Original Airdate: April 26, 2017
Written & Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström & Aleks Sennwald
Though it’s presented as one, continuous story, Elements could easily be separated into two parts, with its second half feeling different in its goals of storytelling. Slime Central introduces Lumpy Space Princess as a major player of this miniseries, and wow, it feels like forever since she’s gotten a chance to shine! I’ll be honest, I was a bit perplexed and somewhat put off by the idea of Elements turning into an LSP based developmental story, but time has treated these next few episodes exceptionally well. I genuinely dig her role in the miniseries, and think it may provide for her best role in the series to date.
The warped Slime Kingdom can be best described as gorgeously ugly. So much detail was put into making it as phlegm-y and nauseating as possible. Slime Central cleverly doesn’t rely entirely on the grossness of its landscape, however, as a majority of the episode takes place within an illuminated roller skating rink, covered in lovely shades of aqua and green. As expected, it looks terrific, and really takes advantage in making beauty out of obscenity.
Tying in with each elemental theme, Slime Central also has fun with its atmosphere of vivaciousness by turning the episode into one, big party. I will say that this is probably the weakest of the environments explored on a tonal level. Candy is delightfully creepy, ice is irresistibly moody, fire plays around with the concept of self-control, while slime is limited to being a mildly fun romp. It may be just a touch overcrowded with character cameos as well; I loved seeing DJ Elder Plops in action, but Party Pat and Breakfast Princess are two characters of whom I don’t care much for that take up a good portion of the spotlight. Though, the dance sequences featuring them are pretty solidly choreographed and fun regardless, so it isn’t too much of a bother. The gimmicky names are once again enjoyable, with probably my favorite being “Spurtle Princess.” That just sounds all kinds of repulsive. Slime Princess’s design in general is a lot of fun, being adapted from a previous sketch created by Steve Wolfhard, and the idea of assimilation is another horrifyingly ludicrous concept to be added to the overall mayhem of the Elemental world. What happens when Slime Princess runs out of party folk, anyhow?
LSP’s role within this episode is decently sympathetic. I like how her passion to join the boys is fueled by her ultimate failure to conform to the standards of others. It always proves to be sad to me when LSP is rejected not because of her behavior, but because she’s genuinely looked upon as a lesser person. It’s equally fitting that a slime version of the raccoon from Be Sweet is there, reinforcing Lumpy Space Princess’s negative self view and inferiority.
The dance battle is lots of fun; I can’t remember the last time Jake’s love for viola music has played a part in the actual story of an episode, so this was a delightful surprise. LSP and Finn’s dancing is equally enjoyable. Despite the fact that their relationship is most commonly associated with LSP practically raping the little guy, I always do find that bit of charm in their chemistry: I think Finn has evolved and changed to the point where he doesn’t really consider LSP to be one of his close friends anymore, but still considers her an acquaintance, while LSP still puts all of her raw passion and emotion into her relationship with him. This is clearly portrayed in their bombastic routine, which ultimately ends up backfiring, without directly inconveniencing our main heroes. Finn ends up getting exactly what he needs, but sadly cannot save Jake in the process. I mentioned how Cloudy was essentially a standalone episode that didn’t tie-in to the events of Elements all that much, but Finn losing Jake is certainly more devastating after following their reassurance that they would get through this situation together. Finn’s reaction hits hard, even after being separated from his bro several times in the series thus far, and makes for a thoroughly compelling arc that carries through the rest of the miniseries.
Slime Central is admittedly a little bit bare bones. It’s fun and enjoyable, but there’s not a ton provided for me to feel as though it’s worth a deep analysis of character and story moments. It’s definitely one of the more forgettable Elements entries, though again, not for any specific negative reasons beyond the fact that it just isn’t as interesting as its sister episodes. A passable entry, but nothing too impactful or funny to chew on.
Favorite line: “The crowd-pleasing climax where the beautiful underdog gets the hunk. Rom-com style!”
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