Solar Opposites is launching tomorrow on Disney+ and here is why you should care
The launch of Star on Disney+ is going to be a big deal, not only because it will add a few hundred movies and even more shows to the platform, but it will also bring a lot of previously USA exclusive content, mostly from Hulu, to the platform and one such show is Solar Opposites.
Meet the new family in the neighbourhood. #SolarOpposites is coming to Star on Disney+ 👽
— Disney+ UK (@DisneyPlusUK) February 13, 2021
Start streaming a whole new world of entertainment on 23rd February. #DisneyPlusStar pic.twitter.com/9jRvqlDBXE
The show was created by Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan, the latter responsible for Star Trek Below Deck and the former, part of the duo that created Rick and Morty. As a highlight the show is basically a combination of the two, not a complete merging of the shows, but more taking the parts that make those shows fun and running with them, in crazy and unexpected ways. Something that Rick and Morty has to deal with, is a constantly changing set of characters and locations, but for Solar Opposites, it is well, the opposite, we have a set of defined characters and a set location and that is where the fun can take off. Now the characters are not your average aliens, there is no E.T. to phone home or plans to blend in and become one of us, no these Shlorps are showcasing who they are at all times.
The cast is led by Korvo, voiced by show creator Roiland and his goal is simple, fix the spaceship and escape the planet, due to the fact that he hates it. Alongside him is Terry with a y, who is partner to Korvo on their mission, but has no desire to leave Earth, due to our large array of interesting things to do. Speaking with actor Thomas Middleditch, who voices the optimistic and slightly naive Terry, I asked him, how much fun is it to play that type of character and he responded with “It’s a hoot”.
While those two might be leading the mission, they are not alone, with them are their replicants, little clones of the main two, but are more like their children. Jesse is the replicant of Terry and sees her time on Earth as more of a fun thing, much like Terry, but she does everything she can, in order to fit in. Then there is Yumyulack, the replicant of Korvo, who if Korvo is conceded about his intellect and distain for Earth and its peoples, Yumyulack despises everything on an entirely new level. He not only thinks of himself as a scientist, but he also likes to collect humans who annoy him, even if that level of annoyance is derived from wearing a red shirt.
Of course, this is not a show that one might associate with Disney, given its extreme adult nature and when Thomas was asked about that, he had this to say. “I think that they’re (Disney) recognising the trend that adult animation is a very successful and viable genre of content, so they’re getting in the game.” Actor Sean Giambrone, who voices Yumyulack also added ‘Yeah, it is kind of bizarre to think, I mean it is in a different segment, Star has its own section within the app with parental codes, so its kinda like a matureland over there, it is no longer Frontierland”
That statement brings up an interesting point, because across the 8 episodes that comprise the first volume of the show, I am not calling it a season, there are quite a number of topics that are touched upon, even if the show uses humour to talk about them. In one episode, Korvo is attempting to teach the rest of the crew, how to repair the spaceship, but even dressing it up as Taco Tuesday doesn’t help, as everyone else is busy. Deciding to follow along to what they wanted to do, he spots a ‘magician’ on stage, entertaining the kids and realises that he could do better, even if he has to use his fancy tech to do it. Life spirals out of control and soon Korvo is in Las Vegas, trying the most death-defying trick ever, passing through the centre of an artificial black hole, which no one seems to care exists. But the trick goes wrong and he dies, leaving his ‘family’ heartbroken at his death and in honour of him, decide to start learning the manuals. While there is more going on than just that, it brings forth the point that you never know what life might happen, so if someone wants to spend an evening eating tacos and going through boring technical schematics of an interstellar spaceship, you might want to take note once in a while.
While the show will tackle some darker themes, it still has moments of laughter, which also translates to the recording sessions with Middleditch stating “Its filled with a lot of laughter, the sessions, I just did some more recording yesterday and it’s basically just two hours of high energy laughing and having a good time.”
The shows co-creator Justin Roiland was also on hand to answer some questions and when asked what each of the Shlorpians think of Earth, why are some ok with it and some against it. He noted that while Terry and Jesse are pretty chill with everything, Korvo and Yumyulack are taking a different approach, Krovo is questioning what people are doing to their planet, that humans fight amongst themselves for no reason. On the otherside Yumyulack is more into learning about humans, their physiology and such and he created a massive terrarium, in which he holds countless shrunken humans in, in order to see what they do. But while Yumyulack is easily seen as the darker of the two, he still longs to be accepted, even if he has no issues in using soft drink to warp the brain of the school bully.
Solar Opposites is a show about a family, that learns to adapt to both their internal situation and their external, Rick and Morty fans will find some of the humour similar, as well as the themes. Those coming in without any idea about the context of the show, nor the style of humour that Roiland is known for, might fight it a bit harder to accept, but once you look past the shock value of some jokes, there is heart to be found and that is good enough for me.
