“The Star” Review

Original Airdate: September 21, 2023

Written & Storyboarded by: Iggy Craig, Graham Falk, Jacob Winkler & Sonja Von Marensdorff

And we’re back!! Was a bit burnt out by Fionna and Cake but the time I got to the sixth episode review, so I figured instead of forcing myself to muster up the inspiration to get through those last few episodes, I’d take time away to do other stuff and eventually return back. Since then, we’ve also gotten some exciting news – the show has been renewed for a second season! Of course, that means I continue to be trapped in a reality where I’m stuck reviewing Adventure Time episodes for the rest of my life, but hey, at least we’ll get to see more of sexy adult Finn probably!! In all seriousness, I do pretty much plan on continuing this gig as long as I have to drive to do it. I definitely don’t have the same passion as I used to – I started this project about 8 years ago now and I could churn out reviews like crazy, now it takes me weeks to complete just one! But I love AT and it will always have a special place in my heart, so it’s always a treat to get to return to it time and time again. And hey, this blog has actually never had more views! I was shocked to see that last year performed better than it ever did during the show’s original run, which is really, really cool to see. Thank you to all the devoted readers over the years, you are appreciated endlessly!

My gushing aside, let’s get to the real MEAT here. The Star takes us through yet another alternate reality of Ooo, and serves as the unofficial spiritual successor to Stakes. I mean unofficial pretty loosely, because they even brought back the tarot naming conventions with “The Star.” I’m not really a tarot expert or anything, but just scanning over explanations online, I can only assume the reversed meaning most directly correlates with Marcy’s portrayal. On The Tarot Guide, specifically with love in mind, the reverse description reads:

“The Star reversed indicates loneliness and lack of faith in the universe’s plan for you. You may be feeling like you will never meet the right person for you. You may feel that you are becoming cynical about love.”

A large chunk of this is an exploration of Marceline and Bubblegum’s relationship through multiple different iterations, and displaying that, regardless of intent, the passion they share for each other is relatively unchanging. Though Fionna and Cake’s world finds their incarnations in the least toxic of situations, the vampire world features a different type of dependency. Bubblegum has devoted her life to bringing down Marceline and the Vampire King, while Marceline views PB more as a playmate than an actual person. Despite claiming to have zero feelings of affection towards her adversary, PB sure has devoted much of her life around the downfall of said opponent. Even more so than the Vampire King, apparently! Marceline claims that Bubblegum shouldn’t be underestimated, but really, I think she probably could take her out more easily than she lets on. The reason their rivalry spans across so many meetings between the two (enough for Marceline to know that PB’s first name is “Bonnibel”) is because Marcy is restraining herself just a bit in the spirit of fun.

While the Stakes miniseries tackles Marceline’s struggle with feeling as if she can never truly grow as a person, The Star plays with a version of Marceline that never developed out of her childhood worldview. The way she interacts with both PB and the Vampire King prove how infantile her version of connections are, in a way that I don’t think that pain described in the tarot reading is even felt in a conscious way by herself. She only knows how “human” connectedness works from the perspective of a seven-year-old mind, which was likely instantly warped when meeting with the VK. The Vampire King returns once more in this one, with Billy Brown reprising his role. With the amount of tertiary characters that got recasted this season, it’s pretty cool to see they got Brown back, even for such a small role. I do wish he got a biiit more to do, only because Stakes provided us with hints of a really cool character, somewhat squashed it, and then never really did anything with him again. He gets a few neat moments here (namely the scene where VK tries to allure a vulnerable Cake) but is mostly around to drive forward how much Marceline’s motivations have shifted without Simon around.

The episode admittedly has a bit too much fun with Bubblegum and Marceline’s dynamic that it slightly overshadows Simon and Marcy’s connection to each other, but I kind of prefer it that way. There’s a few moments that reinforce how much Simon’s presence had an impact on Marceline’s life, but I didn’t need the whole episode to be devoted around that. We already know that from everything we’ve seen in the series up to this point and it simply serves as an important reminder for Simon when he’s at his lowest, especially considering that he initially figured that Marceline would be fine without him in the flashback shown at the beginning of the season. Although, it was even a bit on-the-nose to have Simon call VK a bad dad, but I like how much of a dork Simon is so I’ll let it pass.

Gary and Marshall continue to be very cute and the entire blood drive event parallel was quite fun. Once again, we’re treated to a lot of different genderbent cameos, this time with a special Jesse Moynihan theme! You’ve got lookalikes of Xergiok, Bandit Princess, Ron James, Magic Man, Maja, Crabbit, Samantha, Tiny Manticore, and even some deep cuts like Gridface Princess, Bella Nocce, and the demon guard. Moynihan’s presence on the show is surely missed, so this is a great little tribute to him (P.S. check out his project Jesus 2 if you haven’t yet!) Along with some other character additions like Eberhardt, Ricardio, and Caroll (did you expect Steve Wolfhard to not bring her back as a genderbent character?) And of course, you have the big reveal of Hunson Abadeer’s counterpart, aptly just as dancey and cruel as her male stand-in. She’s also kind of a baddie! I had to look up who actually voiced her and was surprised to see it’s Erica Luttrell, who portrayed Elise back in Obsidian. A great casting choice, especially since she’s essentially just portraying different versions of Marcy’s mom. Also a nice touch – Tom Kenny voices the male version of Maja, who was portrayed in the original series by his wife, Jilly Talley. Granted, Kenny only has one line of “well!” and I’m sure they just had him do it because he was already in the booth, but I’d imagine at least ONE staff member made the connection.

We’re also treated to some alternate versions of other recurring characters in the vampire world – namely Huntress and Martin. It’s pretty cool how Huntress’s human form is marked only by the lack of there being any source of magic for her with the sun being covered up – though I’d imagine the sun isn’t the only thing that makes her a magic user. It also curious that her name is just “Huntress”; at this point I’m wondering if it’s just a Doctor Princess-esque surname for all of her incarnations. Martin returns once again in a much nobler light. I was kind of wondering what the real purpose was of showing that Martin and baby Finn (who stowed away from baby world) were able to bond together in Martin’s current state. Similar to what I said about Simon and Marcy, we already know that Martin’s capable of showing love under the right circumstances. However, I think this kind of works hand-in-hand with what is being shown between Bubblegum and Marceline: that Martin and Finn have a connection pretty much across all (or most) universes where they coincide. Even in this case, across several universes! It’s interesting to think that such a tumultuous relationship that we’ve come to know is somewhat bound by a strong connections across the multiverse.

We also have the titular alternate reality versions of Bubblegum and Marceline, whose dynamic I’ve spoken heavily about, though not their individual roles. Honestly, while I love how their relationship plays out and parallels the interactions between Marshall and Gary, I don’t love these depictions of the characters that much. I think Bubblegum’s characterization is a little too standard in playing into post-apocalyptic survivalist tropes – it just doesn’t really feel engaging to me when it’s an archetype that I’ve seen across so many different pieces of media, and even then, it’s not an archetype I love in general. I don’t really have a problem with Marceline’s depiction and how it plays into a more childlike version of herself, but I dunno, I don’t really think I like Olivia Olson’s delivery here? It’s a bit too… theatrical? I can’t really articulate what does and doesn’t work for me about the performance, and maybe it’s more so the dialogue that was given to her, but something about it just didn’t jibe with me. Which I know I’m probably gonna get shit for because I’m pretty sure this is the one episode that everyone really got into, but it’s nothing like, awful to me. Like I said, I still really like their dynamic and I do think there’s interesting things to explore with their individual portrayals, namely that Bubblegum still needs to be validated by her own accomplishments and is still vulnerable to deep insecurities beyond her gruff exterior. I just wasn’t swayed by the anime vampire dresses. Sue me!

Oh yeah, and Fionna and Cake are here too! Remember them? I feel bad for anyone that comes to this blog wanting me to whip up paragraphs upon paragraphs of Fionna and Cake’s character journeys, but like, I just don’t have all that much to say! As I’ve mentioned, I don’t think anything with them is especially bad (except for some moments we’ll be exploring in the next episode), but their arcs just kind of speak for themselves and there’s not a ton I feel that is needed to be said that wouldn’t be just reiterating what the episode is showing. You have Fionna feeling guilty in her inability to be able to make a difference through her actions, even when they are out of goodwill, and Cake’s fight for wanting her own autonomy in her new self-sufficient form. It’s all fine stuff, it’s just never something I feel the need to dig deeper into/what I’m particularly drawn to with this season as a whole. Which sounds kind of harsh for a show that’s primarily about them, but I do think each episode comes with its own unique sense of individuality and explores the nature of multiple worlds in a super intriguing way that I don’t really mind that I’m not drawn to them as much! Just be grateful if you’re not a Scarab fan, because I have even less to say about him.

