The Lich
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"The Lich" is the twenty-sixth episode and season finale 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 Thomas Herpich (born October 4, 1979) is an American artist who is best known for being a writer and storyboard artist on the animated television series ''Adventure Time''. History Herpich graduated from the School of Visual Arts (SVA), and was k ...
and
Skyler Page Skyler Dale Page (born October 13, 1989) is an American animator, writer, storyboard artist, and voice actor. He is best known as the creator of the Cartoon Network animated series ''Clarence'', as well as for his tenure as a writer and storyboa ...
, from a story by Patrick McHale,
Kent Osborne Kent Matthew Osborne (born August 30, 1969) is an American screenwriter, actor, animator, producer, and director. He has worked for such animated television shows as ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', ''Camp Lazlo'', ''Phineas and Ferb'', ''The Marvelou ...
,
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 October 22, 2012. The episode guest starred
Lou Ferrigno Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. (; born November 9, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles; and appeared in the documentar ...
as Billy, and
Ron Perlman Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...
as the Lich. The series follows the adventures of Finn (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 ...
(voiced by
John DiMaggio John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
), a dog with magical powers to change shape and grow and shrink at will. In this episode, Finn has an ominous dream about the Lich, and sets off with Jake to warn Billy. Billy reveals that they must unite the gems of all the crowns of power, place them in the Enchiridion, and open a portal to the
multiverse The multiverse is a hypothetical group of multiple universes. Together, these universes comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describe them. The di ...
. However, it is revealed that the Lich is actually disguised as Billy. Finn and Jake then follow him through the multiverse. "The Lich" would be the inception of a three-episode arc that would not be concluded until the second episode of the fifth season. In the opening scene, Herpich used unicorn symbolism, most notably the tapestry ''The Unicorn is in Captivity and No Longer Dead''a piece of the seven-part tapestry ''
The Hunt of the Unicorn ''The Hunt of the Unicorn'' or the ''Unicorn Tapestries'' (french: La Chasse à la licorne) is a series of seven tapestries made in the South Netherlands around 1495–1505, and now in The Cloisters in New York. They were possibly designed in ...
''to illustrate the themes of the episode. "The Lich" was watched by 2.589 million people and received largely positive critical attention, with many commenting on the episode's
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
.


Plot

The episode begins with Finn having a dream about the Lich-possessed snail using the Enchiridion to attack Billy. Finn awakes and he frantically tells Jake about his dream, who—after hearing that the Cosmic Owl appeared in the dream—believes it is a premonition. The two go visit Billy, and tell him about the dream. Billy realizes and explains the importance of the dream, and the three of them set out to stop the Lich. After they head out, Billy tells them that they need to collect all the magical gems from all the princesses and Ice King's power crystals that protect them from the Lich. With only one gem left, Finn finds the Enchiridion in Billy's knapsack. Billy reveals that the book has magical properties, and after activating it a certain way, the circle on the front opens up showing 9 slots where all the gems go in. A holographic being named Booko appears and explains that when all the gems are placed in the slots in the book, a portal to the
multiverse The multiverse is a hypothetical group of multiple universes. Together, these universes comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describe them. The di ...
will be opened. Billy claims that he is going to throw the Lich through this portal. Finn and Jake then set off to get the last gem: Princess Bubblegum's. Finn and Jake try to take the gem, a scuffle ensues, and the duo manages to get the gem. Once outside, Finn puts the gem in the final slot. Lights start to flash out of the stones on the book, and then the book starts to shake while the pieces start to fall off as the Enchiridion turns into a black block. As Finn is running, Billy tells Finn to hurry. Princess Bubblegum then runs out telling Finn that Billy is really the Lich. Just as she says this, one of the Gumball Guardians gets up, detecting the Lich, and blasts Billy revealing that half of Billy's face is actually the Lich's. The Lich then asks for the book, but Finn smashes the book with his knee. However, his action accidentally opens up a wormhole. The Lich tries to pass through but Jake grabs him. Finn and Jake then try to stop him from going through, but are inevitably pulled through. The scene then dramatically changes; Finn—in a completely different art style—is playing his flute with Jake, who appears to be a regular, non-talking dog. The two are sitting outside a small house with a barn next to it. His mother calls him in for what she says is "something important," and the episode ends with Finn assuming he has done something wrong and he and Jake quickly run inside.


