John K always claimed it was the episode "Man's Best Friend" that got him kicked off the show, but several of his co workers have disputed that. Some people wonder if he was really forced to make the humor as gross as he did, or if he's just trying to pass the blame for the series not taking off. I haven't heard of anyone else who worked on the show confirming or denying John's version of the story, and I think it's perfectly plausible that the execs tried to turn "Adult Party" into a cheap Family Guy knockoff.
Back to Jack, that episode with the Guardian has always made me wonder. People always talk about how the series ended without conclusion, but doesn't that episode show us how Jack eventually gets home? In any case, we probably have been spoiled by cartoons becoming more story-arch oriented than they were in Jack's day. It might be nice to have some kind of overarching plot, even if it's not necessarily about Jack's quest to get back to the past.
IIRC this series has a thing about metaphors, allegories, and distancing Jack from his goal as much as possible.
I don't know, it seems like having a definitive ending where Jack gets back just wouldn't be received well. Journey, not the destination you know? That's exactly it. Four seasons and Jack is still searching, that's what makes the show fun. The Guardian gives you an answer that Jack does eventually make it to the portal, older, better armored, but he's "fated" to wander and help more civilizations.
Though, we did have a definitive "origin" to Aku and the sword, so I guess it's only right that we have an actual conclusion.
I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!I think most people feel that having No Ending again would be a cop out.
The impression "Jack vs The Guardian" gave me is that the future Aku created cannot be destroyed (it would be a paradox if it could) but that Jack can still kill him in the past and create a second, parallel timeline, one where Aku never ruled. This explains why Jack has to remain in the Dark Future for a while more: to finish cleaning it of evil, before he goes on to his final confrontation with Aku.
That's a good point, not something the show itself would really dwell on but it's consistent with Jack's approach to his journey. He is compelled to defeat evil, wherever it is, and even some of his near misses indicate a Test Of Character meant to keep him in the fight rather than look for an easy out.
The show is heavily influenced by Eastern philosophy. The journey is more important than the destination, which is why I don't need to see Jack ever actually defeat Aku. It's a yin/yang deal. If anything, I'd think the conclusion would be for Jack to realize one truly cannot "end" evil, only come to terms with it and restore balance.
Yeah, you can't "end" evil as an concept but Aku is a living, breathing, mass of evil. Jack most certainly can end him. Besides turning him into a tree again I'm not really sure how Aku not eventually being destroyed would work.
The whole coming to terms with evil and finding balance would work if Jack were a super hero trying to wipeout all crime but he has a very clear, objective enemy in mind.
edited 12th Jan '16 7:04:14 PM by LSBK
I think the problem is that so far Jack travel have not points. I mean in other series you go from let said Point A to point D, stoping in Point B and C, so far Jack never go into a Point B, just moving in circles, there is continuity but never feel any progress which damper the interest of the series.
"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"That's because Jack isn't really going anywhere. He's Wandering the Earth.
It helps the series' episodic nature: Jack's adventures are largely self-contained, as he finds new and exotic places to investigate and people to help.
edited 13th Jan '16 11:53:44 PM by KnownUnknown
That might be a disservice to those that liked the original story's structure.
Depends on how long the new series is. If it's seasons, then hell no, stay episodic. If this is a "final 7 episodes to conclude the story" kind of deal, then yeah, use a story arc.
edited 15th Jan '16 2:46:46 PM by Soble
I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!I feel like at some point there has to be progress. But you can do both to some measure — have the episodes mostly entertaining on their own, while at the same time setting the pieces for a Myth Arc that culminates in a series finale.
Because there might have been more stories to tell that simply didn't make it into a fourth season. I assume this isn't going to be a 3-part OVA of some kind, so doing a lengthy story arc would be entirely against the original show's episodic style.
This show didn't end with a cliffhanger, or any monumental plot point. It just ended on another random adventure, Jack and the Baby IIRC. They could've kept it going for who knows how long. There's potential for another season.
edited 15th Jan '16 3:35:43 PM by Soble
I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!I think there was an episode where Jack found one and Aku was like 'screw that' and kept it out of his reach.
The 'jump episode', but, becuase of the episodic nature of the show, we never actually saw what happened - Aku was holding the portal in his hand IIRC, and Jack flew at him out of nowhere, then credits.
That was one of my favorites, or at least one of the more memorable ones. That, the episode where he helped the dog-astronauts build a rocket so they could escape Aku, the episode where he fought the ninja, the archers.
Though my favorite had to be Mad Jack. That whole episode was a series of fights, all culminating in Jack finally blowing his lid and challenging the world to come and mess with him. Nobody answers of course, so Aku conjures up an evil clone of Jack to face him.
edited 25th Jan '16 6:30:36 PM by Soble
I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!

And then there's this tease: