Unfortunate timing with the news of HBO and CN going scorched earth on Infinity Train. Support the creators, writers and animators as best as you can and make demands for physical media to preserve this amazing show.

I want nothing more than seasons 5-8 for Infinity Train.

Infinity train has still got so much more potential. I refuse to believe that this show is gone for good. It has to come back eventually and blossom even more.

20:46 "childhood is built to grow out of" I don't know why, but that really struck me. We will grow out of childhood, but we'll never grow out of ourselves. We'll just grow with ourselves.

I found this show in its early phases. Like, I watched the pilot WAY before it became a show. And, among other people, were one of the people who pushed Cartoon Network, especially on twitter, to its very limits to greenlight this show. As well as being a part of many petitions to start the show and keep running. Now, that doesn't really mean much because there were a lot more people out there who were also a part of this move to get the show going, but it does mean i was there from the beginning. And when the show finally started on cartoon network and the episodes started playing on TV, it felt like a dream come true! And although it was short-lived, i still loved and watched every season many times over. This series is one of the most complex, most interesting, most amazing cartoon shows out there these days, and has really set the standards high for animated shows. I know this series will eventually continue one day, either by HBO or by Netflix or some other streaming service. I was really hoping Netflix would pick it up but they never did... Edit: it just got so much worse 💀

Small point but while Simon was canonically confirmed to have NPD, i don't see the bipolar and schizophrenia. His impulsivity and emotional outbursts don't seem like mania, and while he is pretty delusional, he doesn't experience hallucinations. The delusions seem like more of the byproduct of his NPD; viewing anything that disagrees with his viewpoint as false. I've watched a lot of cartoons with deeper themes and serious tones but i don't think I've watched any where the human behaviour and relationships are so realistic, like in this show. The characters in Infinity Train aren't purely good or bad, they are bad people who do good things and good people who can behave badly. The way that they portray anger and emotional conflicts are so so realistic that i got goosebumps throughout watching the show. Kudos to the animators, voice actors and script writers for getting everything so accurate.

It’s just really sad how nowadays, animation is just seen something that is inferior to live action and only worthy for kids to enjoy. Especially when you have shows like Infinity Train, The Owl House, Final Space, Primal, and Dead End: Paranormal Park, and movies like Mitchells vs the Machines, Flee, Encanto, Klaus, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse that are trying their best to show that animation can push the limits and expectations more so than with live action, but it is always being put down by network executives or just completely ignored by the general public (especially those from Hollywood). I always prefer animation than live action because you are not limited to create or express your imagination and if you think about, a lot of these big budget blockbusters like Marvel, Star Wars, Jurassic World, DC, and Fast and Furious, and some popular shows like Stranger Things, The Boys, Game of Thrones, Squid Game, and all the Disney plus marvel shows heavily rely or require animation to make the atmosphere of their settings look realistic as possible.

Nice video. My least favorite thing about IT is that I dont really like any other animated show anymore because none of them have characters that feel this grounded. That's more of a me problem though.

My first introduction to Infinity train was the clip of Simon (?) killing the Gorilla, and the aftermath of Hazel’s realization and reaction alongside the other Apex Leader. I cried so badly and I felt an emotional connection between these 4, after watching a 5 minute clip. Congrats to the animators, writers, and directors. They managed to make any clips of this show into a masterpiece, capable of pulling anyone into having an emotional connection with these characters and caring for these people. Truly a beautiful show on all aspects.

Watching this mere hours after they removed Infinity Train from HBO Max is heartbreaking. Corporate bigwigs disregarding animation for tax write-offs in favor of bland, generic reality tv is one of the biggest mistakes a media company could make in the modern day, especially with shows with as much heart and creativity as Infinity Train.

Infinity train is definitely one of my main inspirations for my writing, i love how its perfectly balanced, and where it isnt is where it THRIVES and its admirable.

