Before anybody asks, yes, I am aware that Infinity Train was yoinked off of the HBO Max platform in what is apparently a mass culling of content before next year’s merger with Discovery+, all related to AT&T’s spinning off of WarnerMedia to Discovery Networks.
As you can probably guess, this was pretty much my response upon reading the news.
Looking for a way to stop the Steward
Stop the Steward, Stop the Steward
Looking for a way to stop the Steward
So we can turn Evil Atticus back into a dog.
– One-One. “Ugh, too many syllables.”
Airdate: August 9th, 2019
Written By: Lindsay Katai
Plot: Tulip, One-One, and the Ghom formerly known as Atticus finally reach the train’s engine. There, they meet the conductor – as well as the passenger behind the conductor – trying to create more cars akin to their old university. Can Tulip stop the madness of the engineer and rescue Atticus from the horrors of Gohmhood? And what is One-One’s relationship with the Train?
And, with a hint of sadness, here it is. The last episode of Infinity Train Book 1. The climax of “The Perennial Child”. One of the most consistently brilliant seasons of animated television since the golden era of The Simpsons, at least in my eyes. That is not hyperbole – this is a season where even the weakest episode was very, very good. The best episode, meanwhile, is downright astonishing.
I sometimes wonder if Owen Dennis comprehends the sheer quality of what he and his crew have put out, and the sheer fan devotion that has resulted from creating such a masterful product. This was – strike that, is – legitimately one of my favorite TV shows ever from the word go. I know I’ve talked about this before, but my adoration of this series bears repeating time and time again.
But as the cliche says, all good things come to an end. Such is the case with television seasons, particularly brilliant seasons. (Insert obligatory and almost tired Simpsons jab here.) Hence, “The Engine”, the tenth and final episode of Infinity Train Book 1. And if “The Past Car” laid down Infinity Train‘s thesis statement, this episode elaborates on the show’s story engine, firmly cementing the nature of the show’s overall world while concluding our heroine’s journey.
And establishing the title of the series… since the train has no definitive ending by design. Especially not at the hands of the antagonist, of this antagonist.
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You’ve had your chance; now we’ve got the mandate.
If you’ve changed your mind, I’m afraid it’s too late.
We’re concerned you’re a threat.
You’re not integral to the project!
– “Integral”, Pet Shop Boys
Airdate: August 8th, 2019
Written By: Lindsay Katai
Plot: Tulip’s travels take her into a car literally made of chrome. The surfaces, the door handles, the everything has a reflective surface of chrome. And Tulip’s reflection is not only sentient, she finds a path to rebel against her prime counterpart. She attempts to harness her freedom, but this comes in violation of the car’s laws. Ergo, Tulip must find a way to save her mirror image from being ground to dust by the Reflection Police.
A fair warning before we go forward that this review might contain some spoilers for Season 2 of Infinity Train. So if you’re not caught up to at least the end of that particular season, I’d advise not reading this particular review until you are out of an abundance of caution.
So… how many of you have watched The Prisoner?
If you haven’t, well, watch it. It’s one of my favorite TV shows. What started as me viewing a silly side-piece to try and contextualize an episode of The Simpsons turned into a fascinating and mysterious story. There’s so much to dissect from those seventeen bizarre episodes of television, but one of the core values in the series is this concept of trying to reclaim ourselves from a world that controls us in ways obvious and covert. Mostly covert. It posed the question… are we really who we think we are? Do we own ourselves, our own path in life? Or are there forces that subvert our own attempts to decipher our identity, to ruin our attempts to claim our freedoms.
Second question – what about the Star Trek: TOS episode “Mirror, Mirror?”
Well, it’s a classic. What more do I have to say? Exploring the Enterprise crew as more openly militaristic and deceitful really works to shine a light on the fine lines that the human condition exists on. To see these characters harness their personalities in far more morally odious ways highlights that, while humanity is capable of great advancement and generosity, it can just as easily fall victim to venality and barbarism if we are not vigilant. Of course, the whole “Mirror Universe” trope has also been used in other pieces of science fiction to try and twist around characters themselves, and how they respond to stimuli compared to the prime characters we love.
Coincidentally, around the time I was reaching the show’s climax, the first season of Infinity Train dropped here in America. And in that span of ten episodes, we got “The Chrome Car” – probably the most Prisoner-esque episode of Book 1, and one of the most Prisoner-esque of the entire series (bested arguably by Book 2’s “The Wasteland”.) It also takes a rather interesting twist to the concept applied to “Mirror, Mirror” and other mirror universe-based episodes. And not coincidentally, this episode is the best Infinity Train outing so far, and might be one of the best of the show’s entire (if all too brief) run.
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