Phineas and Ferb
There’s 104 days of summer vacation and school comes along just to end it. So the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend it. That is the problem posed to teenagers Phineas and Ferb who find fantastical ways to spend their summer vacantion.
Phineas and Ferb is an animated series that ran on the Disney Channel from 2007 to 2015. It stars Vincent Martella as Phineas, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Ferb and Ashley Tisdale as Candance.
Candace is the sister of Phineas and step-sister of Ferb who is always trying to bust them during their escapades. However, she never manages to catch them in the act.
The cast is rounded out with Caroline Rhea playing their mother, Richard O’Brien as their father and Alyson Stoner as Isabella, the across-the-street neighbor who crushes on Phineas.
Ashley, Caroline, and Alyson are also in the Suite Life of Zack Cody. This isn’t a coincidence as Disney likes to reuse actors in their other productions.
Phineas and Ferb has a strange subplot in every episode involving their pet. Perry the Platypus (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) appears to be a normal platypus but when nobody’s watching he becomes something else.
He’s a spy who constantly fights the evil Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire).
Perry’s battles with Heinz usually connects to Phineas and Ferb in the end. It’s an ongoing joke that makes this show different to anything else on the Disney Channel and Disney Plus.
Furthermore, it manages to utilize one of its main characters being silent for the majority very well. Even though Ferb has an actor voicing him, he is mostly silent except for an odd time and when he’s singing.
As Phineas and Ferb is the longest-running Disney animated show it seems like it’ll take a while to watch through it. Instead, here are several episodes from the four seasons that ran for eight years that are definitely worth watching.
Luckily, most of the stories are self-contained so there’s little need for much backstory.
Season 1, Episode 1 Rollercoaster is as it suggests. It’s the pilot for Phineas and Ferb and introduces audiences to the whacky ideas of the series. The plot sees Phineas and Ferb build a rollercoaster in their backyard.
Their mother goes shopping and leaves Candace in charge “conditionally”. She tries to take it seriously but ends up on a call to her best friend talking about her crush. Meanwhile, the episode introduces the audience to the other side of Perry the Platypus.
Season 1, Episode 3 Flop Starz is a parody of the quick turnaround of becoming famous through reality television. Candace enters The Next Super American Pop Teen Idol Star hoping to become famous.
However, she hears there’s a new hot and happening band at the Mall. When she checks on them, she finds it’s Phineas and Ferb with their own band.
The episode is the first time Gitchee Gitchee Goo is heard. It’s a well-known song from the series that features the lyrics “bow chicka bow-wow”. I’d say it’s an interesting episode as Candace looks at her brothers as her ticket to stardom, rather than nuisances.
Season 2, Episode 17 Oh, There You Are, Perry is a sad episode. Perry the Platypus finds out his current villain is no longer a threat. He’s assigned to a new villain and a new family. He doesn’t want to leave Phineas and Ferb behind, especially when he hears them looking for him.
With his status ruined, Doofenshmirtz goes after the new villain to reclaim his top-tier status. Meanwhile, Candance feels guilty after shouting at Perry and thinking she made him run away.
Season 2, Episode 28 Isabella and the Temple of Sap is different from the others. This one focuses on Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, the across-the-street neighbor. She leads her Fireside Girls Troup to the Old Abandoned Old Abandoned Amusement Park. Their mission is to collect the sap from the maracanut tree.
In true fashion to the show, Isabella’s pet has its own side story. Her pet dog, Pinky, is also a secret agent who needs to stop Professor Poofenplotz from stealing hairspray. Phineas and Ferb only have a small role in the episode. Although, Isabella’s reason for finding the sap is because Phineas needs it.
Season 3, Episode 46 Agent Doof changes the status quo for certain characters. Perry the Platypus arrives at his cubicle to find his nemesis has changed his ways.
He is now working for the agency but accidentally reveals the secret identity of one of its agents. Now, Perry and Doofenshmirtz work together to save the agent.
Phineas and Ferb are turned into babies and Candace needs to look after them. She thinks they did it to themselves and decides this can be her chance to finally catch the two in the act. However, nothing is as clear as it seems.
Season 3, Episode 34 Blackout sees Doofenshmirtz accidentally destroying the town’s electricity. He is trying to give himself big, sad eyes to make people pity him but that doesn’t work out well for him.
The blackout doesn’t stop Phineas and Ferb from a new creation. They make an invention in the blackout but nobody can see it. This aggravates Candace who wants to figure out what it is. She wants to expose them once and for all.
Season 4, Episode 22 Mission Marvel is a crossover with Marvel Entertainment. It brings in Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor and the Incredible Hulk. It’s a must-watch for every fan of Marvel and this show.
It’s an interesting take where Doofenschmitz robs the heroes of their powers. Red Skull, Whiplash, Venom and M.O.D.O.K team-up with Doofenshmitz to wreak havoc.
Candace tries to help Phineas and Ferb restore the powers of the heroes. Unfortunately, her help does more harm than good and creates friction between her and Phineas. They’ll need to put that friction aside though if they want to save the world.
Season 4, Episode 47 Act Your Age is an episode with a time-jump. It starts with the creators of the show reading fan questions. One fan wonders if the audience will ever see the characters grown-up. The creators say this is the episode where it happens. For one time only.
It centers around a teenage Phineas having to decide between two colleges and realizing Isabella has a crush on him. Ferb and their friends want to bring the two together before Isabella leaves for college. As for Perry, well his nemesis is no longer evil and only wants to have a midlife crisis.
It seems the story of Phineas and Ferb isn’t fully over at Disney just yet. Later this year, Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candance Against the Universe is releasing. The story sees Phineas and Ferb having to rescue Candance from an alien abduction. Most of the original voice cast will be returning for it.
If its IMDb page is to be believed then the movie releases in July 2020 on Disney+.
