Alright, I outlined every episode of season 2 and wrote a teeny tiny review for them all (meaning like a sentence or two), but now it's time I make a list for the season. Since there are 26 episodes, I suppose I could do a top 10 and bottom 5, but instead I'll just make a top 5 and bottom 5. Obviously this post is for my favorites. There's a lot of solid midground in this season, though, so it will be hard to choose just 5 favorites.
If you want to see my opinion of each episode of the season, I'll throw some links below. And then to the countdown!
Part 1 (episodes #1-13)
Part 2 (episodes #14-26)
5. The Eyes
One of the funniest episodes of the second season, 'The Eyes' is a tight episode with an incredibly simple premise. There's some kind of weird horse staring at Finn and Jake in their treehouse, and this makes it so they can't sleep. It's quick, to the point, doesn't waste any time, doesn't fill itself up with meaningless crap, lacks filler, doesn't stall for time, and doesn't do that thing I just did at all. And that's one of the reasons it's so great. Watching Finn and Jake desperately try to get this horse thing to go and stop bothering them leads to some brilliantly comedic moments, my particular favorites being one involving snakes and the closing line. Season 2 was all about fun, before the show became too preoccupied with story, and this is one of the best of this harmless variety of episodes.
4. It Came From The Nightosphere
The first episode of the second season, and possibly the most well-known of the entire season, 'It Came From The Nightosphere' marks the first appearance of Marceline's father, the demonic overseer of what is basically Hell. Not knowing who her dad is, Finn tries to figure out a way to patch things up between the two and winds up setting him loose to suck the souls out of the inhabitants of Ooo. It's one of the first times we ever really see much development from Marceline, a character who would be fully capable of carrying her own show -- and honestly, I'd be surprised if they didn't try to come up with a spin-off series for her. Anyway, this is a nice episode with some cool animation and great character development.
3. Death In Bloom
The episode that introduces Death as a character in a "kids" show. When Finn and Jake are tasked with taking care of Princess Bubblegum's plant, the plant quickly dies and they panic. They go to Peppermint Butler to see how he can help, and he proceeds to do what a creep like him would do and opens the door to the Underworld for them to make a deal with Death to bring the plant back to life. It's all so weirdly dark, but silly in the kind of way you could expect from the show. The fact that Peppermint Butler and Death are good friends says a lot about him as a character, and the
title card is one of the coolest in the show, so that definitely helps.
2. Mystery Train
Jake has a special birthday surprise for Finn, but first they have to go on a ride on a train to get there. Once the passengers begin to slowly be killed off, it's up to these two to solve the mystery. Okay, so you know right away that characters aren't actually being murdered on this show, but that doesn't make the mystery any less fun to watch unfold. As far as the twist goes, I didn't actually fully see it coming, which I feel the show deserves credit for. It doesn't lie to your face, and the jokes thrown in keep it fun and totally rewatchable. Definitely one of the better mystery episodes of the show.
1. Mortal Folly / Mortal Recoil
To paraphrase Jake, this is the first end of the world type mission he and Finn go on, and the weight and suspense of this can be felt in every moment. PB enlists Finn and Jake to keep The Lich from regaining his power, which leads to chase scenes aand a true feeling of urgency and dread. While technically a two-parter, the episode I am especially fond of here is the ffirst section, which introduces us to the show's main antagonist. While the second part is definitely dark and effective in iits own way, there really isn't the same level of tension found in the first, and the visuals aren't nearly as disturbing. Anyway, 'Mortal Folly' is the only episode of the second season that I would give a perfect score to, and since 'Mortal Recoil' would probably be my 2nd or 3rd favorite of the season, I decided to just pack the two together. A fantastic way to end the season -- even if 'Heat Signature' wound up technically being the final episode to air for that season.
And there you have it. Hopefully I'll have the bottom 5 up within a few days. If not, be patient! I've got a lot of Adventure Time left to write about and I don't want to burn myself out.
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