The following contains spoilers for Secret Level season 1 episode 13, “Exodus: Odyssey,” now streaming on Prime VideoSecret Level’sepisode aboutExodusgives the animated anthology its own version of Christopher Nolan’sInterstellar.Secret Levelis an ambitious project that brings viewers into over a dozen different worlds inspired by just as many video game properties. This includes some games that hadn’t been released yet by the time the show debuted on Prime Video, including the space-faringExodus. This allowed the creatives on the show to experiment and play with the themes of the story, giving the focus to a pair of characters who likely would be minor blips in the grand scheme of things.
This gives the episode’s emotional focus all the more relevancy, as it takes center stage in the episode as opposed toSecret Level’s other fan-service references. In the process, it also touches upon the same tragic sci-fi take on parental love that fueled the best scene inInterstellar. Christopher Nolan’s 2014 sci-fi epic is a solid film throughout, with the best scene highlighting the emotional toll of space travel experienced by Matthew McConaughey’s Cooper and his family.The “Exodus” episode ofSecret Levelplays a similar trick to devastating effect and highlights a recurring theme in the anthology series.
Secret Level’s Exodus Episode Is About Being A Parent
Nik Will Cross The Galaxy And Fight Alien Empires To Be Reunited With His Daughter
The arc ofSecret Level’s “Exodus: Odyssey” episodeis focused on the feelings and sacrifices of a parent, andare similar to the key emotional throughline of Christopher Nolan’sInterstellar.Exodus: Odysseyis centered around Nik, a mechanic who works on a remote world in the depths of the universe. The emotional focus of the episode is his relationship with his daughter Mari, who wants to explore the universe as a “Traveler.” When Mari runs away from their home of the world of Lidon, Nik sets out after her.
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The story highlights the lengths a parent will go to be with their child. However, the sci-fi twist on the concept is that space travel results in severe time dilation. Chasing after his daughter takes years of Nik’s life. He has visibly aged when he finally finds her. However, the effect has been even more extreme on Mari. Introduced as a spunky and rebellious teenager, Nik only finds Mari when she’s become as old (if not older) than him. Despite this, Nik’s determination to be reunited with his daughter never wavers,giving the episode a clear and effective emotional element.
Secret Level Takes A Page From Interstellar For Sci-Fi Tragedy
Nik And Cooper Go Through The Same Emotional Arc
Notably, this gives the episode a striking similarity to Christopher Nolan’sInterstellar. Both stories focus on the very human impact of space-travel, especially once time dilation is taken into effect. The 2014 sci-fi film focuses on Joseph Cooper, who ventures into space alongside his crew to try and find a new habitable planet for humanity to colonize. However, while their adventures across the cosmos only seem to take a short time from their perspective, the nature of time dilation means that decades have passed on Earth. This is best represented when Cooper is shown video messages from his family.
The scene reveals the challenges they’ve faced without their father, breaking Cooper’s heart.Secret Levelplays with a similar emotional beat by having Nik see video footage of Mari, realizing how much older she’s become in their time apart. This only spurs him on further to be reunited with his daughter.It’s one of the biggest emotional beats in the entire series, especially after Nik is reunited and gets to spend a little bit of time with her before she dies from the injuries she sustained during the final mission.
Exodus: Odyssey Isn’t The Only Secret Level About Parenthood
Secret LevelExplores What It Means To Be A Parent In Many Different Ways
While “Exodus: Odyssey” is a powerful exploration of parental love and commitment,it’s far from the only episode ofSecret Levelto touch on those themes. The episodes focused onMega Man,Spelunky,Honor of Kings, andWarhammer 40,000all also reflect themes about parental responsibility and love. Each of these stories approaches it from a different perspective, withMega Man’s origin story highlighting a son reaching his full potential toHonor of Kingsexploring the sacrifices parents are willing to make for their children. “Exodus: Odyssey” takes a more bittersweet approach.
This highlights how the themes of parents and children pervade across the different worlds and settings ofSecret Level’s various episodes.
The relationship between Nik and Mari is a loving one tinted by relatable teenage rebellion and parental concern. The two find a new understanding later in life, eventually recognizing each other not only as family but as peers.This highlights how the themes of parents and children pervade across the different worlds and settings ofSecret Level’s various episodes. It’s a tragic emotional arc that’s familiar to anyone who has seenInterstellar, and highlights howSecret Levelcan take familiar emotional elements of sci-fi and play with them just as well as it does with video game IP.
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Secret Level is an adult animated series exploring original short stories set within the worlds of popular video games. Each episode introduces new adventures, delving into iconic gaming classics and forthcoming titles to unlock captivating narratives and immersive experiences. Created by Tim Miller, the series celebrates gaming culture.
