Imagination and dreams can be really strange because it is something we do all the time. Despite living in reality in mere seconds we tend to imagine ourselves doing something else or being someplace else, or even go so far as to imagine ourselves in a different world.
This is one of my favorite TV shows of all time and it's also another childhood relic of mine that I personally feel still holds up which is something I can't say for all. The show is pretty much like the TV show "The Prisoner" or movies like "Brazil", "Inception" and "Jacob's Ladder" which all were based on challenging our perspectives of reality. So yeah it's not the kind of kids show that you see everyday which I think makes it even more awesome, because it really shows how it's possible to make a quality kids show with rich substance.
I really love the fantasy world Downworld. Which is a fascinating world, it's mixed in cultural eras from some of the past, modern times, and the futuristic. And of course there is some magic involved, makes it feel like a place where anything is possible. It kinda makes sense because in a world of dreams there is no real sense of time, nor any particular set of rules, so it perfectly fits.
I really like how at times the show isn't all fun and games but can be really dark at times. Like for example in one episode Alpha's library gets burned down by the Monitors, which is a dark irony for the book burnings of the Nazi party. Or even seeing both Medea and Jay both in a house together in the desert of nowhere which is obvious Freudian overtone on losing innocence.
The pacing of the show is great, it really feels like an adventure and everyplace they go in Downworld is always someplace different you never know what to really expect. There are even some hidden meanings in places in the show that it would probably take more than one watch to uncover more.
Most importantly I really love how the show can really mess with you head, challenge your preceptions. At times things happens in the realm of reality which happen affect Downworld, or even the other way around; it really makes you wonder at times if Downworld isn't a dream of Jay's making but may'be an alternate reality that Jay somehow was able to psychically transport himself to? I don't know that's just one theory I have, my friends and I always debated about this which to me is part of the fun of the show some things are left to your own assumptions.
The characters are great, the villain is great Finger played well by Mark Hildreth whom is known for voice acting as Hero Yuy for the anime series "Gundam Wing" which is awesome since I'm a fan of the Gundam franchise. Finger is one of my favorite fictional villains, he's just a villain you love to hate because he is just a power mongering blowhole that is just willing to go to any lengths to get what he wants in the worst way possible.
Two of the protagonists are great(well OK one of them was a former antagonist.). Jay is a solid protagonist, he is sympathetic because he is constantly disoriented trying to make sense out of the world he is, while surviving and being forced to run and fight for his freedom to step up for both himself and the people of Downworld.
Medea she is my favorite character in the entire show. I remember as a kid having a crush on the actress Andrea Nemeth, I honestly thought she was cute and kinda hot but most importantly a capable actress whom unfortunately never had much else afterward which is sad. Anyway, the character Medea is great , she's funny, she's got some of the best lines, I really love how much fire and energy she has in her, bitchy but in a good way. What makes her more interesting is her transformation though out the show, how at first she is an antagonist but then slowly but surely she turns into protagonist. Sometimes the fundamental problem with this is the character would lose momentum or become uninteresting but this doesn't happen Medea just becomes more interesting and I feel this is a prime example of character transformation when done the right way.
I even like the chemistry between both Jay and Medea which I think is one of the best things about the show. Both of them are one of my favorite fictional couples, I personally believed the connection process between both of them. It's funny how the process goes both of them were rivals, Medea literally wanted Jay dead while Jay was trying to just get far away from her. However as the rivalry intensifies there are sparks that are just flying and ricocheting between the two, both we see don't really hate each other you can see in there eyes both do fancy each other and with that there feelings change gradually for the better. In one episode with the mirror maze, Jay could of easily got away from Medea but doesn't as if he wanted to be found or at some points how close both are to kissing each other. As a saying goes it takes friction to make a fire, and these two make a bonfire.
The shows has underlying messages on the importance and value of freedom and fighting against fascism; but most importantly it's a coming of age tale. Jay is a person that is growing up and as he goes further in the adventure he starts to grow more and realizes it's not his father he's looking for it's himself.
Jay dreams about his odyssey and we think about ours.
Rating: 4 stars
