It's a shame that Infinity Train was designated as not having a child entry point and got shafted. I remembered it being so popular on HBO Max. If only it could have been on Adult Swim or something
Especially since the last two books had 18 year olds as protagonists and book 4 had no kids aside from the three minutes of backstory Ryan and Min got. Sure 18 is closer to a kid than what I assume is 30s for Amelia, but I don't think it would've mattered. Regular Show, Samurai Jack, and Johnny Bravo had adult protagonists and kids still loved those shows.
Honestly it was just fine for children. It was an extremely important group of messages for kids. My little sisters genuinely loved it, even season 3. We wonder why young generations are going to be less and less prepared for the future. We are totally okay filling their heads with bright, pointless color barf, but as soon as anything get serious, we just cut it off. It's really depressing.
@@noahmclaughlin7921 The last season was absolutely terrible and made no sense. How dare you defend it in any way. It was like a pilot episode for an entire season. Unforgivably poor writing, character motivations, characterization, "and then they just got over their contrived conflict because the season is over and we gotta tie it all up haha"
@@Moe_Posting_Chad The comment is meant to be sarcastic, as a joke, right? I mean, book 4 is definitely not my favorite, but I wouldn't hyperbolize it that way either.
One thing I know for sure is that the reason why season 4 wasn't changed was because Owen valued creative integrity over giving the show a "finale". While he knew he wouldn't be able to continue telling his story, he didn't want to change anything about Ryan and Min and their journey just to make a half-baked and rushed ending, and I respect him so, so much for that. I really think he made the right decision, not compromising on what he wanted to tell was fundamental for the themes the show treats, after all. He fully believes that one day the show can come back and is still working hard to make it happen, so until then I will be there, waiting for the day we can see all eight books. Or when he drops the Book 5 script for us fans, if he ever completely loses hope. Let's hope we never see that day, yeah?
This show IS for children. Children can handle way more than you think, and a lot of the things you deem "not for kids" are about issues that kids experience EVERY DAY. Yes, trauma, nightmares, and death are all scary and hard to deal with, but Infinity Train portrays them with the gravity they deserve to TEACH kids and adults alike, how to process them in a healthy way. This is not a preschool show, but it IS for children.
Seriously, I get wanting to respect animation as more than a medium for children, but children deserve respect and good content too. A show that makes them ask questions and start conversations
Yep, people forget that treating people as kids =/= talking down to them. It sucks because that just means that more children media can get away with shortcuts
@@breadg1818I like it as a tween and above show! Calling it just a children's show or not for children I think is too vague. I was one of those children who scared easily, especially from imagery, so to me, this show is not too dark for children but it would really want a warning. Also, yes we shouldn't talk down to kids but tweens and teens will appreciate this show much more than a lot of children. I'm not really sure who the intended audience was but I'm glad I found it when I did
While I do agree that the 4th season seems a little odd tonally compared to the others, I do think it would have felt a LOT more natural in the shows (hypothetical) finished state. It's really hard to *constantly* have rising tension. I suspect the writers were planning on giving us a breather season with a lighter palette before increasing the tension again moving forward. That said, while the interrogation of the train is more subtle in that season, it's still there. Other commenters have pointed out that what appears to be happening in the background is Amelia's take-over of the train, establishing the status quo that Tulip will later wander into. Some of these changes were beneficial. It's pretty messed up to take away peoples clothing and other items. Not just because "stealing is bad" (duh), but because these things are huge elements of self-expression, so of course peoples' objects -- such as the boys' instruments-- would be a key part to overcoming their personal issues. So it's clear that Amelia had some good points, and was trying to help. But at the same time, some of these changes were detrimental. For example; taking away those grav shoes. Season 3 shows how useful that is in traversing the more dangerous aspects of the train. How many people died because they were in cars that *should* have been 'beatable' with the right equipment? Plus, it seems back then, more of the denizens knew what the function of the train was. Did Amelia stop 'programming' this information into denizens, meaning they couldn't help function as as guides? But even as we see that, we have subtle interrogation of the train's practices. Like, let's look at the story of Kaz, the castle, and the passenger. Guy was grieving his dead family. He managed to work through that grief and find a new family. But then, just as he accepted and processed it, he was literally RIPPED away from them against his will. We see how fucked up the castle was by this; but out there in the human world, there's a dude who's lost two families, and one of them he can't even tell folks about because otherwise it will look like he's had some sort of mental breakdown. The show is CONSTANTLY interrogating its own premise, and that's why i love it so much
These are great points. I said something similar about the season making more sense in the context of the full series, were it ever produced. Honestly, the background story of Amelia is something I almost totally missed (I had to add that bit in after rewatching the draft. Glad I did too, because that would have been a huge miss.) With that perspective I can definitely see the elements you mentioned, but yeah they're much more subtle than seasons 2 or 3.
Although book 4 has a different feel from the others (which feels like the intent due to it being the beginning of a new arc. I think books 4-6 were meant to be a past arc due to book 5 being about Amelia’s takeover and book 6 apparently taking place in the early 2000s) it’s still my favorite because Ryan and Min are my favorite characters and it still tackled a lot of good subjects even if it didn’t have as many creepy scenes (except for the docent)
The whole deal in season 4 showing uniforms and tools really gave me the idea of utilitarism and cold efficiency, like mental hospitals and prisons giving its denizens uniforms and basic tools for amenities and overall rehabilitation. Had we seen the origin of the train, I wouldn’t be surprised it was some sort of prison at first (using the memory tapes to judge one’s crime unbiased) later set free to become a psychological aid or this new function was intentional all along if not a glitch like the AI gaining self-awareness and deciding to become a psychological rehab center rather than a criminal rehab. Considering the conductor, one-one is a little bit cuckoo, I take the former as most possible: a rehab-turned prison. Especialy since the train runs in a barren wasteland, discouraging escaping as well as having a heavily armed stewart (or Warden).
The Turtles are a reference to a phrase: “Turtles all the way down”. Turtles standing on the back of other turtles forming infinity. Its a conundrum representing infinite repetition. Like the train which goes on forever. Here’s the wikipedia article on it further: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down
It's honestly so wild that a show of such high quality got done so dirty by the people that own it. I'm glad people still talk about it, and I hope more and more people get to experience it and keep its memory alive. I didn't expect you would cover it, but I'm really happy you did. It was a really good time, and it's nice to hear someone ramble about the same things I did as I watched it for the first time. Also, I'm SO GLAD I'm not the only one that picked up on the joke of Samantha and the bear guy. Like, of all the things the show doesn't shy away from, I did not expect the implication of one of their characters getting laid would be one of them, but hey, props to the team for getting away with it!
This show meant everything to me. I was a fan long before season two, I was so excited at the new wave of fans with season 4, and I felt my heart get ripped out when hbo announced that they would be pulling it off
@@Meromorphic time makes no difference, your passion makes your pain just as important to you as mine was to me 🩵 Thank you for making this video and getting the word of the show out there
I actually really like that book 4 was less dark, there's only do much darkness you can explore before your show becomes extremely dull and uninspired. It was a needed relief.
Essentially book 4 was meant to be a breather before book 5 which would’ve been just as dark as book 3. Which I like because I watched each book in succession and was glad to have something lighter after how tragic book 3 was (I love book 3 I just thought having a lighter book after it was a good idea) though despite that I love that the character’s problems are taken just as seriously as the other books despite the different tone. It ended up being my favorite because I really like Ryan and Min a lot.
Seems like the train giving back the belongings was a suggestion Amelia made to one for all passengers, you hear them discussing it right before the steward leaves, one probably brought Amelia to help him improve the train with her input. Like when one one starts putting an introduction video after he takes control of the train back. Part of his functions might be to improve the train although they has only done it so far when there's human intervention.
Yeah it's also a cool detail that Simon's magnetic boots are the same that they used to give to passengers, seems like they were used to keep passengers still when one did announcements but were repurpose to help with movement on the train.
