Roiland and company are now clearly doing their own thing, and it deliberately flies in the face of the strict storytelling structure now synonymous with Rick and Morty's other co-creator, Dan Harmon. What this departure (or failure to depart, really) exemplifies is the season's overall newfound confidence. 'Solar Opposites' creators Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan on the Season 2 references you didn't get Somehow, it pulls off this bait-and-switch flawlessly. So by Rick and Morty standards, Solar Opposites Season 2 commits a mortal storytelling sin: It unceremoniously abandons a hyped-up emotional stake, throwing it away with zero pay off after a full, season-long wait. Raising the stakes and evolving the story world and characters is fundamental to that show's DNA. Just look at Season 3's acclaimed premiere episode as an example, or every other season finale for that matter. In contrast, Rick and Morty infamously thrives off painting itself into and (arguably taking too long to write itself out of) tight narrative corners from season to season. So the show goes on with the same premise described in the intro sequence. But thanks to Terry bringing along the full series run of Cops on DVD and VHS (among other trashy Earth relics), the added weight causes a failure to launch. Last season, we left the Solar Opposites - the new meta nickname Terry gives their little alien family unit in Season 2 - after finally repairing their spaceship, and as they were preparing to leave Earth for a new planet. Instead of carrying over the stakes from last season's cliffhanger like Rick and Morty would, it quite literally throws it in the garbage, before promptly moving on with no big overarching fundamental change to the characters or show world. Out the gate, Episode 1 makes clear that Roiland's show has finally found its own individual voice, stride, and (most importantly) approach to storytelling. The two took very different approaches to assimilation, with Korvo (voiced by Roiland) remaining staunchly focused on the mission to find a new unpopulated planet to rebuild their society, while Terry (voiced by Silicon Valley's Thomas Middleditch, who it's worth noting has recently been implicated in multiple sexual misconduct allegations) mostly just enjoys the worst pop culture our planet has to offer. At the risk of only perpetuating the unfair comparison, the eight new episodes achieve a Rick and Morty level of greatness that previously eluded Season 1 by finally diverging from its predecessor in a big way.įor a quick recap, Solar Opposites is about two alien Schlorpians and their "replicants" (or, in human terms, children) who escaped their dying planet only to crash land on Earth. Season 2 transforms the little spin-off-that-could underdog into a bona fide juggernaut in its own right.īut Solar Opposite's recently released Season 2 transforms the little spin-off-that-could underdog into a bona fide juggernaut in its own right, raising audience enthusiasm up to 92 percent. The first season's 78 percent Rotten Tomatoes audience rating (while far from a precise metric) captured the positive yet slightly unconvinced fandom which gave four seasons of Rick and Morty a 93 percent average. Great, but in the context of an impossible standard, not as revolutionary or impeccable as the Adult Swim show that permanently changed the game for adult animated TV. Still, Hulu's Solar Opposites couldn't avoid coming off as kind of diet, "pretty good" Rick and Morty. It's a testament to the talent behind the scenes that Season 1 managed to be so promising, distinct yet of a piece enough with the Rick and Morty oeuvre to please fans and critics alike. Solar Opposites, spearheaded by Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, always had an uphill battle to climb: The inevitable, constant comparison to one of the most fanatically beloved and critically acclaimed animated shows of all time. Entertainment > TV Shows This post contains relatively minor spoilers for Solar Opposites Season 1 and 2.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |