I feel like the whole episode was actually meant to be unsatisfying and anticlimactic. I think that pretty much embodies what it's like to meet a parent who you didn't know existed or was hyped up for years and years only to find they're a deadbeat, parasitic, garbage person. I feel like if we didn't know that Adventure Time was ending soon, this wouldn't be the last that we hear about Jake's origins and we would probably be dealing with him facing a lot of insecurities over the fact that his space dad was an asshole and the only reason for his existence is for a selfish asshole to drain of youth and throw away. aint that so true to life lmfao
also wow Jake is afraid of growing old, because his space dad is afraid of death. I wonder if AT going on longer would give us Jake scared of turning out like warren
That's an interesting meta commentary take for sure, but feeling anticlimactic and unsatisfying when the garbage person gets tossed into a black hole at the end (what a way to go out!) creates this weird... dissonance, I guess? Jake is rather passive in this episode up until Warren completes his plan, and I think perhaps if we had a two-parter where we can explore his psyche more while he's passively going along with things, that would have provided the extra layer I personally needed to fully enjoy the episode. Though I also wish we could have just avoided the "Ha, grifted ya back!" plotline in favor of something more novel. Like, people called the ending with Martin in "The Comet" anticlimactic as well, and your discussion here also directly applies to Martin as well (down to the part of Finn not even knowing he existed). But I don't think the finale with Martin was anticlimactic at all, or even if it was (would be getting into lots of semantics here), I still loved it, and I thought it was amazingly satisfying. Finn changed so much in every single episode he shared with Martin right down to that last one. And yet with Warren, I did leave feeling unsatisfied. Also really doesn't help that the best thematic stuff around Warren's plotline are near retreads of Martin's, except Martin was far more interesting as a character.
I found "Jake the Starchild" to be a nod to the episode "Bonnibel Bubblegum" when she says "Families are tricky." Both Finn and Marceline understand due their dead beat dads, (although Huntson is now improving) but Jake shakes his head, being naive to the experience coming from a family who values who he is; his loyalty to his dad is clearly highlighted in this episode. It like that until he meets Warren, his own biodad willing to kill him in order to fulfill his selfish needs.
You know, Warren was at his best when he was just an "animal". No logic, no rhyme, no reason, no talking. Imagine how different the episode would have been if it was just Jake and a silent animal. This strange blue being doing what it's supposed to do, Jake can't ask it a question because it can't answer. It doesn't seem sad because it's the "last of its species" or the "first of its species". It just is. It doesn't care that Jake is there or not, and it doesn't recognize him or even care. A lesson about indifference to one's own being? A message that Jake didn't "have" to exist, but he does anyway; that he should be as content as that strange blue beast? That the beast will live as it desires and so should Jake. A "Peace of Mind" episode is the only way I can think to make Warren workable.
I was wondering about what it'd be like if Warren remained silent like he did in "Joshua and Margaret Investigations." They'd have to be really creative to still work in the life stealing plot point, but I think it would have been worth it. Would have preferred that story to what we got.
Was sorta dissapointed the stretchy dude was given a voice, full name, and basically de-mystified after only seeing glimpses of the guy being, well... Being weird, cryptic and alien. Guess he learned how to talk after biting Joshua, dropping the five-way mouth to trick Jake and gain his trust better. I think. This was good. but like you said, it didn't do anything jawdropping.
I feel ya, but I guess I wanted something more out of place rather than a guy that feels like any other minor character in the show. Was hoping for something that doesn't fit the AT schtick.
I find that there is a running theme of bad father figures going on in Adventure Time. Pendleton Ward was raised by a single mother, so his dad wasn't around for much of his childhood. We fairly don't know much about Pen's personal life, but it could be that his dad tried connecting back with him after his success, and it ended up not going as well as he hoped it would. Most of the major father figures on the show such as Hunsen, Martin, and this shapeshifter only connect with their children to use them for their own advantage. Just an observation, I mean the character of Finn is actually based on the creator himself, he was even named Pen in the original shorts.
Well Finn and Martin ended in good therms So Maybe Pendleton had a meeting with his parent and didnt end well, but later they ended in good therms Huns (thats how i call him Now) story beggined very at the starts of the show When Pen was theoricaly in bad therms with his dad I don't know with Jakes and Warrens story, maybe is about an uncle, or a friend of Pen, or Pen had another problem with his dad It's just my theory
@@pelinalwhitestrake4196 Martin was good when finn was young but afterwards was terrible. You could say that without Minerva's guidance or standards he would never have been a good father and due to the absence of this when Martin escapes he returns to being a bad father.
I mean... both Joshua and Warren are Jake's biological parents. It's Margret that isn't his "real" parent. EDIT 2 years later: oof, i apologize for this old bad take of mine, should have used better wording. Joshua and Warren are Jake's biological parents but Margret and Joshua are his actual parents.
She is his real mother. You know parent isn't about biology, it's a social concept, progenitor is the good terme if you want to speak about biology. Warren isn't the father of jake in any way because he was never invested as a parent with their child.
Deltalus Sure i get what you want to said, but that's somewhat balance the idea on the wrong side due to cultural understanding of parenting. Warren is not the father of jake. That's all.
I feel like..... Im going to really miss Adventure Time.....Its my favorite piece of visual media I have ever seen in my entire life. Words cannot describe how sad I am it is ending. It truly was something special though......
I think maybe the episode shows just how Jake's already solidified as a character. Its pretty fine. Its not THAT disapointing to me. It gets over a nice meaning that people who raised you are your parents and blood doesnt. Its pretty cool because Finn's reaction is more agressive and Jakes more decided
I think a big reason dead beat dads are so prominent in Adventure Time is because Pendelton Ward's dad was dead beat, and grew up just with his mom. This might have also been an influence on the character of Martin.
I love how Finn doesn’t even think about having human parents until Billy tells him that his dad is alive. And even then Finn first thinks that Billy is talking about Joshua
I think they should have made Ampersand some kind of lovecraftian horror and not able to communicate or think like jake in any way. The whole point could have been the same, but Apersand shouldn't have been able to articulate itself to jake in a meaningful way.
I’m kind of disappointed of more of the main design of Warren. He had a strange, but cool design prior to this episode. But replacing Warren’s star-shaped mouth with the regular, generic mouth that almost everyone has lessens the mystery around Warren.
It seems Elk has some *low-key affection* for this episode, haha. On a more serious note, Warren's stretchy powers far, FAR outclass Jake's. In addition to the stuff Elk mentioned, he's also able to make *different* shades of blue, make high-quality art by stretching, and is able to SOMEHOW MAKE A MIRROR OUT OF HIMSELF. I think Warren's so much better at Jake when it comes to stretching because of multiple reasons, including the fact that Warren's been around for a very, VERY long time so he's had much more time to practice and grow, plus he's a pureblood shapeshifter, unlike Jake.
Makka Pakka it’s not jakes power. all of the pups have different powers that are similar to jake. Charlie, jakes daughter who walked across the earth, has the ability to grow in size while maintaining the same mass which is why she doesn’t crush any of the things she steps on.
Robert Rushing yes but jake is able to grow to extremely large sizes his alien dad who stretched a entire planet with buildings, paintings etc he should be able to at least grow to pretty large size able to get to the island pretty fast
Makka Pakka could be one of two things. it could be that jakes ability is like a muscle and he can’t just stretch to the size of a planet that easy and it’s something he must train, or he could have recognized that’s it was finns journey and didn’t want to interfere. I think there is definitely a limit to jakes abilities and it definitely isn’t to the same level as Warrens likely due to his half dog genetics.
