Amphibia

[CousinMerl]

Well, so how about last weekend's duo? I was a little late to catch these but I've seen them now so I figured I'd give my thoughts. Unmarked spoilers below as usual, folks!

'Hop Til You Drop' was really enjoyable. It was certainly not one of the best episodes, but I still found it to be a really good and fun time. Made sense they'd do an early story on the Plantar being overly eager and curious about the human world and Anne having to keep them in line (keeping them out of danger & a low profile) and was very humorous. I liked her putting them through a test at the mall (to keep out of trouble for 20 minutes) and it led to some hilarious moments such as Polly fighting babies & Hop Pop mistaken for a pervert creep (and I did like meeting another of Anne's friends). The final scene was sweet & funny (even though the moral was obvious), though I still found the idea of Anne's test a good trust exercise. A good one for sure (and despite it looking like fairly inconsequential, I have to wonder if it might lead somewhere. Maybe the chaos the Plantars leave behind is what will lead those FBI guys on their trail?).

'Turning Point' was great overall. A real good story heavy epispde about Sasha (and Grime, too) starting off with the final scene of the Season 2 finale but from their point of view (nice start showing their escape from the flying castle & going to Wartwood (with some lies, naturally). Great development for Sasha who feels bad after her betrayal, trying to stay away and closing herself off. While the bits with Grime were really funny, Sasha's emotional rollercoaster was the highlight. Great scene with her reading the part of Anne's journal about the events of the band episode & I loved the bit f her admitting her lies to the Wartwoodians and becoming the new protector of the town, cue some good action that even sees the Wartwoodians doing some fighting (I also really liked the design of the giant frog robot), ending nicely with a resistance forming. Best episode of the season so far, much due to Sasha's characterization.

I really don't agree with all of those saying this season is a letdown. This is some solid stuff in my opinion (and the season hasn't even really begun yet) but maybe I am one of relatively few.

 

[Wile E. the Brain]

I think that was an intentional exaggeration for this plot just to show how, in comparison to before, she is somewhat more responsible (and judging by how her parents react to her and speak of it, she did seem to be really irresponsible and like some hellraiser before, but as we haven't really seen much of anything of how she was prior to Amphibia we can only guess from what her parents say & the visual evidence, like a few flashbacks and that old drawing in this episode, which was funny btw; I love how they framed and hung it on the wall). She is still irresponsible, of course, but I generally see less of that now compared to at the start of the series.

I think you're right, plus the second episode strengthens that fact with the Plantars revealing to Anne that she wasn't as careful in Amphibia as she thought she was.

It's really nice to see the show coming back the way we always enjoyed it, with a silly yet entertaining and enjoyable plot of mundane stuff made crazy and a more serious sister episode, the latter one serving as a good redemption arc for Sasha (and Grime too, dang I so love their chemistry), I appreciate that it took its time to install it. While I personally believe the scene with Sasha reading Anne's diary could have been more effective (as it is, it's kind of leaning on the "That makes me feel angry !" trope), it's still good.

 

[CousinMerl]

@Wile E. the Brain, This is indeed the 'Amphibia' as we like it, having a sillier comical story (which might very well have some character development) at one point and the next it is something heavier and dramatic that really makes the serious side of the story continue and it is no more apparent than with these recent two. It was really good.

Plus, I felt that the former episode (as well as the season premiere) nicely mirrors the start of the show when Hop-Pop wanted Anne to stay inside and not go out to discover her new home in Amphibia, but here they are more thorough with that (which makes sense as humans would most likely react worse to frog people than vice versa).

While I personally believe the scene with Sasha reading Anne's diary could have been more effective (as it is, it's kind of leaning on the "That makes me feel angry !" trope), it's still good.

How do you think it could have been better? I thought it was effective as it is. To me at least, it makes sense Sasha would voice her pent up feelings after reading that passage. She obviously would really want to tell it to Anne in person but her friend isn't there and since she has the diary in her hands she cannot keep the emotions in anymore. Moments like those often open up an emotional response from the character(s) so to me it felt rather natural she would speak out about it in some way.

A lot of media do have characters voice their feelings in an emotional scene and do it well so I don't think that trope is inherently bad. I see this part of the trope page and it kinda makes me think of the scene:

In fact, people do often talk like this in situations where they would otherwise have trouble expressing their feelings, and how someone feels is not always as obvious as people think it is.

