…………………………………………………

Disenchantment Season 4 Review

The fourth season of Disenchantment was released on Netflix in 2022. It consists of ten episodes. It is the best season so far, though the series still has significant room for growth.

………………………………………………….

“Trust me. I haven’t led you astray in minutes“

…………………………………………………..

Unlike the previous seasons, this one is even more serialized, thus I’m going to review it as a whole, not episode by episode. It has two very distinct halves with the second one being better and more engaging. The first half tries to entangle all of the cliffhangers from the last season, but most felt anti-climactic in how they were handled. These episodes were fun and even funny at times, but in terms of storytelling, the second half is where the best stuff is.

This is where the show suddenly became quite grandiose and intricate in its world building for better and for worse. For comedies, this is not a great thing as it sacrifices humor in the process, but watching it as an adventure, I was definitely quite entertained, so I would call it a success. The emphasis on the different character arcs and especially the relationships between the elves, humans and other creatures was fascinating. It’s a surprisingly rich show in its mythology.

The humor has also improved in this season. The dynamic between the main trio was so strong and Elfo was so funny that I definitely did get a few chuckles here and there. It’s still not enough to compare it to the likes of ‘Futurama’ or ‘The Simpsons’, but Groening is now finally loosening and making the show more fun in the process.

Elfo is hilarious and so adorable. Bean got the most meat in terms of story and emotion. She’s just a great character all-around and Abbi Jacobson plays her so well. Luci is somewhat underutilized here, though him making fun of Elfo constantly is a lot of fun. King Zog has a couple of stellar character-building episodes, but ultimately these felt a bit rushed.

…………………………………………………..

The pacing on Disenchantment’s fourth season if all over the place. The episodes are mostly rushed and overly kinetic. The animation is gorgeous as always, very detailed and pleasantly reminiscent of old-fashioned Disney cartoons from yesteryear. The fluid nature of the animation and the amazing character designs really elevate this show. I just wish that it were funnier.