I have some issues with “Jake the starchild”. While you described “Blenanas” as alright, it my opinion, Jake the starchild was just a hair above mediocre. There were just so many things that dampened my enjoyment, not enough to call it a bad episode, but enough for me to feel a little cheated by the time the credits were rolling. Issue #1, Pacing: You described how I felt about the pacing perfectly. The pacing was just so off and clunky. It felt like the entire plot was rushed for no real reason, I could forgive it if it was leading up to something extravagant, but there is literally ZERO tension at all. I get that Jake is a moron, but I expected him to at LEAST be competent enough to ask a question like “Why is this happening?” Or “Why me?” Cause lets me honest, Jake has his self-esteem cranked up to eleven. Overall, things blew by FAST, it felt like things were jumbled around a bit. Issue #2, Characters: While I was a little but not really disappointed that Jake didn’t really get any characterization, I was not at ALL a fan of Warren Ampersand. He didn’t have much going from him from the get-go, he was hyped up since he first appeared and now we find out that he’s just a Martin rehash? Not amused. I mean it was pretty obvious that he had nefarious intentions from the start, just based on his speech, which even JAKE was able to pick up on, as well as the vibe he gave off. I found Warren to be extremely two dimensional, he just wanted to live forever, that’s it? Also, what was with his complete shift in mood by the end? I mean his final words were nice and all, but all of a sudden he just accepts death when moments ago we was trying to reach Jake’s pups to gain their life juice? What? Also, I should bring up something that I REALLY didn’t like. Jake and Warren’s interactions 60% of the time were EXTREMELY awkward. All they do is talk about how Warren loves Jake and Jake is confused and excited at the same time, and the way overall Warren spoke and acted towards Jake came across to me personally, as extremely off. Essentially, what I’m trying to say is that Warren, is really boring in this episode, he’s boring to the max. Issue #3, Plot: The plot of this episode, is almost nonexistent. It could be really funny and fun at times, but mostly is was just, well...nonexistent. Like I said in my little rant about the pacing, nothing of substance or tension really happens, there’s ZERO tension. The entire episode is just Jake being delusional and Warren being a cocky jerk, aside from that they what, talk? By the time the battle began, things felt really stale, I didn’t feel hyped it was just “meh”. Also as I said in my pacing rant, nothing extravagant happens. This was the episode that was supposed to wrap up Jake’s origin arc with a nice little bow on top, but I felt it was executed rather sloppily. Okay here are some things that I actually LIKED about the episode, this is why I don’t find the episode BAD. Like #1, Visuals: I can’t even begin to describe how I freaking’ love the visuals. Jake sums it up with his comment on the “sci-fi vibe”, everything was very colorful and vibrant, it felt super polished and the sky and buildings were amazing. This really shows how the team can get creative and make something dazzling to the eye, I had a lot of fond memories of “Elements” during this episode, especially the Fire Kingdom. Like #2, 40% of Jake and Warren’s interactions: Like I said, I found 60% of our to main character’s interactions to be really awkward, But 40% of the time it was SO fun. Warren really gave off that “Dorkish, but cool” uncle kind of vibe and Jake was really fun too, he felt like the nephew. Overall, Jake the starchild was a okay episode. It was a big letdown on some areas, but was able to be captivating and fun enough for it to be somewhat also enjoyable, I really can’t wait for your Temple Of Mars review!
FrostyFrizy would've been great if the plot with jake defeating a stretchy monster is real instead of that "I made it all up" biz. It's lame and made the things that happened worthless.
I like that this episode isn’t a life changing event for Jake It was cathartic to see Jake overcome this obstacle easily and I like that he had already grown internally beforehand
I really wish that Adventure Time got more seasons. Jake's origin, the Gum War, Golb, and the Emissary from Beyond were all really rushed even if the final product still managed to turn out pretty good. They did the best with the time that they were given but it still stings that the product could have been better. This arc could especially have used a mini-series titled "Planets" or something where Finn, Jake, Jermaine (or one of Jake's children), and Lady go to space to discover Jake's true origin. It might be a bit too similar to Islands, but you get the idea behind what I'm doing. They could have done so much cool stuff and expanded on the cosmic lore of the series, so it's disappointing that we did not get this.
If this episode had come earlier in the series it would have opened up so many possibilities, as it stands it feels like a quick attempt to the up loose plot threads. Does this mean Jake is younger?
I kinda like the episode. This is the end. This isnt about raising new philosophical ideas or existential crises. This is about wrapping up loose ends, weve had world and character building, now its time to nicely tie eberything together
I mean given how long the show ran I suppose if thebcreators decided they coudnt do much anymore it would be fine but instead it felt like they were afraid of seasonal rot and if the secid. Season of gravity falls taught me anything ending a shiw before it goes on to long is one thing but ending it out of FEAR of it going on to long can lead to many issues
I think when warren said “I’m going 4D, baby” is going to be relevant. We know Golb will be the final enemy, and that the grassy octopus will also be related. Golb seems to have domain over a permanent or banishment death, possibly whatever 4D is, something that super powerful beings like Prismo can’t beat or cheat around. A black hole is pretty freaking powerful, especially the one we saw, so maybe warren will show up with Golb at the end. That would give us a Finn counter in the grassy octopus and a Jake counter in warren, sort of like a champions vs champions thing
It may also just be a reference to the fact a black hole's singularity warps spacetime around itself, and a gravity well forms. The universe is also four-dimensional.
I think that he didn't change as a character coz he was already comfortable with himself. He knew who he was. Meeting a parent and it being anticlimactic after so long can be boring like this coz you didn't need them in your life to become the great person you are now so you don't need them now. Ya know?
I have a Theory about THE ORIGIN OF THE BELTS I believe Warren use to live on his Home planet with others beings with stretchy powers. The Belt could have been Built Originally for people who had serious illness One of their species realized they could use it to siphon power into another, perhaps if they were seriously ill, one of their species could volunteer to wear the belt & siphon some of their energy to them to improve the others health. I believe Warren stole the device and tricked some of his species that he was ill so he could siphon some of the energy to extent his life. He was eventually found out and exiled, therefore because he wasn't allowed to return home, (probably because they would have killed him if he did) this meant he had no more access to others of his species to drain their stretchy powers to extent his life. Therefore warren decided to visit other worlds and create offspring with stretchy powers he could later steal. I think its not a bad theory, what do you think?
Christopher Spensley It's a bit rough around the edges. Try to find some more evidence to support your theory and rely a bit less on seemingly random speculation.
I think it's a great theory. Like how he was bale to build a spaceship? And, I always thought that Warren was the same class as Orgalord in the sea of monsters.
Yeah. I to a point actually HAD liked some parts of it, mainly during the big intro scene where Aku speaks to everyone gathered round the tv set. When he said in his review: "They should've opened up with Aku's CLASSIC speech on the television, shown footage of everyone's eyes all round the world /suffering trapped Jack as Aku monologued his gloating, as the cold opening, and not the new intro..." I suddenly woke up to how much more powerful a scene that would've have been for me, had it been that way... And yeah, the 'power of Love' dialogue was crap, the resolution was crap, and more than anything, the DEATH of Aku was the worst of all!...So much buildup over so much time, and that was by far the weakest point. I knew there'd be disappointment in the time travel plot hole logic, because there's always gonna be, time travel never pleases me for that very reason as a theme, but I let my brain numb it to that probability in the hopes we'd see Jack thrillingly battle and slay Aku in the most heavy DBZ/epic Sailor Moon finale boss battle ever animated out of the show's history. In my opinion, this finale episode would've benefitted had it been given a split- one episode for the army of Jack's friends to gather and learn Jack's fate/rally up to battle/start fighting Aku....and THEN 2nd episode, Ashi sends Jack back in time, and he slays Aku/life's balance is restored.....(And this could have worked if he goes with or without her, personally, I think sending him back WITHOUT Ashi still could have given that satisfying restore of original status quo/her ragic life erasure without any of the bullshit filler or confusion...)....plus how come did Jack not travel to the future alongside Aku in the first pilot, but she got to go thru the same portal she made? I am sure she could have in a hurry pushed him thru to self- sacrifice herself, or just because the portal opened thru her body, or would kill her, or some other plot device...
tbh I think the whole idea of Jack actually managing to get back to the past is kind of a stubborn conclusion;the fifth season even begins with Jack commenting about how there is no longer a way back.But besides that,knowing that everything we got to meet in the whole series was basically erased by Jack's actions feels pretty...sad...Like,sadder than Ashi suddenly dying out of nowhere. A Hero's journey like Jack's shouldn't end with him being able to prevent all the bad things from happening,it should be about how he surpassed those bad things and made something good out of it. I'm sorry but I don't really care about the World before Aku,which we barely see,for me it was just part of Jack's sad backstory,the past;I care about the World where Aku is making millions suffer and Jack was the only one protecting the innocent,being an agent of justice where evil reigns,he was the glimpse of hope for everyone there,they are the ones that Jack should've accepted,by the end of the series,as the ones that he must forever fight for.
Avocado Smash Um, what? The only reason Aku didn't die in the first episode was because he sent Jack into a portal, and some other Diabolus ex Machina gets in the way every other time Jack has the chance to defeat him. You can't get much of a DBZ/Sailor Moon-esque climax, when exploiting the main villain's only weakness makes him a complete and utter joke. The fact that we got what we did is a testament to Tartakovsky's skill as a storyteller.
I think this show made everyone want everything to be super fantastical, but I think this is probably more accurate to how adopted kids might be meeting their bio parents and realizing they’re not all you imagined. Love you analysis and it’s making me want to rewatch AT for a 3 rd time since it’s been off air
I'd like to argue for the grass sword on the elder god thing. The grass swords curse is derived from the emissary from beyond. An emissary is admittedly no high rank of something being "from beyond" but it's clearly posing an eldritch high ranking force compared to many in the series. Beyond slash?
I'm still holding out hope that the emissary from beyond could have some kind of connection to GOLB. That would be the easiest way I can think to tie the finale's two major plotlines together.
