Strange Planet — Episode 1 "The Flying Machine" Recap & Review

Episode 1 of Strange Planet starts in a universe that is eerily similar to our own. The species native there are blue creatures who take life quite literally. After the invention of flying machines, much like the aeroplanes on Earth, there’s an immediate need for flight attendants.

Strange Planet’s beings use flying machines where flight attendants – also known as comfort supervisors – have one job and that is to maximise the comfort of the passengers on the flying machine. One such comfort supervisor is very good at their job of making the flying experience comfortable for the passengers.

The comfort supervisor meets a couple on the flight who are travelling to attend a concert by the sad rock band – 4 Sensations. The sad music is what helps the couple bond. The comfort supervisor does a good job at managing the expectations of their fliers and has a fun time bonding with their colleagues after every flight.

As a result of doing such a great job comforting passengers, the comfort supervisor is promoted to ‘air comfort supervisor supervisor’. This promotion only means a bigger title and an increase in responsibilities and not an actual increase in salary. The comfort supervisor now has the task to supervise their colleagues and ensure that they also do a great job at maximising the comfort of the passengers on the flying machine.

The comfort supervisor is friends with the group roll machine operator, also known as a bus driver in our world. The group roll machine operator advises the comfort supervisor to make the most of their flights and the comfort supervisor is happy about their promotion. Meanwhile, the couple enjoy the 4 Sensations concert.

The members of the rock band are Lonely, Fragile, Hung Up On Their Ex and Drum. After a successful show, Lonely tells their bandmates that they will be leaving the band because they have met someone. Since they are no longer Lonely, they do not want to deceive their fans who are very perceptive at seeing deceptions.

Lonely decides to quit the band anyway which leaves the other three members questioning the future of their group. The local news covers the fact that the lead singer of 4 Sensations, Lonely, is leaving the group. This results in the band’s fans being confused about the future. The couple who bonded over the sad songs from 4 Sensations decide to call it quits as the only thing that they loved as a couple had ceased to exist.

On the other hand, the air comfort supervisor supervisor now realises the weight of their promotion because they are no longer friends with their colleagues. With their promotion, their job means supervising their subordinates which causes them to call them out when they fail to maximise the comfort of passengers.

After reaching home, the sad couple starts staying apart from each other. Moreover, the 3 remaining sensations try to make their band work by making new music as a trio. On the next ride with the group roll machine operator, the comfort supervisor shares how the promotion was not really a good thing for them.

The group roll machine operator advises the comfort operator to try screaming for comfort and they do so to feel better. While the 3 Sensations try to make new music as a trio, the sad couple rethink their relationship as they live apart and the comfort supervisor thinks about their promotion.

However, it all changes when there is mild turbulence on the flight. After noticing that beings, especially the older beings were not feeling the most comfortable with the uncertainty of the flying machine’s safe landing, the comfort supervisors start talking to them.

But as the flight gets further turbulent, the comfort supervisors are asked to fasten their own seat belts in order to ensure their own safety. The comfort supervisor supervisor talks about how uncomfortable they were and tries to make the passengers see how they were all in this together.

This motivates the 3 Sensations to make a positive melody about their situation that in turn helps to calm down their co-passengers. The flying machine gets back to a stable condition and all passengers on the flight land safely. Upon landing, the sad rock band release the single they created on their turbulent flight and change their name to Infinite Sensations because of the things they experienced.

The sad couple meet at the next Infinite Sensations concert and realise that they actually missed each other and would have enjoyed the music more had they been together. The episode ends with the comfort supervisors, as well as the comfort supervisor’s supervisor, bonding together like old times.

This show is really interesting and I am in awe of the creators for making this project. The show uses these beings from an alternate world that do not have a filter of deception. I love the way these creatures take things quite literally and call things out for what they are.

From calling alcohol a “mild poison” to calling coffee “jitter liquid”, the show has some unique words that will make one want to rethink elements of our own world. This episode narrates the situation of a flight attendant whose purpose in life is to make sure everyone else is comfortable.

The way this flight attendant manages the expectations of the passengers on the flight, along with their own, forms the crux of this episode. This one is a great light watch and I am sure the upcoming episodes will be just as interesting.