It’s Not Weird When Supporting Characters Star
Amphibia Season 2, Episode 16A/16B Review
Welcome back to another episode of Amphibia, my fellow frog fans! If you were looking forward to seeing the main plot of the show advance, though, then I got bad news. That’s not happening until next week. However, if you were looking for some fun episodes that show off the supporting characters and their development, then this is the episode for you. We see a newer, softer side of Mayor Toadstool, and Maddie and Marcy give us the womance that we never knew we needed. Womance is an actual term; look it up!
Toad To Redemption
We all know Mayor Toadstool as the stereotypical corrupt and greedy mayor of Wartwood. In the first season, he was the closest thing the show had to an antagonist due to repeatedly getting in the Plantar’s way. However, ever since Toad Tower, Toadstool’s changed. He’s actually gotten, nice! He likes Wartwood and enjoys being their Mayor. So when Newtopia offers to make him the new head of Toad Tower, he’s got a big dilemma-stay in Wartwood or get the job of his dreams.
There’s a clear-cut lesson here that Anne spells out for Toadstool-people can end up getting the job of their dreams, only to find that it’s not what makes them happy in life. But since Toadstool could get thrown in jail if he refuses, he has to shoot himself in the proverbial foot. And when that doesn’t work, bandit attack.
Remember how Sasha said that all but two of Grime’s soldiers left him? It turns out, they became bandits under his former lieutenant, Bog. The townsfolk drive them back thanks to some good acting by Toadstool. However, he gets passed up for leadership of Toad Tower in favor of Bog.
On the one hand, I think that this is for the best. Toadstool may be a greedy politician, but there’s no denying that he cares about the people of Wartwood like they care about him. And according to the Newt sent to rebuild Toad Tower, the head of Toad Tower has to be ruthless, like Bog.
On the other hand, I feel like this could be a problem down the line, so there’s that to consider. Well, no sense crying over spilt milk.
Maddie and Marcy
Out of the numerous side characters that are to be found in Amphibia, there are two of them that I would consider to be my favorite: Marcy and Maddie. I made a positive comparison between Maddie and Janna from Star vs. the Forces of Evil back in Season One, and I stand by that. As for Marcy? Marcy’s just awesome. And when you take two kinds of awesome and combine them, you get a hundred times more awesome.
Source-Disney Channel, DisneyNOW 
Source-DisneyNOW, Disney Channel
In this episode, Marcy and Maddie end up bonding over their shared love of magic and the arcane. Thus, the two wind up spending a lot of time working on spells together, which leads Maddie to neglect her previously unmentioned sisters. Being kids, Maddie’s sisters try to get her attention in the worst way possible: by causing trouble. I.E. they misuse a growth potion that turns them into giants that almost destroy Wartwood, forcing Maddie to go giant to calm them down.
As someone who believes that a show’s only as good as its cast as a whole, I found this episode to be a refreshing change of pace. And not just because the main characters are hardly in it, which is something that gets lampshaded in the episode.
But because it adds more depth to two side characters that I adore. For once, Marcy’s forced to be the straight man to Maddie’s problems, something that Anne would usually fulfill. In addition, we got to see Maddie show off a softer side to herself. While I don’t approve of her sisters using Maddie’s magic, I understand they just wanted attention. Also, giant frogs. That’s awesome!
Good Breather Episode
In short, the last two episodes of Amphibia have been real good breather episodes before we return to the meat of the show. And while we may not appreciate them now, it’s episodes like this that we’re most likely to watch reruns of. Plus, it’s always good for a show to flesh out its supporting characters.
For those who still want to get to the big plot of the show, don’t worry. That’s coming up next week, and it’s going to be good.
I Give “Toad to Redemption” a 3.5/5 and “Maddie and Marcy” a 3.75/5
Click here to see my other animation stuff.
I think both episodes are going to be important going forward- the first somewhat more than the second. Simply because it might be easier to integrate into side plots. I can see an episode coming up where the Plantars are away dealing with the Calamity Box, and the towns people are harassed by Bog.
Though the second episode MIGHT come in when Andreas’ true nature is revealed. Marcy could end up a wanted fugitive and go off on her own to do research herself- using the stuff she learned from Maddie to fight off Newtopian forces. They could both end up being important, thinking about it.