"Bunker Break-In" is the first segment of the 4th episode of the eighth season of Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, and the 96th overall episode in the series. It premiered on Novermber 22, 2019.
Synopsis[]
Branch challenges Poppy and The Snack Pack to infiltrate his impenetrable bunker and capture his flag.
Plot[]
Branch is guarding his flag during a game of "capture the flag" along with his teammates Dennis, Fuzzbert, Satin and Chenille. As he brags about her not getting his flag, Poppy comes down behind him and snatches the flag. She leans on his shoulder and compliments his security and when he realizes she is doing this, she runs off with him close behind. He can't stop her from stealing the flag and thus loses to Poppy, Aspen Heitz, DJ Suki, Smidge and Guy Diamond.
Branch is sore about his defeat after losing for six rounds straight, and states this proves nothing about who can guard who. Poppy notes that Branch is being defensive about his defenses because he states he finds an open field hard to protect his flag in. He claims that if he used real security, she wouldn't win.
At his bunker, Branch states he has placed his flag in the vault. The idea of the game is to steal the flag from his bunker in one day. Poppy doesn't see the challenge as they have snuck into his bunker loads of times, but Branch explains his defenses have been lowered since they made friends with the Bergens to "Suspicious Loner Mode"; he now switches it back to "Paranoid Hermit mode" again. This instantly activates more traps around his bunker, as well as alarms and other security measures - if one single security measure is disturbed, the bunker will go into total lockdown. Poppy states they will just turn off lockdown, but to do so Branch states she needs two custom keys he has. Branch goes into his bunker to celebrate his inevitable victory.
Outside the bunker, Poppy asks her friends who cares deeply about Branch, and they all put their hands up. However, they also agree they all want to wipe that smug grin off his face. They begin to scrapbook ideas. Smidge asks about the evisceration shaft, but Poppy notes its name "evisceration" means they will be hurt if they try it now. Guy Diamond suggests the newer entrance Branch installed in that is safer, but this leads to a maze of spaghetti tunnels only Branch knows the route through. Poppy realizes the only way in is for Branch to let them in.
Smidge tries to pretend she is a baby that Branch has to take care of. Branch finds this creepy and states if she wants to come inside she can; he then proceeds to put her in a cage which drops into the bunker. Next, DJ Suki tries to get in by disguising herself as King Peppy. Branch also sees through this disguise by getting Peppy to talk about the time they went fishing together - except they never had done that. With two teammates now captured, Poppy goes for something simpler, and has Cooper distract Branch while Mr. Dinkles sneaks in. Cooper is also captured, but Mr. Dinkles lets Poppy in.
Branch tells his prisoners to get comfortable, though they watch Guy, Biggie and Poppy sneak by behind him without him knowing. They arrive at the vault, which needs an access code to get in. Biggie is up and he takes a small toolbox. From the toolbox, he pulls out a picture of himself and Mr. Dinkles, making him cry happy tears, which in turn short-circuit the access panel. They're in and face indestructible glass. Guy Diamond pumps up his buttocks and cuts the glass with them. Poppy then navigates her hair around the sensors to grab the flag. The sensors are set off in the process.
Branch hears the alarms going off and the system enters lockdown mode. Branch sees Poppy, Guy and Biggie and the three run. They find the only escape is the spaghetti shaft. Branch calmly brags their in his world now. The trio soon get lost and Branch drops them down a trap door. He retrieves the flag and leads them out.
Outside, Branch is smug about her attempt to steal his flag, until she tells him to look at his flag; it turns out he has her flag from their previous game. Poppy explains the real flag was too well guarded, so when she stole his flag she had purposely tripped the alarm in his vault. After the alarms are set off, she dropped the flag and ran out of the vault. Branch points out the real flag is still in his bunker which is on lockdown. In reality, Smidge and DJ's disguises were attempts to get close enough to steal his keys. He states he captured Smidge, DJ Suki and Cooper, but it turns out "Cooper" was Harper and two other Trolls in disguise. Harper takes the keys off of Smidge and DJ, and as Poppy is speaking, Harper gets the flag.
Harper appears moments later with the flag, and Branch loses the game once again, leaving him a sore loser; but this time he admits that was a good plan.
Cast[]
- Amanda Leighton as Queen Poppy
- Skylar Astin as Branch
- David Fynn as Biggie
- Sean T. Krishnan as Guy Diamond
- Josh Keaton as Dennis
- Kari Wahlgren as Harper
- Ron Funches as Cooper
- Walt Dohrn as Fuzzbert
- Fryda Wolff as DJ Suki and Satin & Chenille
- Matt Lowe as Aspen Heitz
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Smidge
- Other
Physical distribution[]
This episode is available on the "Trolls: The Beat Goes On! - Complete Seasons 5-8" DVD.
Trivia[]
- The game Poppy and Branch are playing is "capture the flag". Two or more teams each have a flag located in a "base". The objective of the game is to protect one's own flag from being taken from the opposing team, while at the same time trying to take their flag. If the other team manages to grab their opposing team's flag, that team has to focus to get their flag back and return it to their base before the other can take it to theirs. The winner is whoever manages to capture the other team's flag and bring it back to their base first.
- The episode is a reference to the heist genre of storytelling, particularly the popular trope in which a haphazard plan seemingly fails, but it turns out that the people doing it were going well all along.
- This is one of the episodes in which Troll technology is changed to match plot requirements. As well as laser sensors, Branch uses a password, handscan and eyescan to seal away his flag. Yet his bunker in Trolls shows a lower level of technology.
- A storyboard animatic version for this episode was put up online.[1]
- This is the second time where Poppy performs a curtsy after taking the flag from Branch. The first one being Trolls Holiday in which she performs a curtsy while greeting Bridget.
Videos[]
