Friends,

I feel like once in a blue moon there is a television show that is made for children that adults get into as well. When Leandra and I were dating we loved to watch episodes of Adventure Time, which follows a young boy named Finn in a surreal world named Ooo with his magical dog named Jake, who talks and is also his brother. The surface of the story is super frivolous, light-hearted and simple. However, when you pay attention to the background, it is clear there is a concurrent story. Glimpses here and there point to the true setting. The world in which they live with all the magic and fun exists in our world but in the distant future after a nuclear war. The narrative weaves in and out of seriousness. Characters that you once thought you knew become complex. Typically, villains do not remain villains. Redemption arches and regret abound, the characters are mortal and sometimes die, and the characters grow. When broaching impossibly hard topics it is often helpful to have a frivolous setting. When we found out that Leandra was pregnant, I began counting down the days until Andrew would be old enough to watch Adventure Tim with me.