in bed. At this point, she's right to call a family meeting.

Act 2:

Anne calls up a family meeting. While she's happy to be home, and she still understands her parents' concern for her, she thinks they're overprotective. She just wants to go out for an hour, but they think something bad could happen to her. They're going out for groceries, and Anne wants to come, but they still say no, bringing up how she's irresponsible (even having a childhood drawing where she's proud of that). There's definitely a conflict here over how responsible Anne is, and if she's able to handle this, and it's done quite well. For the Boonchuy parents, she went missing for five months. Even if a lot could happen in that time, they wouldn't know if she could handle herself in a wild environment like that, and something bad could have happened. Their concern is pretty valid since they last remember her as being rather reckless. On the other hand, Anne also brings up how she's been able to handle herself over these last few months. Even with that, there's also the matter of how she's only going to nearby places, not out of town or anything. She's showing her maturity by keeping things to a reasonable distance and just wanting to make use of the free time she has in a constructive matter. Hop Pop does at least try to defend her, although he does it poorly. Nonetheless, we do see that they'll agree for at least this time as long as she keeps the Plantars under her watch.

We then get a pretty chilling cut to King Andrias, where he says that his plans are almost complete. It's also shown that Marcy is in some kind of containment unit, so he's definitely trying to revive her for something sinister. I mean, he's sending out a robot assassin made up of Frobo's robot parts to the human world to kill Anne and get the power he needs. Just the sheer ruthlessness in how he composes himself when saying this is very chine spilling. And yes, even his humorous scene of him getting a copy of Marcy's favorite book series for him to read doesn't undercut it.

Back in the human world, we have Anne giving everyone various disguises. Hop Pop puts on some clothes and glasses while Sprig and Polly operate a trench coat with Polly at the bottom. We get some over protectiveness with Mr. Boonchuy bringing up lockdown again, but Anne came prepared. Since he forgot the grocery list, she made sure to take a picture of it, which they're quite impressed. I do like how the interior of the market, feeling like a traditional Thai market. Plus, as Anne mentioned, there's barely anyone there, so they can't be caught. And if they want to go somewhere, like the noodle court, she'll keep an eye on them and have her phone on the ready. You can definitely share the feelings her parents have in how she went above and beyond to make sure there's as little trouble as possible. Of course, something like this requires a challenge, and that something is the robot assassin, who uses invisibility to sneak in and attacks Anne and the Plantars. Dun! Dun! Dun!

Act 3:

And so the chase is on. Things get intense, not just because of the robot going after them, but also because of Anne's parents being in the area. She has to get mackerel from the counter without arousing suspicion from either of them. We then get to see Anne be simultaneously responsible and reckless at the same time. She gets the idea to play music over the intercom so that no one can hear them fighting the robot. At least no one can hear them making a mess, including her parents, but at the same time, the Plantars can't hear her either. Sprig says she could use her powers, but it's not exactly easy to do. There would have to be some kind of mortal danger involved. That's a good point. She then goes inside a room meant for employees only, but it's the freezer, and since frogs are cold blooded, they end up frozen except for Anne. Interestingly, the robot also tries to avoid getting caught by someone.

We do at least get an attempted awesome moment when Sprig tries to get his family to use their icy bodies to push the robot. It doesn't work, but it wasn't a bad idea in theory to give an extra push. When the robot starts targeting them, Anne is emotional enough to activate her powers and get enough strength to defeat the robot, but she passes out right afterwards. It's an awesome, yet also sad scene. When Anne's parents meet up with her, they say they're proud because of how responsible she is. This scene works from two perspectives. From the parents point of view, she was able to get the items on the shopping list and not make a mess. Heck, they think someone else made the mess at the food court. From Anne's perspective, even with her mistakes, she took the initiative to fix her mistakes and keep everyone safe. As they walk back to the car, Anne tells Polly about how she felt bad for using her powers. The implications behind this are interesting. They seem beneficial, yet draining, but she felt bad for using them? That's definitely something. At least things can get better at home. .... Oh and the robot goes through an upgrade. Well that's certainly a way to end an episode. Talk about a great season 3 premiere.

2. Hop Til You Drop

Writer: Gloria Shen

Directors: Roxann Cole & Kyler Spears

Date: October 9, 2021

Synopsis: "Anne brings the Plantar family to the mall."

It's time to journey into the one of the dangers of the urban jungle, the mall. Joking aside, the episode has Anne trying to teach the Plantar family how to survive in the human world by taking them to the mall. However, it's not easy for them to adjust to. This episode goes the message on how you shouldn't just throw people into the unknown, expecting them to survive. Let's go and break this down.

