This review was made possible by Popped receiving advanced screeners of the first two episodes of Phineas and Ferb Season 5.
Ten years after its original series finale, Phineas and Ferb is back for a fifth season on Disney+ and Disney Channel. The new season picks up after the latest school year, only nine months after Season 4’s finale.
Welcome Back to Danville
Even after a decade, it feels like no time has passed at all in Season 5 of Phineas and Ferb. The season begins with not the classic Bowling For Soup theme, but a small recap that lets us know that despite the 10-year gap between seasons, we’re picking right back up at the end of the school year. The kids then break into a new original song to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation.
In Part 1 of the episode, Summer Block Buster, Phineas (Vincent Martella), Ferb (David Errigo Jr.), Isabella (Alyson Stoner), Buford (Bobby Gaylor), and Baljeet (Maulik Pancholy) are all trying to figure out what they want to build for their neighborhood block party. Instead of one invention, they build several different things, much to Candace’s (Ashley Tisdale) excitement. She’s sure that not all the contraptions can disappear by the time she tries to bust her brothers. Meanwhile, Perry the Platypus (Dee Bradley Baker) is alerted about Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire), up to his old ways. Despite deciding to be good at the end of Season 4, he’s changed his mind and returned to villainy.
As a long-time fan of the series, it truly does feel like the same series. Although the characters haven’t ever been complex, they’ve made sure to keep them identical in this new series. However, the episode manages to subvert expectations in a big way that made my jaw drop when it was over. It takes what you think will happen and turns that around to surprise you. I was glad to see something fresh right off the bat.
Under The Weather
In Part 2 of the episode, Cloudy with a Chance of Mom, Candace has to team up with her brothers and their friends to fix Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s mess. After he creates a giant storm cloud, they work together to stop it before it gets any worse. Using their inventions from Summer Block Buster, they follow the cloud through Danville in an attempt to trap it and stop it from wreaking havoc.
For Phineas and Ferb, this episode really feels about as high-stakes as you can get. Of course, it’s a children’s cartoon, but that doesn’t mean it can’t get a little intense at times. The episode is exciting as much as it is touching, with a heartwarming moment at the end between Candace and her mom (Caroline Rhea). Of course, that doesn’t stop her from trying to bust Phineas and Ferb and get them in trouble once and for all.
Hungry To Drive
In Part 1 of Episode 2, Submarine Sandwich Submarine, Phineas and Ferb, along with their friends, are building exactly that. Meanwhile, Candace is supposed to be preparing to defend her sandcastle building championship, but she’s preoccupied with trying to bust the boys. On the other side of town, Dr. Doofenshmirtz has built his latest invention, the Fork-It-Over-inator, designed to steal other people’s food. When the kids finally test out the submarine sandwich submarine, things go haywire with a very hungry sea creature.
In Part 2, License to Bust, Candace is finally ready to take her driver’s test to get her license. She’s nervous and overly cautious until she sees Phineas and Ferb and their friends bouncing and swinging around Danville. It’s then that she locks in and speeds through the city streets to finish her test and try to get back in time to bust the boys.
The best thing about this episode was the songs, but Phineas and Ferb thrives on catchy tunes. One thing I did notice was that the theme song at the beginning of the episode was slightly altered. It wasn’t anything drastic, just an added word, but I can’t help but wonder if that’ll be the theme song moving forward or if it was only for this episode. I’m excited to see if this episode has any larger effect on the rest of the season. Also, in Episode 2, Buford makes a comment about a bread bowl hot tub, a call back to Episode 1, where he suggests the same thing. I am hoping by the end of the season, there’s a payoff to that joke. If Buford doesn’t get his bread bowl hot tub by the final episode, I’ll be disappointed.
‘Phineas and Ferb’ Season 5 Premiere – Final Thoughts
Phineas and Ferb feels like it did all those years ago, and I couldn’t be happier about it; don’t fix what’s not broken. The creative team behind the show nailed the vibe of the past seasons for that nostalgia factor while making it fun and fresh for a new generation of kids to enjoy. Although I only saw the first two episodes, I have no doubt that the rest of the season will be great. I highly suggest watching it if you were a fan of the original seasons, and if this is your first introduction, I hope you go back and watch the rest because there are some classics in there.
The first 10 episodes of Phineas and Ferb Season 5 release on Disney+ on June 6. Check out the trailer below:
