Review: Camp Camp “Egg Benefits”

Bad parenting.

Spoilers Below:

They finally have a Saturday off, and Max intends to relax. However, Nikki finds a trail of eggs, which lead to the platypus. Campbell appears, saying that he intends to sell the baby platypus for profit, to save himself from embezzlement charges in Thailand. He entrusts the kids with taking care of the eggs, much to Max’s displeasure.

Neil begins to become extremely overprotective of the egg and doesn’t want Space Kid to touch it. Each of the pairs begins nurturing their egg in different ways. Ered and Dolph paint flames on their egg and try to make it cool. As they try to teach it how to skate, it slips off the ramp and cracks. Nerris and Harrison have an argument about which profession their egg will end up pursuing, and break the egg in the process. In the meantime, Nikki tries her best to raise the egg.

Neil locks himself in a metal pen for safety, and Preston comes over with a new set of bruises, asking for help. Nerf comes over, demanding to know what Preston is doing, and gaslighting him in the process. Nerf says that he wants to raise the egg correctly to get out of the cycle of abuse he suffered through, but the egg turns on him, and somehow manages to leave. Neil is determined to keep his egg safe and seals himself in a metal cage. Despite his efforts, he ends up breaking the egg.

Campbell comes over, distraught, and realizes that Max and Nikki are the only ones left. Nikki exclaims that she has no idea what she’s doing, only that she’s scared. Max says there’s no point in any of this since nobody knows what they’re doing at first. The egg hatches and the two rejoice. Not for long, because the platypus comes along and swallows its kid. Campbell vows to go deal with his problems and hops into a Russian submarine.

Overview:

The episode is largely a metaphor for parenthood, especially with new parents. None of the kids know what they’re doing and stick to their own beliefs to try and raise the egg correctly. Ered and Dolph want their egg to be cool, but they end up neglecting its safety in the process. Nerris and Harrison force their ideas and hobbies on the egg, without considering what’s best for the egg itself. Nerf has an admirable goal of wanting to continue being part of an abusive household, but he fails to realize that he’s abusing Preston instead. In projecting himself onto the egg, Neil becomes overprotective to the point of being dysfunctional and crushing the egg himself.

Max remains level-headed by being detached, being the only one to recognize that it’s an egg, not a real baby. Nikki tries her hardest to take care of the egg, but she admits she doesn’t know what she’s doing, or what she’s supposed to be doing. She’s right; being a parent, especially a young parent is hard since there’s no way to prepare for it. The episode is one giant metaphor, but it’s an interesting one.