The Freaky Thirteenth Episode Of Salad Fingers

Disclaimer: 
This is an analysis and review of an episode of an animated series that content disturbing content, including one moment of violence involving blood and one moment of cannibalism. Reader discretion is advised. 
 
While the teaser for Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft enticed tomb raiders with its potential to be an outstanding anime series based on the Survivor era of the Tomb Raider franchise [48] [75], the thirteenth episode of Salad Fingers intimated admirers of animation on YouTube a week after being released on David Firth’s Newgrounds account [26] [27]. Over a year ago, we were revolted at Salad Fingers laying eyes on a dog’s mutilated corpse. This year, the thirteenth chapter opened this year is titled “Harvest”. No reference to “The Harvest Moon Festival”, the fifth episode of the first season of Helluva Boss intended [43] [70] [71]. As sweet like cotton candy as this year’s Halloween-themed Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss merchandise was as a variety of treats [42] [44], the latest episode of Salad Fingers was quite a trick, even before the preparations for Halloween [26] [27]. If you are already unnerved, feel free to stick to preparing great new meals, such as home-baked pizza for a neighbourhood with the Home Chef Hustle Stuff pack for The Sims 4 if you are a simmer or race with Aladdin, Jasmine, Jafar, or the Genie in the fourth season of Disney Speedstorm if you are a Disney devotee [8] [58] [59] [60]. Otherwise, brace yourself as we delve into the distorted mind of Salad Fingers for the thirteenth time [26] [27].

Gotta thank Matthew Patrick for the disturbing logic boost applied to a romantic animated moment from the childhoods of many Disney devotees [50]. No reference to how many suspect that Disney is dying, even during its 100^thanniversary intended [49] [64]. Later, you can thank me for the review of “Harvest”, the latest episode of Salad Fingers[26] [27], especially after witnessing the adorable horror of Saw Patrol [38] [39]. [27]

Is Salad Fingers redeemable after grooming a dog’s corpse [25] [73] [74]? I guess so when it comes to being a fatherly figure once again… [26] [27]? But before that, he digs his fingers into the gravel and asks for a solution for the lack of crops, believing in Grandmother Growth in quite a religious manner, which appears to be a new aspect of his character…or just another bizarre state of mind. After a burial, he summons a monstrous plant-like creature whose design is insanely freaky with eyeballs as teeth, which could be just a hallucination, considering how mentally corrupted he has been throughout the series. Despite how his vocabulary is quite sophisticated, the melody he croons to a new character who will be discussed later sounds quite like a cult’s chant. Speaking of cult-like mannerisms, he teaches the new character about the great sand floor’s purpose in a way a cult’s leader would teach their followers. Too bad this Salad Fingers never got a chance to go to France for a reason that will also be explained later [20] [26] [27] [28], but I still suppose that it is just part of his imagination that tends to run wild at times.

The moment the green creep begs for aid from Grandmother Growth could be a reference to the artwork Firth posted on Instagram regarding algorithm and demonisation two years ago [12] [26]. [27]

I understand that Salad Fingers’ character was never intended to be morally enlightening, even though he is often friendly and well-mannered and the idea of him being the antagonist of a point-and-click game caused it to only last for one episode after some strong disapproval during its development [73] [74]. And as previously stated, a new character will be explained later. [27]

I never knew that there was a fourth finger puppet until this episode [26] [27]. His name is “Melvin Wishcake” and sadly, he appears to be deceased due to his condition and how he was apparently a “rotten friend”, but at least his body was the vessel for summoning the creature that provides…eyeballs as food. What about the other three puppets? Poor Hubert Cumberdale has been scolded once again [23], but this time, for apparently utilising the Naughty Stick [26] [27], which applies…a certain activity. So much for how he “grew up a bit” in “Glass Brother” [23] [68] [69]. And poor Marjory Stewart-Baxter is still lacking her red locks from the punishment she got in “Glass Brother” [23] [68] [69]. As for Jeremy Fisher, he looks quite smart in a new cadet outfit alongside Hubert in just a tie [26] [27], even though that might be a reference to his honour that was tainted by a serious accusation from a father in “Present” [21] [29]. Perhaps for some consistency, there ought to be some backstory on how Salad Fingers fell out with Melvin Wishcake in a fourteenth episode or a spin-off episode like “Market” [18] [26] [27], but one must always expect the unexpected when encountering Salad Fingers’ strange touch with reality.

