Review: Camp Camp “Follow the Leader”

Beware the power of three.

Overview

Cameron’s “Scamazon” shipment arrives by drone, but it’s knocked out of the sky by a stray dodgeball. It falls into the depths of Spooky Island, so Cameron solicits the kids (including the Flower Scouts and Wood Scouts) to go fetch it for him, with the promise that whoever does will get something they want from the Box of Confiscated Items. All campers race to the island, but only Max, Sasha, and Pikeman successfully pursue it. They standoff with each other for days before finally deciding to work together. While they initially bicker over who should be the leader, each of their skills works out in their favors. Max spies its location at Campbell’s mansion, Pikeman’s compass leads the way, and Sasha’s nature knowledge helps with Pikeman’s poison ivy (additionally, her manipulation skills get him to build a shelter for them.)

The morning after camping out, Max discovers Pikeman and Sasha had found the box (which was on the roof of the mansion, conveniently located right next to their shelter.) All three throw their own rocks to get the box down, but it falls onto their campfire and explodes (because it was 99% alcohol.) Spooky Island is set ablaze, endangering the kids. Max points out the escape boat, Pikeman uses his compass to get there, Sasha makes a leaf sail, and the trio books it. They watch Spooky Island burn from the coast in solidarity with each other’s leadership skills.

Our Take

There are the Flower Scouts and Wood Scouts! Or, the leaders of them, at least. With Camp Camp episodes, there’s always a roulette of where the focus will land when it comes to the kids. There are just so many of them, and with equally beloved side characters (such as the Flower Scouts and Wood Scouts) it’s hard to find a good balance between juggling their screen time and maintaining a lens on main characters like Max. “Follow the Leader” pairs these side characters with the main character by using a parallel that unites them — presenting the trio’s similarities to not only the audience but to themselves.

It was nice to see Max, Sasha, and Pikeman get along. Max acknowledging others’ viewpoints, ways of life, and skills furthers the proof (as depicted in the first episode) that Max has matured since coming to camp after all. It was pretty endearing to see them all work/interact together (and to see Max smile more.) Real talk, though: Sasha calling Pikeman an incel was probably one of the greatest modern-day references/insults that simultaneously delivered laughs and whiplash.

It was pretty cheap that not a single one of the kids saw the mansion right next to them. Even if it was dark, they’d already acknowledged that the darkness on Spooky Island was constant. If that was the case, why didn’t they see it immediately when they set up camp? If there is a difference in night and day there, they should really try to reflect that more in the backgrounds, since the art/lighting looks the same there no matter what.

One more take: It’ll be interesting to see if Spooky Island is genuinely gone, now. If it’s completely burned to a crisp, where will the gang run into Jasper? Or, will they be forced on a search to look for him, too?