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kaythefloppa · 2 months

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Wild Kratts: Our Blue and Green World Trailer.

Underneath the cut for those who consider it to be spoilery, but we have a trailer for the one-hour special, Our Blue and Green World, airing April 1st, 2024.

The Kratt brothers disagree on what's better; blue oceans or green forests. Aviva takes on the role of referee to demonstrate how oceans and forests work together to make our living planet, just like Martin and Chris need to keep working together. It's up to the gang to get Martin and Chris back in sync in time to save planet Earth from Zach and Paisley's villainous plans.

This special was first mentioned back in May of 2023 during an interview with Martin Kratt heralding the show's premiere of its 7th season. The original title was Blue and Green: The Living Earth before it was chaned to our Blue and Green World. The episode will feature climates and habitats corresponding with the Kratt's "blue and green." With it, will come the introduction of new Creature Power Suits: The ones we have seen thus far in the trailer are Indri Power, Green Anaconda Power, and Blue Whale Power.

My thoughts:

HOLY SHIT THE BLUE WHALE SUIT

*calms down.*

Ok but I'm starting to see a weird pattern in the PowerSuits in this season. For some strange reason, they have to retrofit the wearer's mouths to match the ACTUAL anatomy of the animal the suit is based off of. They did it with the Wild Pony and the Mountain Goat Power Suit and both of them were.... ugh. Now they did it with the Blue Whale Suit and to be fair, while I hate that particular feature, it's not enough to make me hate the suit. In fact, I kinda like it more because of how silly it looks (Martin is the perfect person to wear this suit tbh). Still though, I wish they designed it like the Crocodile, Hippo, or Puffin Suit where the giant mouth is simply an attachment that doesn't move while the wearer speaks.

For those who don't know, Indris are the largest species of lemur in the world (alongside Diademed Sifakas). They are the only animals besides humans that can find and use rhythm using "wailing songs" to communicate. They're also critically endangered due to slash and burn of their habitats and poaching for their flesh as delicacies (yeah, very odd that Gourmand isn't here, but I digress). There's an estimate to be less than 10,000 left in the wild and are expected to have a population net decrease by 80% within the next 30 years... yeah, considering that they're endemic to Madagascar, not a very good sign. I didn't even know what an Indri was until reading the article, and if I'm not the only one who had no clue about these guys, it's probably definitely a good sign that they're getting some spotlight in this show.

The Indri Power Suit looks so goofy, but again, something about how silly it looks just makes me appreciate it all the more. I... weirdly expected it to be way bigger like the Puffin Suit, but again that's just me.

I am a huge fan of how they designed the snake-inspired Creature Power Suits in the show. But the Anaconda Creature Power Suit... holy shit.

LOOK AT IT /POS

Look at the markings! Look at the green! Look at the patterns, and the color schemes! Chris FINALLY got a green Creature Power Suit to activate! Our boi won! It's also a pretty clever callback to the Amazon special where Chris met the Anaconda (I really hope the Power Disc for this suit is green because god that would be so aesthetically pleasing).

Ngl, if the old flash games were still on the website, and this was one of the Power Suits I could earn for my character, I'd play it in a heart-beat.

I'm really interested to see the Zach/Paisley team up. This season already started to utilize her better by giving her another solo appearance, and now we're seeing a 1 on 1 team up with her and another villain. I was always gunning for a Paisley/Donita teamup but this works too. They're both very similar characters that can bounce off each other in similar, yet different ways (I actually headcanon that they're related - second cousins to be exact - because of those similarities). The final battle is gonna be kickass.

If you were to tell me without any context at all that this was a screencap from the upcoming WK feature film (that this episode is often mistaken for), I would believe you. Because HOLY SHIT! The linework, the lighting, the hues, AND the shading! I am becoming more and more grateful for the 2-year long hiatus - the animators needed time to cook and they fucking COOKED. For an extended TV episode, this is pretty damn impressive.

