This SOLAR OPPOSITES review contains spoilers.
Solar Opposites Episode 4
One thing that makes Solar Opposites such a fun show is how relentless it is and this might be the most balls-to-the-wall episode yet. Korvo coughs up a red goobler, a sentient manifestation of his stress that then stalks him with intent to kill, while Jesse and Yumyulack try to fit in with the cool kids at school using sci-fi flowers that have grown out of their heads and emit pollen that makes everyone love them. Hey, we’ve all been there, right?
Sci-fi bonkers as “The Booster Manifold” is, there’s a core of human relatability there that makes it so it isn’t just hollow, insane antics. Obviously, wanting the cool kids at school to like you is something many of us can relate to and your own stress literally can kill you; it just doesn’t typically take the form of a little dude with Justin Roiland’s voice who shouts “Get fucked!” Even as it goes more off the rails, the episode doesn’t forget this is a character-driven plot, ending on a satisfying note as Korvo’s stress transfers to Terry and Jesse and Yumyulack don’t get the cool kid friends they want, but they do get to hang out with the freaks, who they fit in with better anyhow.
But I’m really just getting all that out of the way to focus on what’s so great about this episode: dumb jokes, shocking violence, and cussin’! I adore just how indulgent this series is with its goofiness, filth, and violence. You get great lines like “There’s a Coke Zero chance I wanna do that!” You get Korvo shouting “I fuck old people all the time, they love me!” before you even see the title card. And then, man, the whole thing sure does escalate into some stunning violence! It’s simultaneously offputtingly grotesque and exhilaratingly fun in how gleeful and inventive it is.