Infinity Train is entering its fourth and final season April 15 on HBO Max. The critically acclaimed cartoon has used its unique, sci-fi premise to explore existential themes that can resonate with almost anyone. It also forgoes a linear, serial storyline in favor of an anthology approach, with each season featuring different protagonists and often touching on side stories that were briefly addressed in the prior seasons. While the possibilities are endless, here are some of the key things to know about Infinity Train before diving into the final season.
What Is the Infinity Train?
The title of the cartoon perfectly explains the train itself, as it's a never ending train with new cars constantly being added. The train appears whenever and wherever the passenger needs it, and once said passenger enters the train, they are taken to desert wasteland dimension outside their own reality.
The cars themselves also act as their own worlds, with some containing entire civilizations and others being unusual rooms, but all cars pose some form of puzzle or challenge that will hopefully help the passenger grow as a person. Anything can happen in these cars, as seen by the talking animals, sentient reflections, fictional creatures and more.
While most of the cars are ever changing, there are two staple cars: the engine and the tape car. The engine is home to the Conductor, who oversees the train from here. This is also where new cars are made. Meanwhile, the tape car is where new passengers are prepped for their time on the train. Here, a tape of all their memories is made, which is at times used to help the passengers on their journey. Once this part of preparation is finished, the passengers are given their numbers and sent off.
Who Are the Passengers?
Passengers are humans who are going through some sort of personal crisis, like dealing with their parents' divorce or coming to terms with a loved one's death. Once on the train, they are given a number that goes down as they positively deal with their personal baggage or goes up as they fall back on toxic behavior. Once the number hits zero, they are free to return home. While the train sets up the cars and assigns the passengers their numbers, it is entirely on the passengers when it comes to how they tackle the challenges.
Who Are the Denizens?
As the passengers move from car to car, they encounter denizens, who're beings made by the train. Denizens can be anything, whether that is a sentient object, animal, mythical creature or something else entirely. The Conductor can also alter them physically, as seen with Atticus, who was turned into a Ghom -- a demonic monster -- for a few episodes.
They appear to live their own lives within their assigned cars, but they are created with the intent to help out the passengers, whether that is as a companion, like with Alan Dracula and Atticus, or as an obstacle to overcome, like with the Fleck agents. While this is their intended purpose, denizens have the potential to be freethinking beings who are not restricted by their predetermined servant role, as seen with Lake, who escapes the train with her friend Jesse.
Who Is the Conductor?
In Season 1, the Conductor is the primary antagonist. She actively tries to apprehend One-One, a robot Tulip assumes is another denizen. With Tulip trying to protect One-One, she gets on the Conductor's bad side, as she often does not interfere with the passengers, preferring to create her own cars. It's revealed toward the end of Season 1 that this Conductor is actually a former passenger, Amelia. She couldn't come to terms with the loss of her husband, so she overthrew the real Conductor in hopes that she could recreate her old life on the train.
The real Conductor turned out to be One-One, and his goals are very different from Amelia's. He wants the passengers to work through their issues, but he understands they must do it on their own, hence why he's created an environment that facilitates growth but is dependent on personal choice.
What Protagonists Are Still on the Train?
While passengers are supposed to leave the train, some of them have yet to work through their issues, such as Grace and the remaining members of the Apex, a cult of child and teen passengers who formerly assumed that getting their numbers as high as possible was their purpose. Amelia is also still on the train, now working alongside One-One.
Most of the Denizens introduced are also still aboard, like Atticus and Alan Dracula, but some have met tragic fates. Tuba was killed by Simon, and Agent Mace was ground to death by Lake. Meanwhile Lake herself has escaped the train, and Hazel has realized she is actually a denizen, but she is glitching, so her role on the train is up in the air. With Season 4 following new protagonists, it's unclear if any of these remaining characters will appear in the final chapter, but anything is possible in Infinity Train.
Created by Owen Dennis, Infinity Train stars Ashley Johnson, Jeremy Crutchley, Owen Dennis, Ernie Hudson, Kate Mulgrew, Lena Headey, Robbie Daymond, Bradley Whitford, Ben Mendelsohn, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Kyle McCarley, Isabella Abiera and Diane Delano. Book 4 arrives on HBO Max April 15.