People don't talk enough about this, but fun-fact: A lot of the animators of this show had experience working for Disney. Erika Worthylake was one of the artists on this show, doing several beta designs for animals such as wild ponies and salmon sharks. In 2019, she was the lead designer for Anga, one of the new characters in Disney's The Lion Guard (which, much like Wild Kratts, was animated in Toon Boom). Ben Balistreri had collaberated with the Kratt Brothers and Luc Chamberland in 2007 to work on the show's pilot episode, creating several different designs for the animated characters. Ten years later, he became the executive co-producer of Tangled: The Series. Kendal Brouet, who animated A Creature Christmas, worked on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder in 2022. Just to name a few. It's just a fun little thing that comes up in the back of my mind whenever the topic of WK animation comes up, and this instance of animation is so fucking good that I HAVE to talk about it, because I have MAJOR respect for these guys, and if there were ever moments in the show that remind me "Oh, this slaps," I just remember what these talented artists worked on through the years and it clicks together nicely in my brain.

According to Whrokids, this episode is gonna have a runtime of 58 minutes. I found this screenshot of someone who did far more searching and sleuthing for new episode content (they were the ones who found this trailer actually). I'm not sure how valid this particular screenshot is, but if this is the case, then this will be the longest episode of Wild Kratts in history, and will be the closest thing we get to a Wild Kratts movie (until the actual WK movie is released in theaters).

Fucking. Hyped.

#wild kratts #pbs kids #kratt brothers #martin kratt #chris kratt #wk season 7 #wild kratts fandom #wk #wk chris #wk martin #wild kratts creature powers #blue whales #indri #lemur #animals #I officially have a new reason for living thank you very much #2024 #This better not be an April Fools' prank I stg.

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mochirizu · 1 month

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My Theory for How the Wild Kratts Have So Much Funding and Publicity

It all starts when Zach Varmitech divorces his wife. The ex-wife, who we will call Clara, runs a well-known organization that focuses on planet and wildlife conservation. Zach wants to use the "varmints" for his own personal gain. Clara, being furious, leaves him. Clara is also wealthy and can fund internships and scholarships for universities offering degrees in biology and zoology.

Who receives an internship at her organization? Martin and Chris Kratt.

Although Clara is not easily swayed, the Kratt brothers catch her attention with their explorations and experiences with animals. Clara offers them a place to work publicly on a hands-on project aimed at young children and future generations. They agree.

Then, young genius Aviva Corcovado contacts Clara to discuss how she can use bio-engineering to assist Clara's project and shows off a design for a Creature Power Suit prototype. Aviva somehow manages to persuade Clara, who agrees. The first practical demonstration is a prototype vest (more like a long shirt) and thick gloves. Martin then transforms into a guinea pig in front of a board of at least 100 officials, causing an instant uproar.

This project, dubbed the WILD Expedition, gained much traction and funding, thanks to the Kratt brothers and Aviva's hard work. They create more creature powers than simpler animals, but they need a way to travel the globe. Aviva proposes a mobile headquarters that can contain people and animals, but she can't make this on her own. Auditions are held, and out of 10,000 applicants, two are picked - Koki and Jimmy Z - the last two members of the crew.

Months go by as the Tortuga and various other vehicles are assembled. The Creature Power Suits are now able to activate and deactivate with almost zero side effects. The official start of the project is broadcast across the globe, and Clara gives a speech about how proud she is of these pioneers. Before the ribbon is cut and the Tortuga is revealed, Clara announces she has renamed the expedition team the Wild Kratts Team, after the two brothers who were the catalysts for the entire project. She rewards the team handsomely, giving exceptional praise to Aviva for her incredible creativity.

However, during all this joy, Clara's bitter ex-husband watches from his private jet...

#wild kratts #wild kratts theory #wk #aviva corcovado #wild kratts koki #wild kratts jimmy z #martin kratt #chris kratt #zach varmitech #i am tempted to turn this into a fanfic

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teadrop-12 · 1 year

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im going to commit a crime for them

#wild kratts #wk #wild kratts jmmy z #wild kratts chris #chris kratt #jimmy z #da aros #wild kratts ships

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hope-di-angelo · 1 year

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Friendly Reminder

"And the next thing we know the High King is on our doorstep looking ready to tear down the whole apartment complex to find you!!"

(Pardon me for inaccuracies)

So like, what. I wanna know exactly what happened. Honestly when I read I squealed and then the first coherent thought was "Wait. What did he wear?" And then "What did he do? Did he go alone? Did anyone from the Court of Shadows go along? What EXACTLY did Cardan say?"

