31/12/2025

LYFE WEDNESDAY | DEC 31, 2025

25

When Adventure Time stops pulling punches o Fionna, Cake take on messiness of adulthood, consequences

TV SHOW REVIEW

Ű BY AMEEN HAZIZI

S EASON two of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is an incredible expansion of the Adventure Time mythos, even when it is actively frustrating. It adds weight, consequence and long-term fallout to what were once throwaway jokes and background characters. At its best, it feels like a grown-up continuation of a world many of us never really left. Story split between worlds This season follows a split narrative between worlds as Finn (Jeremy Shada) lies dying in Ooo and Huntress Wizard (Ashly Burch) travels the multiverse to save him. While her story delivers the season’s strongest emotional core, Fionna struggles in her own world, buckling under the pressure of living up to her hero image and hurting those around her. The biggest surprise this time around is Huntress Wizard, who becomes the season’s co protagonist alongside Fionna. It is technically strange for a show called Fionna (Madeleine Martin) and Cake (Roz Ryan), but no one is complaining. Her arc is easily the strongest thing here. What started years ago as a simple and quiet background character finally blossoms into a fully realised lead. Her journey across universes, her deepening bond with Finn and her exploration of green magic give the season real emotional momentum. Finn, emotional core The central crisis this time around is personal. Finn is dying from poison back in Ooo, the result of a seemingly small mistake from the previous season that now carries deadly consequences. Even while catatonic, Finn’s presence looms large. We see how deeply loved he is, how hard everyone fights for him and we get quiet hints at how broken he truly is after Jake’s offscreen death. It is heavy stuff and the show does not shy away from it. Huntress Wizard’s desperation to save Finn drives the best episodes. Her flashbacks, her upbringing, her magic and her eventual evolution from loner to leader are compelling in a way that feels earned. Watching her relationship with Finn deepen as adults, rather than idealised heroes, is one of the most satisfying things the franchise has done in years.

episodes is exhausting, and the season drags badly in the middle because of it, especially during the fundraiser arc and the strange love square. Powerful ending That said, when the season collapses Fionna’s life in the final stretch, it earns it. The last two episodes, written in part by Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar, completely reframe her arc through empathy rather than punishment. Fionna is not redeemed through heroics, but through accountability, forgiveness and love. The season ends on a note that is devastatingly beautiful. Animation remains superb throughout. Nearly every episode opens with a short sequence that adds lore and emotional weight, enriching the wider Adventure Time universe. The show is also clearly more comfortable leaning into stronger language and adult gestures. Whether that loss of innocence is a good thing is debatable, but it undeniably reflects an audience that has grown up. shortcomings Side characters get meaningful expansion too. Gary (Harvey Guillen) and Marshall’s (Kris Kollins) family histories add depth to their relationship, from Gary’s supportive upbringing to Marshall’s suffocating childhood under a controlling mother. The season also explores the lasting trauma Fionna carries from season one, showing how guilt can quietly rot if left unchecked. Not everything lands. The mid-season slump is real. Several characters are recast and while casual viewers may not mind, longtime fans will notice shifts in voice and characterisation. And Jake’s complete absence stings, even if his shadow hangs over Finn’s story. Still, season two is bold, emotionally mature and often brilliant. It stumbles, frustrates and occasionally tests your patience, but it ultimately rewards you for sticking with it. As an addition to the Adventure Time legacy, it feels necessary, painful and deeply human. Supporting characters,

Fionna (left) and Cake began as fan art by original series storyboard artist Natasha Allegri, before they were written into canon.

Problem with Fionna Then there is Fionna. This is where the season becomes harder to swallow. Fionna’s slice-of-life storyline is intentionally messy, but it often crosses into outright frustrating. She spends the entire season trying to live up to her heroic reputation from season one, constantly proving herself to strangers and, worse, to friends who already love her. She is stretched impossibly thin even though that is Cake’s power. Saving her friends’ bakery “The Sweet Spot” from demolition. Chasing her ex DJ Flame despite him already having a girlfriend. Fumbling a clearly hinted romance with Hunter. Barely acknowledging Cake the cat’s bizarre romantic arc with a human. All while trying to help Huntress Wizard get home. She hurts everyone around her and keeps repeating the same mistakes while being fully aware of

Finn the Human is suspended between life and whatever comes next after being poisoned by the Heart of the Forest.

got away with that in the original series because he was one. Fionna is 30. Watching her spiral for multiple

them. The problem is not that she is flawed. The problem is that she behaves like a messy teenager. Finn

0 Showrunner: Adam Muto 0 Cast: Madeleine Martin, Roz Ryan, Tom Kenny, Ashly Burch, Kris Kollins, Harvey Guillén, Sean Rohani, Kumail Nanjiani, Jinkx Monsoon, Cree Summer, Frank Collison PLOT 8 E-VALUE 6 ACTING 8

Finn (left) and Huntress Wizard, whose relationship is explored in depth this season as she fights to save his life.

Fionna and Huntress Wizard are brought together by a shared mission to save Finn. – ALL PICS FROM IMDB