Picking up after the Stakes miniseries, Season 8 of Adventure Time begins with Princess Bubblegum (Hynden Walch) and Marceline (Olivia Olson) taking a trip to the Ice Kingdom to visit the Ice King (Tom Kenny). PB notices the Ice King acting extra weird and takes him back to her lab in the Candy Kingdom where she and Marceline use VR equipment to interface with the Ice King’s crown.
Finn the Human (Jeremy Shada) loses his Finn Sword -a sword which is literally another version of him- while showboating for Jake (John DiMaggio). He awakes the next morning after terrible nightmares to find that Bandit Princess (Amy Sidaris) has found Finn Sword and is using the weapon to commit various crimes.
Toward the end of the season, roving horse entertainer James Baxter (James Baxter) suffers an accident and pops his iconic beach ball. Finn and Jake vow to help their entertainment idol in his time of need by finding a replacement.
Adventure Time’s 8th season was (by debut ratings) its least popular, barely breaking an estimated million viewers for its finale during the Islands miniseries. That being said, fans and critics were impressed by this season, often citing the lack of decline in the series’ quality after 8 seasons. There’s a lot of variety in this season, but advancing various plots remains the goal of most episodes. Even the episodes which seem like one-offs this season make reference to previous events or give us a glimpse into a larger story arc. Martian machinations and extra-dimensional conspiracies unfold in the background of Finn and Jake’s adventures all culminating in the second Adventure Time miniseries, Islands.
This season is a necessity if your patrons are fans, but if you’re looking for something silly and colorful to entertain children, earlier seasons are recommended. The plots in season 8 tend towards darker subjects, introspection, and exploration of life’s meaning. While still rated PG, there is a heaviness in this season which appeals to teens and adults that may not appeal to younger cartoon fans. Highly Recommended for public libraries.
What type of library programming could use this title?
Adventure Time season 8 contains several episodes which typify the middling and advanced stages of the classic Hero’s Journey and could be used as examples in programs or series devoted to story writing or literature study.
Where does this title belong on library shelves?
As with other seasons, season 8 of Adventure Time belongs on children’s show library shelves, but many adults may be interested in the television series nostalgia’s sake or their own children's. The colorful and friendly box art practically begs for a special display.