Like, imagine Vivi just sipping coffee and Oak out playing with the kids while Taryn just does whatever idec, and the suddenly they hear a knock (idt Cardan knows the doorbells that well) and then Vivi opens the door and BOOM. Cardan. In his full glory. Like, did he try to look the best he could to go down to his wife's family home and win her back? Imagine his finest and most ridiculous clothing, lined with gold embroidery and what not, with his makeup impeccable. Or was he in too much of a hurry? To just, get her back. Because where fuck is she? And why did MADOC, of all people, come to get her? Was she so mad that she switched sides? Or did he realize the truth that Madoc didn't know it was Jude? Or did Cardan not dare to believe that to be true because it'd break his heart if it wasn't?

At this point I'm just rambling. I'm sorry.

But then, like, also imagine Taryn comes up behind Vivi asking who it is and just for a slight second Cardan gets super hopeful thinking it's Jude but then there he sees Taryn and he's just like, bitch, this is enough. And THAT MOMENT, my friends, was in which he lost it and then proceeded to give Vivi the impression that he was gonna tear down the apparent complex looking for his High Queen.

I'm sorry. I really will stop.

What if he wore some sort of mortal clothes. Like, imagine Cardan in sweats and a hoodie. Or, like, a 3 piece suit. But for some reason I just can't accept that he'd ever wear a Tshirt with Jeans. Idk why.

Ok bye-

#cardan greenbriar #cardan #queen of nothing #jude duarte #qon #wk #cp #tcp #twk #tqon #the cruel prince #cruel prince #the wicked king #wicked king #jurdan #like wtffff

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ink-for-dinner · 1 year

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Shout out to Martin with cute lil creatures on him, gotta be one of my favorite genders

#ok but #the one with the moth #😭💗#he has my heart #wk #wild kratts #martin kratt

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galmiahthepigeon · 1 year

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Yeah you know what. I'm posting this idc

He's the type of guy to wear a fancy dress with his muddy hiking boots underneath. I think Donita should have given him a skirt in Flight of the Draco instead of that nightmare outfit, I think he would've had fun with it. he could have done little spins

#don't worry guys the lizards are shitty plastic jewelery or something. like those generic little plastic animals you'd get at the toy store #cant stop thinking abt how adhd he is. he would LOVE to stim by spinning with a skirt on i just KNOW it do you SEE my VISION #wild kratts #wk #martin kratt #kratt brothers #I didn't feel like cleaning this up and adding all the details but i really like this sketch #art

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reptisoil · 1 year

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"Im stuck.." || Chris Kratt x GN! Reader ||

Summary: When Y/n finds themself in a sticky situation, Chris seems to be the only person they can think of to call for help.

Warnings:

Notes: This is my first time writing for Wild Kratts so... Yea, sorry if Chris is too OOC. I think this is also the longest fic I have up at the moment..? Word count is 875 exactly, nice. Anyways, enjoy~

Y/n, the usually more introverted person on the Tortuga, finally decided to get out and go on a mission with the Kratt Bros. It was simple, just find a squirrel to observe its daily activities and see what they do when nobody is around. But, since they weren't used to this stuff (being out in nature with the brothers), they got distracted and decided to climb a tree to look for a squirrel.

Not a bad idea at face value so they went for it. They climbed a big oak tree with a small hole, perfect for a squirrel to exist in! They went branch by branch, small handhold by small handhold, anything to get to that hole they thought would have a squirrel.

Sitting on top of a nearby branch, they watched the hole for a good half an hour at minimum. They stood as still as possible, waiting for a squirrel to appear. After another half an hour with nothing, they realize a squirrel probably wasn't going to show up so they decided to get down.

Looking down to map out a path between everything the tree had to offer, they realized they couldn't find one that would work. Their first thought was to wing it and just go but then they remembered all the times Martin did that and it didn't work out in his favor - ever. They couldn't think of what to do besides call for help but they could only think of one person, Chris, who was currently busy with his brother on the squirrel thing. This mission really made Y/n dislike squirrels...

After a minute of not thinking of anyone else who could possibly help them, they sighed, "Welp, sorry Chris but Im stuck so.." and rang him on their creature-pod. He picked it up almost immediately.

"Hey! Where'd you get off to? You saw something then disappeared! Got m- us worried!" As Chris spoke, Y/n saw behind him, he was back at the Tortuga so they assumed the squirrel mission was a success.

