Lost in Oz is an All-CGI Cartoon commissioned by Amazon Studios for Prime Video and animated by Polygon Pictures (with Arc Productions for the pilot), loosely based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. As in most versions of the story, the plot follows Dorothy Gale as she gets whisked off into the Land of Oz by a tornado. Unlike the source material or most other adaptations, the tornado isn't exactly a freak act of nature, but is a spell unwittingly cast by Dorothy, using a book found underneath the floorboards of her house. Oz itself is also quite a bit different, with the Emerald City renvisioned as a Magitek driven metropolis. Oh, and Dorothy quickly befriends a jaded young witch named West...
The pilot originally was released in 2015. The series was picked up with an extended pilot (a Compilation Movie of the first 3 episodes) debuting in 2016, the full first season dropping in August 2017, and the second season released in June 2018.
Not to be confused with the 2002 live-action pilot of the same name.
This show contains examples of:
- Abandoned Area: several episodes of the first season take place in the abandoned train station and tunnels of the Yellow Brick Line.
- Action Girl: Dorothy's first reaction upon hearing that the Lookout is drained of magic is to climb up the pillar. She doesn't fight, but she does run a lot and faces forces head on if she thinks she can win.
- Adaptational Heroism: A witch named West... who isn't wicked at all. Well, not very wicked. note She is actually a descendant of the original Wicked Witch.
- Adaptational Villainy:
- Princess Langwidere in Ozma of Oz, while not particularly heroic, doesn't pose much harm to anyone and agrees to help the heroes save the Royal Family of Ev. Here she is the main antagonist, who deposes Glinda, assumes control of Oz, and starts hoarding the land's magic for herself. This version is depicted as the evil aunt of West, most likely based loosely on the Wicked Witch of the East.
- The Wizard — maybe. According to Roquat, it was the Wizard who stole the old Nome King's magic belt and started the enmity between Emerald City and the Nomes, leading to the Nomes calling him the "Wicked Wizard." The Scarecrow, however, remembers the Wizard as a nice guy, so there may be something more going on there. For instance, it could be that it was a misunderstanding.
- Adapted Out: The only mention of the Tin Man is when Ojo shows the others a comic that's based on his adventures.
- Ascended Extra: Reigh was in no way a minor character in Season One, though Season Two gives him a notably larger role. Patchwork is also upgraded to major character.
- Badass Adorable: Patchwork is tiny and very cute, but agile and fearless as well.
- Basement-Dweller: Reigh, the resident Cowardly Lion, has his "underground base" in his mother's basement. This proves to be his salvation, as said "underground base" is shielded against Langwidere's mind-effecting magic.
- Big Bad: Langwidere, as the villain responsible for hoarding the magic in Oz.
- She's replaced by Guph in the second part of the series.
- Broad Strokes: The series' continuity with the original books. Then again, this was the case for continuity between books in the original series, so it's following tradition here.
- Canine Companion: Toto to Dorothy, as usual.
- Canon Foreigner: Most of the cast, though we do see a few familiar faces show up as the series progresses, such as Glinda and the Scarecrow. Dorothy and West are in fact descendants of the original Dorothy and Wicked Witch, not re-imagined versions of them, and it's hinted that Toto was named after the original Toto. It's also possible that Ojo and Reigh are also descended from the original Ojo the Unlucky and Cowardly Lion, though this is never confirmed.
- Chekhov's Armoury: In order to save the day in the first episode, Dorothy rolling a ball down a staircase in her Rube Goldberg Device, Fitz's Embarrassing Nickname, the battery-powered echo jar, and Ojo's whistling all come in handy. And that's just in the pilot — the series proper is full of these.
- City of Adventure: Emerald City, with Dorothy and friends exploring the different areas instead of all of Oz.
- Conspiracy Theorist: Reigh, who even had a big board of evidence to track the magic shortage.
- Cowardly Lion: Reigh is a teenage Conspiracy Theorist version, or possibly descendant, of the Trope Namer.
- Cute Giant: Ojo, a giant munchkin, actually just a little taller than Dorothy.
- Cute Witch: West. She's not exactly an old crone in this version.
- Dastardly Dapper Derby: Fitz, when acting as a villain, sports a nice bowler and coattail ensemble.
- The Dragon: Fitz to Langwidere, although he seems like the initial mastermind.
- Dystopian Oz: The Emerald City and, to lesser extent, the rest of Oz becomes an oppressive police state when Langwidere disposes of Glinda and takes her place as ruler of Oz.
- Easy Amnesia: The Scarecrow suffers from this, thanks to the Water of Oblivion.
- Evil Gloating: Fitz's habit of this helps lead to his downfall.
- Feuding Families: As it's revealed, the Gales and the Wicked Witches have been enemies for many generations. The feud finally ends with the friendship between Dorothy and West.
- Forgetful Jones: Scarecrow sacrificed his own memory to the Waters of Oblivion to protect Glinda's secrets (no one could force the information out of him if he couldn't remember it). However, this affected his ability to form new memories, and now he has trouble remembering anything.
- Friend-or-Idol Decision: Two in succession during the climax of the first episode. First, West chooses to stand by Dorothy and Ojo rather than leave with Fitz, then Dorothy sacrifices the Ozonium she needs to get home in order to save West, Ojo, and everyone else Taken for Granite by Fitz.
