Solar Opposites Season 5 Review: A Fun Return to Shenanigans with Grander Implications

The Solars’ adventures on Earth are always fun to watch, and ever since its debut, Solar Opposites has continually and consistently improved throughout its run.

From its hilarious pop culture references to the chaotic mayhem of the alien family trying to “science” their way through everything, every episode up to this point has landed with much grandeur.

Solar Opposites Season 5 truly delves into being more serialized following the events of the Valentine’s Day special. By tightening up Korvo and Terry’s marriage and allowing Yumyulack and Jesse to run wild and free, the family’s personalized arcs are that more impactful in delivering a well-balanced season.

While previous seasons have put Korvo and Terry into this locked status of limbo, this season truly brings out their relationship in a way that feels refreshing.

There is no cliche moment of doubt between the two and Korvo and Terry never have any growing intention to break up in any of the episodes; by escaping those traditional norms, it allows Solar Opposites to focus on what it does best: solidifying the frantic family dynamics.

After flying away from and returning to Earth, the story gives Korvo, Terry, Yumyulack, Jesse, and their pupa to explore their dynamics as an actual family instead of just being the team they were before.

Each of their flaws is closely explored with each episode, whether it be Terry’s nonchalant-ness or Yumyulack’s wild card psychopathy, albeit with wildly comedic situations that continually keep the narrative on the move.

This is truly brought out with Dan Stevens at the helm, who perfectly brings out Korvo’s superiority with a hint of irony.

However, it isn’t until after Solar Opposites Season 5 Episode 8 “The What If?! Device,” that the big picture fully comes into focus. Each episode and segment past that episode keeps a balanced tone that deftly handles the humor and the brevity not just to nail in those big reveals, but also to show how intense the overarching situation is becoming.

Outside of the family’s storyline, there is surprisingly more involvement with the Wall and the SilverCops adventures as these two narratives are taking much more prominence.

With the Wall, the serialization of it all proudly shows through its two guest stars in Clancy Brown, who is back for more following his cameos on Rick and Morty, and Charlotte Micdao.

The two bring a unique goodness to their characters that weirdly fit into the wackiness of the Wall, which has been relocated to the Backyard to allow for a nice dramatic expansion.

I love how this move allows the show to take further liberties with the new location in the Wall’s storyline by driving tension through the rule of power. The narrative surrounding the Wall has always been about freedom and “who comes out on top”, but the stakes feel higher thanks to this bigger sandbox Solar Opposites Season 5 gives.

As for the SilverCops storyline, the action really pops out with Solar Opposites‘ iconic visual style, but its story feels like it’s something out of Law & Order given its “corrupt cop” perspective this time.

Fortunately, Kieran Culkin makes this up with his eccentric return and performance as Glen, proving that there’s still some fun to be had with this narrative.

Despite it becoming more serialized over time with its prioritizing of its B-stories, Solar Opposites Season 5 continues to keep the show’s spirits high with its wild shenanigans, hilarious meta humor, and sweet family dynamics.

Sure, the show may be, slowly and surely, shifting to a different path as its “sister” series Rick and Morty has before, but its iconic stylizations from Mike McMahan, Josh Bycel, and Sydney Ryan will always be there for fans who have stuck with Solar Opposites since its inception.

What did you think of Solar Opposites Season 5? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Solar Opposites Season 5 is now streaming on Hulu.

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