Disenchantment Is Packed With Easter Eggs, So Watch Carefully

There are three big things to take away from Disenchantment, the new animated series from The Simpsonsand Futurama visionary Matt Groening.

First, think of Disenchantment as more of an animated coming-of-age drama with jokes rather than the carousel of rapid-fire gags and jokes you may know from The Simpsons. Secondly, the story -- which follows young princess Bean (voiced by Abbi Jacobson) rejecting princess life in favor of finding herself -- is serialized, so expect a full, winding tale about Bean's journey that is, as TV Guide's Tim Surette put it, like "Futurama meets Game of Thrones." Third, and most notably for Groening geeks, there will be Easter eggs -- lots of them. C'mon, the show is from Groening and Josh Weinstein, who was also an executive producer on The Simpsons -- of course there will be lots of Easter eggs! It just might take you a while to get them.

Matt Groening's Disenchantment Is a Disappointment

As Bean sets off on an adventure with her pals Elfo (Nat Faxon) and Luci (Eric Andre), something major happens (let's say around Episode 10) that sets the tone for the remaining episodes, and clues have been dropped in throughout -- clues that the producers said will take time and/or multiple views to catch.

"The very first thing you see in the animation is a key to our universe," Groening told TV Guide at the Television Critics Summer press tour last month. Weinstein and the Simpsons team Weinstein worked with "are kings of the little freeze-frame jokes" Groening said, and while viewers shouldn't expect the same style of hidden references, they're nonetheless plentiful in the series.

"What's different in this show," Weinstein said, "is that some of the background stuff is just funny signs, but other things help with the story and the ongoing mystery."

Fair warning though: Viewers will have their work cut out for them.

"People should watch to enjoy and just enjoy the jokes on the surface," Weinstein continued. "But if you see it again, you'll see some things in the background that are mysterious, and when we end the show I think people will go 'Oh my God that was there in the very first episode.' But it's really hard."

Disenchantment is now streaming on Netflix.