Compare Mating Season, Season 1 vs It’s Not Like That, Chapter 1

The pilot includes graphic cartoon violence that some content-focused viewers flag as harsh. The violence is played for shock comedy, but it can be too much for sensitive viewers.

The limited violence is generally appreciated, with only school wrestling and bullying flagged as mild concerns rather than dominant content.

Profanity is frequent and strong enough to matter for content-sensitive viewers. The language reinforces the TV-MA tone rather than softening the adult material.

Profanity is minimal and generally viewed as refreshingly restrained, although faith-focused guides still note occasional swearing as a content caveat.

This is plainly not family-friendly viewing. Content-focused reactions stress raunch, strong language, and sexual situations as central to the experience.

Most viewers value the wholesome tone, limited profanity, restrained sexual content, and focus on family. Mature themes and a few moral objections mean it is not universally suitable for children.

The finale earns points for connecting earlier threads that once seemed disposable. That payoff makes the serialized elements feel more intentional for viewers who stuck with the season.

A major drunk-driving crash is criticized for vanishing without a police report or consequences, creating a conspicuous break in narrative follow-through.

The finale lands well for at least one critic because it ties earlier pieces together and leaves a stronger aftertaste than the early episodes. It suggests the season had more structure than first impressions implied.

The finale is the clearest source of frustration, particularly Lori's romantic choice and the last-minute reversal of the hoped-for pairing.

Writing quality is uneven across the response. Some praise the later-season voice and relationship dynamics, while critics complain about surface-level jokes, lazy lessons, and weak commentary.

The script is praised as carefully thought out, with layered characters and emotional moments that serve more than the central romance.

The show touches modern dating, identity, grief, loneliness, and queer community, but opinions differ on depth. Fans find realistic stings under the chaos; critics say it rarely reaches beyond sex jokes.

Grief, faith, divorce, addiction, parenting, and second chances are explored with compassion and few easy answers. Some viewers found the sheer number of issues excessive.

The pilot sells the premise clearly, but reactions are split. Some praise the dumped-after-hibernation hook as strong and enticing; others think the first episode is too crude and too thin to invite more watching.

The opening episode is repeatedly described as charming, compelling, and an excellent start, even when its exposition feels compressed.

Humor is the show’s biggest split: fans call it hilarious, bold, and well-timed, while detractors find the sex jokes repetitive, lazy, or gross without enough payoff. Enjoyment depends heavily on tolerance for crude adult animation.

Light banter, awkward family moments, and Foley's easy humor keep the grief-heavy story from becoming oppressive without turning it into a broad comedy.

Sexual content is the defining trait, and approval depends on taste. Fans call the raunch bold or surprisingly balanced; detractors say it overwhelms story, humor, and comfort.

Sex is discussed or implied without graphic depiction, and several viewers praise the restraint. More conservative responses still object to dating and intimacy outside marriage.

The series can surprise viewers with loneliness, insecurity, and friendship beats beneath the animal chaos. Still, several viewers feel the emotion is lighter than Big Mouth or gets punctured by jokes too quickly.

Tearful, heartfelt moments are a defining strength, with grief and family scenes repeatedly described as moving, hopeful, and earned rather than manipulative.

The story works best when it turns animal dating into recognizable heartbreak, friendship, and romantic chaos. Detractors find too many arcs familiar, thin, or undercut by raunch before they can land.

The intertwined family story is widely praised as heartfelt, relatable, and compelling, with strong balance between adults and children. Critics cite clichés, overcrowded issues, and disappointing late choices.

The animal-world dating hook gives the series a memorable angle, but many writers feel it leans too hard on familiar rom-com and adult-cartoon formulas. The most positive takes credit the animal behavior twists for adding freshness.

The series often avoids an easy romantic resolution and can surprise viewers, but familiar child arcs, predictable tropes, and one strongly negative response limit the praise.

Character work is the main divider. Supporters like Penelope, Fawn, and the friend group as messy but lovable; critics say Josh, Ray, and some arcs stay underdeveloped or reset too easily.

The adults and children receive distinct emotional struggles that make most of the ensemble easy to invest in. Detractors found some children unlikable and wanted serious problems addressed more responsibly.

Interest in renewal is mixed but present. Fans and some critics see room for Josh, Penelope, and the world to grow, while harsh detractors actively hope it stops.

