‘Big Mouth’ Series Finale, Explained

June 6, 2025

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Big Mouth has officially concluded its nearly decade-long run, but to somewhat limited fanfare. The popular Netflix adult animation ran for a whopping eight seasons and even inspired a successful spin-off series, Human Resources. Big Mouth took an unflinching look at the woes of puberty through an absurd comedic lens while also raunchily and openly exploring sex and anatomy to a degree arguably never seen on television before.

Featuring vocal performances from the comedic likes of Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, and Maya Rudolph, it is no wonder Big Mouth found such success for so many years. However, as can be somewhat inevitable, some viewers argue that they have felt a steady decline in the show over the years. Big Mouth promised that their series finale would be epic (they literally say as much in the penultimate episode), but was what they delivered worth eight seasons’ worth of build-up?

What Happens in the ‘Big Mouth’ Finale?

Netflix

In the series finale, entitled “The Great Unknown,” all of our characters are now awkward high schoolers. They have all grown in various ways, some physically, like Nick, who, crucially, has become a strapping teen boy in Season 8. Having found out that their former middle school, Bridgeton, is going to be demolished, the gang all decide to return one last time to say goodbye and reminisce on past episodes.

Jessi and Misty, who both have boyfriends for the first time and are beginning the college application process, discuss how daunted they are by the impending future. Their anxieties personify, and soon, a literal future cloud of white light starts to loom over Westchester County, consuming everyone into an unknown void. It looms slowly toward Bridgeton as each of the characters races to resolve their plotlines before the future swallows them up.

The special, which was filmed in Washington D.C. in June, hits the streamer September 27.

After some traditionally lewd behavior (and an appearance from series regular Ghost Duke Ellington), the entire cast stands before the inevitable future and accepts that though it is scary, there is a lot they are excited to experience. Most importantly, they will all be in it together. Just before they all walk into the light (and turn into de-rendered versions of their animations), each character shares what they are anticipating about the future. For example, Matthew is ready to finally start dirty-talking with Dewayne, and Lola and Jay hilariously decide to break up for the 100th time. The last to enter the void are, of course, best friends and main characters Nick and Andrew.

The Okay Unknown

“The Great Unknown” is far from the first time Big Mouth has employed metaphor or absurdity as a narrative tool. In fact, metaphor and absurdity are kind of Big Mouth‘s whole schtick. The sitcom, by nature of its subject matter, also tends to have an educational and moralistic tone at times. The future void in Big Mouth‘s final episode, however, feels more like a video you would watch in school than an epic finale.

This episode is certainly emotionally intelligent, getting meta as ever with the audience to let them know that though we might not know exactly what becomes of these characters, there is beauty in the unknown. It is a wonderful sentiment, and it echoes the tone of the rest of the season, which was also distinctly educational compared to past seasons. As a finale to eight seasons’ worth of character development, though, it just felt anticlimactic — especially when compared to past season finales.

John Candy Dan Aykroyd The Great Outdoors

‘The Great Outdoors’ is brilliant entertainment from the ’80s. Starring John Candy and Dan Aykroyd, it’s coming to Netflix and is worth a rewatch.

Again, we totally understand the thematic merit of not getting to find out what exactly happens to Nick, Andrew, Jessi, Coach Steve, Misty, et al., but when the show itself spends actual screen time breaking the fourth wall to tell you how exciting and awesome the finale is going to be, you start to develop expectations. Furthermore, when you have invested this kind of time into characters, especially adolescent characters, you come to yearn for a cathartic, complete ending for them. You want to know how their lives are going to pan out, not just reflect on (better) past episodes.

It’s a real Catch-22: could Big Mouth have made a more entertaining finale while still being true to the message it wanted to convey about an ambiguous future? For a show that prides itself on breaking out of convention, it seems that, in this instance, not delivering a conventional ending may have left long-time fans unsatisfied.

With Human Resources officially concluded as well, the future is truly unknown for now for the Big Mouth franchise, but it can be streamed indefinitely on the great void of Netflix.