And on an related note, I saw that a storyboard of the scene has been posted and it reveals that initially, it was meant for Sasha to sit down and break down crying after reading (I can imagine they cut it as it was a shorter episode and needed to move forth).

https://twitter.com/x/status/1448002186726739968

 

[Wile E. the Brain]

How do you think it could have been better? I thought it was effective as it is. To me at least, it makes sense Sasha would voice her pent up feelings after reading that passage. She obviously would really want to tell it to Anne in person but her friend isn't there and since she has the diary in her hands she cannot keep the emotions in anymore. Moments like those often open up an emotional response from the character(s) so to me it felt rather natural she would speak out about it.

I dunno, maybe I just usually prefer when they rely on the "show, don't tell", and I completely get your point and I too love the idea of Sasha telling what she wanted to say to Anne despite her not being there, but even with that, I didn't feel like the dialogue fully took advantage of that. It was straightforward, but not straightforward enough to feel it that way in my opinion. It's still a fairly touching scene though, I just feel like it could've been really powerful.

A lot of media do have characters voice their feelings in an emotional scene and do it well so I don't think that trope isn't inherently bad.

Despite what I said, I wholeheartedly agree, actually. Hell, as far as I know, quite a number of musicals rely on that from time to time, and that doesn't make them any less good or less emotional.

And on an related note, I saw that a storyboard of the scene has been posted and it reveals that initially, it was meant for Sasha to sit down and break down crying after reading (I can imagine they cut it as it was a shorter episode and needed to move forth).

https://twitter.com/x/status/1448002186726739968

You know, I saw those boards before actually watching this episode (not on purpose of course), and I would've loved to see them in the actual episode to be honest. This is the kind of "show, don't tell" I usually adore (the idea of Sasha breaking down while fully realising the weight of her actions regarding her friendship with Marcy and Anne, and the latter's choice to trust her, after all that time holding her sadness back, is heartbreaking by itself), plus the framing looks dang good.

 

[CousinMerl]

I didn't feel like the dialogue fully took advantage of that. It was straightforward, but not straightforward enough to feel it that way in my opinion. It's still a fairly touching scene though, I just feel like it could've been really powerful.

That is a fair point. I feel generally differently about it as said, but I do think it is one of those moments that some might want more from so I at least understand what you are saying (especially regarding how it could've been even more powerful).

You know, I saw those boards before actually watching this episode (not on purpose of course), and I would've loved to see them in the actual episode to be honest. This is the kind of "show, don't tell" I usually adore (the idea of Sasha breaking down while fully realising the weight of her actions regarding her friendship with Marcy and Anne, and the latter's choice to trust her, after all that time holding her sadness back, is heartbreaking by itself), plus the framing looks dang good.

It would have been a nice one indeed (and definitely way more on the visual side of things), but like I said, I can understand they didn't go for that more elaborate one, probably as the episode was an 11 minute segment and the scene happened pretty late in the story so it had to move forward to the finale & I was fine with the briefer scene they went for with Sasha's little monologue. Had it been an 22 minute story (which I would have loved) then the crying breakdown scene would've been perfect.

 

[John95]

Rather late talking about these despite watching them the day they premiered, and that honestly boils down to how I didn't want either of you guys to see a new post by me causing me to be seen as the downer I tend to be with my opinions and how they don't follow the general consensus at least on here and also sometimes Twitter which is one of my usual haunts.

On the side of the web I tend to frequent opinions of the episodes reflect closer to how I thought of them where Hop Til You Drop was OK-ish and/or should've been dropped altogether in order to have Turning Point be 22 minutes. As for what I thought of them:

Hop Til You Drop: On the surface this feels like one of the lighter episodes we'd see in Season 1 or the first half of Season 2, except I dunno what it was but this one ultimately lacked most of the entertainment value as those episodes and I felt nothing came from it even if it might in later episodes. Only things that stood out was how right away we are seeing reprecussions of how Anne is back after being gone for 5 months (though it's played more as a joke here), the brief visual where Polly (who's disguise gives me vibes of Cartman from South Park) looked like Mickey and how Anne telling the Plantars they have 20 minutes to get their tasks done felt like a spin on the usual jokes they do regarding the episodes either being 11 minutes or how they seem to have two adventures a week as I thought "Wow, that's about 10 minutes more than normal!". Otherwise, not the worst of the series but currently the worst of the season and I won't ever be coming back to it.

