Solar Opposites Review: A Joyous Ode To Chaotic Weirdness
At several points during Solar Opposites, there is so much madness on screen that it’s commendable that it all still manages to be happening for a reason. Everything serves a purpose, every pop culture reference and crass jab, all in service of telling the story of four aliens and their pupa as they try to find their place in America.
The easiest barometer for Solar Opposites is if you’re into Justin Roiland’s type of humor, or have watched any of Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty. This show fits perfectly into that genre of comedy in all of its clever, specific, violent glory. They certainly have their splitting differences, but the spirit and tone are glued to one another.
Both Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites are deceptively brilliant scripts that are filled to the brim with sci-fi jargon, chaos, and violence, but underneath all of that are strong character arcs and emotionally resonant messages. Solar Opposites has a lot to say about humanity in all of its awkward, fragile glory.
It all comes down to the show’s creators and their writing. For all of the alien displeasure in humans and humanity in general, they are obsessives for our culture, and some of the best one-liners come from observational comedy and taking normalcy to the extreme.
If it’s not neon signs for man caves or magic shows, there are things we take for granted that are given an alien spin and come out as comedic gold. But there are other times where Korvo and Terry (effectively the show’s main characters) decide to use their alien technology to accomplish lofty goals, only to fail from massive consequences they must now fix.
While the core cast may be mean-spirited or take human life as somewhat menial compared to their own, the show’s spirit is to eventually accept responsibility, even if grudgingly, to do the right thing. It’s in these moments, though brief, where their characters are allowed a little bit of conscience and growth, even if for a glancing moment.
But the thing is, Korvo, Terry, Jesse, and Yumyulack don’t need to change or grow: they are perfect exactly as they are. They’re more human than the humans deep down, despite their sometimes bizarre reference points and wonderful technology that solves pretty much every problem they have; it’s their flaws, their ridiculous ideas, and love of pop culture that makes them so relatable.
The main thrust of the story is Korvo’s wish to fix their ship and to get back to their original plan after the loss of their home, but Earth, it turns out, is a place rife with distraction. Each episode manages to reflect both alien and human life in some form, finding a balance to go down ridiculous and madcap paths to say a little something about both groups.
There are also some broader narratives playing in the background that are downright fantastic, including one that could easily go down as one of the best comedy episodes of the year. It’s that delicate balance mentioned before, taking a wild idea and combining it with the normal to create a beautiful nightmare.
The writing never loses sight of its characters, and that only helps when it’s paired with perfect voice casting. Justin Roiland plays Korvo with a sense of intellectual entitlement, but he has a soft spot for humanity’s hobbies to fully let them go. Thomas Middleditch plays Terry with absolute mayhem, his every shirt a reference and his lack of interest in helping much leaving him as a great sidekick and foil.
Mary Mack’s Jesse and Sean Giambrone’s Yumyulack are usually paired together and end up with some of the best lines of the season. Giambrone’s character is part Adam from The Goldbergs and part psychopath, while Jesse is a little softer as she tries to find her place among the harsh aliens she lives with and the even harsher humans.
There are also some cameo voices that are wonderful surprises (some best left as surprises), helping to bring some extra character to these strange stories.
But the hilarious brilliance comes from taking these characters and inserting them into those moments that come out of left field and catch you off guard not only with their absurdity, but in how they end up working despite that absurdity. Solar Opposites thrives in that atmosphere, where catastrophe is only a setback and excessive violence is a regular cost.
The animation is crisp and colors pop, the exaggerated style bringing so much personality to the show. The show isn’t afraid to add in the little details, as those little details will likely be called back at some point in some meaningful way. It’s a marriage of writing and animation that helps cement the show’s ideals.
It’s through creating likeable aliens and making their struggles as human as our own in this cold universe that Solar Opposites really strikes a chord. Its eight-episode first season are fast and furious, and while the barrier may be that this style of humor may not be for everyone, there’s the knowledge that for those of us who do love it, this is another fantastic series from Justin Roiland and co-creator Mike McMahan.
What did you think of this season of Solar Opposites? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Solar Opposites is available Friday, May 8 on Hulu.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.
One thought on “Solar Opposites Review: A Joyous Ode To Chaotic Weirdness”
Its just awful. They watered down Rick and Morty so they could focus on making a new, even more watered down version of Rick and Morty.
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