TALKBACK - Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake - "The Star"/"Jerry" [9/21 (Max)]

[CNFan1995]

Episodes 7-8

Online September 21

The Star
Premieres
THURSDAY 9/21 (Online)

This week...
Cake is recruited by a band of skilled vampire hunters. Gary and Marshall Lee attend a black-tie party.
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Jerry
Premieres
THURSDAY 9/21 (Online)

This week...
Stranded in a desolate land, Fionna, Cake and Simon are stranded and resort to desperate measures to escape.
​

 

[Neo Ultra Mike]

"The Star" - I guess this was clear last week as well but this mini series is also a really cool look at various Adventure Time What If stories where things happened differently within the history and seeing Fionna, Cake and Simon having to survive off of it. And I have to say though "What if Ice King transferred his crazy to Princess Bubblegum" was probably the most visually interesting world I think my favorite for how cool and interesting it'd have to be is this world. The idea of a fully evil thanks to not having any moral guidance from Simon Marceline being the literal killer vampire princess isn't something I ever thought I'd see. I mean actually digging in and killing Martin by drinking his blood is probably the most hardcore moment of this show so far which I mean you'd think would be top by what happens in the next episode but just that one death hit so hard. Especially since this felt you know like an actually nice Martin who would have been a good father to Finn... man does that mean baby Finn from the Baby universe is now stuck in the Vampire universe? They never bring that up by the end which just makes it even more messed up.

Honestly just everything in this world super clicked for me; Bubblegum now being this rebel leader who tricked out her van with Pepperiment Butler acting like it's AI and Huntress Wizard as her sharpshooter (her being stabbed by arrows though not as grizzly is still messed up), and actually getting to see a world where the Vampires wound up winning with VK using the crown just to blot out the sky (since he's a vampire I guess he's immune to it's insanity which I buy well enough) is cool. I also really liked Simon's shock at seeing what happened to Marceline here then his resolve to try and fix the world but Fionna especially being shell shocked by what happened in the Ice Prince world not being as up to fighting and running despite Cake wanting to take on the VK and troops and that leading to Bonnibel and Marceline's apparent death in this universe. Even the subplot with Gary and Marshall with Gary realizing why Marshall doesn't want back in his mom's world and the sacrifice he was making but not wanting Marshall to make that and the two kissing and leaving at the end... just great stuff. And yeah there were good jokes mixed in too but honestly the situation itself and how dire things was worked more for me and fit more naturally into this kind of episode. I'm reminded of when Marvel What If did their zombies episode and tried for a good mix of comedy with pathos but the comedy ruined the pathos. Here oddly enough though still not forgetting the comedy the story won out to me a lot better and didn't feel like they were ever ruining the mood with jokes. Maybe because of what kind of world it is but either way just a great episode.

"Jerry" - You know I was going to complain "okay if Fionna had the crown since the Ice Prince world why only bring it up at the end here" since they had a whole ep BEFORE Fionna saw here what Simon is llke as the Ice King but it's clear she saw from even the Ice Prince world what the crown can do to Simon so would probably be hesitant about using that particular crown until like they had no choice so that made enough sense. I will say though the twist here is good and I do like the idea of BMO being the only one around and pretending to be other people this isn't as interesting a world to really explore. There weren't too many like characters in the VK world but what we got were some really compelling or amusing takes while here it was a barren wasteland which is the point especially since the big reveal that this is a world where The Lich won and everyone died but it does make this one the weaker of the two this week... not bad but not as good as "The Star".

I will say that though we got a lot of hinting and bits of it throughout the show i really dug getting the more full backstory of Simon and Betty's relationship and seeing them together on the trip and her trying to explain her crush and them ultimately coming together and that being such the primary reason why Simon is trying to get her back. I also really like how Simon is trying to befriend and help out Fionna when she's in a funk and isn't nearly as angry or judgemental as Cake is. I also really like the idea that Lich having finally fufilled his goal of no life may in a way have regretted now not having anything to do thus why he sparred Simon Fionna and Cake and then Scarab arriving (whose scenes with his boss were also pretty good) just as the spell is going through which not sure what that means for the final two episodes but should lead to some interesting insanity. So yeah more good stuff here again not as good as "The Star" but still solid and again these two what if stories are super interesting takes on the lore within the multi verse of Adventure Time.

 

[Eldorado]

Someone on Twitter pointed out that if it wasn't for Simon, OOO and the whole world would've fallen to the vampires. That makes him the most important man ever!

 

[Golden Geek]

I'm finally caught up and I would say these are the two strongest episodes so far. The cut between post-apocalyptic PB and Marcy's violent sexual tension and Gary and Marshall finally kissing on the elevator was beautiful.

I was crying through a third of "Jerry" - I don't think it was specifically the show that triggered it, but seeing BMO's helpless optimism and Simon and Betty's story just let everything flow out. I knew eventually Fionna would have to put together that Simon with the crown on is lecherous and miserable, and the only way around it requires someone else to be tormented.

I heard Orbo and my first thought was "Is that DankPods?" followed by "Probably not, but this is a familiar Australian man." It's Bandit!