Olivia & Yunan

"Olivia & Yunan" is the second segment of the seventh episode of the third season of Amphibia, and the eighty-eighth episode overall.

It premiered on November 13, 2021, alongside "Spider-Sprig".

Synopsis
Back in Amphibia, Olivia and Yunan try to rescue Marcy.

Plot
The episode starts with a flashback after Marcy (who recently arrived to Newtopia using the Calamity Box and later broke her left leg falling down stairs) first came to Amphibia. She is with Lady Olivia on the Newtopia Castle's balcony. Olivia shows the young human a magnificent view as she explains how her ancestors have cared for the land for generations; Marcy, who is grateful for the Newts for taking her in and helping her, promises to do her part and help them however she can. In the present, Olivia at the same balcony watches with sorrow as the Frobots with the mining equipment are plundering the capital's surrounding resources and creating lots of pollution through rapid industrialization turning the area into a bleak wasteland. Just then, a standard class Frobot arrives and informs Olivia that she has been summoned by King Andrias. Olivia meets with General Yunan, and as they peek into the king's chambers, he appears to be talking to himself. He is reluctant to go through with a certain plan but relents.

Andrias then summons the two of them in and gives them their assignments; Oliva will oversee the construction of some refineries as he plans to drain all of Amphibia of its resources while Yunan will round up some frogs and force them to work in factories. Afterwards, Olivia expresses that she has had enough of Andrias' tyranny and Yunan agrees that the king is completely deranged and tells her they need to fight back. Olivia decides to rescue Marcy to help them. Yunan is reluctant because she sees the humans as "scheming backstabbers" (likely referencing Sasha's failed coup and Marcy's deception), but comes around when Olivia points out Marcy was the only one to defeat the king at Flipwart, so she is possibly the only one who can out-think him.

After making their way to the lower chambers while evading the Frobots, the duo encounter a chained-up Moss Man and some Shadowfish roaming in the hallways; Olivia deduces that this was where the newts' ancestors kept their otherworldly prisoners. Olivia and Yunan break Marcy out of her healing chamber, but just as they are about to make their getaway, the room projects holograms of their worst fears; for Olivia, her late mother being disappointed in her for not protecting Amphibia's environment as she transforms into a pollution monster, for Yunan, a horde of evil looking Grubhogs attacking because one nearly bit her right arm off as a kid and for Marcy, a nightmare inside an SJMS hallway of Anne and Sasha reminding Marcy about how she betrayed them then morphed together into a 2-headed giant monster and tell her they don't want anything to do with Marcy anymore. Yunan then discovers that there are electronic eyes covering the entire room making the illusions and the 3 destroy them all. After celebrating their short lived victory, the trio try to escape again but they are stopped by Andrias' right hand pushing them back into the room who saw the whole thing thanks to a eye hidden inside his crown like a surveillance camera. Just then, a mechanical multi-eyed monster with robotic tentacles appears before them and grabs Marcy, strapping her into a chair. Andrias explains that the creature is called The Core and that it is the combined intellect of Amphibia's 'greatest minds'. Andrias further explains that studying the Moss Man expanded their medical knowledge and studying the Shadowfish allowed them to cheat death, thus creating the entity. The Core now desired a host which has to be the smartest, so it chose Marcy because as previously stated by Olivia, Marcy was the only one to defeat Andrias at Flipwart. Andrias admits he always liked Marcy but his master had chosen her and he had no control over it. Marcy struggles, but it's pointless as a helmet is placed on her head. Olivia and Yunan watch in horror as Marcy screams in agony while the Core downloads its consciousness into her. The Core, now one with Marcy, forebodingly greets everyone as the screen fades to black, with only the eyes of the Core showing on screen.

Cast

 * Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy (Illusion)
 * Haley Tju as Marcy Wu/Darcy
 * Anna Akana as Sasha Waybright (Illusion)
 * Keith David as King Andrias
 * Michelle Dockery as Lady Olivia
 * Zehra Fazal as General Yunan, Lady Olivia's Mother (credited as additional voices)

Additional voices

 * Matt Braly as Frobot

Mentioned

 * Sprig Plantar
 * Polly Plantar
 * Hop Pop Plantar

Other characters

 * The Core
 * Moss Man
 * Shadowfish

Trivia

 * This is one of two episodes (the other being "Froggy Little Christmas") in the entire series not to use the standard ending theme, nor any variation of it in any form so far. Instead, it uses a black background with glowing, orange text and ominous ambient sounds playing.
 * This is the among the 4 episodes in the entire series to not feature any of the main characters. Although, they are mentioned, and Anne and Sasha only appear in a vision of Marcy.
 * The other episodes being, "Prison Break", "Toadcatcher" and "Turning Point".
 * The Frobot in this episode is voiced by Matt Braly this time instead of Troy Baker like in other episodes.
 * The word on Marcy's rejuvenation tank translates to "host" in the Amphibian Alphabet.
 * Haley Tju is credited for voicing both Marcy and "Darcy", the latter presumably the name of the Core-possessed Marcy.

Revelations and significant events

 * It has been weeks since the events of "True Colors", as Newtopia's outside area and its surroundings has become a polluted wasteland by reckless industrialization.
 * The Moss Men and Shadowfish in the basement of the Newtopia Castle were used for scientific research because of their special abilities: The Moss Men for medical research, Shadowfish to "conquer death".
 * The entity that King Andrias serves as his lord is referred to as "The Core".
 * The fears of Olivia, Yunan and Marcy are shown through the projection holograms:
 * Olivia's fear is her mother disappointed in her for failing to protect Amphibia's environment.
 * Yunan's fear are grubhogs because a grubhog almost bit her arm off when she was in school.
 * Marcy's fear is Anne and Sasha rejecting her for her betrayal.
 * At the end of the episode, the Core has transferred itself into Marcy's body, with its mind to possess her.

Continuity

 * The flashback at the beginning takes place after Marcy arrived in Newtopia with her broken left leg referencing the Marcy Theme Song Takeover, taking place after Marcy left the hospital.
 * The events of "True Colors" and "Turning Point" are referenced.
 * The secret basement discovered in "The Sleepover to End All Sleepovers" and the creatures underneath reappear.
 * Marcy's illusion involves the memory of Anne and Sasha reprimanding her for her selfishness and deception during "True Colors".
 * Marcy beating King Andrias at flipwart is mentioned.

Allusions

 *  - When Marcy is in her illusion, a prom promotion says Prom "Yes or Yes". Although very unlikely, this could be a possible reference to the famous band's song.
 *  - Marcy tells Yunan that the illusions are VR which is the acronym for virtual reality, real-world technology that simulates reality like a video game.