Turning Point: Best of the two as well as for the season by a long shot, but then again it didn't really have much competition and I kinda doubt there'll be one to surpass it for awhile. Though on top of the whole "It should've been 22 minutes" thing which I honestly don't care about, I've seen some claim that Sasha & Grimes' redemptions were rushed. While I think maybe that could be a little valid for Grimes, I don't agree that it applies to Sasha since the episode is called what it is for a reason as this is the final culminating to what's been building up since Barrel's Warhammer (or arguably Reunion) where each episode featuring her has her reflecting on what her actions have caused her in her desire for control and now wants to become a better person as all her past actions have gotten her nowhere positive wise.

Although neither of you really brought it up, I'll briefly talk about the opening and how it's us seeing the last few moments of True Colors again but from a new perspective. I'd prepared myself as it was kinda spoiled in a promo a few days before it aired but I had to take a quick breather beginning this one because of how heartbreaking that moment was in the first place and now I was gonna have to relive it all over again. It didn't help that now they  lingered on Marcy's fatally wounded body for a bit longer and Andrias himself states that she's "Fading fast!" (I wonder if they had to go through some hurdles to keep that line since it's not too off from saying "She's dying!"). 

@CousinMerl

I really don't agree with all of those saying this season is a letdown. This is some solid stuff in my opinion (and the season hasn't even really begun yet) but maybe I am one of relatively few.

I honestly think this stems from how I've seen a few people say that there should've been more episodes like this for the first half of the season where it's a half-half split between stuff in the human world and Amphibia. That, and I've heard some lamenting about how so far Turning Point appears as though it will be the only episode in the first half of the season to have Sasha in it.

 

[Wile E. the Brain]

I'm sick of people already saying this season is a letdown. There's been only three episodes so far, for crying out loud.

 

[CousinMerl]

@John95, Nice to hear your thoughts (I was surprised you waited to give them, but I understand that you had wanted to wait.

I had almost guessed you wouldn't like 'Hop Til You Drop' so much, but to the point of never revisiting it feels really harsh for an generally inoffensive episode (and I wouldn't already say that nothing came from it since it had some character development stuff & was kind of a reverse version of the beginning of season 1, with Anne wanting to go outside but Hop-Pop wants her to stay indoors, but taken further. Plus I am pretty sure that it will have some sort of effect on later happenings).

I also don't think the redemption of Sasha & Grimes in 'Turning Point' was rushed. The prior season has done several 11 minute episodes on with them and those came out really well and all (even 'True Colors') have truly been building up to this one episode and I didn't feel it needed 22 minutes to tell the story it told as it was really was about their turning point. The story and pacing was good and I like how it was done in the end with no complaints, pretty much. Complainers gotta complain, I guess.

Although neither of you really brought it up, I'll briefly talk about the opening and how it's us seeing the last few moments of True Colors again but from a new perspective. I'd prepared myself as it was kinda spoiled in a promo a few days before it aired but I had to take a quick breather beginning this one because of how heartbreaking that moment was in the first place and now I was gonna have to relive it all over again. It didn't help that now they  lingered on Marcy's fatally wounded body for a bit longer and Andrias himself states that she's "Fading fast!" (I wonder if they had to go through some hurdles to keep that line since it's not too off from saying "She's dying!"). 

I sort of touched upon it by mentioning the great opening and how it showed the season 2 finale events from the POV of Sasha & Grime, but I kept it brief since I didn't want to make the review too long (and it spared me from having to do spoiler tagging regarding that one thing you brough up, which I think was handled well). It was a good one and dramatic like you say & regarding that one moment with Marcy, it felt a little censored compared to the original one but it is understandable why due to the drama regarding the S2 finale earlier this year.

I honestly think this stems from how I've seen a few people say that there should've been more episodes like this for the first half of the season where it's a half-half split between stuff in the human world and Amphibia. That, and I've heard some lamenting about how so far Turning Point appears as though it will be the only episode in the first half of the season to have Sasha in it.

While I can see some wanting more of the real story heavy material, Amphibia and Sasha for the season's first half, I don't have a problem focusing on Anne & the Plantars since really, they are the main characters and it makes sense they'd focus more on what things they are doing as it is the focal point of the whole story, like in the previous two seasons obviously did (and it opening up much creativity and funny stuff with frog people trapped in the human world). That said, there's still elements of darker things going on at the side (such as the robot Andrias sent to attack Anne & the Plantars) and I'm sure they'll lean more into the serialized side soon.