I love how you call MT by the Pronouns Owen wanted to give MT. MT was suppose to be non-binary, but CN didn’t allow that

I resent and object to the idea that Kids without adult supervision will "devolve into chaos". One, in Lord of the Flies it takes months for shit to start going down, and that only happens because of Paranoia and the already learned bad traits of _some_ of the kids. Two, in the case of Infinty Train, they were literally just following the rules and examples of the "adults" in their life, Simon and Grace, who were both highly damaged induviduals with false ideas and who constantly manipulated the kids to their benefit. It wad literally a cult, and there's plenty of adults in cults irl. Three, there's literally a case of a bunch of schoolboys getting stranded for months, and they didn't devolve into chaos but instead formed a lifelong friendship. In conclusion, humans, kids especially, are social creatures and will almost always form groups and work together. The problem arises when these groups have flawed idealogical foundations or when powerhungry leaders start well, leading lol. P.S.: I really wish people would stop holding up The Lord of the Flies as this "masterwork on human psychology" and claim that kids are horrible and chaotic and need "order" to "civilize" them. A very colonialist notion one might say.

I think you jinxed us

I like how he originally wanted it to be a film series but was then turned into a show 10 episodes, each being 10 minutes gave 100 minutes (or 1 hour and 40 minutes), which is the average length of a film

Infinity Train is leaving HBO Max this month. That effectively erases it from the world, which is honestly criminal 😭

I guess small spoilers for a draft drawing for Book 6, that Owen Dennis himself, released. Something I found so interesting about the potential Book 6 character was that his number was high enough to loop around the wrist at least twice. Only 3 charecters (that we were shown) (Grace, Simon, and Amelia) have got their number higher than that. With those characters and their respective books, we mainly thought, “Dang that’s a high number. I wonder what bad crimes they committed to get it that high.” with the rest of the show revealing or at least implying the reason. Numbers up to your lower arm or neck already sets up the charecter in a bad light from episode 1, but just 2 number bands up the arm felt more natural, almost like he got worse over time, while still being enough character progression over 10 episodes.

Min-Gi: "It's Gi! Hard G." This video was simply brilliant. Book 3 and the buildup to it in Books 1 and 2 certified Infinity Train as one of my special interests, and in the medium of animation, it is my deepest wish that this series one day returns to finish what it started.

Thank you for exploring how Lakes journey can be seen as a trans narrative. When I first saw Book 2 as it aired, I really connected with her arc and struggles of wanting to be independent and seen as what she wanted to be and I wasn't sure why. About a year later when I rewatched Books 1 and 2 to prepare for my first watch of Book 3, I finally understood why. Around late 2019 - early 2020, I started to really think about my gender identity and how I fit into this world. As such, Lake was an important character in helping me shape who I am. I saw a lot of myself in her and it's part of the reason Book 2 is still my favorite of the currently released four to this day. I'm out and proud as gender-fluid (he/they) now and can't thank Infinity Train enough for being so integral to helping me find myself.

It feels so twisted having this show be removed from streaming right as Bee and Puppycat was about to finally be released on a streaming service.

Coming here after the news with HBO is so sad. IT is one of the greatest shows ever and it deserves better

Coming here to morn the lost of Infinity Train. Best CN Anthology series.

crazy how im getting recommended this video TODAY after what what's happening with CN💀

Instead of moving it to HBOMax and then abruptly cutting it after the 4th book, CN should've just moved Infinity Train to Adult Swim (which is owned by the same parent company, so it's an not impossible task) where creators have a lot more freedom if higher-ups were so worried about "nOt HavInG a ChIlD EnTrY PoInt." To me, IT is not a kids show. It's a family show for all ages. I hate when animated movies and shows (Those from Disney as an example) are automatically labeled as for kids even though they have valuable lessons (and sometimes darker themes) that everyone could learn regardless of age. I'm an adult, and I've never grown out of loving animation, family friendly or otherwise. Sure, there's some great live action stuff out there, but not a whole lot of it piques my interest in the same way.

Says "I'm lazy" but also has 5 scripts on the go... This man's a workaholic everyone 😂 great vid bro

I a absolutely certain season 4 was never advertised as the final one. You could made the argument that each season was said to be the last, but at the 4th one, it no longer really count. Especially as Owen had early on mentioned he wanted 8 seasons.

