A Caravan Named Desire

**"A Caravan Named Desire"** is the second segment of the third episode of the second season of *Amphibia*, and the forty-fifth episode overall.

It premiered on July 25, 2020, alongside "Truck Stop Polly".

## Synopsis

*Hop Pop signs the family up to join the theatre, hoping to realize his dream of being an actor.*

## Plot

Anne and the Plantars arrive at the Dry Swamp, a large expanse of dry desert that is home to giant sandworms. Hop Pop reads a part from a play called "The Dry Swamp", much to Anne, Sprig and Polly's displeasure. While traveling across a sand dune, a sandworm suddenly erupts from the ground and begins to chase the Fwagon as Hop Pop tries to escape. Just as the sandworm is almost upon them, they are rescued by a group of frogs who turn out to be an acting troupe lead by the famous playwright Renee Frodgers who drives her caravan around the sandworm, terrifying it as it returns back into the sandy depths. She introduces them to her troupe and all they have to offer, as Hop Pop excitedly wants to join the troupe while Sprig and Polly become entranced with a young method actor named Francis (who calls himself François). Anne on the other hand refuses to take part, due to a traumatizing incident in her youth and instead opts to complete a jigsaw puzzle which throughout the episode everyone continues to disrupt her from finishing as the pieces get scattered or undone.

Hop Pop auditions for the lead role, but Renee is unimpressed and claims he doesn't have what it takes for the role. When he breaks down his reasoning for it, and states that he'd rather have a dream than live life without one, Renee favors his seriousness and determination and gives him the main role. Meanwhile, Sprig and Polly meet with Francis and all the young method actors, who immediately criticize Sprig for not committing to his acting role. Polly, meanwhile, becomes favored for staying in character as a pirate. The family proceeds to travel with the acting troupe, until one day Hop Pop decides to visit Renee's trailer for a new play idea. He unintentionally interrupts a discussion taking place between Renee and her henchmen. Renee decides to tell Hop Pop the truth, that they are actually thieves who rob towns while the citizens are entranced by the play. Renee explains that no one cares about the theater arts anymore, so they steal money to keep themselves afloat. Hop Pop decides to keep quiet about it, despite Anne telling him that it is not a good idea.

As they arrive in the next town, Hop Pop performs for the audience with great manner, even enticing the guards situated in the banks. Sprig confronts Francis and ridicules him for his strict nature, which ironically causes Francis to finally appreciate Sprig and welcome him into the troupe. Hop Pop, while staying in role and performing, realizes that he must give up on his dreams for the greater good and confesses the robbery to the townspeople. A chase across the dry swamp ensues as Hop Pop tries to stop Renee who tries to escape with the money via her caravan, unlatching the trailers which Hop Pop was in and about to depart for good. All of a sudden, a giant sandworm which had been stalking them rises from the ground and knocks Renee out with Hop Pop almost catching her (he misses her completely and she lands on her face). Renee and the troupe are arrested by the guards as Hop Pop grabs the kids and flees town when the sheriff questions their awareness of the crime.

## Cast

* Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy
* Justin Felbinger as Sprig Plantar
* Bill Farmer as Hop Pop Plantar
* Amanda Leighton as Polly Plantar
* Susan Egan as Renee Frodgers
* Max Mittelman as François, Police Officer (credited as additional voices)

### Additional Voices

* Troy Baker as Villain Actor & Blue Audience Frog
* Eden Riegel as Pink Audience Frog

## Trivia

* **Viewership:** This episode was watched by 0.44 million viewers on its premiere.
* **Running Gag**: Anne's jigsaw puzzle continuously getting ruined.
* This is the fifth time Anne has a flashback to a moment on Earth.

### Revelations and significant events

* This episode reveals that Anne hates plays due to a school play about teeth that ended in disaster when she was younger.

### Continuity

* Hop Pop's dream of becoming an actor finally comes true, but in the end, he decides to give it up for the greater good.
* Hop Pop starts acting again just like way back in "Taking Charge".

## Allusions

* ***A Streetcar Named Desire*** - The title is a play on the theater play by Tennessee Williams.
* ***Hamlet*** - When the acting troupe is first introduced, one of the actors is heard rehearsing the titular character's famous soliloquy from Act 3, scene 1, specifically, the opening phrase, "To be, or not to be..."
* ***Titanic*** - The cover image on Anne's jigsaw puzzle is a reference to *Titanic*, with the koala couple mimicking the famous deck scene. Even the tune that plays is a nod to Celine Dion's song "My Heart Will Go On", which was featured in said film.
* ***Dune*** - The Dry Swamp as well as the Sandworms are a reference to the popular science fiction novel series, *Dune*.
* ***Dexter's Laboratory*** - One of the students in Anne's flashback is a caricature of Dexter from the TV series of his namesake.
* ***The Phantom of the Opera*** - A poster of *The Phantom of the Hopera* is shown inside the wagon where Sprig tries to give Francois cupcakes.
* **Wilhelm scream**: When one of the actors fall off the stage when Renee attempts to escape via the caravan, he uses the famous "Wilhelm scream".

## Errors

* Despite Anne causing a disaster in the school play she did when she was young, there's no damage anywhere from the fire happening on stage.
	+ The costumes don't burn up easily.
	+ The stage doesn't start to burn up slowly.
	+ Anne also doesn't get hurt after tripping on her face.
* When Hop Pop bursts into the door, it is open, but when it zooms out, the door is closed.
* When Polly interrupts Anne while she is making the puzzle, Anne has only four fingers on her hand instead of five.

## References

1. ↑ Sparrow, Joe [@torpordust] (July 26, 2020). "Episode sheet" (Tweet). *Twitter*.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Metcalf, Mitch (July 28, 2020). Top 150 Saturday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.25.2020. *Showbuzz Daily*. Archived from the original on 2020-07-28.
3. ↑ https://twitter.com/DisneyTVA/status/1275473688796844032/photo/1
4. ↑ [1]
5. ↑ https://www.disneyplus.com/series/amphibia/4jsQ0zDkUTeN
6. ↑ https://twitter.com/disneychannelpr/status/1286748687729917952?s=21