First Half:

We start with Anne just going out to the mailbox, but the Plantars are shown to be too clingy and treat this as a grand adventure. She then says that they come, but they get in trouble. Polly insults two kids on bikes, Sprig almost goes into a wood chipper, and Hop Pop almost falls for a scam. When Anne's parents give her some advice about easing into things, she sees them almost get in trouble again, and decides to train them. I do like how this opening showcases the flaws for the Plantar family. Sprig is shown being distracted by the wood chipper because of how shiny it is, and wanted to touch it, fitting with how he's kind of reckless and curious. For Polly, she's someone who loves to get aggressive, so it's no surprise that she would get more confrontational when faced with the unfamiliar. With Hop Pop, he is wise, but moreso when it comes to stuff from Amphibia. Outside of that, he's completely clueless. Anne is like a parent in this role, which isn't surprising. Since she's back at home but the Plantars aren't, she has to take care of them since she's the only one in the family to who they are inside and out. Plus, while she's stressed, she at least tries to maintain her composure at first, only really letting it loose when they don't hear her the first time.

In any case, in order to prepare them for the human world, she decides to bring them to the mall. That may seem like a typical teenage thing to do, but the strategies she sets up are pretty good. Polly has to make a custom plushie at a toy store without fighting anyone, with this being a good test of if she can do an activity non aggressively with those around her age. Sprig has to walk through an art gallery without touching anything, with this being a good test of if he can go through a public place with restraint. With Hop Pop, he has to go through a kiosk alley without buying anything, with this being a good test on if he can think smart in a strange environment. Oh, and they all have 20 minutes to pass the tests while Anne watches them from the top floor.

Second Half:

And so now we begin. Polly tries to build a toy, but while she starts out calm, she can't seem to contain her anger when the babies keep taking her toy parts. Next comes Sprig. He comes by various exhibits, and he's tempted to touch all of them, especially a fancy machine. We see Hop Pop try to avoid being fooled, and while he avoids a shady photographer, Mark the security guard sees Hop Pop in his trench coat, and he thinks that he's a dangerous stranger. They are partially at fault for not showing self control, but Anne just basically threw them into the mall without proper training. We also see how, while unintentional, she can he distracted in her own way too. She meets up with an old acquaintance named Gabby, where she thinks she went to Alaska. She seems nice enough, but she's also incredibly talkative and cannot stop talking to her. Anne puts up with this even though she doesn't want to, showing how her good intentions can sometimes distract her when she wants to avoid conflict.

And then things get really bad. Sprig sees that Anne is not looking and he goes to touch the machine, and it goes off, destroying the other exhibits. A baby destroys Polly's toy deliberately, and she goes to attack them. Hop Pop sees a fountain full of coins, and he gets confronted by the security guard, and then he becomes green from the coins. Yeah it's safe to say that they failed. Of course, that's not important at the moment since they have to deal with the security guard and a bunch of angry mothers for Polly being violent. Fortunately, Anne thinks of a way out of this when she puts Sprig and Polly in a disguise and redirects the angry mothers to the security guard asking a lot of questions so that Hop Pop can escape undetected. Anne then apologizes for not preparing them well enough, and just throwing them into the fray. They then bring up how they took care of her even when she got into trouble. It's a nice parallel to the beginning of the show. It's just fun hijinks with a sweet ending to cap it off.

3. Turning Point

Writer: Jenava Mie

Director: Joe Johnston

Date: October 9, 2021

Synopsis: "Sasha and Grime escape to Wartwood."

Let's not beat around the bush. This is awesome. It's about Sasha and Grime escaping to Wartwood to hide out, and the former has to face the consequences of her actions. This episode goes for the standard message on how you should realize the mistakes you've made and know how to do the right thing. The way the pieces connect makes to work. Let's talk about it.

First Half:

We start out on a pretty interesting note. It takes place during the climax of True Colors, where we see from Sasha and Grime's perspective what happened when Marcy got stabbed and everyone was teleported from the temple. They're both confronted by robot guards until they jump out the window onto Marcy's bird Joe Sparrow. King Andrias sends a robot after them. Probably what I really like here is that there's a sense of genuine care from Sasha. Even with finding out that Marcy intentionally sent them to Amphibia, she still feels bad for her supposedly dying, is definitely devastated for Anne being transported to some unknown place (although we know where).

Since Toad Tower is totalled and they're basically wanted fugitives, Grime then decides that both of them should hide out in Wartwood and lay low in the Plantar household for 1-2 days. It's here where Sasha is apprehensive on if they'll accept them, especially when everyone asks questions on where Anne and the Plantars are. As such, Grime says that King Andrias is a ruthless tyrant (which is true), but then he makes up a lie about how Anne and the Plantars went on a dangerous quest and that the two of them were meant to act as guardians for the town. To Sasha's surprise, they believe them. I'm not surprised with Sasha's behavior given that, even with her attempts to amend, she still has the reputation of being manipulative, and thus not easy to trust. She really sinks into a depression when inside the house. She decides that she should sleep in the barn, feeling that she deserves this punishment