While I also felt that the episode was a little rushed and disjointed I also have to say I was fine with Jake being cool with everything and not growing. I felt that unlike Finn who needed to know his origins and was always reaching for his Dad and his place Jake has always grown up seeing his parents and his sibling who looks like him. Another person looking like him is no big deal. Also Charlie does expand herself Daddy-Daughter card wars, don't know if that is the same as stretching, but she does expand.
The way I saw this episode was a summary of jake character development through out the series seeing as this may be the last jake focus episode, like you brought it up we saw jake caring about his kids, being easygoing and being comfortable with who he is and I think the reason why Warren is so flat is because he was not important in the long run just a way to explain how jake got his power and to warp up his character arc before the end of the show.
I loved this episode. I think it really does resonate with people whose family are never there until they need something. When Warren Amprisand said "I low-key affection you son", it really hit me hard
I think you guys are just expecting the episode to be "profound" , epic, or something deep and meaningful, when in truth you can't always have that kind of thing and sometimes people/aliens in the show do things only for stupid or shallow reasons and that guy is no exception
Theory: Ixcano is one of the primal monsters before time and his OP ability is to stretch to a ridiculous degree that diminishes with every new spawn, thus explaining why all the pups and future dogs have strange anomalous abilities
I notice that with these last few episodes, while you were holding out for new info and heavy plotlines, the creators seem to be focusing on classic adventure time themes and ideas. Blenanas really stood out to me as a very classic adventure time episode for example. This war might be a big deal, but I think the creators were intentionally keeping the rest tame and similar to the old adventure time.
I think this episode is more about how the bonds you form with people through your life whether they're family or not are so much stronger than just the bonds of blood and being family
Thank you for yet another amazing review. It's not only your analysis that's impressive, but also how skilfully you manage to structure and verbalize it.
I feel like it's interesting that by the time the absent father figure deigns to show up, Jake has already managed to complete his personal journey with flying colors. He didn't really need anyone to do it and that's awesome, he didn't even need the guy to show up to realize he didn't need him. That's not only awesome, it's good trope subversion imo, even if the resulting episode when Warren shows up turns out flat as a result.
If only Jake The Starchild was in the style of a Season 6 episode. Character growth, metaphors, thematics, etc. If only Jesse Moynihan had storyboarded this episode.
you know it's kind of interesting if warren did come back like in the far future then he could turn out to be some sort sort of legedary monster (hey maybe he worked with the lich or something)(or was trapped in the ciditel wich could explain his long absence and didn't know about the pups) that was profecised to suck out the life essence of the of the raincorn jake people aleins we saw at the end of ooo in graybles 100+ this would also explain why those guys took to space in the first place
I feel in a way that it's meant to be a reversal of the other climactic facing of parental figures throughout adventure time. You have the terrible but tragic parentage of Martin, the complicated relationship of Hunson and Marcy, PB's struggle with her family ties, and now Jake's demonstration of the ability to move beyond bloodline obligation, focusing instead on emotional bonds.
This wasn't my favorite out of the bunch, but I'm going to defend it on a few counts. For all those saying they copied the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy 2, script writing for this season was finished on November 28, 2016, a full five months before the premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 on May 5th, 2017. The resemblance between the two is purely coincidental. Secondly, for those disappointed by the anticlimax after "all the buildup", I would counter that there really wasn't all that much buildup. Not counting "The First Investigation," the Shapeshifter had featured in all of 2 episodes. It wasn't really a grand season spanning plot-line, it was simply a thing that happened and we had to wait a while to see what that was all about. It was always a minor plot point at best. And, like Elk mentioned, the climax of this plot point already happened in "Abstract". This was just one last episode to tie off the thread. I think the main thing that ails this episode is that everyone built it up in their heads as this grand epic when it was never intended to be.
Also, in the context of the season, the reamaining episodes dont have any focus on jake, and not the episodes before either. They just wanted to have one final Jake focused episode, where its not about him developing, but the audience actually watching what that development has become. Kind of late but wanted to put it out here.
Personally I see this episode as an episode of closure. To reassure stuff we already know and not leaving doubt. I like that he was able to come to terms with his origin and shape before meeting the awful dad.
Maybe ampersand chose Joshua because dogs are loyal. Dogs will always show loyalty to the ones they love and will never betray.ampersand knew if he gave strong powers just to any living being it could mean disaster for his fate when he came back for his son and instead got a crazed being with strong powers. Just a theory
I just caught up to the end of Adventure Time and I'm so glad I found this review. I felt similarly about the Warren Ampersand episode, but I didn't really take time to analyze why before going on to the next. This helps clarify everything.
So I really like this episode. I’m an adopted child with shitty biological parents. So I can appreciate this episode of Jake not having any growth. He’s not here for self discovery, it seems to be more curiosity to me, and here’s why I like that. I don’t remember my biological parents. I’ve known some stuff about them, but not much. All I know is they were bad people who did things to me that wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, and that my adoptive family are my biological aunt and uncle. If they randomly showed up, I wouldn’t have a reaction like Jake, I’d be less willing to leave. Even then, Jake found his sense of identity outside of his family like I did mine. Jake doesn’t really need character development when he’s already found who he is and I honestly like having an episode of something that would normally be big, but not so much now because Jake knows who he is
I think the point of the episode was to show that Jake had dealt with his inner conflict and grown into his identity. Like many kids with a distant or completely absent father, Jake transposed them into every personal problem. The point of the episode was different from Finn's inner struggle in "Comet", which shows Finn accepting who his father is and the loss of him. "Starchild" focuses on Jake ALREADY accepting that Ampersand is not his father and that he truly defines nothing about Jake, despite giving him his form and power. He gives Ampersand a chance because of the truly giving and kind creature he is, but once Ampersand betrays him he isn't really all that let down. The true meaning of the episode comes when Jake sacrifices himself to protect his children, which draws a direct comparison to Ampersand killing his children for his own benefit. I see what you mean, but I felt like the real conclusion of Jake's character development involving his alien origin was in "Abstract". While it did lack the deeper introspection that adventure time usual gives us, I think "starchild" was a satisfying conclusion with a touching message about love and fatherhood.
I wish the theme of growing older and transitioning to death was explored. I mean having Jake being almost complete was a difficult position to add backstory. His bio dad tried to avoid death by doing this, that fear also lives in Jake
I came just to say that there's a guy called "FinnHDA" stealing your content, and not only yours, he has been stealing content from various AT youtubers
I also really hate how they turned the interesting interdimensional monster into just some guy. A space guy, sure, but that's hardly that out there for AT
I know I’m a bit late but, man this episode was disappointing to me. It just wasn’t what adventure time had built this up to be. So many references and mysteries surrounding this, they could’ve gone so many routs. Maybe jake finds that warren does really care for him, but warren has to sacrifice his life or something, which is why warren came back to meet jake and talk with him. I would go more in detail but for years of mysteries and questions this episode felt out of place. It felt like it should have been one of those famous episodes of adventure that make people think or feel a particular way. It just felt off, rushed and really disappointed me.
I feel like Jake's attitude towards most situations is like any other dog which is "live in the moment" while also being able to sense his loved ones emotions and offer his advice on handling issues. I feel like dogs don't have any regrets and are only motivated by the present and while they can't speak they'll always comfort their "owners" in times of stress.
The part about whether warren was the only one of his kind, yes! I wondered the same thing. It would've been really cool to see Jake encounter other shapeshifters like him just as BMO did in BMO lost, or maybe come across and accept the realization that he's the last of his kind or maybe some other realization scenario like his father visiting the alien or vice versa after Jake was born.
Faaaiiirly certain we haven't seen the last of Warren Ampersand. He went into "4D" which could mean any number of things with his alien stretchy powers, but who knows what these next few episodes will show. I'm more excited to hear your thoughts on Gumbaldia, Elk, because it was kinda strange to me as an episode. I liked how it was foreshadowed a little bit when PB was doing her wartime drill of her kingdom a few episodes prior, but it seems really quick and abrupt. I think AT would have benefitted plot-wise from just one more season, however I feel the decision to end AT was made somewhere around the end of season 8, so they probably thought they could wrap it all up in 2 seasons pretty evenly. After all, you don't want your amazing, well-known cartoon ending at a weird number of seasons or else it will look like it was cancelled to the outside observer and not just ended neatly. By the way, since AT is ending soon, it would be awesome if you started reviewing some of the older episodes. Not really old-old episodes because those have very little over-arching plot and were more akin to Spongebob in what they wanted to achieve as a cartoon, but maybe some of the newer-older episodes. I think one of the most underrated episodes in the series is "Everything Jake" where Magic Man constructs an entire city inside of Jake made out of his stretchiness that he has to navigate. It's a really interesting episode thematically, and it has a low-key reference to Cthulhu in it (this is gonna sound weird if you don't know anything about Cthulhu, but hear me out). In HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos, the whole theme is man's cosmic insignificance. In that world, people literally go insane looking at elder gods like Cthulhu because our minds can't comprehend them. It's like an ant trying to wrap its head around the Cold War. In "Everything Jake," as you may recall, a scientist discovers the reason for the earthquakes in their city is that Jake is hungry and needs real food not made of his stomach, so he imprisons Jake (because if Jake leaves their whole city is destroyed) and goes outside of Jake's tummy to try to find food for Jake. True to HP Lovecraft's form, he goes outside of Jake's tummy and sees a movie playing. He thinks that the characters in the movie are gods and starts asking them for food, not realizing that they are not real because he simply can't comprehend the outside world. Then, Finn stands up and looks at him, chewing a bunch of noodles that are hanging out of his mouth. This is a reference to Cthulhu's tentacles. This is further solidified because the scientist sees Finn and is so repulsed he goes insane and literally melts into Jake's stomach, dying. I only noticed this hidden easter egg on my second watch because I'm a big Lovecraft nerd :p Anyway, you should definitely visit some of these older gems of episodes. Also, on a more personal note, did you think Magic Man was an excellent character that got knocked off way too early? I thought he might live again with Betty, but she just kinda stopped being insane in the new Mars episode and it was kind of a let down. But, I digress.
