The Animaniacs reboot on Hulu brought back nostalgic memories for me during season one. I thought of crustless PB&Js and indoor picnics at my grandma’s house. While I binged season two with the family, I felt that initial wave of nostalgia and something new swept in. I could not quite put my finger on it at the time. However, after some introspection I realized, I could not tell who the writers intended to be the audience.

Animaniacs
Source: Warner Bros & Hulu

Current State

The season began with the Warner brothers and the Warner sister Dot in Rome dealing with Nero, the fifth emperor of Rome. While many jokes in this episode relied on poking fun of past political figures, the series moved away from this type of humor as the season progressed. Instead, it was full of the slapstick, and visual comedy fans old and new have come to love. We even saw a few more episodes about the characters that did well in focus group research. The only segment that still seemed to be aimed at children was Pinky and the Brain. Pinky has found a new passion for this universe’s version of YouTube and enjoys watching and creating content. Overall, this season has stayed true to the original’s dedication to adult comedy, with children’s entertainment sprinkled in.

Thoughts

Animaniacs will always have a special place in my heart, and I felt this season was as great as the last. That being said, I felt a significant shift from this being a children’s show to being an animated show for adults. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot have always had a flair for making adult humor, but it seems the writers have abandoned the notion that this is a children’s show. While there may be some humor a child would understand, such as the Pinky and the Brain segments, most of the meat and potatoes are filled with things they would not understand. This does not feel like a bad thing, especially for my demographic. However, this could be challenging for those wishing to share the show with the younger generation. Overall, I adored season two of Animaniacs, but it might not be everyone’s bread and butter.

Odds and Ends

To get more insight on the season, or laugh until you collapse, watch Animaniacs on Hulu. The season aired on November 5th, so every episode is ready for binging. But, in the end, episode three was my favorite; I mean, who does not like a new history song, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.