Alas, Melvin Wishcake. We hardly knew you at all [26] [27]. You probably did not follow the rules on how to survive a horror film [45] [52]. Randy Meeks would be a great sidekick for Wade Wilson, also known as “Deadpool” [6] [7] [46]. [27]

There goes Hubert Cumberdale again. Being emotional when it comes to being scolded [26]. [27]

The strange birth of another new character reminds me of Yaap Yaap, a miniature clone of Billy from the eleventh episode Grim & Evil and Chip, the miniature clone of Peter Griffin from “Vestigial Peter”, the second episode of the twelfth season of Family Guy [55] [56] [57]. He starts off as a strange face further on Salad’s back lecturing Hebert, but the face later becomes a glossy replica that spouts out quite an inconsiderate message, compared to Salad’s formal message to Lady Etheridge [26] [27]. If only Yvonne was around to know her brother as how he grows out of Salad Fingers’ body and greets him warmly before following his footsteps was quite wholesome [22] [30]. However, I was revolted at the new Salad Fingers eating one or the old Salad Fingers’ fingers [26] [27], especially after he strikes him in the head with a rock referred to as “Bartholomew Degryse” that previously appeared in “Post Man” [25] [73] [74]. It was so sudden! And I thought he idolised the old Salad Fingers throughout his training [26] [27]. Well, I guess…violently slaying and cannibalising the mentor and father-figure counts as honour and thankfulness works in their species’ case. Can the new Salad Fingers take good care of the finger puppets in a fourteenth episode and still be better than the glass brother [23] [68] [69]?

I guess we now know how Salad Fingers’ species reproduce [26] [27], kind of like how new minions are born…according to MeatCanyon [34]. Please do not tell me that the new Salad Fingers will groom another dog’s corpse, especially if the genitalia could feel like papercuts [14] [25] [73] [74]. Perhaps the idea of a new Salad Fingers being born just before the demise of the old Salad Fingers is just part of his mental instability [26] [27]. Not that imaginative people are always mentally unstable though. [27]

Of course, this is not the first time Salad Fingers has been cannibalised as there was a shocking scene of one Salad Fingers being devoured by another in “Present”, the sixth episode [21] [29]. Do not say that yours truly did not warn you and recommended sticking to cooking new meals with your sim in the Home Chef Hustle Stuff pack for The Sims 4 [58] [59] [60]. Gordon Ramsay would not approve [35] [36]. Wanna stick to SpongeBob Mac & Cheese from Kraft instead [63]? [27]

The animation style has been upgraded back to its higher quality from “Glass Brother” [23] [26] [27] [68] [69]. It could be said that the visuals in “Post Man” matching the style of the ninth and tenth ones was a possibly cost-cutting decision [25]. The old Salad Fingers looked quite sickly as he was being cooked alive, even though he remained calm as if a sim would unwind in a hot tub in The Sims 2: Super Collection [2]. There was an inconsistency regarding the shade of the new Salad Fingers’ skin tone during the scene of them kneeling together, but at least it is…you guessed it; green [26] [27]. The background of the soil and gloomy grey sky look photographically realistic, compared to how it was in the first few episodes [16] [28] [68] [69], yet the photorealistic style must have been absent in “Post Man” as a cost-cutting choice or for copyright considerations during its production and the detail in “Harvest” is not as striking as the detail of the gravel in “Glass Brother” and the short animation that celebrated one million subscribers to Firth’s channel known as “One Million Billiard People” [19] [23] [25] [26] [27]. With rather suave animation yet uncanny character designs and earthy backgrounds, the eery artistry in “Harvest” is mostly top notch, but still hindered by a few inconsistences.

Here is a new example of surreal creativity in the series aside from its freak factor [26] [27]. Could this plant take on a hoard of zombies [76]? [27]

I guess we now know how Salad Fingers’ species reproduce [26] [27], kind of like how new minions are born…according to MeatCanyon [34]. Please do not tell me that the new Salad Fingers will groom another dog’s corpse, especially if the genitalia could feel like papercuts [14] [25] [73] [74]. Perhaps the idea of a new Salad Fingers being born just before the demise of the old Salad Fingers is just part of his mental instability [26] [27]. Not that imaginative people are always mentally unstable though. [27]

