| Infinity Train | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Anthology Science-fiction Fantasy Comedy-drama Psychological thriller Mystery |
| Created by | Owen Dennis |
| Voices of |
|
| Theme music composer |
|
| Composer | Chrome Canyon |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 40(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Keith Mack |
| Running time | 11 minutes |
| Production company | Cartoon Network Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | Cartoon Network |
| Release | August 5, 2019 (2019-08-05) – January 10, 2020 (2020-01-10) |
| Network | HBO Max |
| Release | August 13, 2020 (2020-08-13) – April 15, 2021 (2021-04-15) |
Infinity Train is an Americananimated television series created byOwen Dennis[1] for Cartoon Network. As of 2022[update], four seasons totalling forty episodes have aired, plus an additional series of ten short webisodes. The series is set on a gigantic, mysterious and seemingly endless train traveling through a barren landscape, whose cars contain a variety of bizarre, fantastical, and impossible environments. Passengers on the train proceed from car to car by completing challenges which help them resolve their psychological trauma and emotional issues. Every season ofInfinity Train (referred to as a "Book", each with its own separate subtitle) follows its own storyline and set of characters, although some characters appear across multiple seasons.
Thepilot for the series was released byCartoon Network on November 1, 2016, before being picked-up for a fullminiseries due to positive reception, which premiered on Cartoon Network on August 5, 2019. After the conclusion of the first season, Cartoon Network announced that the series would continue as ananthology series.[2][3] The second season debuted on Cartoon Network on January 6, 2020. The third season began airing onHBO Max on August 13, 2020, with ten episodes airing across three weeks,[4][5] and the fourth season was released in its entirety on April 15, 2021.[6][7]
All four seasons ofInfinity Train have received critical acclaim for their complex themes and characters, writing, uniqueness, visual animation style, and voice acting. In August 2020, Dennis stated that, although he wanted to continue the series for a total of eight seasons, most of the crew had been laid off and the series was at risk of not being renewed for a fifth season; Dennis suggested that HBO Max might be concerned that the series' stories and themes were too dark and unappealing to children.[8][9][10] Promotional material for the fourth season refers to it as the final season ofInfinity Train.[11] In August 2022, the series was removed from HBO Max; in October 2023, the show was removed from digital purchase platforms.[12]
The series is set on a seemingly infinite train traveling through a barren landscape; the cars of the train contain a variety of bizarre and fantastical environments. The passengers on the train are people it picks up who have unresolved emotional issues or trauma. As they travel through the train's cars, their adventures within give them the opportunity to confront and resolve their emotional problems, represented by a glowing number on their hand that goes down as they successfully confront these issues. Once they resolve their issues and their number reaches zero, a portal opens and they are able to leave the train and return home.
The first season focuses on Tulip Olsen, a girl struggling with her parents’ recent divorce. She is accompanied by a small, confused robot named "One-One", and Atticus, the ruler of a kingdom of talkingcorgis. She eventually uncovers many of the train's secrets and confronts Amelia, a passenger who, instead of resolving her trauma from her husband's death, has usurped the role of Conductor from One-One and tried to take control of the train. Before leaving the train, Tulip persuades Amelia to try to adapt to the changes in her life.
In one first-season episode, Tulip frees her own reflection from the mirror world and the two part ways. The second season focuses on theemancipated Mirror Tulip ("MT"), now on the run from enforcers attempting to execute her as punishment for abandoning her role as Tulip's reflection. She teams up with Jesse, a new train passenger, as well as Alan Dracula, a silent deer with a variety of powers. She helps Jesse leave the train by helping him learn to stand up for himself, and he returns to the train to help her escape to the outside world as well.
The third season centers on Grace and Simon, the leaders of a cult of rogue passengers, known as 'The Apex', who vandalize the train and assault its denizens to keep their numbers high, believing that the true purpose of the train is to stay as long as possible as a reward. Their travels with a young girl named Hazel and her gorilla friend, Tuba, make Grace more sympathetic to the train's denizens. After Simon kills Tuba, it is revealed that Hazel herself is one of Amelia's creations, and Grace realizes what she thought she knew about the train is wrong. After fighting off Simon's attempt to usurp control, Grace begins facing up to and mending her mistakes.