Second Half:

We then cut to the next morning, where it's anything but good for Sasha. Mrs. Croaker comes by with some pie, where she talks about how good she and Grime are. Wally comes by, where he talks about how Anne taught him a lot, and that any friend of hers is a friend of his. Grime then says that he got a message from his sister Beatrix about the toad council hiding underground for survival. We see them get into a bit of conflict, but it's done well. Grime knows how Sasha is rather manipulative and backstabbing, so she shouldn't be this conflicted about him wanting to join the army. His loyalty to gaining power is shown with how the robot attacks the house, and he thinks that they should leave, unlike with Sasha wanting to make up for what she did and help them out. Of course, he can tell that she needs some time since she helps him defeat the robot and he says that she should think a bit about what she really wants. For as much as he wants loyalty from her, he does still look out for her well being.

We then get a very intense scene. Sasha is looking around Anne's room when she sees her journal. In said journal, there's an entry from Battle Of The Bands, where she talks about how there's a real chance of going home and how she was glad to trust Sasha again. This is what really gets to Sasha since she threw away friendship for power and control. She actually tears up from this, and it's pretty powerful. She then decides to better herself for Anne. You go girl. She then tells everyone in Wartwood about the robot army. She says how she lied and that Anne was transported somewhere else, and she feels like a fraud. Despite this, she wants to protect the town. We then get some good action of Sasha trying to take down the robot army, but she's cornered. Just as it looks like she's done for, Grime comes in and helps defeat some robots. I do like how this shows how he cares for Sasha even with his quest for power. He's able to demonstrate great loyalty when the time calls for it. This is reinforced when everyone in Wartwood helps take down the robots. That's awesome. Sasha and Grime then redirect some bombs by running around so that they'll move out of the way and the bombs will hit the big robot instead. That's pretty awesome. Everyone in town then says that while Sasha has done some horrible things, they recognize that she's trying to do the right thing. This is awesome. We then end with Sasha becoming a hero for Wartwood.

4. Thai Feud

Writer: Michele Cavin

Director: Jenn Strickland

Date: October 16, 2021

Synopsis: "Sprig tries to get rid of a food truck threatening the family business."

Now that title is a good pun. Let's talk about the episode. It involves a food truck parking itself in front of the Boonchuy family restaurant. Sprig tries to get rid of it in order to help out. This episode has a nice message on how you shouldn't have to do anything reckless in order to prove family worth. Let's break this down.

The Setup:

Things start out pretty normally when Mrs. Boonchuy offers the Plantar family eggs, but Sprig eats them straight from the pan. He also eats hot sauce right from the bottle, and she's not happy with him being a bit too insensitive. Yeah he's not exactly being considerate, but there is an interesting reason. Sprig thinks that the Plantar family is now part of the Boonchuy family, and he's just making himself comfortable. He's not trying too mooch off of anyone, but his desire for a stable family unit is causing him to push his boundaries due to his impulse. He's actually surprised when Hop Pop and Polly mention them only being guests, showing that he wants to feel like he's part of something special. Mrs. Boonchuy then asks Anne to help out at the Thai Go restaurant today, and Sprig comes along so he can make up for what he did. It's nice that he wants to help but Mrs. Boonchuy gives him a drink and tells him to sit down. I do like how that don't make her out to be bad, but she clearly isn't that comfortable with this. She does try to be a good host, but more from obligation and less from love.

Down With Ned:

We then come across Ned, the number 1 customer at the restaurant. He's definitely shown in an interesting light. He is shown to be rather friend and courteous, but he has dollar signs in his eyes. He wants to be business partners, as evidenced by the food truck he got that's also named Thai Go, but Mrs. Boonchuy keeps saying no since the recipes are for family only. While he does come on insensitively, he also doesn't become aggressive or mean when turned down. He just goes back to his food truck and tries to offer quality food as a way to persuade her with his customers. Since the truck won't move, Sprig decides to take matters into his own hands.

He goes to Ned's truck and buys some food, and he pretends that it turned his stomach pink. Surprisingly, the customers want more, and he gets frustrated by this to the point of calling the customers morons. Yeah that's not nice at all. Anne and Mrs. Boonchuy drag him back inside so he doesn't cause more trouble. Surprisingly, she scolds Anne instead of Sprig, with Anne saying how she only scolds family members, not guests. At least she's nice enough to let Sprig know that his intentions are good, but his actions to go ahead with them are not good at all.

