In 2017, an adult animation block was announced for TBS, consisting of four shows to start with:
Close Enough (which suffered from production problems and wouldn't premiere until 2020 on HBO Max)
Tarantula (cancelled after one season in a death slot)
The Cops (cancelled mid-production due to Louis CK being ousted)
And, of course, a little project pulled from internet artist Olan Rogers called Final Space.
Needless to say, these plans didn't work out, and the writing was already on the wall by the time Final Space premiered in February 2018, and to rather middling reception at that. Ratings and buzz weren't terrible, but it was definitely on the obscure side of things. Despite this, it was given a season 2 that aired on Adult Swim the following year, and even a third that began last week. In the time since, the show has grown more of a cult following over time, but it still doesn't quite get the appreciation it deserves for the boundaries it's pushing in adult animation, as well as helping fill quotas that were virtually empty at the time it premiered and still aren't exactly met now.
You've all encountered the typical adult cartoon formula. A lowbrow comedy, often either parody of social satire, featuring intentionally unlikable main characters (usually the man of the family or some kind of authority figure), with grossout, potshots, and vulgar humor galore. Some follow this template more firmly than others, but for a long time they seemed to over-dominate the landscape of western adult animation, and most fans agree this was to its detriment. Sometimes some genuinely well-liked shows enter the picture, like Bob's Burgers or Rick & Morty, but they still seemed to follow at least some of the aforementioned tropes to the letter, just using them correctly. Even the rightfully-beloved Bojack Horseman still needed to use this template as a means of deconstruction and had some significant shortcomings in the visual department. Despite knowing the artists of Bojack, R&M, and many others generally did what they could given the budget and direction, it felt like the designs and layout were intentionally made simplistic or unattractive because the shows wouldn't be greenlit otherwise.
Final Space goes against all of this. It starts out on the more comedic side of things, but the gags are mostly contained within the main character Gary's interactions and non-sequiturs. What it really prioritizes is being a dramatic, character-driven adventure - a tone that only becomes more and more pronounced over time. There's certainly some raunch here and there, and a humorous side is consistently present. But unlike your average FOX sitcom or even some of the most off-the-wall stuff from Adult Swim, it takes its stories very seriously. And there's just so much meat to chew on top of that, from a selfish prisoner having to guard a cute but deadly weapon, a cat bounty hunter being determined to rescue his captured son, a supervillain planning to exploit a mysterious inter-dimensional rift - and this is all within season 1.
And then you have the animation, a collaborative effort between ShadowMachine and Jam Filled Services. I can honestly say that right upon first viewing when it initially released, it felt so incredibly refreshing to see a modern adult cartoon really take advantage of it using an artistic, visual medium. The models look fairly standard on the surface, but the galactic environment they immediately establish is so bizarrely welcoming and wondrous, and then you see how everything moves. The tweened work in Toonboom is handled with such fluidity and grace, being consistently smooth and making sure all gestures read well, but never overwhelmingly so with how everything is given the appropriate timing. Not only that, but the various space backdrops seen throughout the show are pulled directly from NASA's own catalog, which feel so naturally inserted I legitimately had no idea they were even real life until I looked it up. But I can only describe so much without providing visual evidence...
Right off the bat, we get these... really graphic images. Clearly some kind of major invasion or battle just happened. This may be a turnoff to newcomers, especially to those familiar with typical gratuitous gore in adult animation, but this is merely an attention-grabber. Something to keep viewers wondering what the hell happened.
This leads into this really atmospheric cold open where the main character Gary - quickly running low on oxygen and mere minutes from death - is trying to make the most of his situation through chit-chat with the ship's computer HUE. This happens in every episode of the first season, as more bits and pieces get discussed each time, and the more you progress in it, the more endearing and effective it becomes.
While the flowing animation was definitely visible in the first few minutes of the show, this is probably the first moment where it's really shown on display. The timing of Gary being launched out of his bed is just really well-timed, and they know to limit how much flexibility there should be for bits like this. A similar thing happens later when he tries to nab a cookie despite HUE's denial.
