Final Space: The Sixth Key

"There's no turning back now. We're going in."

Season 2 has been an interesting beast. Whereas Season 1 was an exclusively linear straight-shot with one character's story arc in mind (Gary's), this season's been intent on branching everything out, incorporating a larger cast with more varied backgrounds and working to do justice to each and every one of them, all with a more episodic format. It's admittedly been more of a mixed bag, creating some of the strongest and weakest entries in the series so far, but with "The Sixth Key" tying everything together, I'm happy to consider the past season to be, by and large, a triumph.

Last season's finale was the peak of Season 1's tragedy, a massive downer that picked through the show's cast and left them, at least by (incorrect) assumption, for dead. With Season 2 being a more optimistic season overall, though, it makes sense that it would end on a more hopeful note. It's a pleasant surprise, and while no doubt filled with some heart-wrenching moments, it's never too cruel; there's a sense of progress, and of all of the past twelve episodes' work gelling into one concentrated effort.

Final Space Review: The Descent Into Darkness

"Mom, maybe we... we try therapy. Just a few visits just to explore things."

Not unlike last season's penultimate episode, there's a resounding sense that "The Descent Into Darkness" is one final victory, as clear-cut as Final Space allows for, before we plunge into the abyss. It's far from lighthearted, but Gary and the crew come out of everything on top, even if it's only a matter of time—a week, to be exact—before things come crashing back down.

The most curious thing about "The Descent Into Darkness" is that it acknowledges that there are multiple sides to every story. We've seen whiffs of it across the season, most notably in Todd H. Watson (who also returns here), but there was largely a sense of black and white, and that Gary and his team were the good guys squaring off against a cruel universe. Of all of the series' new characters, though, few have been as much of a slow burner as Sheryl. Her debut episode set her up as a strictly antagonistic force that exists to reverse Gary's progress, but every subsequent use has slowly given her more humanity, and more of an angle: she might be flawed and heinous, but she's human.

A Definitive Ranking of Every Episode of The Amazing World of Gumball, Part V: 124-100

This is Part V of my definitive ranking of every episode of The Amazing World of Gumball. For Part IV, CLICK HERE.

Final Space Review: The Set Up

"Go to sleep, my electronic princess."

While Season 2 has been far more episodic in its content than Season 1, this week's episode was a reminder that sometimes, you just have to get down to business. It's not an episode seeking to do anything conceptually high-wire nor overly-dramatic, existing as the last big push before we descend into the final leg of the season. There's nothing wrong with that, and its contributions are incredibly significant, but much of it doesn't register as a shock so much as a palatable dive back into the nitty-gritty.

The bulk of what "The Set Up" wants to surprise us with is Clarence's betrayal through giving Gary a false lead, deactivating A.V.A., and secretly departing the Crimson Light with the crew's Dimensional Keys en route to Sheryl. If anyone was going to betray the group, it was most definitely Clarence, though to the episode's credit, it's not as if he was preparing a revenge plot the entire time so much as acting off of an impulse reaction due to his narcissism not being fed on Carnivolo, a fake holiday he invented as a vehicle for others to give him lavish praise. I like that serving as the catalyst for what happens; it gives more spontaneity to how everything plays out rather than simply feeling like an idea that was carefully telegraphed into the narrative. There's an implication that Sheryl's been trying to court him for a while, well aware of his infatuation with her, and he's succumbed to his breaking point at the worst possible time.

A Definitive Ranking of Every Episode of The Amazing World of Gumball, Part IV: 149-125

This is Part IV of my definitive ranking of every episode of The Amazing World of Gumball. For Part III, CLICK HERE.