Plus, I think that in the first half of season 2, Sasha and Grime only appeared once ('Toadcatcher') so this kinda mirrors that? I'm thinking those few people expected too much just because of how epic the season 2 finale was and thought the show would really lean more into the darker, dramatic side with a lot of Sasha & Grime, Amphibia, Andrias, etc but so far there's mostly Anne & the Plantars and their (so far) lighter plotline. The season has barely taken off so I wish fans would chill out a little and be patient (the previous two seasons also had slow-burn starts and they turned out well so I think people should have more faith in the story).

Seems like fan expectations is often an issue and that goes for a lot of popular franchises. Without going into spoiler territory, I guess I'd kind of liken that with this show to how with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a lot of fans were let down by the slower, smaller & tighter 'Endgame' after the intense, crowd-pleasing 'Infinity War'.

 

[Snow]

I enjoyed Hop Til You Drop, it was a fun light hearted episode, I honestly like the light hearted episodes of this show and wish they weren't so underrated.
Turning Point was great, love seeing more development for Sasha as well as seeing the residents of Wartwood again

 

[John95]

I'm sick of people already saying this season is a letdown. There's been only three episodes so far, for crying out loud.

Honestly so am I even though I haven't really come across those complaints on my corners of the web. Not sure if I've said this yet but I feel as though we will soon be reaching a turning point for the episodes that take place on Earth starting with Fight at the Museum if some of the other titles/synopsis' that've been revealed so far are anything to go by (that, Fixing Frobo, Anne-sterminator, Mr. X, and Spider-Sprig). And while I don't know what people thought about the beginning part of Season 2 before they reached Newtopia, I wonder if this a case of history repeating itself with fans complaining that the show's dipping a bit before the inevitable turning point that convinces them otherwise.

Plus, I think that in the first half of season 2, Sasha and Grime only appeared once ('Toadcatcher') so this kinda mirrors that? I'm thinking those few people expected too much just because of how epic the season 2 finale was and thought the show would really lean more into the darker, dramatic side with a lot of Sasha & Grime, Amphibia, Andrias, etc but so far there's mostly Anne & the Plantars and their (so far) lighter plotline. The season has barely taken off so I wish fans would chill out a little and be patient (the previous two seasons also had slow-burn starts and they turned out well so I think people should have more faith in the story).

Seems like fan expectations is often an issue and that goes for a lot of popular franchises. Without going into spoiler territory, I guess I'd kind of liken that with this show to how with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a lot of fans were let down by the slower, smaller & tighter 'Endgame' after the intense, crowd-pleasing 'Infinity War'.

Well, also shortly after Toadcatcher is when we arrived at Newtopia and were introduced to Marcy which I felt helped distract fans from the fact that Sasha only appeared once in the first half of Season 2 (not counting flashbacks). Meanwhile, so far it doesn't seem as though something like that will happen with the Earth episodes despite the fact that I'm expecting a turning point if not next week than at least the week after.

And speaking of how I'm referring to next week's episode or the one after that, I'm obviously not expecting much from tomorrow's episodes especially Adventures in Catsitting. And if either of them turn out to be as unworthwhile as I'm expecting, then I'll once again just delay talking about them even briefly so as to avoid being seen as a downer for the third week in a row...

 

[CousinMerl]

Well, also shortly after Toadcatcher is when we arrived at Newtopia and were introduced to Marcy which I felt helped distract fans from the fact that Sasha only appeared once in the first half of Season 2 (not counting flashbacks). Meanwhile, so far it doesn't seem as though something like that will happen with the Earth episodes despite the fact that I'm expecting a turning point if not next week than at least the week after.

I was thinking of the Marcy factor too, but then I decided it was beside the point as there still was only one Sasha & Grime episode in the first half before they got more focus in the second half, which I assume will happen here as well (and possibly, they might also appear in some final, stinger scenes in other episodes? Just a thought I had).

A lot of fans seem to easily jump to conclusions before this third part of the story has even really begun and like with season 2, I am sure that some episodes that might not seem like much (judging by title & premise) might very well surprise. Like I said, the previous seasons also started with a bit of a slow burn. Give it some time and faith, people.

And speaking of how I'm referring to next week's episode or the one after that, I'm obviously not expecting much from tomorrow's episodes especially Adventures in Catsitting. And if either of them turn out to be as unworthwhile as I'm expecting, then I'll once again just delay talking about them even briefly so as to avoid being seen as a downer for the third week in a row...

