"Hollywood Hop Pop" is the first segment of the eighth episode of the third season of Amphibia, and the eighty-ninth episode overall.
It premiered on November 20, 2021, alongside "If You Give a Frog a Cookie".[1]
Synopsis
Hop Pop tries to make it as an actor in Hollywood.[1]
Plot
Hop Pop looking at an actor at the Chinese Movie Theater.
Anne decides to take the Plantars on a special tour through Hollywood. Devotees will recall that Hop Pop has a passion for acting and he's surprised that humans give actors such respect, something that he didn't experience while he was back in Amphibia.
Early on, we are reminded that Mr. X is after the four of them so they must lay low as best they can, and despite Hop Pop's interest in acting, Anne reminds him not to pursue it while here on Earth. However, he is already accidentally in line for an audition.
He happens to find himself with a real human doppelganger, almost The Prince and the Pauper style, an elderly actor named Humphrey Westwood. The pair have a discussion about acting, and Humphrey is getting called into the audition when he says most actors get a rough start in Hollywood and gives up his spot for Hop Pop. He goes in and gives a poor read, but inadvertently gives up a new catchphrase when saying "Say What?" in shock to the product whose commercial he is auditioning for.
The next day, the group is stunned to immediately see Hop Pop hawking joint cream on the television. His catchphrase takes on a life of his own, and within hours it seems, he is already on a T-shirt and other merchandise.
But again, they need to lay low, and we see Mr. X catching up on some T.V. binging, when an ad pops up (he didn't spring for the ad-free subscription) featuring Hop Pop.
The chase is now on as Mr. X discovers where it was filmed, and inconveniently for Hop Pop, he's already on his way there to accept an offer from the hippest director in town, Mitch Harper, in his office in the studio water tower.
Hop Pop makes his escape on a golf cart with Mr. X in pursuit, and Anne with Sprig and Polly through the backlot of the studio.
Hop Pop gets enough of a lead, and runs into Humphrey at his day job, a janitor at the studio. Returning the favor, he suggests Humphrey goes to the meeting in lieu of himself. Again, with a Prince and the Pauper style switch, Mr. X chases Humphrey into the meeting, only to be disappointed and fooled yet again. Mr. X and Jenny then leave to get some ice cream to get over this.
After the FBI leave, Anne is confused why Hop Pop gave up the audition. He states that he gave it to Humphrey because he has waited as long as he has, and Humphrey says "Thank you" to Hop Pop. Hop Pop then talks about directing instead, only to be kicked off the golf cart for it.
Cast
- Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy
- Justin Felbinger as Sprig Plantar
- Bill Farmer as Hop Pop Plantar
- Amanda Leighton as Polly Plantar
- RuPaul as Mr. X
- Wallace Shawn as Humphrey Westwood
- On Braly as Mrs. Boonchuy
- Brian Sounalath as Mr. Boonchuy
Additional voices
- Matt Braly as Purple Shirt Man, Cart Driver, Lord Frankerton
- Zehra Fazal as Female Auditioner
- Sam Riegel as Mitch Harper
- Eden Riegel as Casting Call Girl, Movie Director
- Troy Baker as FBI Agent
- Kari Wahlgren as Female Photographer
Non-speaking cameo
- Emily
Other characters
Title in other languages
| Language | Title | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bulgarian
|
Хоп Поп в Холивуд | Hop Pop in Hollywood | |
 German
|
Hollywood Hop Pop | Hollywood Hop Pop | |
 Japanese
|
ハリウッドスター | Hollywood Star | |
 Polish
|
Hollywoodzki Hopek | Hollywood Hop Pop | |
 Thai
|
ฮอลลีวู้ดฮ้อปป๊อป |
Transcript
| For a full transcript of "Hollywood Hop Pop", click here. |
Gallery
Click here to view the gallery.
Trivia
- Viewership: This episode was watched by 0.31 viewers on its premiere.[3]
- From this episode to "Newts in Tights"/"Fight or Flight" (with the exception of "Escape to Amphibia" and "The Root of Evil"/"The Core & The King"), the opening sequence is updated with a few changes:
- The shot of comatose Marcy is replaced with the Core-possessed Marcy due to the events of the previous episode.
- The possessed Marcy also takes King Andrias' place in the final shot of the supporting cast, with King Andrias being smaller.
- This is the only episode set on Earth to use this intro (not including the holiday themes used for that of the following episode).
- With the exception of "The Root of Evil"/"The Core & The King," this is the last episode in which Sasha is completely absent.
- The old man who resembles Hop Pop during the intro is revealed to be named Humphrey Westwood.
- Anne and Mr. X were eating the same kind of cereal when they each first saw Hop Pop's commercial.
- The Plantars spend the entire episode in their human disguises.
- This is the only appearance of Mr. X's home.
- This is the first episode that uses a "THE END" title card. The second is "The Hardest Thing".
Continuity
- Mr. X is shown taking care of the frogs that Mr. Boonchuy swapped out with the Plantars in his eponymous debut episode.
- Anne kicks Hop Pop out of the golf cart at the end of the episode, just like in the episode "Quarreler's Pass" where she kicked him off the Fwagon twice for asking if she has a boyfriend.
- Lady Franklin and Lord Frankerton from "Fight at the Museum" and Tarantu-lad and Buffer Fish from "Spider-Sprig" make cameos.
- Mr. X is fooled by the Plantars and prompts the FBI forces to believe Mr. X misled them again, referencing Mr. X being fooled and humiliated in his debut episode.
- Hop Pop mentions the time his last acting tryout failed from "A Caravan Named Desire."
Allusions
- Academy Awards - The promotional poster for this episode created by Caitlin Rose Boyle is based on the Oscar Award.
- RuPaul's Drag Race - Two posters on Mr. X's refrigerator feature the host of the drag competition series, RuPaul (who is the voice actor of Mr. X). The poster with racing flags also resembles the first season's promotional poster.
- Space Invaders - Two of the magnets on Mr. X's refrigerator are the rocket and alien spaceship from the classic video game.
- Alien - One of the magnets on Mr. X's refrigerator is the franchise's titular creature.
- Judge Judy - The show that Mr. X is watching, Judge Julie, is a parody of the real-life courtroom series.
- Sesame Street - The walk around characters at the Chinese Theater and Walk of Fame are based on the puppet characters from the long-running children's television series, presumably based on Elmo.
- Warner Bros. Studios - The studio lot Hop Pop is invited to resembles the Warner Bros. studio in Burbank. The water tower has the same color scheme as it was portrayed in Animaniacs, as the home of the Warner Brothers and their sister, Dot.
- Blazing Saddles - The actor playing Lord Frankerton says, "What do y'all think yer doin'?! This is a closed set!", this is almost word for word what Dom DeLuise's character Buddy Bizarre says to the Blazing Saddles cast after they invade his set. (To which Slim Pickens famously replies, "P**s on you! I work for Mel Brooks!")
- Tom and Jerry - At the last scene, the title card, "The End" appears with a red background, similar to the one from Tom and Jerry.
- Dragon Ball - One of the old men in line for auditions resembles Master Roshi.
Memorable quotes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 November 2021 Programming Highlights. Disney General Entertainment Content (October 22, 2021). Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved on October 24, 2021.
- ↑ Garner-Flexner, Andy. "Color design's file names". Andy Garner-Flexner's website.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Metcalf, Mitch (November 23, 2021). Saturday 11.20.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals. Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved on November 23, 2021.