I hope Owen Dennis makes more seasons of infinity train some day because we the fans want the show to have a good ending like samurai jack did ✌️

Update: infinity train will be taken off HBO MAX this week. I guess it really is gone forever

I really wish this show was able to get the conclusion it deserved. Book 4 isn't bad, but it definitely wasn't written as a final season and it shows. Seeing the show get deleted off of HBO Max and not get a proper physical release (you can still buy Book 1-4 digitally) is a total disservice and emblematic of how the Warner Discovery merger is damaging to the art form of animation.

I think for a lot of people Season 2 hits the hardest because Lake was the most relatable from her introduction onwards and had the advantage of being introduced in the first season. Grace is very dislikable at first and we have to get to know why she is the way she is, and Min and Ryan had absolutely no prior introduction. I feel like Amelia's season would hit harder than any previous season because we've known her since the first season. Of course studio executives never watch the shows they abruptly cancel.

this show made me cry like a baby, several time (especially in the last 2 seasons) cartoon network majorly missed out with the sudden cancellation :( I'll never forgive them for this, i was so cutious to see how Amelia's story would end

As a Minnesotan, I can’t let this erasure stand. Everyone keeps saying Tulip is from Wisconsin, when she’s from Minnesota. Unacceptable

It’s getting deleted from the public eye this is so mind boggling, CN is burning to the ground rn

nine minutes in and such a small detail. but i actually cried because you say "lets see what they've been up to" to refer to lake and my nonbinary heart is actually melting Thank you

there are times when i'm happy that animated shows (especially those with more cartoony art styles) are finally being treated more seriously instead of "just for kids", but then there are cases like these that just make me frustrated again like how the hell are we back at square one.

I'm watching this video essay after the news about Infinity Train getting removed from HBO max and I'm still devastated by the news because the show wasn't brought to it's fullest potential

...Damn you, HBO Max.

This was incredibly well written, in my opinion. I find it extremely upsetting how some people **cough you know who im talking about cough** refuse to properly acknowledge that animation is a versatile and amazing medium. With the right skills and enough devotion, we get stunning stories and amazing visuals. Of course, you could get this with live-action. Everything Everywhere: All At Once is the first example I can think of. However, animation just isn’t seen and recognized properly. So much potential is wasted because of the idea “animation is for kids” that it gets frustrating. The rant took awhile, but honestly I hope more people see your video. Comments make the algorithm happy, right? Infinity Train is simply spectacular and your character analysis was great!

This video hits different with the news

infinity train isn't just the best thing Cartoon network has made in the past decade it is easily one of the best things cartoon network has ever made if its not in the top 10, its 11th .....

This is really well written, good job!

Your comparison to labrynth and never ending story is surprisingly apt. I can imagine a Jim hensen style season of infinity train being absolutely amazing. I really wish we could get something like that now.

I’m currently binging this show again, and wow. It’s completely blown me away on a second watch. I miss it so much, there were so many cool plot points, so many great characters, and I loved it. So mad CN canceled this. Update: what is this show? I can’t remember it. It’s almost like it doesn’t exist anymore. Right? This show doesn’t exist anymore. RIGHT?! No. Fuck this. This show was a masterpiece, and now that WBD wants to discard any existence of this show is fucked up. Why? This show is excellent. And we won’t forget about it. You hear me?! We WON’T forget about it! LONG LIVE INFINITY TRAIN!!

This shows a modern classic.

This show deserved so much better. So many people have tried to make petitions and start the hashing trend for this show to continue and have more episodes and seasons. Because of HBO Max's horrible decision and mistakes they've made. HBO Max have became such ignorant twats! They canceled some of their good animated shows and having new shitty drama reality shows that are very cringy and stupid. Just because if what the Oscar's said that "animation is for kids" and I find that such bullshit!

I was fortunate to have watched season 1 but I was watching season 2 when it took off and I’m so sad I wasn’t able to finish it😭

I'd say lake isn't a Denison but a passenger, because we see them as tulips refletion in the real world at the beginning of season 1, and the lack of them in the real world at the end of season 1. The reason why they can't get a number at first isn't because they're a Denison, it's because they don't have a tape because they didn't go þrough the normal way, they "came in þrough the back door or window" so to say. Being unable to go þrough the portal the first time is more likely a "security" þing so passengers don't get off the train before they're supposed to.

