Dad’s Dungeon
Boarded by Pendelton Ward, Adam Muto, and Natasha Allegri
Originally Aired: February 6, 2012
Coverage: CedricTheOwl

I’ve been a vocal fan of Adventure Time’s dungeon episodes since season 1.  They’re great exercises in creativity for background and character design, they have a good balance of wit and action, and they speak to the influence of tabletop roleplaying games on the show as a whole.  So take it as a huge endorsement when I say that “Dad’s Dungeon” may be my favorite dungeon episode of the entire series.

Our adventure begins as so many others do:  our boys are killing time with BMO by having Jake do tricks with his shapeshifting when a cloud of sparkles catches Finn’s eye.  Highlighting important objects in video games with sparkles is a trick as old as video game graphics, and in this case the object is of great importance to our heroes:  a holo-tape containing a pre-recorded posthumous message from Finn and Jake’s dad, Joshua

I present to you: the work of one of the most influential voices in Western animation

In addition to telling them of his untimely death, Joshua informs the boys of his final gift to them:  a dungeon he made specifically for them!  Then he delivers an addendum to Jake about the dungeon’s true purpose:  to toughen Finn up, because Joshua thinks he’s weak.

It’s easy to paint Joshua as the villain here.  He’s implementing a very outdated tough-love approach to parenting to match his 1940’s cinema acting manner of speech, and roping Jake into bullying Finn for him clearly has a demoralizing effect on Finn.  However, I would like to point to a small detail in the recording that adds some nuance to his behavior.  While holding baby Finn and Jake, Finn cries for much longer than Jake does, and this visibly confuses Joshua.  I interpret this as Joshua being confused at why Finn isn’t maturing at the same rate dogs do.  Finn and Jake were babies together, and yet we’ve seen many hints that Jake is significantly older than Finn in relative terms.  Joshua’s voice and parenting style indicate he’s a pretty old-fashioned dude, and doesn’t know how to raise a creature he’s unfamiliar with.  Hardly an excuse for what he’s doing, but I appreciate they gave him a reason.

Despite the insults, Finn and Jake are excited to tackle this new dungeon, especially with the promise of the family sword as a prize waiting for them upon completion.  Upon entering the dungeon, our heroes are faced with their first challenge:  a huge pile of burgers and hot dogs.  But this is no eating contest:  the piles form into giant golems made of food.  What follows is a fun yet surprisingly gruesome action scene, including a bit in which Finn pulls the brain out of the hot dog golem.  I also like the implication that the golems would take the form of whatever the boys were craving, not just burgers and hot dogs.

Despite a stellar performance against the first challenge, Joshua continues to berate Finn from beyond the grave.  Jake interjects that Finn has a kind heart and also punches far above his weight class when it comes to fighting evil, but his protests fall upon deaf ears (as the recording helpfully reminds him).  Despite his misgivings, Jake begrudgingly goes along with Joshua’s plan to continue insulting Finn in his place in order to toughen him up.

The dungeon’s next trial is a simple choice between two paths to take:  one awash with swirling flower petals, and the other containing a gross monster leaking some unidentifiable fluid from its numerous boils.  Momma didn’t raise no fool, though; Finn immediately identifies the flower path as a trap, but he and Jake both agree to deliberately spring it just to avoid dealing with the disgusting monster.  However, before departing they deal some tough love to the monster itself, telling him straight to his face that no one wants to be around him because he’s gross.  It’s a great illustration of Finn’s noble Lawful Good heart as well as a demonstration of what tough love actually is:  frankness and honesty, as opposed to Joshua’s insults and tests of strength in exchange for parental approval.

As they enter the next wing of the dungeon, Jake relays Joshua’s insults to Finn, accusing him of doing nothing but whining and crying.  Finn, clearly hurt, counters that he feels cries an acceptable amount, displaying a surprising amount of emotional maturity for a kid his age.  Meanwhile, a trio of Fruit Witches are beckoning our heroes to eat the sumptuous bounty of fruit laid out before them.  Finn and Jake immediately mark it as a fairy tale trap meant to bind them to the dungeon if they partake of the bounty, though in a fit of petulance brought on by the constant insults, Finn is tempted to spring the trap just to see what happens.

