Get To Know Lullah's Island: A List of Recommended Episodes to Dive Into "StuGo" on Disney+
At long last, one of the newest animated series from Disney Channel has arrived on Disney+. StuGo follows the adventures of six over-achieving middle schoolers who are tricked by an evil genius/mad scientist to help her build doomsday devices and other contraptions of evil doing, but are largely left alone on her tropical island that is inhabited by a population of crazy creatures and a full society of mutants - all of which have humanoid legs.
The six students - Pliny, Chip, Larry, Sara, Merian and Francis all find themselves in different adventures created by themselves, the mutants, or the evil(?) Dr. Lullah and her faithful mutant dog assistant, Mr. Okay.
The hilarious series, with limitless possibilities thanks to its sci-fi filled island, is now available for all to view on Disney+ after the first season finished airing earlier this Spring. Now, considering this might be most viewer’s first introduction to the brilliant series, I present to you a list of must-watch episodes that build this unique world or shine a light on its intriguing characters. While not mentioned by name, I should add that, as with any series, the pilot episode “Legitimate Summer Camp" should be watched considering it sets up the whole premise that this series will follow. While it pays to watch the series in order for callbacks and references, this is largely an episodic show that you can choose any at random and go with, and it helps to know the premise set up in that first episode.
Nannytee
While the pilot episode, “Legitimate Summer Camp" sets up the story of StuGo, and the second half of that - “Dog Eat Dog" - introduces us to more characters, including the island’s mutant inhabitants, it’s really (for me anyway) “Nannytee" that established the humor, the tone, and how ridiculous this animated adventure will be.
In the episode, Dr. Lullah wants to spend time working on her jetski, hoping to make the cover of a jetski magazine. To do this without the distraction that is the children, she takes a mutant Manatee with a human brain and leaves it to babysit the children. In doing so, the Manatee “speaks" largely through positive reinforcement stickers persuading the kids to work on crafts that seem to be small parts of something much larger. Only Francis is suspicious of the Manatee, eventually getting the attention of Dr. Lullah, who reluctantly assists and inevitably protects the children - showing us that she might care a little bit about these kids after all. While the Nannytee had a larger scheme at hand, I’m not going to reveal what that was and instead insist that you watch it for yourself in the hopes that like me, it will prompt you to stick around for the rest of the series.
Breakfast at Chippany’s
It’s the fourth episode that gives us our first two-fer, in which both halves of the episode have made my list. This one, I’ll be honest, is really only here because it sets up one of the best running gags of the series. StuGo is very much a standalone show where you can jump in and go from there, no crazy story arcs that will leave you behind if you miss an episode or two, but great rewards if you watch them all start to finish. That said, this is where we learn that Chip has an affinity for cooking, and decides to make the finest meal he can for all his friends. Despite moments where he rounds up supplies being among the funniest in the series, it’s really the introduction of another mutant on the island, Rianne. There is some natural tension between Chip and Rianne, who appears to be part pig - both with a flair for cooking. While circumstances in the episode put Rianne in danger, Chip not only saves her, but serves up a meal for his friends that absolutely knocks their socks off - all to the sounds of a legally-distinct-but-not-quite-a -Pure Moods-CD. The running gag is that from this point forward, we don’t quite know what Chip and Rianne’s status is at the end of the episode, and it’s a question or assumption that will be touched upon throughout the remainder of the series.
Birdyguard
Easily among one of my most watched (if not the most watched) installments of StuGo is “Birdyguard." Get ready for absolute absurdity and a jump scare or two as Larry becomes the guardian of a tiny lizard, whom he dubs “Elizardbeth." The catch is, this little lizard happens to be sought after by a very large and intimidating Night Heron, who terrorizes the children as they try to protect the lizard AND Larry.
Part of this also includes building an absolutely ridiculous labyrinth that protects Elizardbeth, involving multiple stages of security, like a glass maze, caged wildcat, AI quiz, and vertical vacuum that are so thoroughly explained we know someone is going to end up traversing through there - and that’s exactly what happens.
But with a night heron so smart it knows how to use Chip as live bait, it comes as no surprise a large part of this episode takes place in Elizardbeth’s protective sanctum. Top tier episode - part horror film, part “a boy and his animal" touching movie, and all hilarious.