*People who've seen Infinity Train:* "Wow, this might be the darkest kids show ever." *People who've seen Sym-Bionic Titan:* "Oh, we're numb to murder over here."

Great video, man! I love how you covered the show from Books 1 to 4, and of course we're not giving up on this show. By now, I have already purchased the physical DVDs of Books 1 & 2 and Books 3 & 4 digitally off KZfaq to show my support. Although I may not be doing more such as watching them on HBO Max, I want to show that stories like Infinity Train are still beloved and have interest for a continuation. As you said, it may be a matter of time if or when the show returns. There's also the fact that Owen Dennis may release the script/plans for Books 5-8 if all hope is seriously lost. With that said, I will always support this show no matter what people say about its cancelation or how long it takes. To me, Infinity Train is inspiration. An inspiration of becoming a better person. #InfinityTrain

Alan Dracula is thee best conpanion

i wish infinity train had a big enough audience to not have been canceled :(

I gave this series another shot after half listening to this video. I tried to get invested in the characters before, but I couldn't stand Tulip, one one was just gimmicky and Atticus was "the cute dog". And I'm so glad I did. I can't express how much this series means to me. How it broke me and put me back together. I loved it. I'm so sad to think about the possibility of never seeing this characters again. I want to see Grace return to her home and meet her family. I want to see more of Samantha. And probably most importantly, I want to see the end of Hazel's and Amelia stories. It really feels like losing a friend, a lot of friends. I hope we get the continuation we need.

I never got to watch it and now it’s gone forever :(

I just wanted one more season rounding out Amelia and Hazel!

THANK YOU there was always something about this show that felt like picking up a book from 2010

Heck yes! Me and some friends made Chicken Choice Judy shirts together ^_^

This video has been floating around my recommended for a while now so I finally decided to give it a watch. I love, love, LOVE Infinity Train so I should be giving any and all videos talking about it as much attention and time as I can because maybe, just _maybe,_ giving this one little thing just that liiiiiiiittle extra push, that ever so tiny bit of support might bring me a couple MICROSECONDS closer to Infinity Train ever coming back, and might I say... I don't give out likes to videos often, I only hand them out to videos that I truly feel have earned it. Your video has earned my like, kind sir. Well done. I miss this show down to the marrow in my bones, I've had a couple good cries over it. But when the day finally arrives that those gigantic wheels on those gigantic cars start turning again just know that I'll be there. We all will be. And I know you will be too. Thank you for making this.

This show literally made me cry. I want more...

I think a lot of modern kids cartoons are afraid to delve into issues in a serious way. It's like many adults, with age, forget just how smart kids are and just how much they have to learn.

Great video! Even after all this time, it still hurts what happened to Infinity Train! But I hold hope for it to come back!

I prayy they bring Infinity Train back one day 🙏 it's a beautiful show that had so much potential. I just can't believe they didn't give them a chance to finish it at all. They toned the dark themes down for season 4 (season 3 wassss pretty fucked up) but it still wasn't good enough for CN. Fuck them and HBO for trying to erase it's existence.

Amazing video! I really liked the analysis and connection to Lord of the Flies (read the book when I was younger and I don’t think I ever really “got it” when I had first read it, so gaining more insight on the story, its history and context, and its impact on media was a nice inclusion) I also really appreciate you having the time stamps for the different parts of the video as well as including a transcript!

Kids love scary stuff. Remember how popular FNAF was? We need more scary shows.

We won't forget

This show means so much to me especially books 2 and 4.

I see infinity train as an allegory for a residential treatment facility; where troubled youth are sent to work out their troubles / character flaws in a strange inescapable setting surrounded by strange new people and tasked with seemingly meaningless lessons and puzzles. I’m speaking from experience here. Infinity Train encapsulates that experience well; down to the number system, the yearning desire to return home and personalities of the characters / people you meet in the facility. People like Tulip and Simon exist in places like that, one completes the program and gets to go home, one gets sent to jail for starting a riot and assaulting someone (yes that actually happened in the facility I was in). Infinity train is thus one of the most specifically reliable shows to me because of this. I even wound up in treatment as a teen because of similar character traits to Ryan from book 4, thus, I especially relate to that character in particular.

