Review: We Bare Bears “Panda 2“

“I always feel like somebody’s watching me!”

Overview ( Spoilers Below)

The episode kicks off in a Chinese facility as Baby Panda happily lives in a closed off environment for study, but when he’s given a new friend, and names it “Panda 2”, is primarily where the plot starts to actually pick up. A good chunk of the episode’s running time is mostly spent on Panda speaking to the plush in a way that mirror’s the Tom Hanks/Wilson dynamic from Cast Away. The scenes themselves all seem cute at first, but with the Truman Show-esque hidden camera’s blending into the artificial scenery, you can’t help but feel a genuine sense of unease that raises more questions than answers.

By the 3rd act, Panda’s sheltered worldview is left both shaken and amazed when he discovers a concrete wall that has a window with an unsupervised room with a TV left on which exposes Panda to various pieces of pop culture including a Sailor Moon-esque Anime show. When Panda cleverly escapes, it’s not without consequences as the Chinese zookeepers try to find him and because of his tiny stature, Panda manages to escape but is unable to leave with Panda-2 out the window. The episode ends on a bittersweet note when Panda waves farewell to Panda-2 while sneaking into a Bamboo supply truck that drives him to the city.

Our Take

I first thought this was a sequel to a previous episode somewhere along the lines of what Icy Nights 2 was with Ice Bear’s solo-adventures, but the title itself stems from what Panda names the plush since Panda himself wore a collar with the words “Panda-1” on it.

Panda’s relationship with the plush left me wondering if the plush itself was projecting Panda’s subconscious desires to explore the outside world or if it was just dumb luck that he just discovered that wall with a window and TV out of happenstance after meeting the plush. But given that this flashback takes place in China, I’m more interested to know how Panda came to America where he eventually meets Grizz & Ice Bear and considers them his brothers.