Truck Everlasting
Speaking of touching and heartfelt moments, let me introduce you to “Truck Everlasting." Get your noon-time nachos ready, as we learn more of the origin story between Dr. Lullah and Mr. Okay, who used to be her “Mud Puppy," driving around in her old 4WD truck. This happens because the kids are causing quite the ruckus looking for some lost thumb tacks with an industrial magnet and unearth that truck while doing so. Now, Lullah wants to go driving aggressively through the mud and terrain, but Mr. Okay might be a bit too old, so she takes all the children on the adventure save for Francis. Mr. Okay, fearing that he might not be cool anymore, works with Francis to make some traditional Noon-time Nachos for himself and Dr. Lullah so they are ready when she gets back. Later, when he realizes that all of Francis’ advice about what is cool is quite literal, he panics while Lullah reassures him that no matter what, he’ll always be her mud puppy. It’s a sweet moment that is ruined to great comedic effect by those aforementioned thumb tacks. Get mad at me all you want for the spoiler here, but I promise you still won’t see anything coming.
Francis Wants To Be Alone
If nothing else, this list will likely reveal that Francis is probably my favorite character in the series. Her (typically) calm demeanor while all [heck] is breaking loose, enjoying the ride that is their time on the island, has not only made her top of the list for me, but many of the island’s mutants as well. She is so well liked that when Merian throws a party and Francis is more interested in reading the fire extinguisher, it sends up a giant red flag. On top of that, Francis has now left the party, just wanting to be alone. Merian thinks that despite how much she cares for Francis, Francis might not even consider her a friend. This sends Merian into a spiral, just like another friend from her past that turned out to want nothing to do with. Merian doesn’t want that kind of rejection again, and tries to do whatever she can to make sure that she is liked. This includes conspiracy style thought boards, a covert attempt to gain intel by Chip, and a very distracted Pliny and Larry with a stack of Hula hoops - maybe even a potential murder attempt by Sara? Of course, the easy thing to do is just ask Francis if everything is okay, but that is out of the question and these other attempts must work. Inevitably, Merian does approach Francis down on the beach, and it’s a positive outcome, but the two end up spending quite a lot of time together after all, thanks to some of the island’s inhabitants. Too vague? Go watch the episode.
The Sash
When Merian leads a group effort to help clean up the beach, everyone wonders who put her in charge before realizing her aura of authority comes from a sash she is wearing. It was given to her by her Portuguese club in school back home, and it reads “El Presidente." Even though it technically does belong to Merian, the kids all demand an election take place to decide who gets to wear the sash, but obviously it can’t be them voting since they’ll all vote for themselves, so they leave it up to the mutants on the island and hold a debate. At this point in the series, we know the mutants are a lively, rambunctious, and often confused bunch and a debate might not go so well, but it happens anyway. Now, this episode does contain quite a bit of commentary that will go soaring over the heads of kids and land squarely in the lap of those old enough to vote - especially when Big Mitchell, a mutant that everyone loves (whom we later learn is from a TV show) but has no government or presidential experience, gets the crowd whipped into a frenzy and ends up getting everyone on his side, including some of the other kids. We also learn more about the mutants as a whole, and chaos ensues putting the physical sash in harm's way when larger creatures come into play. But who will be el Presidente without the sash!?
PANTelevision
Speaking of the mutants on TV, this is where we learn how big the mutant society on the island actually is. As the kids have an encounter with a giant canine creature, they have to go into quarantine because they might have contracted a dog flu. Mr. Okay, feeling bad and being able to relate to canine diseases (since you know, he’s a dog) lets the kids borrow his television which can access the CCTV station on the island, PANTelevision. This network was built and maintained entirely to distract the mutant residents on the island and keep them from rising up against Dr. Lullah. So, as the kids go through the programs, we see various shows featuring the mutants (one of which also includes Big Mitchell), all of which are unique and funny in their own way, and one even features Francis - who finally realizes what that film crew was for. The kids get so addicted to the programming (even with subliminal interruptions to not revolt against Dr. Lullah) and convince Mr. Okay to let them keep the television longer. Eventually, Mr. Okay catches onto their fake illness scam to keep his TV longer, and comes up with a scheme of his own to get his TV back. This episode, again transcends the target YA demo of the show with gags great for the younger audience, but even better for adults, especially those with an affinity for reality television.