Demand for another season is exceptionally strong, with many viewers explicitly asking for Season 2 and some wanting several more seasons.

The core friendship chemistry works for many viewers, giving the raunchy premise a warmer hangout-sitcom feel. Negative reactions argue some romances and early group dynamics lack enough believable connection.

Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes generate natural, lived-in chemistry that anchors the series, while the wider ensemble often feels like a believable interconnected family.

As adult animated sex comedy, the show satisfies viewers already tuned into Nick Kroll’s style. Others think it fails to balance raunch, romance, and commentary enough to stand out in the genre.

It is widely seen as a welcome revival of warm multigenerational family drama, combining comfort-viewing appeal with contemporary emotional complications.

The season-ending surprises create some appetite for more Penelope drama, but the cliffhanger is not universally admired. Supporters see future potential; detractors call it predictable and manipulative.

The unresolved ending clearly points toward another season, though its payoff depends on future episodes following through.

The premiere’s rapid pace works for viewers who like fast joke density, but harsher takes call the episodes slow or exhausting. The show is at its most divisive when it piles gags on top of relationship beats.

The premiere moves confidently for some viewers, but others felt it races through exposition and romance before the relationships have enough time to settle.

The animated staging gets credit for depth-of-field choices that highlight jealousy, competition, and physical comedy. Its visual composition does more than simply place animal characters on screen.

The picture is described as clean, steady, and professionally filmed, with clear visuals that avoid the murky darkness common in some dramas.

Several reactions describe a rocky or repetitive start that improves in the back half. The stronger finale stretch helps some viewers forgive the early unevenness, while others never warm to the pacing.

The middle episodes are the weakest stretch for pacing, with criticism that the season becomes low-key, uneven, and less compelling week to week.

Animal behavior details work well for viewers who want the characters to feel species-specific rather than merely human sitcom types in fur. That grounding helps the absurd premise feel more purposeful.

Grief, divorce, parenting, and faith usually feel messy, relatable, and emotionally honest. Negative responses question the pastoral behavior, consequences, and volume of issues packed into the story.

Dialogue swings between polished, quick, and conversational for fans and gratingly crude for detractors. The best-liked lines are smaller throwaways, while the most disliked ones spell out jokes too aggressively.

The strongest responses call the dialogue realistic and human, especially around grief and family conflict. One critic found it too close to sentimental or unnatural.

The first episode’s sudden gross-out turn works for at least one viewer as a hook rather than empty shock. The surprise helped distinguish the show from generic adult animal cartoons for that audience.

The changing relationships and twists keep the story lively and increase anticipation for another season.

The closing episodes are among the better-liked parts of the season, especially for viewers who wanted serialized payoff. They bring the character arcs together more coherently than the setup initially promises.

The finale delivers an intense, tissue-worthy emotional experience, even though its romantic outcome divides the audience.

The season has strong binge appeal for viewers who click with the premise. One skeptical viewer unexpectedly watched the whole thing, while another calls out binge potential for adult-animation fans.

Several viewers finished the season in two days or said they could not stop watching. Even a more critical response still watched the full run in hopes of a stronger payoff.

The series often uses a classic sitcom setup, splitting the friends into parallel romantic misadventures that meet back at the Watering Hole. Some praise the structure as tight and serialized, while negative viewers find certain episodes pointless.

The pilot wins viewers over despite a noticeable explainer-heavy setup that sometimes feels like conventional premiere groundwork.

Queer and relationship representation is a notable bright spot for several viewers. Penelope’s lesbian self-discovery and the show’s open treatment of varied sexualities receive strong praise.

Faith is usually praised as sincere, welcoming, and naturally woven into modern family life rather than preachy. A vocal minority rejects the inclusive Christian portrayal as inauthentic or overly progressive.

The ten-episode season is enough for the premise to build arcs, but the length can also expose repetition. One critic felt the half-hour episodes made the formula wear thin.

The eight-episode order frustrates viewers in opposite ways: one critic thinks the middle is padded, while another believes the season is far too short.

The content is firmly adult. Sexual situations, profanity, violence, and crude discussion make it unsuitable for younger viewers despite the cartoon format.

The restrained presentation suits many families with teens, but grief, self-harm, addiction, divorce, and other mature themes make it a questionable choice for younger children.