One could say it follow adventure time formula but since it near the end of the series that feel bit lacking of a excuse but the episode was enjoyable either way standalone
I love this episode because it juxtaposes how he dealt with his biological dad vs. how Finn did. Jake knows his identity and understands his priorities, Finn was unsure how he felt and needed the past conection.
I completely agree with everything you said. There was almost nothing of value in this episode: the plot was pretty standard, most of the humour fell flat for me and there was no characterization of anyone. The idea could've been executed better and I really love the foreshadowing they did for this concept but as you said all that hype was kinda wasted as the episode was lacking in substance. To its credit, I did enjoy it more on my second watch because the rushed pacing made Warren's plan feel as if it wasn't properly thought out and just thrown together, which keeps in line with his goofy personality but due to the fact that Warren's character wasn't interesting to me, I still didn't really enjoy it that much. Plus this plan doesn't seem like it would work on anyone besides Jake due to how relaxed he is about everything. Makes me wonder how the other candidates fell for it; did they have similar personalities to Jake or were they just Banana Guard levels of stupidity. As Elk mentioned the change in Warren's character seemed pretty contrived and honestly just felt like a plot convenience. I was actually confused when I watched it the first time round, I thought I had missed something. One thing I liked about this episode was when Jake was asked to stretch in the door he was finding it difficult even though we've seen him stretch further than that before. That was a nice subtle hint that something was wrong but it pretty much goes to waste since most of the hints were so obvious. Also this was literally just the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy 2. I'm curious to know if that inspired this whole story arc in any way, or if they had this idea from when we first saw Warren in "Joshua and Margaret Investigations"
Jakes situation in this episode, reminds me if that Coraline movie. So similar how both Jake & Coraline are brought to this world that praises them, only to be used in some sacrificial way that beneficial the parental figure that lured them there.
I think that the reason there's no deep plot points or character advancement or anything like that is like Jake said "I ain't nobody's son but Joshua and Margaret." By this point Warren really didn't matter, and I think that was the point they were making, that he really doesn't matter at all.
Y'know, there's kinda an obscure theme running through Adventure time, and that is: Bad Dad(s). Like, all of them are bad. I'd say Jake is arguably not that good of a father, either, considering the fact he has been absent for a lot of their lives. Hunson, Flame King, Marty, Warren. Why are Daddy Issues a running theme...
I think it actually was clever that they finished Jake's internal conflict before this episode. Usually, an event like this would shake the faith the child had on the bonds they previously made so the whole "Biology doesn't matter, Bonds do" message is emphasized. Jake feeling already content with himself, his bonds with his whole family firm, is a pretty nice subversion of it.
I too was dissatisfied with the whole "Jake the Starlord" story, but mostly because Warren dies... I mean maybe if he lived and we had some hope of a further story, or maybe even a hint that Jakey has a sibling out there... just something. Anything. I dunno, the episode just felt a bit hollow to me.
I actually liked the premise of Jake’s dad being evil, but I liked his more alien-like appearances in prior episodes. It’s that mystery and grittiness I miss in these newer episodes, and I’m getting more and more disappointed with how the creators are pumping it out. I was hoping he’d be way more evil and selfish, and like said more alien.
i was thinking. Martin was "desintegrated" to reform in another dimention, right? and now Warren "has GONE 4D"... what if then both end up meeting in uncomprehencible dimentions, and manage to come back, close to the end of the series maybe to aid against golb? maybe not, i dont know.
Intrestingly even though the show has been on for so long I still feel like its ending too soon no not just in a ill miss it way I mean storytelling wiseThe show at the announcment of its end had atleast 10 things that could form entire arcs(the lich,magic betty,jaes parents,Martin,humans, golb so on and so forth I mean gravity falls end also felt rushed but that was just two seasons this has gone one for like 8 years
I realized I listed less then 10 so continuing. Hunson abadeer his past with the lich(with is actually only known if you read) the vampires, vampire queen and Simons history, Dr gross, the biggest I think is the mushroom war like its what ties the whole show yet its never answered specifiically, also bubblegums past
Random? but I just thought something...Is the freaking catalyst comet singing "Come Along With Me?" if so, does that mean Finn really ends up ascending to a new mode of existence? I wonder what makes him do that, if I'm right.
I feel like the whole episode was actually meant to be unsatisfying and anticlimactic. I think that pretty much embodies what it's like to meet a parent who you didn't know existed or was hyped up for years and years only to find they're a deadbeat, parasitic, garbage person. I feel like if we didn't know that Adventure Time was ending soon, this wouldn't be the last that we hear about Jake's origins and we would probably be dealing with him facing a lot of insecurities over the fact that his space dad was an asshole and the only reason for his existence is for a selfish asshole to drain of youth and throw away. aint that so true to life lmfao
(I stopped halfway thru the vid to write this for some reason so if you mention something like this in the vid my bad)
also wow Jake is afraid of growing old, because his space dad is afraid of death. I wonder if AT going on longer would give us Jake scared of turning out like warren
That's an interesting meta commentary take for sure, but feeling anticlimactic and unsatisfying when the garbage person gets tossed into a black hole at the end (what a way to go out!) creates this weird... dissonance, I guess?
Jake is rather passive in this episode up until Warren completes his plan, and I think perhaps if we had a two-parter where we can explore his psyche more while he's passively going along with things, that would have provided the extra layer I personally needed to fully enjoy the episode. Though I also wish we could have just avoided the "Ha, grifted ya back!" plotline in favor of something more novel.
Like, people called the ending with Martin in "The Comet" anticlimactic as well, and your discussion here also directly applies to Martin as well (down to the part of Finn not even knowing he existed). But I don't think the finale with Martin was anticlimactic at all, or even if it was (would be getting into lots of semantics here), I still loved it, and I thought it was amazingly satisfying. Finn changed so much in every single episode he shared with Martin right down to that last one.
And yet with Warren, I did leave feeling unsatisfied.
Also really doesn't help that the best thematic stuff around Warren's plotline are near retreads of Martin's, except Martin was far more interesting as a character.
It's always awesome finding such well thought out comments like this one
Uncivilized Elk
Sorry to hear about how disappointing this episode was. I know u were probably looking forward to it.
How to deal with deadbeat dads according to Adventure Time: *ASCEND THEM TO A HIGHER PLANE OF EXISTENCE SO YOU NEVER HAVE TO SEE THEM AGAIN*
findingbuglantis or put them in a black hole
Well I mean no knows what happens with black holes so Warren probably did go to another reality
Or lock them in a lantern
What do you mean? Don't we all deal with daddy issue's the same way?
@@wokenotbroke5976 kinks
I found "Jake the Starchild" to be a nod to the episode "Bonnibel Bubblegum" when she says "Families are tricky." Both Finn and Marceline understand due their dead beat dads, (although Huntson is now improving) but Jake shakes his head, being naive to the experience coming from a family who values who he is; his loyalty to his dad is clearly highlighted in this episode. It like that until he meets Warren, his own biodad willing to kill him in order to fulfill his selfish needs.
You know, Warren was at his best when he was just an "animal". No logic, no rhyme, no reason, no talking.
Imagine how different the episode would have been if it was just Jake and a silent animal. This strange blue being doing what it's supposed to do, Jake can't ask it a question because it can't answer. It doesn't seem sad because it's the "last of its species" or the "first of its species". It just is.
It doesn't care that Jake is there or not, and it doesn't recognize him or even care.
A lesson about indifference to one's own being? A message that Jake didn't "have" to exist, but he does anyway; that he should be as content as that strange blue beast? That the beast will live as it desires and so should Jake.
A "Peace of Mind" episode is the only way I can think to make Warren workable.
