Adventure Time: The Tower
May 6, 2014 4:05 PM - Season 6, Episode 4 - Subscribe
Baby's building a tower into space!
Deep stuff this week as Finn continues to deal with the revelation that his dad is an enormous tool, and the long, long, long foreshadowed loss of his right arm.
Plus Jake eats spaghetti with a deer, PB again engages in some questionably ethical impersonation (and some less questionably ethical saving Finn from asphyxiating because he doesn't seem to know how space works like, at all), the awesome Cameron Esposito appears as cloud lady Carroll, and BMO is surprisingly resilient.
"You were hallucinating like crazy, so it was really easy to trick you."
Deep stuff this week as Finn continues to deal with the revelation that his dad is an enormous tool, and the long, long, long foreshadowed loss of his right arm.
Plus Jake eats spaghetti with a deer, PB again engages in some questionably ethical impersonation (and some less questionably ethical saving Finn from asphyxiating because he doesn't seem to know how space works like, at all), the awesome Cameron Esposito appears as cloud lady Carroll, and BMO is surprisingly resilient.
"You were hallucinating like crazy, so it was really easy to trick you."
Oh, there are a few gifs from the episode here, courtesy of someone in the avclub comments, and a huge one of BMO getting hit by the ice here!
posted by emmtee at 4:12 PM on May 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by emmtee at 4:12 PM on May 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
Yeah, I mean PB's Martin costume was kind of crappy when we saw it for real, I guess Jake or Finn could have described him in the time between then and now and Finn just hallucinated all the details she left out or got wrong, but still... suspicious, peebles, suspicious.
posted by emmtee at 4:15 PM on May 6, 2014
posted by emmtee at 4:15 PM on May 6, 2014
I just watched this on iTunes. I've only seen the first two seasons on Netflix, but are the newer shows in this season building on each other? Like the early ones are pretty much standalone, but did Finn lose his arm in an episode from last week or something? Also, another dumb newbie question, but when did Finn's voice change so much? It sounds a bit higher than the earlier seasons.
posted by mathowie at 4:29 PM on May 6, 2014
posted by mathowie at 4:29 PM on May 6, 2014
I haven't finished season five, but the show is building a mythology. A bunch of stuff happened in season four which sets up what is happening now. I don't know about the voice though. Finn was 13 when the show started and is about 15 now, I think. I read somewhere that voice actor is trying to age him so maybe puberty?
posted by Partario at 4:43 PM on May 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Partario at 4:43 PM on May 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
They are doing a bit of an arc with Finn's birth father, and it's pretty dark. I read an interview somewhere that suggests they're going to pull it out for about ten episodes? Finn lost his arm a couple of episodes ago.
posted by Paragon at 4:44 PM on May 6, 2014
posted by Paragon at 4:44 PM on May 6, 2014
Finn lost his arm two weeks ago in the season premiere.
posted by Small Dollar at 4:45 PM on May 6, 2014
posted by Small Dollar at 4:45 PM on May 6, 2014
Yep, there are still a good few standalone episodes per season, but there've been more and more callbacks and bits and pieces of continuity - the season 5 finale 'Billy's Bucket List', then first two eps of S6 'Wake Up' and 'Escape From The Citadel' make up a three-parter that has the stuff with Finn meeting his dad and losing his arm, and also calls back heavily to the similar mega-ep that linked seasons 4 and 5. There are a few threads the show kind of dips into and out of - Ice King's past, the Lemongrabs, Jake's kids, Finn's romantic stuff - but tons of one-offs still as well.
Jeremy Shada's gotten way deeper-voiced as the show went on, I think it started to be really noticable maybe season 3-ish - they've acknowledged it, Finn's definitely aged at least a couple of years from his original 12 but I don't think he's meant to be 17 like his actor just yet.
posted by emmtee at 4:47 PM on May 6, 2014
Jeremy Shada's gotten way deeper-voiced as the show went on, I think it started to be really noticable maybe season 3-ish - they've acknowledged it, Finn's definitely aged at least a couple of years from his original 12 but I don't think he's meant to be 17 like his actor just yet.
posted by emmtee at 4:47 PM on May 6, 2014
The Adventures of Magic Man is my favorite mythology after Simon and Marcy.
