“Escape to Amphibia” Brings us to the Final Act!
Amphibia S3, Episode 10 Review
The end of the road for a good story is an inevitable, but bittersweet, moment. Almost three years since it started, Amphibia is about to enter its final act, and for better or worse, I’m going to be along for the ride. The first half of season three saw Anne finally return home to Earth, only to have the Plantar’s in tow and the knowledge that King Andrias intends to conquer her world. Now, after many misadventures, Anne and the Plantar’s are able to return, or rather, escape to Amphibia. The only problem is that Mr. X and the FBI are still after them, and not in the mood to listen.
Conflicting Feelings and Big Problems
Right before the Christmas episode, Anne and the Plantar’s met Terri, a young scientist who promised to help them find a way to get them back to Amphibia. Now, thanks to her resources and Dr. Jan’s help, the Boonchuy-Plantar family’s on the verge of opening up a new portal to the froggy world. It turns out, the Calamity Box uses music to pinpoint different dimensions in the multiverse, hence why it’s referred to as a music box. Which is pretty cool.
Except, Anne remains conflicted about having to go back to Amphibia. On the one hand, she knows she’s the only one who can stop King Andrias and get Sasha and Marcy home. On the other hand, she feels guilty about having to leave her parents behind once more. However, her hand is soon forced when Mr. X shows up with the FBI and finally manages to capture the Plantar’s! As a result, she has to call upon everyone they’ve befriended over the first half of the season to help her free her adoptive family.
Poor, Misguided, Mr. X
I had speculated in a previous review that Mr. X could end up becoming an ally to the heroes before they return home. It would make sense. Mr. X seems like a very reasonable person, and had he learned about Andrias’ plans for Earth, that could justify him using the FBI’ resources to help Anne. However, this gets sadly averted, as he just automatically assumes the worst about the Plantars, and sets himself up for humilation.
The second half of the episode sees Mr. X try to ruthlessly interrogate the Plantars, who are either completely unintimidated or don’t understand what he’s asking. That, and Frobo spits oil directly into his face.
Oh, yeah. During the episode, Polly brings Frobo back into working order by providing him with an RC body for him to use. And she buys a bunch of DVDs to use as projectile weapons, which is both awesome and adorable at the same time. He ends up playing a big part in helping the Plantar’s escape, which only humiliates Mr. X even further.
Never Underestimate Kids
Everything comes to a head in the episode’s climax where the heroes efforts to power the portal seem to be in vain, and Mr. X shows up once more to be a problem. Meanwhile, Anne’s been going through a crisis in confidence, questioning if she’s making the right choice in going back to Amphibia. Can she really do anything to stop Andrias? She’s just a kid, after all; Mr. X even calls her that outright.
Clearly, Mr. X is forgetting a big lesson, a lesson that I’ve had drilled into me by a lifetime of story-telling: never, ever underestimate what a kid can do. Time and again, Anne’s done things that most adults wouldn’t be able to handle, and has powers that no one else has. Case in point, she shuts down Mr. X with her Calamity powers, recharges the portal, and then helps the Plantars escape to Amphibia, leaving Mr. X to deal with her angry parents. Except, Amphibia is the same lush, beautiful yet deadly land they know.
The Endgame Has Begun
As Dr. Strange once said, “We’re in the endgame now.” We knew that Amphibia was in very bad straits, but seeing just how much Andrias has stripped the land of its resources gives us a new sense of urgency. I could feel how terrified Anne was in the final scene! It reminded me of the moment in The Lion King where Simba returns to the Pride Lands and sees how devastated they are. There’s just a sense of dread that everyone’s feeling.
From here on out, the show will likely take place solely in Amphibia, and things are going to be incredibly serious. Which makes sense, because Matt Braly gave us a teaser for the final act that is, quite frankly, hair-raising.
I have no idea how this series will end, but if its as good as this looks, then I think Matt Braly should be proud of what he’s made. This really is some of the best stuff that I’ve seen in animation in years, and I will enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.
I Give “Escape to Amphibia” a 4.5/5
Stray Observations
- This is so a reminder of the Darth Vader hallway scene from Rogue One
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Man- Darth Anne SHREDDING those guys!! I knew she was proficient with the sword, but even after weeks of being back home and relaxing(to an extent); she’s STILL this tough? Did she train like Sahsa? Like; actual training drills and such?
Frobo……. funny. I really wish that this was a toy(plush or otherwise) so I could have it on my wall!
I like how these other characters came back into play; it makes the other episodes feel important, and gives this seasons opening a lot more significance- the build up of this support Network will be part of why Anne will defeat Andrias.
Mr X is about to 1)Learn the Wrath of Immigrant Parents 2)The whole situation with Amphibia 3)The Wrath Of A Mother, and 4)See 1 and 3. He’ll be an ally by the end of this, and given the tech at his disposal- a Valuable one.