Set decades earlier, during the period while Amelia is establishing control over the train, the fourth and final season centers on Ryan and Min-Gi, two childhood best friends who want to become famous musicians. Their relationship is strained due to Ryan's brashness and Min-Gi's fear of the future. While on the train, they meet a talkingservice bell named Kez who has trouble owning up to her mistakes. Ryan and Min-Gi come to realize that they need each other in order for them to move forward in life, while Kez finally apologizes to the train denizens she harmed.
| Book | Name | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | ||||
| Pilot | November 2, 2016 (2016-11-02)[a] | YouTube | ||||
| 1 | The Perennial Child | 10 | August 5, 2019 (2019-08-05) | August 9, 2019 (2019-08-09) | Cartoon Network | |
| 2 | Cracked Reflection | 10 | January 6, 2020 (2020-01-06) | January 10, 2020 (2020-01-10) | ||
| 3 | Cult of the Conductor | 10 | August 13, 2020 (2020-08-13) | August 27, 2020 (2020-08-27) | HBO Max | |
| 4 | Duet | 10 | April 15, 2021 (2021-04-15) | |||
From October 18, 2019, a series of ten shorts titled "The Train Documentaries" was uploaded onto the Cartoon Network app and YouTube channel. Each short focuses on One-One showcasing a different car on the train.
| Character | Voiced by | Seasons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book 1 | Book 2 | Book 3 | Book 4 | |||
| Main characters | ||||||
| Tulip Olsen | Ashley Johnson | Main | Mentioned | Does not appear | ||
| Lake / "MT" (Mirror Tulip) | Guest | Main | Does not appearPictured | Does not appear | ||
| One-One / One | Glad-One | Jeremy Crutchley | Main | Recurring | Mentioned | Does not appear |
| Sad-One | Owen Dennis | Guest | ||||
| Atticus | Ernie Hudson | Main | Mentioned | Does not appear | ||
| Jesse Cosay | Robbie Daymond | Does not appear | Main | Mentioned | Does not appear | |
| Alan Dracula | Silent character | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | Guest[b] | |
| Grace Monroe | Kirby Howell-Baptiste | Pictured | Recurring | Main | Does not appear | |
| Simon Laurent | Kyle McCarley | Recurring | Main | Does not appear | ||
| Hazel | Isabella Abiera | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | ||
| Tuba | Diane Delano | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | ||
| Min-Gi Park | Johnny Young | Does not appear | Main | |||
| Ryan Akagi | Sekai Murashige | Does not appear | Main | |||
| Kez | Minty Lewis | Does not appear | Main | |||
| Recurring characters | ||||||
| The Cat / Samantha | Kate Mulgrew | Recurring | Guest | Recurring | Guest | |
| Randall | Rhys Darby | Recurring | Guest | Does not appear | ||
| Amelia Hughes | Lena Headey | Recurring | Mentioned | Recurring | ||
| The Steward | Ashley Johnson | Recurring | Cameo | Recurring | ||
| Ghoms | Dee Bradley Baker | Recurring | Cameo | Recurring | Does not appear | |
| Megan Olsen | Audrey Wasilewski | Recurring | Does not appear | |||
| Andy Olsen | Mark Fite | Recurring | Does not appear | |||
| Mikayla | Reagan Gomez-Preston | Recurring | Does not appear | |||
| Reflection Police | Agent Mace | Ben Mendelsohn | Guest | Recurring | Does not appear | |
| Agent Sieve | Bradley Whitford | |||||
| Toad / Terrence | Owen Dennis | Does not appear | Recurring | Does not appear | ||
| Nate Cosay | Justin Felbinger | Does not appear | Recurring | Does not appear | ||
| Lucy | Jenna Davis | Does not appear | Cameo | Recurring | Does not appear | |
| Todd | Antonio Raul Corbo | Does not appear | Cameo | Recurring | Does not appear | |
| Frank | Owen Dennis | Does not appear | Recurring | Does not appear | ||
| One | Jeremy Crutchley | Mentioned | Does not appear | Mentioned | Recurring | |
| Parka Denizens | One | Kari Wahlgren | Does not appear | Recurring | ||
| Two | ||||||
| Three | Keith Ferguson | |||||
| Judge Morpho | Margo Martindale | Does not appear | Recurring | |||
| Cow Creamer | Audrey Wasilewski | Does not appear | Recurring | |||
| Pig Baby/Toddler | J. K. Simmons | Does not appear | Recurring | |||
| Nigel | Silent character | Does not appear | Recurring | |||
| Morgan | Margaret Cho | Does not appear | Recurring | |||
Guest voices for Book One includeMatthew Rhys andRon Funches.
Guest voices for Book Two includeWayne Knight,Laraine Newman,Nea Marshall Kudi,Bill Corbett, and Rhys Darby.
Guest voices for Book Three include Rhys Darby,Edi Patterson,Phil LaMarr, andAlfred Molina.
