User Reviews

Big Mouth has been chugging along very successfully for its first few seasons, but unfortunately this episode is the most emblematic yet of a general change in the tone and approach of the show's writing. It has become bluntly didactic in its messaging and uncomplicatedly moralistic in a way that has robbed the series of the reckless discomfort that previously made it so funny. The character of Elijah is profoundly unhumorous, presenting a guilt-free avatar for people who don't want the characters to suffer for their various foibles; instead, newly introduced characters rarely have any failings at all. Jessie's exploration of gender issues doesn't provide any opportunities for humor either, acting instead as a simplistic presentation of the idea that children possess a special wisdom that is beyond complication or, indeed, beyond any of the awkwardness or misunderstanding that might provide a chance for a joke. The proliferation of needless new "Human Resources" characters which, again, don't really set up any humorous exchanges, also diminishes from the capacity to laugh at the reflection of the darker side of adolescence. I hope the show can reorient itself towards once again exploring the struggles and horrors of maturation without this sanitized approach to the material.