Season Review: Bigfoot Season 1

Joining Mondo Animation’s vast catalogue of shows is Bigfoot, the story of the mysterious blurry cryptid trying to make a life for himself in a small town in the forest once his fame has passed him by. And I have to say upfront, I don’t think they went as far with that concept as much as they could have or even should have. Bigfoot as a series reads to me as a show that would air at three in the morning on Adult Swim or Comedy Central, fitting the expected tone and atmosphere of shows in that timeslot. And because those slots are already quite inundated with viable options, it’s my opinion that this series likely would not have even seen the light of day if not for going with Mondo.

Truth be told, there really isn’t a whole lot worth discussing regarding the series itself aside from its title character. From the pilot onward, Bigfoot is established as a vain, greedy, hedonistic, and opportunistic creature, eager for any short term thrill to help spice up his mundane existence. Still, he seems to take his role as “King of the Forest” very seriously, enforcing order and showing authority whenever it’s needed…or if he just wants to flex his a position that has been noted multiple times by multiple characters as being of dubious importance. Although really, deep down, he’s eager to make connections with other people, whether as friends or with romance, even when his ego and abrasive personality get in the way of that. In that sense, Bigfoot the character has some interesting layers to him, even when the show doesn’t really utilize him to the best potential.

Bigfoot the SERIES, meanwhile, has a rather glaring issue that didn’t really show itself until going through the season again for this review. Namely that everything feels so inconsistent and disconnected like every episode is in its own universe. I mean there’s plenty that can be done with episodic comedies like this is meant to be, though what I feel is lacking is a sense of continuity which could help to make the area we see the most, the town of Swell, feel more alive and like a place that exists. Sometimes information will be said in one episode and then contradicted in the next. And that’s without mentioning the odd feature of how some animals in the forest are inexplicably able to speak English, while others are even more inexplicably UNable to. It’s almost like that’s meant to be a joke in and of itself, but I can’t for the life of me see the punchline.

The best I can say of Bigfoot as a show is that…it exists. I have watched all twelve episodes multiple times and that is the most honest impression I can give it. Whether or not it shall continue is up to the studio that makes it, but I would suggest a major overhaul if they want it to really make a footprint.