For those who have heard of "Bee and PuppyCat," you would not be mistaken that the show has been released again. The crowdfunded project was picked up by Netflix in 2020 and given a new look in its refreshing reboot here in 2022.
“Bee and PuppyCat” revolves around an unemployed women in her early twenties named Bee who befriends a mysterious cat-dog hybrid called PuppyCat. The pair embark on a journey together of working temporary jobs to pay rent.
Many viewers may be waiting for a continutation of “Lazy in Space,“ the second season of the original “Bee and PuppyCat,“ and should not fret, as it may find a new home on Netflix in the near future too. The reboot looks to go into the same direction the original version went, but with many adjustments to the original material. As for new viewers, you're in for a treat.
Natasha Allegri’s bright colored show returned on Sept. 6 and with it came a new mess of things. The show is unapologetic in how much sense it doesn't make; failed wrestlers breaking through walls, tubs of assorted sweets, child landlords, and the equivalent of quick time events at every corner for Bee and her bossy friend.
Despite how the show portrays her, do not think of PuppyCat as a pet. The dynamic Bee and PuppyCat have is akin to two friends as PuppyCat arrives now in Bee's time of need with the two of them becoming close friends.
The show has a habit of not explaining anything, and it works since this show is going for a lighthearted experience. Even when there are stakes or larger than life conflict where someone is in actual peril, there are moments that come to relieve the tension. This is especially the case in episode 16, where a million things are happening at once. It is a running joke that things will not make sense.
The first few episodes can be described as meant for kids with light adult humor, but beyond episode 7, you notice that the humor itself is entirely meant for an older audience. The humor in this show isn't forced, in fact them being the opposite. This is likely how the show gets away with its TV-PG rating. Even curse words are bleeped out (literally), and many of the organic jokes made through dialogue are only easy to digest with an older mindset.
It becomes clear quickly that this show, mixing the vomit of colors and subtle adult humor, is meant for all audiences at face value. If you grew up watching "Adventure Time" or "Steven Universe," this show fills in that void.
Bee and PuppyCat are the show's main characters, but viewers are often flipping between the two of them and several other cast members. The passage of time here is all over the place, as each episode could be one or several weeks after the previous.
It is easy to tell that the series doesn't have episodes isolated from how each side character has their own respective lives that viewers keep up with. This helps since the two main characters otherwise do not go through many real changes, and with season 1 following a similar blueprint as its predecessor, you won't see much progression out of them until later in the series.
I would not confidently recomment this show to anyone, as it is not easy to understand could be detrimental. A new audience may look forward to season 2 solely to aid in understanding the unelaborated elements.
Those who previously watched the series are aware of certain factors, but the show itself is self-aware of the wackiness and even makes a joke about it at the end of season 1 through one of it’s reoccuring characters. Anyone willing to give this show time to develop, while enduring the wait for a second season, are more than welcome to give this bubbly show a go.
I would give “Bee and PuppyCat” a 7.5 out of 10.
