Mating Season premieres May 22 on Netflix.
By Elazar Abrahams
With the same creators, writers, voice cast, and general subject matter, it’s impossible not to compare Mating Season to Big Mouth. Instead of kids reaching the age of puberty, this new series brings the same irreverent commentary on sex and relationships to the animal kingdom.
Grading on that curve, Mating Season is a disappointment for much of its freshman season. When Big Mouth was at its best, it wasn’t just a dirty cartoon. It was clever, full of heart, and the gross jokes were intelligent and tightly written. It had real insight about growing up, shame, desire, self-image, and so much more.
Most of the ten episodes of Mating Season lack that intelligence. Especially in the first few episodes, the show feels like something you could slot into any network’s late-night animation block and nobody would know the difference. In a market as saturated as adult animation, a show really needs to be doing more than trying to get you to laugh at how horny these animals are.
And yet! Somewhere along the way, it gets better. As you spend more time with the characters, Mating Season begins to find its voice, and the storytelling begins more serialized. The personality of each of the ensemble members becomes clearer, and therefore, the show gets funnier. From episodes 7 through 10, Mating Season is excellent.
The voice cast is stacked, but two performances in particular stand out. Zach Woods is a great addition to Nick Kroll’s stable of actors. He plays Josh, a bear who mirrors Woods’ brand of anxious intelligence and insecurity. And Kroll himself is hilarious as Ray, a raccoon who, surprise, is loud, scraggly, and probably clinically insane, like many of the characters Kroll has voiced in the past.
Episode 7, which lampoons polyamory, is a highlight, as is the very strong finale. It ties together multiple threads that previously felt unimportant or throwaway, and reveals they were building towards something. In retrospect, it makes even the less desirable episodes feel worth it.
While Big Mouth also had to find its footing when it first premiered, Mating Season takes longer to justify itself. It ends in a much stronger place than it begins, and leaves a good taste in your mouth. One that reassures you it will be worth sticking around for the future.
I give Mating Season a B.
