People mistakenly assume that Christmas is the most stressful holiday of the year, but ‘Big Mouth’ begs to differ. Netflix’s 45-minute episode of the laugh-out-loud series, ‘My Furry Valentine’, emphasizes that Valentine’s Day is, in fact, the most stressful holiday of all time.
Not only is the pressure on to find a romantic partner so that you don’t feel completely alone in this world, but you also have to get the best gift for your honey, (assuming she doesn’t like the used puppy you gave her), and you might even suffer a mental breakdown where you lose all of your hair as everyone in the school films your fallout. You know, your average V-Day meltdown.
It’s safe to say Valentine’s Day is less about chocolate hearts and more about anxious breakdowns. Whether you’re in a relationship or not, as Andrew smartly declares, the holiday of love is all about unhealthy expectations.
During any occasion where we strive for perfection, if the smallest little detail goes wrong we tend to absolutely lose it. Think of a bride on her wedding day. Because of all these assumptions we have of what Valentine’s Day is supposed to be, when our expectations aren’t met with reality we tend to become miserable. ‘Big Mouth’ proudly helps us see that although our reality might not be exactly what we were hoping for, this doesn’t mean that what we do have is so bad after all.
Nick has been expecting a male hormone monster, but when he is paired with Connie he becomes humiliated. Yet as time passes, Nick discovers that Connie is the perfect monster for him despite the fact that she wasn’t originally what he had been hoping for. Jessi and Matthew were yearning for romance on Valentine’s Day, but instead, they come to realize that the best love they could have hoped for is the one that they already share together as friends. Both Nick, Jessi, and Matthew are able to enjoy their Valentine’s Day because they accepted their outcome even though they might’ve originally wanted something else.
Not all characters are able to accept their outcome though, and the results are far from pretty. Andrew suffers an absolute breakdown due to Missy’s refusal to be his valentine. Devon is so upset with Michael’s gifts that she pushes him into a middle school proposal. Gina locks herself in the laundry room at her own party because her valentine this year is Lola.
Nothing is matching up with how they expected it would, but their choice to react in the irritable way that they go about is what causes their Valentine’s Day to go sour. This is especially the case with Andrew who gets in way over his head, but hey, at least he managed to finally make that basketball shot!
Overall, the message that we should take away from this hilarious Valentine’s Day special is that we need to be more appreciative for the brilliant things that have been right in front of our eyes this whole time. Sometimes we look too hard to find a source of happiness that is at the moment out of reach, and when we don’t get it, we cast ourselves as unfulfilled.
We all need to do ourselves a favor and stop stressing out so much about Valentine’s Day! For our own good, we must take a step back, and start to appreciate what is within reach. Like the message of many romantic comedies before it, (inducing the rom-com this episode seems to be paying the most homage to, (When Harry Met Sally), sometimes the one who you need the most is not the person who you would ever expect, (Connie+Nick, Jessi+Matthew, etc.), but nevertheless you might grow to realize that they are your perfect match.
About the Author: Simone Torn is a 22-year-old writer from Chicago, Illinois that writes everything from movie reviews, to cringe-worthy dating experiences. You can find her most recent work here.
