This is the first season of Infinity Train since its switch from late night Cartoon Network (a timeslot that was given with the expectation that the show would fail) to HBO Max (the streaming service that airs Harley Quinn. Honestly, I don’t think this changes a thing in this season in regards to Infinity Train‘s nightmare fuel, but I still find it funny that the first episode to air on HBO Max starts off with a cult of children raiding a train car and mutilating the denizens right after there was a somewhat diegetic song about empathy.

“The Tape Car” was a little hard to watch again, but the ending of “The Number Car” made it all worth it.

I’ve never been one for philosophy. It’s a lot of big questions with no generally agreed upon answers. Your answers will always grate against another’s and get you into an endless argument where neither party budges an inch for three hours. Why am I talking about philosophy? Because, while Jesse is completing his character arc on the train, Lake gets to deal with questions like: What makes a person a person? Are your actions already pre-determined by fate? If they are, how much of your actions are pre-determined and how much is of your own free will? Of course, this all gets overshadowed by the events of “The Wasteland”, AKA “How Did They Get Away With That on TV?”

On the surface, neither of these two episodes have anything to do with one another thematically. However, upon a second watch, I’ve noticed that both “The Parasite Car” and “The Lucky Cat Car” deal with being ignored, whether by accident or on purpose or by friends or by society.

With the first season answering what the Infinity Train is, seasons two’s questions become more personal, like: Why is Jesse on the train (though you can figure that out in the first episode if you’re not like me and catch on quick) and how will Lake escape the mirror police (because the idea of her failing and getting ground into nothing is unacceptable)? “The Map Car” and “The Toad Car” focus more on the first question and brings up the second one with no definitive answer in sight until later episodes.

Season two is many people’s favorite season, mostly for Lake’s entire existence and what it means to them personally. I remember it surprising me with how well it not only lived up to season one’s quality but actually surpassed it. Now that we know more about the infinity train — it’s purpose and how it functions — more time can be spent on the mental health aspect of the show that swept me away far more than the mysteries of last season.

I feel like I don’t praise Infinity Train enough. I certainly don’t praise it’s voice acting enough, because Infinity Train has a stellar cast that really amplifies the writing. Ashley Johnson is great at playing moody teenagers as usual. I’ve already commented on Ernie Hudson. Jeremy Crutchlet and Owen Dennis (yes, that Owen Dennis) are great as Glad-One and Sad-One respectfully — comedic gold. Kate Mulgrew nailed it as The Cat. And Lena Headey is great in anything she’s in.

Whose idea was it to pair such a feel good episode like “The Chrome Car” with something so emotionally devastating as “The Ball Pit Car”? I know it’s a very classic tactic to lower the viewer’s guard before emotionally sucker punching them in the heart, but that doesn’t mean that it had to be so effective.