I wish I could help you, except I don't!
posted by Rock Steady at 4:51 PM on May 6, 2014 [6 favorites]
I wish I could help you, except I don't!
posted by Rock Steady at 4:51 PM on May 6, 2014 [6 favorites]
Also, I am just watching this new episode now, but I'd really like to see Finn learn to be just as algebraic and buttkicky with one arm as he was with two.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:55 PM on May 6, 2014
posted by Rock Steady at 4:55 PM on May 6, 2014
Couple things. First, Minecraft. One of my kids plays Minecraft and building that tower is totes a reference to the game, especially considering that some of the block types come straight out of the game.
And second, what's up with Amazon? We don't have cable TV so watch on Amazon, where we just started not season 6, but season 7.
WTF
posted by Toekneesan at 5:22 PM on May 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
And second, what's up with Amazon? We don't have cable TV so watch on Amazon, where we just started not season 6, but season 7.
WTF
posted by Toekneesan at 5:22 PM on May 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
ps, this mini-interview with Pen and the other writers is free. Check it out.
posted by Toekneesan at 5:25 PM on May 6, 2014
posted by Toekneesan at 5:25 PM on May 6, 2014
This is the sixth season, but season five had 52 eleven minute episodes instead of the 26 eleven minute episodes the other seasons had.
posted by Small Dollar at 5:28 PM on May 6, 2014
posted by Small Dollar at 5:28 PM on May 6, 2014
Yep, there are still a good few standalone episodes per season, but there've been more and more callbacks and bits and pieces of continuity - the season 5 finale 'Billy's Bucket List', then first two eps of S6 'Wake Up' and 'Escape From The Citadel' make up a three-parter that has the stuff with Finn meeting his dad and losing his arm, and also calls back heavily to the similar mega-ep that linked seasons 4 and 5. There are a few threads the show kind of dips into and out of - Ice King's past, the Lemongrabs, Jake's kids, Finn's romantic stuff - but tons of one-offs still as well.
Hmm, I don't know if I should use an Ask for this, but does anyone know of a good guide to the mytharc eps/can anyone suggest the super important ones to watch? I'd love to get caught up on Adventure Time. Have been meaning for ages.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:47 PM on May 6, 2014
Hmm, I don't know if I should use an Ask for this, but does anyone know of a good guide to the mytharc eps/can anyone suggest the super important ones to watch? I'd love to get caught up on Adventure Time. Have been meaning for ages.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:47 PM on May 6, 2014
I've got two girls, an 8 year old and a 10 year old, and we've watched Adventure Time together since it started. And it's weird, because I feel defensive about it, because it's weird, but it's also super smart.
10 asked me today if she could watch Family Guy, because her friends at school were watching it. They were also watching and talking about The Walking Dead, but she knew that show's scarey and she doesn't like scarey shows. Still won't watch or read Goosebumps. But all three of us love Adventure Time, and cherish each new episode, even though they can be pretty heavy and deep. The show's tackled mature issues like genocide, parental abandonment, dictatorships, death and loss, even bad game design and graphics, and in the end it feels like reading a really sweet and charming epic poem. Sure there's death and terror and abandonment, but in its tragedy there's a common sorrow. It introduces the normal drama of life the way that the Grimm brothers did, but since Disney has been diluted.
I really love this show, and I can't wait to see what will happen next, even though I suspect it could be painful.
posted by Toekneesan at 5:55 PM on May 6, 2014
10 asked me today if she could watch Family Guy, because her friends at school were watching it. They were also watching and talking about The Walking Dead, but she knew that show's scarey and she doesn't like scarey shows. Still won't watch or read Goosebumps. But all three of us love Adventure Time, and cherish each new episode, even though they can be pretty heavy and deep. The show's tackled mature issues like genocide, parental abandonment, dictatorships, death and loss, even bad game design and graphics, and in the end it feels like reading a really sweet and charming epic poem. Sure there's death and terror and abandonment, but in its tragedy there's a common sorrow. It introduces the normal drama of life the way that the Grimm brothers did, but since Disney has been diluted.
I really love this show, and I can't wait to see what will happen next, even though I suspect it could be painful.
posted by Toekneesan at 5:55 PM on May 6, 2014
Best dialogue in the episode:
Bubblegum: EHHHHHHH.
Jake: EHHHHHHH.
BMO: EHHHHHHH. :D
Also, I dug Jake's presumably-canvas shopping bag with the earth graphic on it.
posted by ignignokt at 6:16 PM on May 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Bubblegum: EHHHHHHH.
