Human Resources season 1: Why did Sonya get fired?

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains significant spoilers for Human Resources season 1 on Netflix.

One of the biggest mysteries in Human Resources season 1 revolves around Sonya the Lovebug, voiced by Pamela Adlon. The character is one of several that was originally introduced in the show’s parent series Big Mouth. But in the very first episode of Netflix’s spinoff comedy series, she gets abruptly fired from her job with no explanation given.

Well, there is an explanation given, but it’s not until Human Resources season 1, episode 8. So if you’re reading this article because you’re afraid you missed something in the early episodes, fear not! All will be explained in due time.

With that said, you should turn back now if you don’t want to get spoiled on the reveal.

Human Resources season 1: Why did Sonya get fired?

In the eighth episode of the season, Sonya finally tells her assistant Emmy why she lost her job. The short answer is that Sonya fell in love with a human, specifically her client Becca’s doula, Claudia (Janelle Monáe).

Creatures are strictly forbidden from getting romantically involved with humans, especially humans that aren’t even their clients! But Claudia was a special case for Sonya as she was struggling with an illness that allowed her to see Sonya and her vibrant glow. Human Resources paints a beautiful, poignant, and ultimately tragic, story of their romance.

If you want to get a thorough explanation of everything that happens between Claudia and Sonya, check out the episode 8 recap in our episodes guide. But if all you wanted to know was why Sonya got fired, it’s for falling in love on the job.

Will Sonya get her job back in Human Resources?

In the first season, Sonya’s arc has her dealing with the grief of losing Claudia. She turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism. By the end of the season, Sonya has made great strides and seems to be in a much better place, working as a bartender at The Mistake Factory.

Could she get her job back? It’s hard to say. Emmy has really come into her own as Becca’s Lovebug, so if Sonya returned I imagine she would get assigned new clients. It would be fun to see Sonya interact with more creatures, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens!