This review was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.It’s incredibly hard to talk about the new season of Solar Opposites without addressing the massive elephant in the room, which is the firing of co-creator and Korvo’s voice actor Justin Roiland. Instead of bringing in some soundalike, the creative team behind Hulu’s hit animated comedy decided to go in a more creative route, with Dan Stevens taking on the voice of Korvo and offering fans an explanation right from the get-go. After Korvo is accidentally stabbed in the throat with a dart thrown by Terry (Thomas Middleditch), his replicant Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) zaps him with a voice restoration ray, which gives him his new staunch and confident British accent. From there on out, the series acts as if nothing has changed, and it is all for the better.

For those who are unfamiliar with Solar Opposites, the series follows a family of four plant-based aliens: the adults Terry and Korvo, and their replicants Yumyulack and Jesse (Mary Mack), who crash-landed on Earth after the destruction of their home planet. Korvo is their no-nonsense leader, while Terry is the more fun-loving one with a fascination for human culture.

Related:New ‘Solar Opposites’ Season 4 Trailer Brings a Holy War Within The Wall [Exclusive]

‘Solar Opposites’ Is Still the Same in Season 4, Even With a New Lead Voice
Image via Hulu

Picking up after the events of the Season 3 finale, Season 4 finds the titular family trying to live a more “human” life. Terry and Korvo now work an office job, Jesse has begun hanging out with the school’s mean girls, and Yumyulack likes spending his time smoking cigars with the staff in the teacher’s lounge. It is not long before the sci-fi hijinks begin, resulting in the strongest season yet for Mike McMahan’s animated hit.

Stevens completely captures the grouchy and cold demeanor of Korvo while also being able to nail down all the comedic beats as well. This does not feel like a big-name celebrity taking over a voice role; Stevens’ voice-acting shows complete and utter commitment to the series, and although the first 15 minutes or so might be jarring to long-time fans, it does not take that long to get used to it. Solar Opposites is still the same show that we have grown accustomed to, with these new episodes building upon what worked beforehand while also including the fan-favorite subplots of “The Wall” and “SilverCops” and taking those stories into new, exciting, and shocking directions.

These new episodes have plots that range from Korvo and Terry attempting to bribe their new boss into getting a ping-pong table to all four Solar Opposites delivering a unique set of Gooblers and embarking on a road trip to an animal rescue. We also find the characters getting a potential new family member in the form of a Flintstones-inspired Dino, being sent into the alternate universe of stock images, turning invisible, and yes, becoming human. The new season of Solar Opposites is not going to bring in any new fans, but why should it even try? Everything from the absurd and risqué sense of humor to new twists and turns within the confines of The Wall makes this the best season yet.

The Wall Subplot Still Remains the Best Part of ‘Solar Opposites’
Image via Hulu

While the marketing and promo material for Solar Opposites primarily focuses on the alien family at the center of the series, it’s the subplots that are easily the strongest aspects of the series. Sure, we’ve now come to love Korvo, Terry, Jesse, and Yumyulack, but it’s the plotline revolving around The Wall (a structure in Jesse and Yumyulack’s bedroom filled with hundreds of humans that the former shrunk down for various reasons), that makes this series just so addicting. The series also brought in another plotline in Season 3 revolving around the SilverCops, a parody of the Green Lantern which is also further explored in Season 4.

The new plot in The Wall revolves around Cherie (Christina Hendricks) going head-to-head with Sister Sisto (Sutton Foster) a nun turned cult leader, who now preaches about how Jesse is their god who will supposedly save them all from their shrunken down fate. It’s incredibly impressive just how captivating The Wall subplot has become, and it has only gotten better as the series has gone along. It almost gets to the point where viewers might prefer these subplots over the misadventures of Terry and Korvo, especially since like the previous season, Season 4 runs at 11 episodes long versus the eight-episode length of the first two seasons.

At times the new season runs into repetition and while the characters revisiting some old plotlines can be fun, including a return to The Wooden City as well as a surprisingly heartfelt appearance from the Red Goobler, other elements feel like they’ve already been done better before. It is always great to spend more time with Jesse and Yumyulack, but there are only so many storylines that can be covered in order to play into their sibling rivalry. The same can be said with Korvo and Terry’s will they, won’t they relationship, which does add a surprising level of heart to the series, but at the same time, it runs into the problem of repeating some of the same jokes over and over again.

Even if it does start to get repetitive at points, Solar Opposites is still one of the better original comedy series that Hulu has to offer, and this latest batch of episodes may just be the series’ most entertaining to date. As Hulu continues to build its animation library with the recent revival of Futurama and the upcoming revival of King of the Hill, as well as original shows like Koala Man, Solar Opposites will likely continue to stand out as one of their best programs, animated or not.

Rating: B

The Big Picture

The new season of Solar Opposites maintains its comedic and absurdist tone while introducing a new lead voice actor, Dan Stevens, who brings a confident British accent to the character of Korvo. The subplots, particularly the storyline revolving around The Wall and the introduction of the SilverCops, continue to be the strongest aspects of the series, surpassing other elements of the show. While some plotlines in the new season are repetitive and rehash old ideas, Solar Opposites remains one of Hulu’s best original comedy series, offering its most entertaining episodes yet.

Solar Opposites Season 4 premieres August 14 on Hulu.