Final Space: Chapter Five Review

"Like it or not, we're a team. And you can't spell team without M and E. And you know what that spells? Us."

Chapter Five is an interesting sort of buffer episode. Compared to previous chapters, there's very little to what it sets out to do, with the main focus being the building of trust between Quinn and Gary's ragtag group of unconventional galactic heroes, and it does a stellar (space pun? Maybe) job at that.

Whether or not that ultimately benefits us in the long run, though, is up to contention. For the record, I don't think there's anything wrong with episodes like this, and to its credit, it did get things done. But with a focus leaning on the characters and how affected they are by their surroundings, "Chapter Five" feels like a change in pace that, while not detrimental by any means, stands out a little.

That's certainly an odd, and I'm sure picky, argument, but Final Space, by its nature, is a gripping space opera; it plays out with all of its episodes bearing equal weight, with the constantly-evolving status quo being the propeller. "Chapter Five" is a good episode, by all means, but it doesn't quite fit as snugly into the overarching story the show is trying to tell; more than anything else, it fills in blanks instead of introducing us to anything new. And again, it does a knockout job at that, but not better than any of the other episodes. It feels like Final Space Lite.

The meat of the episode, as I mentioned, is spent with Gary trying to win Quinn's trust as the two explore a planet near the gravitational disturbance from with lasers are being fired These lasers, going into the hole, threaten to consume Earth, and even more suspiciously, it's an Infinity Guard outpost; as our narrator at the beginning comments, the slacks are tightening.

Critical to the success of this chapter is how genuine the characters have to feel to make the tension work, and from that, Quinn emerges more victorious than ever. This is pretty much her first episode under the limelight, and she finally feels like one final piece in the puzzle; her character clicks and pretty much makes the entire affair work.

This is an episode that disrupts the status quo by forcefully reconstructing her character and everything she believed—the Infinity Guards, secretly working under Lord Commander, are the bad guys, and Gary, Avocato, and Mooncake are the only true good guys left. So congratulations, Gary, you get your win, but this is Quinn's revelation, and she emerges on top; as the series barrels into its true potential (Olan claims Chapter Six is where crap hits the fan... in a good way), things suddenly seem to be primed for the best.

Lil Cato's story arc, meanwhile, actually got somewhere. The past few chapters have kept him quietly to the side, making small actions in between scenes, but as a result of the main arc being a little less heavy (I'm inclined to believe), the show shifts gears more to him as he makes his escape to send Avocato the message containing his whereabouts. The help he receives in breaking out, though, turns out to be Lord Commander, setting the stage for the next chapter and, to reiterate, more stars aligning. While the main story deals in tension between characters primarily, Lil Cato's arc gives us a nice taste of the narrative at its grittiest.

There's two other things I want to call out of "Chapter Five" that make it, in my opinion, stand out just a little bit more: its visuals and subdued understanding of symbolism.

First of all, I've never really talked about Final Space's visual appeal, which is probably a grave error on my part, because the show is gorgeous. The planet, especially, is some of the show's most delightfully vivid work so far, with gorgeous and luminous shades of red and purple melting across the screen under Final Space's trademark starry skies. It makes the planet feel like its own little world beyond just what we see of it on the show. The cinematography, too, is spectacular and a great compliment to the intensity of the storytelling, especially with the shots in that final escape sequence; this is a show that both knows how to tell a story and can actually forward that knowledge into an delectable product.

The episode's subdued use of symbolism, meanwhile, accentuates the points that it makes, and it allows us to further contextualize what's happening and the inevitable pain the characters are going through. The most enduring image, I think, is that of Quinn removing the Infinity Guard patch from her uniform, feeling betrayed and without anyone to trust. It allows us to get into the mind of the character; it's a small action, but it demonstrates the weight of the blow, but at the same time, as Gary swoops in with Avocato and Mooncake and cheers her up, it's a reminder that this is also a clean slate and the next chapter of her life.

Final Space is finally connected, and all we have to do is sit back and watch the magic unfold. As of right now, though, we're on a quick break.

Notes and Quotes:
-"Quinn, it's over. I pulled the Cupid's arrow out, snapped it, and threw it into the breakup flames. Toast a marshmallow, and get on with your life."
-"My patience is whittling away." "Whittle away temptress, your words can't hurt me anymore!"
-"Good news: if this is the right place, we made it."
-"Look, Gary. I'm not trying to be mean. If you get hurt or die... well, that's a responsibility I don't want. That's the truth." "I don't accept your truth. And that was incredibly mean." "I'm sorry." "I don't think you are." "You're right. I'm not." "You have a bite to you. I like that."
-Good job, Jeff.
-Avocato scored some of the episode's best laughlines when, after being shrunken down, he deems himself a philosopher and begins spouting vague wisdom corresponding to certain situations. I never give Avocato enough credit, but he's always a great character, and I can't wait to see him at the forefront. (Oh, and thanks for reading, Coty! You do a phenomenal job.)
-Dart Juice makes its triumphant return, this time on-camera! Thankfully, KVN survived it, though I'd like to think it was a trick on Gary's part to kill the poor guy off, even though he continues to deus ex machina the crap out of the series.
-"Right on the downstairs mustache..."
-Hey reddit guy, Gary brutally killed Superior Stone pretty brutally, so there ya go.
-I got so much second-hand pain from watching Gary's zipline arm, but what a hero.

FINAL GRADE: B. My ultimate takeaway is that this is a gearing-up episode. And it does so much right, creating strong character moments and development, legitimate tension, and a luscious atmosphere. But it never quite syncs up with how the show has grown accustomed to conducting itself, leaving a fair bit to be desired. What do I know, though? If the next episode packs as much of a punch as I presume, I'll be thankful we got our head pulled out for air before the show shoves us back into the water.

For the last Final Space review of Chapter Four, CLICK HERE.