To do this, I wrote synopses for episodes of Adventure Time. Why? Why not! Actually, no, I have reasons.
- Using a show that already exists, I don't have to devote any energy to character building or world building. I can use what's already there. This is purely a plot exercise.
- Adventure Time episodes are about 11 minutes long. They are short short short and my synopses can be short short short.
- The show keeps the plot moving continuously, with very few moments of pure introspection. They do happen, but they're brief or encased within a larger plot element. I do introspection a lot and forcing myself not to do it to stay with the style of the show keeps me better on track.
Observation #1: there's a lot of deus ex machina in here. I think that's because it's pretty common in the show. I will have to pick a show where it is less common to find out.
Observation #2: These get longer as they go along. I'm not sure more happens, but the description gets longer.
Synopses below the cut.
Episode 1
Finn and Jake (with Finn much more excited about it) go to the Wizard
Disco, only to find that it's closed. The Grand Wizard is in a
dither because he and his cat are fighting, and he doesn't feel like
getting his boogie on. Jake grumpily says that he's not wearing
these platform shoes for nothing and Finn better make those crazy
kids kiss and make up so they can dance and then go home and take a
nap. So Finn and Jake go to Hot Dog Princess' yard, since that's
where the cat huffed off to. Hot Dog Princess says that the cat is
very angry and doesn't want to talk to Finn, which starts a string of
messages that Finn and Jake transport back and forth between the
Grand Wizard and the cat. Finn is perfectly happy to carry message,
but Jake is getting more and more irritated, especially since they
can't seem to decide what they're fighting over. They're mad about
feeding and string color and how the other has a goofy snot face. (The cat meows rather than speak English.)
Jake's just about to lose it, because if they hate each other so
much, why are they mad that they aren't hanging out anymore? But
before he can blow a fuse, Hot Dog Princess looses her cool, shouting
that she's done carrying message from the cat to Finn, and the cat
has eatten all her tortilla chips and spoiled all her favorite TV
shows and needs to get out. The cat is embarrassed and newly
homeless. Finn and Jake drop him off at the door to the disco, ring
the bell, and run away. The Grand Magician takes the cat back with a
big hug and a declaration that “I missed your goofy snot face.”
At which the cat rolls his eyes.
Episode 2
Princess Bubblegum sends Finn and Jake with an antidote for the water
nymphs' gross-skin-itis. Their blue skin looks kind of green in
patches and the antidote is a kind of cream. The nymphs are hesitant
to use it because it smells like toenails and sugar packets, but then
one decides she's not afraid and globs it on. None of the nymphs
want to be left out, so they all have goop on them, even in places
that they don't have gross-skin-itis. Mission accomplished, Finn and
Jake head home. A few days later, an angry Bubblegum tells them that
all the water in the kingdom tastes sweet and smells like toenails.
Finn and Jake go to investigate and discover that the water nymphs
have completely covered themselves in the cream to the point where
they look kind of like swamp monsters. They've decorated the cream
on their faces with leaves and sticks so they look like masks, and
the cream is seeping around them in the water. Gross! The nymphs
say they've never looked prettier, and Finn and Jake can't argue with
them without being jerks. Bubblegum is still ticked, even though, as
Jake puts it, “But they're so happy! And none of them have that
weird rash!” Bubblegum gives zero shits and readies her mobile
water canon to hose those nymphs down. The nymphs rally their
forces, assembling weapons and fortifications made of cream and
sticks. Just as their ready to battle, Manfried runs up between the
armies to thank everyone, because the gross-skin-itis in his throat
has cleared up thanks to the water. His voice is now different.
Bubblegum reconsiders and asks, “doesn't anyone care that the water
tastes sweet?” Peppermint Butler can't taste it (because he's made
of candy) and the banana guards didn't notice that it smells weird
(because they don't have noses.) PB sighs and leaves, and the nymphs have a
great time.