I was wondering about what it'd be like if Warren remained silent like he did in "Joshua and Margaret Investigations." They'd have to be really creative to still work in the life stealing plot point, but I think it would have been worth it. Would have preferred that story to what we got.
sounds great
Agreed
Can we plz make an edit with either no dialog from warren or an alien noise instead!!!
You only said i once
Was sorta dissapointed the stretchy dude was given a voice, full name, and basically de-mystified after only seeing glimpses of the guy being, well... Being weird, cryptic and alien.
Guess he learned how to talk after biting Joshua, dropping the five-way mouth to trick Jake and gain his trust better. I think.
This was good. but like you said, it didn't do anything jawdropping.
I agree
I like how he talked thats the Adventure Time Charm if not he won't been able to spill plot
I feel ya, but I guess I wanted something more out of place rather than a guy that feels like any other minor character in the show.
Was hoping for something that doesn't fit the AT schtick.
I agree, It would have been a lot better if he didn't have a voice and only communicated with odd noises and spelling via stretching.
Yes let's make an edit!!!!!
I find that there is a running theme of bad father figures going on in Adventure Time. Pendleton Ward was raised by a single mother, so his dad wasn't around for much of his childhood. We fairly don't know much about Pen's personal life, but it could be that his dad tried connecting back with him after his success, and it ended up not going as well as he hoped it would. Most of the major father figures on the show such as Hunsen, Martin, and this shapeshifter only connect with their children to use them for their own advantage. Just an observation, I mean the character of Finn is actually based on the creator himself, he was even named Pen in the original shorts.
Well Finn and Martin ended in good therms
So
Maybe Pendleton had a meeting with his parent and didnt end well, but later they ended in good therms
Huns (thats how i call him Now) story beggined very at the starts of the show
When Pen was theoricaly in bad therms with his dad
I don't know with Jakes and Warrens story, maybe is about an uncle, or a friend of Pen, or Pen had another problem with his dad
It's just my theory
@@alphaamoeba Joshua is the only adventure time dad that was a good dad
@@wook5676 Martin was good but goofed up bad
@@pelinalwhitestrake4196 Martin was good when finn was young but afterwards was terrible. You could say that without Minerva's guidance or standards he would never have been a good father and due to the absence of this when Martin escapes he returns to being a bad father.
Martin was a good dad who did some stuff he wasn't proud of and ended letting the weight of his sins pull him under
This episode was basically just the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy 2.
Team Rocket I was thinking the same thing
not really
Team Rocket well basically
I commented that last video
My thoughts exactly
I mean... both Joshua and Warren are Jake's biological parents. It's Margret that isn't his "real" parent.
EDIT 2 years later: oof, i apologize for this old bad take of mine, should have used better wording. Joshua and Warren are Jake's biological parents but Margret and Joshua are his actual parents.
She is his real mother. You know parent isn't about biology, it's a social concept, progenitor is the good terme if you want to speak about biology. Warren isn't the father of jake in any way because he was never invested as a parent with their child.
You know what I mean though and it got the point across. Hence why I used quotes around "real".
Deltalus Sure i get what you want to said, but that's somewhat balance the idea on the wrong side due to cultural understanding of parenting. Warren is not the father of jake. That's all.
Kirby B there’s a reason I said biological parent and not father
Kirby B "He may have been your father, but he wasn't your daddy."- Yondu
Jake deserved his own miniseries.
6th like and agree
EXACTLY!!!!
Mini?
0801, Yeah?
I feel like..... Im going to really miss Adventure Time.....Its my favorite piece of visual media I have ever seen in my entire life. Words cannot describe how sad I am it is ending. It truly was something special though......
I think maybe the episode shows just how Jake's already solidified as a character. Its pretty fine.
Its not THAT disapointing to me. It gets over a nice meaning that people who raised you are your parents and blood doesnt. Its pretty cool because Finn's reaction is more agressive and Jakes more decided
I think a big reason dead beat dads are so prominent in Adventure Time is because Pendelton Ward's dad was dead beat, and grew up just with his mom. This might have also been an influence on the character of Martin.
Did Ward have any impact on the story by then? He wasn't super involved after just a few seasons?
I love how both Finn and Jake always acknowledge Joshua as their father.
I love how Finn doesn’t even think about having human parents until Billy tells him that his dad is alive. And even then Finn first thinks that Billy is talking about Joshua
I think they should have made Ampersand some kind of lovecraftian horror and not able to communicate or think like jake in any way. The whole point could have been the same, but Apersand shouldn't have been able to articulate itself to jake in a meaningful way.
We need an edit where he doesn't talk or its only in undisernable dialect!!!
Jakes pups = rainicorn blood + dog blood + alien blood
OwO
While for Gibbon and Bronwyn
Bronwyn =rainicorn blood + dog blood + alien blood + bear blood
Gibbon = dog blood + rainicorn blood + alien blood + unknown species blood
I don't like Jake, his five children and his granddaughter aged rapidly
They weren't new sigificant breeds ever since Jake's was revealed
@@mrnobody2018flying sausages age faster
*IM GOING 4D BABY*
Did anyone else think that sounded like Robin Williams in Aladdin?
Tony Gunk I’m going 5D
Jake's fear of vampires makes kinda sense now
I’m kind of disappointed of more of the main design of Warren. He had a strange, but cool design prior to this episode. But replacing Warren’s star-shaped mouth with the regular, generic mouth that almost everyone has lessens the mystery around Warren.
They didn't replace it...his mouth was never consistent in his debut episode.
It seems Elk has some *low-key affection* for this episode, haha.
On a more serious note, Warren's stretchy powers far, FAR outclass Jake's. In addition to the stuff Elk mentioned, he's also able to make *different* shades of blue, make high-quality art by stretching, and is able to SOMEHOW MAKE A MIRROR OUT OF HIMSELF. I think Warren's so much better at Jake when it comes to stretching because of multiple reasons, including the fact that Warren's been around for a very, VERY long time so he's had much more time to practice and grow, plus he's a pureblood shapeshifter, unlike Jake.
slicing up a elder god with his Grass sword on space
- Uncivilized elk
Credits unknown favorite Elk line lol
Didn't one of Jake's daughters streched to the size of the earth to walk across it?
yep
So why didn’t jake do that for islands
Makka Pakka it’s not jakes power. all of the pups have different powers that are similar to jake. Charlie, jakes daughter who walked across the earth, has the ability to grow in size while maintaining the same mass which is why she doesn’t crush any of the things she steps on.
Robert Rushing yes but jake is able to grow to extremely large sizes his alien dad who stretched a entire planet with buildings, paintings etc he should be able to at least grow to pretty large size able to get to the island pretty fast
Makka Pakka could be one of two things. it could be that jakes ability is like a muscle and he can’t just stretch to the size of a planet that easy and it’s something he must train, or he could have recognized that’s it was finns journey and didn’t want to interfere. I think there is definitely a limit to jakes abilities and it definitely isn’t to the same level as Warrens likely due to his half dog genetics.
I have some issues with “Jake the starchild”. While you described “Blenanas” as alright, it my opinion, Jake the starchild was just a hair above mediocre. There were just so many things that dampened my enjoyment, not enough to call it a bad episode, but enough for me to feel a little cheated by the time the credits were rolling.
Issue #1, Pacing:
You described how I felt about the pacing perfectly. The pacing was just so off and clunky. It felt like the entire plot was rushed for no real reason, I could forgive it if it was leading up to something extravagant, but there is literally ZERO tension at all. I get that Jake is a moron, but I expected him to at LEAST be competent enough to ask a question like “Why is this happening?” Or “Why me?” Cause lets me honest, Jake has his self-esteem cranked up to eleven. Overall, things blew by FAST, it felt like things were jumbled around a bit.
Issue #2, Characters:
While I was a little but not really disappointed that Jake didn’t really get any characterization, I was not at ALL a fan of Warren Ampersand. He didn’t have much going from him from the get-go, he was hyped up since he first appeared and now we find out that he’s just a Martin rehash? Not amused. I mean it was pretty obvious that he had nefarious intentions from the start, just based on his speech, which even JAKE was able to pick up on, as well as the vibe he gave off. I found Warren to be extremely two dimensional, he just wanted to live forever, that’s it? Also, what was with his complete shift in mood by the end? I mean his final words were nice and all, but all of a sudden he just accepts death when moments ago we was trying to reach Jake’s pups to gain their life juice? What? Also, I should bring up something that I REALLY didn’t like. Jake and Warren’s interactions 60% of the time were EXTREMELY awkward. All they do is talk about how Warren loves Jake and Jake is confused and excited at the same time, and the way overall Warren spoke and acted towards Jake came across to me personally, as extremely off. Essentially, what I’m trying to say is that Warren, is really boring in this episode, he’s boring to the max.
