Adventures in Newtopia

Amphibia Season 2, Episode 8A/8B Review

Well, everyone, the gang’s finally in Newtopia and all settled in for the next leg of their journey. The good news is that that means we get some more episodes of wacky hijinks in a new setting. The bad news? We have to wait a while for the plot to move forward. The silver lining to it all, though? We got another cute picture of little Anne! Enjoy the adventures in Newtopia!

Lost in Newtopia

The Plantar’s have a few days to kill while Marcy and Andrias look for info on the Calamity Box. Unfortunately for Anne, Sprig, and Polly, Hop Pop insists on taking the safest tour available, which keeps them away from anything interesting. Anne and Polly aren’t having it, though, so they ditch the boys and decide to explore Newtopia on their own. Big mistake, though, as they have no idea what they’re doing and anger the locals at every turn.

I’m not stranger when it comes to traveling to exotic locations, and it’s helped me learn a few things about getting the best experience. And it all involves not doing anything Anne and Polly do!

• Rule 1: make sure you can speak the local language, dialect, and alphabet. It will help save you from misunderstandings.
• Rule 2: make sure you can handle the local cuisine before eating it.
• Rule 3: carry cash on hand. Not everyone takes plastic.
• Rule 4: carry a map with you.

By the time Anne and Polly make it back to the others, there’s an angry mob chasing them down, and they have to resort to breathing fire on them to save their skins. I’m not joking, they eat food so spicy that it makes them breathe fire. It’s hilarious!

Sprig Gets Schooled

In the next segment, the Plantar’s stumble upon the prestigious Newtopia University, the finest school of learning in Amphibia. Sprig manages to impress the Headmaster there with his survival skills and fiddle-playing, so much so that the Headmaster offers him a chance to attend Newtopia Prep. Wanting to please Hop Pop, Sprig accepts the offer. However, after a day of classes, it becomes clear that Sprig’s in over his head and he tries to leave.

As someone who’s gone through the rigors of college life myself, I know how stressful it can be, even for those who are prepared. You have so much more work to finish, and you have to deal with potentially living away from home for the first time. It can be hard for both the parents and adults. And as Hop Pop quickly learns, he’s not ready to let Sprig go yet.

Meanwhile, Anne, basing her knowledge off of her movies, wants to sneak in for a wild college party. Big mistake, though, as Newtopia has prison-like security after dark. The Headmaster says its to protect students from weirdos, which is a justifiable concern. But I still question why they had to lock the student’s doors.

In the end, Sprig decides he’s not ready for Newtopia U, but agrees to return in a few years. Who knows; maybe by the time the show ends, we’ll see Sprig studying to be a renowned scholar.

Nice Little Interlude

Overall, I think that this was a nice little interlude episode, but I think Amphibia was overshadowed this week by The Owl House. COnsidering how this week saw the anticipated season finale for the latter, I think that this is expected, though. Episodes like this do serve a purpose in the grand scheme, as they help to build the world that the characters inhabit and fill in the gaps between important events.

Speaking of important events, two occurred at the beginning and end of “Lost in Newtopia.” In the opening, we see that the robot from the season premiere has followed the Plantar’s all the way to Newtopia. Only now, it appears to be stuck in the ground outside the city. I thought that the robot would have a bigger role to play as the season progressed, and it looks like it will sometime in the near future.

At the end of the segment, we see Marcy and Andrias discover a hidden passage in the castle’s library that leads to an unknown location. People will probably speculate as to what they’ll find, but there’s something that’s bugging me. The episode ends with a focus on this painting on the wall where the passage came out. I don’t why, but it feels familiar somehow.

Maybe I’m just overthinking things, though. At any rate, with The Owl House on break, I’m looking forward to next week’s episode all the more.

I Give “Lost in Newtopia” and “Sprig Gets Schooled” a 3/5 each.

Stray Observations

• Hop Pop called Anne his “Adopted Granddaughter”. How sweet is that?
• We saw what Anne’s mom looks like for the first time.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.