Review of Big Mouth Season 7
The Big Mouth kids are finally going to high school! But not before 10 episodes of fights, new crushes, and attempts to leave middle school behind as our eccentric group ventures into one of the most tumultuous times of adolescence.
As the beloved theme song suggests, our characters are still going through changes and developing new relationships along the way. While other seasons have focused primarily on the stories surrounding the more centralized characters, namely Nick and Andrew, season 7 gives everyone time to shine while introducing new faces.
New characters to the roster means new voice actors and this season’s cast is stacked full. In addition, fans of Big Mouth’s spin-off show Human Resources will be delighted to see that some characters have made their way over to make an appearance in season 7.
The first episode sees the kids touring Bridgeton High School and being loosely mentored by various high school students. While Andrew (John Mulaney) is aiming to reinvent his undesirable image as the “grossest human” which will later be his chosen superlative, Nick (Nick Kroll) is psyched to hang out with his older sister’s pretty, popular friends.
Jessi’s pessimistic attitude sheds itself to reveal genuine fear as she finds herself on the bad side of the school’s army-jacket-wearing mean girl Lulu (Stephanie Beatriz) while Lola (Nick Kroll) plots to reality TV style stab the rebellious teen in the back.
While Jay (Jason Mantzoukas) tries to avoid another terrifying encounter with his older brothers, he stumbles upon the vocational school where he is easily enticed by Judd (Jon Daly) and his classmates getting hands-on mechanical experience and of course, dealing with lots of fire.
Missy(Ayo Edebri) and Elijah(Brian Tyree Henry) explore the school and each other’s contrasting feelings with a sexually unabashed couple that show the new couple spots in the school where PDA is more than excessive much to Missy’s curiosity and Elijah’s horror.
Matthew (Andrews Rannells) finds community in the Bridgeton High Queer Choir after meeting the fashionable Ocean (Billy Porter) but at the expense of leaving behind Caleb (Joe Wengert) who finds himself lost in the unfamiliar, winding hallways.
As for the secondary Bridgeton kids, Ali, Gina, Devin, DeVon, among others, they’re pretty much unheard of for most of the season which is probably in part due to the tragic and unfortunate passing of DeVon’s voice actor Jak Knight in 2022 and the close relation between his and Devin’s character played by June Diane Raphael.
Gina hasn’t really been heard from since season 3 and Ali, played by Ali Wong, has a few lines in episode 5 of this new season. We can only hope to hear more from the hilarious comedian and her fierce character in the show’s next and final season.
It is exciting to see more of Caleb as this season brings him into the spotlight more than ever before, introducing Pete as his logic rock (Randall Park) who some might recognize from Human Resources. The friendship that Caleb and Matthew develop is also extremely heartwarming.
Maury (Nick Kroll), Connie (Maya Rudolph), and the other creatures are up to their same old hilarious antics with a visit from monsters new and old including Rosie Perez as Petra The Ambition Gremlin, Megan Thee Stallion as a new hormone monstress and Patrick Page as Dread.
Such a musically driven cast means even more outrageous songs including a raunchy rap from Megan Thee Stallion and a sultry duet between Zazie Beetz and Nick Kroll. Broadway star Andrew Rannells and Tony Award winner Billy Porter also lend their dazzling vocals to the first song of the season premiering in episode one.
As the season progresses to the eventual first day of high school we watch the kids try (and fail) to outgrow their middle school habits. It can be irritating to see these characters stuck in unpromising patterns especially when prior seasons have dedicated time to developing them further but growing up does not happen overnight.
The fact that it’s taken 7 seasons to cover the atrocities of middle school, chronicling each humiliating moment in excruciating, grotesque detail proves that Big Mouth at its core is a show about the longevity of teenagehood and all of the conflicting emotions that come with it.
Season 7 also sees the show continuing to tackle more serious issues concerning conversations around gay rights, consent, and the sexualization of freshmen that often occurs in high school.
Arguably, the episode that sees the kids going to their first high school party with the goal of possibly hooking up with much older high school students could’ve been handled more delicately. However, it’s important to touch on and there are plenty of jokes that acknowledge the problematic implications of these types of relationships.
This season delivers a plethora of laughs and circles back to plenty of running gags long-time fans of the show will appreciate. There are a fair share of moments including a bittersweet, somber montage of pictures from previous episodes at the end of the graduation episode, signaling that these kids’ journey and the show will soon be coming to an end.
The foundation has already been laid for Big Mouth’s 8th and final season as season 7 ends on an abrupt cliffhanger. If we can expect anything from season 8, it’ll be a jaw-dropping finale while simultaneously reflecting on the show’s wild run and possibly if there’s anything next for these characters.
Next season will also see our characters having to face the terrifyingly real prospect so many close friends face when entering a new school; growing apart. Even though show co-creators and childhood buddies Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg stayed close friends, the same may not be said for our animated protagonists.
Especially with how season 7 ended, these two will have to fight for their friendship like never before. Perhaps season 8 will be a little more heartbreaking than anticipated and may even see Nick and Andrew splitting up for good, moving on to their respective life paths, and leaving each other behind.
Whatever story unfolds in season 8, plenty of rambunctious antics can be foreseen. Though the show’s vulgar humor may not be for everyone, it will certainly be missed by many. Aside from its spin-off, it’s hard to think of another show that is in quite the same realm as Big Mouth.