all aboard the infinity train: the best show you need to see in 2022

by Richie Hinojos, Reporter

Arts and Entertainment

Finding new shows to watch can be a never-ending loop of scrolling through a streaming service’s options until eventually looping back to your original starting point with nothing to watch. It has also been more challenging to find a new series that really stands out amongst the others, especially when a lot of shows can be based on the same idea rather than an entirely new concept.

However, Infinity Train is a breath of fresh air. This is an adult- and teenager-targeted animated anthology series produced by HBO and is now streaming seasons 1-4 on HBO Max. Each season is ten episodes long, with each episode roughly 11 minutes long, making it perfect to binge-watch.

The plot follows a mysterious train on a deserted wasteland in which every new train car contains a different world. The car ideas can stretch from a mall car to an ocean car, an ‘80s themed canyon car, and many more. Humans boarding the train receive an ominous and unexplained glowing green number on their hand, which can change under specific circumstances. Additionally, each “passenger” is accompanied by a creature who lives on the train. Since it is an anthology series, each season takes a different story, so if you didn’t enjoy one season, you can watch the next and see if that is more of your preference. Each season also tackles real-world issues with each of its main characters.

The first season features Tulip, who boards the Infinity Train after running away from her changing household as her parents struggle through their divorce. Upon boarding the train, she decides to apply logic to her situation (if this is a train, it must have a conductor). Her journey is to somehow contact the conductor and inform them that she needs to leave this train to return to her world.

The second season follows two main leads named Jesse and MT. Jesse boards the train with a lower number than most passengers and decides that optimism can push him through the puzzles and difficult worlds of the train. MT was a train-made citizen; however, she decides that she wants to live a life of her own and forge her own identity without the train policies, constraints, and restrictions. While this season deals with the concepts of toxic positivity and identity struggle, it has its darker moments, and it is nowhere near what the next season will bring.

The third season is the culmination of the trilogied stories, to which the show does not hold back on its darker elements. Without spoiling anything, the third installment contains the protagonists Simon, Grace, Hazel, and Tuba. Upon realizing Hazel’s number is not glowing and does not change, the two eighteen-year-olds, Simon and Grace, decide to care for the younger child, Hazel, themselves and see if they can do something to fix it. However, when Hazel’s train companion, Tuba, realizes that their intentions are evil and corrupted, it becomes a battle to see who can stay in the lead of the group by the end. This season tackles many human issues such as mental health, manipulation, and coping with tragedy.

The fourth season of Infinity Train is a season prequel, which gives more background on the lore of the train. It follows Ryan and Min-Gi, two friends in their twenties who have to push themselves to solve the interpuzzles of the train if they want to continue their journey together. This installment focuses on more of a lighthearted story to break from the rougher edges of the previous seasons. Despite its lighter tone, this season tackles pacing one’s life, choosing your own future path, and coming to terms with your own mistakes. This season might also set up a possible fifth installment— if they continue to produce the series— which would also take place in the past.

Infinity Train is possibly the most well thought out animated series, with each step into the train’s future getting better and better. It has scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and even had its own art gallery for a limited time in Los Angeles. If you want a creative series with amazing animations and deep plot, then this is the show for you to binge. It is witty with a large amount of action and drama. The characters truly make the story something never seen before, and you can tell how much heart was put into this show. If you are still scrolling down the website of a streaming platform right now, then why not take a trip aboard the Infinity Train, now streaming on HBO Max?

DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Kamiak High School or The Gauntlet.