"Family Shrub" is the second segment of the eighth episode of the first season of Amphibia, and the sixteenth episode overall.
It premiered on June 27, 2019, alongside "Contagi-Anne".
Synopsis
Sprig and Polly think their family history is boring until they begin to uncover family secrets buried deep under their very own home.
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, along with 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 Polliana 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 believes that she does not need to be related to be considered a Plantar and that it should matter to her. When they run out of glue, Hop Pop leaves to go to the store, but tells the kids not to do anything or go anywhere until he gets back. 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. However, they get locked inside the passageway, leading them to travel down the secret tunnel in order to find another way out.
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 hiding 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 taken care of, 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 Polliana who was a fierce warrior. Sprig once again pulls a lever and starts up Polliana's intense training simulator which Polly manages to get through with little to no effort.
Back at the Grub & Go, Hop Pop decides to buy every kind 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
Title in other languages
| Language | Title | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Latin American Spanish
|
El Árbol de la Familia | The Family Tree | |
 Bulgarian
|
Фамилният храст | The Family Shrub | |
 Czech
|
Rodinný strom | The Family Tree | |
 German
|
Familiengeheimnisse | Family Secrets | |
 European Spanish
|
Arbusto Genealógico | Genealogical Shrub | |
 French
|
L’arbuste généalogique | Family Shrub | |
 Indonesian
|
Semak Keluarga | Family Shrub | |
 Italian
|
Il cespuglio genealogico" | The Family Shrub | |
 Japanese
|
ひみつのへや | Secret | |
 Korean
|
가문의 비밀 | Family secret | |
 Dutch
|
Familie struik | Family Shrub | |
 European Portuguese
|
Arbusto de Família | Family Shrub | |
 Polish
|
Krzak Genealogiczny | Genealogical Bush | |
 Thai
|
พุ่มตระกูล | ||
 Vietnamese
|
Bụi Cây Gia Đình | Family Bushes |
Transcript
| For a full transcript of "Family Shrub", click here. |
Gallery
Click here to view the gallery.
Trivia
- Viewership: This episode was watched by 0.41 million viewers on its premiere.[1]
- Because this is the sister episode to "Contagi-Anne", this episode was also pulled from airing schedules on Disney Channels back in 2020 due to not fitting a 30-minute timeslot. However, like the previous episode, the episode was still available to watch on the Disney+ streaming service. It started airing again on Disney XD on October 5, 2020.
Revelations and significant events
- The Plantar family has lived in the same house for many generations.
- Hop-Pop didn't known about the secret history of his ancestors, nor about the secret rooms underneath the house.
- Sprig has an obsession with pulling levers and is interested in science.
- The Plantar family has a tradition of keeping things about themselves secret for others.
- This episode reveals the secrets of three Plantar ancestors that relate to one of the main characters:
- Great Uncle Skip Plantar who was a brilliant scientist (which relates to Sprig).
- Polliana Plantar who was a warrior (which relates to Polly).
- Emma the Newt who traveled all over Amphibia collecting rare treasures and became an honorary Plantar (which relates to Anne).
Continuity
- Hop Pop still isn't impressed with the human world, calling everyone on Earth "Crazy".
- Loggle's talking problem showing in "Cane Crazy" is heard again.
Allusions
- Family Tree: The title "Family Shrub" is a play on the phrase "Family Tree".
- Tetris: The wall puzzle in Emma's lair bears a resemblance to the Tetris puzzle video game, complete with a pastiche of the game's A-Type music.
- Indiana Jones: 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.
- American Gothic: The painting that opens the door to the hidden chamber is a frog version of the famous painting American Gothic, made by Grant Wood. (Sidenote: The painting is usually believed to be of a farmer and his wife, but it is intended to be of a farmer and his daughter.)
- Alien: Resurrection: 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.
Edits
- The word "curse", "dang it", "or dead bodies", "heck", and "suckers" was cut during Southeast Asia broadcast.
Memorable quotes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Metcalf, Mitch (June 28, 2019). SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.27.2019. Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on 2019-06-28.