I was the same age as Finn when “Adventure Time” first aired, give or take a couple months. When the show premiered in 2011, it connected with me in a way that no show ever had before. I looked into the television and saw a mirror in which to reflect. Finn, though often in a far more bizarre way, struggled through what I struggled through – puberty, drama, girl problems and finding one’s place in this world when you don’t know if you’re meant for greatness or if you’re really just a scared little kid.
Spoilers from here on out. The series finale took place in a future in which almost all of the characters are gone and B-Mo, a sentient video game system, tells the story of the “end of the world” to a pair of new adventurers, Shermy and Beth, who look suspiciously like descendants of the show’s original heroes.
B-Mo tells of a great war avoided by the confrontation of inner demons and of the summoning of Golb, the show’s deity-like representation of chaos, discord and anguish. B-Mo tells of the epic defeat of this god through teamwork, friendship and some eagerly awaited Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen content. “Bubbline” is now canon. Cartoon Network gave the people the “immortal gfs” they deserve.
What made the finale special above all else for me, though, was the ending. After B-Mo finishes telling the story to Shermy and Beth, they ask, “So, what happened to them after that?” to which B-Mo responds, “Eh, you know. They kept living their lives.” Despite the simplicity of this wrap up, it feels perfect for the tone of the whole series.
The show then goes on to give us an ending montage played over the credits music showing the characters as they kept living their lives. I wanted to be sad that the show was ending, that such a formative aspect of my childhood was gone, but I couldn’t be. The adventure wasn’t over. The characters that taught me more about philosophy, morals and ethics than my minor in the topic ever could got to keep living their lives, having fun, finding love and having adventures. Shermy and Beth would adventure just like Finn and Jake; there just wouldn’t be a show to document it anymore. Just like the theme song says, the fun will never end.
“Adventure Time” started as just a silly children’s series targeted toward my age group at the time the show came out, but as its initial audience grew more mature, so too did the show. An odd undercurrent of positive nihilism began to seep into the show, revealing its philosophy to us as we aged to a point where we could understand it. “Adventure Time” showed us that the world was a terrifying and meaningless place, full of danger and trauma, and that none of it could ever be predicted or controlled. But it also showed us that this terrifying world was one of endless potential, of endless love and endless joy. In the face of chaos and sadness, this cartoon shows us we can still be happy. “Adventure Time” showed me that even in the worst of times, you’ll always have friends and songs and family to love, and of course, adventures to look forward to.