"Oh, um, I am stuck... In a tree." They nod a tiny bit after their sentence. Chris looked at them with concern and slight shock. "How did you get stuck in a tree, Y/n?"

"Well, I saw this oak tree had a hole in it that looked good for squirrels so I climbed it, not really paying attention to where I was putting my hands and stuff. Im up the tree and can't find a path down..." They explained, now having started hugging the tree while on the call still. Koki spoke in the background, "I've got their coordinates, sent them to your creature-pod, Chris!"

"Okay, thanks Koki!" He turned back to his creature pod, "I'll be right there, Y/n, don't worry, and don't move!" The call ended before Chris could hear their remark, "Wouldn't if I could."

After a few minutes, Chris comes into Y/n's vision. He looked around for a while before they yelled out to him to get his attention. He looked up at them, shock filled his face, "How in the world did you get up there?!"

"I thought a squirrel would be in here!" They let go of the branch they were hugging with one of their hands to wave it around while talking to make a point. After they stopped talking and started to slip, they embraced the branch even harder than before. Chris sighed and quickly climbed to meet them near the hole in the tree, remembering his path so he could guide Y/n down after calming them down.

"Look, I just climbed up, it's not that hard to go back down the same way! Just follow me, and I'll show you! And I promise to catch you if you fall." He gave a reassuring smile and waited for them to sit up on the branch rather than laying on it whilst hugging it. He slowly made his way down the tree and they started after he reached the bottom, following every single thing he told them and trying to remember where he put his foot or hand and when.

Even with being this careful, Y/n managed to slip about three-quarters of the way down. Chris lunged forward to catch them, just like he promised. They smiled at him in a silent thanks for catching them but after he set them down they mumbled a verbal thanks. "What was that?"

"I said, thanks for coming all the way out here just to rescue me from that tree and catching me.. Thanks." A small amount of color dusted their cheeks as they made eye contact with him. He was smirking. He did hear them the first time. Upon realizing this, they lightly punched his arm and he chuckled. "Let's get back to the Tortuga, yea?"

As the two made their way to the flying Wild Kratts HQ, a comfortable silence filled the air. Just before entering, Y/n gave Chris a kiss on the cheek and then walked in as if nothing ever happened. Chris stood there blinking for a solid minute, Martin had to come out and drag him inside but not before he mumbled something. "Im never washing this cheek again..."

#wild kratts #chris kratt #chris kratt x reader #x reader #x gn reader #x yn #x gn yn #gn reader #wild kratts fanfic #first time writing for this fandom #sorry if its bad #wk #wk chris #wk crew #gender neutral y/n #gender neutral insert #tree climbing gone wrong #thanks squirrels #reptisoil

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creatorping · 1 year

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Aviva power!

#wk #wild kratts #digital illustration #fanart #aviva corcovado #octopus wildkratticus #chris kratt #martin kratt

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jagerstian · 1 year

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Some doodles I did in the middle of the night last night of dumb and dumber

#wild kratts #wk #wild kratts fanart #wild kratts fandom #fanart #Chris kratt #martin kratt #chris and martin kratt #kratt brothers #brothers dynamic my beloved

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lattedusks-mochadawns · 19 days

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Childish War x Wild Kratts

Do you guys see my vision? Every fandom should have something Childish War related

Original screen cap (Taken from GonnaGoWild’s channel on YouTube)

And the song reference :

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kittyundercover1 · 2 months

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You cannot convince me otherwise that this is Chris and Martin in another universe.

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kaythefloppa · 18 days

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Wild Kratts - Fish Out of Water Review [Spoilers]

April is finally here, and with it, three new episodes have been released on the PBS Kids Video App ahead of their release. At the time I'm posting this, it is midnight and the one hour special "Our Blue and Green World" is yet to air on televison and streaming, so I will get to that when I get to that. Given that I have already reviewed No Name Dream and Backpack the Camel, I'll give a review to this episode as well. Spoiler warning and opinions ahead under the cut

First New York, then Hawaii, and now a goddamn University on the list of areas I would never expect these guys to film. Bros are everywhere.

As someone who is about to graduate high school, I feel IMMENSELY jealous of the college students who saw the motherfucking Kratt Brothers filming an episode on campus. I can already begin to see the floods of social media posts bragging about this on Tumblr and Twitter threads.

