The likes of Jessi, Gina, and Missy are constantly told to feel crappy about their bodies and their urges. When Andrew meets the newly humbled Shame Wizard in the finale, the creepy-looking ghoul implores, "Perhaps I'm too harsh sometimes, but I only want you to be a better person." And sure enough, later that evening Andrew chooses not to masturbate feet away from his best friend's head.īut when the Wizard goes after women, the tone is much different. What's implicit in all these interactions is how shame operates differently for different people. He targets good-natured horny spaz Missy (Jenny Slate) for. He tells gay kid Matthew (Andrew Rannells) that he's an outcast. He shames another, Jessi (Jessi Klein), for perpetuating the slut-shaming. He slut-shames one girl, Gina (Gina Rodriguez), for letting a boy touch her boob.
It's a perfect hotbed for adolescent insanity, and the Shame Wizard runs rampant. And while that's not wrong, exactly, we see the havoc he wreaks later on in the season when all the kids are gathered for a sleepover at the school. The general thesis of the Shame Wizard is that without shame, humans would be left to their basest instincts. (You know him as Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter films.) The Shame Wizard first emerges to taunt Andrew (John Mulaney) after the latter jerks off to his friend's sister's bathing suit. Introduced in episode three, this floating figure looks like a ghoul and speaks with the voice of David Thewlis. The Hormone Monsters genuinely care about their charges, often getting defensive over their teens, but they have terrible instincts.īut Season 2 introduces a new spirit that's not quite as benevolently misguided: the Shame Wizard. These creatures - who go by the hilariously normal names of Maury, Connie, and Rick - are both terrifying and exciting, disgusting and sort of weirdly sweet. These Westchester 13-year-olds aren't just besieged by puberty, they are plagued by actual Hormone Monsters.
The hook behind Big Mouth - created in part by childhood best friends Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg - is that it actualizes the overwhelming emotions that blanket that rocky age by turning metaphors into something literal.
Netflix's animated series Big Mouth understands this. But is there a more shame-filled time than the early teenage years when bodies are changing and kids are jerks and nothing makes any sense? Probably not. Being a teenager isn’t a cookie-cutter experience it’s different for every person.īig Mouth’ s first season is available to watch on Netflix now.Even for adults, shame can be a spectral gnawing presence in the human conscience. It’s not a juvenile take on a universal subject and it’s not a show about younger characters designed for an intellectual audience, but that’s what makes Big Mouth so special. This isn’t South Park, and it’s not Clone High. Big Mouth gives its characters an entity to point to and blame for all of life’s mishaps by shaping puberty as an unrelenting gargoyle, Big Mouth reinvigorates one of television’s most well-worn topics. They have a bond with their hormone monster who they’re revolted by, but also rely on for centuries-old wisdom. We praised the series for its nuanced, comical take on puberty, writing:īig Mouth turns those scary moments of uncertainty into literal monsters that only the affected tween can see. The series was hit or miss for many people, but Polygon called it one of 2017’s most underrated shows. Also, the hormone monsters have returned and are even cruder.īig Mouth was created by Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg ( Family Guy), Jennifer Flackett ( Beverly Hills, 90210) and Mark Levin ( The Wonder Years). The kids are still learning about puberty, and dealing with all the strange urges and changes that come with the tedious development period.
Netflix debuted a first look teaser for the new season today, and it picks up right where the first season left off. Big Mouth, Netflix’s coming of age animated series about a group of teens going through puberty, will return for a second season on Oct.