- Functional Magic: The rules are briefly discussed by Ojo, but appear to be a combination of Rule Magic and Inherent Gift.
- Goth Girls Know Magic: Goths probably don't exist in Oz, but West, the group's resident witch, certainly ticks most of the boxes: dresses in black, in a style that is a mixture of old and modern; has violet hair worn in a punkish style; pale skin; Deadpan Snarker...
- Green and Mean: Played with. West's skin is perfectly normal colored, but when her greedy side comes out, she gets a Sickly Green Glow. Seeing this helps her to snap out of it.
- Grows on Trees: The lunchpail tree planted by Ojo and his father, which is Exactly What It Says on the Tin. The contents of the pails varies from year to year.
- Guardian Entity: The giant (and apparently mute) Lookout of the Emerald City, initially stuck as a statue.
- Hat of Power: Fitz controls the flying monkeys with a device set in his bowler hat.
- Heel–Face Turn: Fitz is convinced to turn things around after getting lost in the Yellow Brick Line tunnels and getting caught by the Growlywogs.
- Hold Your Hippogriffs: Lampshaded by Dorothy and Reigh.Dorothy: How long would it take to hack every screen in the city?
Reigh: Two shakes of a Woozy's tail.
Dorothy: No point of reference for that.
Reigh: ...ah, like thirty seconds. - Honest John's Dealership: A sleazy amphibian who passes off battery-powered tricks as 'magic'. Attempts to rip off Dorothy, but West sees straight through him. The Night Market under the city is filled with his ilk.
- Imagination-Based Superpower: Magic appears to work like this, appearing as a colorful shapeshifting sand when West and Fitz uses it.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: West has a definite sarcastic streak and some ambition issues, but shows some kindness first when Dorothy is depressed over the thought she might not be able to get home, and then stands up to Fitz rather than abandon her friends.
- Magic Eater: Fitz, using his staff, has the power to drain magic from anyone born with it. It's mentioned the Nomes can do it as well.
- The Magic Goes Away: The situation in Oz when Dorothy shows up, thanks to Fitz hoarding it all. Seeing as how Dorothy needs magic to get home, this is a bit of a problem.
- Magitek: Emerald City appears to run on it, though the magic has been running dry as of late.
- Mineral Macguffin: Ozonium, stated to be the rarest and most powerful magic within Oz, essential to getting Dorothy home, and per Ojo it's started more than one war. It barely plays any part in the plot, post-pilot; the real MacGuffin of the series being the Pearl of Pingaree.
- My God, What Have I Done?: West, after she has aided Langwidere in taking over Oz, and discovers just what an evil tyrant a Langwidere-in-power is.
- Mythology Gag: Oh, how many. Just to mention a few:
- The salesfrog mentions the echo jar comes from "the hills of Quadling Country"
- West attends the Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs Middle School, named after the Wizard's Overly Long Name in the original book.
- The advertisements in the Lookout's plaza include one for "Axe of Love", featuring a tin man-esque metal heart.
- Fitz controls the flying monkeys with a device set in his bowler hat. In the original Wizard of Oz novel, the Wicked Witch of the West commanded them with a magical cap.
- Not in Kansas Anymore: Naturally, Dorothy's reaction to the streets of the Emerald City. Twice, even — in the second season when she finally manages to get all her friends back to Oz, the line is said in triumph rather than the normal confusion.
- Platonic Life-Partners: Glinda and the Scarecrow seems to have had this dynamic.
- Portal Book: The magic journal that brings Dorothy to Oz. Although the book is more like magical trinket than a traditional Portal Book.
- Portal Door: Upon arriving in Oz, Dorothy first meets a living brick wall, with a door in his back that leads to his office, where he's waiting for her.
- Royal Brat: Roquat, at least until circumstances kick off some much-needed Character Development.
- Rube Goldberg Device: Dorothy likes to build these.
- Secret Legacy:
- Dorothy's mother knew about the magic book underneath their house, and clearly has been to Oz before.
- Langwidere is West's aunt, which she didn't know about until much later.
- Dorothy is actually the great-granddaughter of the Dorothy we know from the book and movie.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Unlike most versions with Dorothy being raised by her aunt and uncle, her mother is still very much alive and part of the plot. Dorothy still has a Disappeared Dad, though.Then again, this version is a descendant of the original.
- String Theory: Dorothy builds up one using Reigh's evidence wall, but it (initially) proves useless when everything appears to be connected to everything else.
- Super Cell Reception: Slightly subverted. Dorothy and her mother exchange a brief conversation that helps her work out how to use her book while in the tornado, only for the connection to fail once she leaves Kansas behind completely.
- Taken for Granite: Anyone who has their magic drained becomes a stone statue. Later on, the Nome scepter has the power to turn people into glass ornaments.
- They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: The first villain turns out to be Fitz, apparently a dorky young clerk Dorothy met right after landing in Oz. Later villains, such as Langwidere and Guph, have more clearly villainous designs.
- Trapped in Another World: Dorothy's situation after the tornado drops her house off in the Emerald City.
- Urban Fantasy: More or less this version of Oz, with the Emerald City as a high-tech metropolis.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: Fitz has a habit of pulling this off in early episodes. It stops happening as more competent villains start taking center stage.
