Following the conclusion of its eight-season run in May 2025, the creative team behind Netflix’s hit animated comedy Big Mouth is back with a spiritual successor. Premiering May 22, Mating Season swaps the awkward, hormone-fueled experiences of human middle schoolers for an equally libidinous cast of anthropomorphic forest creatures.
The trailer, which dropped on April 16—a date Netflix is branding as “National Horny Day”—establishes that the show maintains the signature blend of cringe-worthy humor and meta-commentary that defined Big Mouth. The footage introduces Josh (voiced by Silicon Valley‘s Zach Woods), a bachelor bear struggling with the existential pressure to secure a mate before his lineage comes to an end.
Survival of the species seems to be a secondary concern for this eccentric cast, however. The preview highlights a variety of mismatched encounters, from a duck enamored with a rabbit and a canine romance involving a fox and a hound, to the raccoon Ray (Nick Kroll) reveling in the chaos of a skunk encounter. The world appears to mirror the logic of BoJack Horseman, where traits are inherited from one parent rather than resulting in jarring biological hybrids.
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If Big Mouth functioned as a chaotic yet empathetic guide through the trials of puberty, Mating Season appears to be positioning itself as a similar companion for the complexities of modern dating. The trailer weaves in satirical jabs at contemporary dating apps, anchored by Kroll’s ruminations on the vulnerability of solitude. As long-time fans who matured alongside the Big Mouth cast look for their next watch, the question remains whether the creators can effectively translate that sense of community and growth to this new, wilder setting. Regardless, Mating Season firmly cements Netflix’s reputation as a primary hub for edgy, character-driven furry animation.
Source: Polygon
