[7.6/10] Holy lore dump, Batman! (Or lore tease? Bear with me here!) We get so many little hooks from the crew’s exploration of King Andrias’ basement. There is a mysterious painting that's been ripped through which I can't make heads or tails of. There’s a hidden garden that has a chained up moss man like the one Anne hunted down with Wally. And most of all, there’s some kind of ghost/alien/jellyfish creatures who can be made solid with mirrors and lurk throughout the castle.
I don’t know what all of this adds up to, beyond the fact that King Andrius (and perhaps, Lady Olivia) are up to some shady business around these parts, which we already knew. But I’m intrigued by the possibilities of what exactly they’re trying to accomplish and why. The specter of mysterious experiments and ancient grudges looms over the proceedings, with just enough to whet viewers’ appetites without giving too much away.
I also appreciate the setup of the sleepover hosted by Marcy. It represents a melding of the world that Anne and Marcy used to inhabit, with the sibling bond that Anne’s formed with Sprig and Polly. The four of them make a nice quartet, and the montage of them goofing off in the spirit of fun and camaraderie. I’m a sucker for the dynamic of a bunch of wacky folks ignoring some uptight stiff, so they’re escapades with Lady Olivia definitely tickled my funny bone in that regard.
They also capture that fun spirit of being a kid, where staying up late, proving you weren’t a coward, and getting away with small mischief are rites of passage. The notion of Marcy and Anne trying to recreate their sleepover vibe from the human realm, replete with all of its dares and dangers, is quite enjoyable in that vein.
Plus, it’s a nice excuse to get them to the place where all the lore teases are. The notion of a “scary dare”, with the threat of being inscribed in the “book of losers’ as punishment for anyone who flinches, is a good story engine. It creates emotional stakes and motivation as the characters get deeper and deeper into the creeper and creepier spaces that lie beneath Marcy’s room. The fact that all four of our heroes are clearly scared, while trying to puff themselves up lest they be branded scaredy cats or worse, losers, evinces a good understanding of kids’ thinking and emotions in these situations.
I also like the ending, where they figure out the mirror thing but, more than that, all put their names in the book of losers, and discover that they’re in good company from past sleepovers. Once again, this bunch fits together, and seeing that vindicated on another dimension leaves things someplace wholesome.
My one gripe about this is that it feels like everyone’s instantly too forgiving of Sasha. I like the idea of a Sasha redemption arc, and her moment of remorse upon seeing Anne having true friends is one of my favorite things in the show to date. But everything we hear about her just seems awful. My suspicion remains that Sasha has bigger problems of her own at home. But still, the idea that she all-but forced Anne and Marcy to do things that scared them lest they be branded losers comes off like bullying at best and abuse at worst.
I don’t expect fellow kids Anne and Marcy to clock that just yet, but it’s hard for me to hear these stories about how she’s “brave” for not ending up in the loser book herself, or how she dominated the sleepovers, and feel the same sense of wistfulness and loyalty to rescuing her that Marchy and Anne do.
I have faith in Amphibia. I occasionally have to remind myself that despite its sophistication in many areas, it’s still a kids show and they have to simplify certain things for the target audience. But I still hope we see more of Anne and Marcy reckoning with Sasha’s treatment of them rather than blindly accepting that she’s their friend and someone they owe their trust or forgiveness. We shall have to see.
But that's a quibble in an otherwise fun and intriguing episode. I’ve appreciated the light touch Amphibia’s used in terms of its arcs and lore so far, and this episode continues in that tradition.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2024-01-21T21:14:57Z
[7.6/10] Holy lore dump, Batman! (Or lore tease? Bear with me here!) We get so many little hooks from the crew’s exploration of King Andrias’ basement. There is a mysterious painting that's been ripped through which I can't make heads or tails of. There’s a hidden garden that has a chained up moss man like the one Anne hunted down with Wally. And most of all, there’s some kind of ghost/alien/jellyfish creatures who can be made solid with mirrors and lurk throughout the castle.
I don’t know what all of this adds up to, beyond the fact that King Andrius (and perhaps, Lady Olivia) are up to some shady business around these parts, which we already knew. But I’m intrigued by the possibilities of what exactly they’re trying to accomplish and why. The specter of mysterious experiments and ancient grudges looms over the proceedings, with just enough to whet viewers’ appetites without giving too much away.
I also appreciate the setup of the sleepover hosted by Marcy. It represents a melding of the world that Anne and Marcy used to inhabit, with the sibling bond that Anne’s formed with Sprig and Polly. The four of them make a nice quartet, and the montage of them goofing off in the spirit of fun and camaraderie. I’m a sucker for the dynamic of a bunch of wacky folks ignoring some uptight stiff, so they’re escapades with Lady Olivia definitely tickled my funny bone in that regard.
They also capture that fun spirit of being a kid, where staying up late, proving you weren’t a coward, and getting away with small mischief are rites of passage. The notion of Marcy and Anne trying to recreate their sleepover vibe from the human realm, replete with all of its dares and dangers, is quite enjoyable in that vein.
Plus, it’s a nice excuse to get them to the place where all the lore teases are. The notion of a “scary dare”, with the threat of being inscribed in the “book of losers’ as punishment for anyone who flinches, is a good story engine. It creates emotional stakes and motivation as the characters get deeper and deeper into the creeper and creepier spaces that lie beneath Marcy’s room. The fact that all four of our heroes are clearly scared, while trying to puff themselves up lest they be branded scaredy cats or worse, losers, evinces a good understanding of kids’ thinking and emotions in these situations.
I also like the ending, where they figure out the mirror thing but, more than that, all put their names in the book of losers, and discover that they’re in good company from past sleepovers. Once again, this bunch fits together, and seeing that vindicated on another dimension leaves things someplace wholesome.
My one gripe about this is that it feels like everyone’s instantly too forgiving of Sasha. I like the idea of a Sasha redemption arc, and her moment of remorse upon seeing Anne having true friends is one of my favorite things in the show to date. But everything we hear about her just seems awful. My suspicion remains that Sasha has bigger problems of her own at home. But still, the idea that she all-but forced Anne and Marcy to do things that scared them lest they be branded losers comes off like bullying at best and abuse at worst.
I don’t expect fellow kids Anne and Marcy to clock that just yet, but it’s hard for me to hear these stories about how she’s “brave” for not ending up in the loser book herself, or how she dominated the sleepovers, and feel the same sense of wistfulness and loyalty to rescuing her that Marchy and Anne do.
I have faith in Amphibia. I occasionally have to remind myself that despite its sophistication in many areas, it’s still a kids show and they have to simplify certain things for the target audience. But I still hope we see more of Anne and Marcy reckoning with Sasha’s treatment of them rather than blindly accepting that she’s their friend and someone they owe their trust or forgiveness. We shall have to see.
But that's a quibble in an otherwise fun and intriguing episode. I’ve appreciated the light touch Amphibia’s used in terms of its arcs and lore so far, and this episode continues in that tradition.