I do mostly dig this one overall, even purely from an aesthetic perspective. It’s got a really great, bleak look to it all, especially in the background department. Which, you think would get less interesting when hopping over the human world, but DAMN, I love the way Hana Abadeer’s stain glass tower looks and really meshes with the gothic tone that the episode is going for. In general, it serves up some very bleak imagery (that the next episode also really excels with) such as vampire world Simon’s lifeless body and, what might be my favorite shot in the entire season, the dead body of Billy with the words “turn back” written on a rock. Quite haunting atmosphere throughout, though I will say, most of the wall writings in this one feel a little lackluster. I live in Philadelphia, so I’m used to seeing super soul-crushing things on bar bathroom walls that could easily rival any graffiti included in a post-apocalyptic landscape. But, as desolate as it feels, the world is also equally as invigorating. The high-adrenaline vampire fight sequences are great, with some really great boarded action, cool Cake transformations, and a solid score to boot. This is probably my favorite of the episodes Amanda Jones scored this season. The track “Vampire World,” which was released as part of the official soundtrack, perfectly captures the frantic energy of the scene it’s in and feels like it encompasses a lot of the spirit of what Tim Kiefer brought to the table in the original series.

The Star is another solid one from the season, and though I don’t think I loved it as much as most people did, there’s no denying that it’s a decent amount of fun. Like the few before it, I really enjoy how it plays with the concept of the multiverse, not showing us entirely different versions of the characters we know, but playing around with what makes them tick across pretty much every realm. I was initially kind of opposed to the idea of having all of these major characters show up throughout the season, because I wanted the franchise to evolve out of needing them to tell stories. But I think exploring these different looks into their lives are insightful not only for themselves as individuals, but for the scope of the world as a whole.

This episode’s little staff tidbit comes from Derek Ballard, who whipped up some concept designs for vampires and Marceline’s second outfit in this episode, which can be seen here. Ballard boarded a few episodes during the run of the original series (Breezy and Nemesis) and also created some of my favorite title cards in the entire show for Betty, Wake Up, Breezy, and Nemesis. It’s great to see another alum back, and even greater that one of his designs did make it into the episode! Sorry I was dissing on the anime dresses earlier!

Favorite line: “How could you bring a child into this world?”

“Simon Petrikov” Review

Original Airdate: August 31, 2023

Written & Storyboarded by: Iggy Craig, Graham Falk, Jim Campbell & Lucyola Langi

Hope y’all are diggin’ the new site updates! I went a bit manic last week with messing around with the layout and testing out different images and styles. Hopefully you weren’t too alarmed hopping around on the site at that point in time – everything should be squared away for the time being!

One thing I love about AT is the motif they’ve committed to over the years with naming episodes after main characters, and usually use that episode space to demonstrate how that particular character ticks. I kinda figured Fionna Campbell was just using it as an opportunity to showcase the more humanized world of F&C, but the rest of the season mostly commits to working hand-in-hand with this theme. Simon Petrikov, of course, delves into the psyche of Simon as he continues to try to get adjusted to his life after being Ice King for so long. And, in terms of how these episodes typically go, this one is particularly grim. Finn the Human showed that Finn is just generally a very selfless person no matter what his circumstances in life are like. Jake the Dog demonstrated how Jake typically goes with the flow even in the midst of certain disaster. Marceline the Vampire Queen depicted Marceline’s struggles with her own inability to change and her making a conscious effort to try to progress in a very stagnant world. Bonnibel Bubblegum got to the root of PB’s wildly naïve perspective gained from ruling over others in a less mature state of mind. Simon Petrikov is really just about how Simon doesn’t want to be alive. Sad!

A lot of the foundation for Simon’s arc throughout the season is laid out pretty early on in Simon Petrikov. The flashback scene with Simon and young Marcy pretty much sums up Simon’s fears of having to be comfortable in his own skin, and it makes sense. So much of what we know about him up to this point is that he had a deep connection with Marceline and a deep connection with Betty. Aside from his own interest in anomalies, his identity is really built around the idea of how much he cares for these two people, so it’s not really hard to believe that he was kind of dependent on them. Not to say that Simon’s not a good egg – he’s not some egomaniac who uses people for his own wellbeing. But so much of his identity has been built around his dedication to others that there’s never really been much flex time to develop himself beyond that. Which would probably be easier to stomach if that was the only problem he’s having, but add in the fact that he’s been out of his mind for 1,000 years and he has no one that he can actually relate to and you have a real recipe for a madman.

The Cheers theme song comes in once more to really hammer in those feelings of isolation that nag at Simon. His desires for escapism are all laid out in the lyrics themselves and I think Cheers in general is a show that Simon has some sort of sick relationship with. We see him watching it at the beginning, but I don’t even think he likes it! It’s the one piece of media that reminds him of his own humanity but makes him feel equally isolated through his inability to actually achieve even the mundanity of going to a bar and connecting with others (which, more on that later). It doesn’t help that he’s essentially an alien in the eyes of Ooo residents. His day consists of explaining what ironing is like to former Islanders and getting roasted by a little girl about how he used to be really cool when he wasn’t himself. It was cool seeing the newly established Human City after the events of Come Along With Me, and even cooler recognizing their expressions as a staple of Graham Falk’s boarding! Falk returned to the series as a board artist after being absent from Distant Lands. It’s a little bit more difficult this time around to pick up on the style of individual artists, but the expressions of the humans, the monobrows, and the way everyone will occasionally stand at a very titled angle have him written all over it. It was good to see that element of familiarity while I continue to get to understand the newer writers and board artists better.

Speaking of newer board artists, Iggy Craig has also returned to the series after working on the first three Distant Lands specials! His boarding begins after Simon breaks down and closes up shop. Craig’s drawings of Simon are really spectacular, nailing all of his pent up disdain in really expressive ways; Simon rubbing his face in frustration, longingly staring at the statue of GOLB, and all of the wonderful close-ups of Simon’s discomfort in the bar are courtesy of Craig. Hopping into the bar scene, this whole section of the episode is really great. Part of the fun of the series being rated TV-14 is that they can have Simon be a straight-up alcoholic! But it’s not the escapist fantasy that the Cheers theme song promised – Simon’s not able to take a break from all of his worries at Dirt Beer Guy’s Tavern. Instead, he’s once again faced with a community of people he can’t relate to, constantly reminded by those around him of his troubled past, and left to get drunk off of poorly mixed cocktails. Of course, that’s not to say that everything facing Simon is purely antagonistic. Those around him aren’t trying to make him feel bad, but they really only know one side of him and I don’t really get the feeling that Simon really has a grasp on who he is outside of the fact that he used to be Ice King. And that he’s an antiquarian, but I don’t know how much of a use that position has in an area like Ooo. So the reminders from his past by the likes of Dirt Beer Guy aren’t exactly compassionate, but DBG’s at least trying to connect with Simon on some level that he thinks might make him feel important. Also, holy shit, adult Finn!!!!!!!!

I knew we were going to get a little bit of a glimpse into his ventures based on the Fionna and Cake trailers, but I assumed it would all be limited to multiverse stuff. I didn’t expect for him to just hop in and be featured in a majority of this episode, but honestly, I loved it. The glimpses we get from adult Finn’s life are almost exactly what I would expect his late 20s/early 30s to be like: still selfless and affable, still very repressed emotionally after losing Jake, and a bit of a himbo. His interactions with Simon hit on the same missteps that Dirt Beer Guy covered; Finn’s not trying to be malicious or make Simon feel bad, but wants him to lighten up a bit. It’s just not what Simon wants to hear. Of course, it also makes sense why Finn wouldn’t be able to relate to this issue either. Despite his humanity, he’s grown up surrounded by magic his entire life, so he’s not exactly the key person to necessarily relate to his problems either. I think of all Simon’s turmoil, the moment that hits the most for me is when he discusses dressing up like Ice King in order to cope. What started out as a silly gag in Obsidian is painted as a moment of true baggage for him. The way Simon looks at Finn when he mentions it, probably assuming that Finn would probably be horrified when he heard that, shows how deeply ashamed he is of it. Of course, this gets a bit too heavy for everyone involved, so Finn counteracts it the only way he knows how – by taking Simon on an adventure.

I did just mention that Finn was selfless and I think that dedicating his entire day to making Simon feel better is a clear indicator of that. But it’s also clear that this is something that would cheer Finn up, not necessarily Simon. In a lot of ways, I think Finn has become more similar to Jake in his adult life. Jake was never too savvy when it came to dealing with emotional turmoil and would usually resort to mostly surface-level modes of cheering Finn up, like taking him on a quest in Dungeon Train to help him deal with his break-up or providing him with a shit-ton of waffles in The Music Hole. It’s not because Jake is careless, he just only really knows what would personally make him feel better based on his own life experiences. Finn seems to be operating in the same way, with the added factor that he is likely carrying his own heavy baggage of moving through life without Jake, and has found his own ways to distract himself so he doesn’t spiral. Also, really sweet how he’s hanging out with TV in this episode after being seen traveling with Bronwyn in Obsidian. He’s a great uncle! Also nice to see that he still kicks ass and slays beasts as an adult. Come Along With Me left me a bit perplexed with how it left off Finn’s character, in that he kind of followed the Steven Universe route of pacifism that just didn’t necessarily seem fully true to the sensibilities of the character. In hindsight, it seems clear that this move was a life lesson for him that not all of his problems can be solved by fighting, but he’s still open to fucking shit up every now and then. I also love the added bonus of him quietly thanking the beast for its sacrifice. Man is totally picking up all of that woo-woo stuff from hanging out with Huntress Wizard and I love it. HW gets a few mentions in passing and I think it’s pretty apparent that the two still are romantically involved, or at the very least still very connected. I like to think that they have a relationship similar to Jake and Lady’s in the early days, where Finn and HW mostly live their own lives but are still very connected and understanding of each other’s boundaries. Also, they definitely have passionate forest sex in the brink of the night. This I’m certain of.