The Bonds That Be:

He distracts Ned with a note telling him to go into the restaurant while he gets the truck going. Yeah he's basically about to commit a vehicular crime. Anne sees Sprig from behind the dump and she sees that he wants to drive off with it. She at least tries to stop him, but they accidentally set it off since the brakes don't work, which Ned and Mrs. Boonchuy see from inside. We do at least get some teamwork between Anne and Sprig, where she drives the truck while he uses his tongue to help them make turns. For someone who's only driving experience is with Bessie the snail and video games, that is quite impressive. They do manage to stop the food truck, but it gets totaled. When Sprig confesses to what he did and apologizes for overstepping boundaries, Mrs. Boonchuy apologizes for treating him like an outsider. I do like this little moment showing that Sprig just wanted to feel happy with a mother figure, and he felt his actions went against that. Similarly, while Mrs. Boonchuy didn't mean to do it, she did admittedly did treat him as more of a nuisance that she just put up with. Ned cries from this, and he says that he just wanted to be part of the restaurant family. I do like how we the episode shows him as sympathetic even if his actions are wrong. He admires the food they make, but just went about showing it in the wrong way. Mrs. Boonchuy then goes for a compromise where he can be the delivery guy so that they can still be secret family recipes and yet he contributes. Mrs. Boonchuy then scolds Sprig for his reckless actions, and he's happy about this. It's a sign that he's now part of the family. It's an interesting, but still sweet way to end an episode like this.

5. Adventures In Catsitting

Writer: Todd McClintock

Directors: Roxann Cole & Kyler Spears

Date: October 16, 2021

Synopsis: "Everyone brings Domino to the vet."

Everyone brace for impact! Domino is on the loose! Joking aside, let's dive into this. This episode has the Plantar family volunteering to deliver Anne's cat Domino to the vet. However, they have trouble on the adventure. This episode goes for the message on how you shouldn't feel like you owe something since you already work hard enough. Let's break this down.

The Setup:

We start out with Domino acting very hyperactive, particularly as she runs around to try and catch a fly. We then cut to our little froggy friends in the backyard, where
Hop Pop says that he enjoys getting some pampering and being treated like guests. When Sprig saying they've been here a week, he thinks they're freeloaders like Cousin Stanley was to them. As such, Hop Pop decides that he wants all of them to make a contribution in some way. Things are pretty good so far with Hop Pop. He's all about hard work and always trying to be active. The fact he feels they're mooching off of the family would get to him. He isn't one to take advantage of others unless it's for a good cause. It probably also helps that he doesn't demand anything from others. He's just become a bit too complacent. In any case, Mrs. Boonchuy tells Anne that she has to go to the dentist (which she doesn't like), and since Mr. Boonchuy is running the restaurant today, Hop Pop volunteers for everyone to take Domino to the vet today. Considering how everyone has their hands full today, this is probably the best they can do. Plus, Sprig and Polly don't object to this, so he's not forcing them.

Getting To The Vet:

Everyone goes to get Domino, and they see that she's basically a nightmare much like Domino 2 back home. You'd think a simple bus trip wouldn't be a problem, but you'd be mistaken. They get onboard the bus, and while it starts fine, it then it moves and they all fall back.Hop Pop accidentally licks everyone while he tries to get everyone to stick together, and they all get kicked off the bus as a result. If nothing else, one can definitely admire how quick on his feet Hop Pop can think, but he just needed some time to take it easy with his decisions. Sprig thinks they should call Mr. Boonchuy, but Hop Pop says otherwise. We have good old fashioned stubbornness at play. He's not exactly one to ask for help in a difficult situation. While they encounter a bunch of obstacles in the way like scooter riders, Earth herons, and Domino's behavior, they do make it there relatively unscathed. The vet examines Domino and she's actually fine.

The Big Rescue:

Things seem to be going fine, but that's not the case. They come on too hard with asking questions about frogs, and in the confusion, they accidentally leave Domino behind at the vet. Sprig goes ahead and calls Mr. Boonchuy even though Hop Pop tries to stop him. He then says to go to the nearest shawarma restaurant. This is a case where Sprig's impulse is an asset since Hop Pop is acting even more impulsive and actively trying to avoid help. He does at least get a pretty cool moment where he makes a pretend fire alarm sound to get everyone out of the restaurant, and they battle Domino to get her in the cage. It's this kind of obscure knowledge that can help him out in times like this. Mr. Boonchuy then comes in and saves them. We then get a pretty sweet moment. Hop Pop feels bad since he thinks they're all freeloaders and were too complacent to perform one job. However, Mr. Boonchuy says that this isn't the case since they helped keep Anne safe when she was in Amphibia. They don't have to go this far to prove their worth. What I like about this ending is with how it reinforces the idea of found family. The Plantars and Boonchuys are not related by blood, but they may as well be since they would do anything to look out for others and keep them safe. It's really nice. As for Anne, it's shown that she had 8 cavities and cricket legs, and the gas is making her act loopy. It's just really hilarious.

6. Fight At The Museum

Writer: Adam Colas

Director: Joe Johnston

Date: October 23, 2021

Synopsis: "Anne and the Plantars rob a museum."