Guest voices for Book Four includeSteve Park,Thomas Lennon, andDonald Faison.
Prior to creatingInfinity Train, Owen Dennis worked as a storyboard artist onRegular Show. Dennis conceivedInfinity Train in 2010, originally as a film. He was inspired by "the feeling of waking up in an unsettling space" which he felt while on a return flight to the U.S. from China. Claiming when he had "woken up. I looked around, and there were a bunch of people staring into screens in the dark in this quiet room. I thought this was kind of creepy. And it sort of started from there."[15] Like protagonist Tulip, Dennis created video games as an amateur in his teens, includingpoint-and-click adventure games andmods for titles such asHalf-Life 2 andUnreal Tournament 2004. He has stated thatMyst has been one of his primary influences since he was 13, and its influence continued inInfinity Train.[16] He also citesDoctor Who,Agatha Christie,The NeverEnding Story,The Matrix,Philip K. Dick,Star Trek: Voyager,Sliders, and "The Mysterious Stranger" segment fromThe Adventures of Mark Twain as influences, along with novels such asNightbirds on Nantucket andThe Wolves of Willoughby Chase.[17][18] Dennis has also describedInfinity Train as "Saw for kids," in that each season is essentially a morality play based around machinery designed to help one overcome personal issues and appreciate life.[19]
Infinity Train has three staff writers, who make up the main story team in addition to showrunner Dennis and supervising producer/director Maddie Queripel.Cole Sanchez served on the story team for Book 1's development but departed to work as supervising producer onSummer Camp Island. The process on each episode was that a writer would make an outline, an expansion of the outline, a script, and then would send it to a team of two board artists. The 'boarders' would have 5 weeks to make thumbnails, then the full boards, and then clean them up, before it would be sent away for animation. The animation is done bySunmin Image Pictures in Seoul, South Korea usingtraditional animation methods.[20]
This show was made because of the massive fan reaction to the pilot, and fans are what will help make more happen in the future.
The pilot was first released on the Cartoon Network App andVOD on November 1, 2016, and released the following day on the official Cartoon NetworkYouTube channel. The short garnered a million views within its first month of availability and has since gained 5.2 million views as of July 2020, making it the most viewed pilot on the channel while two other originals,Welcome to My Life is the second most viewed pilot, andTwelve Forever (later moved toNetflix) being the third most viewed pilot.[22] A petition to greenlightInfinity Train was made shortly after the pilot was released and garnered over 57,000 signatures.[23] On March 11, 2018, Cartoon Network's official website launched a teaser forInfinity Train that confirmed the pilot had been greenlit as a full series and would premiere in 2019.[24][25]
In July 2018, a sneak peek of the first season was revealed on the Cartoon Network panel at the 2018San Diego Comic-Con. It was released a couple of hours later on Cartoon Network's social media platforms.[citation needed] A full trailer forInfinity Train was released in June 2019 which was unlocked by playing the show theme on theInfinity Train website. It was later uploaded to Cartoon Network's YouTube channel.[citation needed] On July 11, 2019, the show was confirmed to premiere on August 5, 2019.[26] On July 20, 2019, the first episode was shown during theInfinity Train panel at San Diego Comic-Con. It was then released on the Cartoon Network app and website later that same day.[27] The first season would be 10 episodes long, with two episodes airing each night from August 5 to August 9, 2019.[28] From October 18, 2019, Cartoon Network started uploading a series ofInfinity Train shorts onto their app and YouTube channel called "The Train Documentaries", which focused on One-One showing off a number of cars in the train, including "The Green Car", "Tiny Wizard Car", "The Kaiju Car" and "The Tech Support Car".[citation needed]
A promo after the final episode of the first season confirmed the series would return.[2] On November 22, 2019, theInfinity Train website was updated with a new claw machine puzzle. Completing the puzzle leads to a trailer for Book 2. The trailer was then released officially the next day.[29]Book Two debuted on January 6, 2020.[30] On July 6, 2020, Book 3 was officially announced with a release date of August 13, 2020.[31] Unlike its predecessors, it aired onHBO Max instead ofCartoon Network. Dennis revealed in a reply to a tweet thatInfinity Train was originally planned to air on HBO Max from the beginning, but due to the streaming service's delay from its original 2019 launch date, the first two seasons were aired on Cartoon Network instead.[32] It was later revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that the book would be titledCult of the Conductor.[33] Book 3 was released in three batches, with the first five episodes debuting on August 13, the next three on August 20, and the final two on August 27.[34]
