In Your Footsteps
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"In Your Footsteps" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American
animated television series An animated series is a set of Animation, animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can ...
''
Adventure Time ''Adventure Time'' is an American fantasy animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn (Jeremy Shada) and ...
''. The episode was written and storyboarded by Tom Herpich and Skyler Page, from a story by
Patrick McHale Patrick McHale Victoria Cross, VC ( ga, Pádraig Mac Céile; 1826 – 26 October 1866) was born in Killala, County Mayo and was an Ireland, Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the fa ...
, Kent Osborne, and
Pendleton Ward Ward Taylor Pendleton Johnston (born September 23, 1982), known professionally as Pendleton Ward or simply Pen Ward, is an American animator, screenwriter, producer, director, and voice actor who has worked for Cartoon Network Studios, Freder ...
. It originally aired on
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
on April 30, 2012. The episode guest stars Eric Bauza as a bear and features Ward voicing the Lich-possessed snail. The series follows the adventures of
Finn The word Finn (''pl.'' Finns) usually refers to a member of the majority Balto-Finnic ethnic group of Finland, or to a person from Finland. Finn may also refer to: Places * Finn Lake, Minnesota, United States * Finn Township, Logan County, Nor ...
(voiced by
Jeremy Shada Jeremy Shada () is an American actor, musician and singer. He is best known for his work as the voice of Finn the Human from the American animated television series ''Adventure Time'' and Lance in '' Voltron: Legendary Defender''. He is also know ...
), a human boy, and his best friend and adoptive brother
Jake Jake may refer to: Name * Jake (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Katrin Jäke (born c. 1975), German swimmer * Jake (gamer), American ''Overwatch'' player and coach Animals * Jake (rescue dog), a s ...
(voiced by John DiMaggio), a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. In this episode, A bear befriends Finn, but Jake thinks he is trying to steal Finn's identity. At the end of the episode, Finn kindly gives the ''Enchridion'' to the bear, believing he wishes to learn how to be a hero himself; however, it is revealed that the bear is secretly working for the Lich. The episode's ending sets up the fourth season finale "
The Lich "The Lich" is the twenty-sixth episode and season finale of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. The episode was written and storyboarded by Tom Herpich and Skyler Page, from a story by Patrick McHale, ...
". Other fourth season episodes were supposed to have had similar kinds of hints sprinkled throughout that also set up the season for the finale, although this did not come to pass. The episode received largely positive critical reviews and ranked as the number one telecast in its timeslot among kids aged 2 to 11, and in all boy demographics, according to
Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...


Plot

While partying with Princess Bubblegum and her subjects in the woods, Finn and Jake meet a friendly bear (voiced by Eric Bauza) who follows them home. The creature begins to copy everything that Finn does; Finn finds the behavior amusing, but Jake finds it creepy. Later that night, Jake discovers the bear, dressed as Finn, copying his mannerisms and sayings; Jake thus concludes that the creature is trying to replace Finn. However, he is unable to prove it to Finn. The next day, after Finn leaves to take BMO to soccer practice, the bear proceeds to eat Finn’s special “Finn cakes”. Jake decides to set the bear up by filming him eating the cakes. However, upon viewing the footage Finn simply becomes upset at Jake for not stopping the creature. However, both notice a sign, claiming that there will be a party in the forest hosted by Finn. The two rush to the woods to see the bear, clearly disguised as Finn, partying with Bubblegum and the candy people. Finn, finally angered, reproaches the bear, who runs off into the woods, sobbing. Finn, realizing the bear was copying Finn because he idolized him, apologizes to him and gives him the ''
Enchiridion Enchiridion is a small manual or handbook. It can refer more specifically to: * ''Enchiridion of Epictetus'', a short manual of Stoic ethical advice * The ''Enchiridion de metris'' of Hephaestion, an ancient treatise on poetic meters * ''Enchiridi ...
'' as a way to make amends. However, the
coda Coda or CODA may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * Movie coda, a post-credits scene * ''Coda'' (1987 film), an Australian horror film about a serial killer, made for television *''Coda'', a 2017 American experimental film from Na ...
of the episode features the bear taking the ''Enchiridion'' to the Lich-possessed snail, setting up the events for the fourth season finale, “
The Lich "The Lich" is the twenty-sixth episode and season finale of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. The episode was written and storyboarded by Tom Herpich and Skyler Page, from a story by Patrick McHale, ...
”.


Production

"In Your Footsteps" was written and storyboarded by Tom Herpich and Skyler Page, from a story developed by series creator
Pendleton Ward Ward Taylor Pendleton Johnston (born September 23, 1982), known professionally as Pendleton Ward or simply Pen Ward, is an American animator, screenwriter, producer, director, and voice actor who has worked for Cartoon Network Studios, Freder ...
,
Patrick McHale Patrick McHale Victoria Cross, VC ( ga, Pádraig Mac Céile; 1826 – 26 October 1866) was born in Killala, County Mayo and was an Ireland, Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the fa ...
, and Kent Osborne. This episode marked Herpich and Page's first official board together, as
Cole Sanchez Cole Phillip Sanchez (born March 1, 1985) is an American artist, voice actor, writer, storyboard artist, director, and producer who is best known for being a writer, storyboard artist and director on the animated television series ''Adventure Time ...
had assisted the two in storyboarding "
Five Short Graybles "Five Short Graybles" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. The episode was written and storyboarded by Tom Herpich, Skyler Page, and Cole Sanchez, from a story by Patrick McHal ...
" as a way to acclimate Page to the ''Adventure Time'' process. According to Herpich, the scene where Jake hears the bear pretending to be Finn in the night is stylistically similar to a scene in the third season episode "Conquest of Cuteness" where Finn and Jake hear a voice in the night. Herpich later noted that he tried to storyboard the scene in "In Your Footsteps" in a way so as to not copy what he had previously done for the show. The ending of the episode sets up the fourth season finale "The Lich". Herpich noted that there were originally supposed to have been other episodes peppered throughout the season that would have hinted at the finale, but in the end, only the denouement of this episode suggested what was to come. The Lich-possessed Snail was voiced by Ward.


Reception

"In Your Footsteps" aired on
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
on May 7, 2012. The episode ranked as the number one telecast in its timeslot among kids aged 2 to 11, and in all boy demographics, according to
Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
. The episode first saw physical release as part of the complete fourth season DVD in October 2014. Oliver Sava of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' awarded the episode a "B−", calling the installment a "breather episode, showing Finn and Jake relaxing before they head off on whatever adventure is waiting for them next." However, he also pointed out that the episode ended on a cliffhanger, something that rarely happened in ''Adventure Time'' at the time of its airing. Sava also called the scene wherein the oft-spotted snail speaks "a landmark ''Adventure Time'' moment". Ultimately, Sava concluded that "the cliffhanger introduces a slew of intriguing possibilities for ''Adventure Time'', and it would definitely be ambitious for the series to try a serialized story in the midst of the wacky comedy." Mike Lechevaillier of ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
'' magazine, in a review of the fourth season, called the episode "charming", and applauded the exploration of Jake's character. He compared the episode favorably to the third season installment "No One Can Hear You" in terms of its focus on "Jake's slippery sanity", and he applauded DiMaggio's voice acting, writing that his "delivery of Jake's panic-stricken sessions is a true testament to the actor's degree of successive theatrical refinement.


Explanatory notes


References


External links

* {{Adventure Time episodes, 4 2012 American television episodes Adventure Time season 4 episodes Bears in popular culture Works about espionage