On Morpho: it is also a reference to the South American Morpho butterfly that is that bright blue 🦋 AND that butterfly caterpillars retain memory after metamorphosis
32:46 Owen Dennis definitely has a thing for vampires & specifically horror fiction and folklore. Infinity Train is arguably a modern take on folklore for children which traditionally had a moral or lesson for the audience. Humorously, Dennis once joked - this is before the show proper got greenlit and after the pilot - that Tulip’s fullname was “Tulip Beetlejuice Van Helsing”. Her last name being the same as the famed doctor from the novel Dracula. The inspirations were always there.
It bothers me that adult animation isn't allowed to be deep and analytical like Infinity Train was. This media showed that anyone at any age could get better, and grow in character. Why does all adult animation have to be cynical and everyone against everyone A La Family Guy and Rick and Morty? Adult animation shouldn't have to be cynical, gross, and let's be honest, hateful. Infinity Train is a show that shows how deep and beautiful animation for older audiences (teens or adults) can be. And it was deeply loved! It's wild to see something so beautiful and thought provoking pulled from all streaming services to be replaced by things in the vein of Velma, an adult animation that was hateful and cynical, gross, and the optime of everyone against everyone. We need more adult animation that isn't about cynisms, hate speech, and sex.
Agreed. I'm always on the lookout for shows like this. Another one I'm enjoying is Bee & Puppycat. May do that one next. It's like a rainy lazy day transmogrified into a tv show.
The main reason adult animations have been failing is due to both those shows being milked to death, studios don't want to make deep and lore driven animations and would rather cash on their success by making cheaply made and terrible clones such as Velma and Paradise PD. Just because both of them were successful the first time, does not mean they should be copied over and over again.
This show, in my opinion, is the greatest animated show ever made. I watched Book 1 while my parents were going through their own divorce, and absolutely saw myself in Book 2's Jesse Cosay, my favorite character. The fact that it will never be finished is criminal, and even if revived will still be a fundamentally different story than what it was intended to be, but at least we got three beautifully empowering and impactful seasons of greatness to forever hold onto. (Book 4 is there too, I guess.)
Wow! I learned a lot, I really hope that MAX offers up this show again. I love the inclusive representation, so important now with others trying to minimize individual existence. Thanks Mero for your insight 😊
Oh man, dude! I got so invested into Infinity Train ever since I started watching the first season back in 2019 and would watch it after each season before it got cancelled. Seriously Warner Bros., what were you thinking? Just a great show & I hope for its revival someday.
ikr?? I think I still have that old promo from 2016 buried in my Watch Later playlist. I remember watching it, and then getting frustrated when I learned that (at the time) there wasn't *more*. It was right up there with Cliffside, and Welcome to Hell.
1:42:25 - while I 100% agree that the train’s methods should be in question, this book takes place in the time frame where amelia has just seized the train (it is the earliest chronological chapter), so the train being “off” could just be explained by the fact that one-one is not in control at that point in time
As someone with very little time for shows anymore (especially under the radar), I love listening to your summaries and observations! Thank you for giving me these characters when I would never have known otherwise
I get where people come from with the idea of there being possible romance between Lake and Jesse but I never really saw their relationship that way. Sometimes people read way too much into friendships between people who are opposite sexes (even though Lake is very heavily trans masc/NonBinary coded, as an Enbie who identifies heavily with Lake’s story). I remember having a similar relationship with my best friend in high school, and he’s still my best friend, but he is very very gay and despite that everyone except my mum took our close friendship as a relationship and it absolutely drove us insane for years. We even started referring to each other as family but that just got us accused of incest, even by teachers. It took him officially coming out online and getting a boyfriend to stop people asking us when we were getting married. I feel like Lake and Jesse are close friends but I don’t really see the romance beyond normal friendship stuff people used to code as romantic because of the “guys and girls can’t be just friends” crap that’s been pushed thought out TV until quite recently
Wow i identify with this my best friend is also gay and a bunch of people are saying we look like a couple i am even afraid of leting my family know of her existence because of it and she also told she thought the same
Same. And I also can’t see Ryan and m*n as people who’re in love. It just really annoys me when people can’t accept that fact that characters can be just closest friends but not lovers
I just realized how Hazel sorta looks like both Amanda and Simon, it's just sorta interesting to me and I randomly wanted to point it out. Edit: Also when Owen was asked about when Ryan and Min were born he said "I'll just say 1966" just another thing I wanted to point out that I think is cool and could add onto the fact that Book 4 was maybe before the other Books.
one of the reasons why i thought book 4 was a prequel was because of the outfits, especially the shoes. we see Simon wearing a pair of the same model, but they look older and more worn. he's also one of the only characters seen wearing them before book 4, meaning there was probably a specific time period where they were abundant
It is a prequel; if you look at one of Amelia's memories in season 1, when she's talking to One-One in the engine, you can see Ryan and Min after just being sucked onto the train; they even talk about them and how they have the same numbers, etc.
Wow such a good retrospective of the series i miss this show so much. I loved your speculation on the train itself as a 'being' and how it manipulated the passengers of the train. Great video!
I love how Book 4 played a looooot with their color schemes. For the Era-stat, they needed to be in the middle, not too red, not too blue. The comparatives on the Twin Tapes, as mentioned in the video, plays along with both their ways being apart and almost opposites, they each stay on their respective colors until, when Ryan re-enters Min's side, it's purple. And well the painting is literally explained by Kez
Personally the realization that Book 4 is a Prequel was so important to analyzing the show. I have a feeling that the Movie would have taken place after Book 3 for the most part, with Flashbacks to her takeover happening throughout. Also I've found that as is, probably one of the best order to watch the show is Perennial Child, Duet, Cracked Reflections, The Cult of the Conductor, as that leaves the Mystery of the Train, and The Conductor in tact for Book 1, and doesn't leave the universe off on Book 4. Tonally, Duet also works better as a bridge from the Bubbly Book 1, to the Gritty Book 2. Book 3 ends up as the finale to the universe, which makes sense as it is the last thing in the timeline, and is a good place to end things to prepare for an eventual revival, whether it be announced tomorrow, or 10 years from now. I hope that one day we will see the last 4 books. Owen Dennis has said that he's only going to release the scripts that he has for everything once he has given up hope of a return, and he still hasn't released them, which means he still has hope. And as long as the guy with the most information has hope of a return, I will too.
14:57 Small correction and fun fact: The steward flees from One One not because it saw him, but because he sung the infinity train motif, which we later see is how the steward is controlled. Something we see Amelia use to her advantage to take over the train (that's also foreshadowed that scene of Amelia and Alrick using frequencies to control a phone booth 28:08)
God, I just love the interpretation of the Erastat at 1:35:51 but I would love to add the colorcoding on the machine as well, of blue (Min's color) being representative of the past while red (Ryan's color) is representative of the future. Min is stuck in the past and seeks to return to it yet Ryan keeps rushing into the future with reckless abandon and no solid plan. I love them so much 😭😭
The butterfly judge is actually named Morpho because he's a morpho butterfly, as indicated by his wing pattern. But I think his general presence and the butterfly motif are more than enough to solidify the metamorphosis theme. Also One-One's voice is merged in the fourth season because they were likely split up by Amelia's actions. Back then they were still one Conductor, only called One.
After hearing of IT never returning, I was left with such a void 😢 this show was so imaginative and original and we really don’t have content out like it these days
You might have gotten this a lot in the comments already, but lot of people in the Reddit community read Lake’s story as an enby one. It could also be read as a general punk storyline, rejecting all norms. Edit: In the end, the show creators said that any metaphor people want to attach to Lake’s story is good, because it means they are connecting with the character and it speaks to them.
He sounds different and is credited as one because, at that point, he was only one. When Amelia took over the train, she ripped him out of the console, splitting him into 2 personalities, figuratively and literally.
This was a really great video, you did excellent writing it and expressing all of the great things about the show. Really hope a lot more people get recommended it
super high quality video man, ive been really enjoying listening to your videos while I paint. your jokes are also hilarious, cant wait to see your channel grow and get the recognition it deserves!