I'm wondering, why do you personally feel this pessimistic regarding season 3. You speak of feeling like a downer week after week (which I don't think you are as everyone should have their own opinion unless it turns into trolling) and avoid posting reviews accordingly, but I still wonder why you feel this badly about the season and so soon. I get that you probably expected more regarding Amphibia, Sasha, Marcy, etc. but I don't think that is the reason. Care to go a bit into an explanation?

 

[John95]

@CousinMerl, It's just that so far none of the Earth episodes (despite their only being two that I've watched as of this posting) have really done it for me and it makes me feel as though I'm siding with those people who complained about the direction the show would be going in when they released the Season 3 intro despite what I said back then. But also as I said, hopefully this will be the last time that I come across as this.

Haven't seen today's still, but I have them saved for later and briefly skimmed through some reviews from where I grabbed them and once again the general consensus appears to be a mixed bag (especially regarding the second one).

 

[CousinMerl]

@John95, That is a fair and understandable point regarding the reason you feel disappointed in the season so far. I hope you'll hang in there since, again, I am sure the season will pick up sooner or later just like the previous two did (and I'm still holding my thumbs for some surprises along the way, since there's been some instances even in the lesser episodes).

This weekend's two might be all too much important, but I'm sure they'll serve their point and be entertaining ones, even if not all too heavy on story and drama. So far, the season is what I expected (after such heavy material like 'True Colors' I counted on more goofy, light material) so that is possibly why I don't feel any direct disappointment in how the human realm episodes are like.

 

[Snow]

"Thai Feud" was great
and I thought "Adventures in Catsitting" was a cute little episode as well

 

[Ryan]

I'm sick of people already saying this season is a letdown. There's been only three episodes so far, for crying out loud.

I'm not surprised, tbh. People are antsy after so much plot movement in S2 that they're a little shaken up by the fact that the show is, surprise, surprise, spending some time having fun on Earth. Granted, it is a little... weird that Anne seems to be more fine with all the trauma she went through but I'm expecting that to be explored in due time. This recent episode was just so much fun, loved Sprig finding his "brethren".

 

[John95]

@Ryan, It does feel a bit weird at first but thanks to the latest episode revealing that all of the season so far has taken place over the course of a single week I chalk it up to maybe it'll start to sink in more or it already has and she's just keeping it bottled up.

 

[John95]

OK, guess I'll finally talk about the two latest episodes.

Sprig in Thai Feud reminded me of episodes like Into the Archives and Family Fishing Trip which isn't something they shouldn't have done considering how bad he was in those and is here as well. That said, unlike those episodes his heart is in the right place here which is more than what can be said about Family Fishing Trip where he came across as despicable. Pretty "Meh" but at least there's a slight hint at plot progression.

Adventures in Catsitting ended up being the better of the two surprisingly though not by much. What elevated this one a little more were a few of the references and a couple of funny bits like the whole "Cousin" Stanley bit. Also hopefully this episode will help to silence some of the criticisms about the season so far, mainly "Why is nobody making a bigger deal about how one of the girls that's been gone for 5 months is suddenly back?!". Because this one establishes that all of the season so far has taken place over a week, it's fair to say that they haven't made a bigger deal yet because of how little time has passed since Anne's return and I'm sure that any desire to find them (outside of their parents) went cold after about a month (which is often the case for disappearances that go unsolved either seemingly forever or for a long time).

Overall, very "Meh" offering. While the show has done worse, I didn't feel like there was anything in either episode to make it feel as though watching them more than once was justified. Here's to hoping the Earth episodes get that much needed turning point either this week or next.

 

[CousinMerl]

I just finished the two recent episodes and I liked them fine. Had hoped to see them the other day at least, but better late than never.

'Thai Feud' was decent overall. The feuding restaurants/stores plot has been done before, but this one did it a little differently (with there not being an intentional feud) and I enjoyed it. I liked the thai restaurant premise (and Sprig wanting to be accepted as one in the family was a decent story), Ned was entertaining (didn't recognize Wayne Knight) & while Sprig got a little annoying he did mean well (and I liked the scenes with him and Anne). The finale with the runaway van got ridiculous but was still a fun sequence, I like how it wrapped up and the end was funny (also good development for Anne's mom. Nice she finally started using his name instead of saying "pink frog"). Not one of my favorites so far but still good fun.