Phishin’ Chip
Possibly the greatest moral in young adult television today comes with the most outlandish way of telling it in “Phishin’ Chip." Chip has somehow built an antenna system to access the internet, and immediately checks his email. It seems that he has won a gift card, as explained to him in an email from a questionable address that is full of typos. Ignoring all the red flags and the advice of his friends (where we hear a quote that has become a mantra in our household - “Hover And Think Before You Click That Link") Chip clicks on the mysterious URL and falls directly into a trap that was set by Dr. Lullah. She did this solely to make sure there are no nincompoops on her island that jeopardize the security of her secret island and its networks. Tragically, Chip is just what she was afraid of. Now, she has to take the other kids (not Chip) and do recon missions to make sure all of her assets are intact. Shortly after they leave, an agent from KORM shows up on the island, and recruits Chip into spilling all the dirty secrets of Dr. Lullah and her island, sending him on a mission that plays out like a parody of a Bond movie or Mission: Impossible, including some age-appropriate drinks that Francis has continuously served to him, regardless of Chip’s ability to drink them properly. Does Chip succeed in proving to KORM that he is not a nincompoop, or does he convince Lullah? Or, is it something else entirely, like a whole other test? Figure it out by watching this pick.
Francis’ Last Straw
While Dr. Lullah and Mr. Okay are experimenting with a black hole coffee machine, the kids are outside in the water playing a rousing game of “Geoplomacy" on the sandbars. Each of the kids has different snacks and supplies and separate into six different parts of the sandbar, like their own little islands just off the shore of Lullah’s island. The game sure is fun, and they know everything will be okay in the end, considering this really isn’t all of the supplies and food that they have, so it’s okay to split up and play the game. It’s just a game. Well…that Black Hole machine comes back into play pretty quick, sucking the entire island (except for the kids and their sandbars) into it, leaving the kids with only the food and supplies that they have - making their game entirely too real.
Here’s the other thing. Francis never wanted to play the game in the first place, there were incidents the last time that she had to play. Turns out, it wasn’t anything too bad for Francis other than not making any others want to play with her ever again because while she remains calm and passive through most of the series - during Geoplomacy is where she reigns, quite literally. Challenging the other kids, making them turn on each other, getting all the food and supplies after starting with nothing. She had quite the reputation that she was sleeping on and now we all know about it.
Infinity Braid
Sara is trying to have the best hairdo for a portrait of the group that Francis is painting, and was pretty successful with it until Pliny shows up with her pasta-pun-infused ‘do. The whole series is rooted in sci-fi fantasies, but this one might be the most aggressive about some time-traveling theories, but with a twist. Or should I say braid? As Francis paints like an old ink-jet printer, Sara has time to keep redoing her ‘do to make it stand out against Pliny’s. In doing so, she keeps going to her stylist, Mr. Okay, who has his own poorly-named salon. He is out of ideas, but he knows Dr. Lullah has an idea that they’ve been talking about for a while. A hairstyle that is so intense, it could access the genetic history of all the hair that came before. Sara ends up with a braided wormhole for a hairstyle, and one that helps Lullah kidnap a baby wooly mammoth. While Sara rushes to get back to the painting, the mama mammoth comes blasting through her hair, causing the whole scene to erupt into chaos that Sara needs to fix. By doing so, she needs to send herself back in time through her hair and inadvertently creates a time clone of herself. So now there are two Saras running around on the island. Actually there are three. Since Sara is also a secret twin of Sarah, who is also on the island. Did I fail to mention that? Oops. It’s another of those gags that becomes a reward to those who watch the series in full.
Some Honorable Mentions
Plantcis - Francis finds herself in the middle of a coup when a plant monarchy takes over the island’s greenhouse when she was simply asked to babysit a plant when she herself says she’s more of a rock person.
Night Mutants - Larry decides to live like the nocturnal creatures on the island to mix up his routine, discovering a whole side of mutants that thrive at night. To keep the other kids from noticing how much time he is spending with the night mutants, a raccoon who wants to live during the day is shaved to replace him.
The Leg Farm - While the power is out on the island, Merian gets even more anxious just trying to relax and is sent to a farm with Mr. Okay where all the mutant’s legs are grown. Her inability to relax threatens the peaceful retreat of the farm, and eventually, the island as a whole.
Moon Moon - After being sent to the moon, Sara must shut down a rebellious robot who is planning to “moon" everyone on Earth. In doing so, she grows fond of Van, the hipster-esque robot who loves art, and eventually must take out Chip when he comes to the moon to finish the job that Sara couldn’t.
Sister Swim - A dolphin is spotted offshore and Merian knows her - because it’s her adopted sister - and they have a past of performing together in a special routine: “The Sister Swim," yet another example of how Merian’s Marine Biologist parents showered her dolphin sister with attention during their studies.
This is only a handful of the episodes of StuGo, and you can watch them all and the full first season streaming now on Disney+.