This week’s episode of Amphibia has a rather formulaic first half before getting into a second half that progresses the larger story at hand.
Sasha’s Angels
It seems that each episode since the return to Amphibia will follow the basic formula of introducing a mission for the resistance and within will be some kind of lesson about friendship and/or growth.
“Sasha’s Angels” is no different from that. This particular group of the resistance, with today’s emphasis on Toady, sets out to steal weapons from a marauder’s camp. With everyone getting briefed, Toady decides to do what he always does and what’s in his comfort zone and stay as the lookout, despite encouragement from other members of the squad that he is capable of so much more.
Pretty much right off the bat, everyone (save for Sasha and Anne) are captured by the marauders, while the humans get away with ease. Anne is ready to go back and save her friends, but Sasha advises against it, knowing they can be captured as well. Sasha knows the strength of this team and suggests they just wait a bit, they’ll be able to get out of the situation that they’re in, suggesting that they train in the meantime.
After a while, Anne still feels all hope is lost and is ready to help her friends, fully believing Sasha sees them as only soldiers that are disposable. Finally, it comes to a head and the subtle hinting at this philosophy is fully exposed.
Meanwhile, back at the camp, Toady has a revelation that he is in fact stronger than he thinks, and takes over the group and comes up with a plan to escape. Everyone has an assignment and the group makes their getaway. Outside the camp, Anne and Sasha are full blown fighting now in lieu of training, and Sasha insists that she knows what’s going on. In the distance, there is an explosion with Sasha all but saying “See I told you” and running towards the camp to aid with their getaway. While the team is making their way home, Sasha reminds Anne of something that Anne once told her; that sometimes you have to stop and remember to have faith in the people around you.
So this episode had two lessons. One about breaking free from your comfort zone, and another about trusting your friends and having faith in those around you. Layered, Amphibia. Layered.
Olm Town Road
Hey remember earlier in the season when Dr. Jan found the vase that under blacklight had a cryptic message that read “Seek the Mother of Olms, she will guide you to your destiny.”? Yeah, that’s the basis for this half of the episode where we see our friends try to do exactly that. While Grimes says that nobody has seen an Olm for decades, Sprig and Polly prove him wrong and share where they encountered one (in seasons past) in a Quarreler’s Pass. The team heads out and discovers that a team of Andrias’ robots are there drilling before a run in with the same Olms that Sprig and Polly had met previously.
Anne asks about the Mother of Olms, who is the oldest and wisest of the olms and keeps ancient knowledge in the city of Proteus where she lives. Too bad their new friends are banished from the city, so they can’t take Anne and the squad with them to meet her. Of course, that doesn’t deter them, and they try to convince the Olms to take them to Proteus in an attempt to save the world. Sasha immediately sympathizes with them since they were banished from the city after one mistake, saying that everyone deserves a second chance. Though, by my count, I think Sasha is on her third, maybe fourth. I digress.
Parisia presides over Proteus and the group meets her while “mysterious earthquakes” continue and sunlight continues to break through the surface, instantly burning the olms and explaining why they can’t surface to investigate what's going on up there. Parisia denies any evidence that they are giant drills and war machines causing the problems, and sends them away once again.
The group is banished, as are the other olms once again, and the drill begins to break free. The banished olms take everyone to the surface, but the olms want to help too, even though the sunlight is too intense. The group can’t get the drill to stop so the banished olms head into the sunlight and get severely burned to save Proteus and throw themselves into the drill so their giant worm-like body can wrap around the drill bit and stop it.
The drill, unfortunately, weakened the surface and came crashing through into the city of Proteus right in front of Parisia. She still denies that this proves anything, and kicks them out of the city once again, but this time, Sasha makes her stand. She stands up for the banished Olms and calls Parisia a moronic despot, who then stops them on their way out.
She is impressed that Sasha stood up to her, saying that took guts that she hadn’t seen in centuries and admits to knowing everything that is really going on on the surface. Parisia says that she’ll take them to Mother Olm, but too bad that as soon as they get in to meet her, the credits roll.
This episode of Amphibia is now available on the Disney Channel and the DisneyNOW app. You can catch up with previous seasons on Disney+.