Jake: EHHHHHHH.
BMO: EHHHHHHH. :D
Also, I dug Jake's presumably-canvas shopping bag with the earth graphic on it.
posted by ignignokt at 6:16 PM on May 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Cameron Esposito appears as cloud lady Carroll
Carroll seemed to be drawn (and maybe voiced) intentionally androgynously. Maybe boy, maybe girl, definitely resentful former water!
posted by ignignokt at 6:20 PM on May 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Carroll seemed to be drawn (and maybe voiced) intentionally androgynously. Maybe boy, maybe girl, definitely resentful former water!
posted by ignignokt at 6:20 PM on May 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hmm, I don't know if I should use an Ask for this, but does anyone know of a good guide to the mytharc eps/can anyone suggest the super important ones to watch?
I don't know of one, but a rough approach could be going to the wiki and watching each episode containing:
- Billy
- The Lich
- Both Marceline and her father
- Both Marceline and the Ice King
- Prismo
- Jake's Dad
- BMO and Football (OK, maybe these aren't mythologically important, but they offer a lot of insight into BMO.)
That said, I'm not sure you'll be all that spoiled by watching new episodes. They might give away some arc resolutions, but even then, it'll probably just make you wonder how things were before they were resolved. I'm sure plenty of new episodes will also have nothing to do with the big arcs. (I think those are some of the best episodes, like Who Would Win? and Chamber of Frozen Blades.)
posted by ignignokt at 6:29 PM on May 6, 2014 [3 favorites]
I don't know of one, but a rough approach could be going to the wiki and watching each episode containing:
- Billy
- The Lich
- Both Marceline and her father
- Both Marceline and the Ice King
- Prismo
- Jake's Dad
- BMO and Football (OK, maybe these aren't mythologically important, but they offer a lot of insight into BMO.)
That said, I'm not sure you'll be all that spoiled by watching new episodes. They might give away some arc resolutions, but even then, it'll probably just make you wonder how things were before they were resolved. I'm sure plenty of new episodes will also have nothing to do with the big arcs. (I think those are some of the best episodes, like Who Would Win? and Chamber of Frozen Blades.)
posted by ignignokt at 6:29 PM on May 6, 2014 [3 favorites]
Mostly I'm glad the deer made it down okay.
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:47 PM on May 6, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:47 PM on May 6, 2014 [5 favorites]
(If you're going to dive in and watch only select episodes, "BMO Lost" is worth adding to the list by virtue of how utterly adorable it is.)
posted by nobody at 6:57 PM on May 6, 2014
posted by nobody at 6:57 PM on May 6, 2014
Yeah, watch 'em all. There are maybe like 5 or 6 duds in the whole series, and even the duds are only 11 minutes long.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:40 PM on May 6, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Rock Steady at 7:40 PM on May 6, 2014 [3 favorites]
I love that they gave Cameron Esposito's cloudperson a side mullet.
posted by painquale at 8:31 PM on May 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by painquale at 8:31 PM on May 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Cameron Esposito says her gender is fighter pilot which I think is not one of the standard ones you'd guess.
posted by garlic at 8:56 PM on May 6, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by garlic at 8:56 PM on May 6, 2014 [6 favorites]
It was pretty enjoyable and it did make me wonder about Finn's telekinetic arm. Is it permanently gone? Is this representative of some kind of power already inside Finn? Also, who knew that penguins were reliable building material?
Another thought, is Finn missing his arm also an extension of him feeling the loss of his father? He finds his father, not to mention another human, and as his father runs away, Finn loses his arm trying to hold on to him. Father vanishes, so does Finn's arm.
Again, what of the flower? A sign that Finn has the potential to grow past his new found father complex?
Lastly, I loved that all the various princesses were sending new arms for Finn!
posted by Atreides at 12:19 PM on May 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
Another thought, is Finn missing his arm also an extension of him feeling the loss of his father? He finds his father, not to mention another human, and as his father runs away, Finn loses his arm trying to hold on to him. Father vanishes, so does Finn's arm.
Again, what of the flower? A sign that Finn has the potential to grow past his new found father complex?
