That has inspired me to spawn and die of old age, JUST FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT PUN.

Past me would have thought that to be blasphemy, but there you have it. Howard wins Most Improved. And probably half of Best Couple.

God, I hope they keep re-imagining Holmes characters until we have Mycroft as the world's most brilliant garbage man/civil war re-enactor.

This seems like a show that likes to stagnate its characters if the episode isn't specifically about them. Remember when Sheldon admitted that one day he might warm up to the idea of sex and intimacy? They don't.

Many kudos for the guest review, Pilot. Your analysis was as welcome as your name is delightfully strange.

Howard's meerkat gag was fantastic. I could tell from the episode description that Sheldon was going to default to his least agreeable mode, but Howard going out of his way to fuck with them kind of made up for it.

*Ducks off to patent the term "rubber-shipping"*

Ice King's plan wasn't very different from the gambit he tried to pull in "Beyond This Earthly Realm". It's telling that he assumes that given the choice between his obnoxious self and being completely alone, people would rather take him. Here's a lonely guy who thinks isolation is the worst kind of punishment.

To this show's credit, I don't think it's ever had one irredeemably evil character.

No heirs to the throne? She'll make some in a lab.

I know! That's my go-to spousal murder jam.

"We're all wild animals, brother."

That was one of those albums I think would have been better received if it were made by a new, different band. It had tough acts to follow and it was hard to separate the honest criticism from reactionary backlash.

Well said. In an episode of sad moments, it stood out to me that Marceline insisted they lived "happily ever after". Because there was still a lot of pain and sadness to play out before they could become what they are today.

I remember fighting a losing battle convincing my parents that South Park was relevant social satire masked in poop jokes. Now I have to convince them that the dude who voiced Spongebob Squarepants is one of the most affectingly tragic characters in modern television.

If this show were just a little bit darker, it might imply that Simon would prefer death to being alone in a post-apocalyptic world, but finding a young girl in the wreckage gave him the strength and reason to keep pressing onward. That may have been the case, though I'm not sure the show would spell it out so…

Well, damn. There's a sad montage to be made there.

Can I just say how much I love Marceline's present relationship with the Ice King and her gradual acceptance of his condition? She went from avoiding being in the same room with him (Holly Jolly Secrets) to dropping by to make sure he's behaving (Bad Little Boy) and inviting him to play basketball.

That got to me, too. There had to be a cut-off point in Marcy's story when Ice King was too far gone to take care of her. I expected this episode to end with her being handed off to the emotionally absent Abedeer.

That poor girl lusting after an unobtainable drum machine.