Kevin Review: Aubrey Plaza’s Animal Sitcom Is A Raunchy Mix Of Humor & Heart

Created by Aubrey Plaza and Joe Wengert, Prime Video’s Kevin begins in simplicity: the protagonist, a tuxedo cat named Kevin (Jason Schwartzman), is enjoying his daily routine in the home of his beloved owners. The show quickly establishes the rules of the adult animated sitcom: a world where animals can talk, eat, and drink like any human, and where pets are both beloved and autonomous.

But Kevin’s world of lounging in the lap of luxury is quickly upended when his owners decide to break up. While it’s initially presumed that Kevin will go with his female owner, Dana (Aubrey Plaza), the sting of what’s happened is too much for him. After a short misadventure across New York City, he finally finds a home in Furrever Friends, a pet shelter in Astoria, Queens.

He meets numerous other cats at the shelter: The drug-loving, free-spirited Cupcake (Whoopi Goldberg), the prim and proper misanthropist Armando (John Waters), and the sick yet sweet Judy (Aparna Nancherla). The shelter owner, Seth (Gil Ozeri), allows Kevin to stay as long as he wants, much to the chagrin of his gruff canine companion, Brandi (Amy Sedaris).

What follows is a series of misadventures across eight episodes as Kevin acclimates to his new environment and attempts to find a new purpose. Raunchy jokes and pop culture references fly as each episode brings a new story, and thus a new perspective for the protagonist. But behind a veil of rather hit-or-miss humor is an animal-centric tale with plenty of heart.

Kevin’s So-So Humor Is Balanced By Admirable Characters

Although a streaming comedy TV show, Kevin‘s humor doesn’t always land — but that doesn’t necessarily make it bad. The show is strongest when it’s playing up two elements: raunchy hilarity and animal-focused comedy. As with most adult animated series, there are plenty of drug and sex jokes to be had, many of which are tactfully delivered by the series’ more raunchy characters.

The animal-centric comedy is another shining star, with humor related to owning pets, including the behaviors of dogs, cats, and horses. It adds a layer of situational humor to the show that’s uniquely its own. The line delivery from its voice actors is impeccable, too, making for some memorable jokes and situations that otherwise wouldn’t work in any other comedy.

However, the show does have some flaws in terms of its overreliance on pop culture references. Some of these flew over my head, clearly aimed at an older audience or someone more tapped-in with popular musicians or stars of decades past. The in-joke presentation doesn’t always land, feeling more like a writing crutch than added flavor to the series as a whole.

Which is an odd choice to make, considering how many wild misadventures Kevin and his friends get up to throughout the show. From over-the-top depictions of (literal) pet peeves to Kevin making up elaborate lies that hilariously blow up in his face, the show’s situations are top-notch for both story and comedy. The pop culture jokes come across as bland by comparison.

Luckily, even when the humor isn’t at its best, the character writing is perfect. Kevin is a likable protagonist, taking on the everyman role in contrast to his friends. He has his own brand of wackiness that stems from being a house cat, which offers plenty of jokes. But, at his core, he’s a short-tempered lost soul trying to find his place in the world, something the show takes to heart with his portrayal.

Armando is another standout: while initially positioned to be Kevin’s possible mentor in the world of pets without people, the orange tabby quickly turns out to be an egoist with a holier-than-thou attitude toward humans. However, he also has the best character story out of everyone, with an emotional silver lining that explains his mindset more than anyone else’s.

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Of everyone, Judy was my personal favorite because of her joyfully delivered non-sequiturs about over-the-top health problems, alongside plenty of hilarious out-of-pocket things she says. And yet, she isn’t sequestered by being the comedy relief. Instead, the Prime Video animated series uses her humorous elements to its advantage, fleshing her character out in surprising and funny ways.

Cupcake, unfortunately, was the weakest character for me. While Goldberg delivers a great voice performance (as does the rest of the cast), her hairless cat character never quite clicked. Although she delivered the most raunchy humor of everyone, the story set up around her personality felt like it was pushed to the wayside instead of intermingling like the other three in the back half of the season.

Kevin Gets More Endearing The Longer You Watch It

The characters in Kevin are a helpful part of the show, mainly because of how much time it takes for the show to find its footing. The first episode admittedly feels uneven and somewhat unfocused, rushing through Kevin’s introduction to Furrever Friends while adding elements that, overall, were some of the least interesting parts of the show.

But, by the time episode 3 rolled around, I was hooked. The series may have its ups and downs in the humor department, but each episode manages to hold its own through the wacky scenarios Kevin and his friends find themselves in. It’s most apparent in the primary plot of each story, which usually involves Kevin getting in over his head in a wild, unpredictable way.

Admirably, the show juggles a number of storylines every episode in a reasonable fashion. Everyone who appears in each episode has some part to play, be it Armando ending up in a situation where his hatred of humans gets the better of him, to Seth going to hilarious lengths to save as many pets as he can. Kevin pulls out all the stops to ensure it’s never boring.

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This isn’t the case for every episode, though, with a handful embodying a slower, more methodical pace. However, the dialogue remains snappy throughout thanks to the expertly-crafted writing of the characters. It goes hand-in-hand with everyone’s performances, which are a vital part of making the entire series feel alive, even in its slower moments.

It’s because of the animated sitcom’s succinct ability to give everyone a purpose while balancing relatively strong character writing with solid humor that Kevin stands out. Not everything about the show is perfect, but, with animation that flows as a cherry on top, all the strongest elements of the series coalesce into an often memorable experience.

Though it’s only eight episodes in length, Kevin is a memorable and fun addition to Prime Video’s animation catalog. The overreliance on pop culture humor can be grating at times, and while not every character’s story feels fully fleshed out, the ones that are and the humor that lands more than makes up for it. It’s not perfect, but it is a worthwhile endeavor with plenty of laughs in store for its four core felines.

All eight episodes of Kevin arrive Monday, April 20 on Prime Video.

Release Date

April 20, 2026

Network

Prime Video

Showrunner

Dan Murphy, Joe Wengert