Solar Opposites Hits The Mark

If it walks like ‘Rick and Morty’ and it talks like ‘Rick and Morty’, then it must be ‘Rick and Morty’, right? Wrong! Well, kinda. Let me explain. I started watching this new animated series called ‘Solar Opposites’. It is a Hulu Network original series, created by ‘Rick and Morty’ co-writer Justin Roiland and a new name, Mike McHahan, and the influence of Roiland’s previous work is quite apparent from the introductory scene.

At first it just feels like you are watching another scene or some leftover material from ‘Rick and Morty’, from the writing style, to the animation to the voices of the main characters, it’s just so hard not to see. But then you actually get engrossed in the show and start to realise they did their own crazy thing and started a whole different show that has its own unique tone, setting and ‘it’ factor that will have you coming back for more.

The premise is quite interesting: four aliens – two adult-sized ones and two child-sized ones – have crash-landed on Earth and they absolutely hate it here. Well, the lead character, Korvo, does at least, and it leads to some seriously funny hijinks. The others are kind of adapting to life in their new home, whether it’s Terry trying to make new friends, Yumyulack shrinking down people who upset him and placing them into his terrarium or Jesse wanting so badly to fit into human society, some zaniness is bound to ensue.

The series debuted in May, and has eight episodes so far. No date has yet been announced for a second season, but the first is definitely a binge-worthy experience. Though it has plenty of uncanny resemblances to its sister show, it just adds to its likeability without taking away from its individual identity. It’s a lot more lighthearted and a lot less nihilistic than the other, and because the main characters have their own morals, beliefs and desires, we never really know what is going to happen next.

An interesting B plot which also gradually develops throughout the series threatens to outshine the main plotline. It surrounds the lives of the adults that Yumyulack chose to shrink and keep in his room. Once he places his subjects into the compartments in his bedroom wall, he kind of just forgets about them and goes about his day.

This leads to a story unrelated to the main plot developing, following an almost post-apocalyptic, dog-eat-dog world for the inhabitants who fight for food, survival and the hope of some day getting out.

There are so many elements to this show that one would just have to check it out for yourself to fully grasp the insanity that is ‘Solar Opposites’. The humour is stellar, the gore just enough and and the heartfelt family moments top it off really well, to create an unusual but hilarious debut.

The main cast of the show are Roiland himself as Korvo, Thomas Middleditch as Terry, Sean Giambrone as Yumyulack and Mary Mack as Jesse. Together they are a family that isn’t actually a family, on a planet they are trying to leave.

Check out ‘Solar Opposites’ on Hulu.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.