Long-running adult animated comedy series Big Mouth just unveiled its final season on Netflix. Supervising Director Anthony Lioi dives into making the series finale episode and how he feels about wrapping up the Annie and Emmy winner. (This Animation Scoop interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: What is one of the top memories you’ll have about working on “Big Mouth”?

Anthony Lioi: Laughing everyday with my co-workers who have become great friends. I’ll repeat a story one of our ADs told me when we were 100% remote. Because some of our content can be… “adult”… we were joking out loud about how to handle a sexually charged gag, when I noticed her father walking by behind her. I was like, “Oh s–t! What does your dad think about making all these rude jokes?” She answered with something he told her at the dinner table… that he “is so happy to hear her laugh everyday” and how happy that made him.

JM: Why do you think the show has resonated with so many people over the past eight years?

AL: There are plenty of shows that have “adult content” but what “Big Mouth” has over those shows is the heart we bring. The real life struggles our characters deal with are certainly relatable (and educational)! All of the jokes we made in “Big Mouth” were rooted in respect, heart and humanity.

JM: What were the goals you and the team had for the series finale episode, “The Great Unknown”?

AL: To “stick the landing”. We knew we were tasked with ending the show on a high note. And anytime we can successfully make Jennifer Flackett (co-creator) cry, we knew we did our job. That was such a solid script!

JM: The episode is about moving on and taking the next step, as well as reflecting on the past. How did you feel that as you were making this episode?

AL: Well.. so many storylines and callbacks were written into season 8. Some of it is super subtle, that only a superfan would realize. But, revisiting some of the themes, or reversing a gag really shone a light on all the work we’ve done over the years. And it was really nice to look back on it all with pride.

JM: Characters also share how they feel the future can be “terrifying” and “scary”. How did you want this gang to express their emotions in this finale?

AL: Like any good story, the characters have to have a journey. So in the finale, we ran the gauntlet with everyone. And knew that we were going to end in a very positive light. They all happily embrace the unknown and step into their futures!

JM: As they walk into the white light, the characters become pencil sketches. Was it challenging to craft these final moments of the show?

AL: Challenging? Nah, piece of cake. But, glad you noticed that detail. To the writers the “void” represented the blank page. You can write your own future. We also wanted to extend the white page to represent animation paper. So, deconstructing the characters, literally using our layout sketches and thumbnails in the show as an ode to the process.

JM: You’ve been nominated for five Emmys — two for “Big Mouth”, as well as one each for “King of the Hill”, “American Dad!” and “The Cleveland Show”. What do you love about adult animation and its impact throughout the decades?

AL: I have been very blessed in my career to have worked on so many hit adult shows. Very grateful. I especially love that in these “adult” shows, we can be silly, fun, funny, yet still have topics that deal with serious stuff — death, divorce, real relationship problems, etc. I can’t imagine any kids show being that real. In ’94 I was at SVA [School of Visual Arts] in NY. We had an industry visitor come to talk to us about recruitment or something. I asked about “adult animation” and the visitor sorta yelled at me, as if I was describing how I wanted to work in Porn. I was simply describing then how not all cartoons have to be made for babies! Animation is not a genre. It’s a medium that any genre can exist in. So I look back at that recruiter from ’94 and say “F— You!” I’ve been able to make “adult content” for many, many years and many more to come.