'Adventures In Catsitting' was a really nice one. Nice with an episode just focused around the Plantars doing a task (while Anne's mother takes her to the dentist after her 5 months away) and I like how it was about something as simple as taking he cat to the vet (funny how it is such a hellraiser & it loving shawarma was silly). Fun story with entertaining scenes and good laughs (like the hilarious Cousin Stanley story, Hop-Pop's excuse, them pestering the vet & and some other stuff like the girl at the shawarma joint). I enjoyed how nice and helpful Mr. Boonchuy is toward the Plantars & the ending with Anne coming home after eight cavity fixes and is on high medication was a great closing gag. The better one of the two.

Additionally on the latter episode, I very much appreciate on how it does further the story by stating it has a week alreadu (since the gang arrived in the human world) and how Anne tries to find a way back (though obviously unsuccessfully) & I like the general premise of the Plantars wanting to pull their weight out of courtesy and not wanting to appear as freeloaders. I am sure that it will get more into the story-heavy stuff the upcoming weeks so I am not concerned.

 

[John95]

The plots for next month's episodes have been revealed:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1451576412671029255

Of these episode, the ones that sound the most noteworthy are Mr. X, Spider-Sprig, Olivia & Yunan, Froggy Little Christmas and now If You Give a Frog a Cookie as this sounds like it'll be the episode that introduces the blue haired girl from the intro (if she isn't introduced in Fight at the Museum) and/or the human from the intro who looks like Hop-Pop (and am suspecting will be the character played by Wallace Shawn).

 

[John95]

Well, today's episodes must've been good if I'm already talking about them now just a few hours after seeing them. Reception for these two on the site where I got it were better when compared to the last three that've taken place on Earth.

Both were good, but I've seen more people cite Temple Frogs as the better episode and I'd be inclined to agree. Without spoiling anything Temple Frogs goes into an interesting direction that I wasn't expecting from it's very gauge synopsis so that's a plus.

Based on these two, plus what we know about some of the other upcoming episodes I'd say the Earth episodes have reached that much needed turning point and will hopefully get better from there (or at least say consistent). You still have your naysayers but it's their loss.

 

[CousinMerl]

I'm in agreement with @John95. The recent two episodes were both really quite good. Spoilers below as usual.

'Fight At the Museum' was a nice one. It had an interesting story with the gang planning to break into the museum to get this ancient urn which seems like it's from Amphibia (and I do like how the plot was devoted to get the frogs back home), good action with the Frogsterminator attacking once more (and it got pretty intense. I noticed they even censored the robot getting a claw chopped off!) & some nice jokes as usual, plus I like this museum doctor Jan (who do seem a little too goofy and kooky) & the ending was intriguing. I would say that overall, it did feel like a set up for the following part, but it was still a really good one in the end.

'Temple Frogs' was pretty solid. With the former episode building up to it, the heavy lifting was done so this one was more "free" with what it would do, and it did so nicely with a trip to the local Thai Temple (that Anne is reluctant to go to). Feels rare to see an entire episode of a kids show' so wholeheartedly dedicated to the main character connecting to their cultural heritage and ethnic community and what was shown was entertaining, funny (especially with the Plantars being around) & interesting. Also, it had good action with the robot attack, that one reveal regarding Anne's parents was really heartfelt & the final bit with the urn was intriguing.

Furthermore, a bonus point for that hyper realistic shot of the Plantars (I did say once that these frog people would probably look pretty weird and freaky to humans and hey, they did acknowledge it).

I too would say these two episodes were the real turning point of the season (bar 'Turning Point', of course). Those who are still skeptical of the season after these episodes might not be satisfied with the season overall, I'm guessing, but I'm hoping those still won't give up.

 

[John95]

Time for me to go into some specifics!

* Any Wallace & Gromit fans out besides myself? Because located outside the museum is a wanted poster of Feathers McGraw. Additionally, the part with the lasers in the museum gave me Wrong Trouser vibes.
* Hop Pop thinking the earth is flat is actually a callback as in the background of one of the classrooms in Sprig Gets Schooled is a globe of the earth and it's in the shape of a disc.
* Polly learning Thai through watching Mrs. Boonchuy's rom-coms reminded me of something similar that happened during my middle school years. When I was in the 8th grade there was a Spanish class (I wasn't part of it) where one of their final assignments (which was really more like a reward) was that the whole class watched Toy Story 2 in Spanish with English subtitles.
*Speaking of Polly knowing That, here's a very interesting tidbit related to Temple Frogs' production:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1451888107234598921

Lastly, how does everyone feel about the new closing credits sequence? I didn't really care for it at first as it felt too jarring when compared to the first two, but it's grown on me and this was the first time where I felt it was used effectively.