On February 17, 2021, Book 4 was officially announced with a teaser trailer containing distorted audio.[6][11]
On August 16, 2020, whileInfinity Train Book 3 was being released on HBO Max, Dennis reported that though the team had plans for more seasons, the whole crew and most of the production staff had been laid off, and the possibility of a series renewal depended on the series' viewership on HBO Max.[8][9][10][21][35] On March 11, 2021, it was announced thatInfinity Train would end with its fourth season.[7] Dennis clarified on Twitter that he did not intend for it to be the final season, and remains open to continuing the show in the future if given the opportunity.[36][37]
On August 17, 2022, it was announced thatInfinity Train was among 37 series being removed from HBO Max.[38] Two days later, the series was removed from the streaming service. In addition, all references to the show were removed across Cartoon Network'sTwitter andYouTube profiles, with Dennis subsequently stating on his Twitter bio that fans would have to resort toonline piracy in order to watch the series.[39] The show's soundtrack was later removed from online platforms, though it has since been reinstated. Episodes of the show were, at the time, still able to be purchased digitally onVudu,Prime Video, andApple TV+;[40] as of October 2023,Infinity Train has since been removed from digital retailers.[12]
Following its removal from HBO Max,Infinity Train trended on Twitter as fans expressed their frustration and disappointment.[41] Meanwhile, all four seasons ofInfinity Train topped the kids and family sale chart oniTunes on August 20, 2022.[42][43] Additionally, the DVDs forInfinity Train sold out on websites such asAmazon,Walmart,Target, andBest Buy, while the prices of the DVDs oneBay increased.[44]
Despite this, as of 2025 there are a handful of providers and services internationally that still have the show available to watch, a notable example beingSky/NOW TV in the UK as the distribution rights in the country belong to Sky instead of Warner Bros. Discovery;[45] the series had skipped airing on the local Cartoon Network channel and instead premiered on one of Sky's linear channels after being made available on demand.[46]
Dennis planned for eight seasons ofInfinity Train, but only four were produced.[21] When asked what he would like to do with the series in the future, Dennis expressed interest in exploring other time periods of the train, as well as a movie following Amelia's story. Dennis also stated that a season with an older Tulip was considered.[47] In aReddit AMA on April 16, 2021, the day after Book 4's release, Dennis confirmed that Book 5 would have been the aforementioned Amelia-focused movie, and although a full script had been written, Cartoon Network Studios passed it on because they didn't think it had a "child entry point."[48][49] Dennis also claimed that books 5, 6, 7, and 8 would have covered the themes of grief, guilt, revenge, and acceptance, respectively,[50] and Book 8 would have touched onAlzheimer's disease.[51] Dennis and series writer Lindsay Katai stated that there were also plans for anInfinity Train Christmas special.[52][53] On May 8, 2021, Dennis released a mockup frame from the unproduced Book 5 in response to a fan movement to renew the show trending #1 worldwide and in multiple regions onTwitter.[54]
In 2025, Dennis indicated he was still trying to revive the show by pitching it to other distributors.[55]
Dennis has also expressed interest in doingInfinity Train comic books that "are in canon and could be written by or starring non-Americans."[21][47] Dennis said that there were plans to make anInfinity Train video game, and there was anInfinity TrainVR experience "where you hung out and solved puzzles in Corginia." Dennis also stated that a choose-your-own-adventure novel was considered. However, all of these projects were shelved when company priorities shifted.[47] Gallery Nucleus inAlhambra, California, held an officialInfinity Trainart show from September 25 to October 3, 2021. The exhibition featured a collection ofInfinity Train art by the crew of the show, exclusiveInfinity Train merchandise, and a panel featuring the show's creator, Owen Dennis.[56][57]
| Infinity Train: Book 1 (Original Soundtrack) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Infinity Train [feat. Chrome Canyon] | ||||
| Released | December 6, 2019 | |||
| Genre | Soundtrack | |||
| Length | 47:41 | |||
| Label | Cartoon Network | |||
| Producer | Chrome Canyon & Owen Dennis | |||
| Infinity Train [feat. Chrome Canyon] chronology | ||||
| ||||
On December 6, 2019,Infinity Train: Book 1 (Original Soundtrack) was released with 27 songs from the first season, including extended versions of "Running Away" and "Boogie Bash (The Monster Party Car)".[58] On April 15, 2021, the song "Train to Nowhere" from Book 4 was released as a single.[59]
Infinity Train: Book One was released on DVD on April 21, 2020.[60] It includes animatics, commentary tracks, andThe Train Documentaries shorts.Infinity Train: Book Two was released on DVD on May 25, 2021.[61]
