I’d been looking forward to Final Space for a while now. I really enjoyed the pilot on the creator’s YouTube channel, and I had a feeling it could be something special. For the most part, I think Final Space lived up to what I was hoping for. The first season introduced a lot of things, but in ten half-hour episodes, they managed to craft a story that mattered and made me care about the characters. There were genuinely sad moments in this animated comedy, which isn’t always something you see in shows like it. Olan Rogers, who created the show, did an excellent job of drawing out emotions while still keeping the humor he's known for present. The season managed to find a balance between lighter jokes and more meaningful laughs, even if it occasionally focused on the simpler stuff. It’s easy to overlook that, though. What really stands out about this show is its characters. From Gary's impressive personal journey to the development of Avocato and Quinn, the series excels because of them. Even characters who aren't as obviously changed, like HUE, KVN, and Mooncake, add a lot of feeling and significance to the story. While the characters are strong, the main villain doesn’t quite measure up. That’s not to say Lord Commander is poorly written or an ineffective antagonist; he isn’t. It's just that the other characters raised the standard so high. He does come across as a genuine threat, which is something to be commended, but he could have used more time on screen to really develop his character—though maybe that’s okay. The show really finds its footing around episode eight. The final three episodes of the season are my favorites, and the emotional progression and payoff are among the best I've seen in animation. The first season also concluded very well. The storyline is resolved nicely, and if this were to be the end of the series, I’d still feel content. They left enough unanswered questions to make me curious and excited about a possible second season, too. My average rating for each episode ended up being 8.4 for the whole season, but the way they all work together as a complete story gives it just enough of a lift to bring it up to a 9. I'm really looking forward to Season 2 and more from Rogers.

Source on TMDB