“Adventure Time” has become a favorite in my house. When I got the third season to review I wasn’t as familiar with the series as I am now. Now my 11 year old records each new episode as it is broadcast. As it is I still think that “Adventure Time” isn’t as great as it is billed to be, but it still is much better than a lot of other cartoons in the last 20 years.
Set in an indeterminate post-apocalyptic future the equipment used is recognizable but not. It’s a weird series, with Jake being a dog that can sort of shape shift and is a father but never acts like it instead being a roommate with his brother Finn, a human. And they are the normal ones.
The season doesn’t take too long to shake things up a bit. Not only does that loose continuity that I mentioned in the 3rd season get deeper, the stories told change as well. The second episode is a series of vignettes hosted by Emo Philips. And Emo Philips isn’t the biggest guest star this season – not by a long shot. Erik Estrada, Bobcat Goldthwait, Keith David, and Lou Ferrigno are only a few of the notable names that will crop up in the credits.
“Card Wars” is an episode that not only proved to be popular but it also spawned a mobile game as well as a physical collectible card game. One which my 11 year old son and I plan on getting into. This is the episode where the expression “Floop the pig” comes from.
Season 4 opens with the conclusion to season 3’s cliff-hanger and closes out with another cliff-hanger. Along the way they are trapped by a renegade heart (voiced by George Takai), awaken under a pile of bananas, romance is explored, and of course get into several altercations with the Ice King. Here is a list of the episodes:
Hot to the Touch (Part 2)
Five Short Graybies
Web Weirdos
Dream of Love
Return to the Nightosphere
Daddy’s Little Monster
In Your Footsteps
Hug Wolf
Princess Monster Wife
Goliad
Beyond This Earthly Realm
Gotcha!
Princess Cookie
Card Wars
Sons of Mars
Burning Low
BMO Noire
King Worm
Lady & Pebbles
You Made Me
Who Would Win
Ignition Point
The Hard Easy
Reign of Gunters
I Remember You
The Lich
All 26 episodes fit onto one Blu-ray disc. It’s great how technology has gotten to the point where all these episodes and bonus content fit on a single disc. It used to be a couple of episodes would have to be on a VHS tape and if you wanted to collect a whole series multiple shelves would be taken up. Now we get to have multiple series on a single shelf.
And you want this on your shelf. Not only is this season enjoyable in itself the special features are solid. The audio commentary track is packed with talent and runs the whole of the season. The ground covered is so vast and participants so varied it’s ridiculous to summarize. Then there is a 20 minute look at the making of the music for the series. Actually I could have stood for this featurette to be longer.
Fans of “Adventure Time” should really start thinking about collecting the series on Blu-ray. If you’re not a fan of the series you should start watching.