"Family Shrub" is the second segment of the eighth episode of Amphibia. It premiered on June 27, 2019.
Synopsis[]
Sprig and Polly think their family history is boring until they uncover family secrets.
Plot[]
Anne and the Plantars are putting together a portrait for the Plantar Family Shrub (which Anne equates to a Family Tree). Sprig and Polly, including Anne, are bored while Hop Pop excitedly tells them about their family members such as Great Aunt Gertrude, who was a tiller, Second Cousin Alfred, who was "the king" of single tier irrigation systems, and ancestor Pollianna who was a turnip farmer. Though Anne wants to help, she feels like she should not participate as she's not a family member, but Hop Pop explains that she does not need to be related to be considered a Plantar and that it should matter to her. While complaining about their ancestors not doing anything exciting, Sprig accidentally finds a button on a portrait that opens a hidden passage way in the fireplace. Anne, Sprig and Polly decide to venture down into the tunnel to see where it leads.
While venturing down under the house, Anne, Sprig and Polly find a hidden lab that belonged to Skip Plantar, a farmer and scientist who conducted crazy experiments. In a fit of excitement over this discovery, Sprig accidentally releases a pumpkin monster whom shrieks and spews green pumpkin juice at them. Meanwhile, Hop Pop shops for glue at the Grub & Go market, but has trouble deciding which glue brand to buy even when he receives help from Leopold Loggle. Back at the house, the kids hide from the pumpkin monster who has trouble walking around the lab. Polly suggests they destroy the creature, but Sprig has another idea. He comes out of the hiding spot and approaches the pumpkin monster, giving it a hug and showering it with affection before he traps it back in its cage. With the pumpkin monster in its cage, Anne suggests they start looking for a way out, but she, Sprig, and Polly fall through the floor when it collapses. They end up in an armory that they learned was owned by Polli Ana who was a fierce warrior. Sprig once again pulls a lever and starts up Polli Ana's intense training simulator which Polly manages to get through with little to no effort.
Back at the Grub & Go market, Hop Pop decides to buy all kinds of glue as he still could not make a final decision. However, when Loggle accidentally startles him, the glue Hop Pop had been carrying spills all over him, causing Hop Pop to not see where he is going. Hop Pop tries to find water to wash off the glue, but ends up being covered in more glue. Hop Pop's struggle to see and walk causes him to crash into shelves of glue which causes all kinds of glue to spill all over him, leaving him completely covered in glue, much to Loggle's horror.
Meanwhile, Anne, Sprig and Polly end up in a room full of games which they learned belonged to Emma the Newt, an honorary Plantar who traveled the world collecting treasures. They activate a trap, but Anne is able to solve the puzzle and the trio escape the room. Hop Pop comes back home, without the glue, just in time to see the kids exit through the grandfather clock. They happily tell Hop Pop about the secret rooms in the house and how their ancestors were the the "most amazing warrior scientist farmers ever". Excited about the rooms, Hop Pop decides to venture in to see them, with Loggle stuck to his back by the glue, despite the kids' warnings about the traps. When the two scream in horror over the traps, the kids quickly run in to help them.
Cast[]
- Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy
- Justin Felbinger as Sprig Plantar
- Amanda Leighton as Polly Plantar
- Bill Farmer as Hop Pop Plantar
- Brian Maillard as Leopold Loggle
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
General[]
- Slacker Stackers is clearly a reference to Tetris.
- The wall puzzle in Emma's lair also bears a resemblance to the Tetris puzzle video game, complete with a pastiche of the game's A-Type music.
- The title "Family Shrub" is a play on the phrase "Family Tree".
- Though this episode reveals a bit of history of the Plantar family, more of the family's ancestry is revealed later on in the show through their first ancestor Leif.
- Sprig has an obsession with pulling levers and is interested in science.
- The scene where Sprig grabbed his hat after escaping the spiked ceiling trap mirrors the scene seen in the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
- The painting that opens the door to the hidden chamber is a frog version of the famous painting American Gothic, made by Grant Wood.
- The way Sprig defeated the Mutant Pumpkin is a nod to how Ellen Ripley defeated the giant albino Xenomorph. They are even both white in color.
Continuity[]
- Loggle's talking problem is heard again since "Cane Crazy".
International edits[]
- In the Southeast Asian boardcast, the word "curse", "dang it", "or dead bodies", "heck", and "suckers".
International premieres[]
External links[]
- Family Shrub at the Amphibia Wiki