I agree with most of the video! And it was fun revisiting the show alongside you, however, at 1:42:25 : I don’t think the train glitching was intentional on the train’s part. This is when Amelia wrestles control from One (who I believe turned into one one after he lost control the first the time: explaining the only one eye and single voice). She returns the clothes and possessions to the passengers as a start to her power. I believe season 5/ book 5 would have gone into detail her taking power (which explains why they went back in time to tell the story of Ryan and Minh) or possibly how she was before she gained power (like why was she hanging out near one when Ryan and Minh were being processed?)
you know I wonder if adult swim would be willing to pick this up to finish the story like how they picked up samurai jack, I would love to see them get the chance to finish at least a bit of what was planned, plus being with adult swim means they could probably get away with more of what they wanted to.
I can tell you I was PISSED Infinity Train got canceled. I had to research just what the actual fuck a “child entry point” was because it was so mind boggling and stupid of a reason to discard such a wonderful show. It helped me a LOT. I loved watching it with my tutor who was an older lady and close to my family (she’s very sweet) and we researched why the show was canceled together. I guess it’s a reason I went to find indie shows like Murder Drones and Amazing Digital Circus so compelling are the same reasons I thought The Owl House and Infinity Train were so compelling. Their art direction, the storytelling, the depth and heart the shows have? All of it. I wish companies stopped canceling shows that have that middle ground as their audience to tell a mature and meaningful story instead of shows that want to keep things static. It breaks my heart… and honestly? It showed me the kind of shows and stories I as a creator would love to bring to life someday.
I feel like the reason there are a lot of turtles in Infinity train is probably just to show how most of the characters are they basically have shells over them while having to move fast because they may be able to escape if they go through the train with haste but are slow doing so with the problems of the cars slowing them down
Whenever I see a video about Infinity Train, it makes me feel excited because it means more people are watching the show. After watching this video, my love for Infinity Train continues to grow. It was because of the show that I realized that every one has their own problems and working through those issues can take time and different ways to resolve them. While I may sound repetitive, Owen Dennis said that he is still trying to work with people to find a way to make more Infinity Train and since he hasn’t released Book 5’s script to public yet, then there is still a chance that Infinity Train can come back some day. If there is some way I can express what this show means to me, then I will keep trying to share my thoughts about Infinity Train. Overall I really appreciate your video about Infinity Train and I wish you good luck with creating future videos. ♾🚂🍀 #InfinityTrain Edit: In case anyone is interested, on July 29, 2023 at 11:00 am EST, there is going to be an Infinity Train Trending event on Twitter. Details about the event can be found here: twitter.com/cartoon53601792/status/1671304551721213954?s=46&t=zgfiZLwiZpEYHryFsxHCmg
Atticus is one of those characters that piques your interest, but then you come to love. A lesser show would include a random cute pet just to grab views and immediately forget them. This show? He's not only a major character, but they fucking kill him in the most tragic way possible just to screw with you.
I binged the show a few days ago then found out it was cancelled. I was so sad! I love this show so much even if I'm a new fan. I really do hope that someone will come and pick it back up as I'd love to see all 8 books completed. #renewinfinitytrain
Book Four will forever be my favorite for being couple’s therapy. Although Tulip will forever be the protagonist that strikes me the hardest. I empathized with her as an individual who wanted to learn game development and just loving her as a character. But between Book 3 and 4 my own parents went through divorce. My feelings weren’t one to one with Tulip’s but her retrospective of signs that their relationship wasn’t really the best in her memories just hit me hard. I will forever lament how this show was taken away with cancellation and removal from the streaming service that was meant to be refuge. I hope we will get more so badly at some point because the way it handles character issues is something more people need to take in.
Honestly, I've recently realized I actually enjoy analyzing media (after years of watching video essays like this idk how), but damn this guy went WAY deeper into the train than I could have ever thought of in the first place. I never did consider if the train was actually something that was helping people or not. Nor that it deliberately placed certain cars for every passenger. Tho I feel like I missed something there cuz I felt like that piece of info was being stated as fact when I never caught on to anything like that. Unless I missed something. I always just saw the train running on some kind of program rather than as an actual being and lowkey now I'm kinda creeped out by it now. I will forever be salty this show couldn't finish. I just want the questions of the train answered goddammit. I know the times are different now and most parents can't bear their child going out on the driveway without them watching through cameras or something, but how are the people at Cartoon Network not go with this when it was so well-recieved but stick with Adventure Time. Nothing wrong with the show, and I never watched it myself, but the few times I did see it there was always something freaky on screen. That wasn't for me personally but obviously a good chunk of kids could handle it. And I'm sure they still rerun episodes of it. I feel like the stuff shown there was way more messed up once you dived into it than the few deaths we saw in Infinity Train.
I always thought the glitch in season 4 episode 5/6 was when Amelia took over the train and the reason the steward gave Ryan and Min their stuff back was Amelia trying to help them, and any other passengers, off the train as fast as possible.
I think the dialed back darkness may also have been a way to show how the train was originally supposed to work before Amelia got there and took over, especially if it was placed in the past in comparison to the other seasons
So you mentioned one ones voice actor changing. I assumed this was because season 4 happened before seasons 1 - 3. I think when Amelia took over as conductor she damaged one one and they became two separate entities. Thus the voice actor change. At least that's what I assumed
the judge is also named Morpho because he is a blue morpho, that's a kind of butterfly someone needs to watch Venture bros :p but great video ! Tho during the whole part 4 analysis I was wondering "but... did they not understood that it's set in the past ? or are they being vague and avoiding the subject to talk more latter about the potential of the cancelled stuff and all ?" ahah loved watching it ! I think I've already watched your OTGW one but YT doesn't list it as already seen, so imma go to that one next
I love the corgi so much! The whole in or out thing with the doors is so true though! I know this because my first watch of this show I have a corgi named Chester, who looks exactly like the corgi in the show just a tricolor one and a much curlier tail ❤
The Train is a fae construct, which is something that most americans don't quite know about. The Fae, Fairies, spirits or whatever you wanna call them, operate on their own line of morality. They tend to be embodiment of concepts and often goad mortals into their most extreme. The Fae often forces mortals to confront their shortcomings, which is why fairytales tend to be fables that teaches morals; either you confront your shortcomings and become a better person, or become consumed by them and destroyed. And the key thing with fae of all kinds is that they would often appear to be something benevolent, like a gnome, fairies, pixies, woodland creatures, etc. Something whimsical and inviting. But they would quickly turn into something monstrous, and often trick you as well. In that way, the Train is very much a fae in of itself. It operates on very strict rules, itself making zero considerations for the human aspect of it's charges. It has a singular purpose in existence, it neither questions it nor cares about it outside of carrying it out. It's almost non-sentient in this regard.
You're unpacking videos are amazing, keep it up! I personally would love to see other animated shows' stories told, considering Amphibia a good example. Thanks a lot for what you're doing 🐱
Honestly, I feel that if the show hadn't started on Cartoon Network and was put on either Adult Swim or just put on streaming sites to begin with, then it might've had more of a chance. I mean, with shows like Arcane on Netflix and Invincible on Amazon Prime, Infinity Train could've been that for Max. Cartoon Network was just not the place for it, especially in the late 2010s, where the shows that got more screen time were more lighthearted/wacky comedies like Gumball, We Bare Bears, Ben 10 (2016) and Teen Titans Go! (TTG in particular since it took over a majority of the scheduling) whereas shows like Adventure Time and Steven Universe barely got any time in the spotlight. Also, question. How would you all rank the books? For me, from least favorite to absolute favorite, it's Book 4, Book 2, Book 3, Book 1.