Today's episode is one that hits hard. Let's talk about it. This episode involves Anne trying to get more information on how to get everyone back home at the museum. She comes across some kind of pottery with Amphibia information on it, but since she doesn't trust Dr. Jan, she goes to steal it. This episode has two pretty solid messages:

1. You should sometimes take a risk with trust and ask for help when you need it.

2. Learn to take some time off.

Let's break this down.

The Setup:

We start out in the morning with everyone still sleeping. Anne is on her laptop, where she's been trying to find some answers to her dilemma all night on how to get the family home. This even extends to TV time, where she's talking about how she's been staying up for sometime, and even thinks there could be a second calamity box. She's clearly off her rocker here, but it's not surprising. She's someone who always wants to do what she can to help others out, especially if she was tied to something bad that happened. The issue here is with how she can sometimes go too far when trying to make things right, resulting in her thinking irrationally and acting more on impulse. She thinks that she's the only one taking things seriously while Sprig says that it's okay to take some time off every now and then. He's not wrong there. If they're going to be stuck in the human world for awhile, they should try and enjoy themselves. We then get a bit of a reality check when Mrs. Boonchuy says that Anne and the Plantars can go to the library where she'll make up her school work she missed while she cleans slime in the house. Well, she's not wrong there, and it gives e good excuse to go to the library.

Library Time:

Before going to the library, we see the assassin robot, named Cloak Bot, is looking for Anne and camouflages himself so he won't be seen. As they take in everything at the library (at least before getting getting picked up at 6:00), Hop Pop says that Anne should unwind since she'll burn herself out from exhaustion if she keeps going on. His words fall on deaf ears when she sees some kind of ancient artifact that has Amphibia all over it. It's here where we're introduced to someone named Dr. Jan, the museum curator, and she's shown to be quite the history buff. She's basically an adorkable nerd because of the general excitement she has in showing off the ancient artifacts. She even pretends to fly off like a superhero, and generally acts nice. She's certainly one to leave an impression. She's also shown to think that the frogs on the pot might be aliens due to how they're bipedal, showing that she's a bit eccentric. As Sprig tries to ask her if she knows anything about portals to help out with the Amphibia adventure, Anne cuts him and says that they don't need help with anything. Anne is still skeptical of others, and it's getting the better of her. She think she could have some kind of ulterior motive, and thus doesn't trust her. This isn't surprising given how she's dealt with people she knows backstabbing her in some way. Her trust issues are definitely showing, and she says that they should go through with a heist to steal the pot.

The Big Heist:

And so we go through with the heist later that evening. If nothing else, she did come up with a great plan despite being sleep deprived at this point. Hop Pop pretends to be a cat so he can steal a shoe from one of the guards and they'll chase him, meaning a good 20 minutes to pull things off. Polly sneaks into the vents so that she can open the door while Sprig takes out all the security cameras with his really long tongue. Now that's a good use of one's strength. The Cloak Bot sees them, and when Polly sneaks around the lasers so that she can steal the vase, he comes in and the security system is activated. We do get a pretty intense action scene of them trying to take down the robot, though some of the exhibits get destroyed or broken in some way. Things will seemingly turn out bad when the security guards come in with Dr. Jan (who sees the robot fly off). Surprisingly, she covers for them by saying that they're actually a group of performers and were reenacting some kind of historical event, which the guards believe. I do like how's she's sort of like a parental figure in how she takes Anne's story at face value, and immediately comes to her defense. She does have a way of sensing what people are like, and is thus able to help out however she can even with her more eccentric side. She also shows a good deal of sympathy to Anne when she mentions how she can also get caught up in her work, especially when she was younger. She then says that if Anne goes home and gets some rest, she'll keep her secret and help out with the research. That sounds pretty fair. She may have her own exclusive interest, but she's also genuinely helpful. We then cut to the next morning, where she sees that there's a secret message in the pot when she uses blacklight. Well this should be interesting.

7. Temple Frogs

Writer: Gloria Shen

Director: Jenn Strickland

Date: October 23, 2021

Synopsis: "The Boonchuys bring the Plantars to a temple."

It's temple time everyone. Let's break this down. This episode has everyone going to the nearby temple for Market Day. However, Anne tries to see Dr. Jan, and she tries sneaking out. This episode has a pretty strong message on how you should respect the values of tradition and community. Let's break this down.

The Setup:

We start with Anne getting a text from Dr. Jan about something important, and she heads off to the museum. She gets stopped by her mother saying that it's the monthly Market Day at the temple and they all have to take part. She then says that if Anne can stay for one hour to help out, she can go to the museum. So far, things are looking pretty solid. Anne wants to help out her friends get out of this situation, but she's letting her stubbornness and impulsiveness get the better of her. She does still have that sense of determination and altruism to keep her motivated. Mrs. Boonchuy also brings up a good point since she says how the Thai community hasn't seen her in awhile. So it's not just about helping her out, but also those a community who are basically a surrogate family. We then get a scene where Anne gets seen by some students, who all want to know about "the girl who went missing". She then says how to the Plantars about how she's been going to the temple since she was a kid and thinks that the experience is boring. She doesn't hate her Thai culture, but she is letting her sense of excitement and always being on the move get the better of her.

