For years,Netflixaudiences have watched what can only be described asInside Outwith excessive genitalia.Big Mouthhas already had an impressive five-season run. Audiences have seen the animated tweens battle with a whole host of relatable, ageless issues. They have experienced heartbreak amid a hormonal hurricane commented upon and brought up by a Nick Kroll-voiced puberty monster. They’ve also plumbed the depths of shame at the behest of an incorrigible wizard.
Recently, a spinoff show was released.Human Resources(2022) steps slightly aside from a human focal point, instead choosing to follow the emotions' exploits. As it turns out, our emotions are subject to a world of problems all their own. What hope does a mere human have when, as it turns out, our love bugs fall in and out of love themselves?
Human Resourceslargely focuses on the tribulations of new, adult characters, who are, for the most part, completely and utterly floored by the power of feelings. How, then, can we expect the burgeoning teenagers ofBig Mouthto cope with comparable emotions, and which character will return to afflict said teens inBig Mouthseason six?
Logic ROCKS!
Fans of the DC Extended Universe might recognize the voice of Randall Park (The Office, The Interview), who portrayed the mischievous,disgraced scientist Stephen Shin inAquaman(2018). InHuman Resources, Randall Park gives voice to the Logic Rock, a stoic, albeit at times relatable, boulder of pure reasoning. A refreshing change of pace from the frenetic cadre of characters that usually fill the runtime ofBig Mouthand its sister properties,Randall Park’s Logic Rock is the (very literal) voice of reasoninHuman Resources. Essentially, the Logic Rock is the personification of unbridled, sometimes overly inflexible, reason, as evidenced by one of his earliest appearances, where he assures an impatient, fidgety traveler about to force his way into the aisle of an aircraft,“There’s no reason to stand up yet… I promise you will get off the plane.”
Logic has been, if one is, to be honest, almost entirely ignored throughoutBig Mouth’srun. There’s pretty good reason; teenagers have never been known for their measured reasoning. However, as our favorite characters age, it might behoove them to introduce a little logic into their lives. They should be warned, however, that logic can quickly become the enemy of empathy.
One Cool Cat
At the end of the day, none of the personified avatars of emotion onBig Mouthare entirely good or entirely bad. There is, however, one notable exception to that rule: the depression kitty. This foul feline has forced herself upon theBig Mouthteens, smothering them with the inviting warmth of her furry embrace and ultimately lulling them into an isolating slump.
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Interestingly, inHuman Resources,we learn that depression kitties are not always so nefarious as the one assigned to Jessi in the original series. When couple Becca and Barry, fresh off the birth of their first child, find their relationship on the rocks, primarily as a result of the aforementioned depression kitty and her stranglehold on the post-partum psyche of Becca, we are introduced to another depression kitty, the appropriately named Cat Stevens. Stevens is Barry’s depression kitty, and he helps Becca’s newly assigned lovebug rediscover the couple’s spark, proving through his smooth operations that a certain amount of humility and grace can be gleaned from even the most intense periods of darkness.
My Strange Addiction
InHuman Resources, we re-learn a lesson that previous installments in theBig Mouthfranchise have already taught us; if things seem too good to be true, they almost certainly are. Among the fascinating assortment of emotional manifestations introduced in the new Netflix original is the addiction angel.Voiced by beloved Australian actor Hugh Jackman(Les Miserables, The Greatest Showman, Logan), the addiction angel is far from the heavenly helper promised by his title. Rather, his undeniable charm makes victims out of even the most cautious emotional avatars. Randall Park’s Logic Rock, for instance, is momentarily swayed by the charms of the addiction angel, creating a circuitous circle of reasoning that allows his client, a soon-to-be married Phoenix Suns nut, to develop a habit of workout pills.
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The potential story arcs for the addiction angel practically write themselves.Big Mouthhas dealt with drugs and alcohol in the past, but one cannot help but wonder how substance abuse will transition from childhood folly to an adult issue when the addiction angel has his way. Haven’t the adolescents inBig Mouthbeen through enough over the course of the previous five seasons? Apparently not. The trappings of teenage-dom are rapidly approaching. When the newly introduced cast ofHuman Resourcesmeets our favorite teenagers, things are sure to get hairy.