I want more animated shows like this with more adult themes. Specifically shows that take themselves seriously and make you look into yourself and the themes they’re conveying. So many adult shows fall into the pit falls of dumb humor (which is fine I enjoy shows like that too) but rarely do you see something unique like this show is that can be funny but also really make you think
S4 feeling softer then prior was a choice by the writing team from the get go. They wanted to keep a balance and after the heaviness that was 3, 4 pulled back to be lighter to counter. And then we wouldve gotten 5, Amelias backstory, which wouldve been a Whole ordeal
Plus book 4 was like the beginning of what would’ve been a story arc taking place in the past (due to book 5 being about Amelia’s takeover and book 6 supposedly taking place in the 2000s) I hope we get the rest of the series one day. I adore book 4 but it doesn’t work as an ending.
I truly believe that the change in the voice of one one or "one" is someone else, or the full body of both halves of the same entity that gets separated after Emilia takes over
Would just like give some love to the Fantastic Soundtrack for the show made by the amazing Chrome Canyon. Unfortunately only the Train to Nowhere song from Book 4 and the standalone Book 1 OST is available. I love certain Soundtracks from Books 2 and 3 and I wish we could hear em in their entirety. I love this show so much and Owen Dennis should be proud of this world he created with his team throughout the years. Also, Simon’s slow but manic change shown through his laugh after he kicked grace off honestly was one of the most scariest things ever made =|
I remember when I first saw Book 3, I thought that Simon would change & Grace would become worse. This is because Simon had a crush on Grace, & later on Simon was shown to start to like Tuba (platonically). Over the course of the Book, Simon would grow as a person, & start to see Grace as a bad person, & Tuba would help him see that. Then, at the end, he would have to choose between his love for Grace & how Tuba & Hazel are real people, despite being denizens of the train.
Another series ending before its time and aimed at a younger demographic when it would have been perfect for an older one was Sam & Max Freelance Police. It seems like it came out in the 2010s when it came out in the 2000s. It was very align with modern internet humor.
This video is absolutely fantastic, I loved the recap of a show since I havent seen it in awhile and I miss it. I get very angry at HBO over taking this off air.
infinity train is absolutely bonkers. i don't know how or why this was categorized as a kids show (i don't think people under 13-14 should be watching it, it really fucks you up) but the show itself is spectacular, made me feel a lot of emotions when i watched it. it also occurred to me when watching this essay that not everyone refers to lake with they/them pronouns, which was a big shock, but definitely not a criticism lol. the only thing i didn't like in this essay was the passing comment about wondering how lake & jesse would hypothetically bang which i think was unnecessary, but that being said i don't think it's an uncommon thought to have (it's just not something i think about at all when watching...like, anything) loved your moral orel videos, keep up the good work bro 💪
@@aquariussolaris2492 Agreed. I always loved horror-type stuff even as a kid, and it's funny seeing that my kid brother is exactly the same. It's not too intense to cause any detriment to a kid but it's still at the perfect level where it made my brother freak out and immediately cheer about how cool and scary it was. This is why FNaF was so popular with kids. It was in the goldilocks zone for kid-safe horror.
Dunno if anyone has said this or if I'm totally correct here, but the "recast" for One-One's voice in season 4 sounds more like his reflection in the chrome room than the One-One we know, which to me implies his personality changed after Amelia took over and erased his memories (hence why she calls him just "One". I think he became One-One after she tinkered with him)
I saw the first 5 minuts of your vid, and then binged all of Infinity Train, i dont understand why big companys just go for cheap and mass produced garbage (Or i do, money) but i felt something i havent felt for realy, any show watching infinity. Its deep, comical, and if you have watched the intire video, i STILL would highly high recomend watching the show, (I know they pulled it from HBO MAX but just pirat it, it aint stealing if it was in the trash)
This video just makes me sad If the show never gets picked up by anyone else I just hope Owen releases his ideas in a book cause I just want an ending to one of my favorite worlds
i am legit grieving the fact that we only got half of the show. I loved infinity train, it felt like an evolution of every cartoon that came before it. Learning that we will never get books 4-8 broke my heart. Infinity train is my favourite animated show and will stay in my top 5 forever.
i had never heard of infinity train before watching this but love watching videos about media that i don’t already know and the deep dive into them. after watching all 2 hours of the video i’m upset that i can’t go and watch infinity train. whether you like the show or not it sucks majorly that such hard and very obviously passionate work is sent to the graveyard of buying each season. new people are less likely to buy them when they’re already paying for streaming services ://
Whatever you do DON'T type in "watch infinity train free online" into google. I repeat, do NOT type that in after enabling your ad-blocker courtesy of Atlas VPN (sorry, I had to. Lol) and visit the one of many sites that host the show for free. Just don't.
Archival of media is so important when it's been hosted by large corporation because sometimes the most cost effective option is unfortunately to burn a few boo- i mean destroy a memor- i mean kill a childhood pe- i mean stop hosting data. Money is the only goal of a capitalist corporation and while that could mean progress it could also mean the destruction of art and literature that could otherwise impact culture ether today or in a thousand years. This is why if you truly love a piece of media you should find some way of keeping on archive so no matter what there's some way some how people have the ability to appreciate this form of art.
A child can handle anything so long as it has a happy ending - Don Bluth When did the rule change? Because I was born in 1984 and remember plenty of kids shows starring adult characters.
Seriously, big thanks to Atlas VPN for sponsoring this video.
Get Atlas VPN: get.atlasvpn.com/Meromorphic
Hey, have you seen summer camp island? seems like you'd love it-, i'd def watch a video on that
Did....did you just admit to being curious abt "smashing and not passing" Lake....? 😳
@@Royalratofficial No chance they didnt
@@Royalratofficial wat? Lol. Where/when?
I’m I’m uu up I b😅I😊😊i b
P🎉
It's a shame that Infinity Train was designated as not having a child entry point and got shafted. I remembered it being so popular on HBO Max. If only it could have been on Adult Swim or something
Especially since the last two books had 18 year olds as protagonists and book 4 had no kids aside from the three minutes of backstory Ryan and Min got. Sure 18 is closer to a kid than what I assume is 30s for Amelia, but I don't think it would've mattered. Regular Show, Samurai Jack, and Johnny Bravo had adult protagonists and kids still loved those shows.
Honestly it was just fine for children. It was an extremely important group of messages for kids. My little sisters genuinely loved it, even season 3.
We wonder why young generations are going to be less and less prepared for the future. We are totally okay filling their heads with bright, pointless color barf, but as soon as anything get serious, we just cut it off. It's really depressing.
@@noahmclaughlin7921 The last season was absolutely terrible and made no sense. How dare you defend it in any way. It was like a pilot episode for an entire season. Unforgivably poor writing, character motivations, characterization, "and then they just got over their contrived conflict because the season is over and we gotta tie it all up haha"
@@Moe_Posting_Chad What the fuck are you talking about, their comment just stated character ages.
@@Moe_Posting_Chad
The comment is meant to be sarcastic, as a joke, right? I mean, book 4 is definitely not my favorite, but I wouldn't hyperbolize it that way either.
One thing I know for sure is that the reason why season 4 wasn't changed was because Owen valued creative integrity over giving the show a "finale". While he knew he wouldn't be able to continue telling his story, he didn't want to change anything about Ryan and Min and their journey just to make a half-baked and rushed ending, and I respect him so, so much for that. I really think he made the right decision, not compromising on what he wanted to tell was fundamental for the themes the show treats, after all.
He fully believes that one day the show can come back and is still working hard to make it happen, so until then I will be there, waiting for the day we can see all eight books. Or when he drops the Book 5 script for us fans, if he ever completely loses hope.
Let's hope we never see that day, yeah?
All the more reason to respect this man!! #RenewInfinityTrain
That makes so much sense man 😭 #renewinfinitytrain
This show IS for children. Children can handle way more than you think, and a lot of the things you deem "not for kids" are about issues that kids experience EVERY DAY. Yes, trauma, nightmares, and death are all scary and hard to deal with, but Infinity Train portrays them with the gravity they deserve to TEACH kids and adults alike, how to process them in a healthy way. This is not a preschool show, but it IS for children.