The quest with Simon goes about as well as one would expect it to go. Simon clearly isn’t into it and is generally mortified by the array of (very cool looking) beasts. That’s not to say that the trip is devoid of pleasures, as Simon and Finn have a very sweet moment by a campfire. I really love the little sentiments of Simon sharing some old outdoorsy stories with Finn, and (I’m going to be saying this a lot in these reviews) Tom Kenny does a terrific job at delivering these lines with a full sense of sincerity. It seems like Simon is actually starting to find connection through sharing these stories, but is once again bogged down when recounting Betty’s presence. This is probably where Finn could’ve been more supportive in letting Simon vent his frustrations, but again, he’s operating from a stance of survival from falling down an emotional rabbit hole. Of course, this backfires and their trip is cut short. It’s cool to see that, despite Finn’s adversity towards emotion, he does seem to embrace the wisdom he learned in his developmental stages. Namely, he blindfolds himself to find a way out of the forest, akin to The Hall of Egress! Really missing Tom Herpich having a vital role in the series, so this was as good a homage as ever. The two part ways (the way Finn flaps his hand as he’s talking offscreen kills me) as Finn exclaims, “I love fixing people!” What a sweet lil traumatized boy.

We get the return of Rebecca Sugar in song form, as “Part of the Madness” plays over Simon aimlessly walking through a disconnected landscape. I’m basic, but this is probably my favorite song from the season. It’s always really nice to have Sugar show up in any capacity and I just think there is something evergreen about her singing voice and the tunes she plays. There’s just something so relaxing yet somber in everything she produces, I truly think she can do no wrong when it comes to music. Looking forward to her upcoming solo album as well! And speaking of Sugar staples, we get an instance of Simon finally attempting to reach out and connect with Marceline, to no avail. She’s too preoccupied having fun with PB, in what is probably the worst timing ever. I think Simon talking to her is something that Marceline would totally be open to, but having her seem totally enmeshed with her own life wasn’t really motivation for him to open up any further. I’ve seen a lot of people annoyed at Marceline’s behavior in this instance, but I think it simply can just be chalked up to the relationship between a parent and their adult child. I think as a child you kind of just automatically assume that your parents are always doing fine because they don’t generally keep their struggles hidden, and it’s difficult for a parent to open up because they don’t want to weigh down someone that they’re supposed to be taking care of. I think it was all done as a way of playing out their dynamic as they continued to become reacquainted following Simon’s revival.

The way I really knew Adventure Time was back in full force was seeing the reveal that Evil Choose Goose is now being kept captive in Simon’s apartment. What is more AT than setting up a big cliffhanger for what’s to come only to unceremoniously reintroduce it in a very underwhelming way?? Of course, I don’t really mean that as a legitimate criticism. I don’t think I really wanted a series that featured Choose Goose as the main antagonist, so this was a fun little twist to wrap up that previous teaser. Also, I will never understand what the fucking obsession is with Choose Goose all of a sudden. Dude appeared like, 5 times total in the original series and currently he shows up every 10 minutes in every Adventure Time iteration now. It’s almost like they got rid of the snail but couldn’t cope with the idea of not having any reoccurring character show up in every episode. Speaking of the snail, that dude is dead now apparently! It felt like this was a final attempt from the crew to distance themselves from him after he re-appeared in Together Again. Though I guess that didn’t work too well either because he appears a few other times in Fionna and Cake. They just can’t get rid of the lil guy. The final scene with Simon attempting to make contact with GOLBetty is a great, tense conclusion. Come Along With Me definitely made me a bit more hungry for more content dedicated to GOLB, and jumping into that with a dark, ritualistic spell was enough to get me sucked back in. The episode wraps up with Cake exiting Simon’s mind and a brief transition into Prismo’s timeroom, showing that he’ll be more involved in what’s to come. I wonder what will happen, I say having seen every episode of this season already.

But in all seriousness, this was just what I needed to get me back into Adventure Time. Of course, I think a lot of that is incentivized by the great moments with adult Finn, but I also genuinely love all that we get from Simon too. The events of Come Along With Me left me a bit polarized, mainly because I felt like it was a bit of a copout to have Simon AND Ice King both have a happy ending. By that point in the series, I had appreciated what the show was doing with displaying Ice King as his own functioning, developed person, so it bummed me out that they gave Simon what seemed like the happier ending and just tacked on that, “oh yeah, Ice King is here and fine too I guess.” But Simon Petrikov, and the rest of the season, prove that this wasn’t necessarily a happy ending for Simon. The episode does a great job at painting just how miserable his life is and doesn’t just limit it to him missing Betty. I’m often reminded of those terrible Simon & Marcy comics from a few years ago that just dialed back on all of the sacrifices made in Come Along With Me and provided Simon with an almost unequivocal happy ending by rescuing Betty. Simon Petrikov throws those stories aside by showing very candidly how much Simon is struggling in his body, even beyond just his connection to Betty. But again, my clear bias towards adult Finn has probably bled through this entire review. We eating good with this stuff, AT fans!

My little production tidbit is that, according to a tweet by Brian A. Miller, “Part of the Madness” was a homage to the former internal tagline used at CN Studios. Of course, this might just be speculative on his part, but it’s really sweet to think about. Sugar adds a bit of a personal touch to each of her songs, so it’s not a stretch to consider that the song revolves around her considering her life outside of CN. And, with CN Studios shutting down not too long ago, it’s especially bittersweet to entertain.

Favorite line: “Why isn’t it a phone?”

“Fionna Campbell” Review

Original Airdate: August 31, 2023

Written & Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Haewon Lee & Jacob Winkler

Well, just when I think I’m done, they reel me back in!

I didn’t think I’d be reviewing Fionna & Cake. After Wizard City, I was left a bit fatigued from AT in general and having ANOTHER series announced soon exacerbated that fatigue. I love AT more than any other show, but I really didn’t want to see it going in the Star Wars route of continuing to churn out new content all the time through methods that felt particularly fanservice-y. And if you’ve followed this blog up to this point, you’d know I’m not huge on Fionna & Cake stories in general. I thought the first and (to a lesser extent) second stories were lots of fun but beyond that, the characters and world kind of felt like a chore as time went on because the team knew how popular they were and didn’t want to leave them in the dark completely. Those feelings of disinterest peaked with the episode Fionna and Cake and Fionna, which took what I thought was a totally nonsensical turn in order to maintain interest in their world (which, all things considered, it’s probably not my choice for worst AT episode anymore. But it still ain’t hot). So, with that said, I was left disheartened feeling like the staff was grasping at straws to continue the series in some capacity with a concept that fans, including myself, had already lost interest in years ago. I was pretty prepared to watch F&C but also let go of my love for the series, as I felt Distant Lands was already kind of a departure from what I personally loved about AT. To my surprise, Fionna & Cake actually reignited my interest in Adventure Time, to the point where I went from having no plans of reviewing it, to deciding to have one big write up for it, to deciding to go episode-by-episode as I would in the past. Having seen up to episode 8 by this point, I’ll add that I don’t think it’s perfect, and I’m probably more critical about it than most of the fandom seems to be. But I can’t deny the level of love that went into a lot of it and some of interesting choices made that grabbed me back in. So yeah, we’re doing it! I’ve said it before, but I’m gonna be 50 fuckin’ years old reviewing this series because I can’t get rid of it! Hopefully people are still connecting with and enjoying these write-ups, but I’ll probably be here regardless! Strap in!!

Before we get started, I also just wanted to do some housekeeping – feel free to skip this paragraph and hop into the review. I’ve been getting a lot of comments about how I messed up the season ordering and a lot of people watching for the first time and reading along were impacted by it. Truly apologize for this! As I mentioned before, the seasons were picked up and communicated to the staff in a different way than Cartoon Network would later decide to re-order them. At the time, I was kind of under the impression that this would be sorted out/fans would have their own understanding of the true season orders, but that was kind of a stupid assumption for all of new viewers joining the fanbase. Even though the season reviews I have up would still be a bit out of place, I’m open to suggestions if y’all think I should correct the order on my archives, or even just include a disclaimer at the top. Interested in suggestions, though there’s plenty of other anachronistic elements of this blog (such as how casually I would include spoilers for the future in early reviews) that I’m not sure are worth fixing or just leaving as is. Feel free to let me know – onto the review!