Ok I feel bad for being a bit salty earlier, I actually think it's really sweet how these people outside of the show can share their interests and expertise in biology and physics to help children educate. The entire live-action opening where they study the locomotion of mudskippers is honestly really sweet, and we haven't even gotten to our main animal yet!

God these are such cute animals. But beyond that, the term "fish out of water" could not be a more fitting title. They have joints like we do, can adapt to different environments, and can swim and climb like we can. This is probably my favorite live action segment because of how well structured the clips and movements are and just how fun it is seeing these little blorbs move around the place.

I should talk about how it took us half a decade to see a mudskipper on the show, and 13 years overall to get a focus episode, but so far, up to a great start and definitely worth waiting (for the most part).

Oh so is it like the Hermit Crab episode where in all of the official releases they leave out the determiner but in the actual episode it's there? This has no overall bearing on the episode but I just felt the need to point it out.

I should check off on my S7 bingo card about seeing the old inventions again because holy shit it's been almost a decade since we saw the Butterflier XT

Also can anyone identify those butterflies? I know for a FACT that those motherfuckers aren't monarchs because of their patterns (the only pattern variation in butterflies is sex-linked, and while I'm aware they live in Asia, this again, does not look like a match) but they also aren't viceroys because they lack the line around their wings. I only ask this to bring up my next point.

I thought the Butterfly Disc we saw in Season 1 was specifically programmed based off of Monarch Butterflies. But as established (until proven wrong), these are not monarch butterflies. So unless Aviva retrofitted or reprogrammed the disc to be multi-familial, as in they can touch any butterfly regardless of classification and activate accordingly (like with the Crocodile, Dragonfly, and Gecko Discs), the activation should not work. I only ask this because while it seems miniscule, Chris' decision to bring out the disc is what sets off the plot - It's what causes him to loose the discs in the butterfly swarm, so I feel like, while not a critique, it's a legitimate question as to the direct programming of the discs vs. the animals used to activate.

Man, Zach wasn't even in this episode and somehow they STILL lose their discs? (Actually, I am pleasantly surprised that they didn't take the opportunity to have this be a Zach-related episode).

You think they'd put a tracker on the collection or encode a chip the actual discs so that they wouldn't get lost this easily. This again, sounds like a nitpick, but earlier seasons set up a firewall for the Creature Power Discs and a tracking device/rocket-device on the Creature Power Suits and gloves because of how frequent these types of contingiences are, so there's really no excuse for this.

(Suck my ass PBS Kids Video App, I'm still able to get high quality snips even with your bullshit formatting!!!)

They really went all out with the "other-wordly" vibe that the mudskippers' territory gave off. Once again, we waited two years for this to be put to animation and to see come air.

I've made enough jokes around these situations in the show, so I think we'd all benefit if I just changed the subject: That front-facing mudskipper is fucking hilarious.

*Martin's voice* - Slimy Skin-breathers!

Okay, but I actually did not know that. At all. Even 10 years later, this show is still teaching me new things about animals in the most beautfully unexpected ways. This is one of the many reasons I will never give up on the show.

[Unexpected angst in bagging area - Also, with the inclusion of No Name Dream, which will air two days before this episode, that brings our Krangstt quota to #2]

Okay so I really like the set-up here, and it genuinely was a surprise seeing Jimmy angst in this episode as a subplot in a series that rarely operates on A-plots and B-plots (unless you count the villains' schemes which are usually just A^2 plots) like most shows. And as someone who legitimately was going through rough times (S7 was actually one of my few reasons to keep going), I heavily related to Jimmy. So yeah, a Jimmy angst episode? Can totally buy. What I'm not gonna buy is how they execute it with the ending, because that and the implications.... yikes...

C'mon! "Mudspitter" was right there! Right there!

Ok, here is where my main problem with this episode's subplot is. If I could boil it down to one word, it would be: Incomplete. Jimmy feeling inadequate based on an observation he made is one thing. Him immediately leaving afterwards on a whim moments after said observation is completely another and doesn't align that well.