Temple Time:

We then cut to the temple, and I just want to say that this feels really immersive. The general busy vibe and colorful culture hell make this pop out. I mean, we have a scene where Anne has to give out samples and she gets spotted by the bawdry, a group of older women who smother her since she's now back. The people of Thailand certainly know how to show love. Plus, at least she reacts more with embarrassment and less with annoyance. Anne then says how the Plantars have some free time to check out the temple. We really get a good taste of Thai culture. Polly checks out a preschool Thai class, and she impresses everyone with her Thai language that she learned from watching Mrs. Boonchuy's Thai rom coms. It's pretty cool to see Polly basically show off what she recently learned, playing to her ego, yet she also uses this as a chance to be like an assistant teacher in showing off what she knows. Hop Pop checks out a class about a dance called Kon, which is basically dramatic storytelling through rhythmic. Being the performer that he is, he's naturally psyched about it. Heck, no one minds when he messes up and it's quite nice to see him willing to learn. Sprig checks out a ball game called Takraw (it's like volleyball, but without using your hands, although it's not named in the episode) and he impresses the players with his skills. Being how he's one to leap into action, this sport would fit right at home with him.

We see Mrs. Boonchuy returning some dishes she borrowed when Anne sees that she's only been there for 10 minutes..Anne calls up Dr. Jan, where she says she'll be there in 30 minutes, and is unaware of the Cloak Bot watching her. He sends out a bunch of drones to destroy Anne at the temple. She then gets someone to pretend to be her while she tries to sneak off with everyone else. Yeah she's being quite sneaky in trying to avoid her duties today. However, we also see that there's this sense of desperation and she's letting her desire to help out the Plantar family cloud her judgment on other things that she needs to do.

The Power Of Community:

Speaking of the Plantars, she sees everyone having a good time, and leaves them be. She also shows a more genuine appreciation for Thai culture when she sees them having a good time. It shows how she's someone who at least doesn't want to ruin anyone else's good times if they're clearly having a good time. As she runs off, she accidentally bumps into her mother, who immediately figures out that she's trying to get to the museum. She at first scolds her, but then tells her about how this is important since it's all about giving back to the community. Her reasoning is pretty solid. With Anne being gone all these months, many people from the temple helped out the Boonchuys during their time of need, such as donating money and occasionally helping out at the restaurant. They didn't expect anything in return. That is actually quite generous, and it's this revelation that gets Anne to see that she was being a jerk. This little moment really emphasizes the importance of community. Even if Anne still wanted to do something good, help the Plantars get home, she did push away people who just wanted to help her out and readjust to being home.

The idea of community really comes together in the climax. The drones invade the temple, and she tells her mother to get everyone to take cover, making up an excuse on how they're from the school newspaper. She instead comes back with everyone else to help take them down. That's pretty cool. Even with no real combat experience, they actually do a good job thanks to help from the Plantars, such as how Polly leads everyone in Thai, Hop Pop uses his masks, and Sprig uses his ball. Mr. Boonchuy is about to be attacked, so Polly has Sprig throw her at the robot. It's awesome. After all is said and done, the Plantars get exposed as frogs. They're actually willing to keep this a secret, which is quite fitting. They spent all day with the Thai community, basically assimilating themselves. They are Thai family, which is awesome. Anne also decides to stay around a bit. Dr. Jan then comes by with the information she learned in the previous episode. Since she doesn't know what it says, Anne translates the message with Marcy's notes, where the description basically says "Seek the olms, they will guide you to your destiny". Now that's an ending.

8. Fixing Frobo

Writer: Jenava Mie

Director: Roxann Cole

Date: October 30, 2021

Synopsis: "Polly tries to fix Frobo."

It's time to get technological. Let's talk about it. This episode has Polly trying to fix up Frobo, but it doesn't go as planned. This simple synopsis gives way to a pretty engaging story, particularly with its message on it's important to have a noble cause, but you should be patient and not go too far in pursuing it if you don't know everything you need to know. Let's break this down.

The Setup:

We get a pretty funny setup of Anne showing Sprig and Hop Pop pretty much everything about the internet, mainly cat videos. Internet culture strikes. Polly comes in and says how she fixed Frobo when she basically made a walking washing machine. When she mentions bringing him back to life, they're hesitant at him reactivating, and he accidentally fires a laser everywhere until Anne unplugs him. Anne offers Polly hee old animatronic bear while Hop Pop says that she can't work on fixing him anymore until they can see an expert back in Amphibia, with Polly criticizing them for brushing this off. So we have the debate on when to bring him back to life. On the one hand, Polly has worked hard to bring Frobo, who's basically her best friend, back to life. Given her impulse and stubborn behavior, she would be more adamant in bringing him back to life. On the other hand, everyone else raises a good point. As much as they care for him, they don't know how dangerous he is with having a different kind of wiring. At least in Amphibia, they would be in a familiar environment to lessen any potential damage.