Episode 3
BMO brings home a coffee maker. “I found it at the dump :D”
Jake happens to have coffee around somewhere from way back when, and
whips up a pot. Finn is skeptical, and even grossed out on first
sip, but quickly changes his mind and drinks way too much very
quickly. He's hyper around the house as Jake watches and says he's
had too much coffee, which Finn denies. Jake sends him outside to
run around or something, and Finn circles the house four times before
picking a fight with a squirrel, which escalates to a fight with a
herd of squirrels. BMO sends Jake to check on Finn because she wants
to play “bungee jump shocker,” and Jake finds Finn in the middle
of fighting a helicopter-shark, a dozen anthropomorphic dandelion
tufts, a purple warrior girl in a hula skirt, and a wolf. Finn is
screaming, holding two swords, covered in scratches, and a little bit
on fire. Jake stares and says “whoa,” before breaking everything
up by separating everyone with his stretchy powers. The shark, dog,
and hula girl grumble and walk off, while the dandelion tufts
continue their barrage, which Finn ignores. Jake tries to tell him
that he's too hyper and needs to calm down, and Finn continues to
insist that he's fineJustReadyForActionThanks, when a giant garbage
robot with spinning blades and ray guns stomps up, demanding his
coffee maker back. BMO shouts Nooooooo and charges the robot. Finn
has to save her/help her defeat the robot. “Quick! Use your
antsy, caffeine powers!” Finn flies around, swiping at the robot,
landing the final blow against its face so it falls in a heap. Jake
admits that maybe the coffee wasn't so bad. Finn laughs and says
they should go drink some more, but then passes out as his rush wears
off.
Episode 4
Marceline is on a quest to find the perfect amp, and Finn and Jake go
with her to the music store. She tries a few, but none are exactly
what she wants. The owner says that he herd there was the greatest
amp ever, with rad sound, in the Lumpy Space Rock Stock. Marcelline
groans that she hates going to Lumpy Space because the King of Lumpy
Space has such a square with bad taste in music, but they go anyway.
In Lumpy Space, they have to ask around for how to get to the Rock
Stock, And in doing so they meet several citizens of Lumpy Space and
Marcelline complains about everything she hates about Lumpy Space,
with their clouds and and pastels and psychedelic techno music.
Eventually they make it to the Rock Stock, only to find that the
citizens of Lumpy Space have tipped off the King of Lumpy Space, who
says he will only let her have the amp if she can beat him in a
battle of the bands. He plays the vibraphone, with a beat box set
up, and Marcelline plays bass and sings about how mad she still is
that the King beat her in a battle of the bands 30 years ago. Turns
out that they once toured together, but broke up when the king went
and got married and started writing only love songs all the time.
The King says that he doesn't do that anymore. Now all his songs are
about disrespectful children and premature balding. Marceline
doesn't think that's much better, but it's kind of funny. He agrees
to let her have the amp, because she won the battle of the bands, and
he hopes that she'll use it to rock out. The owner of the store
however tells her that it'll cost 18,000 diamonds, which is
outrageous, and to which Marceline turns into a monster and Finn is
excited to go find diamonds.
Episode 5
It's Mother's Day in Ooo, the day when you give flowers to the ghosts
of all your female relatives so they don't haunt you in the coming
year. Finn and Jake head to the graveyard with a whole wagon of
flowers. They have a lot of stops to make if they're going to see
all the aunts and grandmas. They say hi to a couple aunts who perk
up and pinch their cheeks and make fun of Finn's lack of stretching
ability and then their ghosts disappear. Lots of folks are in the
graveyard, giving flowers to their moms. But their grandmother,
Martha, isn't there. Gerome is there though, and even though he
hasn't seen Martha, he says that he's done his job. He came to
visit, and it's not his fault she's not there. He just leaves his
lame, small flowers there and leaves. Finn and Jake don't want to be
like Gerome, so they look all over for her, growing more and more
frantic as time passes. “She's gonna haunt us!” “And we still
have to see Ethel!” “I don't know, man. Maybe we should just
leave some flowers.” “No! We're better than that!” “Yeah!”
“Let me hear you say it!” “We're better than that!”
“Rarrr!” They decide to go visit Ethel and come back later, so
at least they won't have Ethel haunt them. Ethel is their paternal
grandmother, who acts a lot like Joshua. She lives in a dark, creepy
corner of the graveyard, where you have to crawl through thorny
bushes and barbed wire. She wants them to get off her lawn, and
shoots a ghost shotgun at them. They have to duck behind a fallen
tree trunk to wonder if the ghost shotgun can hurt them. She's
shouting at them to go away and how they're too skinny. They end up
throwing flowers at her and shouting “We love you, Memaw!” at
which point she vanishes. Their Aunt Mertyl saw this and is
appalled, and spreads the news of how rude they are. It's difficult
to visit all the other relatives, who hit them with flowers before
disappearing, kick over their flower wheel barrow, and won't tell
them where Martha is. Bruised and tired, with most of their flowers
destroyed, with the sun setting and no sign of Martha, they head home
to behind the shed to visit their mom. Their mom is glad to see them
and loves what's left of the flowers and says they tried their best
and that Ethel's always been rude. And, hey! Martha's coming by for
tea later! She wanted to spend the day surfing since she doesn't
have the opportunity much anymore. Martha is indeed impressed with
how hard they tried to find her, and decides she'll haunt Gerome next
year.
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