If only it were as simple as being forever trapped with the fae

The truth of the trap is far more horrific that they realize:  whoever eats the fruit is turned into a fruit themselves, to be messily devoured by the Fruit Witches.  They don’t even care that the one they’re consuming is one of their own, thanks to Jake’s interference.  Despite the grisy scene unfolding before them, Finn is still too demoralized to even save himself, forcing Jake to carry him to safety from the remaining witches.  As an aside, I have no idea how the AT crew managed to sneak an apple full of meat and bones being messily devoured past the CN’s censors.  It’s still pretty shocking stuff.

Our heroes reach the heart of the dungeon, as well as the next tape left to them by Josha.  Seeing as how Joshua’s plan almost cost Finn his life, Jake refuses to play along with the charade anymore, instructing Finn to listen when Joshua tells him otherwise.  Joshua’s recording starts out like the others, but contains one final surprise for everyone involved, Joshua included:  him getting dragged into the darkness by the dungeon’s final monster.

Finn and Jake enter the final room to investigate, only to find a terrifying monster with a jewel for an eye, laughing maniacally as it slaps Finn around.  It’s a personification of everything Finn has been subjected to up until now:  a sadistic, cackling bully who seems more concerned with belittling Finn than actually killing him.  Finn is still off his game from a day’s worth of insults as well as learning of his father’s demise, up until Jake plays the final tape.  It contains a final parting message from Joshua, telling Finn and Jake that he loves them.  I do take issue with Joshua’s transactional approach to fatherly affection, but in the moment it’s enough for Finn to regain his second wind.  In a beautifully animated scene, Finn claims the family sword and uses it to defeat the monster, all set to an impromptu remix of Joshua’s final message and Jake’s beatboxing.  With the monster slain and Demon Sword in tow, Finn and Jake return home, fond memories of their father on their minds.

Also the demon whom Joshua stole blood from to make the sword tries to accost them.  Probably nothing to worry about.

Season three of Adventure Time has been all about the show growing in maturity and embracing a greater breadth of emotional intelligence, and the season’s dungeon episode is no different.  We get some fascinating and crucial insight into the way Finn and Jake were raised, evidence of how Finn and Jake have grown to be good people in spite of that upbringing, and a bittersweet reckoning with their father’s memory, even as they see that his approach to parenting literally killed him.  The dungeon’s traps are a huge step up from the Dungeon of the Crystal Eye as well.  No offense to the wonderful Demon Cat, but the Fruit Witch sequence is terrifying stuff for a kid’s show.  The escalation of the dungeon’s dangers reflect how much Finn and Jake have grown as adventurers over the seasons, but the emotional stakes the episode tackles reflect positively on how the show’s crew have grown as storytellers in the same time.

Notable Quotes –

• “Buts are for pooping, do it for poppy!”
• “Cheer up, man.  We’re only telling you you’re gross because we’re your bros”
• “If I didn’t cry when people died, I’d have a cold butt for a heart”
• “But I’m tough!  My whole body is a callus”

Dispatches from the Commentary –

• Unsurprisingly, Pen Ward claimed responsibility for boarding the farting cheetah transformation sequence
• “Pancake” is the name of Natasha Allegri’s cat, so Pen puts references to pancakes where he can.  In this case, it was a part of the incantation used to banish the blood demon
• The boarders mention the Hey Ice King video game and how they used the “rocks are low level enemies” joke from “Susan Strong” to populate the game with living rock enemies.  It’s mostly interesting to me because the game wouldn’t come out until the end of season four.
• Natasha Allegri, mostly known for her character design work on the show, shows some surprising action boarding chops in her work boarding the burger/hotdog golem fight.
• Natasha Allegri also displays a knack for surprise horror and gruesome imagery in her work boarding the Fruit Witch scene.  This part is especially evident in her follow-up work in Bee and Puppycat.
• Adam Muto is no slouch in the action department as well, boarding the Jewel Demon fight in the episode’s climax.

