"The Bunker Sitter" is the first segment of the 3rd episode of the fourth season of Trolls: TrollsTopia, and the 56th overall episode in the series. It premiered in September 2, 2021.
Synopsis[]
Branch needs help taking care of his bunker, so his friends try to prove to him that they're up for the job!
Plot[]
Branch is enjoying himself at a beach party with Synth, Biggie, and the Techno Trolls. All of a sudden, his watch goes off and he heads back to his bunker mid-cannonball. Branch is about to set the record for a bucking brancho ride and the same thing happens just before he breaks the record, disappointing Holly Darlin'. Val Thundershock goes to do a stage dive and Branch sets himself up to catch her when the same thing once again happens with Val faceplanting herself where he once stood.
As Branch rushes back to the bunker, Poppy, Holly, Synth and Biggie stop him. Poppy wants to know why he has been cutting fun to rush back to the bunker a lot lately. He explains that being a Troll and maintaining his bunker has always been a split job. With multiple Tribes now in TrollsTopia, his time is more split than ever between him and the bunker. In fact, as the group talks, the mail Troll delivers more and more party invitations to him until he is buried under a pile. As they talk, Branch has an idea about what to do and asks the 4 Trolls to meet him at his bunker.
Branch greets the 4 Trolls and explains that the group will be participating in a series of tests to determine who's suitable to be a bunker nanny for his bunker in order to help him maintain it so he can have fun. Holly finds the term "bunker nanny" adorable. Branch explains that life in the bunker can be fun, but not without proper bunker maintenance. He demonstrates how to reinforce the walls of the bunker, tidy and "jiggle the handle" every 6 hours and 23 minutes.
He runs the first test: security. Biggie lets in a burglar, Branch asks why he let him in and Biggie explains it is obvious the Troll is going to a costume party as they are Trolls; it is always a costume party. Synth goes next and lets in a Growl Beast; when Branch questions this, Synth says that is obviously a Troll in a Growl Beast costume. Last up is Poppy, who refuses to let Branch in because he is not wearing a costume.
The second test is the isolation chamber. Biggie moves towards it confidently, but backtracks at the last second and gets hugs from the other 3 Trolls. Next up is Holly, who manages 7 seconds. Poppy lasts several hours, but it turns out she invited a bunch of Troll into the chamber without him realizing it so she was never alone. With Poppy's cut of the "isolation cake", Branch loses his temper and yells. This grabs the others' attention and he explains that no matter what it looks like he is stuck in the situation with his bunker as none of them passed even 1 test, and that means he has to spend a lot less time in TrollsTopia. Poppy realizes they aren't helping and tells the others to pull through for Branch's sake.
A montage follows of the 4 of them doing Branch's chores. Despite Branch smiling and nodding throughout, he tells them they all failed. They ask why he was nodding and smiling, and he explains it was because they were improving. Synth asks how he failed on dirt maintenance when he got 100%, but Branch states he needed 149%, to which Synth protests that is not how math works. Poppy tells him that perhaps his standards are too high, and that he doesn't really want others in his bunker. He laughs this off and activates the final test: total bunker failure in 90 seconds.
Branch proceeds to demonstrate why he has high standards as he flies through the procedures to restore order to the Bunker, amazing the 4 other Trolls. Though it appears he managed to make his bunker safe again, he forgot to "jiggle the handle" on the piping system and the pipes are about to give way ensuring Bunker failure. Synth manages to hold back the rushing water, but can't do more than this. Branch doesn't know what to do, but Holly tells the other Trolls to get busy maintaining while Synth holds the water back. They drill a hole and the water runs into it and out the bunker; the hole is then sealed shut and cleaned.
Branch thanks them for saving the Bunker, and realizes he needed a team of Trolls to help maintain the Bunker, not a single Troll. As they hug, Holly realizes that basically what Branch is saying is that it takes 4 of them to replace him, to which Branch finds out about what he just implied.
Cast[]
- Amanda Leighton as Queen Poppy
- Skylar Astin as Branch
- David Fynn as Biggie
- DJ Suki (non-speaking)
Songs[]
Trivia[]
- There is a noticeable error in Branch's Bunker. As the group goes down the elevator to the bunker, the pole the elevator goes along only appears as the elevator lowers; there is nothing below it, only above it. The elevator pole should be both above and below it.
- Synth notes Branch's "140% effort" math is not possible and he is correct as this is something known as mathematical idiom. This is true; a job can only be completed at a rate of 100% success, it can never be done better than 100% ever. The quote is used in various jobs, for example, in sports it is used as a motivation technique, coaches often demand athletes give 110%. The reality is, they cannot give more than a physical body will allow, thus can never give 110% effort. The idiom is supposed to represent the ideal effort put into a task plus extra, meaning that it represents an effort that goes above and beyond. However, the reason the math is a failure is if you do everything including the bonus, you are actually putting closer to a 100% effort into something; to do less than you were expected actually means you did less than 100%, to begin with.
- Except for Biggie & Mr Dinkles's pirate costume Eveyone's costumes from the previous episodes returned.
- Poppy's fancy dress from "My Dinner with Dante".
- Holly's superhero costume from "The Party Pooper".
- Synth's cheerleader outfit from "Bro, Team! Bro!".