Stream It or Skip It: ‘Disenchantment’ Season 4 on Netflix, Toxic Families and Matrimonial Malevolence

Netflix’s Disenchantment Part 4 returns after leaving its cast in some tough situations. The Matt Groening-helmed cartoon, best described as Futurama meets western fantasy, hits all the high notes as it sets up a new arc for its characters to follow. The previous season ended on something of a cliffhanger, with plenty of grisly fates and unsettling futures for most of the show’s main cast. But it wastes no time diving right into the thick of things, from making Satan himself a newly-recurring cast member, flipping the script on Princess Bean’s manipulative, backstabbing mother Dagmar, and introducing us to a family member we never knew Elfo ever had. It’s a dazzling, hilarious return for veteran viewers, while remaining a great jumping-on point for anyone who doesn’t feel like watching three prior seasons’ worth of storyline.

DISENCHANTMENT PART 4: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: The elevator down to Hell descends and makes a stop at its final destination. Bean and her mother Dagmar exit, with Bean’s wrists restrained and Dagmar in tow. Bean’s clad in a wedding dress once again, but she’s in no way pleased with her circumstances. Hell is just as desolate as you’d imagine, but the idea that you’d take an elevator to get there is pretty hilarious.

The Gist: After stranding Bean (Abbi Jacobson) in hell by her evil mother Dagmar (Sharon Horgan), it picks up where that story thread left off and finds her personal demon Luci (Eric Andre) spending time with a weirdly chill God up in heaven. With Bean’s father King Zog (John DiMaggio) spending time in an insane asylum, this season opener has plenty of time to focus on Bean’s current predicament and how she’s going to get out of marrying Satan (Rich Fulcher) at her mother’s insistence. Meanwhile, little elven Elfo (Nat Faxon) works to free himself from the clutches of a group of ogres. There’s a lot going on, to be sure, but Part 4 melds it all together in a way that makes it easy to slide back into and enjoy, even if you forgot where the last batch of episodes left off.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Aside from the obvious Simpsons/Futurama comparisons, there’s a strong Vox Machina component here as well as shades of Big Mouth, with sardonic humor that crosses over into the juvenile for hilarious effect.

Our Take: Part 4 wastes no time in returning to the rapid-fire jokes and hilarity we know Disenchantment for, and it’s as if there was no time at all spent away from these characters. Bean is just as strong and personable as ever, a little spitfire who knows what she wants and how to get it. If there were ever a woman made from Groening’s ilk, Bean is the most interesting, as she’s clever and rugged enough to persevere no matter what the situation may be.

Sex and Skin: A few innuendos here and there, but let’s face it, this isn’t really that kind of show.

Parting Shot: Bean and Jerry take the elevator out of Hell after a particularly eventful marriage-ending scene, and find themselves in Steamland. Now face to face with the founder of the country himself, Alva Gunderson, the pair work to find a way to get out of their newest predicament while Bean threatens Alva and demands answers: why does the elevator down to Hell end up in Steamland, anyway?

Sleeper Star: The Devil himself is equal parts crafty and charming, played expertly by Rich Fulcher. He’s gotten Satan’s (excuse the pun) devilish charm down, with a side of plodding buffoonery. He can pile the personability on when needed, but when his true personality comes out, Fulcher’s comedic timing and impeccable tone come out to play.

Most Pilot-y Line: “I see you were right from the beginning. I am cursed from the deepest depths of the underworld,” utters Bean as she grapples with the bizarre situation she finds herself in: being forced to wed Satan by her mother, former Queen of Dreamland. It sets the tone for a strong season, especially a potential reason for some of the hints at a certain power she might be hiding.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Disenchantment Part 4 pulls out all the stops with its first installment, bringing back fan-favorite characters, introducing new ones, and wrapping up previously-existing plot threads in a tidy yet hilarious manner before jumping on to the next. Bean is as spunky as ever as she works to outsmart her mother, Luci is as self-serving and sly as we’d expect any character voiced by Eric Andre, and Satan is the kind of evil yet charming addition to the cast that fits in perfectly. Even if you’ve never seen a single episode of Disenchantment, now’s a great time to start.

Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over a decade for publications like G4, Popular Science, Playboy, Variety, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, GameSpot, and more. When she’s not writing or gaming, she’s collecting retro consoles and tech. Follow her on Twitter: @MolotovCupcake.