Like, this would only work if Jimmy had attempted to be a fish "IN" water. If he tried to help Aviva and Koki with the data-research and inventing, but he failed, and they politely turned him down. Or if there was any basis as to why he suddenly disregards his piloting skills or teleporting, whether he doesn't care or doesn't think them to be enough for him to fit in. Like, he wants to be in on the action because some part of him doesn't feel like sitting around by the teleporter is enough. What I'm saying is, there is no pathos. I personally find it to be relatable, but on a narrative level, it doesn't work. I know the "character feeling left out so they leave" thing is cliche'd, but there's a reason it's a cliche, and that's because it follows a lot of writing beats that this particular episode doesn't, so on top of being cliche'd as fuck to begin with, it feels very awkward. And this is going to be apparent both here and in this episode's climax (which I also do not have many kind words for,) so I had to use my allotted time to talk about why this doesn't work.

Could... could they not call him on his Creaturepod? Could the brothers not call him on his Pod? Did he even have his Creaturepod?? Again, there are so many plot-holes in this B-story that could've easily been written around with a change of dialogue or scenery. Have Jimmy's Creaturepod be shown left lying around which makes them realize they have no way of getting him back to the teleporter in time. Jimmy would have no reason to even bring his Creaturepod on his adventure, so that just raises even more questions. Like, this isn't an active diss on the writers, but I think there should've been more proof-reading of the script since this is a massive oversight.

I think now is the time for me to bring up this question I've had for years now; How exactly does the teleporter work? In several episodes, we've seen that there is a coordinate code in the teleporter that allows it to be sent to the target. Koki's "the communication queen" as Aviva puts it, so she'd likely be able to triangulate the brothers' location. So I'm not sure why the show presents this as a struggle for Koki. This isn't the only example, so I won't hold it against the episode, (they have this be the case specifically to emphasize the point that they need Jimmy, which I can forgive) but it's another piece of lore that I should probably theorize about lmao.

Also

YOU HAVE LITERALLY TELPORTED THE CREATURE POWER DISCS FOUR TIMES.

TWO OF THOSE TIMES BEING IN A ROW.

AND ONE OF THEM WAS FOUR EPISODES AGO IN THIS EXACT SAME SEASON.

This whole episode spent the past five minutes making its main characters look incredibly idiotic for the sake of its B plot.

Once again, this episode's spitting facts that I didn't even know.

This is actually a neat seguay, having the brothers figure out the abilities of the mudskippers while exercising their own cool abilities. It feels really natural, and again, is an inventive way to show off the locomotive abilities of the mudskipper.

I feel like this falls very well between "accurate enough to be admirable" and "uncanny." I can (maybe on my deathbed) get used to this suit's design (though I'm partly glad Chris doesn't activate it because spoilers, he doesn't).

I've given this subplot a lot of flack, but credit where it's due, even with its misses, it does hit with the emotional beats.

Very conflicted on this:

On one hand, Jimmy actually taking the initiative to miniaturize is pretty ballsy. The show, despite not being serialized, does develop its characters in a way that you can sense a clear difference of them when you compare the modern seasons to the earlier ones. And this can be seen as a positive development for Jimmy, since it's his "Creature Adventure."

On the other hand.... back to what I was saying about consistency. Why did Jimmy bring the miniaturizer?? What was his prompting?? Was he planning on shrinking himself down the whole time? Like, he left his friends for god knows how much time and is now out of nowhere shrinking himself down to fish size because he feels inadequate? Uhm, Jimmy, ever heard the idea of therapy?

Also, again, very weird presentation of the episode. They don't at all put any attention to Jimmy's coms and whether or not he has them, (which would easily solve a bigger issue of why he's not contacted), yet they have him carry the Miniaturizer with him. Now, the latter is plot-relevant, but so could've been something about the Creaturepod.

This [from what I interpret] gets Jimmy out of his slump, making his "scientific discovery." Not realizing that his job of piloting and teleporting are equally important. Again, this is structured poorly. I like what they were going for, but it shouldn't have been the only thing that altered the trajectory of this subplot. Again, he can teleport discs to the brothers and pilot and while those are mentioned later on, it's not something he comes to himself in an "oh shit" moment. So this just feels unearned and weird. I really hate how harsh I am, since it's a Jimmy centric episode and it was the #1 requested thing on all the chat-boards during the hiatus, but this is one of those things where it has to be done right if at all. This isn't done right, and the fact that it takes up 50% of the episode just... ugh.

You can't tell it through screenshots but with the way Aviva says it and the scene cutting to her and Koki laughing at it, I'm 98% inclined that this was a specific innuendo, and ngl, I kinda laughed too.

