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Let’s face it: many shows that have an amazing first season wind up letting fans down with their second season. Then, even if the second season is just as good as the first, the challenge is to make a great third season. Obviously, strong storytelling and world-building are difficult to maintain through ongoing season installments, and the mystical world of television series Disenchantment demands quality more-so than those with less complex storylines. Luckily, fans of the Netflix show can rest assured that the newest season is just as complex, interesting, and hysterical as its predecessors.
Going into now the third season of the Matt Groenig original, Disenchantment continues to develop a complex world within its medieval universe. Bean, Luci, & Elfo are back again and uncovering the secrets of the mischief of Dreamland, but this season is not just exciting because of the return of its lovable characters. Instead, this season dishes out the perfect blend of world expansion and strong character development, which should keep fans hooked from the start.
Fans can expect to explore underground worlds filled with new characters called Trogs, be introduced to the industrial side of the universe in the cleverly named Steamland (as opposed to the main setting of the Dreamland kingdom), and see previously disliked characters like King Zog & Queen Oona develop into lovable show favorites. Netflix has already announced the fourth season, so buckle up and get ready for even more episodes to come — ten of which are now streaming on Netflix.
Expanding Disenchantment
This season throws viewers directly into the aftermath of the second season cliffhanger, which left our protagonists in a spooky underground lair with Bean’s evil mother, Queen Dagmar.
Surrounding Bean, Elfo & Luci are thousands of servants to Queen Dagmar, who are immediately revealed to be spooky, elf-like creatures called Trogs. What follows is an escape from the underground world, which exposes the trio to mystical mushroom taverns and ominous, colorful crystal caves. The new underground world that tunnels below Dreamland is terrifying and enticing, and this isn’t the only new world introduced in the third season.
In later episodes, Bean ends up in a new land called Steamland, the ironically named industrial opposite of the medieval Dreamland. In Steamland, new characters are introduced, like Alva, voiced by IT Crowd‘s Richard Ayoade, and Mora The Mermaid, voiced by Meredith Hagner. Fans of Bean’s romantic endeavors will be happy this season, too. Not only does Bean encounter multiple romantic prospects, but she even explores her sexuality, introducing more diversity and representation into this season of Disenchantment.
Though the first two seasons of Disenchantment are mainly set in the world built in season one, this is not the case in part three, and it is a big reason why you should watch it. The new worlds are magical and filled with hilarious and novel characters, and the introduction of these new spaces and people is artfully done, which keeps from overwhelming its audience. If this season proves anything, it’s that the creativity of show producer Matt Groenig knows no bounds, and that the universe of Disenchantment is just going to keep expanding.
Disenchantment‘s Character Development
While Groenig’s other shows like The Simpsons or Futurama could be watched on a single episode basis, Disenchantment is structured around the main story plot. This forces audiences to watch the show chronologically and gives the show’s creators an important task: writing strong character development.
In an animated comedy series, you might be asking yourself why this matters, but believe me, a lack of character development can sink an entire television series in one fell swoop. While Bean, Elfo, and Luci continue to grow into more complex protagonists every episode, other characters like King Zog and Queen Oona saw less screen time. This made their characters less likely to be fan favorites and even more difficult to sway the audience to like a previously unlikeable character like the two of them. King Zog and Queen Oona were at the bottom of my list by the end of season two, but they wound up being two of my favorites this season.
The newly developed appreciation for these characters didn’t come out of thin air. Quality character development, which introduced likable and funny personality traits, made the characters seem grown and thus more interesting to watch. As a show continues to put out new seasons and installments, it is critical to the show’s quality to show the audience that there is more to come, and a great way of doing this is showing real change and development in characters. Disenchantment masterfully writes its characters’ development to engage its audience, making this season all the more interesting.
Fortunately, some evil-doers remain the same, keeping the creepy and magical aspects of Dreamland alive. Characters like Queen Dagmar remain evil, and other characters like Prince Merkimer show a whole new, devilish side of themselves. It’s safe to say there is enough character variety to keep the viewers interested through the entire season, and by the end, you might even have a new opinion of the cast.
Does Disenchantment Have Laughs All Around?
At the end of the day, most people are watching Disenchantment for the laughs. The worst fate that can befall a comedy series is not making viewers laugh, but fortunately, Disenchantment kills it with the jokes this season. A new variety in world-building, character development, and King Zog’s crippling descent into insanity through the season keep the laughs flowing through every episode. Disenchantment serves up the same high-quality storytelling as its first two seasons, and I think I speak for all fans when I say we are looking forward to the new ten episodes. If you haven’t caught up on this season of Disenchantment, I highly recommend you watch it, now streaming on Netflix.