Sometimes there’s a show that you still think about almost two decades later. For me, that’s Salad Fingers.
If you’re not aware, Salad Fingers by David Firth is an animated web series that appeared first on the website Newgrounds in 2004. Now considered a viral phenomenon, the series features this person named Salad Fingers, who exists in a bombed-out landscape just doing … odd stuff. He’s undoubtedly mentally disturbed, but whether that’s a result of the (arguably post-apocalyptic) landscape he lives in or whether he was always like that is unclear. The best word for the show is: disconcerting. It’s a combination of absurdity, creepy images, bizarre plot twists, and dark comedy.
When the series first arrived on the internet, I was the tender age of nineteen and became quite obsessed with it. I used to quote it all the time (calling strollers “nettle-carriers,” for example), and I had this image below as the background on my computer:
I admit I wasn’t aware new episodes were coming out every few years, the most recent being episode 12 (“Post Man”), released on March 7, 2022. As such, I had some catching up to do from Episode 9!
Below is a short review of the twelfth episode with no spoilers. If you haven’t watched the series at all, I recommend starting at the beginning with episode 1.
Review
If you think the show was dark and weird before this, episode 12 does not deviate!
“Post Man” starts with Salad Fingers attending to another innocuous task but quickly slides into a twisted story that the series is known for. The episode’s tone and characterization of Salad Fingers are in line with previous iterations of the show, complete with light gore, disturbing connotations, and just plain weirdness.
As usual, there are hints about Salad Fingers in the past, but nothing definitive is learned.
The episode contains typical Salad Fingers quotes (such as, “these eyes weren’t equipped to process such ravishing beauty”) that would be lovely in an entirely different context.
While most of the episode is definitely on the gross side of disturbing, the final scene is full of eyebrow-raising WTFery.
Overall, if you enjoy Salad Fingers, this episode aligns with what we’ve come to expect and hopefully, Firth continues with it. And this time I’ve subscribed to his channel, so I won’t miss the next episode by ten years!
You can watch Salad Fingers on Youtube or support the creator on Patreon.