Trying To Fix Things:

And so Polly begins her quest to get some professional help. After 2 hours of looking online, she eventually comes across videos for the IT Gals named Ally and Jess. They're girlfriends who are basically adorkable nerds in how much they love making robots, and their passion for robotics is quite endearing. She checks out the self help playlist on how to do robotics, and she seemingly fixes him up, but it doesn't work. You have to admire how smart Polly is when it comes to technology given how she was able to understand everything. Of course, this is all to show that when she shows great determination, she's not willing to do anything to get what she wants.

When she doesn't fix him up, she calls up Ally and Jess for help to see how she can power him up. We get some science terminology that basically translates to being able to get some real power by using the batteries found in animatronic children's toys. She gets the battery from Anne's bear toy, and puts it inside him. They advise her to not test him out at home since he could be potentially dangerous, and they offer to help her out. She declines their offer, and they suspect that she'll turn him on. Yeah it's pretty obvious this won't go well, but it fits the story. Polly has a big heart for others, but she also gets very impulsive and stubborn when it comes to getting things she wants. It's no surprise that she would think she can handle this on her own without help. We also get a nice moment with Ally and Jess which shows them acting like big sisters to Polly. They barely know her and yet want to help her out and make sure that no one gets hurt.

Bringing Frobo Back Someday:

She puts the battery inside Frobo, and she goes to show him off to the family. It doesn't go as planned, where they're still skeptical on if he's properly fixed, and think they should turn him on Amphibia. This really gets to Polly, and it's not surprising. She worked hard to try and bring him back to life, and they think he's not ready to come back yet? Even if she's acting more on her emotions you can tell that she can't cope with the fact that they think of Frobo as a secondary priority. She then reactivates Frobo, but he defaults to his factory setting and plans to go back to King Andrias, although he runs out of power.

We then get a really cool scene. Before that, we see Ally and Jess come by and see that she's falling from the sky. A little detail like this shows how much they value their fans that they want to help them out. Back to Polly, she's able to rejuvenate Frobo's memory with one of her tears when she cries and reminiscing about the times they had together. Let's just say that the audience can also shed a tear from this scene. He tries to stabilize the flight plan, but he's unstable, so he puts her inside his washing machine while they crash in the backyard. This is both awesome and heartwarming. While he does fall apart again, at least he's still alive and at least his head has sentience. Polly then apologizes for her impulse and that she should have waited more for some help before going with something risky. I call this a nice moment for Polly since she's willing to act more thoughtfully for those yeah she cares about. Ally and Jess come by all impressed with Frobo, and decide to help her rebuild him. Their gushing and techno babble really help sell this scene as funny and heartwarming. I call this solid.

9. Anne-sterminator

Writer: Michele Cavin

Director: Joe Johnston

Date: October 30, 2021

Synopsis: "A dangerous enemy finds Anne."

Let's get dangerous. Putting that aside, let's do this. This episode has Anne and everyone at home on the run when they're attacked by Cloak Bot. However, he's one step ahead of them at every turn. This episode goes for a solid message on how you may not live up to your parents' expectations, but you should show integrity as a sign that you should be trusted even while still figuring things out. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Cloak Bot updating himself when he gets contacted by King Andrias. Since he didn't kill Anne yet, he activates the bomb in his chest, and if he doesn't kill her in one hour, he'll be killed by the bomb instead. Yeah we're already starting out on an intense note. I mean, Cloak Bot is actively trying to murder Anne, so he's not all squeaky clean. At the same time, he's just following orders from King Andrias, a much more malicious character, and doesn't really have a personal grudge against her.

We then cut to the Boonchuy household where Anne is shown handling various responsibilities such as laundry and trash. Mrs. Boonchuy remarks about how she's changed, especially in how she's more upfront and honest. Anne feels bad about not telling her parents all the details about her disappearance since she isn't being completely honest, and she decides to tell them. Then Cloak Bot comes in and attacks, so she sends everyone upstairs. There's quite a bit to say how Anne and Mrs. Boonchuy. The seeds of a fallout are being sown here, but it works. Anne is someone who tries to do what she can to protect those she cares about. However, with this comes a sense of impulse and acting sneaky. Even if she doesn't want her parents to worry even more about her, she's trying to downplay her problems just so her parents' feelings are spared and they would see her as responsible. She's certainly grown, but she has a long way to go. As for Mrs. Boonchuy, they hide in her workout room, where it's confirmed how she has high expectations of Anne. We see various motivational posters about making it in life as well as dummies of Anne dressed as a doctor. There's also a poster about how long she's been gone. While she does love Anne, she also has trouble moving past her preconceived image of her being irresponsible and reckless, wanting her to take on something that's more practical. Issues like this would take more time to fix up even if she's seeing more to Anne that she didn't see before.

