The heavily anticipated return of Big Mouth, awaited by many of the show’s loyal followers, myself included, had a hard job of following the first season. Worried that they might not be able to fulfil the expectations I had in mind, I was overjoyed as the period-cramp inducing anxiety of puberty came over me as I cringed through the scenes. The extra screen time given throughout the season to Coach Steve I can imagine was in response to viewer’s feedback. Whilst the character blossomed through puberty himself in this season and finally shook his creepy hormone monster, his character serves more than entertainment.

Watching the show as adults, we’re probably over most of the embarrassment of puberty. Coach Steve’s character -albeit a hyperinflated caricature- reminds us that hormonal driven embarrassments will most likely be following us for the rest of our lives. Andrew and Nick, the show’s protagonists, remain firmly solid in their characters – most likely thanks to them being based on the show’s creators Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg. The show not so subtly reminds us of Kroll’s real-life relation to the show when ‘Future Nick’ appears to Nick in a weed-induced hallucination.

My one main criticism I have of the show is that I believe the characters to have been written a bit too young; running away from home, experimenting with edibles, knowledge on a parent’s adultery all seem just slightly too mature for 12/13-year olds. Being that it is a cartoon, however, it generally is more true to life than say a show about a man with a horse’s head. The show’s unbelievable way to bring you right back to puberty is where it really excels. Reflecting on my sex education at school, I find myself thinking that if this was shown there would be a lot less confusion through these times.

 

Amy-Rose Bothwell

 

 

Image: Collider