 

[CousinMerl]

@John95, those are some interesting tidbits. Didn't see the Wallace & Gromit reference (which sounds pretty neat) and the flat earth thing felt a little familiar so it being a callback to earlier in the show might just be what I was thinking of.

As for that regarding Polly's Thais language skills , that is a surprising fact about how the VA learnt from her Thai equivalent. I thought they just had her read up from some dictionary or otherwise, but they went a bit of an extra length which is interesting.

I've also been thinking of the new outro/ending sequence and I really do like it. It certainly is quite different from the season 1 & 2 versions with the obvious visual anime influence & the remix of the theme (and the addition of voice clips is fun).

 

[CousinMerl]

I guess I'll just briefly give my opinions on last weekend's episode duo. Unmarked spoilers below!

'Fixing Frobo' I thought was really good. Nice with another Polly & Frobo story (their friendship bond is so sweet) and it was an enjoyable and funny one with Polly doing her best to restoring her robot friend once and for all. I really liked how Polly has some real robotics skills, the two "IT gals" were really likeable and amusing (they feel like an inverse of the teen goth girls from 'Craig of The Creek') & the intense finale was great, with some good emotion (and I liked the way that Polly's tears actually ended up being the solution); also good ending with the Frobo situation being solved but not a 100% perfectly. Also it had some good jokes, like with Mr. Boonchuy having the worst of luck & the Star Wars prequel reference scene (which really had me laughing for a bit).

'Anne-sterminator' was a great one. This was really the turning point of the season. Nice they finally dealt with how Anne feeling bad about keeping up with having her parents in the dark and I liked the ultimatum given to the Frogsterminator (with his ticking time bomb meaning he only has an hour to kill Anne, now not giving a crap about being seen) and it caused a lot of intense chasing and action, all very entertaining and tense with a dash of good drama (like Anne having to come clean & her mom being upset that Anne never really became the perfect daughter). Final fight was epic with even the parents pulling their weight and Anne pulling a Superman. Then there's the stinger with the FBI being on the case. Best episode of the season so far, I'd say.

One thing that does bother a little me that neither in the latter episode or earlier in the season, Marcy nor Sasha came up in conversation between Anne & her folks (strange how neither parent asked her about her two friends who went missing too). I almost expected her to mention her friends and their whereabouts, such as one of them probably being dead, in the junkyard scene but it didn't happen, so I suppose it will come up now that Anne has to open up and tell everything.

Things are really heating up now and I think that those naysayers that are left will probably change their tune some from this point, but there'll inevitably still be some who doesn't like the direction taken by this final season.

 

[John95]

 Good luck getting your book now, Andrias! 

Saw both of these right away on Saturday but didn't mention anything until now because I also thought they were good but there wasn't much I could say plus I was preoccupied with other things.

One thing that does bother a little me that neither in the latter episode or earlier in the season, Marcy nor Sasha came up in conversation between Anne & her folks (strange how neither parent asked her about her two friends who went missing too). I almost expected her to mention her friends and their whereabouts, such as one of them probably being dead, in the junkyard scene but it didn't, so I suppose it will come up now that Anne has to open up and tell everything.

Yeah, the lack of talks about Sasha & Marcy is still the biggest lingering problem from since the season started, but like you said hopefully it'll be addressed sooner than later (especially since Marcy will be making an appearance next week). I was half-expecting Anne-sterminator to reveal that  Anne is actually bottling up her trauma from at least witnessing Marcy getting stabbed.  While I'm bummed that didn't happen here, that isn't to say it might not come up in the the future.

Then there's the stinger with the FBI being on the case.

And with that, I guess that's as good of an excuse to reveal that Mr. X is confirmed to be played by RuPaul... Which has also made me want to rewatch his episode of The Simpsons from a few years back which is the only thing I really know him outside of a few minor guest spots on various Muppet projects.

 

[CousinMerl]

@John95,  Oh yeah, Andrias seem to be shit out of luck regarding that, lol. He'd probably be better off getting that book or anything else himself, though now that I'm saying that I do hope that for the sake of our heroes he won't come through the portal to finish the gang off himself after he's having some "Fine, I'll do it myself" moment or the like. 

I'm definitely looking forward to this Mr. X as well, as he already feels like an intriguing character. I'm guessing he'll be sort of this paranormal investigator/X-Files type of person who leads a taskforce dealing with otherworldy & supernatural things, maybe also having some knowledge about this mysterious world of amphibian people. Hoping he won't be some overtly goofy antagonist but is taken at least somewhat seriously as a possible threat or antagonist (or maybe even an ally in the end?), who knows?