Let us acknowledge the auditory aspects and the writing of the episode. The menacingly lurking pacing leads to the outcome of a lot of bewildering moments being quite affective in a rather suspenseful manner with the latest one being the new Salad Fingers knocking the old one unconscious and cannibalising his corpse [26] [27]. There is something peculiar about the subtitles twitching in sync with Salad’s pitchy voice and plodding, unenergised tone. The audio on this episode is exceptional for being a step-up from the sound quality of the first episode [16], much like the auditory aspects of the other newer ones [22] [23] [25] [26] [27] [30]. A few examples of auditory excellence include the crunching of Mr. Boyfingers chewing Salad Fingers’ flesh and the beastly groan of the mysterious plant-like being as eyeballs for teeth [26] [27]. The soundtrack for the episode, including the strangely soothing music from a music box and the soundtracks for the previous two episodes are from Locust Toybox [23] [24] [25], Firth’s username on Bandcamp [13], which shows that he also has a talent in producing music and copyright considerations are always taken seriously [65]. Rob Wingfield deserves praise for the auditory constructions for the previous two episodes in the current era of the Salad Fingers series and Firth deserves praise for how he continued to follow his passion whilst writing and animating the thirteenth episode [23] [25] [26] [27] [65].

Aside from the disturbing moments of the episode, how the old Salad Fingers played a bugle call with his horn as he drowns in the cooking pot was amusing [26] [27], thus vaguely reminding of the wittiness of how Sly Cooper drowns in Sly Raccoon [54]. Quite a missed opportunity to call the Krusty Krab…or Patrick though [62]. [27]

“Happy Tries”, the jazzy track during Salad Fingers’ date with a dog’s corpse is my favourite soundtrack from the episode [24] [25]. Quite thankfully, he has not been rick roll’d since a decade ago [61]. Kudos to Firth for his musical masteries [13]. Dare to experience some ASMR with his creation [9]? [25]

The Salad Fingers series is sure no Disney movie [51]. The latest episode is not as long as “Glass Brother” [23], but it certainly made the series maintain its freak factor [26] [27], leaving a new impact on over a million billiard people [19]. I consider myself quite lucky that this review has been published a week before a Friday the 13^th, even though I failed to predict the exact release date of the episode over a year ago [73] [74]. Aside from that, we must stay cautious once the Slender Man returns to stalk players once again in honour of the tenth anniversary of Slender: The Arrival [72]. The preparations for the Halloween season have only just begun [10] [37]. Who knows how the creatively disturbing legacy of the green freak created by David Firth will progress in a fourteenth episode in honour of the series’ 20^thanniversary [68] [69]? In the meantime, I hope you be careful out there next week, especially if you are familiar with Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13^th film franchise... or perhaps you ought to watch out for a possessed doll, like the one from the stop-motion video starring a Salad Fingers plush toy and his local teacup [17] [47].

This review of “Harvest” was quite thankfully not released on a Friday the 13^th, but Voorhees could still be out there [47]…or will Salad Fingers be out there for rusty spoons [15] [16]? Until then, cherish self-care after a good scare and have a spooky romantic Hallotine’s Day after Friday the 13th next week [53] [66] [67]! I personally fancy a pink Halloween this year after the success of Barbie: The Movie and another national Mean Girls day [1] [5] [10] [11] [33] [40]. Outside of horror, you can still be a Disney devotee, especially as you watch Once Upon a Studio on ABC on the 15^th [64]. [27]

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The Twelfth Terror Of Salad Fingers

Disclaimer:
This is a review and analysis of an episode of an animated web series that contains disturbing content, including:

• Gore
• Necrophilia 
• Potential sexual symbolism
• Likely elements of paedophilia

Reader discretion is advised.

Guess who is back and ready to creep us out once again? None other than Salad Fingers [15]! Created by David Firth, he has been causing online disturbance since the days of Newgrounds in 2004 [4] [6] [21]. Previously, we were revolted by a promotional spin-off episode titled “Market” but some of us took interest in purchasing some Salad Fingers merchandise [5]. Two years before that, we dived into the depths of the eleventh episode titled “Glass Brother” and felt unsettled by its aspects of psychological horror yet impressed by the visual upgrades [14] [21] [37] [38]. Similar to Helluva Boss, the current production of Salad Fingers is funded by sales of merchandise from an online shop, along with Firth’s Patreon page partially due to the likeliness of his YouTube channel getting demonetized [15] [28]. I just wonder how the next acts of the point-and-click game would have continued the story if it had never been cancelled by Firth’s request [24]. As for the brand new episode of the series that marked the twelfth terror just a week ago [15], sit tight and do not let the green bed bugs with filthy teeth bite tonight because it is time to brace ourselves for the uncanniness that awaits us as we analyse and review “Post Man”.

