The end of a samurai's journey

Like a single falling cherry blossom on a still lake, the series finale of Samurai Jack landed with a beautiful, yet somber ending for the warrior out of time. Each episode of this final season has brought us to this moment with well executed story and art work, laying the ground work for the inevitable final battle between Aku. Creator Genndy Tartakovsky has truly given Jack a touching swan song.

Some of the episodes leading up this seem to go in a slightly different direction—adding a more comedic atmosphere to the dark and serious one that they established with the first three episodes. It is not surprising that Tartakovsky would harken back to a tone more reminiscent of episodes from back in the day. The series has generated a large, loyal fan-base and a nod to its earlier days is sure to please the crowd.

The final battle summons memories of the first series. There was a section of the episode show recapping with the original intro which was a great touch and adds to the wait of the final episode.

Everyone going in to this episode knew that regardless of prior events, Jack and Aku were going to have their final go. Ashi's role in the final conflict was a great twist.

It was great seeing some old faces from the original run, like the Scotsman, but I would have enjoyed to see more of an interaction between them. Although their brief interaction was funny, I do wonder what a fleshed out reunion would have looked like.

It is bitter sweet to learn the person responsible for all of Jack's pain and suffering is also responsible for for the brief joy that he experiences in his final moments. It only fits with the inevitable end that we expect to see come at the ultimate price. While I am sure that some like myself felt that Jack has earned his peace and happiness, the price of peace was a better choice. By killing Aku, Jack unknowingly ended the life of Ashi, the woman he loved. It really emphasized that this is the end to what has been an engaging and fun series.

With Samurai Jack coming full circle , this last season and last episode of the series are a must watch for any Jack fan! Its a shame that this is the end but it could not have gone out on a better note.