Just finished bingeing the show with my family and I'm happy to say that Human Resources lives up to the hype and expectations set in place by its direct predecessor! Shifting the focus away from the school-aged shenanigans of Big Mouth, Human Resources instead takes us behind the scenes of some new adult characters and into the daily professional and personal lives of the monsters that make their lives possible. If you're up to date on Big Mouth, you'll quickly recognize some of this series'returning and regular characters, like Maury, Connie, Mona, Gavin, Tyler, and yes, Rick (the hormone monsters), Walter, Sonya, and Rochelle the love bugs, the Shame Wizard, Depression Kitty, and Tito the anxiety mosquito...and you'll be just as pleased to meet some of the new creatures like Emmy the love bug, Petra the ambition gremlin, Dante the addiction angel (flipping a common phrase on its head to humorous effect and voiced by the always-up-for-something-fun, Hugh Jackman), and Pete the logic rock, among many others including 2 new shame wizards voiced by the formidable academy award winners, Dame Helen Mirren and Lupita Nyongo. We are introduced to all of their quirks and responsibilities over the course of the freshman 10 episode season, with each episode following the familiar format of Big Mouth and showcasing the new roles, problems, and solutions that adult humans (as well as those of a few familiar returning teens) face with the aid of their individual teams of helpers.
Right away, we are faced with a crash and burn and a lingering mystery that isn't resolved until the back half of the season is coming into full view. It also sets the stage for some truly heartwarming and emotionally devastating, but satisfying, payoffs towards the end of the season and beyond. Episode 9 in particular, which follows the relationship between Walter and his elderly Lebanese client and the impact of her advanced age and deteriorating condition (as well as the effects of Alzheimer's on the afflicted and their family), was particularly poignant, smart, and incredibly moving. The show uses music to great effect for both serious and comedic moments and the song choice at the end of the aforementioned episode 9 is a perfect example. Human Resources really shines with the use of its celebrity cast, giving them lines you'd never hear them say in a live action film, and I have to imagine that *many* actors would jump at the chance to record such sex-positive and absolutely hilarious lines, especially the women who would likely never get a chance to be so filthy were this not an animated show. As always, the performances are brilliant and it's easy to forget that you're listening to certain actors because they become so engrossed in the characters that they're portraying.
At its conclusion, Human Resources has set the stage not just for more intriguing and heartfelt stories to come during its sophomore outing but for the next season of Big Mouth, as well. It will be very interesting to see how Kroll and Goldberg manage to weave together consistent and wide-ranging character arcs between 2 different shows within a constant universe but given that they've already done so with this season, and the fact that they've knocked each and every season of Big Mouth out of the park thus far, it would be foolish to bet against them doing so. These shows have a writing team that clearly has its finger on the pulse of what is funny, what needs to be said, and what can be left unsaid.
This was a great first season, that hit the ground running and never faltered in its sprint to the finish line. There are clearly LOADS (*pun intended) of new and interesting stories the writers have in mind for the series and as long as they maintain the same great mix of humor, brutal honesty, unflinching looks at the more depressing and sad aspects of life, and the brilliant representation of people from different genders, sexual orientations, and cultures, those of us who count ourselves as fans will have many, many more seasons, characters, and storylines to love.