Issue #3, Plot:
The plot of this episode, is almost nonexistent. It could be really funny and fun at times, but mostly is was just, well...nonexistent. Like I said in my little rant about the pacing, nothing of substance or tension really happens, there’s ZERO tension. The entire episode is just Jake being delusional and Warren being a cocky jerk, aside from that they what, talk? By the time the battle began, things felt really stale, I didn’t feel hyped it was just “meh”. Also as I said in my pacing rant, nothing extravagant happens. This was the episode that was supposed to wrap up Jake’s origin arc with a nice little bow on top, but I felt it was executed rather sloppily.
Okay here are some things that I actually LIKED about the episode, this is why I don’t find the episode BAD.
Like #1, Visuals:
I can’t even begin to describe how I freaking’ love the visuals. Jake sums it up with his comment on the “sci-fi vibe”, everything was very colorful and vibrant, it felt super polished and the sky and buildings were amazing. This really shows how the team can get creative and make something dazzling to the eye, I had a lot of fond memories of “Elements” during this episode, especially the Fire Kingdom.
Like #2, 40% of Jake and Warren’s interactions:
Like I said, I found 60% of our to main character’s interactions to be really awkward, But 40% of the time it was SO fun. Warren really gave off that “Dorkish, but cool” uncle kind of vibe and Jake was really fun too, he felt like the nephew.
Overall, Jake the starchild was a okay episode. It was a big letdown on some areas, but was able to be captivating and fun enough for it to be somewhat also enjoyable, I really can’t wait for your Temple Of Mars review!
FrostyFrizy would've been great if the plot with jake defeating a stretchy monster is real instead of that "I made it all up" biz. It's lame and made the things that happened worthless.
“Gecko” lol. You mean get-go
I like that this episode isn’t a life changing event for Jake
It was cathartic to see Jake overcome this obstacle easily and I like that he had already grown internally beforehand
I really wish that Adventure Time got more seasons. Jake's origin, the Gum War, Golb, and the Emissary from Beyond were all really rushed even if the final product still managed to turn out pretty good. They did the best with the time that they were given but it still stings that the product could have been better.
This arc could especially have used a mini-series titled "Planets" or something where Finn, Jake, Jermaine (or one of Jake's children), and Lady go to space to discover Jake's true origin. It might be a bit too similar to Islands, but you get the idea behind what I'm doing. They could have done so much cool stuff and expanded on the cosmic lore of the series, so it's disappointing that we did not get this.
If this episode had come earlier in the series it would have opened up so many possibilities, as it stands it feels like a quick attempt to the up loose plot threads.
Does this mean Jake is younger?
I kinda like the episode. This is the end. This isnt about raising new philosophical ideas or existential crises. This is about wrapping up loose ends, weve had world and character building, now its time to nicely tie eberything together
Then again Jake was totally fine with his death in BANNANNA Man
I don't like how they're rushing to the end of this a lot of these answers with getting seem unearned and a little open ended
Same way first like
I mean given how long the show ran I suppose if thebcreators decided they coudnt do much anymore it would be fine but instead it felt like they were afraid of seasonal rot and if the secid. Season of gravity falls taught me anything ending a shiw before it goes on to long is one thing but ending it out of FEAR of it going on to long can lead to many issues
theokchannel you were on jacksfilms!
I think when warren said “I’m going 4D, baby” is going to be relevant. We know Golb will be the final enemy, and that the grassy octopus will also be related. Golb seems to have domain over a permanent or banishment death, possibly whatever 4D is, something that super powerful beings like Prismo can’t beat or cheat around. A black hole is pretty freaking powerful, especially the one we saw, so maybe warren will show up with Golb at the end. That would give us a Finn counter in the grassy octopus and a Jake counter in warren, sort of like a champions vs champions thing
Zachary Juhn if he ever went into a 4th dimension, we can't see him at all as it's out of the boundaries of perception of 3 dimensions.
It may also just be a reference to the fact a black hole's singularity warps spacetime around itself, and a gravity well forms. The universe is also four-dimensional.
Zachary Juhn maybe 4d meant four-dimensional so he can because a fourth dimensional being
Zachary Juhn The 4th dimension is time...
Theirs a bit in the early seasons when Finn makes a 4d bubble that creates a black hole. This gives them a link
I think that he didn't change as a character coz he was already comfortable with himself. He knew who he was. Meeting a parent and it being anticlimactic after so long can be boring like this coz you didn't need them in your life to become the great person you are now so you don't need them now. Ya know?
maybe jake's dad really is on a higher plane of existence now (4d). Just like Finn's dad is. that would be a neat little connection between the two
Ampersand as in”&” looks like him stretching
superj1e2z6 What?
can't unsee it now xD
Warren as in "worn out" referencing the fact that he's running out of life force
I have a Theory about THE ORIGIN OF THE BELTS
I believe Warren use to live on his Home planet with others beings with stretchy powers.
The Belt could have been Built Originally for people who had serious illness
One of their species realized they could use it to siphon power into another, perhaps if they were seriously ill, one of their species could volunteer to wear the belt & siphon some of their energy to them to improve the others health.
I believe Warren stole the device and tricked some of his species that he was ill so he could siphon some of the energy to extent his life. He was eventually found out and exiled, therefore because he wasn't allowed to return home, (probably because they would have killed him if he did) this meant he had no more access to others of his species to drain their stretchy powers to extent his life.
Therefore warren decided to visit other worlds and create offspring with stretchy powers he could later steal.
I think its not a bad theory, what do you think?
Christopher Spensley
It's a bit rough around the edges. Try to find some more evidence to support your theory and rely a bit less on seemingly random speculation.
Very logical, and also entertaining, but no evidence.
I think it's a great theory. Like how he was bale to build a spaceship? And, I always thought that Warren was the same class as Orgalord in the sea of monsters.
16:54 “I’m going 4D baby” is such a Robin Williams line read, great work on the voice actors part
Better then samurai jack ending
Glad to see some people are (I'm only assuming here) still salty about that one.
Cause' I know *I still am*
Yeah. I to a point actually HAD liked some parts of it, mainly during the big intro scene where Aku speaks to everyone gathered round the tv set. When he said in his review: "They should've opened up with Aku's CLASSIC speech on the television, shown footage of everyone's eyes all round the world /suffering trapped Jack as Aku monologued his gloating, as the cold opening, and not the new intro..." I suddenly woke up to how much more powerful a scene that would've have been for me, had it been that way... And yeah, the 'power of Love' dialogue was crap, the resolution was crap, and more than anything, the DEATH of Aku was the worst of all!...So much buildup over so much time, and that was by far the weakest point. I knew there'd be disappointment in the time travel plot hole logic, because there's always gonna be, time travel never pleases me for that very reason as a theme, but I let my brain numb it to that probability in the hopes we'd see Jack thrillingly battle and slay Aku in the most heavy DBZ/epic Sailor Moon finale boss battle ever animated out of the show's history. In my opinion, this finale episode would've benefitted had it been given a split- one episode for the army of Jack's friends to gather and learn Jack's fate/rally up to battle/start fighting Aku....and THEN 2nd episode, Ashi sends Jack back in time, and he slays Aku/life's balance is restored.....(And this could have worked if he goes with or without her, personally, I think sending him back WITHOUT Ashi still could have given that satisfying restore of original status quo/her ragic life erasure without any of the bullshit filler or confusion...)....plus how come did Jack not travel to the future alongside Aku in the first pilot, but she got to go thru the same portal she made? I am sure she could have in a hurry pushed him thru to self- sacrifice herself, or just because the portal opened thru her body, or would kill her, or some other plot device...
Avocado Smash they didn't have a lot of episodes to make it though.
tbh I think the whole idea of Jack actually managing to get back to the past is kind of a stubborn conclusion;the fifth season even begins with Jack commenting about how there is no longer a way back.But besides that,knowing that everything we got to meet in the whole series was basically erased by Jack's actions feels pretty...sad...Like,sadder than Ashi suddenly dying out of nowhere.
A Hero's journey like Jack's shouldn't end with him being able to prevent all the bad things from happening,it should be about how he surpassed those bad things and made something good out of it.
I'm sorry but I don't really care about the World before Aku,which we barely see,for me it was just part of Jack's sad backstory,the past;I care about the World where Aku is making millions suffer and Jack was the only one protecting the innocent,being an agent of justice where evil reigns,he was the glimpse of hope for everyone there,they are the ones that Jack should've accepted,by the end of the series,as the ones that he must forever fight for.
Avocado Smash
Um, what? The only reason Aku didn't die in the first episode was because he sent Jack into a portal, and some other Diabolus ex Machina gets in the way every other time Jack has the chance to defeat him. You can't get much of a DBZ/Sailor Moon-esque climax, when exploiting the main villain's only weakness makes him a complete and utter joke. The fact that we got what we did is a testament to Tartakovsky's skill as a storyteller.
I think this show made everyone want everything to be super fantastical, but I think this is probably more accurate to how adopted kids might be meeting their bio parents and realizing they’re not all you imagined.
