Kevin TV Review: The matted fur flys in Aubrey’s Plaza’s star-studded and hilarious new animated comedy for animal lovers

PLOT: After the unexpected break-up of his human “owners,” Kevin breaks up with them and moves into a local pet rescue in Astoria, Queens, where a chaotic band of misfit animals will help him to figure out what he really wants out of life.

REVIEW: I’m not dead inside, but it takes a lot to make me laugh these days. “The world is on fire” doesn’t do the horrors of everyday injustice enough credit, and comedy is so subjective that it’s already a touch-and-go arena. Then there’s Kevin, an adult animated comedy that made me laugh so hard I woke my cat, Loki, from her afternoon nap, her tail swishing in annoyance as she exited the room to find an alternate sunbeam to exploit. If you’re an animal lover or a pet owner, you’ll find lots to enjoy about this new series co-created by Aubrey Plaza, Joe Wengert, and Dan Murphy. Even if you’re not, Kevin is so smart, depraved, and filled with spectacular voice performances that it’s worth getting kennel cough to hang out with the derranged Furrever Friends crew.

Born and raised in New York, I get excited anytime an animated series takes place in the Big Apple. Since I moved to Canada nine years ago, it’s like a homecoming. New York City is a bustling metropolis of personality, and it’s the perfect place for a disillusioned house cat to soul-search while taking a much-needed break from his human companions. Kevin does a fantastic job of making New York another character in the show, with sentient pizza slices, deathbed pigeons, and an underground rat network scurrying beneath the concrete jungle. While Kevin doesn’t visit too many landmarks, the show feels as New York as any prestige comedy or sitcom ensconced in the City That Never Sleeps.

I want to hit this next aspect of the series early because it deserves to be at the forefront of this review. The cast of this show is a catnip-filled toy basket of spoils, with Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, John Waters, Whoopi Goldberg, Amy Sedaris, Aparna Nancherla, Maria Bamford, Tig Notaro, Quinta Brunson, Nicole Byer, and more making up the menagerie of mangy critters. Plenty of shows can boast a starry cast, but do next to nothing with the ensemble if the writing isn’t there to support their talent. Kevin goes out of its way to use every actor to the fullest, with standout performances from Goldberg, Sedaris, Nancherla, and Waters, especially.

There are almost too many great characters in Kevin. People used to seeing Whoopi Goldberg on The View will feel scandalized by her portrayal of Cupcake, a free-spirited, pill-popping Sphynx cat with a soft spot for her Furrever Friend group. There’s no other way to say it: most of the shit that comes out of Cupcake’s mouth is wild, and she’s more than enough to give the series its mature rating. Then there’s John Waters, who plays Armando, a foul-mouthed high-society castoff Persian cat whose abandonment issues will be the death of him if a steady diet of red wine and cigarettes doesn’t get him first. Waters plays Armando as a Broadway diva with his nose stuck in the air, smelling his own farts and making life difficult for anyone in his orbit. It’s a purrfect role for the quirky filmmaker whose career is as varied as what you find in a sloppy pile of cat vomit. I love him.

Meanwhile, Amy Sedaris brings an absurd amount of laughs to the mix with her performance as Brandi, the Shih Tzu with an iron paw. I’ve never been so terrified of such a small dog, and the way Brandi has Gil Ozeri’s Seth wrapped around her sharp claws is a hot pet bed of comedy gold. Their relationship is… unique. I’d feel sorry for Seth, but I know he likes Brandi’s domineering ways. In fact, I know he gets off on it. Brandi kept me in stitches throughout the series, with Sedaris giving everything to her stellar performance.

Next, my favorite character of the Furrever Friends bunch is Judy, a Scottish Fold kitten with as many illnesses running through her tiny body as legendary lines of dialogue throughout the series. Nearly every word out of Judy’s mouth is pure gold. Constant fevers and viruses have turned Judy’s brain to mush, turning her into a walking tragedy of simple thoughts and boundless love. Judy takes some of Kevin‘s gross-out comedy to extremes with her crusty eyes, tail alopecia, and underarm eczema. I’d likely contract so many diseases from handling Judy, but I can’t help but want to hold and kiss her, my own health be damned.

Finally, there’s Jason Schwartzman as Kevin, a tuxedo cat who, after breaking up with his human owners, decides to strike out on his own and explore New York City. When Kevin discovers his housing options are limited, he shacks up with the strays, ferals, and the f**ked-up Furrever Friends bunch. Schwartzman plays Kevin like a scorned family member, going through the motions of change and abandonment. While Kevin’s decision to leave Dana and Dan was his own (he could have stayed with Dana), he behaves as if he had no other choice but to seek shelter elsewhere. Schwartzman delivers a highly comedic performance with a smattering of heartbreak and disillusionment. As much as I like Kevin, his character works best when he’s playing off others throughout the series.

Those looking for any semblance of depth can keep stepping. Kevin is a bold, raunchy, gross-out comedy with light elements of found family and self-discovery. There’s no profound lesson waiting for those who take the eight-episode journey. Still, while Kevin isn’t concerned about tugging on heartstrings, it goes above and beyond to deliver laughs with a heavy emphasis on the dynamics between humans and animals. I laughed harder while watching Kevin than at anything else this year, and much of that is because the show never punches above its weight while appealing to animal lovers and viewers who find it difficult to take the world seriously nowadays.

So many adult animated series come and go. I need people to get on board with Kevin, because while it works as a complete eight-episode season, I want more. The cast of characters is too good not to get more from them in future episodes. Wait until you meet the Conservative-leaning dog, Bear, the Acorns-Anonymous basket case squirrel, Glen, or Peter, the rat in a dog costume with a passion for theatrics. As I’d said, it’s an outstanding cast.

Overall, Kevin is a brilliant addition to a flourishing era of adult animation. The animal-inspired comedy is laugh-out-loud funny and relatable, while the cast goes above and beyond to deliver show-stopping performances that will stay with you. If you’re an animal lover or pet owner, you owe it to yourself to experience this series, perhaps with an alcoholic beverage or sweet-smelling doob from the dispensary down the street.

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