I’m an Adventure Time freak. Yes, I’m one of those. Can’t help it. I love the snark. I love the shrill scream of Finn (and Jeremy Shada for screaming that way). I love Lumpy Space Princess, despite that she’s a selfish brat and a date rapist. Don’t even get me going on Shelby the Worm, who is quite possibly the closest thing to an animated adaptation of me (watch “Mystery Dungeon” and know that that’s me, from facial expressions to wise cracks). The thing that gets me every time, without fail, is how deep the show goes. Sometimes, it stares into some uncomfortable truths. We’re talking really uncomfortable. And it’s even more unexpected when it hits an uncomfortable theme again… and then again.
You see, Adventure Time manages to go after a rather disturbing theme with steadfast frequency: the idea that a baby will somehow save a dying relationship. Despite that we all know it’s a bad idea destined for failure, people do it all the time in real life. We know that no good can come of this, and it’s just going to be an even larger mess for everyone involved. Yet Adventure Time doesn’t let up, adhering to this formula for keeping families together in at least three separate instances, each with a mixed message. Let’s take a looksie, shall we?
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| Come on, grab your friends. |
“Escape From the Citadel”
Writing team Tom Herpich, Steve Wolfhard, Kent Osborne, Pendleton Ward, Jack Pendarvis and Adam Muto should have just named this episode “Daddy Issues.” In an attempt to trap the Lich, Finn and Jake encounter Finn’s rotten piece of work biological dad, Martin, who uses his son in order to escape prison. This results in the loss of Finn’s arm as the poor kid is trying to literally hold on to the man that continually abandons him. It’s crushing to watch, even if your dad never ran out on you as a kid.
However, something else happens in this episode that can’t be ignored. After the Lich is reborn, he’s delivered to the childless Tree Trunks and Mr. Pig. In your shattered state, you may have missed what Tree Trunks says to her husband immediately before the doorbell rings: “Mr. Pig, I think we should get a div – ” Before she can even finish the word, she’s distracted. When she sees her son Sweet Pea, she declares, “Oh!This changes everything!” Swell of end credit music.
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| Mozel tov, it’s a boy. |
Tree Trunks was flat out telling her husband she didn’t want to be married to him anymore, yet the moment she saw the baby, all bets were off. Now here’s the scary part: we don’t know a damn thing about their marriage. We saw the wedding; that was it. No hints of trouble, no observations of what those two are actually like with each other. For all we know, Mr. Pig could be an abusive alcoholic. Tree Trunks may be a compulsive shopper that sends them into dire financial straits. They may be grossly incompatible, with constant fighting and conflicting life goals. We don’t know if these two are really better off split up. And yet the arrival of their son cancels out anything else that was going on. Suddenly, they have to stick together in the bonds of matrimony because there’s a kid. It’s as though the notion of successful co-parenting after divorce has never entered into their minds. Instead, poor Sweet Pea is saddled with being the Band Aid to his parents’ flailing marriage. No pressure, kid.
“Web Weirdos”
God does this episode make me laugh (two words: Finn’s nails). Buried in the jokes, though, is an honest look at a failing marriage. Ed and Barb are spiders on the brink, and Finn tries desperately to get them to work out their issues (equal parts not wanting to get eaten and genuine desire to help others). It’s not like Ed and Barb had an argument over who does more chores – nope, these two fight over some major deal breakers. Spousal appreciation. Body shaming and double standards. Social isolation. Presents that are referred to as “damage control.” If there are ever poster children for two creatures that need some time apart, it’s Ed and Barb, who communicate so poorly that Barb is left in a homicidal rage… just before she gives birth.
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| The picture of marital bliss. |
Cut to our two arachnids smiling at each other as their babies rain down, declaring, “We can make a new start, as a family.” When Finn asks Jake if they’re going to make it, Jake replies, “Love like theirs will always find a way. It will drain your body fluids and poison you slowly until you pass out.” Not exactly life affirming there, Jake, but it hits a little closer to where we’re headed. The broader, more dangerous truth of the situation: these kids are coming into a marriage that is NOT in good shape. These two did not successfully deal with their issues: Barb’s homicidal rage resulted from a fight in which Ed tried to give her a sentimental present; it was never resolved because it went from fight to attempted murder to babies in short order. These two need so much counseling and anger management it’s not even funny. And now they have a family with which to contend.
Here’s the honest truth: babies are stressful and there’s adjustment to parenthood, which isn’t always smooth even when everyone is on board and in good shape. Now picture trying to do a midnight feeding when you’re fighting with your partner, feeling unappreciated, alone, and ugly. That builds even more resentment, which seeps into every aspect of life. Next thing you know, you’re screaming your head off and throwing a bottle across the room because the cap on the ketchup wasn’t replaced. A baby often compounds issues that already exist. So for Ed and Barb to have their marriage magically fixed by the arrival of their children… you know that it’s not going to end well down the line. This is going to blow up. Again. And goddamn is it going to be ugly. But, hey, look at the cute babies!
“Finn the Human”
This one is more subtle, but all the more damning of the role that kids get stuck playing when their parents don’t think through the complexities of having them. In an effort to defeat the Lich, Finn wishes the Lich out of existence. This results in an alternate reality, where there are plenty of humans, including Finn’s mother, father and baby sibling. The family is not in good shape: dad gambles, there’s a naked crying baby, mom looks exhausted and starved, and they have to sell the family mule – Finn’s only friend – to pay off dad’s debts. This leads a desperate Finn to the Ice Crown, which causes a chain of events that includes standing up to organized thugs and unleashing a literal apocalypse upon Ooo.
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| Aaaaand we’re screwed. |
Finn’s objective is repeated at least twice: “I have to go save my dad.” And here we have it: this kid has to bail his father out because he wants to keep his family together; Finn has to step into the role of savior in order to keep his family together. Mom doesn’t call Dad on his bullshit: she quietly tries to make things work with a soothing voice, and given that Finn is a teenager, she’s been putting up with this for a while. Futhermore, Mom’s had a second child, which has further complicated the situation – if one baby didn’t make him grow up, a second sure as hell isn’t going to do the trick. Dad, for his part, doesn’t voice an ounce of regret in terms of what he’s done to his family; there is never one apology, which is unfair to the suffering group, nor is there an attempt to sort out the mess he caused. It’s up to Finn to try to save his beloved mule while keeping his dad out of trouble. Let me reiterate: this kid is maybe a teenager at best. This is not healthy for a child of any age. No child should have to feel the need to save his or her family. Thus, Adventure Time gives us the flipside of having kids to save a marriage: sometimes, the kids feel the need to save their parents because the parents aren’t fully responsible. We watch a kid blow up the entire world in order to try to preserve something which probably should have burned. Had his parents thrown in the towel and parted ways, this could have ended rather differently. Instead, the child had to assume the role of the Great Righter of Wrongs and wound up making things worse on a global level.
There’s a phrase that I’ve used in the past, in my professional life: let it burn. Sometimes, you need to let something fail so that you can identify the weaknesses and call attention to the problems that require fixing. Sometimes, you need to simply walk away and create something better. Adventure Time doesn’t suggest this; rather, it uses the episodes to present a mirror of the world around us. Some don’t want to admit that it’s broken. Some just want a really cute Band Aid.