Somewhere…on the internet…
Some green dude…
Creeps you out…as he strokes a…
Bunch of small rusty spoons [7] [16]… [15]

The plot begins with Salad Fingers wearing a postman’s hat and carrying a bag full of stuff…and made out of flesh that must be from the way to redeem Hubert Cumberdale in “Glass Brother” [14] [21], fitting the title of the episode. In additional misfortune, he appears to be out of touch with reality as always as he talks to a rock and named it “Bartholomew Degryse”. No Sesame Street reference intended [29]. But suddenly, he sees a horribly mangled animal corpse and becomes…attracted to it. This is not the first time he has interacted with a corpse with a very loose grasp of reality [12] [20] [21]. But compared to the human corpse he found in “Shore Leave”, the attraction towards a mangled animal’s body is romantic as shown by how he finds it “beautiful” [15]. Pretty sickening indeed. Just imagine how the strange humanoid from the episode “Cage” must feel about that [9] [17] [21]! Later at night, Hubert is seen out of his fleshy form from “Glass Brother”…with the ability to verbally confront the green creep as his face suddenly morphs [14] [15] [21]. I would say that Mr. Finger’s touch with reality may never improve, considering he freaked out when a little girl spoke in “Picnic” [10] [18] [21].

Yuck!! Really, Salad? And yes, I am censoring the corpse’s mutilation for the sake of some of you guys. [15]

By the way, who is this “Uncle Kevin”? Why would he live down a drain? [15]

Despite Hubert’s confrontation, the date with a dark destiny begins [15]. Even though the corpse is…well…dead, it apparently can sulk and inhale and exhale deeply during its date with the green guy in a tuxedo…with a dead rat as a toupee, which further proves how psychologically damaged he seems to have been ever since the first episode [4] [6 [21]]. How he tells the corpse that she would not be fully dressed without a smile is one sly reference to Annie yet it is a sign of how he sees her feeling rather uncomfortable [1].Shouldn’t the green creep get the idea as he apparently sees people judging him on his date [15]? The way a group of green tentacle-like things crawl up each of his legs to make him look…thrilled is quite unnerving…as the potential English equivalent of hentai [31], which can be partially French as he has spoken French in the second episode [7] [16] [21]. More of his weird mannerisms include picking a flower which at first looked like it was for the corpse…and then eating all of its petals [15]. The aspects of irony put into the show excel the shock factor, which is another sign of Firth knowing his stuff with the contributions of Christian Webb and James Hollis for the newest episode. 

You have no room to talk when you have not brushed YOUR teeth, Mr. Fingers! [15]

As iconic as the main theme tune is for setting up the atmosphere of Salad’s life is, the music during the montage of his date with the dead dog is pretty groovy. There is also some exceptionally done sound effects. However, those do not make up for how sickening the premise of the episode is, although I understand it is not meant to be taken seriously, considering how out of touch with realisation Salad Fingers is [21]. [15]

Later on, the green freak is in his regular attire…in bed with the corpse at his home [15]. His fearful and guilt-driven dialogue is accompanied by a ruckus booming through the front door, distorted speech from the corpse despite its obvious inability to speak and low and intimidating music playing in the background. Paying close attention to the whole plot and witnessing this climax, I must ask…does this mean the corpse is a metaphor for an underaged employee who was molested by a postman? Well, there was a mention of said minor getting a job at the delivery services outside of school. This premise for an episode is pretty much a vague rehash of a certain crazy canine whose series I would rather leave alone in 2022 [35] [36]. I guess those crows were about to warn her about him before the date night [15]. Well, at least Salad Fingers was not shirtless with a swollen left nipple from some kinkiness with nettles in his bed [8] [21]. But still, how lower could his mentally unwell psyche stoop [15]? Reflecting on that deformed lad’s feelings for him that were not returned in “Cage” [9] [17] [21], I can imagine Marjory Stewart-Baxter being sickened…and jealous at Salad’s interactions with a dead dog, even though she is a finger puppet [15] [21].

