Nick Starr was finally defeated in the Big Mouth season 4 finale, but what happened to the kids, and what did the ending mean for the series going forward? Big Mouth‘s 4th season debuted in December 2020 and introduced Tito the Anxiety mosquito, voiced by anxious stand-up comedian Maria Bamford. Throughout Big Mouth season 4, the main characters Nick, Andrew, and Jessi were plagued by Tito’s buzzing insecurities. Only by coming together could the friends find ways to combat (and silence) Tito’s voice.
Big Mouth is a Netflix Original animated series created by Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett. The series is loosely based on Goldberg and Kroll’s adolescence, growing up in a suburb of New York City. Kroll provides the voice for a fictionalized version of himself, while comedian and writer John Mulaney voices Andrew Glouberman, loosely based on the show’s co-creator, writer, and producer Goldberg.
The Big Mouth season 4 finale sees Nick Kroll’s body being overtaken by Nick Starr — a self-serving version of Nick, first introduced in Nick’s dream about his future. Starr is ostensibly a cautionary tale — he represents what Nick could become in a terrible future if he continues on a path of selfish, closed-off behavior. More than that, however, he is a manifestation of the season’s repeated occurrences of characters isolating themselves rather than doing the right thing: supporting each other.
What Nick Starr Represents In The Big Mouth Season 4 Finale
Nick Starr’s dream of the future, as seen in Big Mouth season 4, episode 6, “Nick Starr,” is a desolate place where global warming has ruined the planet, people have resorted to cannibalism, and Nick is an extremely wealthy celebrity who hosts a game show. He lives alone with a robot companion, clearly based on Andrew — hinting that a part of him desires a relationship with his childhood friend, even if in adulthood he’s completely unable to maintain healthy adult relationships. Nick Starr even speaks in a phony, exaggerated manner. Still, it’s not until the finale that the show reveals why. So terrified at the prospect of rejection, Nick Starr has buried his genuine, honest, and caring (yet vulnerable) self deep inside and hides behind a fake persona of his creation. The jokes about him using “Oh Yeah” to experience orgasm, and him considering marrying a bottle of alcohol, are amusing. Yet, underneath the absurdity is a tragic implication for the character, who’s spent so much energy “protecting” himself from the pain that he has completely isolated himself from all humanity.
Initially, Nick misunderstands the point of his prophetic dream in Big Mouth season 4. In episode 8, “The Funeral,” he recognizes a similarity between his current situation and something he saw in the vision. Still, he responds inappropriately because he fundamentally doesn’t understand why the future he saw was so bleak. Nick reaches out to comfort Jessi when she leaves the funeral, but the sweet moment turns toxic when he tries to kiss her. Nick looks at the situation from his own selfish perspective, but he should be trying to see Jessi’s point of view: she’s hurt, and she needs a friend. In the penultimate episode, “Horrority House,” he similarly misunderstands the significance of the ayahuasca journey, taking the lesson to “protect himself” rather than be truly introspective, which allows Nick Starr to take over his personality.
In the end, Nick is able to conquer Nick Starr, not by killing him, but by understanding that he is a part of Nick’s character and embracing him. Ultimately, Big Mouth season 4 is mainly about accepting oneself and others, warts and all. The overall thesis of this season is community and friendship. Only when the friends come together and help each other (by sharing their strategies for dealing with anxiety, and, in Jessi’s case, depression) are the threats of Nick Starr, Depression Kitty, and Tito manageable.
How Big Mouth Season 4 Set Up Season 5 – And What Happened
Big Mouth season 4 deftly sets up the fifth season, as Nick Birch and the gang face off with hate worms, the Shame Wizard, and their own hormones. Nick didn’t seem to learn much from the mistake of kissing Jessi in season 4. In fact, for most of Big Mouth season 5, he attempts to win her over. First, he joins Missy’s affinity group to impress Jessi, spawning Walter the Love Bug, who convinces Nick that he’s in love with her. Walter encourages him to make a grand gesture, which falls flat on its face leading to yet another rejection from Jessi, leaving Nick heartbroken. Emotions escalate when Nick finds Judd’s t-shirt under Jessi’s pillow, which feeds into his outrageous jealousy, the central theme of Big Mouth season 5, episode 4, “The Green-Eyed Monster.” Nick’s Love Bug turns into a hate worm, and he and Missy bond over their mutual hatred of Jessi. Eventually, everyone reconciles.
Big Mouth season 4 also set the Jay and Lola train in motion, which is explored throughout season 5. Jay and Lola have one of the more tumultuous relationships in the series, and in Big Mouth season 5, Jay starts experimenting with his sexuality (as does Jessi). This leads Jay to kiss a student named Charles Lu, who wishes to remain closeted, ending their budding relationship – but not before Lola catches wind of the incident and tries to publicly humiliate the pair. This brings Matthew and Jay together, which leads to a showdown with Lola. Jay picks Matthew over her, which causes her to storm out in tears. Tito the mosquito returns in Big Mouth season 5, episode 7, “I F*cking Hate You.” Though this time, it torments Jessi, almost causing her to have a nervous breakdown. The main focus of the season is the hate worms, which eventually turn back into Love Bugs in the end.
Will There Be a Big Mouth Season 6?
Big Mouth season 6 returns to Netflix soon, Big Mouth season 6 was confirmed all the way back during season 3, proving the series’ success over the years. Big Mouth season 5 sets up the next installment with Jessi exploring her bisexuality, Nick overcoming his hate worm, and Jay realizing he’s in love with Matthew instead of Lola. No official release date has been confirmed, but the show has stuck to a regular release schedule despite the COVID-19 pandemic, coming out roughly every 11 months. If the season 6 release follows the same pattern, Big Mouth season 6 will most likely premiere in October 2022 or a few months later. The Big Mouth season 4 and season 5 cast will likely reprise their roles, as no announcements have indicated otherwise. In addition, the spinoff series, Human Resources, follows all of the creatures in the show and has just finished its season 1 run.
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