Tree Trunks

Lore & Background

Tree Trunks resides in a home where she hosts Finn and Jake, discussing wishes before they decide to help her find the rare Crystal Gem Apple located in the Evil Forest. The journey involves encountering a wall of flesh that Tree Trunks defeats by naively placing stickers on it, as well as sign zombies with whom she attempts to have a tea party despite their murderous intent. Later, she faces a brain beast, relying on 'adventurer's instincts' to seduce it with makeup rather than fighting. When Finn and Jake encounter a Crystal Guardian that mimics their attacks, they realize they must fight 'Tree Trunks-style,' tricking the monster so she can take a bite of the apple.

In Their Own Story

After putting stickers on a wall of flesh and having a tea party with sign zombies, Tree Trunks is attacked by them until Finn and Jake intervene. She then attempts to seduce a brain beast with makeup while Finn attacks its magic gem weak spot. Enraged by her recklessness, Finn scolds her, leaving her dejected and crying until she discovers the Crystal Gem Apple in the forest's heart. A Crystal Guardian appears, copying their physical moves, forcing Finn and Jake to adopt her approach: putting on makeup to trick the monster into letting Tree Trunks eat the apple. Upon biting it, she pauses for a second and explodes, leaving Finn and Jake shocked. The episode concludes with an enigmatic scene of Tree Trunks walking happily in front of a crystal background.

Reader's Guide

Tree Trunks was voiced by Polly Lou Livingston, whom Pendleton Ward asked to appear on the show after not seeing her for eight years; she nearly fainted at the request due to his memory of her unforgettable Southern drawl. Although 'Tree Trunks' aired as the fourth episode, it was the sixteenth produced, explaining her appearance in the later season one episode 'Evicted!' despite vanishing in this entry. The unedited version, featuring only her explosion without the crystal dimension sequence, is available on the 'Adventure Time: My Two Favorite People' DVD. Composer Casey James Basichis created a 'folksy massacre' sound using basses and saws to match the whimsical spirit of the episode.

Did You Know?

• Tree Trunks was voiced by Polly Lou Livingston, a friend of series creator Pendleton Ward's mother who he hadn't seen in eight years.
• The original ending had Tree Trunks simply explode; the scene of her walking in a crystal dimension was added later to explain her fate.
• Although it aired fourth, 'Tree Trunks' was actually the sixteenth episode produced, which explains her presence in the later episode 'Evicted!'.
• The episode received a 1.2 rating among adults aged 18 to 49 and was viewed by 1.847 million people.
• Composer Casey James Basichis described the music for the episode as a 'folksy massacre' created using basses and saws.