The introduction of the episode did immediately suck me in – the anime-esque chase scene boosted the animation bump that AT has experienced since jumping to Max (probably also benefits it that they don’t have 100 episodes to work on at once) and the art direction, mainly helmed by Jenny Yu, looks beautiful. I love the de-saturated colors and the pastel looking backgrounds. It’s pretty apparent from the start that this is going to be a dream sequence, kind of in the same sense of how the beginning of Bad Little Boy was clearly a façade to lean into the main concept of the episode. And the premise is basically all about how Fionna Campbell (it took me embarrassingly long to understand why her name wasn’t still “Mertens” in this universe) hates her life!

The transition between Adventure Time being a children’s show to Fionna & Cake being for “young adults” was one of the promises that most intrigued me about the new series. I didn’t know if this just simply meant that the characters would be able to more casually swear now (which they do) or that the scope of the series would be generally more adult in its content in dealing with serious topics. I kinda grappled with how that would even differentiate itself from the original series, because Adventure Time was really no stranger to tackling taboo subjects in the most roundabout ways. I mean, I can’t really think of any other animated series aimed at children, or adults for that matter, that so blatantly had an entire episode centered around a teenage boy having wet dreams. In execution, however, I was kind of surprised at how this change in audience came into play. Granted, there are scenes far darker than what they probably could do in the OG (with blood now!) but the worldbuilding in Fionna Campbell really sets up a universe that is supposed to connect more with with the current generation/young Millennials’ complicated view of the world around them. This feels like a natural progression – AT started out as a wacky children’s show that encapsulated the energy internet humor that was prevalent at the time. While remaining a children’s show, it did challenge its identity by maturing as it went on and dealt with the evolving reality of a child moving into young adulthood. Fionna Campbell drives home those sentiments of young adulthood by having its characters grapple with the increasingly intolerable elements of the working world and the frustrations of being comfortable in an adult body.

Fionna’s arc is very much defined by these struggles, but in a way that doesn’t necessarily paint her strictly as a victim. Something that is made clear very early on and supported by the rest of the episode is that Fionna is pretty selfish, for the most part. She doesn’t really have consideration for the people around her and kind of prioritizes her own feelings over everything. I think this could’ve easily been distorted into out-of-touch writers using Fionna as a means to project a moralistic conclusion to the current generation, but the team really seems to use it as a point of personal identification rather than judgement. Especially from a team of writers in the animation industry, where they’re essentially paid scraps to produce a high quality project that may or may not even survive the course of a year, resulting in poor job security. Living the dream! Those sentiments definitely connect to Adventure Time‘s overarching goal of having the viewer connect to its central character in the midst of an absurdist world. And even without the magic, that’s kind of what real life is! Find relatability and connection in a world that doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense, so it was a cool way of painting the world of AT in a way that felt more grounded but still exhibited a layer of weirdness to it.

That being said, I didn’t really walk away from this episode loving Fionna’s newly established character. Fionna herself was always pretty incidental in my eyes to the F&C stories (as pretty much every character was) so it’s not really that they changed her in any way that I didn’t enjoy, I just didn’t find myself super invested in her after this episode and that pretty much remains throughout the season. Her arc just feels kind of… spelled out to me? Like, those elements of her being selfish and needing to take responsibility for her own feelings are established here and then really never explored in a very interesting way beyond this point. There are some nice parts of her journey and I think Madeleine Flores does a really exceptional job at making the character naturally charismatic, but her journey throughout this season always felt secondary to me in the grand scheme of things and especially in comparison to Simon’s journey, even if they are supposed to be parallel to each other. At this point, we’re only up to eight episodes, so my feelings could change about her role in the series as it concludes. But as of right now, Fionna herself is definitely one of the lower parts of interest for me personally.

Again, that’s not to say she doesn’t have her moments. I generally think her selfish and often anarchistic behavior is pretty funny at times throughout the episode. I like the newly established dynamics between her and Marshall Lee and Gary, Prince Gumball’s human stand-in. It’s kind of interesting how Fionna’s differences from Finn also make her lean more towards the support of Marshall and less towards Gary, who is kind of a wet blanket in this world. Finn’s righteous selflessness draw him more into the direction of PB’s need for law and order, while Fionna’s interest in finding excitement is what draws her more to Marshall’s lifestyle. And in general, Gary and Marshall are great! Marshall Lee is still a lot of fun and it’s great to have Donald Glover back as the character. Glover has gotten a lot bigger in the past 10 years, so it’s really cool that he stuck with the series this long. Gary has his third voice actor in the span of his character (I don’t think ANY character has ever had that many?) Andrew Rannells portrays him now, whose credits I don’t really recognize, but he sounds strikingly similar to Keith Ferguson’s performance from Five Short Tables, so I didn’t even notice the difference at first. Marshall Lee’s short song was also a nice addition, written by Pat McHale and Somvilay Xayaphone. It’s great to have both of those boys back in some capacity!

As for the rest of the cast of characters, I wasn’t really to keen on going through the various different character cameos. There were some fun additions, like “Ellis P.” as a homeless animal whisperer and the return of relatively obscure F&C characters, like Butterscotch Butler (or Beatrice, in this version). I just feel like we kinda already went through the schtick of showing alternate versions of Ooo denizens to the point where it just isn’t really that engaging anymore. Adventure Time has always been a series that embraces hiding Easter eggs and referencing past episodes and characters, but there’s points when I think Fionna & Cake uses these hallmarks a bit too frequently. Having alternate versions of recognizable Ooo residents in every universe makes the scope feel a bit too small at times and having the crux of Fionna Campbell feature character cameos large and small leaves the story itself feeling a bit thin. In general, I felt the hop from the franchise mainly consisting of 11 minute episodes to now nearly 30 minute episodes was perhaps most noticeable early on. A lot of Fionna Campbell feels like it’s just kind of beating around the bush for most of its runtime in a way that didn’t always grab me. I know they wanted to take their time and make the new world feel lived in and real, but there were some sequences that just lingered on a bit too long for me, most notably the bus scene.

There were plenty of other small bits I enjoyed. I liked all the hints at the world connecting to Simon, such as the Betty statue and Cheers playing on every channel (is this the first time we see real life media portrayed in AT? I love how Pen is the voice of Norm as well). Cake as a normal cat was suuuuper cute, I’m a sucker for all of the cat gags the season has to offer. I also really like the beginning song by Zuzu and Kurran Karbal; I know this show has a few songs that have already become really beloved, though this one is definitely up there for me.

But yeah, I think it’s a decent start to the season. It really isn’t the first point of investment for me personally. It was nice to have AT back once more and I was certainly a bit more intrigued with how everything would go down, but it took the second episode to really get me into it, and then even another few to REALLY suck me in. A lot of the beginning of Fionna & Cake is primarily setting up what’s to come, but I do think Simon Petrikov is essentially also doing that and just has more points of interest and stuff that I’m into. As is, Fionna Campbell is a fine way to kick it off, but definitely could’ve trimmed off points of excess.

I’ll be posting reviews every week until we reach the 10th episode! As a tagline to this review, wanted to include a cool crew fact in each write-up, since I’m following them all pretty closely on social media. Michael DeForge designed the title card for Fionna Campbell, including every other title in the season. I’ve been reading DeForge’s comics for the past year and they’re really terrific. He’s worked on Adventure Time as a character designer for over a decade now, and I think he’s a key artist from the series that doesn’t get enough recognition. Check out his site and buy one of his comics – you won’t regret it!

Favorite line: “Open your miiiiind.”

“Wizard City” Review

Original Airdate: September 2, 2021

Written & Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Maya Petersen, Aleks Sennwald & Haewon Lee

Wizard City was the one special that fans seemed somewhat indifferent to when it was announced. I can see why, as Peppermint Butler is perhaps the most obscure choice for the main focus out of the four. I was, however, cautiously optimistic, firstly because Pepbut is my favorite secondary character in the series and I’m a sucker for anything relating to AT‘s wiz-biz. So I gave it the benefit of the doubt, but unfortunately, Wizard City ended up being the weakest of the Distant Lands specials.

A lot of the issues within Wizard City stem from the fact that a good portion of it is just tackling hackneyed tropes and plot points we’ve seen hundreds of times in other media with little to no distinction of that AT goodness. If you’ve seen any magical school or secret society story prior, there’s really nothing here that makes an effort to standout beyond that. Even Adventure Time‘s sister show OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes did this exact story only a few years earlier that played on the exact twists and turns that Wizard City tackles. Part of the fun of Adventure Time is watching it take on relatively common plot devices at times with an added sense of uniqueness. Is That You? is essentially an Adventure Time clip show, but incorporates this element into the actual story of the episode which makes for both a trip and fun endeavor. All the Little People takes the average “king for a day” story and connects it to Finn’s budding sexuality and his hidden desires to manipulate others. And even Fern’s entire arc, which can be boiled down to the traditional evil clone and “there can only be one” story takes a psychological horror turn and showcases Finn if everything went wrong for him. Many of the Distant Lands episodes have featured characters or situations that have had obvious beats from the very beginning: I think we all knew what the purpose of Y-5 and Glassboy’s characters were from the first five seconds they were on-screen. Wizard City is exactly the same with its story and characters, feeling like it’s simply going through the motions of its plot without offering anything remotely challenging.

