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 travelling 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 Francois). 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 didn't have what it took to take the role. When he breaks down his reasoning for it and states that he didn't care whether or not he got the role, Renee favors his seriousness and determination, immediately giving 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 while Polly becomes favored for staying in character, a pirate. The family proceed to travel with the acting troupe until one day Hop Pop decides to visit Renee's trailer for a new play idea, unintentionally interrupting 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.

Main 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

 * Running Gag: Anne's jigsaw puzzle keeps getting ruined.
 * 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". This is the second episode to use it, the first being "Prison Break".
 * This episode reveals that Anne hates plays due to a school play that ended in disaster when she was younger.
 * This is the fifth time Anne has a flashback to a moment on Earth.

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

 *  - The title is a play on the theater play by.
 *  - 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.
 *  - The Dry Swamp as well as the Sandworms are a reference to the popular science fiction novel series, Dune.
 *  - One of the students in Anne's flashback is a caricature of Dexter from the TV series of his namesake.
 *  - A poster of The Phantom of the Hopera is shown inside the wagon where Sprig tries to give Francois cupcakes.

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.