Second Half:

We get a pretty high speed car chase that has quite a bit to show. For one thing, Cloak Bot's clock keeps going down during the chase, eventually going from 30 minutes to 21 minutes. We get some bits of dialogue that cause the Boonchuy parents to react in surprise. For one thing, Hop Pop says how this isn't the first time that they were chased by his robot. The other is when Sprig mentions Anne hitting the king, accidentally leaving out that King Andrias is a tyrant, making it look like she attacked him unprovoked. Yeah specifically stating these facts without full context would make Anne look incredibly irresponsible, explaining their more worrisome behavior. At least we know that Anne is pretty responsible. I mean, she plays tennis with the robot to deflect his attacks before he eventually resorts to lasers. You got to hand it to her for being able to think on her feet. He eventually catches up to them and they hide in the junkyard.

And now we get to the big moment. Mrs. Boonchuy tries to get the full context on why Anne seemingly attracted a killer robot out to get them. Anne hesitates to give the full context, and she concludes that she's still an irresponsible teenager, and wonders when she's going to grow up. Anne shouts "I don't know" when she's unsure of if she could live up to be the daughter she wants her to be. First off, let me give an "Ouch!" since this scene is painful to watch, but in a way that fits the narrative. Even if we the audience know that Anne is trying to protect her family, Mrs. Boonchuy thinks that she's just trying to brush aside her problems so she can act irresponsible. Because of how she's seen Anne as irresponsible, she would chew her out for not telling them about causing even more trouble that need be. At the same time, you really feel for Anne. Even if she has developed considerably, she still has trust issues about fully opening up to others. With this pressure from her mother, it would make her feel like she's not being the daughter that she's supposed to be. Oh dang!

Things do better from here. Cloak Bot comes in, and he has 10 minutes left. Since they don't know the full context for why he's here, they think he's only out to get them. We at least get some awesome moments from the Boonchuy parents as they help Anne take down the robot. I mean, Mrs. Boonchuy uses a sledgehammer. How awesome is that? Too bad the robot is too strong. Just as he's about to self destruct, she activates her blue gem powers and is able to kick his butt like there's no tomorrow. Oh yeah? He then flies into space and self destructs. Even if he was actively trying to kill her, he was just trying to do his job, so you feel a bit bad for him. Still, the real sympathy lies with Anne, with her parents now seeing that she was trying to tell them something more important. She then passes out, and she (off screen) tells her parents the full context of her adventures before she gets some rest. There's just a nice, wholesome moment of real support between them where they'll look out for each other no matter what. We then end this episode with the government seeing this, and they decide to call in Mr. X when seeing the footage of the Plantars. Well call me intrigued.

These five episodes definitely showed that the series hasn't missed a beat, and will only get better from here.

Here is the cast.

Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy

Justin Felbinger as Sprig Plantar

Amanda Leighton as Polly Plantar

Bill Farmer as Hop Pop, Photographer

On Braly as Mrs. Boonchuy

Brian Sounalath as Mr. Boonchuy, Shopper, Patient

Keith David as King Andrias

Troy Baker as Grime, Grocer, Mark, Cloak Bot, Lord Frankerton

Anna Akana as Sasha Waybright

Jessica McKenna as Gabby, Mother

Laila Berzins as Mrs. Croaker

Jack McBrayer as Toadie

Stephen Root as Mayor Toadstool

James Patrick Stuart as One Eyed Wally

Michelle Dockery as Lady Olivia

Brian Maillard as Leopold Loggle

Kaitlyn Robrock as Felicia Sundew

Katie Crown as Ivy Sundew

Jill Bartlett as Maddie

John DiMaggio as Stumpy

Eden Riegel as Mother, Employee, Emily, Patient, Toddler, Driver

Jenn Strickland as Mother, Patient

Sumalee Montano as Mother, Old Woman, Preschool Teacher

Wayne Knight as Ned

Kevin Michael Richardson as Vet, Shawarma Cashier, Passenger

Sam Riegel as Patient

Anika Noni Rose as Dr. Jan

Kari Wahlgren as Lady Franklin

Kimberly Brooks as Security Guard

Quincy Surasmith as Papi

Matt Braly as Security Guard, Frobo

Alisa Allapack as Papu

Lakkhana Sarkhiri as Woman (she also guided Amanda Leighton when she did Polly's Thai speaking voice and is the translator for the show's Thai dub)

Melissa Villasenor as Ally, Mother

Dana Davis as Jess

Silver Paul as Teddy Lovekins, Government Agents

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