Love you analysis and it’s making me want to rewatch AT for a 3 rd time since it’s been off air
I'd like to argue for the grass sword on the elder god thing.
The grass swords curse is derived from the emissary from beyond.
An emissary is admittedly no high rank of something being "from beyond" but it's clearly posing an eldritch high ranking force compared to many in the series.
Beyond slash?
I'm still holding out hope that the emissary from beyond could have some kind of connection to GOLB. That would be the easiest way I can think to tie the finale's two major plotlines together.
While I also felt that the episode was a little rushed and disjointed I also have to say I was fine with Jake being cool with everything and not growing. I felt that unlike Finn who needed to know his origins and was always reaching for his Dad and his place Jake has always grown up seeing his parents and his sibling who looks like him. Another person looking like him is no big deal.
Also Charlie does expand herself Daddy-Daughter card wars, don't know if that is the same as stretching, but she does expand.
The way I saw this episode was a summary of jake character development through out the series seeing as this may be the last jake focus episode, like you brought it up we saw jake caring about his kids, being easygoing and being comfortable with who he is and I think the reason why Warren is so flat is because he was not important in the long run just a way to explain how jake got his power and to warp up his character arc before the end of the show.
My pups are worth it. Greatest hip dad ever.
Love you're video's keep it up man 🙌
I loved this episode. I think it really does resonate with people whose family are never there until they need something. When Warren Amprisand said "I low-key affection you son", it really hit me hard
I think we can all agree that Jake's character Arc has been a mix of bizarre and interesting as of late
Daewi Han Is the best character in god of high school
I never really wondered about Jake's powers. He was always just magic. Stuff like that happens. No stranger than other aspects of the show.
I think you guys are just expecting the episode to be "profound" , epic, or something deep and meaningful, when in truth you can't always have that kind of thing and sometimes people/aliens in the show do things only for stupid or shallow reasons and that guy is no exception
Theory: Ixcano is one of the primal monsters before time and his OP ability is to stretch to a ridiculous degree that diminishes with every new spawn, thus explaining why all the pups and future dogs have strange anomalous abilities
I notice that with these last few episodes, while you were holding out for new info and heavy plotlines, the creators seem to be focusing on classic adventure time themes and ideas. Blenanas really stood out to me as a very classic adventure time episode for example. This war might be a big deal, but I think the creators were intentionally keeping the rest tame and similar to the old adventure time.
I think this episode is more about how the bonds you form with people through your life whether they're family or not are so much stronger than just the bonds of blood and being family
Thank you for yet another amazing review. It's not only your analysis that's impressive, but also how skilfully you manage to structure and verbalize it.
I feel like it's interesting that by the time the absent father figure deigns to show up, Jake has already managed to complete his personal journey with flying colors. He didn't really need anyone to do it and that's awesome, he didn't even need the guy to show up to realize he didn't need him. That's not only awesome, it's good trope subversion imo, even if the resulting episode when Warren shows up turns out flat as a result.
All of this shows
THAT JOSHUA AND MARGRET ARE GOATS
They raised finn regardless of his origins
Raised Jake despite him being an alien
If only Jake The Starchild was in the style of a Season 6 episode. Character growth, metaphors, thematics, etc. If only Jesse Moynihan had storyboarded this episode.
you know it's kind of interesting if warren did come back like in the far future then he could turn out to be some sort sort of legedary monster (hey maybe he worked with the lich or something)(or was trapped in the ciditel wich could explain his long absence and didn't know about the pups) that was profecised to suck out the life essence of the of the raincorn jake people aleins we saw at the end of ooo in graybles 100+ this would also explain why those guys took to space in the first place
This episode is kinda like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The Dimension Crosser THANK YOU! Finally someone says it!
11:46 black hole or…worm hole? Hmmm?!?!?
I feel in a way that it's meant to be a reversal of the other climactic facing of parental figures throughout adventure time. You have the terrible but tragic parentage of Martin, the complicated relationship of Hunson and Marcy, PB's struggle with her family ties, and now Jake's demonstration of the ability to move beyond bloodline obligation, focusing instead on emotional bonds.
This wasn't my favorite out of the bunch, but I'm going to defend it on a few counts. For all those saying they copied the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy 2, script writing for this season was finished on November 28, 2016, a full five months before the premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 on May 5th, 2017. The resemblance between the two is purely coincidental. Secondly, for those disappointed by the anticlimax after "all the buildup", I would counter that there really wasn't all that much buildup. Not counting "The First Investigation," the Shapeshifter had featured in all of 2 episodes. It wasn't really a grand season spanning plot-line, it was simply a thing that happened and we had to wait a while to see what that was all about. It was always a minor plot point at best. And, like Elk mentioned, the climax of this plot point already happened in "Abstract". This was just one last episode to tie off the thread. I think the main thing that ails this episode is that everyone built it up in their heads as this grand epic when it was never intended to be.
Also, in the context of the season, the reamaining episodes dont have any focus on jake, and not the episodes before either.
They just wanted to have one final Jake focused episode, where its not about him developing, but the audience actually watching what that development has become. Kind of late but wanted to put it out here.
Personally I see this episode as an episode of closure. To reassure stuff we already know and not leaving doubt. I like that he was able to come to terms with his origin and shape before meeting the awful dad.
Maybe ampersand chose Joshua because dogs are loyal. Dogs will always show loyalty to the ones they love and will never betray.ampersand knew if he gave strong powers just to any living being it could mean disaster for his fate when he came back for his son and instead got a crazed being with strong powers.
Just a theory
How'd he get the cake! How'd he get the sausages in space!!! Is there a space restaurant!!! Those are the real questions!!!!
I know this is late,but when Finn goes to Mars in an episode about Magic man,he flies through an asteroid field of candy and other food.
Can't wait for the next review
I just caught up to the end of Adventure Time and I'm so glad I found this review. I felt similarly about the Warren Ampersand episode, but I didn't really take time to analyze why before going on to the next. This helps clarify everything.
So I really like this episode. I’m an adopted child with shitty biological parents. So I can appreciate this episode of Jake not having any growth. He’s not here for self discovery, it seems to be more curiosity to me, and here’s why I like that. I don’t remember my biological parents. I’ve known some stuff about them, but not much. All I know is they were bad people who did things to me that wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, and that my adoptive family are my biological aunt and uncle. If they randomly showed up, I wouldn’t have a reaction like Jake, I’d be less willing to leave. Even then, Jake found his sense of identity outside of his family like I did mine. Jake doesn’t really need character development when he’s already found who he is and I honestly like having an episode of something that would normally be big, but not so much now because Jake knows who he is
I think the point of the episode was to show that Jake had dealt with his inner conflict and grown into his identity. Like many kids with a distant or completely absent father, Jake transposed them into every personal problem. The point of the episode was different from Finn's inner struggle in "Comet", which shows Finn accepting who his father is and the loss of him. "Starchild" focuses on Jake ALREADY accepting that Ampersand is not his father and that he truly defines nothing about Jake, despite giving him his form and power. He gives Ampersand a chance because of the truly giving and kind creature he is, but once Ampersand betrays him he isn't really all that let down. The true meaning of the episode comes when Jake sacrifices himself to protect his children, which draws a direct comparison to Ampersand killing his children for his own benefit. I see what you mean, but I felt like the real conclusion of Jake's character development involving his alien origin was in "Abstract". While it did lack the deeper introspection that adventure time usual gives us, I think "starchild" was a satisfying conclusion with a touching message about love and fatherhood.
I was mainly just taken aback that warren no longer looked like an animalistic creature and more chill.
I wish the theme of growing older and transitioning to death was explored. I mean having Jake being almost complete was a difficult position to add backstory. His bio dad tried to avoid death by doing this, that fear also lives in Jake
I came just to say that there's a guy called "FinnHDA" stealing your content, and not only yours, he has been stealing content from various AT youtubers
I felt like this episode was kind of lazy and anticlimactic
too bad im an ignorant little shit who enjoys every single adventure time episode and never thinks any of the episodes are shit. Oh well.
Even water park prank?
SylenDraws
I loved that episode!
+SylenDraws yes. I found it quite charming
The hybrid children aren't average, they're like mutants too
I also really hate how they turned the interesting interdimensional monster into just some guy. A space guy, sure, but that's hardly that out there for AT
I have been waiting for this
Id take it as a message about absent parents. You know they’re there but when they actually show up later on, the kids already grown up without them
I know I’m a bit late but, man this episode was disappointing to me. It just wasn’t what adventure time had built this up to be. So many references and mysteries surrounding this, they could’ve gone so many routs. Maybe jake finds that warren does really care for him, but warren has to sacrifice his life or something, which is why warren came back to meet jake and talk with him. I would go more in detail but for years of mysteries and questions this episode felt out of place. It felt like it should have been one of those famous episodes of adventure that make people think or feel a particular way. It just felt off, rushed and really disappointed me.
