2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series normal 16 teams) was spread out over a three-day period. The series' tournaments are identical to 2007–2008 and span the globe: The 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens was not a part of the 2008-09 series. Unlike the 2005 edition held in Hong Kong, the 2009 edition did not replace one of the 2008-09 series events. The World Cup was held in Dubai from March 5–7, 2009 and won by Wales. Prior to the season, the IRB announced the 12 "core teams" that would receive guaranteed berths in each event in the 2008–09 series: The one new core team was the
What Was Missing "subtext". "The A.V. Club" named the episode one of the ten additional installments of the series that illustrates that "emotional complexity" lies "beneath "Adventure Time"s weirdness". "What Was Missing" became controversial because of an allegedly implied past relationship between Marceline and Princess Bubblegum. The controversy largely began after an accompanying "Mathematical" recap—a behind the scenes video series produced by Frederator Studios that implied that there were lesbian relations between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline and that the writing staff actively seeks input from fans. This incident was addressed by Fred Seibert, the show's executive producer, who said that "in trying to