Big Mouth Season 7 Review: A Little Bit Older, A Little Bit Wiser

When the fourth and final season of "Sex Education" premiered last month, I wrote that the show had become an increased disappointment because its sprawling ensemble cast was stretched too thin; they were now solely defined by their sexual hangups, with little time devoted to anything more fundamental to their personalities. Inexplicably, "Big Mouth" — a show which has now run for seven seasons, despite more of a one-note premise — has proved better at offering depth to its perpetually 13-year-old characters, even when the show has a greater focus on mining laughs from the grossest parts of puberty.

With this penultimate run, I couldn't work out if the show had become considerably tamer with its visceral gross-out gags, or if by this point, I'd become so thoroughly desensitized to it that nothing it depicts could possibly have me reaching for the barf bag. Of course, any show this many seasons in faces similar existential questions, and for an animated show that relies on its characters being suspended at the same age — although, this time, they are finally graduating from middle school — there will always be a concern that there's no new ground for the series to cover.

This season does at least narratively justify itself, pushing its central friendship groups into separate directions as they head toward different high schools. It proves most fulfilling when it strays away from the topic of puberty altogether, highlighting the other trials and tribulations of growing up it has previously sidelined.

As a new school hovers on the horizon, every character's journey is defined by their mission to become their idealized version of themselves, ready to fit in on their first day. For Nick (Nick Kroll), a flirtation with an older girl leads him towards a private school and away from his peers; his best friend Andrew's (John Mulaney) mission is to completely rebrand himself from being the "pervert" everybody knows him as, which falls flat by the end of Episode 1. Andrew's ineptitudes remain just as funny as previous seasons and manage to remain funny even as the show attempts to stop always making him the butt of the joke — although, where other characters mature through their experiences, Andrew can never overcome past mistakes, culminating in a time-travel plot (just go with it) by the season's end.

However, the richest of these character arcs come courtesy of the secondary characters. Later in the season, Caleb (Joe Wengert) gets his own episode, which highlights the tricky tightrope walk the writers undergo when fleshing out their characters. As a stereotype of a child on the autism spectrum, depicted as anti-social and speaking with an unwavering monotone, the depiction of Caleb could be a disaster, even if the show never makes fun of him for his learning disability. This season offers something of a corrective towards any negative criticism of his characterization, with the episode "Panic! At the Mall" inviting audiences into his headspace, showing the inherent anxiety that comes with a simple day trip not running according to plan.

Even before this episode, the writers aim to offer a richer portrayal of the autistic experience than they've previously depicted, chipping away at any accusations of being anti-social or unable to emotionally connect, one interaction at a time. Caleb's friendship with Matthew (Andrew Rannells), mostly inferred in prior seasons, is put under more of a spotlight this time, and there's a sweetness to how they both learn to navigate his condition without making it seem like an obstacle that should be overcome — it's inherent to his personality, and therefore never becomes the joke. It's essentially given the same treatment as any sexuality or gender that appears within the show; there's an immediate acceptance, but as these things are twinned with puberty here, then it's okay to make light of how they amplify a specifically teenage awkwardness.

For many, I imagine the season's standout will be "The International Show," in which our two hormone demons Maury (Nick Kroll) and Connie (Maya Rudolph) introduce several stories from around the world, culminating in an original Lin Manuel-Miranda song about a Puerto Rican boy who wants to start growing body hair (in case you were wondering: yes, Miranda himself does voice a singing pube). While it's an initially cute outing, it doesn't go particularly far enough, merely relocating past "Big Mouth" plots to different countries and changing the language but not doing much else to make them feel culturally specific. 

When there are segments set in much more conservative cultures like Iran, for example, it does feel like more depth is needed when translating tales of female puberty — it's especially baffling considering the wealth of international consultants credited at the end of the episode, yet no segment touches on the challenges many face during their development in more restrictive nations. The result is the shallowest episode of the season, despite its departure from the show's typical format.

Another way this season compares favorably to the weak final season of "Sex Education" is how it manages to integrate new characters into the core cast this late in its run. The British teen comedy stumbled by introducing too many in its final batch of episodes, with too much going on at any one moment to get to know them beyond their relevance to the plot. "Big Mouth," on the other hand, always gives its new personalities time to shine and makes sure they're not defined solely by their sexual problems, which makes any comedic depiction of a very specific issue feel all the funnier as a result. A musical sequence about the etiquette of canceling a hook-up midway through likely wouldn't be as effective if you weren't afforded the time to get to know both parties involved.

Even the more boisterous new characters, such as Megan Thee Hormone Monstress (voiced by, you guessed it, Megan Thee Stallion), have an abundance of personality despite their more limited screen time — although, in that case, hiring a musician with such a well-defined pop persona ensures her charisma easily translates to whatever character she plays.

I assume many will have already given up on "Big Mouth" by this point in its run, and there's nothing fresh enough in this latest batch of episodes to win old fans back. However, returning viewers will be surprised to find this is the sweetest, least gross season yet, offering more depth to even its most sexually dysfunctional characters than ever before. I still wouldn't recommend watching it with your family, though.

"Big Mouth" Season 7 hits Netflix on Oct 20.