Amphibia Spoiler Review: Thai Feud/Adventures in Catsitting
This week, Amphibia’s stellar third season continued with “Thai Feud” and “Adventures in Catsitting.”
I really enjoyed this week after the emotions of “Turning Point.” While we’re not finding out any deep, dark secrets from Andrias or checking in with Marcy and Sasha, these were both much-needed episodes to transition the Plantars more into the real world.
They've already come a long way in a short time. It might have been a bit extreme, but I think Anne throwing the Plantars into the mall setting actually worked. Like last week, we’re continuing to mirror Anne's time in Amphibia with the Plantars adjusting to the real world. The first season of Amphibia had Anne taking most of the season to figure out how to survive and thrive. In season two, she’s part of that world having very few problems, and she learned to connect with people there. In both “Thai Feud” and “Adventures in Catsitting,” we’re getting a condensed version of that with the Plantars. I’m sure we’ll still have moments of Sprig slapping a button, Polly getting into tiffs, and Hop Pop falling for the luxuries of Earth. But the crew has done a great job using a lot of shorthand to get the Plantars caught up to speed.
Both episodes have the shifting of the found family dynamics (insert here Marcy (and me) yelling about how we love the found family trope). “Thai Feud” and “Adventures in Catsitting” address this in different ways.
“Thai Feud” is a personal story for Sprig. Not realizing that he’s overstepping his boundaries, he assumes he’s automatically a Boonchuy family member since Anne is considered a Plantar. Sprig’s a kid, so it is an easy assumption to make. He’s crushed that it is not actually the case as he’s considered a guest to Anne's mom. When another guy who loves the Boonchuys' restaurant wants to be part of the “family” for recipes and run a food truck for them, Sprig feels threatened. He assumes that stopping this man will earn a place in the family.
Also to keep in mind are the events from “Hopping Mall.” Sprig and Polly lost their parents when they were young. Sprig can’t even remember what his mother looks like. He’s probably yearned for the love of a mother his entire life. Wanting to have Mrs. Boonchuy accept him is very much in Sprig’s character.
“Adventures in Catsitting” tackled a similar topic when Hop Pop fears that he and the kids are freeloading on the Boonchuys' kindness. Unlike Sprig, he did see himself as a guest, soaking up the relaxation. Still, Hop Pop doesn’t wish to take advantage of his hosts, which is a good thing. Anyone who has had a guest stay with them over three days knows what it’s like to want your space and privacy back. It’s a noble gesture that the Plantars want to do more for the Boonchuys.
A lot of the Plantars’ actions are based on assumptions. Sprig assumes he has to save the family from this food truck guy to prove his worth to Anne's mom. Hop Pop assumes he’s a freeloader after staying with the Boonchuys after a week. Polly is the only one who is chill and just along for the ride. Both Hop Pop and Sprig never talk directly to the Boonchuys about their concerns. Sprig openly ignores Anne telling him not to worry about it. Hop Pop avoids calling Mr. Boonchuy when they lose Domino.
If they had been open with communicating their feelings from the start, none of this would have happened. Though, it wouldn’t have led to two fun episodes either. This is the way of television and how drama is written.
After all the hijinks of both adventures, we see the two important people in the resolutions:
Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy.
It leads to two emotional moments. Mrs. Boonchuy goes full MOM on Sprig for endangering himself and Anne. But it also finally opens the dialogue that Sprig wanted all along. Mrs. Boonchuy listens honestly to Sprig’s concerns and accepts him for who he is. For a boy who never knew his mom, this is very much a character-defining moment for Sprig.
Anne’s dad, though, has the best capstone to this double feature. He flat out says the Plantars took Anne in, fed her, protected her, and didn’t cast her aside. As a father, he can’t thank them enough for watching out for and accepting his little girl. Mr. Boonchuy’s speech solidified that the Boonchuys have officially accepted the Plantars into their family as well. Sure, there will be bumps along the way. We know King Andrias is out there with his bots. But these two families have merged into one important unit.
Again it must be noted that On Braly and Brian Sounalath are such stellar additions to the cast. They fit so perfectly and make those emotional moments truly resonate.
So let’s chat about the Food Truck guy, Ned, from “Thai Feud” for a moment. As I mentioned last week, I worked retail for fifteen years. I knew so many customers who meant well and tried to be overly helpful. Watching him was like retail PTSD flashing back in my brain. Dear reader, if someone in a store, restaurant, or any establishment says they don’t need help, DON’T PUSH IT. Workers know more than customers in these situations. I once had a customer try to get a box off a top shelf for me as I fetched a ladder, not knowing it was heavy. It nearly slid off and hit him in the face. Listen to workers. Don't be a Ned. That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.
And one last note about “Adventures in Catsitting,” I have to wonder if the veterinarian will make some kind of return. The Plantars were weirdly specific around him with their frog questions. He also noticed Hop Pop’s disguise. I went back and checked the opening, and the vet isn’t in the cast of humans shown. But this feels like a big setup to have a payoff later down the road.
Some random thoughts to round out Thai Feud and Adventures in Catsitting:
-”Thai Feud” does make me wonder if Marcy and Sasha are considered family to the Boonchuys and what that relationship is like.
-As a proud cat mom to three precious fur babies, I love everything with Domino and her cold opening.
-The Karen joke *chefs kiss*
-“THIS IS A GROSS APPROPRIATION OF YOUR CULTURE!” *Another chef’s kiss*
-On one hand, Sprig freeing the Earth frog was very cute. On the other, Sprig my dude, that was someone’s PET!
-I’m a sucker for animated opossums. That and animated raccoons. Between Amphibia and Eda’s coffee shop photo in The Owl House, these creators get me.
I feel like I've said the same thing here for the last three weeks, but Amphibia continues to have a strong third season. It's been a real delight! Here's to the next episode!