Production

"The Lich" was written by Tom Herpich and Skyler Page, from a story by
Patrick McHale Patrick McHale VC ( ga, Pádraig Mac Céile; 1826 – 26 October 1866) was born in Killala, County Mayo and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that ca ...
,
Kent Osborne Kent Matthew Osborne (born August 30, 1969) is an American screenwriter, actor, animator, producer, and director. He has worked for such animated television shows as ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', ''Camp Lazlo'', ''Phineas and Ferb'', ''The Marvelou ...
, 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 was directed by
Larry Leichliter Lawrence "Larry" Leichliter is an American animator and director who began his work in animation in 1975 with the made-for-TV ''Peanuts'' special ''You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown''. Throughout his career, he has worked on ''Peanuts'' animate ...
. The episode guest stars
Lou Ferrigno Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. (; born November 9, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles; and appeared in the documentar ...
as the hero Billy, and
Ron Perlman Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...
as the Lich. Ferrigno had previously appeared in the first season episode "His Hero", and Perlman had previously appeared in the second season entry "Mortal Recoil". In the opening scene, Herpich used unicorn symbolism, most notably the tapestry ''The Unicorn is in Captivity and No Longer Dead'', a piece of the seven-part tapestry ''
The Hunt of the Unicorn ''The Hunt of the Unicorn'' or the ''Unicorn Tapestries'' (french: La Chasse à la licorne) is a series of seven tapestries made in the South Netherlands around 1495–1505, and now in The Cloisters in New York. They were possibly designed in ...
'', to illustrate the themes of the episode. According to then-character designer Andy Ristaino, the decision was conscientious, but that "as for the meaning you're just going to have to think about unicorn symbology and how that relates to a specific character in the episode." Later, in the DVD commentary for the fourth season, Herpich revealed that the unicorn is representative of the Lich, because they both have one horn. The ending of the episode, featuring Farmworld Finn and a different animation style, had previously been foreshadowed in the earlier fourth-season episode "
King Worm "King Worm" is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Adventure Time''. The episode was written and storyboarded by Steve Wolfhard, Somvilay Xayaphone, and Bert Youn, from a story by Patrick McHa ...
". In the original storyboard for the episode, Billy was supposed to explain that he would push the Lich through the multiverse portal into the Crystal Citadel, a prison created so that no one can escape from it. Billy would further explain that the Citadel housed Finn's actual father. This rejected storyline would later be revisited at the end of the fifth season's final episode "Billy's Bucket List", as well as the season six premiere " Wake Up"/" Escape from the Citadel". In the end of the episode, the Lich was originally supposed to try to convince Finn to give him the ''Enchiridon'' by promising that he could both bring back his birth parents and give him
immortality Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some modern species may possess biological immortality. Some scientists, futurists, and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immorta ...
. According to Ward, information regarding Finn's father was cut because it conveyed too much information in a short amount of time. Had this plot point stayed in the episode, Finn's father would have been portrayed as a hero.


Reception

"The Lich" first 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 October 22, 2012. The episode was watched by 2.589 million viewers, and scored a 0.5 percent in the 18–49 demographic Nielsen household rating; this means that it was seen by 0.5 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the airing. The episode first saw physical release as part of the complete fourth season DVD in October 2014. It was later re-released as part of the 2014 '' Finn the Human'' DVD, which included 16 episodes from the series' third, fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons. 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 ...
'' was particularly pleased with the episode, and gave it an "A". He complimented the storyline, as well as the sequence featuring Finn and Jake stealing jewels, noting that it allowed "for increasingly bizarre visuals", such as Jake making a purse in his flesh to house the gems. Sava was particularly pleased with the ending, calling it "a doozy of a cliffhanger" as well as "the kind of ending that calls into question everything that we’ve seen before."


Explanatory notes


References


Footnotes


Bibliography

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lich 2012 American television episodes Adventure Time (season 4) episodes Fictional liches Television episodes about parallel universes Undead in popular culture