Inspired by the childhood years of creators Nick Kroll and Adam Goldberg, Big Mouth Season 2 returns to Netflix, blending absurd humour with important messages on growing up and dealing with puberty.
Voice acting is key in animation, and the comedians behind the scenes flex their vocal chords to good effect here. Kroll, playing an ensemble of characters, ranging from one of the main prepubescent male characters Nick, to a decrepit, Gollum-like hormone monster named Rick. His character, along with one of the other hormone monsters Maurice (also played by Kroll) provides some of the most hilarious moments of the show.
To describe the humour as quirky is putting it mildly. At times, it is downright bizarre, following in the vein of shows like Rick and Morty and Adventure Time, which use the creative freedom the medium allows for to great effect.
Their musical numbers are perhaps a step too far. The songs are all terrible and purposely cringeworthy, but it’s too much on top of the absurd humour.
A new character introduced this season, played by British thespian David Thewlis, is the Shame Wizard. Exuding creepiness with every syllable, Thewlis’ Shame Wizard acts as the nemesis to the children’s hormone monsters. He preys on the insecurities and worries of the children, and exacerbating the character’s personal problems throughout the show.
Most of the conflict, outside of the character’s own shenanigans, is sourced from the influence of the Shame Wizard. He shames the characters on their actions and indeed their innermost thoughts, representing an engaging and relatable portrayal of anxiety.
Depression is portrayed by a large purple cat called Kitty, who takes over from Jessie’s hormone monster at a time where Jessie’s parents are going through divorce. Jessie has engaged in petty theft and experimented with drugs.
Kitty leads Jessie away from the world she knows and into a long corridor filled with chambers of isolation, with doors that disappears once you enter the room. Once in the room, Kitty drapes herself atop of Jessie, preventing her from freeing herself from the situation she’s in. This personifies the feeling of being trapped and the lethargy that those who suffer from depression feel. It is done with apt emotional sensitivity, and is definitely not something you would expect from a adult-cartoon comedy.
The adult nature of the humour means a lot of this positive messaging won’t be accessible for an audience who could find it most beneficial. The characters in the show are around Grade 7 age, just entering their teenage years. A large portion of the show is centred around these children navigating the challenges of puberty, and seeking advice from their wide assortment of misfit guardians.
While the show is ironically self-referential about its occasional preachiness, and breaks the fourth wall to great effect comedically, the sensitive portrayals of puberty, periods, and depression hold some important lessons which could be of value to kids. But, because of the deserved “Mature” rating of the show, it’s safe to assume many children will not see it.
If they were trying to be funny, they nailed it. For people who have already suffered through puberty, looking back at that awkward time mashed together with outrageous adult humour makes the show a success. But, if their intention was to teach kids about puberty, as Kroll said is his intention in an interview with IndieWire, they might be missing the point.
Graphic by Paloma Callo
