A lot of reboots get a bad rap, and usually for good reason. So naturally, when the announcement of a Beavis and Butt-Head revival rocked the internet, most were understandably miffed at the suggestion of one. They were a product of the 90s, one that was seemingly doomed to remain there after the failure of their previous comeback in 2011. However, the surprising success of their direct-to-streaming film Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Multiverse proved that the duo still have some creative sparks left in them. Following the continuity established in the movie, a revival of the series premiered to staggering acclaim late last year.
With the duo transplanted into the modern day, Beavis and Butt-Head are now tasked with navigating the world of smartphones, streaming, and TikTok. But don’t fret — while the idea may sound off-putting, the comedic opportunities showcased in season one came close to rivaling that of what came before. So with season two arriving on Apr. 20, what can we hope to see in the next set of brain-melting adventures?
More Middle-Aged Beavis and Butt-Head
Due to events in Do the Multiverse, Beavis and Butt-Head now exist in two alternate timelines — one in which the duo remain as their adolescent selves in 2023 and one where they grew up into middle-aged adults. While the first season gave their older counterparts comparatively less attention, their segments are arguably some of the funniest on offer.
Aging up the duo allows them to face uniquely adult challenges with the same kind of apathy and idiocy their younger selves are associated with. Beavis needing a liver transplant due to rampant alcoholism, the duo is forced to attend jury duty, and Beavis tending to Butt-Head’s needs as a social worker are notable highlights. But, in a way, it also feels like a treat for older fans of the series. While we may not have been clamoring for an aged-up reboot of our favorite characters, it allows those who grew up with them to enjoy Beavis and Butt-Head’s modernized antics more thoroughly.
Beavis and Butt-Head Reacting to the World
In the first attempt at a reboot, Beavis and Butt-Head found themselves taking on topics relevant to 2011 as if the duo had never left television. They emulated the experiment conducted by Morgan Spurlock in Super Size Me as a means to “get chicks.” The duo found themselves at a computer desk either to aid in technical support or pilot military-grade drones. At one point, they even meet who they believe to be Dog the Bounty Hunter and start walking around with pepper spray cans and tactical vests afterward. The duo reflects the decade they’re inhabiting, and we can expect no different in season two of the reboot.
Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe already tackled a lot of the more obvious ideas you’d expect. From smartphones to white privilege, the duo have quickly adapted their dim-witted worldview to the modern day. Episodes from the reboot would further explore more isolated topics that demand their own focus. Escape rooms, psychiatric medication, and virtual reality stand alongside more practical scenarios that wouldn’t be out of place in the original series. An entire episode is devoted to the dumb duo being stuck on a roof, for example.
But while we can always expect the same classic humor that their practical misadventures offer, a lot has happened in the short time between seasons one and two. NFTs re-entered the public consciousness after the legal mess that is the FTX scandal. AI has exploded into an equally terrifying yet fascinating part of everyday life. We’re not saying the duo needs to make statements on anything in particular, but there are some comedic opportunities in current events. Maybe the pair could confuse inflation for something relating to balloons. Whatever the writing team has in store, it’s sure to be on par with what came before.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Beavis and Butt-Head if the duo didn’t sit on a couch and react to whatever’s on the television. It was a novel concept during the series’ original run, and with thousands of hours of content now available from internet-based creators, the duo has delivered some of their best riffing in years. ASMR, wilderness survival, mukbang, and modern music videos have yet to fail in delivering laughs, all while staying true to the spirit of the original series. All we can hope for is that they continue experimenting with new content, as the most unconventional videos have resulted in the most explosive laughs.
The new Beavis and Butt-Head reboot, frankly, has no right to be as good as it is. Yet, here we are. For newcomers and old fans alike, it’s as if nothing has changed since the show’s original debut. With a comparatively quick turnaround for season two’s production, let’s hope that the same level of quality we’ve seen so far will remain unchanged.
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