"Laguna Tidepool & the Lost Game Room" is the second segment of the 9th episode of the first season of Trolls: TrollsTopia, and the 17th overall episode in the series. It premiered on November 19, 2020.
Synopsis[]
Poppy and a team of Trolls follow Laguna Tidepool to an ancient temple filled with traps and obstacles on a search for the fabled greatest board game of all time.
Plot[]
In the Pop Troll Library, Poppy is giving a tour to Holly Darlin', Rhythm & Blues. She explains books are arranged by "huggaplabetically". Poppy says she knows the library like the back of her hand and Laguna Tidepool pulls on a book that is also a lever, which reveals a mystery bookshelf. Laguna explains the bookshelf contains books that are the key to greatest "antrollogical" discovery. She explains her research upon arriving in TrollsTopia led her to discover the books, which revealed lost secrets to the chamber of recreation, "the Lost Game Room". Holly notes that she thought it was just a campfire story, but Laguna confirms it is real.
She explains time is important as the door to the room only opens once every 100 years, and that moment happens to be today. She has to cease the moment and quietly complete her research, which the others take note of. Poppy points out the urgency of the situation. Laguna says the correct research is more important then anything else; she took three years to pick out the right hat. Rhythm and Blues, being scientists and knowing the value of research, point out that sometimes you have to act when you have the chance by using experience and skills to trust in yourself. She is persuaded by their arguments and the group sets off.
They go underwater to the location of the Game Room in a submarine. Laguna shows the way using her book. The appear before a chasm, which Holly says is definitely not a Game Room. Laguna reveals five hidden hopscotch bridges. As Holly puts a hoof on one, it crumbles away as Laguna notes four of the bridges are traps. Holly is saved by Poppy and the Funk Trolls. As Laguna sits down to study the book, the wall behind them begins to move, closing in on them. They now risk getting pushed into the chasm, but Laguna wants to study the book for answers, even though they don't have time to wait. When it gets too close, they grab her and run for a path. The path beneath them crumbles as they realize they picked the wrong one, they run for their lives as they can't go back. They almost didn't make it, but Poppy saves all their lives. Upon reaching safety, Laguna notes they shouldn't have picked "bridge 3", which is the one they picked. To their dismay, she moves onto the next trap.
The girls sing while they go through many traps; Laguna won't ditch the book and seems oblivious to them all. They arrive at the final hurdle and the other Trolls are looking worst for wear. Laguna pushes a button that opens the Game Room. Inside, they find a board game that combines "all the greatest games in one". To the dismay of Holly and Poppy, Laguna begins to document it and as fellow scientists, Rhythm and Blues also join in. Poppy and Holly assumed they would just play the greatest game ever created and get stuck into playing. The Funk sisters congratulate Laguna, who puts the discovery down to blind commitment to research resulting in the pair frowning at her.
At that moment, the temple begins to sink and Laguna notes if they don't leave now they'll be trapped in for 100 years. The only problem is the game as hypnotized Poppy and Holly who want to keep playing. Laguna figures out the reason the traps existed was to protect Trolls from the game as they can't stop playing once they start. Laguna begins to look through her books for the answer. As Laguna stresses she has to be sure of herself, the book is hit by a rock, taking it out. The Funk Sisters tell her to forget the research and trust herself.
As Holly rolls the dice, Laguna grabs them to stop the game. She runs out of the room with the Funk sisters in pursuit; Poppy and Holly follow to attempt to get the dice back. They come to a fork and Laguna picks a path. She's not positive that it's the right one, but they're going anyway; in addition, she finally picked a hat. They make it to the sub. Holly and Poppy still demand the dice. Laguna almost loses her hat but grabs it.
Up top, they have escaped the room. Holly and Poppy are feeling the effects of the room as they return to normal. They thank Laguna for saving them. Laguna states her guess to take the dice was luck; she has now realized sometimes research isn't as important as other things.
There is also no time for more research - they are going to find the fabled Blanket Fort of Snuggledune deep in the forest. She tosses the books away and walks off. She returns moments later to confess their library books, and it is really important to return them. The episode ends with them heading out.
Cast[]
- Amanda Leighton as Queen Poppy
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Rufus
- Branch (image only)
- Kat Graham as Rhythm & Blues
Songs[]
Trivia[]
- The story is a reference to the naming style of the Indiana Jones movies, at the end of the episode she puts on a hat just like Indian Jones' iconic one. The title is likely a nod to Raiders of the Lost Ark. When Laguna puts on the hat, the music becomes like the theme tune of Indiana Jones. Also, the hand sketch-style drawing at the end is drawn in the style of the hand drawings seen in the movies.
- This is the first episode to have Laguna Tidepool's name in the title.
- The button Laguna pushes to enter the game room resembles a "play" button.
- The library's label images for "Critters" and "Critter Claws" feature Kitty Critters.
- Tug Duluth's submarine from the Trolls: The Beat Goes On! episode "Dark Side Of The Lagoon" is used by Laguna and the other Trolls to visit the gameroom, but Tug herself doesn't appear nor is mentioned in the episode.
- Hopscotch is a classic children's game involving squares that players hop or jump between. They're normally numbered in the order players should jump them on, and are laid in a column in rows of one or two squares.
- Some of the random symbols in the episode are based on actual Egyptian hieroglyphs.