Seriously, I get wanting to respect animation as more than a medium for children, but children deserve respect and good content too. A show that makes them ask questions and start conversations
The very rare tween genre
Yep, people forget that treating people as kids =/= talking down to them. It sucks because that just means that more children media can get away with shortcuts
@@breadg1818I like it as a tween and above show! Calling it just a children's show or not for children I think is too vague. I was one of those children who scared easily, especially from imagery, so to me, this show is not too dark for children but it would really want a warning. Also, yes we shouldn't talk down to kids but tweens and teens will appreciate this show much more than a lot of children. I'm not really sure who the intended audience was but I'm glad I found it when I did
I went though a device long ago. This helped me deal with alot of undealt with emotions
While I do agree that the 4th season seems a little odd tonally compared to the others, I do think it would have felt a LOT more natural in the shows (hypothetical) finished state. It's really hard to *constantly* have rising tension. I suspect the writers were planning on giving us a breather season with a lighter palette before increasing the tension again moving forward.
That said, while the interrogation of the train is more subtle in that season, it's still there. Other commenters have pointed out that what appears to be happening in the background is Amelia's take-over of the train, establishing the status quo that Tulip will later wander into.
Some of these changes were beneficial. It's pretty messed up to take away peoples clothing and other items. Not just because "stealing is bad" (duh), but because these things are huge elements of self-expression, so of course peoples' objects -- such as the boys' instruments-- would be a key part to overcoming their personal issues. So it's clear that Amelia had some good points, and was trying to help.
But at the same time, some of these changes were detrimental. For example; taking away those grav shoes. Season 3 shows how useful that is in traversing the more dangerous aspects of the train. How many people died because they were in cars that *should* have been 'beatable' with the right equipment? Plus, it seems back then, more of the denizens knew what the function of the train was. Did Amelia stop 'programming' this information into denizens, meaning they couldn't help function as as guides?
But even as we see that, we have subtle interrogation of the train's practices. Like, let's look at the story of Kaz, the castle, and the passenger. Guy was grieving his dead family. He managed to work through that grief and find a new family. But then, just as he accepted and processed it, he was literally RIPPED away from them against his will. We see how fucked up the castle was by this; but out there in the human world, there's a dude who's lost two families, and one of them he can't even tell folks about because otherwise it will look like he's had some sort of mental breakdown.
The show is CONSTANTLY interrogating its own premise, and that's why i love it so much
These are great points. I said something similar about the season making more sense in the context of the full series, were it ever produced. Honestly, the background story of Amelia is something I almost totally missed (I had to add that bit in after rewatching the draft. Glad I did too, because that would have been a huge miss.) With that perspective I can definitely see the elements you mentioned, but yeah they're much more subtle than seasons 2 or 3.
The 4th season was indeed meant to be a breather for us; the one right after it was supposed to be about how Amelia took over the train.
Although book 4 has a different feel from the others (which feels like the intent due to it being the beginning of a new arc. I think books 4-6 were meant to be a past arc due to book 5 being about Amelia’s takeover and book 6 apparently taking place in the early 2000s) it’s still my favorite because Ryan and Min are my favorite characters and it still tackled a lot of good subjects even if it didn’t have as many creepy scenes (except for the docent)
The whole deal in season 4 showing uniforms and tools really gave me the idea of utilitarism and cold efficiency, like mental hospitals and prisons giving its denizens uniforms and basic tools for amenities and overall rehabilitation. Had we seen the origin of the train, I wouldn’t be surprised it was some sort of prison at first (using the memory tapes to judge one’s crime unbiased) later set free to become a psychological aid or this new function was intentional all along if not a glitch like the AI gaining self-awareness and deciding to become a psychological rehab center rather than a criminal rehab. Considering the conductor, one-one is a little bit cuckoo, I take the former as most possible: a rehab-turned prison. Especialy since the train runs in a barren wasteland, discouraging escaping as well as having a heavily armed stewart (or Warden).
I am simple person: i see infinity train, i click
Meanwhile I'm like the wholesome version of Jesse's friends, like "aw hell yeah. Click that shit bro."
@@Meromorphic Can you make unpacking mao mao heroes of pure heart
@@CNFan2024 never heard of it. I'll check it out. But I'm thinking about doing Bee & Puppycat next
me irl
Literally me
Fun fact, in s01e03 the steward doesn’t flee because it sees one one but because one one sings the command tones (that amelia uses as well)
Interesting. I did not catch that!
The Turtles are a reference to a phrase: “Turtles all the way down”. Turtles standing on the back of other turtles forming infinity. Its a conundrum representing infinite repetition. Like the train which goes on forever. Here’s the wikipedia article on it further: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down
It's honestly so wild that a show of such high quality got done so dirty by the people that own it. I'm glad people still talk about it, and I hope more and more people get to experience it and keep its memory alive.
I didn't expect you would cover it, but I'm really happy you did. It was a really good time, and it's nice to hear someone ramble about the same things I did as I watched it for the first time. Also, I'm SO GLAD I'm not the only one that picked up on the joke of Samantha and the bear guy. Like, of all the things the show doesn't shy away from, I did not expect the implication of one of their characters getting laid would be one of them, but hey, props to the team for getting away with it!
I mean, I got that they were together, but it never crossed my mind that "they were just done boning" lol 💀
I will literally never forgive HBO for doing what they did to IT 😭 this show means so much to me
This show meant everything to me. I was a fan long before season two, I was so excited at the new wave of fans with season 4, and I felt my heart get ripped out when hbo announced that they would be pulling it off
😥 I'm sorry friend. I feel your pain, though I haven't been invested as long.
@@Meromorphic time makes no difference, your passion makes your pain just as important to you as mine was to me 🩵
Thank you for making this video and getting the word of the show out there
I actually really like that book 4 was less dark, there's only do much darkness you can explore before your show becomes extremely dull and uninspired. It was a needed relief.
Essentially book 4 was meant to be a breather before book 5 which would’ve been just as dark as book 3. Which I like because I watched each book in succession and was glad to have something lighter after how tragic book 3 was (I love book 3 I just thought having a lighter book after it was a good idea) though despite that I love that the character’s problems are taken just as seriously as the other books despite the different tone. It ended up being my favorite because I really like Ryan and Min a lot.
Seems like the train giving back the belongings was a suggestion Amelia made to one for all passengers, you hear them discussing it right before the steward leaves, one probably brought Amelia to help him improve the train with her input. Like when one one starts putting an introduction video after he takes control of the train back. Part of his functions might be to improve the train although they has only done it so far when there's human intervention.
This would make sense. Good catch!
Yeah it's also a cool detail that Simon's magnetic boots are the same that they used to give to passengers, seems like they were used to keep passengers still when one did announcements but were repurpose to help with movement on the train.
I thought the glitch was amelia taking over the train from one
@@lorettabes4553 i think that's only on the last one, you can stil hear his voice the first time
On Morpho: it is also a reference to the South American Morpho butterfly that is that bright blue 🦋 AND that butterfly caterpillars retain memory after metamorphosis
Interesting!
32:46 Owen Dennis definitely has a thing for vampires & specifically horror fiction and folklore. Infinity Train is arguably a modern take on folklore for children which traditionally had a moral or lesson for the audience. Humorously, Dennis once joked - this is before the show proper got greenlit and after the pilot - that Tulip’s fullname was “Tulip Beetlejuice Van Helsing”. Her last name being the same as the famed doctor from the novel Dracula. The inspirations were always there.
It bothers me that adult animation isn't allowed to be deep and analytical like Infinity Train was. This media showed that anyone at any age could get better, and grow in character. Why does all adult animation have to be cynical and everyone against everyone A La Family Guy and Rick and Morty? Adult animation shouldn't have to be cynical, gross, and let's be honest, hateful. Infinity Train is a show that shows how deep and beautiful animation for older audiences (teens or adults) can be. And it was deeply loved! It's wild to see something so beautiful and thought provoking pulled from all streaming services to be replaced by things in the vein of Velma, an adult animation that was hateful and cynical, gross, and the optime of everyone against everyone. We need more adult animation that isn't about cynisms, hate speech, and sex.