I don’t mean to act pretentious in this either, though I’m probably coming off that way. Wizard City isn’t devoid of surprises – there is the twist at the end with all of the Wizard School teachers turning out the be evil, but again, in my personal experience absorbing these stories, I feel as if this type of twist could be seen from a mile away. I think especially in the era where twist villains are so commonplace in animation, especially in Disney films, I could see through the Caledonius façade pretty quickly. And even if it was surprising, I think that’s fine, but I really just don’t see how this episode works outside of a surface level beyond that. Aside from the cool allusions to the Second Age of Terror that was first referenced in The Mountain and Coconteppi taking the appearance of one of the ancient monsters from Gold Stars, there’s really nothing compelling or analytical lore-wise.

As for general entertainment, I find the special equally meandering. There are some humorous moments sprinkled throughout, such as the various gags done with Larry’s rock form and a lot of decent visual gags with Cadebra in particular. But I find them to be few and far in between, with many gags lacking the usual Adventure Time spunk that the other Distant Lands specials similarly struggled with. A lot of the special is mainly just focused on Pep navigating through the struggles of Wizard School and regaining his magical prowess, along with dealing with bullies and his frustrations towards Cadebra, which again, feel incredibly formulaic. I’ve been seeing a lot of people obsess over the bully trio from Wizard City, but outside of Blaine’s undying obsession with Spader, I also found them pretty run-of-the-mill. It was also cool to see Blaine being referred to as “they” so casually – probably the first time I’ve seen LGBTQA+ representation in a series where I really didn’t actively think about it on a first watch.

So I’ve dunked on this one a lot, but there are quite a few things I do like about it. Even though Pep’s journey leaves me quite uninterested, I do think there are parts of it that I admire. I think the idea of Peppermint Butler coming back to haunt Pep is certainly an aspect that puts him in a negative light, but I don’t think its main purpose is to demonize Peppermint Butler himself. The curse was merely a representation of everything that Pepbut wanted to accomplish as a dark lord, and operated more as internal pressure rather than an actual venue for Peppermint Butler to act antagonistic. The pressure Pep puts on himself is something that I can personally identify with – I think it’s easy to look at a past version of yourself and resent where you are in the present. Hell, there was a point where I was writing reviews for this blog four days a week, and now I torment myself on why I can’t even churn out a written post once a month. So Pep coming the conclusion that he still wants to succeed, but doesn’t want to let his past dictate his entire journey, is a resolution I find quite satisfying. Even if the story beats that he goes through are quite predictable, as I had mentioned. I don’t really love Pep as a character that much, but I think he has his moments outside of story purposes, mostly in the area of humor. I think his whininess over wanting to be a dark lord can certainly be funny at times, along with his goofy shrug when Cadebra discovers his true nature. Cadebra is another character I enjoy. Again, her journey is mostly uninteresting to me because of how cookie cutter it is, as well as the fact that you know what the special is trying to communicate with her character very, very early on, but she has her share of cute/funny moments, mostly because of the way she is illustrated along with her exaggerated expressions.

Other highlights were seeing some of the classic wizards from the original series (Bill Hader as Bufo was a nice touch), some of the background characters were cool, and the incredibly dark joke that Spader was killed in such a merciless way was kind of wild. I’ve seen a lot of people who were pissed off by this, but I dunno, I actually kind of respect the commitment. Yes, Spader was a character that didn’t really deserve this morbid fate, but in a series where characters so rarely die permanently, it’s kind of hilarious that the writing staff decided to just straight up murder a relatively smug character and not bring him back at the end. Kudos for that.

But still, Wizard City leaves me pretty underwhelmed. This honestly might be one of the AT entries that has the least rewatch value for me personally. Yes, there are far worse Adventure Time episodes out there, but most are only 11 minutes and barely make a dent in my day. Wizard City is a whopping 44 minutes that mostly leaves me just bored – and the humor certainly isn’t strong enough to have me coming back frequently. A lot of people wish that Together Again was the special that concluded Distant Lands, and while I had my own issues with that special, it definitely would’ve ended the series with a bang, whereas Wizard City ends with a whimper. But, as the post credits scene with a dark Choose Goose proves, there’s probably going to be a dozen more AT projects in the next 10 years regardless. For better or for worse.

Favorite Line: “No! Original flavor Spader!”

“Together Again” Review

Original Airdate: May 20, 2021

Written & Storyboard by: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Iggy Craig, Maya Petersen & Serena Wu

Together Again was easily the most anticipated Distant Lands special for me personally. Come Alone With Me still stands as a decent cap for the original series, but it left me a bit unsatisfied with how Finn and Jake, the core of Adventure Time, were mainly sidelined for story purposes. That being said, I may have went into this one a little too hyped. The story that I thought I was going to get in Together Again was very different from what actually happened, and I couldn’t help leaving this episode a bit disappointed. I was mainly expecting it to be about Finn’s life during the timeline of Obsidian, his grief over the loss of his brother, and his eventual acceptance of his passing after a shared epiphany. That being said, I’ve watched this special several times since my first viewing with a different perspective – it’s unfair to view it through the eyes of my own personal bias, so I wanted to give myself a chance to appreciate it for what it is. And, lo-and-behold, I got that chance. Together Again really is the solid conclusion to Finn and Jake’s brotherhood that I was still truly craving even after all was said and done. That being said, I think some of the initial criticisms I left with after a first viewing haven’t completely dissipated, but I’m still feeling mostly optimistic.

I know it’s only been like, two years, but seeing that classic Adventure Time opening, along with the traditional title cards, was a bit too nostalgic to resist. I think it’s all the more fitting that the remainder of the opening is set up like a classic Finn and Jake entry. I will say that the entire beginning of the episode is a little underwhelming for me in terms of capturing that classic AT spirit. I know that it’s all just a hallucination, but I felt as if there wasn’t enough dedication to truly making it feel like Season One Adventure Time. It’s a little bit too low energy and the characterization of Finn and Ice King just doesn’t really seem on par with what you would expect from the time period it’s supposed to take place in. Ice King’s a little overly sinister and Finn doesn’t really capture his youthful energy. I feel as though it would’ve been a stronger tribute if some of these beginning elements have been fine-tuned. That being said, it’s a fine opening that makes it pretty clear early on that it isn’t actually from that time period; there are snowmen that look very similar to Gumbald and Peacemaster, and Finn’s voice is very clearly… pubescent. What it boils down to is Finn’s continuous attempts to keep the light adventuring going so that Jake doesn’t have to leave. Probably the biggest emotional takeaway from Together Again comes when Finn has to once again deal with the idea of Jake “dying” in a very disturbing way. The panic that Finn begins to experience is genuinely heartbreaking, and as much as I emphasized that I originally wanted this episode to be about Finn accepting Jake’s passing, the episode makes it very clear early on that Finn really never did. Or if he accepted it, it still tore him up a lot. And honestly, I do feel like that’s much more appropriate than what I wanted. As sad as it is, the idea that Finn was really never the same after Jake passed away just feels… right. It would make me personally more comfortable to see Finn acknowledge and accept his brother’s passing because I want to believe the lil guy would be okay even after such a tragic event. But this special emphasizes again and again and again – it fucking hurts, and even if he lived a life where he had things that brought him fulfillment, he still never was able to feel full after Jake passed. Damn, man.

The longer I think about it, the sadder I get, so let’s keep this sucker goin’. Seeing Finn as a withered old man is a decision that I really didn’t expect the team to take, but because his scenes are left so vague, it really doesn’t give much info into Finn’s life. It’s both a blessing and a curse, because while this episode continues AT‘s trend of keeping things mysterious, it also slightly hurts the realism of the episode in the process. Or confuses it, at the very least. For the entirety of the episode, Finn is actually an elderly man, but takes the appearance of his 17-year-old self. It’s weird in that sense because, in his 70+ years of living, we don’t really see anything indicative of major changes in Finn’s behavior or what he’s been up to, so his developmental state comfortably sticks with what is recognizable for viewers. Finn even alludes to this when choosing his appearance. You could argue that Finn being reconnected to Jake brought back his youthful sense of self, but I dunno, it’s super difficult to keep this mystery up when literal decades have passed by and outside of a few throwaway lines, Finn doesn’t exhibit any signs of growth outside of what we are already familiar with. I don’t necessarily see this as a major flaw – I don’t really think it would be particularly fun to see Finn acting like an old, whimsical coot for the entirety of the episode. I still can’t help but feel like it’s slightly gimmicky in its presentation regardless.

