After the episode aired , Eric Kohn of IndieWire published an article explaining why " ' Adventure Time ' is the best Sci-Fi show on TV right now " . He praised the way in which the episode " deepen ed the world of Ooo in all kinds of morbidly fascinating ways . " Furthermore , he compared it to Cormac McCarthy 's book '' The Road '' , specifically citing the similarities between the mutant creatures in the episode and the " demented people " in the latter . Kohn ultimately concluded that the series ' " willingness to contemplate the themes of the episode while sticking to its unique combination of silliness and haunting beauty routinely transforms the show into a wondrous genre experiment . " Kendra Beltran of MTV Geek wrote that the episode " pushed Ice King and Marceline 's history even more into the pits of your heart and twisted it ever so . " She ultimately concluded that the episode was " a touching notch in the '' Adventure Time '' realm " . Novelist Lev Grossman , in an interview with NPR praised the backstory of the Ice King and the exploration of his condition , noting that his origin is " psychologically plausible " . Grossman praised the way the series was able to tackle the issues of mental illness , saying : " It 's very affecting . My dad has been going through having Alzheimer 's , and he 's forgotten so much about who he used to be . And I look at him and think this cartoon is about my father dying . " The episode was later nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Short-format Animation at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards , but lost to the '' Mickey Mouse '' episode " Croissant de Triomphe "
65th Primetime Emmy Awards
65th Primetime Emmy Awards
Simon & Marcy