Credit: Storyboard artist Kellye Perdue
Storyboarded by Kellye Perdue & Sam Spina
In the time since the last episode, Tulip has become much more relaxed and carefree about her situation. While she is still focused on returning home, she has become more willing to have fun with what the train has to offer and even admits there will be aspects she'll miss, such as the current car that houses an indoor children's play-space. After thanking Atticus for remaining by her side throughout this adventure, the trio crosses paths with a living stuffed rabbit named Khaki Bottoms, who claims to have a sacred artifact that needs to be returned to its rightful place through a series of dangerous trials.
The artifact turns out to be a "jiggle wiggle" toy and the dangerous trials a series of standard children's playground recreational activities. Tulip is greatly amused by this and flaunts her skills at every task — climbing up a roller slide, solving a Tic-Tac-Toe game to deactivate a "force field", and walking through a bunch of hanging tubes — to an increasingly impressed Khaki, who rewards them with the toy once they reach the rightful place that is the prize room. The cheerful atmosphere is immediately banished, however, when Tulip realizes that the Steward has returned and is trying to trap them. The trio tries to sneak their way past its tentacles, but the toy falls out of Tulip's backpack and alerts it of their location.
After capturing Tulip, the mysterious robot creature from "The Cat's Car" appears and berates Tulip for inadvertently interfering with its plans for the past few months. At this point, the cat reappears and asks if she has fulfilled her bargain, only for the entity to order her to go inside the play structure to capture One-One; as soon as she does so, the Steward destroys it, presumably killing both. Atticus reappears to attack the robot, and just as Tulip asks why she should listen to anything the entity says, the entity replies that it is the Conductor. The Conductor shoots Atticus before having the Steward drop Tulip on the ground, the duo leaving and destroying the exit on the way out. To Tulip's horror, Atticus' comatose body transforms into one of the soul-sucking creatures from the first episode and he tries to kill her, though she and a still-alive One-One manage to trap him. The episode ends with Tulip breaking down in tears, hugging her robot friend and staring at what remains of her former canine companion.
Tropes:
- Badass Boast: Atticus delivers one when the protagonists are cornered by the Steward, who he had left the Corgi Car to hunt down in the first place.Atticus: I didn't leave my kingdom on a crusade only to cower before my dragon.
- Big Damn Heroes: Just as Tulip is about to be killed by Atticus!Ghom, One-One appears and attacks it, giving Tulip enough time to trap it in a tube.
- Break Them by Talking: The Conductor tries to break down Tulip by blaming her for disrupting the status quo on the train and bringing her friends into dangerous situations.
- Control Freak: The Conductor gets mad at Tulip because she's messing things up on the Infinity Train. It also seemingly kills the Cat simply for questioning orders.
- Darkest Hour: Tulip has been subjected to a brutal Breaking Speech, One-One is presumed dead, and Atticus has been transformed into a Ghom. It's somewhat mitigated when One-One shows up alive before the episode ends, but only slightly.
- Dead Hat Shot: To signify that Atticus is shot, his crown drops from his head.
- Deadly Dodging: Atticus tricks the Steward into snipping off one of its own tentacles by leading it through the pipes and then doubling back.
- A Death in the Limelight: Tulip and Atticus have a speech about their friendship and Atticus goes off to fight off the Steward and the Conductor to save Tulip. Naturally, it ends with him being shot and turned into a Ghom.
- Disney Death: The Cat and One-One appear to be killed as the Steward shoots at the tube where they escaped. One-One appears unharmed later to save Tulip from Atticus!Ghom, while the Cat's fate is unknown for now.
- Downer Ending: The episode ends with Tulip breaking down in tears and Atticus transformed into a Ghom. Things have never looked darker for our heroes.
- Forced Transformation: The Conductor turns Atticus into a Ghom.
- Foreshadowing: After Atticus is turned into a Ghom, the Conductor mockingly tells Tulip "No more tears". When Tulip starts bawling, it's One-One who comforts her and reassures her that it is okay to cry. It seems like nothing at the time...
- Foul Ball Pit: A non-germ example, but the lighthearted ball pit car turns into a place of death and destruction real fast once the Steward and Conductor show up.
- Hope Spot: Atticus, who was last seen being pursued by the Steward, shows up and attacks the Conductor when Tulip is captured, but he is quickly restrained and then turned into a Ghom.
- It's Okay to Cry: Sad-One tells this to Tulip after seeing Atticus turned into a Ghom. She freely lets out a sob as the episode ends.
- Kick the Dog: A literal example; the Conductor shows it means business by mutating Atticus into a Ghom by shooting him, siccing him on Tulip, and ordering the Steward to try and kill One-One and the Cat.
- Living Toys: Tulip and her friends meet a talking plush rabbit named Khaki Bottoms.
- Meaningful Background Event: You can see the Steward's shadow moving in the background of some scenes before it attacks.
- Mood Whiplash: The first half of the episode is a lighthearted adventure in a harmless car based on a children's play-space. The second half is sheer terror as the Steward and the Conductor catch up to Tulip and pretty much crush her hopes. To think this started out at a ball pit.
- Noodle Incident: Atticus does not remember the group's time in the luau car with any fondness.
- Wham Episode: We meet the Conductor, who reveals itself to be the Big Bad, turns Atticus into a Ghom and breaks Tulip's spirit before trapping her in the Ball Pit Car.
