*Premise spoilers.*
Okay, huge disclaimer off the bat: I’ve never seen Adventure Time. I’ve heard good things, and it sounds like I’d probably like it, I just haven’t gotten to it yet. As such, I’m incredibly uninitiated for this show, which is a spin-off of the original. After reading a basic summary of both series, I’ve found my footing a bit, but be prepared for me to be confused and wildly uninformed at various points throughout these reviews. It looks like Andrew Rannells is a recurring character who only appears in about half of the episodes, but I plan on watching the whole thing for extra context.
At night, Fionna dreams of being an adventurous heroine alongside her cat Cake, protecting the people of a fantastical land from various threats. In the cold light of day, life isn’t nearly as magical: dead-end job, vet bills, and breakups are the order of the day. But an unusual chain of events kicks off one morning when Cake starts acting oddly.
From what I understand, Fionna and Cake aren’t major characters in the original series. Instead, they’re reimagined versions of the mother show’s protagonists, Finn the Human and Jake the Dog. But while Finn and Jake do live in the fantastical land of Ooo peopled by all kinds of remarkable characters, Fionna only dreams about it. She feels like she’s in the wrong life, like she belongs somewhere else, but can’t quite articulate how or why.
Despite not having much context for this, I enjoyed the first episode. It does a fine job capturing the bleakness of an uninspired life. As Fionna wonders what’s wrong with Cake, she muses, “What if she’s just bored with everything and wishes the world were more magical? It should be more magical.” She’s stressed, bored, and can’t seem to gain any momentum, and it’s no surprise that she prefers her dreams to the reality she’s living.
I’m not familiar with Madeleine Martin, who plays Fionna, but she does a nice job as a dissatisfied woman who doesn’t know what she’s searching for. The series also feels the voice talents of Donald Glover and Vico Ortiz (a.k.a. Jim from Our Flag Means Death!)
Rannells plays Gary Prince, a friend of Fionna’s who works in a coffee shop/bakery. Life isn’t quite panning out the way he wants either, but he’s more hopeful about it than Fionna is. He’s dedicated to his work and tinkers with new recipes in his spare time, even though his traditionalist boss shouts down his efforts at innovation. He projects a cheery attitude, but he’s also timid and a little anxious. When he offers one of his new pastries to Fionna, he eagerly asks for detailed feedback, but when his boss reaches for a sample, he cries, “Wait, don’t taste it yet! The recipe’s still in development!”
First impressions:
Recommend?
In General – Too early to say; I’m still getting into the swing of things. But I liked this episode and I want to see more, so that’s a good start.
Andrew Rannells – Maybe. Again, it’s early days, and Rannells hasn’t had a ton to do yet.
Warnings
Some language, drinking, action violence, and thematic elements.
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