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Incendium
Written by Adam Muto & Rebecca Sugar
Originally Aired: February 13, 2012
Coverage: Mrs Queequeg

This episode is the moment that many of us have been waiting for: Finn openly pining for Princess Bubblegum. She’s hanging out with the boys and drawing inspiration from Charles Hatfield. There’s a moment of Jake’s duality, snuggling onto PB’s lap like a dog would, which she acknowledges with “pup.” Finn tries the same and Princess Bubblegum has no patience for him, “don’t make it weird.” It is tough because at the beginning of the season they were the same age, which only deepened his crush. It wasn’t that long ago for him, but it was for her and she does not want to give him any encouragement. It’s uncomfortable for all parties, and I thank Adventure Time for choosing to address this head on and bury this arc.

Finn, like many a teenager experiencing their first heartbreak, is curled up on the floor crying. He has the piece of Bubblegum’s hair and pictures of her. BMO gives him a beat and he sings about the stagnation he feels about his unrequited love. 

All Gummed Up / All Warmed Up (feat. Jeremy Shada & John DiMaggio)

Stop at :43. I remember this song well, it must have lit a fire inside my body – disgusting

Jake wants to help his bro out, and goes out into the storm in his cute red galoshes, leaving BMO on guard duty. Jake’s out on the search for a lady for his laddie. Instead, he finds Flambo. If you were missing a old timey gangster energy, Flambo has you covered. He knows just the skirt to pair with Finn. Flambo takes Jake into the Fire Kingdom, where Jake pretends to be an envoy of Prince Finn, who is super deserving of Flame Princess’ hand. Everything out of Keith David’s mouth is overflowing with gravitas, even “ragamuffin prince.” 1You should know Flame King’s alignment by his voice casting

Jake needs to step up his game if he wants a chance with the rare jewel that is Flame Princess. He comes up with three gifts on the spot: smiting the jester, a serenade, and a koala. Jake creates Finn and a koala present out of himself to Flame King’s disgust, “I don’t like koalas anymore.” Jake!Finn continues to cry about Bubblegum, acting out Finn’s cycles of grief by strangling Jake. 

This wins Flame King’s favor: Finn is an excellent boyfriend for his EVIL daughter! Tell me you were surprised that Keith David’s Flame King was evil. You weren’t. He lowers the lantern and lets Flame Princess out for her first actual words, and she seems normal, if basic. However, she loses her shit on the Flame Kingdom Peanut Gallery, and Jake is terrified. He breaks up with her on the spot, fleeing back to the treehouse. 

Flame Princess is understandably enraged and chases him, lighting the treehouse on fire and burning up Finn’s portrait of Bubblegum. This enrages Finn, leaving them as equals emotionally in the moment and making him the person Jake pretended he was. Flame Princess sets off the rockets, which in turn hurt her because water beats fire, and Finn sees her regular form as she loses consciousness. He uses the wad of Bubblegum’s hair to secure himself to the treehouse, catching FP and bringing her inside. 

When she wakes, she yells at him for abandoning her and he says that he does like her, leading to a fraught emotional situation with two fourteen2Next week’s episode gives us a specific passage of time between two episodes. Penn Ward confirms that Finn has aged without an onscreen birthday. year olds. She doesn’t know what to do, slaps him for jerking her around, and leaves. Finn asks a chagrined Jake who that was, admitting he has a crush on Flame Princess. 

She doesn’t have much to do, but Flame Princess gets a good introduction as someone who’s young and naive. She and Finn are equals in a way he hasn’t been with any other female character. Neither of them know what to do in their confrontation, both are confused, and she has hurt feelings. Jake gets exactly what he set out to do: securing an age-appropriate love interest for Finn, although he doesn’t know if there’s any chance for it to go anywhere. Oh, and she’s evil evil evil. For Finn’s part, there is something dynamic about seeing someone else in their full power. He is honest with her, that he does like her (why wouldn’t he dislike her? He doesn’t know she’s evil.) She makes a full show at the treehouse and Finn is ensorcelled. 

Next week: Hot to the Touch and Five Short Graybles