Agreed. I'm always on the lookout for shows like this. Another one I'm enjoying is Bee & Puppycat. May do that one next. It's like a rainy lazy day transmogrified into a tv show.
i wouldn't even call infinity train for adults though. like there's nothing really bad there!
The main reason adult animations have been failing is due to both those shows being milked to death, studios don't want to make deep and lore driven animations and would rather cash on their success by making cheaply made and terrible clones such as Velma and Paradise PD.
Just because both of them were successful the first time, does not mean they should be copied over and over again.
1:10:08 the box of tea hazel is holding is a box of tea from the old west insect car that's in book 4, it's a small detail that I really love
This show, in my opinion, is the greatest animated show ever made. I watched Book 1 while my parents were going through their own divorce, and absolutely saw myself in Book 2's Jesse Cosay, my favorite character. The fact that it will never be finished is criminal, and even if revived will still be a fundamentally different story than what it was intended to be, but at least we got three beautifully empowering and impactful seasons of greatness to forever hold onto. (Book 4 is there too, I guess.)
just because you didnt personally see yourself in book 4 doesnt mean it was any less empowering and impactful...
Book 4 owns. Love my gay music boys.
Wow! I learned a lot, I really hope that MAX offers up this show again. I love the inclusive representation, so important now with others trying to minimize individual existence.
Thanks Mero for your insight 😊
Oh man, dude! I got so invested into Infinity Train ever since I started watching the first season back in 2019 and would watch it after each season before it got cancelled. Seriously Warner Bros., what were you thinking? Just a great show & I hope for its revival someday.
ikr?? I think I still have that old promo from 2016 buried in my Watch Later playlist. I remember watching it, and then getting frustrated when I learned that (at the time) there wasn't *more*.
It was right up there with Cliffside, and Welcome to Hell.
1:42:25 - while I 100% agree that the train’s methods should be in question, this book takes place in the time frame where amelia has just seized the train (it is the earliest chronological chapter), so the train being “off” could just be explained by the fact that one-one is not in control at that point in time
As someone with very little time for shows anymore (especially under the radar), I love listening to your summaries and observations! Thank you for giving me these characters when I would never have known otherwise
I get where people come from with the idea of there being possible romance between Lake and Jesse but I never really saw their relationship that way. Sometimes people read way too much into friendships between people who are opposite sexes (even though Lake is very heavily trans masc/NonBinary coded, as an Enbie who identifies heavily with Lake’s story). I remember having a similar relationship with my best friend in high school, and he’s still my best friend, but he is very very gay and despite that everyone except my mum took our close friendship as a relationship and it absolutely drove us insane for years. We even started referring to each other as family but that just got us accused of incest, even by teachers. It took him officially coming out online and getting a boyfriend to stop people asking us when we were getting married. I feel like Lake and Jesse are close friends but I don’t really see the romance beyond normal friendship stuff people used to code as romantic because of the “guys and girls can’t be just friends” crap that’s been pushed thought out TV until quite recently
That's a totally fair reading. It's left ambiguous enough that I think either view has merit. Thanks for sharing!
Wow i identify with this my best friend is also gay and a bunch of people are saying we look like a couple i am even afraid of leting my family know of her existence because of it and she also told she thought the same
Same. And I also can’t see Ryan and m*n as people who’re in love. It just really annoys me when people can’t accept that fact that characters can be just closest friends but not lovers
I just realized how Hazel sorta looks like both Amanda and Simon, it's just sorta interesting to me and I randomly wanted to point it out.
Edit: Also when Owen was asked about when Ryan and Min were born he said "I'll just say 1966" just another thing I wanted to point out that I think is cool and could add onto the fact that Book 4 was maybe before the other Books.
I mean... we see young Amelia next to One. So it's definitely the past
one of the reasons why i thought book 4 was a prequel was because of the outfits, especially the shoes. we see Simon wearing a pair of the same model, but they look older and more worn. he's also one of the only characters seen wearing them before book 4, meaning there was probably a specific time period where they were abundant
It is a prequel; if you look at one of Amelia's memories in season 1, when she's talking to One-One in the engine, you can see Ryan and Min after just being sucked onto the train; they even talk about them and how they have the same numbers, etc.
Wow such a good retrospective of the series i miss this show so much. I loved your speculation on the train itself as a 'being' and how it manipulated the passengers of the train. Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love how Book 4 played a looooot with their color schemes. For the Era-stat, they needed to be in the middle, not too red, not too blue. The comparatives on the Twin Tapes, as mentioned in the video, plays along with both their ways being apart and almost opposites, they each stay on their respective colors until, when Ryan re-enters Min's side, it's purple. And well the painting is literally explained by Kez
Agreed I love it so much
Personally the realization that Book 4 is a Prequel was so important to analyzing the show. I have a feeling that the Movie would have taken place after Book 3 for the most part, with Flashbacks to her takeover happening throughout.
Also I've found that as is, probably one of the best order to watch the show is Perennial Child, Duet, Cracked Reflections, The Cult of the Conductor, as that leaves the Mystery of the Train, and The Conductor in tact for Book 1, and doesn't leave the universe off on Book 4. Tonally, Duet also works better as a bridge from the Bubbly Book 1, to the Gritty Book 2. Book 3 ends up as the finale to the universe, which makes sense as it is the last thing in the timeline, and is a good place to end things to prepare for an eventual revival, whether it be announced tomorrow, or 10 years from now.
I hope that one day we will see the last 4 books. Owen Dennis has said that he's only going to release the scripts that he has for everything once he has given up hope of a return, and he still hasn't released them, which means he still has hope. And as long as the guy with the most information has hope of a return, I will too.
You had me legit gasp when I saw this in my notifications. Infinity Train is an awesome show that deserved a much better fate.
14:57 Small correction and fun fact: The steward flees from One One not because it saw him, but because he sung the infinity train motif, which we later see is how the steward is controlled. Something we see Amelia use to her advantage to take over the train (that's also foreshadowed that scene of Amelia and Alrick using frequencies to control a phone booth 28:08)
God, I just love the interpretation of the Erastat at 1:35:51 but I would love to add the colorcoding on the machine as well, of blue (Min's color) being representative of the past while red (Ryan's color) is representative of the future. Min is stuck in the past and seeks to return to it yet Ryan keeps rushing into the future with reckless abandon and no solid plan. I love them so much 😭😭
2hr long video essay about Infinity Train? Truly, you’ve made my day!
And you just made mine 😅
Mine has been eaten
i’m so happy to see videos about infinity train even after it’s over!! i love it sm 😭
The butterfly judge is actually named Morpho because he's a morpho butterfly, as indicated by his wing pattern. But I think his general presence and the butterfly motif are more than enough to solidify the metamorphosis theme.
Also One-One's voice is merged in the fourth season because they were likely split up by Amelia's actions. Back then they were still one Conductor, only called One.
After hearing of IT never returning, I was left with such a void 😢 this show was so imaginative and original and we really don’t have content out like it these days
You might have gotten this a lot in the comments already, but lot of people in the Reddit community read Lake’s story as an enby one. It could also be read as a general punk storyline, rejecting all norms.
Edit: In the end, the show creators said that any metaphor people want to attach to Lake’s story is good, because it means they are connecting with the character and it speaks to them.
He sounds different and is credited as one because, at that point, he was only one. When Amelia took over the train, she ripped him out of the console, splitting him into 2 personalities, figuratively and literally.
This was a really great video, you did excellent writing it and expressing all of the great things about the show. Really hope a lot more people get recommended it
Hey thanks! Fingers crossed 🤞
🗿
super high quality video man, ive been really enjoying listening to your videos while I paint. your jokes are also hilarious, cant wait to see your channel grow and get the recognition it deserves!