The shots of Gary being lonely in his prison are just dripping with atmosphere, with the way it's zoomed just enough to take in the space as well as the dark shadows all over the place. This is the kind of visual storytelling that make me love animation as an art form, and man was it great to see return to adult animation.
So yeah, Gary doesn't exactly leave the best first impression, as in a flashback we learn that after running from the law, he tried to woo a captain by knocking someone out and stealing their uniform, and then self-congratulating filling their mouth with aspirin afterward.
But I think despite this, and some occasional tonal whiplash, I never found myself as annoyed by my presence as some others, possibly because the show itself acknowledges he's a menace to society, at least as of the start of the show. And as the season goes on, he shows more and more likable traits that make a lot of people start to root for him anyway, partly because he did just spend 5 years all by himself.
This backdrop is only onscreen for a few seconds, and it's relatively simple in terms of layout, but it is still so aesthetically pleasing thanks to the little magenta gradient - from the somewhat chaotic-looking below and the dark, eerie above.
I like how this chill movie projection takes a sudden, unexpected turn with this weird green dot rushing toward Gary's face. Really adds momentum to what initially seemed like a rather uneventful scene, which is something this show does a lot.
Gary meeting Mooncake is simply a cute scene, with how he immediately takes a liking to the mysterious creature and how he names them after a caterpillar from his childhood. Ah, simpler times...
First look at the Lord Commander. I don't know what I love more, the extremely low angle, the instantly-domineering appearance (which still carries a cartoony charm, especially with his stature), or the deep blues making the entire room feel tranquil in a very ominous way.
Oh, and don't even get me started on the lens flair here. Man, does that make the contrast between the light coming from outside the room and the cold, dark chamber all the more effective.
I also want to mention some select scenes in chapter 3, as it's probably where we get the most variety in the visuals up until now.
These attacking ships are rendered in CG, and Jam Filled really knows how to integrate it into the 2D environment with how it's shaded and works with the camera movements.
This temporal worm they use to escape is phenomenally well-animated for something only onscreen for about 15 seconds, especially the ripple it comes out of. Not only that, but it's so large that you can barely see the ship on the right there.
Here, the Lord Commander is approaching this mysterious oracle known only as Helper Hula, of the "Order of the 12". Beyond the simplistic, almost postmodern layout, I want to point out the moment where LC graphically squashes her eyes, threatening to "finish the job" if he doesn't get his way. This is another moment that would feel overly gruesome elsewhere but works here as it shows just how diabolical and insane he can get.
We briefly get a more trippy, stretchy style upon Gary essentially getting drugged. This only makes the show's repeats (and eventual shift) to Adult Swim all the more befitting.
In a particularly imaginative touch, this helper, named Stevil, manages to create a sinister face with veins and wrinkles. I also love how the design allows the mouth to curve down this much, just to maximize the menacing value.
This multidimensional, dream-manifesting trap that Gary and Avocato find themselves trapped in for a lot of the episode feels extremely reminiscent of M.C. Escher's famous painting, but pushes the concept enough to still feel like its own thing. It's not the kind of influence you would expect to find in a show like this, but they take great advantage of the opportunity.
Holy crap, this is gorgeous scenery. The blood red clouds, the couple planets in the background, them playing up the 'villain looking out a giant window' cliche - it's all so attractive.
And of course, mention must be made of this colosseum where Mooncake is pushed to his limits, and unleashes his true power in front of a crowd with massive death rays.
But of course, this is all from two of the earliest episodes. I understand not too many people have watched this show, and as such I dare not spoil what I've shown to you guys leads up to. Trust me, as much as I can gush over the art design and animation of this underrated show (and probably will some other time), the one thing that may grab you in even more is the story, as it really is that full of substance, drama, and payoff. And for fans of those, especially in regards to sci-fi settings, I simply can not recommend Final Space enough.