Monsters at Work Panel Review - New York Comic Con 2023

(Photo by Julianna Iovino)

If you have not watched the Disney+ original series Monsters at Work yet, I recommend you put down this article and watch it. I could go in-depth about the show’s first season and how much I love it, but this article is about a panel I was able to attend on October 15, 2023, at New York Comic Con. To quickly summarize the show, it takes place shortly after the events of the 2001 Pixar animated film Monsters Inc. While classic characters we know and love show up, such as Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) and Sulley (voiced by John Goodman), the show mainly follows new original characters as they navigate the big changes that occurred as a result of the film's conclusion. Monsters at Work features a great voice cast in addition to the returning originals, such as Ben Feldman as the main character, Tylor Tuskmon, and Mindy Kaling as Val Little.

If you have watched season one of Monsters at Work, you know that the show is absolutely hilarious while having an interesting and heartfelt storyline. I will regretfully admit that I had low expectations when the show was first announced, but the show completely exceeded my expectations and became one of my favorite Disney+ originals to date. While the show does not surpass my love for the original movie, it is a worthy continuation that expands on the Monsters universe and maintains a story, along with humor, that is enjoyable for both kids and adults.

After attending the Monsters at Work panel at this New York Comic Con, I can safely say that season two is looking hopeful and seems to be nicely continuing the story and fun nature of the first season. This season follows our same main cast of characters while introducing an important and intriguing storyline that is somewhat reflective of issues we see in society today. In addition, the show is bringing in new and previously seen monsters voiced by more well-known names, like Aubrey Plaza, Nathan Fillion, Danny Trejo, and Jennifer Coolidge.

The panel began with season two executive producer Kevin Deters coming onto the stage to talk a little about the production, what there is to expect from the new season, and introducing some photos from the completed episodes, as well as the titles of the two episodes we were about to watch. My only disappointment at this part was that there was no bigger panel of crew or cast to talk about the new season. While the turnout for the panel was also disappointingly small, I still expected a little more from a Disney panel at New York Comic Con. If Disney was able to bring in at least two of the voice actors and maybe another crew member, I feel like the turnout would have been bigger. In addition to this, there were microphones set up at the sides of the stage, but no chance to ask questions. While this probably was just a leftover setup from another panel, I attended this with my brother, and we were hoping to have the opportunity to ask questions about the show. He especially had a great question, wanting to ask about the connection of the show with other media Disney has released about the story following the end of Monsters Inc.

I will not spoil the new episodes I saw, since I feel that everyone should watch the show when it releases, but I will talk a little about my thoughts. The first two episodes of season two were titled "Monsters Homecoming" and "Creep Show."

Monsters Homecoming was a good start to the second season, nicely presenting the ideas and conflicts that the season is planning to address. I will say, however, that this episode worried my brother and me a bit. While it was still good, it did not reflect the same funny aspects of the first season in this episode. It was much more story-driven and the humor was not all there. There were not as many laughs and more plot points being pushed forward. This is not a bad thing, but not something I expected from Monsters at Work, where the first season was so good at mixing plot and humor.

The second episode, Creep Show, however, completely erased any worry I had. This episode was an amazing blend of great story and amazing humor. One scene in particular, near the end of the episode, had my brother and I almost on the floor. This episode especially really made me see how some of the issues going on this season are reflective of society today and conflicts happening in the world, specifically when it comes to sources of energy we use. To reiterate my point, this episode was a great continuation of the first season, where we got a plot with important lessons to be learned, wrapped up in laughs for children and adults alike.

Lastly, at the end of the panel, as we left, we received a very nice quality poster for the second season. Pictured below, the poster features the classic Monsters Inc. doors with the art style used in the first movie, along with our classic and new characters.

(Photo by Julianna Iovino)

Overall, I enjoyed this panel and I am thankful to have seen these episodes early. I am excited about season two and hope it is released soon. I highly recommend checking out Monsters at Work if you have not already, and if you have, definitely get excited for season two! I hope everyone enjoys this new season as much as I have from just the two episodes alone.