Infinity Train received critical acclaim upon its debut. OnRotten Tomatoes, each season has an approval rating of 100%, with season 1 based on reviews from 8 critics[62] and the other three from 6 each.[63][64][65]
Caroline Cao of/Film declared it a "wild triumph",[66] whileNerdist's Andrea Towers declared it "one of the best animated programs of the year."[67] Reuben Baron ofCBR favorably compared it toCartoon Network's animated miniseriesOver the Garden Wall in its perfection, hailing it as "a beautifully handled piece of self-contained, character-driven storytelling."[68] Skyler Johnson fromComic Watch called it "excellent", with "emotional depth that is rarely seen in children's television", "witty, clever humor", and "stellar voice action."[69] Emily Ashby ofCommon Sense Media gave the series 5 out of 5 stars. In her review Ashby praised the positive messages about friendship and self-reflection. Ashby also praised the character of Tulip and the show's emotional moments.[70]
The third season ofInfinity Train particularly received critical acclaim. William Hughes ofThe A.V. Club praised season 3 for its darker themes and messages, hailing it as "the best, most challenging season yet."[71] Petrana Radulovic fromPolygon praised the series' complex character arcs and noted the third season is a testament to the infinite potential of the premise.[72] Andrew Kolondra Jr. fromThe Vanderbilt Hustler called season 3 "genre-defying" and said "thanks to shows likeInfinity Train, the modern animation world is finally approaching a point at which it may break free of the notion that animation is 'just for kids.'"[73]Observer Media said the show has grown into its own, developing a compelling world and internal mysteries "that will draw you in with a masterclass in character development to fuel your drive to keep going."[74] Beth Elderkin ofio9 praised season 3 for "enhancing the show's dedication to avoiding black-and-white views of morality". Elderkin particularly praised episode 5 of season 3 for its "stunning revelations" saying "it's worth watching for those alone."[75]
The fourth and final season ofInfinity Train also received positive notice, though reception was considerably subdued compared to Book 3. The bulk of criticism was directed towards its lighthearted tone after the darker themes of the previous season, as well as its lack of finality, though many critics acknowledged in their reviews that Book 4 was not intended to be the final season. Darren Franich ofEntertainment Weekly still hailed it as "a solid season of television."[76] James Poniewozik ofThe New York Times agreed that the ending was bittersweet with the knowledge that the series was ending before the creative team had planned, but praised its humor and characters.[77]
As the show first entered production, the pilot forInfinity Train was first aired on Cartoon Network on Saturday February 11, 2017, at 6:00 am without any advertisements for it.[78] Despite this, the pilot pulled in approximately 703,000 views amongst the 18–49 year old demographic and ranked as the 33rd of the top 50 original cable telecasts for February 11, 2017.[79]
In September 2020,Parrot Analytics found that the audience demand forInfinity Train was 21.3 times the demand of the average TV series in the United States within 30 days of its release.[80] In December 2020,Observer Media reported thatInfinity Train was the fourth most-watched original series on HBO Max since its launch in May.[81]
Infinity Train: The Perennial Child was nominated in 2020 at the47th Annie Awards in the categoryBest Special Production.[82]
It's a kids' mystery-horror-comedy-science-fiction show," Dennis told The Times.
Doctor Who, Agatha Christie, Myst, Neverending Story, The Matrix, Phillip K Dick, Star Trek Voyager, Sliders, and a lot of books that my parents used to read to me like Nightbirds on Nantucket, Wolves of Willoughby Chase, etc. -OD"
We wrote anInfinity Train movie. It was season 5. They passed on it though because they thought it didn't have a child entry point. The show is over and no one is working on making anymore of it. I'd love to make more, but it's not what Cartoon Network wants to make right now.
It's very unfortunate, however, maybe someday it'll change! Many shows have come back after they've been cancelled because of fan engagement, so anything is possible as long as fans exist. – oweeeeendennis---------The man himself!
Will we ever get some sort of Rough Script for Book 5, if it never gets released? Like how Marc Laidlaw did with Half-Life: Epistle 3? – LiamQuantum
No, because a full script was written. No reason to release anything except the full script (which I won't) – oweeeeendennis---------The man himself!
5) Grief 6) Guilt 7) Revenge 8) Acceptance– oweeeeendennis---------The man himself!
Fuck this is horrifying dude. We did have a season where I wanted to touch on Alzheimers, the final season actually. It was going to be loosely inspired by an autobiography that my grandfather wrote while he was slowly succumbing to it. – oweeeeendennis---------The man himself!