Warran's entire design changes drasticallythroughout the episode fitting for a shapeshifter. I enjoy that touch.
I feel like Jake's attitude towards most situations is like any other dog which is "live in the moment" while also being able to sense his loved ones emotions and offer his advice on handling issues. I feel like dogs don't have any regrets and are only motivated by the present and while they can't speak they'll always comfort their "owners" in times of stress.
I think Jake is gonna become planet at some point in finale,because remembered that one of Jake wish his face on the moon
Andhika N "I would carve my face into the moon, so the moon would look like my face"
The part about whether warren was the only one of his kind, yes! I wondered the same thing. It would've been really cool to see Jake encounter other shapeshifters like him just as BMO did in BMO lost, or maybe come across and accept the realization that he's the last of his kind or maybe some other realization scenario like his father visiting the alien or vice versa after Jake was born.
Faaaiiirly certain we haven't seen the last of Warren Ampersand. He went into "4D" which could mean any number of things with his alien stretchy powers, but who knows what these next few episodes will show. I'm more excited to hear your thoughts on Gumbaldia, Elk, because it was kinda strange to me as an episode. I liked how it was foreshadowed a little bit when PB was doing her wartime drill of her kingdom a few episodes prior, but it seems really quick and abrupt. I think AT would have benefitted plot-wise from just one more season, however I feel the decision to end AT was made somewhere around the end of season 8, so they probably thought they could wrap it all up in 2 seasons pretty evenly. After all, you don't want your amazing, well-known cartoon ending at a weird number of seasons or else it will look like it was cancelled to the outside observer and not just ended neatly.
By the way, since AT is ending soon, it would be awesome if you started reviewing some of the older episodes. Not really old-old episodes because those have very little over-arching plot and were more akin to Spongebob in what they wanted to achieve as a cartoon, but maybe some of the newer-older episodes. I think one of the most underrated episodes in the series is "Everything Jake" where Magic Man constructs an entire city inside of Jake made out of his stretchiness that he has to navigate. It's a really interesting episode thematically, and it has a low-key reference to Cthulhu in it (this is gonna sound weird if you don't know anything about Cthulhu, but hear me out). In HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos, the whole theme is man's cosmic insignificance. In that world, people literally go insane looking at elder gods like Cthulhu because our minds can't comprehend them. It's like an ant trying to wrap its head around the Cold War. In "Everything Jake," as you may recall, a scientist discovers the reason for the earthquakes in their city is that Jake is hungry and needs real food not made of his stomach, so he imprisons Jake (because if Jake leaves their whole city is destroyed) and goes outside of Jake's tummy to try to find food for Jake. True to HP Lovecraft's form, he goes outside of Jake's tummy and sees a movie playing. He thinks that the characters in the movie are gods and starts asking them for food, not realizing that they are not real because he simply can't comprehend the outside world. Then, Finn stands up and looks at him, chewing a bunch of noodles that are hanging out of his mouth. This is a reference to Cthulhu's tentacles. This is further solidified because the scientist sees Finn and is so repulsed he goes insane and literally melts into Jake's stomach, dying. I only noticed this hidden easter egg on my second watch because I'm a big Lovecraft nerd :p Anyway, you should definitely visit some of these older gems of episodes.
Also, on a more personal note, did you think Magic Man was an excellent character that got knocked off way too early? I thought he might live again with Betty, but she just kinda stopped being insane in the new Mars episode and it was kind of a let down. But, I digress.
Your episode analysis are always so detailed and interesting!! keep it up man!!
One could say it follow adventure time formula but since it near the end of the series that feel bit lacking of a excuse but the episode was enjoyable either way standalone
Did anyone else get flashbacks to the episode "Everything's Jake"?
Can't wait for your 'Temple of Mars' review! Can't wait to hear what you think The Ice Thing means.
I love this episode because it juxtaposes how he dealt with his biological dad vs. how Finn did. Jake knows his identity and understands his priorities, Finn was unsure how he felt and needed the past conection.
I just hope the finale is good I’m always gonna miss this masterpiece when it finally concludes I hope it goes out with a bang :)
I completely agree with everything you said. There was almost nothing of value in this episode: the plot was pretty standard, most of the humour fell flat for me and there was no characterization of anyone. The idea could've been executed better and I really love the foreshadowing they did for this concept but as you said all that hype was kinda wasted as the episode was lacking in substance. To its credit, I did enjoy it more on my second watch because the rushed pacing made Warren's plan feel as if it wasn't properly thought out and just thrown together, which keeps in line with his goofy personality but due to the fact that Warren's character wasn't interesting to me, I still didn't really enjoy it that much. Plus this plan doesn't seem like it would work on anyone besides Jake due to how relaxed he is about everything. Makes me wonder how the other candidates fell for it; did they have similar personalities to Jake or were they just Banana Guard levels of stupidity.
As Elk mentioned the change in Warren's character seemed pretty contrived and honestly just felt like a plot convenience. I was actually confused when I watched it the first time round, I thought I had missed something.
One thing I liked about this episode was when Jake was asked to stretch in the door he was finding it difficult even though we've seen him stretch further than that before. That was a nice subtle hint that something was wrong but it pretty much goes to waste since most of the hints were so obvious.
Also this was literally just the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy 2. I'm curious to know if that inspired this whole story arc in any way, or if they had this idea from when we first saw Warren in "Joshua and Margaret Investigations"
No characterization? Then how did anything happen?
SonicmaniaVideos Characterization and plot progression are different things.
The episode was written and voiced before Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was released, but it is an interesting coincidence.
Jakes situation in this episode, reminds me if that Coraline movie. So similar how both Jake & Coraline are brought to this world that praises them, only to be used in some sacrificial way that beneficial the parental figure that lured them there.
I think that the reason there's no deep plot points or character advancement or anything like that is like Jake said "I ain't nobody's son but Joshua and Margaret." By this point Warren really didn't matter, and I think that was the point they were making, that he really doesn't matter at all.
"Come Along With Me" is an upcoming episode in the tenth season of Adventure Time. It'll be the final episode of Season 10 and the series.
Adventure Time seems to have a love for fathers who use their kids and don't care about their happiness, but their own.
Y'know, there's kinda an obscure theme running through Adventure time, and that is: Bad Dad(s). Like, all of them are bad. I'd say Jake is arguably not that good of a father, either, considering the fact he has been absent for a lot of their lives. Hunson, Flame King, Marty, Warren. Why are Daddy Issues a running theme...
10:28 Wait! Does that mean that Warren Ampersand hasn't been devoured by the black hole completely and there are still left some remnants of Warren?
Anyone remember when this show was jake and Finn going on dumb adventures ?
Wild how Jake and Finn both have terrible dads
I think it actually was clever that they finished Jake's internal conflict before this episode. Usually, an event like this would shake the faith the child had on the bonds they previously made so the whole "Biology doesn't matter, Bonds do" message is emphasized.
Jake feeling already content with himself, his bonds with his whole family firm, is a pretty nice subversion of it.
I'm looking forward to watching your analysis/review on the other two episodes.
I too was dissatisfied with the whole "Jake the Starlord" story, but mostly because Warren dies... I mean maybe if he lived and we had some hope of a further story, or maybe even a hint that Jakey has a sibling out there... just something. Anything.
I dunno, the episode just felt a bit hollow to me.
I actually liked the premise of Jake’s dad being evil, but I liked his more alien-like appearances in prior episodes. It’s that mystery and grittiness I miss in these newer episodes, and I’m getting more and more disappointed with how the creators are pumping it out. I was hoping he’d be way more evil and selfish, and like said more alien.
i was thinking. Martin was "desintegrated" to reform in another dimention, right?
and now Warren "has GONE 4D"...
what if then both end up meeting in uncomprehencible dimentions, and manage to come back, close to the end of the series maybe to aid against golb? maybe not, i dont know.
Intrestingly even though the show has been on for so long I still feel like its ending too soon no not just in a ill miss it way I mean storytelling wiseThe show at the announcment of its end had atleast 10 things that could form entire arcs(the lich,magic betty,jaes parents,Martin,humans, golb so on and so forth I mean gravity falls end also felt rushed but that was just two seasons this has gone one for like 8 years
I realized I listed less then 10 so continuing. Hunson abadeer his past with the lich(with is actually only known if you read) the vampires, vampire queen and Simons history, Dr gross, the biggest I think is the mushroom war like its what ties the whole show yet its never answered specifiically, also bubblegums past
Random? but I just thought something...Is the freaking catalyst comet singing "Come Along With Me?" if so, does that mean Finn really ends up ascending to a new mode of existence? I wonder what makes him do that, if I'm right.
I liked Warren's old design. The five eye with the five way mouth. It makes him look more unique.
I think the “I’m going to 4D” line was a reference to the episode when Finn made a black hole out of a 4D bubble