As much as Together Again presents itself as a climax of Finn and Jake’s journeys together, it also weirdly offers closure for some very random Ooo inhabitants. Mr. Fox and Tiffany are both given conclusions to their individual “arcs,” per se, and it’s kind of awesome, actually. I peruse through old reviews sometimes to see how my perception has changed overtime, and I kind of have no idea why I was so passive to Tiffany in the past. At this point, I think it’s hilarious that this intended one-off character became a fully realized, Shakespearean anti-hero who only ever wanted the love of a momma and poppa. I was a bit miffed that all of these other characters were coming in to mooch off of Finn and Jake’s time, but I really think these additions, such as Tiffany’s arc as mentioned above, help add a layer of fun to the special in general. He’s finally gets to be blood-brothers with Finn and Jake! As I also mentioned, Mr. Fox gets his big day in the limelight. I especially like how far Mr. Fox has come, because he’s pretty much the least notable side character in the series for any casual viewer. But here he is in Together Again, in all his glory, as he’s now the official ruler of the Land of the Dead, even after all he wanted was a cushion-y pillow. As always, M.F. would be nothing without Tom Herpich’s terrific performance. Something that never quite gets old to me is how it feels like Herpich isn’t really even voice acting, but just stumbled into the booth and started reading a script. That sounds incredibly harsh, but I promise you all that I mean it in the most flattering way necessary. Because there are too many to mention in their entirety, here’s my personal favorite callbacks and cameos throughout the special:

• Jake’s clap from James Baxter the Horse! Kinda wish they didn’t call extra attention to it, because I feel like it was instantly recognizable otherwise.
• I like that Mr. Fox, after all these years, is seemingly still carrying a torch for Boobafina. It’s time to move on, man.
• I believe this is the first time in the series/any form of AT media where Jake is confirmed to be a reincarnation of Shoko’s tiger. Always was assumed, but cool to have that additional confirmation.
• It was super sweet to see Finn interact with Joshua and Margaret as his adult self, but I think the icing on the cake is that he could care less about seeing Jermaine. Nobody cares about poor Jerm.
• Peppermint Butler being the new princess is both very interesting and cryptic. I doubt this implies Princess Bubblegum’s death, assuming that the disguised figure in Come Along With Me‘s opening was her. It is interesting to see all of the additions to the castle in general, adopting many elements of wizardry and dark magic. Wondering if this will be touched on at all in Wizard City, though I’d think likely not.
• Choose Goose appearing AGAIN! Considering that the trailer for the next special also includes his voice, it’s amazing to me that nearly half his appearances in the entire series will derive from Distant Lands. Is this spin-off bait just waiting to happen?
• Clarence and Ghost Princess living it up big time in 50th Dead World.
• Tree Trunks living it up big time with all of her man slaves in 30th Dead World. Also featuring Polly Lou Livingston’s last performance before her death. Rest in peace, you lovely gem.
• Wyatt NOT living it up in 1st Dead World. He really is the worst.

In general, the exploration of the Dead Worlds is super gnarly to me. This worldbuilding in general feels like something that Adventure Time has wanted to do for years but for whatever reason it never got past the conceptual stage. A portion of this story was actually adapted from an outline Jesse Moynihan worked on back in season three that was initially going to be Ghost Princess, but it was revised to have a smaller story. I really thought the gorgeous backgrounds in Together Again were works of ghostshrimp, but it was actually two other designers that did a fantastic job: Udo Jung and Julian De Perio, who both worked on BMO. I really love how each Dead World, even the unnamed realms, have a unique and abstract feel to them that you really can’t decipher if it’s peaceful or threatening. It also kind of makes you wonder how each works on an ethical standpoint – clearly the 1st Dead World is equivalent to Hell and the 50th is comparative to Heaven, but is there any true “ranking” that goes into the other Dead Worlds? If I had to guess, I’d say placement in a prospective Dead World connects to the values of the deceased. 37th Dead World feels like Tree Trunks’ meadow residence with added luxuries, while 45th Dead World appears to just be a very Homeworld-esque suburbia for loving families. Or, at least in this case, the Dog family. That being said, it kind of makes you wonder how some folks ended up where they did. You can’t tell me that my boy Choose Goose deserves to be rotting with Maja.

We’re introduced to the offspring of Life and Death in this episode, simply named New Death. New Death is a bit of a pain in the ass throughout the run of this one. His rebellious teenager personality is amusing at first, but quickly tires out after a period of time. He really doesn’t take up a ton of time in the special itself, but any time he shows up, his presence really doesn’t add much, outside of a killer design by Iggy Craig. The one bit I did find genuinely intriguing from him was the moment at his demise when he solemnly mentions his mother’s name. Feel like it was surprisingly a bit ballsy to give him one moment of humanity before he is legitimately destroyed. Of course, the late Miguel Ferrer sadly could not reprise his role as Death, but it is cool seeing more into Life’s perspective. Life is another aspect of the special that feels like she was always meant to have a larger role in the series, but it just never was able to come into fruition. Her realm is similarly gorgeous, with lush ocean colors permeating throughout. I find Life’s personality as a sweet but relentless ruler that you do not want to mess with a lot of fun – it gives you a pretty good idea of why she had married Death in the first place.

I’ve been batting around with a lot of the less major stuff up to this point, so let’s get into the meat of this episode: Finn and Jake’s connection. I do feel like everything that is portrayed with Finn and Jake’s relationship in this episode gets the emotions right, but not always the characterization. Let me elaborate: nothing in this episode feels out of character or unlikable for the boys, but it also feels like there’s something slightly off or different about their individual roles. I think I could honestly just say this about Distant Lands in general, however. Considering that the writing staff is completely different, with the exception of Hanna K. Nyström, it’s really no wonder that this feeling arises, though I can’t entirely put my finger on it. There’s something a bit less goofy about it and slightly more straightforward when it comes to the humor and dialogue of Distant Lands that just feels lacking of a certain spunk and identity the original series had. Even certain lines, such as Finn’s “because it’s no jerks allowed!” felt especially corny for him to exclaim. It still captures the heart of Adventure Time, but I think any media franchise that runs for a period of time and changes teams majorly is going to run into this problem. Hell, comparing season 8 of Adventure Time with season 1 is literally comparing two radically different shows with radically different teams. Even the lack of Tim Kiefer is very apparent. Amanda Jones does an okay job at composing the score for the special, but there’s really nothing about it that connects to the essence of what Kiefer was doing. I really hate to complain, because nothing Distant Lands has done so far has been anywhere close to bad or disrespectful to the original series, but I think it’s one step at showing how much one team over the course of a few years really defined the series (Jesse, Tom, Pen, Steve, Ako, Rebecca, Somvilay, Seo, Adam, Graham, etc.) and how, as more spin-offs and reboots come into fruition down the line, it’s likely that the magic of the original will never truly be replicated.

But my bullshitting aside, I do think that the team behind Together Again did their damnedest to really paint a beautiful story among AT‘s baby boys. This is probably the most emotional we ever see Finn in the series, and I think it pays off super well. Finn and Jake’s brotherhood has always been the heart of the show, but Together Again really stresses how much Finn was never able to fully live the same again after Jake’s passing, and I think it makes total sense. Finn probably wasn’t that old when Joshua and Margaret passed, so Jake essentially doubled as both a brother and parent to Finn for so many years. That grief of losing someone is something that really never fades, and Together Again is genuinely relentless in showing that. It was especially devastating to see that Jake doesn’t initially recognize Finn, as he continues to fall into breakdown category. That poor boy just needs a squoze from his brother. Despite it being quite difficult to stomach, I do think that it ultimately makes sense that Jake would let go of all earthly possessions, as alluded to throughout the years in his desires to fulfill his croak dream. I’m sure it wasn’t something that he was consciously okay with from the start, but he let go as a means to find his inner peace and allow for his destiny to truly unfold. Finn, however, has never really been the destiny or holistic type; his true meaning in life comes from his dedication to others. It does make me wonder what Finn’s connection to the 37th Dead World is, considering that it was left mainly ambiguous in Sons of Mars. Since Jake initially ended up there, I wonder if it has something to do with selflessness. Jake chose to stay alive rather than fulfill his destiny on Mars because Finn needed him, and Finn likewise died on some sort of rescue mission it seems. That, or it’s where original Death would send people that he was tight with.

Although only about half the special focuses on their brotherly bond, there are tons of highlights throughout: Jake letting loose a toot while they try to be incognito, Jake offering caring advice when Finn feels at fault for New Death’s scheming, Finn’s admiration for Jake’s mermaid bod, the reunion of the Jakesuit, and many more. Even their overly aggressive fight is super endearing in their continued desire to protect and aide each other. And of course, one of their most cherished, shared activities is a good old-fashioned Lich fight! I gotta be honest y’all, I went from really not liking this shoe-horned inclusion to kind of digging it. I was pretty done with the Lich after his appearance in Whispers, where he was no longer intimidating and felt like he was about effective as any other villain in the series. Here… he’s still not very intimidating, but Ron Perlman’s voice acting is almost impossible to not be impressed by at all times. The Lich gets a few solid lines, namely “the spawn of life and death is a creature without purpose, fit only to be a pawn in my eternal quest to end all life.” Even though he is quickly disposed of, it seems apparent at this point that, like Life and Death, the Lich will always be around as an entity of destruction and death. And truthfully, I feel like the only appropriate way to cap off Finn and Jake’s role in the series is to have the Lich as the final big bad. The Lich was the first true trial in their journey as adventurers, and it feels appropriate that he would be their last as well. The ending is probably the highlight of the entire special. Once again emphasizing Finn’s need for Jake in his life, it’s super touching that Jake would give up a lifetime of enlightenment just to live with his bro again. Even before he joins, the tight hug Finn gives Jake shows that he’s probably not fully committed to letting go of his reincarnation dreams with Jake, and Jake has his own epiphany that the strength of his brotherhood outranks any type of Glob destiny that awaited him.

