Writing About All Things Pop Culture
I hope that everyone got their fill of wholesome in the last two weeks of Amphibia, because that ends this week as the show hops back into the overarching story. As Anne, Marcy, and the Plantar’s journey to the second temple, Anne comes to terms with her past mistakes and showcases some serious growth as a person. Meanwhile, Sasha has the chance to see how she needs to change, only to cast it aside and isolate herself even further.
Do you ever ask yourself why Captain America’s tool of choice is a shield? I have two ideas why. Firstly, it makes him look like a total badass. More importantly, though, the shield isn’t meant to kill. It’s meant to protect. That fits perfectly with Steve Rogers’ personality. Today, though? Today, we saw John Walker, the US Government’s choice for Captain America, disgrace the shield. John Walker, you disgust me.
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!
It’s been two weeks since the end of WandaVision. The show that took the world by storm and ushered us into Phase 4 of the MCU. In this post-Endgame MCU, everyone’s trying to find their way in a world without the Avengers, no Iron Man, and Steve Rogers an old man. A world where 3.5 billion came back after five years of being dead and loved ones died or moved on. And amidst the great action of the opening to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, its clear that finding a new normal’s easier said than done.
We’re now at the official halfway point to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and I’m a little worried. The series started out strong, and it seemed to continue that trend in last week’s episode as we met John Walker, the “new” Captain America. However, I feel like the show started to peter out this week as Sam and Bucky continue to investigate how the Flag Smashers got hold of the Super Soldier Serum. Unfortunately for them, that involves meeting the guy responsible for breaking up the Avengers and heading to one of Marvel’s most notorious cesspools. Everyone, this week, we head to Madripoor.
So, remember that robot that got created in that factory in the Season two premiere? The one that followed the Plantar’s all the way across Amphibia as a running gag? Well, the episode where Mr. Frobo finally joins the Plantar’s has come at last!
It’s never easy to accept when someone new steps into an iconic role. No matter how good people say the new person is. There’s going to be the critics and naysayers who say “You’re not good enough”. I’m of the opinion that its best to reserve judgement until we see the new person in action. And having seen New Cap (that’s what I’m calling John Walker, the new “Captain America” until further notice,) in action , I can safely say…that this isn’t going to work out. At all.
It’s been two weeks since the end of WandaVision. The show that took the world by storm and ushered us into Phase 4 of the MCU. In this post-Endgame MCU, everyone’s trying to find their way in a world without the Avengers, no Iron Man, and Steve Rogers an old man. A world where 3.5 billion came back after five years of being dead and loved ones died or moved on. And amidst the great action of the opening to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, its clear that finding a new normal’s easier said than done.
You know what I love about my generation? The fact that we tend to wear our love of the pop culture we grew up with on our sleeves. And Matt Braly makes it no secret his love of video games and RPG’s like The Legend of Zelda. I’m not that big a fan of Legend of Zelda, but I appreciate its importance to video games. And with the quest to find the temples to recharge the music box about to begin, this episode’s going to have plenty of Legend of Zelda oozing out of it.
At it’s core, DuckTales isn’t about adventure. Well, it is, but there’s something much more important. Family. Family has been at the heart of DuckTales from the start. Whether it’s the family that you’re born in, or the one you choose, family is what makes DuckTales great. And even amidst a finale that’s not afraid to give payoffs to things we didn’t even know know had payoffs, it never forgets that.
Trust. It’s one of the most things that a person can learn about in life. We need learn to trust in others, or else we won’t get far in life. Why am I bringing this up in a review about Amphibia? Because trust and honesty is the underlying theme behind this week’s episode. Keep reading some more, and you’ll see what I mean.
When you spend your life accumulating enemies, you have to wonder: is it them, or are you part of the problem? This isn’t the first time I’ve seen a cartoon make a famous hero deal with this dilemma. The Batman:TAS episode “Trial” did a great job with this concept. Still, given how many enemies Scrooge McDuck’s made, you have to wonder if he’s egging them on. That’s why this episode sees Scrooge taken to karmic court. Is he responsible for making his worst enemies? Spoiler alert: they were all jerks before he met them.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE DROUGHT’S OVER! After a months-long vacation, Amphibia officially returns for the second half of Season Two. And given the trailer that Disney dropped on YouTube, Matt Braly’s team has big plans for the show. Legend of Zelda-esque temples; ancient puzzles and prophecies; even greater mysteries to solve. I am beyond pumped for what’s to come. Before any of that can happen, though, it’s time for Anne and the Plantars to return to Wartwood in the season 2 opener. Which, for some reason, dropped on Disney Channel Africa already, then got leaked onto the Internet. It’s like that one episode of The Owl House from months ago, but I can’t complain.
Well, everyone, it’s finally over. Nine weeks, six decades of sitcoms, twists and turns around every corner, and it’s over. We’re at the series finale of WandaVision. So, did we get everything that we wanted out of the series finale? No, we didn’t. My theory about Pietro turned out to be wrong, but more on that later. But unlike some shows whose series finales can leave us disappointed (*cough* Game of Thrones *cough*), there’s not much to be dissappointed about here. It’s Marvel; we know that there’s going to be more to the story later on, so the story will continue. Ergo, I’m reviewing each part of the finale and where the show goes from here. It’s series finale time.
Let it be known here and now to all who read this. The 2017 reboot of DuckTales is the ultimate love letter to the legendary Disney Afternoon block! They have included the likes of DarkWing Duck, Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Goof Troop, Quack Pack, Gummi Bears, and even Bonkers. But as the show enters its home stretch, it finally adds the last show from the Disney Afternoon: TaleSpin.
Ever since WandaVision started, fans have been relentlessly asking questions about it. Is someone controlling Wanda and making her do this? How the heck did Pietro and Vision come back? Is Agnes really Agatha Harkness? But do you know what the biggest question has been? It’s how did the event dubbed the “Westview Anomaly” start, and how did Wanda’s powers start acting like they were on steroids? Not one knew the answer to those last two; not even Wanda.
That changes with the penultimate episode. Naughty Agatha makes Wanda take a trip down memory lane that reveals the truth about the Westview Anomaly. And that’s only the start of the bombshells we get this week.