The Perfect BoJack Horseman Successor Just Landed on Prime Video — Binge All 8 Episodes Now

If you miss BoJack Horseman-style bleak laughs with a soft underbelly, Prime Video just rolled out something squarely aimed at that itch. It is called 'Kevin,' it premieres today, and yes, it is from Aubrey Plaza and her ex, Joe Wengert. They co-created the show together, which is already a fun bit of real-life backstory baked into an animated series about a cat processing a breakup.

What Kevin actually is

Jason Schwartzman voices Kevin, a pampered cat whose cozy life gets wrecked when his humans split up out of nowhere. He bolts, scrapes by on the streets for a minute, and eventually lands in an animal rescue in Queens. That is where he clicks with a crew of lovable weirdos. If that setup sounds like a therapy session disguised as a talking-animal comedy, you are not wrong.

• Creator duo: Aubrey Plaza and Joe Wengert (who dated back in the day)
• Kevin: Jason Schwartzman
• Rescue misfits: Whoopi Goldberg, John Waters, Amy Sedaris, Aparna Nancherla
• Guest stars: Quinta Brunson, Charles Melton, Addison Rae, Tig Notaro, Nicole Byer, Patti LuPone, Debby Ryan, Cary Elwes
• Season length: 8 episodes
• Odd little wrinkle: The show is inspired by Plaza and Wengert’s real cat, also named Kevin, who they say was adopted from 'a mob family '

The vibe and the pitch

Tone-wise, it sits in that deadpan, melancholic lane where the jokes are sharp and the feelings sneak up on you. Plaza has been framing the whole project as a surreal full-circle moment that folds their actual past into this fictional cat odyssey.

"Pitching the show was a really full-circle, crazy moment. Because I was 19 when I met Joe. It kind of felt cathartic in a way, kind of like couples therapy, but 20 years later, in front of Amazon, Netflix and everyone. And we’re not a couple. But yeah, it’s crazy because that’s actually what our cat looked like, Kevin. That is our cat. So, this is like an acid trip for me. A lot going on for me."

Early chatter

Critics are split so far, and we are still in the early-days trickle. Screen Rant’s take is basically: short season, but a lively, memorable addition to Prime Video’s animation slate. RogerEbert.com’s review goes the other way, arguing that by the end of eight episodes, the novelty has worn off to the point where you might be ready to call it. Translation: expectations should be calibrated.

Should you watch?

If you are into prickly, adult-skewing animation with an emotional hangover and a killer voice cast, the premise has legs. Or paws. The Queens rescue setting and the Plaza/Wengert personal angle give it a specific flavor, and the lineup of guest stars is stacked. Whether Kevin claws its way into the pantheon or just curls up for a quick nap, you will know fast — eight episodes is a low-commitment test drive.