The Second Temple

"The Second Temple" is the first segment of the seventeenth episode of the second season of Amphibia, and the sixty-ninth overall.

It premiered on April 10, 2021, alongside "Barrel's Warhammer".

Synopsis
Anne and Marcy's quest to get home takes them to an icy mountain temple, but they'll need help to find it.

Plot
The Plantars and the two girls triangulate the location of the second temple in the Amphibia Arctic, which appears like there is no temple. Soon they find a stand from the Bizzare Bazaar, which was the one with the similar charms of the music box. The vendor is out to lunch and after 5 seconds, Valeriana returns.

Valeriana then explains that she is the last of an ancient order that studies the sacred stones and temples. Upon seeing the music box again, she goes into a trance asking to hold it, but Anne is suspicious, sensing something more with their guide.

Valeriana suggests they all ditch their coats and wear jackets of caterpillar wool instead as they hike up the mountain. About halfway, Valeriana does a whistle call and a giant cardinal shows up trying to eat everyone. They can't figure out why until Marcy suggests that it's strange since Cardinals only eat Caterpillars when Anne realizes it's because they're wearing the caterpillar coats and ditches hers with the giant bird chasing after it.

As they continue up the mountain, there's a distant rumble and Valeriana says not to worry, it's just an avalanche, and spotting the wave of snow in the distance, but far enough away to keep them safe.

Anne notices that there's a hut directly in the path of the avalanche, and despite Valeriana's warning, runs towards the hut to save whoever is inside. When she gets there, there is nobody present, and runs back to her own safety.

Valeriana says she's learned all she needs to know and decides they are not worthy of the stones, and they must now find the temple on their own.

Anne has a meltdown and starts screaming at Valeriana and insulting her order when Valeriana waves her staff and takes them into a mystic arena of sorts, where she is trying to steal the box from Anne. She calls her selfish and starts listing instances (that we've seen in previous episodes) and eventually points out that she stole the music box. Valeriana rushes Anne and almost falls off the temple and is dangling on the edge when the rocks crumble and she almost falls to her death, but Anne risks her own life to save her.

With another fell swoop, Valeriana transforms, "cleaning up nice," and says they've been waiting for someone like Anne for a long time, and reveals the whole mountain climb was a trial, the "temple" the whole time. She allows Anne to charge the stone, but it takes substantially longer this time than in the previous temple.

In the distance, Anne hears her friends screaming and takes the stone before it's fully charged, saying it looks "charged enough". Turns out, while they were waiting for Anne, her friends were watching cute animal videos on Marcy's phone. We see the group walking away with the stone's power flickering.

Cast

 * Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy
 * Justin Felbinger as Sprig Plantar
 * Bill Farmer as Hop Pop Plantar
 * Amanda Leighton as Polly Plantar
 * Haley Tju as Marcy Wu
 * Susanne Blakeslee as Valeriana
 * Sam Riegel as Leander

Non-speaking cameo

 * Sasha Waybright (flashbacks)

Trivia

 * The flashback from "Best Fronds" was reused in this episode, this is the second time animation or scenes from first season are reused, the first being "Handy Anne".

Revelations and significant events

 * Valeriana and Leander make their first appearance since "Bizarre Bazaar".
 * Valeriana reveals that she is part of an ancient order dedicated to studying both the gems and the temples.
 * Anne solves the challenges of the second temple and recharges the second gemstone, although unfinished.
 * When Anne recharges the second gemstone, the blue color from her eyes drains, just likes Marcy's in "The First Temple" but only half way.

Continuity

 * Valeriana mentions the times of Anne being selfish:
 * In "Contagi-Anne", when she lied to the Plantars to get a day off work.
 * In "Anne Theft Auto", when she rode Bessie when told not to.
 * In "Girl Time", when she stole Hop Pop's wallet to have a girl day with Polly, only for her and Hop Pop to get in trouble with the town.
 * Before "Anne or Beast?", when she stole the Calamity Box.
 * The same tune from the music box from "The First Temple" is played again, but backwards.

Allusions

 *  - Anne tells Sprig that only villains have parrot for pets, referring to Jafar, and his pet parrot, Iago.
 * Mario Kart - Valeriana has a Spiny Shell (also known as a Blue Shell) in her tent, just like the one Hop Pop used as the Wrecker at the Bizarre Bazaar.
 * - The "Hop Pocket" Hop Pop is carried in aboard Joe Sparrow references this popular snack food.