Ep 26. New Wartwood

After months of battling monsters and discovering new worlds, Anne, the adventurous and plucky teenage girl, and her quirky amphibe friends Sprig, Hop Pop, and Polly finally arrive back at their beloved Wartwood, only to find that their hometown has changed. The Amphibia season 2 finale opens with the trio landing on the dock, expecting to be met by the sweet sounds of insects and the familiar faces of their friends, but instead, they find a bustling metropolis where their sleepy town once stood. The episode picks up with the crew trying to navigate the new and confusing world they've returned to.

As Anne and the gang make their way through the neon-lit streets, they see strange new buildings and shops, all with a modern and flashy aesthetic that they've never seen before. Even the flora and fauna of Wartwood have been replaced by fake, neon versions of themselves, seemingly created for the sake of commercialization. Anne is also shocked to see that the once relatively peaceful town is now filled with a young, often rowdy audience, who seem to ignore the town's history and culture in their wild celebrations.

Desperate to get to the bottom of the situation, Anne enlists the help of her friends and the new generation of Wartwood residents who are passionate about their flashy and modern lifestyle. Together, they discover that Wartwood was bought out by an ambitious entrepreneur, who has turned it into a commercial destination for young, hip tourists. The old mayor has been replaced by a new one, who is struggling to balance the demands of the town's newcomers with the needs of the traditional Wartwood residents.

As Anne and her friends explore the new Wartwood, they find that this version of their town is vastly different from the one they knew. Where the town once celebrated its quirky culture, now its traditions are being overshadowed or outright ignored by the commercialization of the town, and many of its residents are feeling like outsiders in their own home. Anne and the gang are met with some resistance as they uncover this information, and they must figure out how to unite the two factions of the town and prevent the destruction of Wartwood as they know it.

As the episode progresses, the conflicts between old and new Wartwood reach a boiling point, and Anne and her friends are thrust into the midst of the chaos. As they work to unravel the mystery of Wartwood's transformation and help the town's residents find a way to come together, the group finds themselves questioning if they will ever be able to go back to the way things were or if they will have to face a new normal.

Overall, the Amphibia season 2 finale "New Wartwood" is a thought-provoking and emotional episode that deals with themes of gentrification and commercialization, as well as the importance of culture and community. It is a fitting end to a season that has seen the show expand its scope and explore new worlds and characters while staying true to its roots as a heartfelt and adventurous story of friendship and growth.