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.

Even if that twist isn't too unexpected in the grand scheme of things, how it plays out is the episode's greatest source of surprises. Most notably, Clarence almost manages to kill Fox when he catches on to his father's plans. It's devastating to think that Clarence was so in the moment that he attacks his own family, but it doesn't feel out-of-line despite the intensity. This is the character at his worst and most selfish, revealing himself to be a literal snake-rat doing horrible things out of his pipe dream of winning over Sheryl, and it's a thoroughly grotesque and brutal truth that had to be uncovered.

Once Fox drags himself to a switch to reactivate A.V.A. and calls Ash with the bad news, "The Set Up" splits into two narratives (barring the sub-plot): Ash and K.V.N. return to the Crimson Light to keep Fox from dying, while Gary, Lil Cato, and Nightfall pursue Clarence. The former is the episode at its most compelling, all building up to K.V.N.'s decision to save Fox by donating his personal tritanium phallenger; it's almost astounding to think that a character as annoying as he is has become such a crucial piece of the show, but once again, he scores the episode's greatest and only true victory, even if at the cost of his own sanity. In the place of Clarence, too, he becomes the show's most unlikely new father figure, and I hope that'll be explored as time goes on.

The meat and potatoes of "The Set Up," though, is Gary's side of the story, which evolves into a high-speed chase sequence. There's not a ton to take away from it exposition-wise, but it's one of Final Space's most gorgeously-animated scenes to date, especially once Gary and Lil Cato jump from spacecraft to spacecraft in hot pursuit of Clarence; the fluidity and vibrance in the animation goes a long way in getting your adrenaline rushing. Unfortunately, Clarence manages to escape through his cavalcade of skin-suits, bringing the Dimensional Keys to Sheryl, and even more unfortunately for Clarence, it's revealed that she used him merely as a pawn, with no intentions of fulfilling her deceptive booty call.

As soon as she leaves, Gary and co. arrive, shake information out of him (Sheryl's headed to the planet Rugaro for the final Key), and leave him behind—he's done more than enough damage for Gary to know that it's not worth taking chances anymore. I can only assume that Clarence will make a return sometime further down the line, but whether or not he'll turn over a new leaf or grow even more bitter is anyone's guess. At the very least, his departure from the group is a good way to tighten up the series' core cast as we head into the final two chapters.

Oh yeah, and there's also a sub-plot! It's far from necessary, but insofar as it allows the series' entire cast to play an active role in the story, H.U.E. and Mooncake's day at the mall made for a fun diversion. H.U.E.'s been left on the sidelines far too much throughout the season, with most of the humor mined from his limitations, so his small-scale adventure here was a pleasant, well-appreciated surprise, matching the intensity of the episode's core plots with its robot fights and crime while retaining a goofy charm.

There's three fulfilling narratives that motivate "The Set Up," but it's simply one of those episodes that serves as a lead-in for greater things. It's a check off of a checklist done with style and grace, but a check nonetheless. All that's left to do, then, is see what comes next.

Notes and Quotes:
-Perhaps the greatest shock to come out of "The Set Up" is the confirmation that Sheryl is, indeed, collecting the Dimensional Keys to save John, but even more mind-blowingly, she has the assistance of her own Titan. It's a last-second reveal, but a phenomenal one.
-"Oh, hello officers. And guns in my face."
-"The reward for returning 10,000 Dropnoids is 50,000 Dropnoids?" "Ha, just another reason our economy's in shambles!"
-Gary and Lil Cato's excessive concern over the person that Nightfall dramatically punches made for "The Set Up's" most enjoyable joke, followed closely by Mooncake succumbing to the weight of the medal he's awarded.
-"How are you so agile at your age?! And don't say sex stuff!" "SEX STUFF!"

FINAL GRADE: B. "The Set Up" does its best to punch up on some of the more predictable beats of its narrative—namely Clarence's betrayal—and it's a solid effort, if not an invigorating one. Most admirably, it manages to find a way to utilize every character in an active role, something of a rare feat for Final Space to be able to pull off successfully. At the same time, though, this isn't an episode that really stands on its own two legs as the most memorable 22 minutes of drama and comedy; instead, it's a smart episode that sticks to doing what it knows best, even if that means it's not aiming too high.

For my last Final Space review of "The Lost Spy," CLICK HERE.

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