Another thing regarding the situation with Marcy & Sasha is that I am also missing anything in regards to their parents. While I can understand Anne not wanting to go to their front door, knock and tell them about things they probably wouldn't understand (nor lie about it), it feels odd that none of them ever saw Anne in the streets and approached her to ask about their daughters, but I'm guessing it'll come to that too now that the cat is really out of the bag, wouldn't you say?

 

[Wile E. the Brain]

- I still can't believe you guys like the prequels more.
- Look Anne, we just watch them in order with no context.
- You can't blame us for not having nostalgia.

I love this show.

All jokes aside, both episodes were very good this week. The emotion feels genuine and I like how the second one blends that with a neat sense of high pressure (that robot having 60 minutes to kill Anne also helps).

 

[CousinMerl]

- I still can't believe you guys like the prequels more.
- Look Anne, we just watch them in order with no context.
- You can't blame us for not having nostalgia.

I love this show.

That joke near killed me (especially with the first part of their take on "I hate sand"). The show so often nails the humor and references and this one was just precious. I'm almost prepared for them doing a sequel trilogy joke up next, lol.

Also, I see your current avatar is Mrs. Boonchuy (really hope they'll reveal her and her husbands first names soon, btw) and it reminds me of how her character has grown on me on a recent rewatch of the prior season 3 episodes. At first I wasn't completely sold on her (the kinda stilted voiceacting as well, initially) but now she's become one of my favorites (and she had some great moments in 'Anne-sterminator'. Loved her going nuts with the giant hammer & her "workout room" was a great gag, for instance).

 

[Wile E. the Brain]

Also, I see your current avatar is Mrs. Boonchuy (really hope they'll reveal her and her husbands first names soon, btw) and it reminds me of how her character has grown on me on a recent rewatch of the prior season 3 episodes. At first I wasn't completely sold on her (the kinda stilted voiceacting as well, initially) but now she's become one of my favorites

She's a very charming character, on her own and thanks to her chemistry with Anne as well (same goes to his dad, I like seeing them playfully mess with their daughter from time to time, as you can tell by the pic I chose, aha). Even her voice, even if you can tell Braly's mom isn't a professional voice actress, adds some charm to her in my opinion. I dunno why.

her "workout room" was a great gag, for instance

Not only a good joke, but also a key element of the drama : it makes us see Mrs. Boonchuy's mindset regarding her daughter and increases Anne's feeling that she doesn't match the expectations of her mom, that she's not the "perfect daughter" she seemed to want her to be. Both get good character development here and things like that help.

 

[CousinMerl]

She's a very charming character, on her own and thanks to her chemistry with Anne as well (same goes to his dad, I like seeing them playfully mess with their daughter from time to time, as you can tell by the pic I chose, aha). Even her voice, even if you can tell Braly's mom isn't a professional voice actress, adds some charm to her in my opinion. I dunno why.

I like how at first she often seemed rather really stiff and strict, but she has loosened up over time after spending time with the "new" Anne & the Plantars (like those small playful moment shows) & I too like the voice acting of On Braly despite it really being obvious she's not a professional one (it adds to the character of Mrs. Boonchuy, who kinda gives the vibes of a very traditional, no nonsense first generation immigrant mother, who has started to loosen up a little as she sees Anne has changed a lot during the time in Amphibia. Mr. Boonchuy always seemed like the more loose and relaxed one in comparison & he even warmed up to the Plantars rather quickly, but she's getting there too).

Not only a good joke, but also a key element of the drama : it makes us see Mrs. Boonchuy's mindset regarding her daughter and increases Anne's feeling that she doesn't match the expectations of her mom, that she's not the "perfect daughter" she seemed to want her to be. Both get good character development here and things like that help.

Indeed it was a perfect bit of drama and character building, both of how she dealt with her daughter being away and how we (and Anne) disovers her innermost feelings of Anne (which really shows how huge her expectations for Anne were, which surprised even me. I thought she just wanted her daughter to be good and well behaved, but yeah, seemed she was hoping for a lot).

For such a short and intense action episode, that one really packed in some real punch as well with the character interactions and especially the development between mother & daughter and it makes me like it even more. The show is so great balancing the goofy humor and silliness with action & hard-hitting drama that I almost can't believe it.