The moment legions of fans have been eagerly awaiting arrives today. Netflix premieres the eighth and final season of Big Mouth. The critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning, and delightfully raunchy animated comedy about the horrors and wonders of puberty takes its final bow, marking the end of an era for what has become Netflix’s longest-running scripted original series, surpassing even titans like Orange Is the New Black and Grace and Frankie. This achievement alone speaks volumes about the show’s unlikely journey from a niche concept to a cultural touchstone, especially given its often controversial and explicit content.
The secret? Knowing how to provoke and connect with the audience, flouting all norms in an age where it seems we’re surrounded by regulations.
As creator Nick Kroll himself put it: it’s over.
A true tragedy for the legions of fans who, after eight seasons, will have to say goodbye to Netflix’s most provocative animated series.
What Awaits in High School?
This final chapter unfolds over ten half-hour episodes, thrusting the beloved Bridgeton teens into the even more treacherous terrain of high school. The final season promises to tackle a fresh slate of teen anxieties and milestones, including the perils of driving, the allure and danger of drugs, the awkwardness of sexual inexperience, the complexities of enthusiastic consent, the all-pervasive influence of pornography, the ever-shifting landscape of cancel culture, the ongoing bewilderment at their changing bodies, and a generalized fear of the impending future.
A central development this season is Nick Birch (voiced by Nick Kroll) finally experiencing his long-awaited growth spurt and the full force of puberty. This running gag reaches its climax, allowing Nick to experience many of the trials his best friend Andrew Glouberman (John Mulaney) went through in earlier seasons. This shift in developmental timing cleverly inverts their established dynamic, with Andrew now positioned as a “disgusting mentor” to Nick. This not only provides fresh comedic opportunities but also allows the series to revisit themes of early puberty from a new angle, fostering moments of male camaraderie and vulnerability that reinforce the show’s underlying message about the power of communication.
However, the transition to high school also brings significant challenges to the core friendships. Season 7 saw Nick and Andrew attending different schools, with Nick attending the private Cobblestone Academy. This physical separation, coupled with Nick befriending a “new Andrew” (voiced by guest star Zach Woods), puts considerable strain on his bond with Glouberman. The “new Andrew” serves as a concrete manifestation of the universal teen fear of drifting apart from childhood friends as paths diverge, suggesting Season 8 will delve deeper into themes of change, loss, and the struggle to maintain connections amidst personal evolution.
Growing Pains and Goodbyes
The final season is poised to offer significant progression, if not always neat resolutions, for its ensemble cast, emphasizing self-acceptance and evolving relationships. Jessi Glaser (Jessi Klein) continues her journey of sexual exploration, navigating her connection with Lulu (Stephanie Beatriz) and learning the crucial value of enthusiastic consent with her new boyfriend Camden (Whitmer Thomas). Missy Foreman-Greenwald (Ayo Edebiri), now homeschooled to manage her burgeoning “Dread,” finds unexpected support in Caleb (Joe Wengert) and potentially a romantic connection with her longtime crush, Nate (voiced by Nathan Fillion).
The tumultuous relationship between Jay Bilzerian (Jason Mantzoukas) and Lola Skumpy (Nick Kroll)—those “stinky little magnets,” as Kroll affectionately calls them—continues its unpredictable trajectory, with the door open for a reunion after Season 7. Jay also experiences personal growth, learning to advocate for his own happiness. Meanwhile, Matthew MacDell (Andrew Rannells) finds his place in the high school’s Queer Chorus, grows closer to Caleb, and confronts his insecurities—partly with Jay’s help—even getting a “raucous musical number about the many permutations of gay sex” that teaches him it’s okay not to have all the answers.
A particularly poignant aspect of this last installment will be the evolving relationship between the teens and their Hormone Monsters. The series had previously established, notably in the “Steve the Virgin” episode, that losing one’s virginity or reaching a certain level of maturity can mean saying goodbye to these fantastical guides. As the characters navigate high school and increase their sexual experiences, the potential “loss” of Maury (Nick Kroll), Connie (Maya Rudolph), and Mona (Thandiwe Newton) looms large. This serves as a powerful metaphor for the end of a specific life stage—intense puberty—and mirrors the conclusion of the series itself, adding a layer of poignant meta-referentiality. To soften this, and give the monsters a grand send-off, the penultimate episode reportedly features Maury and Connie hilariously answering fan mail on diverse sexual topics, from queefs to vaginismus.
New Faces and Familiar Fiends: A Star-Studded Farewell
A significant new addition to the Big Mouth universe this season is “Compassion,” a new creature voiced by the legendary Holly Hunter. Described as a peanut-addicted elephant pushed into retirement by the world’s cruelty, Compassion is designed to help the characters develop empathy and, crucially, to see the emotional creatures (like Shame Wizards or Anxiety Mosquitoes) that plague those around them. Nick Kroll aptly described Hunter’s voice in the role as “drinking a hot cup of tea.” The introduction of such a figure in the final season is a deliberate thematic choice, signaling a desire to impart a lasting message about empathy as an essential tool for navigating life’s complexities. It represents a mature evolution for a series often celebrated for its more chaotic emotional landscape and has been called a “beautiful culmination of Big Mouth‘s central conceit.”
