Storytelling

Storytelling
Production code:	1002-030
Airdate:	November 8, 2010
Credits
Director:	Larry Leichliter
Story:	Merriwether Williams Steve Little Patrick McHale Pendleton Ward Thurop Van Orman
Written & storyboarded by:	Ako Castuera Tom Herpich
Episodes
Previous "Blood Under the Skin"
Next "Slow Love"

"Storytelling" is the fifth episode in the second season of Adventure Time. It's the thirty-first episode overall.

Synopsis

To satisfy a sick Jake, Finn goes through the woods to find a real-life story filled with romance, fighting, suspense, and drama to tell him.

Plot

Jake has fallen ill with a disease in his bed and calls Finn to help him out. Finn tries pulling the blanket over Jake, but Jake kicks it away, saying it is too hot. Then Finn whips up some soup, but Jake ends up vomiting it into Finn's face. Finally, Jake asks Finn to tell him a story, but since he has heard all of Finn's tales before, he tells Finn to tell a new one. However, Jake does not want a made-up story and needs a real one. So, Finn goes outside to find a new story and spots the snail floating on a falling leaf. When he returns to tell Jake the story, Jake is sadly disappointed by it. He gives Finn a list of things that his story must include, romance, fighting, suspense, and a happy ending.

In order to create a real story, Finn wanders through the forest looking for "romance" and bothering a lot of critters. He makes Boobafina and Mr. Fox kiss, which upsets both of them. Boobafina explains that she loves Mr. Goose, but he will now never love her because she is soiled. Mr. Fox explains to Finn that he loved Boobafina and tried to make her love him, until Finn had ruined it. He then starts a fight with a Teenage Bear, but its Momma Bear tries to intervene, then starts crying when Finn punches her son in the face, making her think he is dead. The teenage bear says he is not dead so Finn leaves. For suspense, Finn menaces a nest of Birds with a rock, but has an attack of conscience, torn between wanting to help Jake and not wanting to mess with folks. Then the animals of the forest attack Finn pinning him down, and Finn says "this is really suspenseful" just before the Forest Wizard clubs him in the head. Finn wakes up to find out that the wizard has locked him in a cage for his "crimes" against the forest creatures. Just before he is lowered into a magical pit to become one with the soil, Finn finishes Jake's story with a happy ending by offering heartfelt advice to the forest creatures, making everything better. For making their lives better, the Forest Wizard releases Finn. He returns to the Tree Fort and Jake miraculously recovers after hearing Finn's story. As Jake dances the health dance, Finn comes down with Jake's sickness. Jake prepares to tell Finn an awesome story, but Finn immediately falls asleep.

Characters

Major characters

• Finn
• Jake
• Forest Wizard
• Mr. Fox
• Boobafina
• Birds
• Momma Bear
• Teenage Bear

Minor characters

• Squirrels
• Ants
• Mrs. Cow
• Beaver
• Raccoon
• Frog
• Warthog
• Reindeer
• Rabbits
• Large Bear
• Bat
• Owls
• Chipmunk
• Cat
• Mrs. Yoder
• Mr. Goose
• Snail

Locations

• The Treehouse
• Grass Lands
• Forest

Music

• Forest Guy

Trivia

• The snail was seen twice in this episode.
• In the scene where Finn enters the woods, the initials "AT" encircled by a heart can be seen carved into a tree.
• Shortly after Finn fights the bear there is a scene with a flower growing out of a skull. Behind the skull is a license plate that reads AT43VR (Adventure Time Forever).
• Finn says the word "aminals" instead of "animals" when he talks to himself.
• On the list that Jake writes, some letters are backwards and the handwriting is messy. However, in the episodes "Jake the Dad" and "Shh!," Jake writes very neatly in all caps.

Storyline analysis

• There are many pieces of pre-war debris in the woods, such as at the place where the teen bear was spray painting. This is evidence of Land of Ooo's post-apocalyptic past.

Production notes

• The final story had many changes from the original:
  • The original title for this episode was "Story Tellin'."
  • Mrs. Cow's udder was originally an eyeball, but it was soon changed to a PHIL FACE.
  • Jake was originally pretending to be sick to get Finn out of the house so he could do weird stuff.
  • The cage Finn was trapped in was originally made of animal droppings, and when Jake tells Finn what he was covered in, Finn vomits all over Jake.
  • Instead of merely making Boobafina and Mr. Fox's lips touch briefly, Finn forces the two to open mouth kiss very sloppily and for much longer than in the aired version.

Errors

• When Finn was running back to the Tree Fort, it was already dark and the moon has risen, but after Finn falls asleep and the scene changes to an outside shot of the Tree Fort the sun is just setting.
• When Finn grabbed Mr. Fox and Boobafina to make them kiss, Boobafina was in his left hand and Mr. Fox his right, but in the next scene, Boobafina was in his right hand and Mr. Fox in his left. 

Video

Cartoon Network - Adventure Time - Storytelling Promo

Censorship

This episode was censored in some countries. See Censorship of Adventure Time for more information.

Gallery

Official art

The pit where Finn would have become "one with the soil"

Jake's list of requirements for Finn's story

The warthog

The soup Finn fed to sick Jake

Background art

Where Teenage Bear was spray-painting.

The plain version of where Finn was caged and hung above the magical pit by the animals.

Screenshots

The snail Finn saw riding on a leaf.

A caged Finn surrounded by the forest animals, above the pit.

Angry forest animals chant for Finn's death.

Mrs.Cow's utter

Storyboard panels

See Full Storyboard