Oh look, it's Kenge's cousin! [For you Lion Guard fans that also recognize Wild Kratts] - [I was inclined to make a reference to Jessie, but that felt in bad taste considering y'know]

Ok, but that has to be an Asian water monitor. Correct me if I'm wrong. What I'm definitely not wrong about is that their bites contain venom; To a human it's not lethal, however to small prey, including mudskippers, or anything around that size, it's lights out. So yeah, Chris and Martin are fucked.

Ok this line is absolutely badass.

Also, grey?? Grey?? I thought Jimmy's signature color was orange/yellow? Or red with the implication of the tail episode? Great, now there's another color that'll be in the debates for his future Creature Power Suit.

Once again, this arc feels weirdly put together. This notion comes up specifically at the climax when it should come up beforehand as Jimmy realizes his worth. Because otherwise, it gives the implication that he knew this all along and yet still felt like a fish out of water, which doesn't mesh together properly (it could, if the episode actually tried to do so which it didn't).

The episode, Sea Otter Swim, does this plot so much better. We see Jimmy's doubts, and we see how he overcomes said doubts in a way that is presented clear to the audience, and the climax where he actually realizes what he's capable of feels earned. This is not earned. So even though I am rooting for him to win, this whole thing just feels messy.

So is nobody gonna ask why Jimmy left his post? Is Jimmy not gonna tell everyone why he left, or at the very least ask why nobody bothered to call for him? Is nobody going to at least let Jimmy know that he can't just... abandon his post without warning because of the fact that they need him? Is Jimmy not going to come to that conclusion himself? Is anything in this episode gonna be earned??

This entire ending feels like an ass-pull: First off, Jimmy and the brothers had enough time to head back to the miniaturizer and then the Tortuga, and in none of that time, did Jimmy ever give them the Power Discs? Why? Yes, it was for the sake of the fake-out defeat/joke, but was there any reason why Jimmy just kept the thing hidden waiting to give it to the brothers?

The entire emotional climax to this episode is basically everyone putting Jimmy on a pedestal. It's unsatisfying because there wasn't any acknowledgement or follow up to Jimmy's conflict at the beginning, nor is the lesson learned in the right way, and the conclusion just overreacts by hyping up Jimmy instead of just having a reasonable "We're a team!" thing, or through any self-actualization of his good qualities that Koki pointed out. None of it, friggin' none of this is earned! Now it comes across as Jimmy being uncharacterstically boastful and cocky and the others just kissing his arse. That's probably not the intent but it was the result.

That is actually like, so fucking cool. I have massive respect for all of these people, like legitimately (also, considerning that's the exact opposite of what Zach does on an ethics scale, I find that really interesting). But beyond that, I think this episode has the best live action segments ever, they are so ingenuitive. I could easily see someone at my high school showing a clip of this episode in robotics' or biology class.

CONCLUSION:

PROS:

The live action segments.

The info dumps about the mudskippers.

The Kratt Brother's adventure with the mudskippers.

The animation

The background music (a lot of which is recycled from earlier seasons)

CONS:

Everything else (specifically the B plot). I feel like the writers wanted to give Jimmy his own storyline, either out of interest or seeing how popular the character was in chat-boards, but they didn't know how to do it so they just went through the motions without really connecting anything at all, so it's a lot harder relating to the exact conflicts in some cases, and you feel disatisfied by the cimax. It reminds me of what they did with Vitani in the Lion Guard finale, a case of giving this one character the spotlight, but hitting all of the wrong marks that does the character and the audience a disservice and leaves a bitter taste in the viewer's mouth by the end credits.

This is the first episode this season that has made me cringe, primarily off of its premise, not just a particular scene, a dated pop culture reference, or a weird-looking Power Suit. It is the first to make me cringe because of its story, which again, the B-plot takes up 50% of the episode, so it's constantly in your face. It's definitely not bad, not hateable bad, and it's far too early in the season to call it the worst, and there are definitely worse episodes out there, ones that have aired and ones that probably will inevitably air, but I can safely say, thus far, it's the one Wild Kratts episode that I enjoy, but only to an extent. The live action segments were by far the only thing that I got extremely engaged in, but other than that, and the other pros, it's not that good.

Final Ranking: 6/10: Above Average, but Needed Improvement.

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