As befits the final season of a beloved series, Season 8 of Big Mouth boasts an absolutely packed roster of guest voice talent. The sheer volume and star power of this lineup not only promise a memorable send-off but also speak to the show’s esteemed position within the comedy and acting communities.
Creator Insights on the Climax
Nick Kroll confirmed that the identity of the Ponytail Killer, a long-running mystery, will finally be revealed. This willingness to directly address and resolve such a significant fan theory demonstrates a commitment to audience investment, crucial for a final season aiming for satisfying closure. Kroll also shared a humorous, albeit explicitly non-canonical, anecdote that co-creator Andrew Goldberg once joked the Masked Principal was Roman Polanski, and reacted with amusement to the fan theory that Jay and Lola might be half-siblings, affectionately calling them “stinky little magnets who will keep finding each other, I think, forever.”
Kroll also confirmed that his character, Nick Birch, finally hitting puberty in a significant way this season was a condensed reflection of his own late arrival to adolescence in high school.
Speaking about the show’s legacy, Kroll expressed hope that Big Mouth “took some real risks that also ultimately made people feel not so alone through it all.” However, with his characteristic humor, he also admitted a soft spot for “any fun pun that makes its way onto a poster,” like the Season 8 tagline.
More Than Just Hormone Monsters
As Big Mouth concludes its impressive run as Netflix’s longest-running scripted original series, its legacy is undeniably complex and multifaceted. It has significantly pushed the boundaries of adult animation, tackling themes of puberty, sexuality, and adolescence with an unprecedented level of openness and graphic detail. This pioneering explicitness has positioned the series as an unconventional and, for many, invaluable source of sex education. It has been praised for its nuanced discussions of LGBTQ+ experiences, body positivity, feminism, and consent, often “thumbing its nose at the sorry state of sex ed in American schools” and filling a void for many young viewers. This educational role, however, has not been without controversy, with groups like the Parents Television Council criticizing its content as potentially “sexually exploitative” or “desensitizing” for children.
Despite, or perhaps because of, this willingness to court controversy, Big Mouth has cultivated a deeply loyal fanbase. Many viewers describe it as a “comfort show” and a “hyperfixation,” crediting it with helping them feel less alone during the confusing and often isolating period of adolescence. This ability to balance its undeniably raunchy and surreal humor with moments of genuine emotional depth and character vulnerability is central to its appeal and impact. Nick Kroll’s own hope for the show’s legacy—that it “took some real risks that also ultimately made people feel not so alone”—seems to have been realized for a significant portion of its audience. The show’s staying power, in the face of its explicit nature, suggests its unique blend of humor, heart, and frankness resonated strongly enough to overcome the pressures that often curtail “edgy” programming, cementing its place as a significant and influential series in Netflix history and the broader adult animation landscape.
Beyond Bridgeton: What’s Next with “Mating Season”?
Though the doors of Bridgeton Middle (and High) School are closing, fans of the creative minds behind Big Mouth have something new to look forward to. Creators Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett (under their Brutus Pink production banner) are already developing a new animated series titled Mating Season. Slated for a 2026 Netflix premiere, Kroll describes the upcoming show as “about animals dating and fucking.” This premise, he explains, will allow the team to explore the kind of dating and sex stories that weren’t possible with child characters, promising more of their “signature filth.” The announcement of Mating Season softens the finality of Big Mouth‘s conclusion, assuring viewers that their creators’ distinct comedic voice and thematic interests will continue, albeit in a new, wilder realm. It’s a savvy move, channeling the sentiment that there are “more stories to tell” into a concrete new venture fans can anticipate.
A Bittersweet Farewell to TV’s Horniest Teens
With today’s premiere of Big Mouth Season 8, there’s an undeniable buzz of excitement mixed with a tinge of sadness. For seven seasons, viewers have squirmed, laughed, and cringed alongside Nick, Andrew, Jessi, Missy, Jay, and their cadre of fantastical (and often disgusting) puberty guides. The series has never shied away from the messiest aspects of growing up, and this final season promises to uphold that tradition while guiding its characters toward some form of closure.
The journey has been a wild one, evolving from a show about the initial shock of puberty to one exploring the deeper emotional and social complexities of adolescence and early adulthood. While the series finale will inevitably be bittersweet, the overarching themes of resilience and the enduring power of friendship—repeatedly emphasized as the “cornerstone to surviving this stage of life”—offer a comforting final message. As the Bridgeton teens step into the “angsty unknown of the future,” Big Mouth seems poised to reassure its audience that even if growing up never gets less weird, having each other makes the journey far more bearable.
A fitting, alluringly provocative send-off.
Where to Watch “Big Mouth”
