The Great North has been cancelled at FOX after five seasons and nearly 100 episodes, so there’s no better time than ever to go back and check out what you might have missed. Originally created by Wendy Molyneux, Lizzie Molyneux, and Minty Lewis, The Great North was a standout in FOX’s Animation Domination block since its debut in 2021. Unlike many of the other animated shows around it, The Great North steered toward kindness and gave fans a warm feeling with each and every episode. It’s a vibe that you can’t get in many other shows these days, so that made it standout all the more.
But unfortunately now that it’s been cancelled, revisiting The Great North is a bit bittersweet. It’s a show that really needed the support when it was on the air, but there’s also a chance that supporting the show now could help to bring it back someday. It’s not impossible to see a cancelled series making a return with new episodes in the future, so if you’re interested you should check the animated series now streaming with Hulu. Here are ten great episodes of The Great North to help you get started.
10). Sexi Moose Adventure (Season 1, Episode 1)
There’s no better place to start with The Great North than the very beginning. While pilot episodes of animated franchises tend to be weaker as it takes time for the creative team and cast to really lock the voice of the show down, it was clear from the start that this show really understood what it was going for. Focusing on a humble family in the small town of Lone Moose, Alaska, it was immediately apparent that this family truly loved one another and were close to one another despite the mother figure abandoning them all years ago.
But what helps to sell this is the healthy dose of wacky anxiety that quite literally manifests itself as a moose that keeps wreaking havoc throughout the premiere. It’s a fun and cozy start to the show.
9). My Fart Will Go On Adventure (Season 1, Episode 11)
The first season came to an end with a fantastic finale wrapping all of it up too. Through the first season we meet every member of the Tobin and Shaw families, so seeing them come together for Wolf and Honeybee’s wedding (which has a Titanic theme because they both really like movies) was a wonderful sight to see. Making it all more impressive is the fact that it’s also once again dealing with that absentee mother as the Tobins try their hardest to spark a second fake wedding to avoid the mother crashing the party (only to be disappointed when she doesn’t show up).
It strikes the perfect balance of bittersweet acceptance that can be seen through the show later, but also emphasizes that this family has the endurance to get through anything as long as they have each other.
8). Slide & Wet-Judice Adventure (Season 2, Episode 21)
Wolf Tobin (Will Forte) is a ball of anxieties that can run amok through his higher sense of self-confidence that takes it all to a new level, and some of the best episodes in the series showcase how he makes things worse for himself because of it. Believing water parks to be cursed due to how many times he’s lost his trunks in the past, Wolf decides to head to a terrible local “beach” while the rest of the family heads to the park instead. There are fun stories from the family with different stories at the water park, but it’s Wolf’s adventure that really stands out.
Wolf literally gets himself into a hole that he has trouble getting out of, and it goes just about as well as you expect. It’s an excellent example of what makes Wolf so special in the show among all of the others, and definitely a stand out.
7). Say It Again, Ham Adventure (Season 2, Episode 20)
Ham Tobin is a great piece of the puzzle too, and the best of his episodes is “Say It Again, Ham Adventure.” Ham being gay was always just accepted as part of the series and not made a big deal out of, and that’s exactly what this episode tackles head on as Ham wishes he got to have a big dramatic coming out. Every time he tried to do so in the past, the rest of his family was quickly loving and supportive. It adds a fun layer to Ham where he loves that he’s loved, but part of him wonders if he missed out on a gay milestone.
The rest of the family tries to make good on this by taking him towards a terrible aunt, and she holds them all hostage. It’s a wild ride that ends with the family doing a bigger coming out for Ham that he dreamed of, and it’s just so sweet. It’s a great balance of its wackiness and heart that this show did so well.
6). Cillian Me Softly Adventure (Season 3, Episode 2)
What also makes The Great North so special across its five seasons is the town of Lone Moose, Alaska itself. There are so many examples of episodes where the town is completely absorbed in some kind of practice or tradition that seems wacky from the outside, but everyone takes it very seriously. This includes their annual disaster preparedness day, and this episode imagines a dinosaur attack thanks to Moon Tobin.
