The gross, horny kids from Big Mouth are done going through changes, and now it’s time to say goodbye. When Big Mouth began in 2017, there was no doubt that it was one of the most provocative adult-animated shows for adults in a long time. While regular people seem to like it, and many animation fans detest it, I have always found it charming. One thing is for sure: Big Mouth‘s direct and daring depictions of horny teens have challenged viewers. Underneath the raunchiness and gross-out jokes, the series has been a trailblazer in its efforts to challenge societal norms and welcome LGBTQ representation. The series has been both a collection of crazy teenage coming-of-age stories and the closest thing America will get to thoughtful sex education at a time when sexual activity and its depiction is villainized. Within its eighth and final season, Big Mouth takes complete advantage of its high school setting for more mature episodic tales, a final bout of puberty-related lessons, and a worthwhile bittersweet finale that legit made me tear up.

The eighth season follows the students as they move up from Bridgeton Middle to Bridgeton High School. With the ensemble reaching 15, new experiences for the crew await. Jessi (Jessi Klein) has integrated herself with her pothead crowd and lands a boyfriend named Camden (Whitmer Thomas). Missy (Ayo Edebiri) joins a robotics club and eventually falls for one of her peers, Nate (Nathan Fillion), a pint-sized clone of Nathan Fillion. Bisexual wolf Jay (Jason Mantzoukas) finds his place in the vocational basement school and falls into sexual mishaps with his exes Lola (Nick Kroll) and Matthew (Andrew Rannells). Matthew tries to delve deeper into his gay identity, questioning whether he is a top or bottom, as he has more sexual experiences. Andrew Glouberman (John Mulaney) is still a selfish sex pest whose antics frustrate me — despite loving Mulaney’s voice — and yet he experiences a nice amount of character growth in areas that genuinely had me feeling for the character. But the most important change happens to the main character, Nick Birch (Kroll), when he finally hits puberty and has a huge growth spurt.

These new endeavors for these characters allow for the exploration of a new genre of adolescent-oriented stories that revolve around significant topics such as accountability, consent, and compassion. Don’t worry, the sex and meta humor that has been the staple of the series is still omnipresent in every other scene and still embarrassingly funny. But the careful attention to detail in striking a balance between adult themes and vulgar humor, especially given the ensemble’s 15-year-old ages, hits a new high. Among the season’s best storylines involves Nick hooking up with Devin (June Diane Raphael) and dirty talk influenced by porn that backfires. He lies to protect his own skin, demonizing her in the process, before being taught a lesson in accountability for actions by a new human emotion manifestation figure, the compassion pachyderm (a wonderful Holly Hunter). The writing staff pulls it off with strong weight and thoughtfulness, something that is fitting for these characters’ older ages, and I hope it inspires individuals within this age bracket who are experiencing these things without a guide.

While Big Mouth is known for its shocking sex jokes, it’s also tried to put its best foot forward when representing everyone. One of the series’ high points was in season seven when it pushed toward better representation of gender and sexuality on a diverse spectrum. I loved watching Missy’s relationship with her asexual boyfriend, Elijah (Brian Tyree Henry), as I’ve never seen a Black asexual character before. In addition, hormone monsters Murray (Kroll) and Connie, the reason behind Maya Rudolph’s most recent run of Emmy victories, had a nonbinary child named Montel (Cole Escola), who contributed to an increased focus on examining gender stereotypes. Unfortunately, those characters are absent from this season due to Elijah’s transfer to another school, and I can only assume Escola is too busy with Oh Mary to reprise their role.

Some fan-favorite characters make an appearance in small spurts, including Missy’s cousin Lena (Lena Waithe) in a segment describing her first sexual experience. Then, of course, in the Big Mouth tradition, it succeeds in stunt casting the most prominent actors in minor roles, such as Cynthia Erivo as Missy’s vagina, which is in alignment with her British hormone monster counterpart, Mona (Thandiwe Newton). Missy even jokes that every shoulder-angel agent she has in her orbit is British.

If after eight seasons you still don’t like Big Mouth, then I’m not sure why you’re still watching. But fans of the show will be pleased that this final season stays true to its essence while striking a new mix between charming and raunchy. I started to get teary-eyed at the end as its powerful conclusion honored the animated medium and the characters we’ve grown to know over the past eight years. This is one massive growth spurt that won’t make you cringe.

Big Mouth season eight is now streaming on Netflix.

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