“(Boss Baby!) I'm the Boss, Boss Baby / Boss Boss Boss Baby / Boss Boss.”
Ah, the joys of being the elder sibling. What household position is more puissant, glamorous, and relaxing than the role of big sister? In short, all of them. At least the dog gets its own bathroom; the same cannot be said for me. The magnum opus of older sibling experiences is unabashedly relishing in children’s television shows. Yes, you may be too “old” for Spongebob, but your eleven-year-old brother is not. (Okay, he is.) You may happen to be in the room, doing something innocuous, like calculus homework. If you are fortunate enough, Boss Baby: Back in Business will be playing on Little Brother Direct. Relying on the birth and upbringing of your younger sibling for children’s network television is just like cable, only less expensive. Boss Baby: Back in Business is an absolute cinematic masterpiece. No other show is quite the same. Its predecessor, the computer-animated comedy film The Boss Baby (2017), stars the voice of Alec Baldwin as an even balder baby. The Boss Baby follows a boy helping his baby brother, who is a secret agent for a corporation dedicated to securing adult love for babies over other insidious interested parties, most notably the puppies. The film is brazen but a wonderful primer for what follows.
If you enjoyed the Boss Baby movies, be ready for the babbling bewilderment of The Boss Baby: Back in Business. If you did not enjoy the movies, the show contains much more mature humor than the movies, providing a bridge between subtle social commentary on aging and fart jokes. Smirks and eyerolls at workplace culture and capitalistic enterprise are delivered through bobblehead babies. Notably, Episode 7 of Season 4 is a fan favorite. Titled “Chicago,” this episode follows “Boss” as he travels to the Windy City and intervenes in the business of a global, vaguely described corporation. Cleverly disguised in a mustache, viewers gawk as this tiny man takes over a global corporation within the span of a day. The twist? Another disguised baby has already taken the territory. A chuckle-worthy spin on office politics ends with an office-worker-turned-musician baby, a union for retail workers over a store’s return policy, and a major deal made by someone under 2’ tall.
Strikingly poignant messages on maturing and childhood are covered in the Boss Baby franchise. In the new show, The Boss Baby: Back to the Crib, a story of teenagers and pining for the love entailed by childhood is thinly veiled with moody ducks and spaghetti-covered sofas. Boss Baby’s writing is both bizarre and logical; it is a bridge between playful humor and deep thinking. It is an example of what good children’s shows should do -- create fun for everyone. The episodes are witty, relying on complex plot- and character-building rather than (completely) slapstick comedy for entertainment. When slapstick comedy is used, it is done so in a tasteful, calculated manner. The show writers manage to create a connection between you, the viewer, regardless of age, and a suit-wearing baby and his playful older brother. It is a welcome escape from the menial tasks of life. Plus, the opening theme is a true earworm. Embrace your inner baby.
Sincerely,
A Tired Older Sister