(Source: Thrillist)
Even though I have not been a fan of the animated series Samurai Jack until its final season started airing, I must say it is a sight to behold for people of various demographics (I would not recommend watching the final season in front of children; as the violence and overall tone have been significantly increased). At the time of writing this post, the series finale has come and gone, so there will be some massive spoilers in this post. I will be discussing the final episode and giving my thoughts on it and the series as a whole.(Before beginning, I would like to state the premise of the show. The series follows the adventures of a young samurai thrust into the future before striking the final blow on the villainous Aku. Upon arriving in the future, he is given the name "Jack". Throughout the course of the show's five seasons, Jack gains a handful of iconic allies such as "The Scotsman", "The Woolies", "The Spartans", and a young woman named Ashi who serves as the romantic interest for Jack. As a result of Jack being sent to the future, he is unable to age and is biologically immortal. His end goal (of course), is to defeat Aku in the past and bring forth a bright future.)
To properly begin, I found the pacing of this episode to be excessively rushed; the length should not have been that of a standard twenty-two minute episode. At least, it should have been extended to an hour (two hours at most). I do not like finales that are the length of a standard episode; especially for shows of a serialized format such as this. The purpose of a serialized show's finale is to tie up all loose ends, and while all were tied perfectly; I felt there were a few questions left unanswered. We never learned Jack's real name or the fate of the baby Jack raised in the season 4 finale. Matter of fact; when Jack defeated Aku in the past, he essentially erased the entirety of the allies he met along his travels. It was not the smartest move on Jack's part (and a bit selfish), but I understand it was a necessary sacrifice to free the future. If they still do exist, I wonder how their lives would be without Aku's tyranny looming over them. The Scotsman would still have both legs and his daughters, but what about The Woolies, The Spartans, and the group of intelligent dogs? Would the latter three groups still exist in that new future? I wonder if they would have given the viewer a glimpse into the future if there was more time in the episode.
In terms of Jack, I am happy he found a way to return to his time and complete his quest, as well as being reunited with his family. It would have been a bad idea to kill off the main character and leave his goal incomplete; even if Aku was defeated beforehand. It was a wise move to return to the moment Jack was sent to the future, to defeat Aku while he was still significantly weakened was a brilliant strategy! As for Ashi, it was extremely saddening to see her die at the end of the episode (perhaps I will put her death in an upcoming video). I would have loved to see an epilogue sequence of her and Jack under that cherry blossom tree.
Overall, I was impressed with the finale and the series as a whole. It was filled with amazing action sequences, a beautiful story, and astounding character development. The show and its finale reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender, as the shows are structured similarly; plus Aku's two voice actors were the ones who portrayed Uncle Iroh in Avatar. The final battle of Samurai Jack also reminded me of the battle between Aang and Ozai. I would highly recommend Samurai Jack to all of my readers. The story is crafted beautifully, causing viewers to keep tuning in to see Jack's next adventure. The characters are memorable and likable, allowing for the viewer to easily recognize them. Finally, the series ends on a bittersweet note; tying up any loose ends while also causing viewers to wish for a sixth season (make it happen, Tartakovsky).
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