After two seasons and a “Furry Valentine“-special with these foulmouthed middle school students and their hormone monsters, comes another 10 episodes of Big Mouth, which this time focuses more on equal rights, different sexual orientations and incest. Yeah, you read that right – incest.
The third season starts of right after the events that occurred in the Valentine’s Special – Andrew (John Mulaney) lost his hair in a hat-injury, Matthew (Andrew Rannells) finally seems to have found love – at the pharmacy, Jessi (Jessi Klein) realises that the hate towards her mother is uncalled for and Nick (Nick Kroll) finally makes peace with Connie (Maya Rudolph) being his Hormone Monstress.
In these ten brand new episodes, we’ll see Missy (Jenny Slate) struggling when trying to ignore her dark side, after a sexist dress code at school turns into a class war. But in her newfound hobby – erotic fiction – she’ll find a new and surprising ally.. Jay on the other hand, gets “home alone’d” and moves in with a new family. Maury (Kroll) urges Matthew to speed things up with his new crush, making him more nervous than he’s ever been before. Jessi and Connie discuss female pleasures, while a new student (voiced by Ali Wong) shakes things up around school and Queer Eye‘s Fab Five pays a visit to Coach Steve. When Nick tags along with Andrew and his parents on a family trip to Florida, Andrew dips his toe into forbidden waters. Who am I kidding – he fully dives in, which makes for very uncomfortable television. But this wouldn’t be Big Mouth if it didn’t at least make you cringe once every five minutes.
This season was very hit and miss for me. The voice work is undeniably phenomenal – Maya Rudolph is a damn legend! – and the inventive animation is still top notch. There’s some great one liners – I won’t spoil them, but believe me when I say I’ll never be able to say “Dame Judi Dench” out loud anymore, without chuckling. But where some great ideas are tackled in a very clever way, this season felt very unbalanced. The first three episodes of the season were linked to the Valentine’s Special, yet the remaining seven episodes kind of stand alone with somewhat of a red thread progressing the main narrative. A flashback episode on Ghost of Duke Ellington’s (Jordan Peele) past, is interesting (with a great comedic cameo), but is most certainly a filler episode.
Big Mouth Season 3 doesn’t surpass season 2 in quality or storytelling. It’s too unbalanced, somewhat in bad taste for at least two episodes and was definitely a chore to get through. Blue balls aren’t a laughing matter. Now get to business, or climax.
Big Mouth – Season 3 will be available on Netflix from October 4.
Review – Big Mouth – Season 3
Reviewed online, Sept. 22, 2019, online screener, Netflix. CBA-Rating: R18+. Running time: 10 episodes of approx. 25 min.
PRODUCTION: A Netflix release of a Danger Goldbergs Productions, Fathouse Industries, Good at Bizness and Titmouse production. Producers: Nate Funaro, Joe Wengert, Gil Ozeri, Emily Altman. Executive producers: Jennifer Flackett, Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, Mark Levin.
CREW: Director: Bob Suarez, Kim Arndt. Series Writing Credits: Jennifer Flackett, Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, Mark Levin, Victor Quinaz, Kelly Galuska, Emily Altman, Joe Wengert, Jaboukie Young-White. Editors: Felipe Salazar. Music: Mark Rivers.
WITH: (voices) Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jessi Klein, Jenny Slate, Jason Mantzoukas, Fred Armisen, Maya Rudolph, Jordan Peele, Joe Wengert, Andrew Rannells.