Bizarre Bazaar

**"Bizarre Bazaar"** is the second segment of the sixteenth episode of the first season of *Amphibia*, and the thirty-second episode overall.

It premiered on July 11, 2019 alongside "Family Fishing Trip".

## Synopsis

*Anne's music box goes missing at the mysterious and exclusive Bizarre Bazaar.*

## Plot

After coming back from the Archives, Anne and the Plantars are stopped by small creatures who are exiting a small tree. Sprig digs inside and spots a small egg that he identifies as an entrance key to the Bizarre Bazaar, a nightly market that appears and disappears annually. Anne becomes convinced that the Bizarre Bazaar might hold the answers to the Calamity Box. However, Hop Pop discourages them from going as the Bizarre Bazaar is known for being covered with seedy individuals who steal things. Nevertheless, Anne and Sprig sneak out at night. The egg cracks and a small creature escapes and runs into the woods where it burrows into the ground and lights a pathway for Anne and Sprig into the Bizarre Bazaar.

The two of them explore their surroundings until they find a antiques stand that has artifacts similar to the Calamity Box. The owner, Valeriana, is out to lunch, so they eat first. Soon after Valeriana arrives and Anne attempts to ask her questions while Valeriana showcases them various artifacts and objects she had obtained from her years of travel and her parrot, named Leander. Anne asks her if she had seen anything like her before to which she comments "not exactly, but as Anne reaches down to grab the Calamity Box from her backpack it gets stolen by a thief. As she and Sprig race after him, Valeriana comments that Anne might be the "one she is looking for" before her parrot, Leander starts choking on the carpet much to Valeriana's annoyance. Anne and Sprig catch up to the thief, another vendor named Marnie, who refuses to acknowledge the backpack as being Anne's. He tells them that in order to win, they need to join his cockroach cart racing game and they accept.

Joining them in the race, is the Wrecker a legendary figure who is grizzled and intimidating and had never lost a race. They race around the field and Anne and Sprig take the lead after Sprig tongues him and catapults them in front of the Wrecker, but ultimately, the Wrecker wins after using a Mario-style blue shell on them which causes their cock road cart to explode. As the Wrecker takes the backpack, the Bizarre Bazaar closes and all the vendors and tents disappear for the night. Sad and defeated, Anne and Sprig are surprised by the Wrecker, who removes his disguise to reveal himself as Hop Pop. The kids apologize for not listening to him and Anne gives him the Calamity Box for safe keeping, giving him a solemn promise he must find answers.

Later that night, while everyone's asleep, Hop Pop leaves the house and buries the Calamity Box outside, claiming this was the only safe way to keep it, thus secretly defying Anne's promise.

## Cast

* Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy
* Justin Felbinger as Sprig Plantar
* Bill Farmer as Hop Pop Plantar, Mowhawk Frog (credited as additional voices), Scared Blue Racer Frog (credited as additional voices)
* Amanda Leighton as Polly Plantar
* Susanne Blakeslee as Valeriana
* Bill Kopp as Marnie, Skins and Pelts Vendor (credited as additional voices)
* James Patrick Stuart as Wally Ribbiton
* Sam Riegel as Leander (credited as additional voices), Bearded Frog (credited as additional voices), Neckerchief Betting Frog (credited as additional voices)

### Additional voices

* Eden Riegel as Walking Red Ball, One-Eyed Purple Ball
* Jack Ferraiolo as Hop Pop Plantar (when disguised as the Wrecker), Long Legged Frog, Cloaked Figures, Scared Yellow Racer Frog, Muscular Betting Frog
* Matt Braly as Poker Frog, Cloaked Figures

## Trivia

* **Viewership:** This episode was watched by 0.48 million viewers on its premiere.

### Revelations and significant events

* The Bazaar merchant Valeriana has many artifacts that bear the same symbols like the ones on the Calamity Box.
* Valeriana seems to know something about Anne. This would be followed up in "The Second Temple", which also repeats the gag of the "Out to Lunch" sign.
* Anne and Sprig would never consider each other partners, Sprig due to their age gap and Anne for a different reason.
* Anne gives the Calamity Box to Hop Pop to be studied, only for him to later secretly bury it next to the Plantar house, thus deceiving her.
	+ The box will resurface in "After the Rain".

### Continuity

* This episode takes place immediately after the events of "Trip to the Archives" as Anne mentions the family's archives trip.
	+ Thus, this episode also takes place after "A Night at the Inn".

## Allusions

* ***Gravity Falls*** - One of the stands at the bazaar is labeled "Mystery Sack", a nod to the Mystery Shack.
* ***Mario Kart*** - Anne, Sprig, and the Wrecker have a beetle race that appears highly inspired by the *Mario Kart* franchise. Later in said race, the Wrecker uses a blue, spiky bug that explodes once it runs into Anne and Sprig, a clear reference to *Mario Kart'*s Blue Spiny Shell item.
* **"Check Yourself"** - One of the two racers before Anne's race mentions how legend says the Wrecker will "wreck yourself if you don't check yourself", referencing the lyrics to the song "Check Yourself" by Ice Cube.
* Black Widow Spider - The Red Hourglass sign is similar to the red mark on the Black Widow Spider.
* Infinity Gauntlet - One of Marnie's prize wall prizes, a giant glove, does bare a slight resemblance to the original version of Marvel's Infinity Gauntlet.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Metcalf, Mitch (July 15, 2019). SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.11.2019. *Showbuzz Daily*. Archived from the original on 2019-07-15.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.wdtvpress.com/disneychannel/shows/amphibia/episodes/