I loved your content looking forward to more, its really a shame that though animations bring so much to the world, they cant really see that sometimes its more than a kids show, and are labeled to the categories of animation not having a chance to be compared to tv shows which some animations are better than a lot of tv shows, the least we can do is support the animators and hope one day this underrated world of art will be taken more seriously.

#RenewInfinityTrain #FinishInfinityTrain

Love this show so much. Discovery needs to fix this mishap and put back all of the great shows back on HBOMax/Cartoon Network. Infinity Train, Summer Camp Island, Ok-KO, Close Enough etc. Fantastic discussion

This is why I love Infinity Train! It's full of great interesting stuff! But it also sucks that HBO Max is planning to remove Infinity Train from their site. I hope it doesn't get removed since this show deserves more respect!

I wish infinity train was coming back on 📺 someday ✌️😎👍

how badly I'd love for there to be more infinity train... I only started watching the show after the final season was released but I loved it so much I watched it again with my sibling, and then again with my best friend. It's seriously one of the best shows I've come across and it sucks that people think they can just cancel shows like these.

ITS BEEN 2 YEARS OH GOD

Really cool video essay. Thank you for making this and giving the show a platform again!

The best animated shows of the 2010s are Gravity Falls, Infinity Train, and Over the Garden Wall.

I really do hope that someday Infinity Train gets another go. I was one of the people who watched the pilot when it first dropped, and got up early to watch it on tv when they aired it that morning, just because if there was any shot one extra viewer in the ratings would mean we got the show, I wanted to try and throw my hat into the ring. Animation is always treated so... weirdly, I guess. Because the general populace doesn't see it as a medium, but as a genre. But that's not the case, as anyone with more than a passing an interest in the field, whether as a creator or as a consumer, could tell you - It's like trying to say that all movies have to follow the same patterns simply because they're all movies, or all books, or all games, or what have you. It's frankly unfair to both the creators and the viewers to hold every animated series or film to the same standard and expectations, not of quality, but of intention, when the same doesn't hold for nearly any other medium out there. It stifles the potential of all the works produced in the medium, which only loops back on itself. Animation has to be for kids, creators fight until they're given the chance to try to make something more mature, executives pull the plug on those more mature works, thus the more mature work "fails", and that must mean animation has to be for kids. It's terribly frustrating.

Anyone else feel like this show has kind of suddenly been getting more attention recently?

Best cartoon ever.

You said it well! Very few shows that are cartoon are taken seriously like Bojack horseman and final space but I firmly believe that in due time cartoons will not just be for kids but also for adults

The fate of this show is so sad, it deserve better. Sure, piracy exists, but a series this good should be available legally

infinity train helped me go on with so much i can't believe it's over 😭 the only show that make me felt the same was amphibia. the characters feel guilt and they realize during the show and how they can overcome their past and problems and go on. i love these cartoons so much and i'm never going to forget them 😥

It'll be back. A good song never dies, and a show with that much potential gets picked up by someone. It'll be back.

Is there a yea here I can I still watch this. I recall watching the pilot and 5 episodes of the show but told myself I’ll watch it later only to forget about and only redes covering it too late. I forgot how amazing and interesting this show is.

that title aged like milk

Incredible video! Infinity train is my favorite show of all time and I’m still upset about s5 being cancelled hah

this is beautiful, thank you for sharing!

I LOVE INFINITY TRAIN SOOOOO MUCH. I literally made a cosplay of the steward because I just felt the need to do something from the show

Fantastic work!

Man i miss this show. Great video by the way!

great timing 👍

Patiently waiting for the train wheels to start rolling again

This video is quite good!

Man, this is sad I finished the show about a month ago and now there is nothing new to watch. I agree there needs to be more animation geared towards older audiences

Yes! A video essay on my favorite show!

Love this video

The way I made a double take when I saw Courtney from dead end lol

Still patiently waiting... I will not give up on this show.

I'm. Screaming.

Bro this do go crazy

Take it from someone who has actually written an ENTIRE fanfic verse of pokemon characters entering the Train and this is a train that won't be stopping anytime soon.