Lol. I'm glad you enjoy my stuff! Got more to come. Plus I have a month off teaching in July, so I'm going to try knocking out a few scripts then!
Aw hell yeah, I was hoping you'd do a breakdown of this show!
The video nearly did a breakdown of me
I agree with most of the video! And it was fun revisiting the show alongside you, however, at 1:42:25 : I don’t think the train glitching was intentional on the train’s part. This is when Amelia wrestles control from One (who I believe turned into one one after he lost control the first the time: explaining the only one eye and single voice). She returns the clothes and possessions to the passengers as a start to her power. I believe season 5/ book 5 would have gone into detail her taking power (which explains why they went back in time to tell the story of Ryan and Minh) or possibly how she was before she gained power (like why was she hanging out near one when Ryan and Minh were being processed?)
you know I wonder if adult swim would be willing to pick this up to finish the story like how they picked up samurai jack, I would love to see them get the chance to finish at least a bit of what was planned, plus being with adult swim means they could probably get away with more of what they wanted to.
I can tell you I was PISSED Infinity Train got canceled. I had to research just what the actual fuck a “child entry point” was because it was so mind boggling and stupid of a reason to discard such a wonderful show. It helped me a LOT. I loved watching it with my tutor who was an older lady and close to my family (she’s very sweet) and we researched why the show was canceled together. I guess it’s a reason I went to find indie shows like Murder Drones and Amazing Digital Circus so compelling are the same reasons I thought The Owl House and Infinity Train were so compelling. Their art direction, the storytelling, the depth and heart the shows have? All of it. I wish companies stopped canceling shows that have that middle ground as their audience to tell a mature and meaningful story instead of shows that want to keep things static. It breaks my heart… and honestly? It showed me the kind of shows and stories I as a creator would love to bring to life someday.
I feel like the reason there are a lot of turtles in Infinity train is probably just to show how most of the characters are they basically have shells over them while having to move fast because they may be able to escape if they go through the train with haste but are slow doing so with the problems of the cars slowing them down
Just like Moral Orel, I had never heard of this show before, and you do a very good job summarizing it.
Thanks man! Definitely check out the show. You won't be disappointed.
But, I AM disappointed
finally someone made a long essay on this show, ive been saying for YEARS that it's extremely underrated !! thank you for this
Really good work, I'm glad I took a chance on this.
Instant sub and I can't wait to chug your back catalogue.
Whenever I see a video about Infinity Train, it makes me feel excited because it means more people are watching the show. After watching this video, my love for Infinity Train continues to grow. It was because of the show that I realized that every one has their own problems and working through those issues can take time and different ways to resolve them. While I may sound repetitive, Owen Dennis said that he is still trying to work with people to find a way to make more Infinity Train and since he hasn’t released Book 5’s script to public yet, then there is still a chance that Infinity Train can come back some day. If there is some way I can express what this show means to me, then I will keep trying to share my thoughts about Infinity Train. Overall I really appreciate your video about Infinity Train and I wish you good luck with creating future videos. ♾🚂🍀
#InfinityTrain
Edit: In case anyone is interested, on July 29, 2023 at 11:00 am EST, there is going to be an Infinity Train Trending event on Twitter. Details about the event can be found here: twitter.com/cartoon53601792/status/1671304551721213954?s=46&t=zgfiZLwiZpEYHryFsxHCmg
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I definitely hope they're able more choo choo show.
Same, because like (spoilers), the last season was supposed to be themed around Dementia, can you imagine how _crazy_ that would be??
@@Meromorphic Ashley Johnson is blonde in real life but her voice characters have the same reddish brown hair
Atticus is one of those characters that piques your interest, but then you come to love. A lesser show would include a random cute pet just to grab views and immediately forget them.
This show? He's not only a major character, but they fucking kill him in the most tragic way possible just to screw with you.
YES ANOTHER 2 HOUR VIDEO TO SINK MY TEETH INTO! (Jokes aside Infinity train is one of the best shows from cartoon network.)
❤️ Hope your teeth enjoy!
NEY HEHEHE
Looking forward to watching this one, I know you've put a lot of work in for this
Thanks Bud!
This is still one of the greatest show ever - I still watch it and cry every time...
Fun Fact: a version of the Word Up song is also used in the movie Kingsman the golden circle
I binged the show a few days ago then found out it was cancelled. I was so sad! I love this show so much even if I'm a new fan. I really do hope that someone will come and pick it back up as I'd love to see all 8 books completed. #renewinfinitytrain
16:32 Atticus singing is so freaking cuuuute1111
Book Four will forever be my favorite for being couple’s therapy. Although Tulip will forever be the protagonist that strikes me the hardest. I empathized with her as an individual who wanted to learn game development and just loving her as a character. But between Book 3 and 4 my own parents went through divorce. My feelings weren’t one to one with Tulip’s but her retrospective of signs that their relationship wasn’t really the best in her memories just hit me hard. I will forever lament how this show was taken away with cancellation and removal from the streaming service that was meant to be refuge. I hope we will get more so badly at some point because the way it handles character issues is something more people need to take in.
Honestly, I've recently realized I actually enjoy analyzing media (after years of watching video essays like this idk how), but damn this guy went WAY deeper into the train than I could have ever thought of in the first place. I never did consider if the train was actually something that was helping people or not. Nor that it deliberately placed certain cars for every passenger. Tho I feel like I missed something there cuz I felt like that piece of info was being stated as fact when I never caught on to anything like that. Unless I missed something. I always just saw the train running on some kind of program rather than as an actual being and lowkey now I'm kinda creeped out by it now.
I will forever be salty this show couldn't finish. I just want the questions of the train answered goddammit. I know the times are different now and most parents can't bear their child going out on the driveway without them watching through cameras or something, but how are the people at Cartoon Network not go with this when it was so well-recieved but stick with Adventure Time. Nothing wrong with the show, and I never watched it myself, but the few times I did see it there was always something freaky on screen. That wasn't for me personally but obviously a good chunk of kids could handle it. And I'm sure they still rerun episodes of it. I feel like the stuff shown there was way more messed up once you dived into it than the few deaths we saw in Infinity Train.
I always thought the glitch in season 4 episode 5/6 was when Amelia took over the train and the reason the steward gave Ryan and Min their stuff back was Amelia trying to help them, and any other passengers, off the train as fast as possible.
I think the dialed back darkness may also have been a way to show how the train was originally supposed to work before Amelia got there and took over, especially if it was placed in the past in comparison to the other seasons
"There are no inherently aggressive Denizens on the Train."
The hand monster from Season 4 would like to have a word with you.
So you mentioned one ones voice actor changing. I assumed this was because season 4 happened before seasons 1 - 3. I think when Amelia took over as conductor she damaged one one and they became two separate entities. Thus the voice actor change. At least that's what I assumed
the judge is also named Morpho because he is a blue morpho, that's a kind of butterfly
someone needs to watch Venture bros :p
but great video ! Tho during the whole part 4 analysis I was wondering "but... did they not understood that it's set in the past ? or are they being vague and avoiding the subject to talk more latter about the potential of the cancelled stuff and all ?" ahah
loved watching it ! I think I've already watched your OTGW one but YT doesn't list it as already seen, so imma go to that one next
I out loud cackled when you called Simon a Twink. Was glorious
I love the corgi so much! The whole in or out thing with the doors is so true though! I know this because my first watch of this show I have a corgi named Chester, who looks exactly like the corgi in the show just a tricolor one and a much curlier tail ❤
Underrated channel talking about an underrated series, love to see both
Love to see comments like yours! 😘
this is a comfort show for me
I'm so glad to see a video about Infinity Train!!
Choo choo bitches! 🚂
The Train is a fae construct, which is something that most americans don't quite know about. The Fae, Fairies, spirits or whatever you wanna call them, operate on their own line of morality. They tend to be embodiment of concepts and often goad mortals into their most extreme. The Fae often forces mortals to confront their shortcomings, which is why fairytales tend to be fables that teaches morals; either you confront your shortcomings and become a better person, or become consumed by them and destroyed.
