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"The Musical Car" is the 1st episode of Season 3 of Infinity Train and the 21st episode overall. It aired on August 13th, 2020. It was made available for free as a sneak peek on August 12, 2020, but officially premiered on August 13, 2020.
Synopsis[]
The kids of The Apex raid a musical car before descending on a village of unsuspecting turtles - but before they can complete their mission, leaders Grace and Simon are separated from the pack under mysterious circumstances.
Plot[]
As the Apex go about their business in the Mall Car, Grace and Simon prepare to lead them on a raid of a Musical Car, where a musical is being put on by the denizens. The Apex trashes the stage and attack the denizens of the car before taking a bow to open the door.
Back at headquarters, various members of the Apex show their offerings to Grace and Simon, with Grace praising each member and their gift, even when they give her something she does not like. One girl, Lucy, brings in one of the terrified Stage Light people from the Musical Car, which Grace tells her to "wheel". When Lucy asks if she can keep it for herself, Grace reminds her of their policy on denizens. Simon intervenes and tells Lucy to bring the denizen into his room.
Moments later, the Apex raids another car, the Unfinished Car, as it is being repaired by the turtles and corgis. However, the car starts to move and Grace orders everyone back to headquarters. As they run Simon is trapped under rubble, forcing Grace to free him. However, they get separated from the rest of the Apex when the car gets sent to another part of the train, with Grace using her Harpoon Pack to get her and Simon out. However, the cord snaps and they end up forty-seven cars away from the Apex. While Simon is disappointed, Grace is up to the challenge as they enter the Jungle Car.
Features[]
Characters[]
- The Apex
- Grace Monroe
- Simon Laurent
- Lindsay (debut)
- Alex (debut)
- Lucy
- Todd (cameo)
- Musical Car Denizens
- Comedy Mask
- Tragedy Mask
- Playbill
- Opera Glasses
- Hand Fan
- Script
- 4 Glove Denizens
- Stage Light Denizens
- Turtle People
- One-One (mentioned)
- Jesse Cosay (name seen written)
- Marcel (referenced)
Locations[]
- Wasteland
- Infinity Train
- Mall Car
- Musical Car (debut)
- Unfinished Car
- Spa Car (brief appearance)
- Jungle Car (debut; briefly seen)
Trivia[]
- This is the first episode of the series to premiere on HBO Max following its move from Cartoon Network.
- One of the first shots of Grace shows her sitting on a throne modelled after the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, which Lena Headey (the voice of Amelia Hughes) starred in as Cersei Lannister.
- A boy resembling Rufio from the 1991 film Hook can be seen in the crowd of children when Grace and Simon are on the escalators.
- The title of the fictional musical Empathy Goes is a reference to the real-life musical Anything Goes.
- The Spa Car from "The Unfinished Car" makes an appearance in this episode, confirming that the Unfinished Car was still next to it before it moved.
- End tag: Simon and Grace's hands, with their numbers, with the floor of the Mall Car in the background.
Continuity[]
- The song the musical denizens sing, "When I Look at You, I See Me," was previously sung by Jesse Cosay in "The Family Tree Car." Apparently, in the context of the Musical Car it is from a show called "Empathy Goes," written by Jesse himself, suggesting Jesse stopped in the car at one point.
- Marcel from "The Map Car" is carved on the proscenium arch of the Music Car theater.
- Lucy, the child with the eyepatch, was previously mentioned by Grace in "The Mall Car" when she warns Jesse to not point his harpoon towards his face unless he wants to end up like Lucy: the implication being this is why Lucy wears an eyepatch.
- Since the events of "The Unfinished Car," the Corginian Response Team has arrived to assist the turtles with repairs at Atticus's command.
- Kevin and the Mail Lady return from "The Unfinished Car," and it is revealed they are married and have a child named Kevin Jr.
- Some more elements from Amelia's flashbacks in "The Past Car" are visible in the Unfinished Car:
- An ice cream vendor (visible in "The Past Car" in an image)
- Kevin's "Kiss The Shelf" apron (a pun on "Kiss the Chef" aprons, one of which Alrick wore)
Behind the scenes[]
- Madeline Queripel pitched the idea to feature a Musical Car during the writing of "The Toad Car". However, she did not get to write for this episode, although she would later write "Train to Nowhere" for the finale of Book 4.[1]
- Two of the Apex members, Lindsay and Alex, are named after Infinity Train writers Lindsay Katai and Alex Horab.[2]
Storyline analysis[]
- The performance of "When I Look at You, I See Me" contains a considerable amount of symbolism, both visual and lyrical, alluding to the plot of Book Three:
- The song itself is specifically about having empathy for others despite differences, a contrast to the Apex's belief that the denizens are "Nulls." The juxtaposition of the song with the Apex's daily routines serves to highlight that contrast.
- The lines "I'm from the west/And you're from the east/You like to rhyme/And I don't know how" are sung by Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Kyle McCarley, the voices of Grace and Simon. This is likely an intentional choice meant to highlight the season's focus on empathy as well as the parallels between Grace and Simon at the start of their journey.
- Book 3 has been characterized by the writers as a tragedy, due to following the structure of dramatic tragedies. The apparent lone survivor of the attack on the Musical Car is the Tragedy Mask, the Comedy Mask having been incapacitated or destroyed during the Apex's rampage. This also symbolizes the show as a whole shedding its light-hearted roots for a much darker season.
- Thematically, this episode's return to the Unfinished Car serves to remind the audience of its existence, its denizens (the turtles), and its creator, all of which will become very important later in the season.
Videos[]
Transcript[]
View the episode's transcript here.
Gallery[]
Click here to view this page's gallery.
References[]
- ↑ Book 2 DVD Commentary: "The Toad Car"
- ↑ Justin Michael confirms.