There are so many fun moments between people of the town as they are scattered into different groups that interact with one another, and it’s a great example of what makes this show so great as each of these townspeople have rich comedic veins to draw from and bounce off of one another. It’s just a fun, self-contained episode you should check out.
5.) For Whom the Smell Tolls (Season 3, Episodes 21 & 22)
On the other hand, some of the best The Great North episodes unite the entire town against a bigger enemy or situation. “For Whom the Smell Tolls” is a two-parter that wraps up Season 3 (and is the only two-parter in the show’s history) with an epic scale story that involves many different characters. Sparking with a strange smell that carries through the entire town, Judy Tobin is trying her best to have a great prom. But there are so many surprises in the way the dangers scale.
Massive stores of rotting meat, pizzly bear attacks, underground bunkers that are at risk of explosion, claustrophobic walks through tunnels, and tons of humor still to be found throughout. It’s probably The Great North‘s biggest episode overall, but nothing about it ever breaks the reality set by the animated series before.
4). Any Court in a Storm Adventure (Season 4, Episode 12)
The Great North is also fantastic when it locks the Tobins in their house as it’s revealed when they are snowed in, they each lose their marbles a bit. “Code Enough Said Adventure” was a fun example the first time around, but things get even battier with “Any Court in a Storm Adventure.” It takes the Tobin courtroom introduced the first time around to a wild new degree with even more fun characters involved, and Beef trying to curtail it all by posing as a ship captain instead. But it’s not long before it all falls apart and the family is close to taking out one another (only for the blizzard to end). It’s a wild ride, and a fun couple of days in with the wacky Tobins.
3). Am I the Ice Hole? Adventure (Season 4, Episode 20)
Honeybee Shaw-Tobin is one of the bigger standouts as her stories are often very fun, but it’s rare to see her and Beef paired up together. It finally comes to fruition with “Am I the Ice Hole?” as Honeybee misses her own dad so much, she decides to spend time with Beef to compensate. She’s warned by the others about not accompanying him on his ice fishing trip, and it leads to a rather emotional moment between the two of them when they finally opened up to each other about it.
It turned out Beef wanted to spend time with her as she was his last resort to getting someone to enjoy his favorite hobby. But through this moment, the two of them find a new level of understanding that showcases why the two of them are such great members of the family. It’s just a sweet episode.
2). Serendipi-Beef Adventure (Season 5, Episode 17)
Even with all of its great members of the Tobin family and Lone Moose, you’ll likely discover that Beef really is the best character in The Great North. Much of his journey through the animated series is moving on from the fact that his ex-wife abandoned him and the rest of the family, and his dating life is a core focus on many of the best episodes. This all came to a climax in the final season with “Serendipi-Beef Adventure” as Beef sought to cement one of his romantic partnerships under a special comet that only appears once every 20 years.
After going through his many potential options, and wonders whether or not they’ll go the same route as his ex-wife did, it’s ultimately resolved through his son, Moon. It all comes together in such a big way that it really does feel like a full circle moment for the Beef we’ve been watching for five long seasons.
1). It’s a Beef-derful Life (Season 5, Episode 22)
But if there’s any episode of The Great North that perfectly encapsulates the series, it’s the final one. The Great North wraps up with a story once again focused on Beef as he worries whether or not he’s lived the exciting life that the rest of the town expects him to. But through a vision looking into his past, he realizes that he’s been a stable part of so many lives. It’s an emotional resolution perfect for a character like Beef, and it really comes to life through the fact we’ve seen this town going through so many adventures to this point.
The final episode makes sure that each character gets a moment to shine, and even sneaks in each of their catchphrases or quirks before it ends. Then it goes out with an extended end credits sequence with Alanis Morrisette (who was a recurring guest star) belting out a new rendition of “Thank U.” It hits harder if you have made the journey through any of these other episodes before watching the finale. The Great North couldn’t ask for a better goodbye.
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