Season Review: The Great North Season Three

It’s pretty amusing that one of Fox’s recent animated shows has made its way past season two, yet the other incoming newcomers, like Krapopolis, haven’t even started broadcasting yet. Meanwhile, HouseBroken is in its sophomore season despite several hiatuses, with its future still uncertain. It also doesn’t help that the success of several long-running shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy and some scheduling issues kept the new series from taking a chance in the spotlight. Nevertheless, there’s undoubtedly some interest brewing for the upcoming additions to Fox’s Animation Domination lineup. Still, it’s only a matter of time before it begins to wane if Fox doesn’t get these trains moving.

But, of course, that’s not the main focus right now. Instead, our attention should be on The Great North continuing to be the bright spot amid Fox’s list of never-ending shows involving yellow-skinned people, a burger restaurant, and a dysfunctional family. After debuting on television with a surprisingly short first season, The Great North quickly found its footing with its usual 22-episode sophomore season regarding the identity it wants to be and its character development. Unsurprisingly, the comparison between this show and Bob’s Burgers is undeniably understandable regarding its animation style and humor. Although, to be fair, both shows were made by the same production company, Wilo Productions.

However, based on my experience with the previous season, The Great North offers plenty of delightful moments in its plots and characters to become more of a successor than a pointless copycat. More importantly, it is the most heartfelt of Fox’s animation lineup. It features the usual amount of bizarreness and adult comedy we’re familiar with. However, they’re used to portray relatable messages and an abundance of charm and heart, making it a comfortable experience to watch by the fireplace. Unsurprisingly, the third season of The Great North is no different, as it continues to earn its rightful place in Fox’s animation world.

I didn’t get into season three until its seventh episode, “Mall-mento Adventure”. Thankfully, it’s enough to share my thoughts on the season’s quality and sitcom-like adventures. Similar to my brief experience with season two, I enjoyed watching the third season of The Great North. Despite a few issues I had with some of its episodes, season three maintains the subtle adult humor and wholesomeness amid its bizarre scenarios to keep the show from sinking into the deep freeze.  

Many of the elements that made the previous seasons enjoyable still exist in season three, even if some couldn’t make all of its recent episodes memorable. One is the voice cast for maintaining the characters’ charismatic appeal through their vocal performances, including Nick Offerman as Beef and Dulcé Sloan as Honeybee. Will Forte, as Wolf, also offered some entertaining humor relating to his optimistic personality and eagerness. But, of course, Wolf’s personality will depend on how you felt about him in the previous seasons. If you were annoyed by him in the last two seasons, you might feel the same toward Wolf in season three. Another element is the animation. Like Bob’s Burgers, the style in The Great North is simplistic for its character designs, but it’s also effective in portraying its dry humor and vibrant Alaskan settings. 

As for the season itself, the show started strong with “A Knife to Remember Adventure”, further showcasing its knack for providing humor and heart through character development, mainly Beef following his divorce. Unfortunately, the next two episodes after that struggled to keep the momentum consistent regarding its focus on disparate plots, with “Autumn If You Got Em Adventure” being the most disappointing. Thankfully, the rest of the episodes corrected themselves to provide another satisfying season, starting with “Mall-mento Adventure”. While some episodes, including “Boy Meats World Adventure”, either fall into its familiar sitcom trappings or fail to capitalize on them, they usually compensate for it by providing endearing messages and decent comedy. 

Two great episodes of season three benefitted strongly from its elements. One is its fourth episode, “Code Enough Said Adventure”, involving the Tobins going insane over who smashed the DVD copy of Enough Said to pieces. That adventure took the “legal episode” approach and flipped it upside down with its wacky depiction of the family’s weird regulations and traditions. It’s also an example of how the production team handles bizarre comedy as effectively as they do with the show’s heartfelt moments. Another episode I loved was its twentieth episode, “Barrel Be Blood Adventure”, centering on Beef attempting to get rid of a fish vending machine that’s driving down the price of fish. Aside from its endearing humor and charm, that episode provides an honest and respectfully written representation of the positive and negative effects of technological upgrades in the food business. These episodes listed help elevate the show’s identity through its charm, comedy, heart, and even the relatable issues we face daily.

However, if there’s one thing that made its third season stand out from the others so far, it’s the season finale. “For Whom the Smell Tolls” is the first in The Great North to include a two-parter episode. The double-header involves the Tobins and the citizens of Lone Moose uncovering the mystery behind a mysterious stench while the school kids attend prom. While it doesn’t reach the same heights as the two-parter episodes from The Simpsons, including the recent “A Serious Flanders”, its plot offers enough in its stakes and humor for me to accept the show’s double-length approach in future seasons.  

Overall, the third season of The Great North continues the show’s relaxing and heartwarming success with another slew of episodes ranging from enjoyable to great. A few episodes threaten to ruin this unwinding getaway, with “Boy Meats World Adventure” being the worst in my eyes. Thankfully, they’re not enough to freeze this delightful successor to Bob’s Burgers that still has room to improve this unwinding and humorous Alaskan vacation. Unsurprisingly, it’ll have a chance to do that with its upcoming fourth season, so you can bet I’ll return for more chilling adventures with the Tobin family.