Together Again isn’t a perfect AT episode for me personally. Some of the character dialogue feels a little clunky, there’s maybe a bit too much fanservice, and it lacks that certain spunk of the original series that I had mentioned. But it’s so committed to being a love letter to everyone that cared so dearly about Finn and Jake that I really can’t have too much of an issue with it. Come Along With Me felt like a big jumbled mess that wanted to tie up any loose ends that it could in the span of an hour, while Together Again is very much committed to the heart of AT itself that it feels much more akin to a finale than the prior entry. So far, I think it’s probably the strongest of the DL specials, and a wonderful way to cap off the spin-off series as a whole.

… Oh yeah, we still have Wizard City. Huh.

Favorite line: “All I ask is for permission to use your bones…for a spell.“

“Obsidian” Review

Original Airdate: November 19, 2020

Written & Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Iggy Craig, Mickey Quinn, Maya Petersen, James Cambell & Ashlyn Anstee

Well, this was a long time coming, huh? It’s Bubbline time, babies!!

When the Distant Lands episodes were first announced, Obsidian was the one that I was looking forward to the least. I’ve stated how I feel about Bubbline at least 30 times on this blog prior, but for the sake of sounding redundant, here we go once more: I don’t actively dislike their relationship, but was kind of bummed by how oversaturated it was in the show to the point of it being the driving force of including Marceline in stories. I had been pretty burnt out with their ship by the end of the series, and I wasn’t really craving much more between these two as a package deal. Obsidian ends up presenting their relationship in the same way that previous incarnations have – by giving the fans what they want. However, it actually feels somewhat warranted for a couple whose entire romantic history was left to implications and Easter eggs for so many years. It’s fanservice alright, but GOOD fanservice at that. It’s jam packed with all kinds of moments that AT fans can revel in… in fact, it’s jam packed in general. For better or for worse.

Obsidian brings a lot to the table: an entirely new kingdom with new characters, a conflict in said kingdom, struggles within Marceline and Bubblegum’s relationship, Marcy’s relationship with her mother, a self-esteem allegory that spans across three separate characters, Bubblegum’s inferiority complex that mirrors See-Through Princess’s… etc. It’s a lot to take in, but most of it is tied together in a relatively satisfying way. I’d say it does its job at connecting everything on a decent level, but there are definitely some bits that work better than others.

Let’s get into the good stuff first: like BMO, the best aspect of this special is our returning players. Marceline and Bubblegum’s relationship is at their most romantic, because for once, they don’t have to put up with network demands. We see them kiss, sleep in bed together, and even explore their long-alluded to break-up. What I really like watching from these two, however, aside from the schmaltz, is that it’s really clear WHY they’re together as of Obsidian. They’ve had clear chemistry before, but their dynamic was always kind of held together by their contrasting “nice girl/bad girl” dynamic. In bringing out their insecurities, it’s clear to see what they cherish about their connection – Marceline feels less “damaged” and Bubblegum doesn’t feel like she needs constant approval from third party sources.

I’ve been particularly critical about Marceline’s role in the series post Season Four, but this certainly is one of her better appearances to date. Funny enough, with that being said, it doesn’t really attempt to resolve any of the issues I’ve had with her character up to this point. My main issue with Marcy is that she started out as this super fun, energetic character and then sort of fizzled out into a story prop whenever they needed to tell an early post-Mushroom War story or appeal to the Bubbline fanatics. Here, it isn’t really a return to how her character used to be, but that’s sort of the point. She ISN’T the same person she was at the beginning of the series, and this episode deals with it by exploring her insecurities about becoming “soft.” Reminds me a lot of Bojack Horseman‘s season six episode Good Damage, where one of the main characters experiences writer’s block after beginning anti-depressants. Marceline similarly needs to be brooding and edgy for the sake of her identity, in an attempt to romanticize all of the shitty things that happened to her.

Because we’ve already seen enough of it over the years, the special wisely decides to not use Marceline’s relationship with Simon as a main vocal point of her past pain. Instead, we get a long desired story about her mother (formally named Elise!) as the two fight for survival in the post-war days. Elise is NOT voiced by Rebecca Sugar this time around, which I can only assume was probably due to scheduling conflicts or an active choice by Rebecca to not redeem the part. The latter is more likely for me. I’m sure it wasn’t anything personal; voice acting isn’t really Rebecca’s strong suit, and her role in Stakes worked mostly because it was short and sweet. I really couldn’t see Sugar delivering some of Elise’s more raw moments, such as screaming out in fear and lashing out at Marcy. Since Rebecca doesn’t reprise her role, she decided to send her Sapphire as a consolation prize. Erica Luttrell does a solid job at establishing the clear pain and fear that Marcy’s mother is experiencing. Ava Acres does not reprise her role as young Marcy either – understandably so as she’s now 15 years old. She’s instead voiced by Audrey Bennett, who’s been in a decent amount of TV shows that I’ve never seen, but she does such a good job that I honestly thought it might be Acres at first! Kudos.

The post-war scenes, per usual, are great. I really love the fact that the simple moments between Marceline and her mother are underscored with a feeling of dread. Even when she’s just watching her color, Marceline’s mom is preparing her daughter for the absolute worst of what’s to come, having her create a map to their safe haven in case she gets lost. It’s also super interesting to see Marceline’s struggle as a demon and not a vampire – both of which reinforce the negative implications of her song, “Everything Stays.” Even through overcoming the negative stigmas of being a demon, she was still left being reviled as a vampire for quite sometime. It’s no wonder these feelings are so deep-rooted for Marcy, having been influenced in her younger days and reinforced almost every step of the way. It was sad seeing her so distressed at the thought of upsetting her mom, and even sadder later on when she’s reflecting her own fears onto her imaginary friends. It’s painful to see some of the deep cuts such a young child can project, such as her comment about her dad leaving her because of who she is.

As always, the post-apocalyptic references and Easter eggs are great. Love the designs of the wuzzup dogs that fends off against Marcy and Elise, though I did feel quite bad for the wuzzup pup. There’s the typical tragic spray painting and writing in surrounding areas, such as “DON’T TRUST ANYONE,” “NO SYMPATHY,” and most interesting, “After nihilism?” I can only assume it’s referring to the presumptuous man-made errors that led to the destruction of civilization. I think one of my favorite moments in the entire special is when Marceline initially enters the secret hideout, flips the light switch, notices only skeletons, and flips the switch back off. A perfect depiction of dread and hopelessness without a single word.

I will say, I thought that the death of Elise was a moment that should’ve felt more impactful than it was. It certainly didn’t lack impact… but it wasn’t exactly as emotional an experience for me personally. Maybe it was the sudden tone shift with Glassboy barging in, but I think it kind of attributes to AT‘s past habits of showing less and implying more. It kind of reminds me of the scene in Everything Stays where Ice King leaves Marceline. This is an idea that is tragic in theory, but doesn’t feel as tragic when it’s actually shown because most fans already had their own headcanon about how it went down. That being said, I don’t think the execution is poor, it’s more so my desires for emotional ambiguity. I do think that this was one of the ballsier onscreen deaths from the series. This is actually the first time in the show’s history where I can pinpoint blood being used in a painful fashion. There were little moments, like Jake’s blood being sucked by Kee-Oth and Finn’s finger getting pricked in Helpers, but this was a bit more on the graphic side.

All of this trauma clearly connects to Marceline’s desire to be cool with being a giant edgelord. But of course, embracing her ability to not give a shit about anything leads her to hurt herself when it comes to her future relationship with Bubblegum. Well, partially at least. I’m not gonna act like Bubblegum is a saint either; she’s an egotist with mostly good intentions, but that egocentric attitude is likely what contributes to Marcy’s feelings of inferiority. It’s no wonder that Bonnie not trusting Marceline is what sends her into a spiraling journey to recover her edge. This is because Marceline believes that the only way she can truly make an impact is to be the “monster” that she once was. Of course, this doesn’t last long, because through it all, Marceline recognizes that her damage isn’t something to romanticize. It helped define who she was for a period of time, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it was good for her. She acknowledges that, regardless of her newfound “softness,” she is a much more well-rounded person around Bubblegum. The final nail in the coffin that drives home her emotional growth is when her bass is smashed – an item that has helped to characterize her gloomy demeanor. Instead of responding in the way that would bring out her more monstrous side, Marcy chooses to accept the outcome and focus on what truly drives her now: her feelings of love and how they round her out. It’s nice to finally get an episode about this growth that Marceline has undergone throughout the course of nine/ten seasons. I only wish that it could have somehow incorporated how Finn’s connection to Marcy also helped shape her morality. But alas, I can only wish so much.