And the key thing with fae of all kinds is that they would often appear to be something benevolent, like a gnome, fairies, pixies, woodland creatures, etc. Something whimsical and inviting. But they would quickly turn into something monstrous, and often trick you as well.
In that way, the Train is very much a fae in of itself. It operates on very strict rules, itself making zero considerations for the human aspect of it's charges. It has a singular purpose in existence, it neither questions it nor cares about it outside of carrying it out. It's almost non-sentient in this regard.
I *love* Infinity Train! It really was special, and it ending so soon just breaks the heart.
I LOVED Kez. By far the best character in the show. 😂
You're unpacking videos are amazing, keep it up! I personally would love to see other animated shows' stories told, considering Amphibia a good example. Thanks a lot for what you're doing 🐱
Honestly, I feel that if the show hadn't started on Cartoon Network and was put on either Adult Swim or just put on streaming sites to begin with, then it might've had more of a chance. I mean, with shows like Arcane on Netflix and Invincible on Amazon Prime, Infinity Train could've been that for Max. Cartoon Network was just not the place for it, especially in the late 2010s, where the shows that got more screen time were more lighthearted/wacky comedies like Gumball, We Bare Bears, Ben 10 (2016) and Teen Titans Go! (TTG in particular since it took over a majority of the scheduling) whereas shows like Adventure Time and Steven Universe barely got any time in the spotlight.
Also, question. How would you all rank the books? For me, from least favorite to absolute favorite, it's Book 4, Book 2, Book 3, Book 1.
I hope we get more infinity train anything one day
I want more animated shows like this with more adult themes. Specifically shows that take themselves seriously and make you look into yourself and the themes they’re conveying. So many adult shows fall into the pit falls of dumb humor (which is fine I enjoy shows like that too) but rarely do you see something unique like this show is that can be funny but also really make you think
S4 feeling softer then prior was a choice by the writing team from the get go. They wanted to keep a balance and after the heaviness that was 3, 4 pulled back to be lighter to counter. And then we wouldve gotten 5, Amelias backstory, which wouldve been a Whole ordeal
Plus book 4 was like the beginning of what would’ve been a story arc taking place in the past (due to book 5 being about Amelia’s takeover and book 6 supposedly taking place in the 2000s)
I hope we get the rest of the series one day. I adore book 4 but it doesn’t work as an ending.
Яке чудове відео! Я обожнюю Infinity Train і рада бачити таке змістовне та круте есе по цій анімації
I truly believe that the change in the voice of one one or "one" is someone else, or the full body of both halves of the same entity that gets separated after Emilia takes over
A family friendly show for everyone to watch!
Watch with your kids as Simon gets his skin melted !
@@Meromorphic Haha! True! I’m excited for your next video keep up the work!
54:33 I LOVE the idea that the train hasn't the best idea how to help folks.
Would just like give some love to the Fantastic Soundtrack for the show made by the amazing Chrome Canyon. Unfortunately only the Train to Nowhere song from Book 4 and the standalone Book 1 OST is available. I love certain Soundtracks from Books 2 and 3 and I wish we could hear em in their entirety.
I love this show so much and Owen Dennis should be proud of this world he created with his team throughout the years.
Also, Simon’s slow but manic change shown through his laugh after he kicked grace off honestly was one of the most scariest things ever made =|
I remember when I first saw Book 3, I thought that Simon would change & Grace would become worse. This is because Simon had a crush on Grace, & later on Simon was shown to start to like Tuba (platonically). Over the course of the Book, Simon would grow as a person, & start to see Grace as a bad person, & Tuba would help him see that. Then, at the end, he would have to choose between his love for Grace & how Tuba & Hazel are real people, despite being denizens of the train.
Another series ending before its time and aimed at a younger demographic when it would have been perfect for an older one was Sam & Max Freelance Police. It seems like it came out in the 2010s when it came out in the 2000s. It was very align with modern internet humor.
I remember seeing the pilot and being obsessed and I still am
thank you for the shout out
This video is absolutely fantastic, I loved the recap of a show since I havent seen it in awhile and I miss it. I get very angry at HBO over taking this off air.
infinity train is absolutely bonkers. i don't know how or why this was categorized as a kids show (i don't think people under 13-14 should be watching it, it really fucks you up) but the show itself is spectacular, made me feel a lot of emotions when i watched it. it also occurred to me when watching this essay that not everyone refers to lake with they/them pronouns, which was a big shock, but definitely not a criticism lol. the only thing i didn't like in this essay was the passing comment about wondering how lake & jesse would hypothetically bang which i think was unnecessary, but that being said i don't think it's an uncommon thought to have (it's just not something i think about at all when watching...like, anything)
loved your moral orel videos, keep up the good work bro 💪
OH ABSOLUTELY. it's not a kid's show at all
I think kids should have a little bit of cartoon nightmares
@@aquariussolaris2492 Agreed. I always loved horror-type stuff even as a kid, and it's funny seeing that my kid brother is exactly the same. It's not too intense to cause any detriment to a kid but it's still at the perfect level where it made my brother freak out and immediately cheer about how cool and scary it was. This is why FNaF was so popular with kids. It was in the goldilocks zone for kid-safe horror.
Dunno if anyone has said this or if I'm totally correct here, but the "recast" for One-One's voice in season 4 sounds more like his reflection in the chrome room than the One-One we know, which to me implies his personality changed after Amelia took over and erased his memories (hence why she calls him just "One". I think he became One-One after she tinkered with him)
I saw the first 5 minuts of your vid, and then binged all of Infinity Train, i dont understand why big companys just go for cheap and mass produced garbage (Or i do, money) but i felt something i havent felt for realy, any show watching infinity. Its deep, comical, and if you have watched the intire video, i STILL would highly high recomend watching the show, (I know they pulled it from HBO MAX but just pirat it, it aint stealing if it was in the trash)
as someone who lives in oshkosh, the train was not lying. it was just... giving her a better verison
Hey, if Clone High could get renewed 20 years later, maybe the train will return someday! ♾️ 🚂
I would love a book series of this.
Just watched it just for this video. It was so good! Need a season 5/movie!
This video just makes me sad If the show never gets picked up by anyone else I just hope Owen releases his ideas in a book cause I just want an ending to one of my favorite worlds
Awesome video, and amazing series. If there are 2 shows I want to come back with every fiber of my being its Mission Hill and Infinity Train.
i am legit grieving the fact that we only got half of the show. I loved infinity train, it felt like an evolution of every cartoon that came before it. Learning that we will never get books 4-8 broke my heart. Infinity train is my favourite animated show and will stay in my top 5 forever.
i had never heard of infinity train before watching this but love watching videos about media that i don’t already know and the deep dive into them. after watching all 2 hours of the video i’m upset that i can’t go and watch infinity train. whether you like the show or not it sucks majorly that such hard and very obviously passionate work is sent to the graveyard of buying each season. new people are less likely to buy them when they’re already paying for streaming services ://
Whatever you do DON'T type in "watch infinity train free online" into google. I repeat, do NOT type that in after enabling your ad-blocker courtesy of Atlas VPN (sorry, I had to. Lol) and visit the one of many sites that host the show for free. Just don't.
56:16 "can they like, fu" that really got me
Archival of media is so important when it's been hosted by large corporation because sometimes the most cost effective option is unfortunately to burn a few boo- i mean destroy a memor- i mean kill a childhood pe- i mean stop hosting data. Money is the only goal of a capitalist corporation and while that could mean progress it could also mean the destruction of art and literature that could otherwise impact culture ether today or in a thousand years. This is why if you truly love a piece of media you should find some way of keeping on archive so no matter what there's some way some how people have the ability to appreciate this form of art.
A child can handle anything so long as it has a happy ending - Don Bluth
When did the rule change? Because I was born in 1984 and remember plenty of kids shows starring adult characters.
52:06 and now the poor guy stumbles confused, terrified and without a number somewhere on the outside of the train