Finn the Human was introduced eight years ago as a fiery 12-year-old eager for excitement, but exits on Monday with Adventure Time's quadruple-length finale greatly changed, like the beloved animated series itself.
His evolution is perfectly showcased over the course of Adventure Time: The Final Seasons, the four-DVD collection from Cartoon Network that arrives the following day, containing the 54 episodes of seasons 8 through 10, including the anxiously awaited four-part finale, "Come Along With Me." In that span the now 17-year-old Finn loses an arm, gains a doppelganger (Fern, the grass demon-human hybrid), learns about his origin, and attempts to avert the Great Gum War between Princess Bubblegum and her uncle (well, "uncle") Gumbald.
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That's where viewers left the show in March, with the episode "Gumbaldia," in which Finn fails to broker peace, and Gumbald assembles his "formidable legion of Candy Kingdom haters" -- Ricardio, Bandit Princess, Samantha, Peace Master, Me-Mow, Pete Sassafras, Ash the Warlock, Sir Slicer, Scorcher, the Green Knight and, perhaps mistakenly, the Ice King -- before declaring Gum War.
That's, more or less, where "Come Along With Me" picks up, with battle lines drawn and the forces of the Candy Kingdom and upstart Gumbaldia prepared to determine the future of the Land of Ooo. Yes, more or less: The list of plot details Cartoon Network requested not be mentioned in reviews is relatively long, which means appearances by some characters, the fates of others, and developments both large and small are off-limits.
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Suffice it to say, however, longtime fans of Adventure Time are rewarded in the bittersweet finale, with a reinforcement of the show's overarching themes, the confirmation of at least one theory, and (for some, at least) the fulfillment of a wish. "Come Along With Me" is epic and uplifting, surreal and tragic, and true to the series and its viewers. It offers a sense of closure, with each of the key players receiving moments to shine, even while the resolution remains open-ended enough to leave room for the feature film that's been discussed since 2015.
In short, "Come Along With Me" is everything Adventure Time fans might hope for, short of the series continuing for another 10 seasons. Many will undoubtedly find themselves laughing, and cheering, through tears as the sing along with Finn, Jake, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, Flame Princess and the Ice King one last time.
Adventure Time: The Final Seasons
On sale beginning Tuesday, Sept. 4, the four-DVD Adventure Time: The Final Seasons collects seasons 8 through 10, spanning from "Broke His Crown," which debuted in March 2016, to "Come Along With Me." In between are largely considered some of the best episodes, including the "Islands" and "Elements" miniseries.
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It's (arguably) during that period Adventure Time's themes began to congeal and the series began to take on a more epic feel, and (inarguably) the seeds were planted for the finale. "Come Along With Me" encourages a re-watch of the 53 episodes that came before it, so we can marvel at how those seeds take root, and how seemingly inconsequential elements end up playing important roles.
The episodes themselves are the big draw of Adventure Time: The Final Seasons, which is otherwise relatively low on frills. Bonus content includes a slide show-like character art gallery; "Adventure Time Yearbook," a featurette in which members of the crew reflect on the series; song demos featuring “Flower Song," “Hot Dog Song," “Neptr Flame P Rap” and “Evolution"; and animatics for the episodes “Normal Man," “Five Short Tables," “Wheels," Winter Light," Hero Heart," Abstract”, “Bonnibel Bubblegum" and “Temple of Mars."
Adventure Time: The Final Seasons four-DVD collection, which includes the series finale, is on sale now from Cartoon Network. The Adventure Time "Come Along With Me" original soundtrack is available for digital download and streaming on all major platforms.