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Escape to Amphibia
This is the point where this season reaches a turning point in its focus, serving as a culmination of the time spent on Earth and setting up the next big things to be done. It knows its intentions and it’s pulled off in a very impactful and endearing manner.
As clearly indicated by the title, the main goal is for Anne and the Plantars to finally make their portal to Amphibia and save the place and Anne’s two human friends. They have the best support from the humans they met during their time in this world with Anne’s parents and two of the biggest tech experts, Terri and Dr. Jan. Even with all these efforts and support, the best their portal can bring is a small look into the Plantars’ world including a giant praying mantis. This means Anne and her family have to get more supplies to successfully pull off their portal attempt, and in their shopping spree is a huge instance of endearment.
Seeing Anne and her parents having fun with the supplies while shopping shows how much closer they’ve become since Anne returned. In addition to being big on family love, it shows a mutual understanding of each other making for clear connections between them all. Though it can understandably be off putting to see Mrs. Boonchuy playfully stab Anne and Anne laugh along with it given recent events. Anyway, the connections are so big, it awakens a hidden feeling of dread in Anne. In going back to Amphibia, she’ll have to leave her parents behind all over again, and such a thing turns out to be very painful for her and brings a lack of confidence she goes on to carry.
These feeling intensify when they once again run into Mr. X who is more serious than ever in catching the Plantars. Even their simple wacky adventures are getting the attention of the whole FBI, making for a stronger push for success. He unleashes a whole squad on his targets and it isn’t long before he has the Plantars in his clutches. What’s more, when Anne tries to stand up for them, Mr. X belittles her for just being a kid who can’t do anything. Of course, anyone following the show can tell this isn’t true, but given that Anne is already put down by the pain of leaving her parents again, her feelings are believable.
Speaking of her parents, they’re once more very supportive and understanding as they’re quick to give chase to Mr. X in a very thrilling sequence. They ultimately catch the Plantars being taken to a compound, meaning they’ll need more people to help, and this is where the new characters introduced at this point pay off. In addition to Terri and Dr. Jan, Anne’s team consist of various humans connected with certain Plantars; Ally and Jess for Polly, Molly Jo for Sprig, and Humphrey for Hop Pop. The only characters who don’t really make sense to be here are some of the elderly patrons of the local Thai temple.
Anyway, everyone’s talents and stealth make for a good effort in infiltrating the compound, but Mr. X, being ever charismatic and intuitive, successfully imprisons them.
Once more, this does no favors for Anne’s low self-esteem which she opens up about when in the cell with her parents. However, in finally being open with her feelings, Anne gets great reassurance from her parents as they remind her of all she’s accomplished and how much she’s grown. This seals the deal on this family growing such a strong understanding of each other and supports the idea that reassurance from loved ones can go a long way in building confidence. Later events further prove this when Terri and Dr. Jan’s passions for tech lead them to steal the compounds generator, allowing everyone to escape via another exciting action sequence. They retrieve the Plantars and Mr. X sets out to chase them down, but with Anne having a confidence boost and many friends around to help, they’re free of his grasp once on the road.
Still, the climax keeps building even as the portal is just about ready to go and Anne is ready to leave for Amphibia with the Plantars, complete with a nice sendoff from her parents. That said, it is disappointing that they don’t even consider going with Anne; that would be a good way to ensure their stronger bonds seen throughout all of this. Then, just as the portal still isn’t powered enough after everything, Mr. X shows up to try and stop Anne’s efforts again. This time, Mr. X’s condescending remarks of Anne just being a kid do no good as Anne declares that, as learned from her experiences here, if she's with the right people, she can do anything. With that, she gives the portal all its power as she taps into her glowing blue powers, turning herself into a human battery and serving as a major sign of character growth. It makes the portal big enough, and brings about a distraction for Mr. X’s agents with the praying mantis from earlier. Anne and the Plantars seize opportunity and head in to do what they must for the other world. Plus, even if Anne’s parents don’t join their daughter, them interrogating Mr. X does lead to a notable support from them revealed later on.
Then, as a way to effectively change the tone for the rest of the season, the last scene shows Anne and the Plantars looking over Amphibia now reduced to an apocalyptic wasteland. They’re now witnessing what’s become of this world since they last saw it, and with their devastated reactions, the stakes are higher than ever to save it, as are the emotions behind its state.
In the end, this is a grand way to transition from one atmosphere to another this season. Major characters introduced get a good sendoff, there’s solid heart and character growth, exciting action enhances the events, and the ending makes the tone shift clear. There’s visionary care going into this part of the show, and that can only enhance the appeal.
A+
Fan Art
Series Ranking
1.
True
Colors
2.
Hopping
Mall
3.
Reunion
4.
Marcy at the Gates
5.
Anne-sterminator
6.
Olivia
and Yunan
7.
Toad Tax
8.
The First Temple
9.
Froggy Little Christmas
10.
Turning Point
11.
Battle of the Bands
12.
Barrel’s
Warhammer
13. Escape
to Amphibia
14.
Anne vs Wild
15.
The Domino Effect
16.
The Third Temple
17.
Toadcatcher
18.
Prison Break
19.
The Second Temple
20.
Temple Frogs
21.
A Day at the Aquarium
22.
Mr. X
23.
Anne of the Year
24.
Contagi-Anne
25.
The
Shut-In
26.
Best Fronds
27.
After
the Rain
28.
Family Shrub
29.
Fixing
Frobo
30. If You Give a Frog a Cookie
31.
The New Normal
32.
The Dinner
33.
Hop-Popular
34.
Anne Hunter
35.
Wally and Anne
36.
Children of the Spore
37.
Fight at the Museum
38.
Friend
or Frobo
39.
Sprig’s
Birthday
40.
A Night at the Inn
41.
Bessie
and MicroAngelo
42.
Handy Anne
43.
Scavenger Hunt
44.
Lily Pad Thai
45.
Dating Season
46.
Anne or Beast?
47.
Combat Camp
48.
Little Frogtown
49.
Cursed!
50.
Thai
Feud
51.
Snow Day
52.
Civil Wart
53.
Maddie and Marcy
54.
Stakeout
55.
Croak and Punishment
56.
Taking Charge
57.
Flood, Sweat, and Tears
58.
Bizarre Bazaar
59.
The Plantars Check In
60.
The Sleepover to End All Sleepovers
61.
Wax Museum
62.
Return
to Wartwood
63.
Sprig Gets Schooled
64.
Swamp and Sensibility
65.
Trip to the Archives
66.
Toad
to Redemption
67.
Anne Theft Auto
68.
Adventures in Catsitting
69.
Hop Luck
70.
New
Wartwood
71.
Ivy on the Run
72.
Night
Drivers
73.
Quarreler’s
Pass
74.
Hop Pop and Lock
75.
Plantar’s Last Stand
76.
Fort in the Road
77.
A Caravan Named Desire
78.
The Big Bugball Game
79.
Fiddle Me This
80.
Hollywood Hop Pop
81.
Truck Stop Polly
82.
Family Fishing Trip
83.
Hop ‘Til You Drop
84.
Spider-Sprig
85.
The Ballad of Hoppediah Plantar
86.
Girl Time
87.
Breakout Star
88.
Grubhog Day
89.
Cane Crazy
90.
Lost in Newtopia
91.
Sprig vs Hop Pop
92.
Cracking Mrs. Croaker
Be sure to stay tuned for the next review where Anne and the Plantars meet up with Sasha and the Wartwood citizens in this wasteland, and there's major devotion to Sprig and Ivy as a couple which has been surprisingly underplayed a lot of the time.
If you would like to check out other Amphibia reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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