The third season of Netflix’s Big Mouth was released on Oct. 4 and proves, yet again, that it’s one of the most clever and important shows on Netflix right now. Through cartoons, Big Mouth is able to explore topics like female wardrobe, how to have an orgasm, various sexualities and this season we even got the origin story of the ghost of Duke Ellington. Here’s how the episodes rank on a scale from worst to best:
11. “Obsessed”
This episode is great, but it’s the worst of the season by far. The episode follows Missy (Jenny Slate) and Jay (Jason Mantzoukas) writing fanfiction, and Nick (Nick Kroll)’s new obsession with his phone with Andrew (John Mulaney) trying to get him to stop. The episode also showcases Matthew (Andrew Rannells) trying to attract a guy he has a crush on, and Jessi (Jessi Klein) helps him out. The episode is funny, but it’s not the best of the season.
10. “Cellsea”
This episode covers two huge topics: phones and the spectrum of sexuality. First of all, phones are helpful and fun, sure, but they can also be harmful and addictive if they’re used incorrectly. The episode discusses that fact, but also talks about the spectrum of sexuality with Jay trying to discover whether or not he’s bisexual. The song is really funny and informative about various sexualities and it’s a great surface scratcher for the discussion of sexuality.
9. “Florida”
Floridians might be upset about the way their state is portrayed in this episode, but from an outsider’s perspective, it’s hilarious. The entire episode follows the Gloubermans’ trip to Florida, and Nick accompanies them. When Andrew sees his cousin for the first time in a long time, she hardcore comes onto him, making him decide whether or not he is down to pursue incest. The whole episode is hilarious, with incest at the forefront of discussion. It’s a nice change of pace from the normal scenery of Bridgeton Middle School and the kids’ houses.
8. “How To Have An Orgasm”
After the events of making out with his cousin, Andrew is sexting her back and forth and it eventually leads to sending pictures of his penis. His parents accidentally see the photos, and take away his computer and phone. The episode also follows Jessi, as she figures out she’s attracted to Nick’s brother, Judd (Jon Daly), and decides to try masturbating for the first time. She ends up having her first orgasm, and it’s one of the funniest scenes. After addressing male masturbation so much on the show, it’s nice to see them move over to the female side of things, and the entire episode is way too relatable.
7. “Girls Are Angry Too”
The season opener addresses the dress code for girls and boys, and the sexist notions behind them. The overarching theme is that girls should not be punished because boys can’t control themselves, and to secure the idea that they can wear whatever they want, the girls make it their mission to take back the word “slut.” They also address the idea that just because a boy isn’t joining in and making matters worse, not standing up for the girls is just as bad. Nick finds himself in this dilemma, as he doesn’t stand up for the girls but doesn’t take the boys’ side either. The subject matter and episode production is a great introduction to the third season and covers a topic that is still so problematic.
6. “My Furry Valentine”
Though this episode premiered earlier this year on Feb. 8, it counts as the first episode of the third season on Netflix. The episode is longer than usual, and at 46 minutes is one of the funniest yet. It takes the form of a romantic comedy between the hormone monsters and their kids, but it also provides a lot of weird information. First, Andrew’s character totally becomes a jerk and is disrespectful toward Missy. Jay discovers he’s bisexual, and decides to stop having sex with his pillows. Jessi and Andrew become best friends and decide to go on an ironic date together, bonding them closer. Nick and Connie (Maya Rudolph) develop a good relationship with each other, after his initial skepticism about having a female hormone monster, they end up getting along greatly. The episode was a great way to get people excited for the premiere of the rest of the third season, and it is a funny take on Valentine’s Day and all of its pressures.
5. “Duke”
In this episode, the audience is given a look into the origin story of the popular character, the ghost of Duke Ellington (Jordan Peele). Duke’s ghost lives in Nick’s house, and Nick has to do a report on a famous historical figure, so he chooses Duke. The entire episode follows Duke’s life, how he came to love jazz and how he lost his virginity. It’s really interesting to get the background story of a character the audience has followed for two seasons, and the episode is really well done.
4. “Rankings”
The idea of ranking people based on looks has been around forever. Audiences have seen the concept in many films and television shows, and now it’s in Big Mouth. The boys all rank their top three girls, and in retaliation the girls do the same. It turns into an all out war, but everyone learns the lesson of how wrong and superficial it is to rank people based on their looks. This episode also introduces the new character, Ali (Ali Wong), who is the first pansexual character on the show.
3. “The ASSes”
The seventh grade standardized tests are here, and the kids are struggling. Jay, after beginning to live full time with Nick’s family, discovers he has ADHD and is prescribed some Adderall. Jay begins selling Adderall, and the episode shows the effects the drug has on the kids. This episode is hilarious but also deals with the all too real pressures on kids from school and parents. We also see another run in with Jessi and the depression kitty, and how these pressures can bring her around.
2. “Disclosure the Movie: The Musical”
Though Big Mouth is no stranger to musical numbers, now the kids get the chance to actually star in a musical at school. The school does the musical version of the movie Disclosure, where Missy and Nick land the lead roles, causing them to share a kiss, which both of them seem to like. Missy finally gets her hormone monster in this episode, and thanks to the help of the Queer Eye guys, Coach Steve (Nick Kroll) finally gets his job back. The episode is one of the funniest in the series, and including Queer Eye’s Bobby, Tan, Karamo, Jonathan and Antoni voicing themselves and making over Coach Steve is such an incredibly hilarious addition to the show.
1. “Super Mouth”
The season finale leaves the audience on some intense cliffhangers, but the entirety of the episode is so well done. All of the main characters develop superpowers, including Nick’s ability to grow or shrink, Andrew’s invisibility, Missy’s storm creation, Jessi’s truth telling touch and Lars’ (Neil Casey) telekinetic ability. All of the conflicts from the season come to a head in this episode, with Andrew telling Lars about Nick and Missy’s kiss, Nick telling Missy he doesn’t actually like her, Andrew realizing Nick has been a terrible friend to him and Jessi being forced to move away from her friends. It turns out the arguments are just normal, without the super powers, and Caleb (Joe Wengert) had been imagining the superpowers the entire time. The episode is so well done, and leaves a great setup for the conflicts for season four.
Big Mouth season three is available to stream on Netflix.