Lastly, I loved that all the various princesses were sending new arms for Finn!
posted by Atreides at 12:19 PM on May 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure what the missing arm thing means, but it means something. Shoko was missing a right arm, ditto alternate-universe Finn. Maybe it's a metaphor for, I don't know, growing up and making sacrifices or losing the freedom and idealism of youth? Losing trust in someone (e.g. dad)?
posted by Metroid Baby at 12:58 PM on May 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Metroid Baby at 12:58 PM on May 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
Don't forget Old Finn, who had a mechanical arm in Puhoy.
posted by Toekneesan at 1:19 PM on May 7, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Toekneesan at 1:19 PM on May 7, 2014 [3 favorites]
That one was impressive, because he somehow managed to lose an arm in a world made entirely of pillows.
posted by emmtee at 2:42 PM on May 7, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by emmtee at 2:42 PM on May 7, 2014 [4 favorites]
Yes! I knew I was missing one! (An alternate Finn, not an arm.)
posted by Metroid Baby at 3:47 PM on May 7, 2014
posted by Metroid Baby at 3:47 PM on May 7, 2014
but are the newer shows in this season building on each other?
Yes. It doesn't really start doing so a lot until S3 if I recall, and even then there are still quite a few standalone episodes. But we start getting details about the backstory of the world and quite a few of the characters. It's one of my favorite mythologies on TV ever at this point. That extra depth can give the show an emotional layer that is surprising for a kids show (and it is never not that no matter what's going on). Anyway, loved this week's. The metahphor-y stuff and the telepathic arm thing were both way cool.
posted by sparkletone at 5:16 PM on May 7, 2014
Yes. It doesn't really start doing so a lot until S3 if I recall, and even then there are still quite a few standalone episodes. But we start getting details about the backstory of the world and quite a few of the characters. It's one of my favorite mythologies on TV ever at this point. That extra depth can give the show an emotional layer that is surprising for a kids show (and it is never not that no matter what's going on). Anyway, loved this week's. The metahphor-y stuff and the telepathic arm thing were both way cool.
posted by sparkletone at 5:16 PM on May 7, 2014
The best thing about Puhoy Finn's arm is that it's made of pillows.
posted by drezdn at 7:57 AM on May 8, 2014
posted by drezdn at 7:57 AM on May 8, 2014
"Baby's building a tower into space
Space is where he's gonna find his dad.
Daddy's got an arm
And baby's gonna harm his arm
By tearing it off his dad."
I really like how outside of the lyrics, the song sounded like something kids would sing in church.
posted by drezdn at 7:59 AM on May 8, 2014 [4 favorites]
Space is where he's gonna find his dad.
Daddy's got an arm
And baby's gonna harm his arm
By tearing it off his dad."
I really like how outside of the lyrics, the song sounded like something kids would sing in church.
posted by drezdn at 7:59 AM on May 8, 2014 [4 favorites]
And second, what's up with Amazon? We don't have cable TV so watch on Amazon, where we just started not season 6, but season 7.
WTF
Amazon split season 5 into 2 seasons for whatever reason (though the break actually works story-wise). Mildly more frustrating to me at least is that the most recent episode on Amazon is up the way it was broadcast (instead of the way it was made). The new James episode makes more sense following Tower.
(And what is the deal with Amazon having mis-labeled episodes of Regular Show?)
posted by drezdn at 5:29 PM on May 8, 2014
WTF
Amazon split season 5 into 2 seasons for whatever reason (though the break actually works story-wise). Mildly more frustrating to me at least is that the most recent episode on Amazon is up the way it was broadcast (instead of the way it was made). The new James episode makes more sense following Tower.
(And what is the deal with Amazon having mis-labeled episodes of Regular Show?)
posted by drezdn at 5:29 PM on May 8, 2014
Hmm, I don't know if I should use an Ask for this, but does anyone know of a good guide to the mytharc eps/can anyone suggest the super important ones to watch? I'd love to get caught up on Adventure Time. Have been meaning for ages.
Ooh I know this one! A redditor has been maintaining a story arc list that is pretty exhaustive - all you get is an arc title and a list of episodes, but it gets the job done. I really hope the author moves it to a wiki where it would be a bit more visible.
posted by kaytwo at 12:35 PM on June 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
Ooh I know this one! A redditor has been maintaining a story arc list that is pretty exhaustive - all you get is an arc title and a list of episodes, but it gets the job done. I really hope the author moves it to a wiki where it would be a bit more visible.
posted by kaytwo at 12:35 PM on June 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
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posted by Small Dollar at 4:12 PM on May 6, 2014 [2 favorites]