Despite this scenario possibly being a metaphor for a disturbing moment from the past, there is absolutely nothing that would justify it in real life. Moreover, it could be set sometime before the time Jeremy Fisher was comforted by a father figure, leading to Jeremy being the girl’s predator all along [11] [19] [21]. [15]

And speaking of Marjory, I just wonder how she is doing after the unnerving punishment she got in the previous episode [37] [38]. [14]

After looking at a piece of paper that appeared at the front door, which must have been a letter according to his psyche, the green guy goes outside with the mangled dog and thankfully ends the relationship [15]. It was absolutely bewildering to suddenly see another dog-like creature alive from the tree’s hollow, but with a human head dragging the corpse away, which is pretty much the most surreal aspect of the episode and further expands on the surreal nature of the series. Although the living dog’s head resembles an infant’s, she is apparently the corpse’s mother, according to Mr. Fingers. The mentioning of the failure to make the corpse the “next Mrs. Fingers” tells me that it must not be the first time. Could that, along with some new development for Marjory and Jeremy be established in an unlucky thirteenth episode that could be released on a Friday [30] [32]? The new premise of Salad falling in love with a corpse, seeing it as a beautiful girl and getting into trouble for it is disturbing with possibly some deep meaning behind it [15]. It sure takes the moral corruption BoJack Horseman caused with a seventeen-year-old ally of his to a whole new level of low [34].

How the heck was this a physical possibility? [15]

Way before the ending scene, the black substance near the hollow and how Salad Fingers delivers a group of bones to it must mean there was some very vague tolerance between a postman and a mother before her daughter was groomed. I suppose Roger ought to punish Mr. Fingers…again [21] [33]. [15]

The art style in “Post Man” is not all the way up to the graphical standards from the previous episode and Firth’s thank you for over a million YouTube subscribers [14] [21] [22] [35] [36], but it looks less advanced to match the style of the ninth and tenth episodes [13] [21]. One difference is that the subtitles for Salad’s dialogue are mostly red during the daytime, which could match the fairly new and definitely unnerving aspect of his character [15]. The backgrounds, as always, are earthy and quite lifeless, which matches the disturbing nature of the show. The detail of the mangled animal corpse is convincingly grotesque with several flies buzzing near its exposed brain. I quite like the glowing and flickering of the flames on top of the candles during Salad’s date with…the corpse. Although the flickering of the candles’ flames is quite choppy, just look at the utter lack of choppiness when Salad swings the corpse around like a lasso. The coal-black smoke effect for when the living dog with a human dog is about to come out of a hollow is convincing and adds a little tension. Aside from comparing the art styles throughout the series [35] [36], the pace in each episode is gradual enough for building tension aside from or within the shock factor [10] [15] [18].

At least how the overall animation looks cheaper is not a huge downgrade. Additionally, the audio quality is still top-notch, compared to the very slight fuzziness of the voice acting in the very first episode titled “Spoons” [4] [6] [21]. As for the visuals, I think the visual quality of “Glass Brother” ought to return in the thirteenth episode if possible [14] [21]. [15]

You can tell that the standards of improvement are still there by the glossiness added to the green creep’s eyes, along with ounces of decent shading [13] [21]. [15]

After the reupload of the tenth episode titled “Birthday” on YouTube [13], I am revolted and bewildered at the outcome of the twelfth episode titled “Post Man”, even though it is about six and half minutes shorter than “Glass Brother” [14] [15]. If you were way too disturbed by the new episode of Salad Fingers, free to stick to wholesome and adorable nostalgia, like mid-‘90s Polly Pocket toys and look forward to something more adventurously light-hearted, such as My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure for the Xbox Series X|S and so on [2] [3] [39]. As for the mature side of today’s animation, I shall look forward to witnessing the true personality of a seemingly quirky interpretation of Andrealphus, a marquis of the Ars Goetia in the second season of Helluva Boss [25] [27]. And as for the mentally disturbed green creature who loves to caress rust, I guess we may have to wait for an unlucky thirteenth episode for about a year or two [32]. Who knows what he could be up to without a healthy grasp at reality next? In the meantime, there can at least be some fanmade adaptions [26]. Dare to slip your foot into Salad Fingers’ mouth before bedtime [23]?

I wrote again…
On my blog…
That poor dog…
Oh, I bet we’ll watch again some freaky day [12] [20]… [15]

References 

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