Princess Bubblegum’s development is also clear. Throughout the entirety of the special, and seemingly from her previous experience with the Glass Kingdom, she still needs to be recognized for her contributions towards society. The aftermath of episodes like The Cooler, Hot Diggity Doom, High Strangeness, and Jelly Beans Have Power have showed how fragile PB can be when it comes to the potential of letting her people down and ultimately being a failure. One thing that keeps Marceline and PB’s relationship interesting is that both characters are still clearly very much flawed – Marceline is still weighed down by emotional baggage from her past… or, in this case, struggling because she isn’t struggling, and PB still needs to be respected and loved to achieve self-actualization. I think it’s even more fitting that these flaws are what ultimately led to the initial end to their relationship. The comics previously tried to build on this lore by stating that their drifting apart was caused by Marceline’s continued involvement with her band, the Scream Queens, buuut that’s kinda dumb. I think it’s much more fitting that this drift was caused by their largely conflicting personalities – Marcy’s edgelord phase and PB’s apathy. Things do come together in a nice way when the two are put into a dangerous position, as Marceline accepts being emotionally honest with herself and others and Princess Bubblegum accepts her own shortcomings.

One other strength that Obsidian has is its soundtrack. I think “Woke Up” is quite possibly the best Marceline song, and song in general, that the show has had in years. And it’s surprisingly to me how much I get into it! The show’s strength in tunes has always been… well… Rebecca Sugar. But AT has had some other bangers since her departure, none of which I really ever attributed to Marceline though. The post-Sugar tunes for Marceline always kind of felt like generic loner material, but the tunes introduced in Obsidian showcase a more fun, poppy punk melody akin to “I’m Just Your Problem.” Lyrically, they’re pretty intriguing as well. The opening song, “It’s Funny,” contains these lines:

Everyone’s so desperate

To feel like they’re serious

Everyone’s a scaredy cat

And I find it hilarious.

This definitely mimics Marceline’s “edgelord” attitude that I mentioned earlier. She once viewed anyone who ever took anything seriously as “desperate” or something to laugh about. This is contrasted heavily by her final song, “Monster,” which I think it probably one of the weaker songs to come out of the special. It’s not bad, by any means! It’s just really not nearly as catchy or fun to listen to as some of the others from Obsidian. That being said, I do love the sequence that goes along with it. I never would have imagined that Larvo would end up having a tragic backstory, but it actually kind of works! As silly as it seems, it’s handled well through a genuinely sad and sweet flashback sequence and these uniquely painted frames that showcase Larvo’s growth into a damaged beast throughout the years – almost looks like a Pokemon evolution chain. It even ends up concluding with a super silly but enjoyable ending for Larvo… that he had a cute kitty bat within him all along! (PB’s suggestion to immediately kill it was especially funny to me) And even though it’s not actually good by any means aside from an instrumental note, Glassboy’s purposefully off-key “Eternity With You” is a sweet closer, especially with the reveal that PB met Marceline at a concert, and that’s where she received her most valuable keepsake: Marcy’s trippy t-shirt. D’aw.

One other perk of Obsidian is all of the familiar faces we end up getting to see. Simon was particularly delightful, as it’s clear he’s still going through some major shit after he regained his sanity. I don’t really think we’ll be getting a ton more into his life at this point, but it’s good to see that even reversing him back to his original state wasn’t enough to fix everything. The dude has been through 1,000 years of not being himself and is now stuck in this world that he doesn’t even fully understand. No wonder he needs to use the freezer to cope. Also returning is Choose Goose – a character I was fully ready to never see again, but I’m so glad that isn’t the case. Especially since he’s a popular character that really doesn’t get that much screentime throughout the series. They could’ve easily used a more recurring character like Lemongrab to fill his shoes, but I’m so glad they didn’t. This is the fanservice I want!! Speaking of fanservice, easily the most interesting moment of the special is seeing a hunky adult version of Finn! It actually took me about 5 seconds to process who he was when he showed up, but flipped out when I came to the realization. Probably also should address the elephant in the room – Jake’s dead, right? People have put out more optimistic theories that Jake might just be traveling/adventuring elsewhere and Finn got a tattoo to always be with him… but if that was the turn this development was taking, I’d feel a bit disappointed. Not that I want Jake to die, but I can’t think of any other reason Finn would have this tattoo if not to commemorate his late brother. Who gets a tattoo of an alive person?? I have a feeling that Together Again is going to be much, much sadder than anticipated. But again, with all the times that Jake’s death has been alluded to over the years, I think it would be the most fitting cap for the series, and his character, if this is the direction it was going. I’m just gonna be sad as hell for several months if that’s how it goes down. Also appearing is Bronwyn, who looks cute as hell! A lot of people are going with the headcanon that Finn and Bronwyn are romantic together, which I really can’t get behind at all. I could see Finn being her guardian/traveling partner after his brother’s passing, but nothing more than that. He ain’t gonna bang his bro’s granddaughter! It is interesting to see Finn’s adult behavior – many have already noted that his lingo and attitude is pretty similar to Martin’s. I can get behind both, but I still think he’s very different from his father. He obviously takes on his lack of social cues and general laidback personality, but he’s far from ever being the careless monster that Martin is.

The elements of the special that I’m less invested in are the moments with the new characters. I don’t dislike Glassboy as much as others do, but he really didn’t do much for me either. I get that he’s supposed to parallel Marceline’s story and show how similar they are, but honestly, I thought they covered those comparisons much more efficiently with Larvo. Similarly, See-Thru Princess isn’t very compelling either. She’s essentially there to also parallel the pressures that Princess Bubblegum is feeling in her own role. Again, I feel like it also has to do with the special packing so much in it already. I was pretty invested with PB and Marcy’s arcs on their own that I didn’t really care about what happened to these characters that really don’t have the time to be properly fleshed out anyway.

Overall, I think Obsidian is good! I went from loving it to just liking it since it premiered. I do appreciate everything it is for fans who have wanted to see this for so long, but personally, it’s just not entirely for me. Thus far, these specials have been pretty straightforward and haven’t fully committed to AT‘s usual brand of quirky oddities. It’s mostly a new team, which is to be expected, and they’ve been doing a solid job at that. Honestly, just the fact that Adventure Time is able to successfully adapt to a 44 minute runtime is an achievement on its own. These just aren’t really specials that I find particularly memorable or groundbreaking up to this point. Still glad it exists and I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Together Again is definitely what I’m looking forward to the most, so high hopes that it hits!

Favorite line: “Yeah, sorry for bullying you your whole life.”

“Come Along With Me” (Part 4) Coming Thursday!

It’s been a little while – one because of health obstacles, the other because this review is pretty damn massive. If you’re from the states, get ready for a nice little Thanksgiving treat: the final episode review (for now) is coming this Thursday!

 

Adventure Time Reviewed: Send Your Questions In!

Hi all! The Diamonds and Lemons review should be coming out either later tonight or tomorrow – apologies for the delay.

Before we get to covering the finale, I wanted to collect a lot of the inquiries I’ve gotten over the years for a Q&A post that will release later this weekend. I also wanted to open this up as an opportunity for any viewers to ask questions they may have for me. No real contingencies or rules for this, just try to stick to AT related questions and stray away from any ideas that are too inappropriate (I’m not going to answer which AT character I would bang – we already know that it would be Jungle Princess). Feel free to send away, I’ll try to answer them all, if possible!

Adventure Time Reviewed: Reader Feedback

Howdy, y’all! As we approach the last few episode reviews of the series, I want to open up for a chance at seeing what you would like to see from this blog before I close shop. I have lots of ideas for bonus reviews once I actually do finish up with the finale, including:

• Top 10 Best and Worst Episodes
• An analytical deep-dive into every major character.
• Best Title Cards.
• Best Moments.
• 10 episodes that I think should have been made.

And more! I’d also like to plan something special, like a little wrap-up party on Discord or any other community server, so feel free to share if you’d be interested in this as well! I’m happy to consider any ideas presented to me. As is, the upcoming scheduled reviews should look something like this:

• September 8: Jake the Starchild
• September 15: Temple of Mars
• September 22: Gumbaldia
• September 29: Diamonds and Lemons (Bonus review)
• October 13: Come Along With Me
• October 20: Season Nine Review

Lots more content still in the works post-series, so be sure to let me know what you want to see!

– Eric

Adventure Time Reviewed: Update!

Hey all! I wanted to chime in after nearly two weeks with no new posts. I’ve been open about the status of this blog many times before, and I want to reiterate that I’m still very committed to finishing these reviews in a timely matter. I’ve been going through a lot of personal changes throughout the past month that have been difficult to deal with, but I finally feel like I’m at a place where my general workflow and mental health are slowly piecing back together appropriately. That being said, I still have a ton on my plate in general and sometimes struggle to find the energy to write up a review. I never want to feel like I’m half-assing my analyses, and want to ensure that I maintain a level of quality for something that I can truly feel proud about. So, I ask all of you lovely people out there who have supported this blog for so long to keep up your patience – more reviews (and other fun plans) are in store!

I also wanted to let you all know that I am officially public on Twitter if any of you feel called to follow me. I’ll probably be making a lot of shitposts and funneling in my artwork, but I’ll also be including updates on where I’m at with my current episode reviews, with light commentary along the way. If you’re ever curious about the state of a review or if you have any questions for me personally, feel free to reach out! I’d be happy to chat.

— Eric