WesternAnimation In a Galaxy Not Too Far Away
So for TBS, we have a new cartoon series called Final Space. To explain, Final Space is about the escapades of an astronaut named Gary who had been sentenced to a five years after he had accidentally destroyed some space crafts in an attempt of impressing some woman named Quinn. While on his sentence, Gary meets a green, blob of an alien he names Mooncake after a caterpillar from his youth. What he doesn't realize is that Mooncake is actually a dangerous planet-destroying bioweapon, and that he is being hunted down by an evil intergalactic overlord dubbed the Lord Commander (who's played by David Tennant). Soon enough, Gary meets a feline alien named Avocato whose son is being held prisoner by the Lord Commander, and together with Quinn, they try to unravel the mystery at the end of the universe.
This show was initially based on a pilot which I have seen some snippets of. For the most part, I am enjoying the show. The art style is mesmerizing as well as the designs of some of the worlds the team come across. The plot is also pretty thrilling. I find myself tuning in each Monday for a new installment. I will admit that for a comedy series, it is actually pretty serious for the most part. Take Lord Commander as an example. In the pilot, he was more of a comedic rival than a genuine threat. Here, Lord Commander is not only genuinely threatening, but also legitimately scary despite being a small alien creature. The first episode sees him use telepathic powers to torture a man who had seen Mooncake, before snapping his neck and allowing one of his minions to eat the body. Thus far, he is still a pretty serious threat which I like because he plays off of Gary who is more of a goofball due to spending years incarcerated. The other characters are also pretty decent. Avocato plays the straight man who originally worked under the Lord Commander in exchange for his son; Quinn plays the stern, no-nonsense type who at first doesn't remember Gary even though he sent her several transmitted messages (that she never got); Mooncake, an adorable plush ball who I can see several merchandise being made in the likeness of; KVN, an energetic robot who finds himself in constant conflict with Gary; and HUE, an A. I. assigned to watch Gary while he is incarcerated. So far, each character is interesting in their own way, but as the show is still fairly recent, I can't say much on them.
While the show is technically a comedy, the only real problem I have with the show is that it isn't really. Several of the jokes can fall flat upon being heard, or they can overextend their welcome much like one was when Avocato and Quinn got into an argument on who was more adept to reprogram HUE after Lord Commander's fleet invades the Galaxy one. It wasn't funny, it was dragged out, and there didn't really seem to be a punchline other than KVN volunteering. While this by no means makes the show boring, it certainly comes off as pretty bland in the joke department.
WesternAnimation You might not laugh... but you'll definitely cry.
At first glance, Final Space seems like a wacky sitcom with a sci-fi twist, in the vein of Rick & Morty or Futurama. If you approach this series expecting it to be a laugh-out loud comedy, you will be disappointed. While it does have some amusing moments, the comedy is rather offbeat and quirky and may leave some people wondering what the punchline is in a lot of instances.
What Final Space reveals itself to be is actually a powerful and moving sci-fi drama. The lead character's goofy personality is the result of years of isolation and abandonment issues rather than the butt of a joke. People are betrayed, hurt and killed and none of this is undone by the episodes end.
Final Space has a serialised and continuous storyline that twists and turn in shocking and gripping ways. Character's receive real development that carries right the way through to the jaw-dropping conclusion. This alone would make it unique in the world of recent western adult animation.
The show is not afraid to sucker punch its audience right in their feels. Many a moment in this series almost reduced me to tears and caused me to rethink my take on a certain character.
In addition, the animation is a gorgeous mix of traditional and CGI, especially apparent in the dazzling action scenes which spare no expense in their realisation.
At the start of this series I was like "Meh, it's okay. I'll give it a chance." By the end I was spellbound and desperate for more.
Don't go in expecting a comedy, and Final Space will reveal itself to be so much more.
(Oh and Mooncake is the most adorable thing ever. Just try and deny it!)