Audience fit is narrow but clear. Big Mouth fans and adult-animation viewers are the likeliest match; people turned off by crude sex comedy or familiar sitcom tropes should be cautious.

Its warm, accessible style reaches beyond a strictly faith-based audience and resonates especially with families and viewers who have experienced grief or divorce.

Early critical reception appears respectable rather than glowing. The consensus leans toward a watchable but imperfect successor with strong characters and humor but less depth.

Strong critical notices reinforce the show's appeal beyond its enthusiastic customer audience.

The forest world is most praised when animal instincts shape dating, flirting, and social rituals. Criticism rises when the rules of clothing, jobs, species behavior, and civilization feel inconsistent.

The interconnected households, church, school, and neighborhood feel fully formed quickly, making it easy to settle into the characters' shared lives.

The look is highly divisive. Some praise the bright forest backgrounds, expressive animation, and eventual charm of the designs; others call the style corporate, ugly, or uninspired.

Clean imagery and thoughtful framing support the emotional tone, including a restrained apparition device that keeps Jenny's absence visually present.

Overall enjoyment ranges from must-watch enthusiasm to total rejection. Positive viewers enjoy the cast, pace, and weird relationship comedy; negative viewers find it boring, repetitive, or not worth the time.

The broad response is highly positive, with many calling it refreshing, comforting, and easy to enjoy. The harshest critics found it unrealistic, overstuffed, or not worth finishing.

Animal facts and mating behaviors add a lightly educational layer to the jokes. The trivia is framed as funny rather than instructional, but it gives the premise extra texture.

Parents appreciated the way the show encourages conversations about difficult issues, and one older viewer found its parenting lessons personally revealing.

Guest voices add fun when they create memorable romantic obstacles or oddball animal personalities. Less impressed viewers find some supporting characters too thin and sitcom-functional.

The younger cast often earns standout praise for warmth, realism, and emotional range, particularly Cary Christopher and Caleb Baumann. One hostile response disliked how the children were presented.

Zach Woods and Sabrina Jalees draw the warmest praise among the leads. Their anxious, specific voice work makes Josh and Penelope feel more human than the show’s premise might suggest.

Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes earn especially strong praise for vulnerability, warmth, and emotional clarity. One critic tired of Foley repeating the same tearful expression.

Voice acting is one of the clearest strengths. Even mixed reviewers repeatedly single out the ensemble, especially Zach Woods, June Diane Raphael, Sabrina Jalees, and Nick Kroll, as energetic and well cast.

The cast is one of the clearest strengths, with customers repeatedly praising believable performances. A small minority found the acting poor or disliked specific casting choices.

Conflict resolution is usually presented as compassionate and constructive, but the drunk-driving crash drew sharp criticism for lacking police consequences or meaningful intervention.

Animation draws both praise and criticism. Supporters see polish, expressive movement, and improved design compared with related shows, while harsher viewers find the characters stiff, bland, or unattractive.

Malcolm's choices are the main sticking point: critical viewers felt his behavior did not match the responsibilities of a pastor or attentive father.

Brad Silberling's direction is singled out for helping the slice-of-life material feel polished, emotionally clear, and impactful.

The series balances grief, romance, parenting, and faith with warmth and meaningful stakes. Its quieter, earnest style can feel too sappy or subdued for viewers wanting sharper drama.

The Big Mouth connection sets expectations and helps sell the show to existing fans. It feels spiritually related rather than a direct replacement, which helps some viewers and disappoints others.

The girls' wrestling storyline may feel contemporary and inclusive to some viewers, but it was also criticized as propaganda.

The large ensemble is introduced clearly, while David's motives and parts of the marital history remain underexplained.

The score receives limited but positive notice. It is not a major talking point, but one viewer specifically calls it quite good.

Unpredictable choices and unanswered relationship questions keep viewers wondering what will happen next, supporting continued interest without turning the show into a thriller.

The overall production is described as polished and well made, reinforcing the sense that this is a higher-quality entry in faith-oriented television.

The opening theme stands out positively for at least one viewer. The music gives the season a stronger adult-rom-com identity than some of the individual musical material.

Included Prime access makes the series feel like an excellent value and worthwhile use of time. Its initial add-on placement was harder to justify for less enthusiastic viewers.