Perhaps the best compliment I can give Big Mouth is that when I reached the end of season three, I didn’t realize it and was utterly crushed that there wasn’t another episode to watch. It’s rare to find a show that is both so smart and so soulful – that isn’t afraid to really go there with its humor, but never loses sight of the characters it serves with its ridiculous jokes. As we get further into the era of Netflix canceling shows left and right (I’m still working through the stages of grief over the impending loss of BoJack Horseman – Netflix’s best series to date), we should all take solace in the knowledge that Big Mouth has been renewed through its sixth season, so we will have many more opportunities to hang out with our favorite gang of middle schoolers as they contemplate life’s major questions.
But back to season three, which allowed the show to reach new heights as its characters started growing up – both physically and emotionally. I’m continually amazed at how spot-on the show’s depiction of life in middle school is. I vividly remember my time navigating the haze of hormones and the confusing social structure of that world. It’s clear that there’s a gender balance in the writing room, as the thoughts, emotions, and situations surrounding the series’ female characters are dead on for what it’s like being a middle school girl (from talking to male friends, I’ve been told they absolutely nail life as a tween boy as well).
But what I find the most amazing about Big Mouth is that the comedy is never nasty. The topics dealt with are often obscene and pushing boundaries, but no character’s kink or quirk is treated as something to ridicule. Sure, there are plenty of jokes about Coach Steve (the running gag of all his new jobs – culminating in the Queer Eye makeover – was a genius plot point) and about how Jay will fuck anything and everything, but they aren’t mean spirited or meant for us to see either character as less than. Instead, the clear humor of the situation (Coach Steve is an utter disaster of a human being, but still can’t help but fail up – to a point – largely due to his own inability to see his faults or even recognize that there’s anything wrong with him) is presented at face value. And the show’s portrayal of queer kids finding their place has been a complete breath of fresh air to see – each discovery is treated as valid, and again, it’s never the butt of the joke. You can easily laugh at the situational humor but you do still empathize with the underlying elements that create that humor. It’s comedy of the highest levels.
And the show’s central band of kids remain complicated and interesting, thanks largely to the writers continuing to propel their stories forward. And the show’s impressive array of voice talent (I firmly believe Maya Rudolph should be hired to narrate everyday life for every person – her line readings are just perfection) continues to be more than up for the task, taking the most odious story points (Andrew’s foray into being an incel being the most obvious example) and making sure they never topple into the truly absurd or truly horrific. It’s a delicate balance that is always met beautifully.
It’s rare that a cartoon can bring about a myriad of emotions over the course of a short season, and even rarer that its emotional impact continues to be felt even after the season is over. Big Mouth has developed into one such show with its third season. And, with the impending creative hole BoJack will leave on Netflix when it signs off early next year, I, for one, am thrilled to have Big Mouth there to help fill it in.
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Acting
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Writing
