Review: Tuca & Bertie “Fledging Day”

Overview:

It’s Fledging Day in Birdtown and Bertie does her best to not let the triggering holiday get the better of her in what’s otherwise been a restorative year for her. Bertie’s extended time with her mother begins to stumble over the same pitfalls, but an important impasse is reached that could redefine their toxic tango. 

Meanwhile, Speckle and Tuca also use the holiday to look inward, but their decidedly singular efforts have more to do with the behavior that they’ve ingrained in themselves rather than what’s been generationally regurgitated down to them over the years.

Our Take:

With two episodes left, season three of Tuca & Bertie has proven itself to be a cornucopia of character development for every bird involved, not just its two titular characters. Family has been a sore spot for Tuca and Bertie, but it’s holidays like Fledging Day–Tuca & Bertie’s bird-quivalent to Mother’s Day–that can put unnecessary pressure on these fragile relationships. Bertie’s temperamental bond with her mother has been an important part of her character since the start of the series, but it’s only occasionally something that’s directly under examination that’s impossible for her to avoid. 

“Fledging Day” finds strength in the ways in which it explores how Bertie and her mother are both alike and dissimilar, but through the context of these birds’ unique perspectives on the loaded holiday. “Fledging Day” is an emotional, introspective installment of the series that speaks towards how arguments and awkward conversations aren’t inherently a bad thing, but what’s important is how they’re handled and what’s learned from the experience. Sometimes you end up with a difficult conversation, but other times you can heal years of pent up trauma. Or become an open mic Spanish crooning sensation. 

It’s difficult to see Bertie and her mother out of sync and the ensuing tug of war of pride and approval that breaks out between them. This is incredibly raw subject matter, but “Fledging Day” turns to some playful visual elements that add some levity to Bertie’s frustrating displeasure. The Adult Swim seasons of Tuca & Bertie have been considerably sparser when it comes to the series’ experimental use of mixed media, but there are some delightful vignettes created through wool and yarn that are effective. Crafting can be such an intimate, therapeutic endeavor so it’s an appropriate conduit to contextualize Bertie’s bond with her mother.

By the end of the episode Bertie’s dynamic with her mother isn’t radically different, but it’s still a big deal that she’s able to honestly speak her mind with her parent when it comes to the topic of children. They’re essential baby steps to a healthier relationship between the two of them, but that doesn’t mean that it’s always going to be pleasant. The resolution here is surprisingly wholesome and it’s the most that Bertie’s mother has ever resembled her daughter. There’s still a lot of work for these two to do, but it’s an encouraging development that this season will end with both Tuca and Bertie on stronger ground with their families.

Fledging Day is also a valuable time of reflection for Tuca, but this former “latch-tree” kid is left with a very different relationship with the holiday. Tuca’s attention is largely distracted by Speckle’s recent unemployment status, which keeps her from playing buffer between Bertie and her mom. Tuca tied to Bertie’s hip is absolutely how this storyline would have played out back during the show’s first season. It’s appreciated to see this continued growth of not just Tuca and Bertie as individuals, but also the series as a whole. Bertie is initially the one who laments that Tuca can’t join her on her Fledging Day activities, but it’s not long until Speckle feels a similar ambivalence towards his unexpected companion and certified “loaf coach” for the day.

Last week’s episode embraced the potential of a Tuca and Speckle plot, so it’s exciting that “Fledging Day” continues to build off that dynamic rather than put it to bed. The schism that’s experienced between Speckle’s endless pursuit of productivity and Tuca’s insistence on a lazy refractory period makes for natural entertainment. Speckle’s mission to find something new that defines him beyond his job seems a little drastic and he doesn’t need to reinvent himself just because he’s been fired. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with individuals who throw everything into their work and take a point of pride in how it defines them, but it’s still ultimately a helpful life lesson for Speckle to understand that sometimes a job can also just be a job.

“Fledging Day” continues a satisfying season of growth in Tuca & Bertie that brings together several of the free-floating themes that have been prevalent across these new episodes. A chance for genuine conflict is once again avoided in favor of a sweet resolution, but it doesn’t feel like a cheat this time around and it’s comforting that the characters’ familial bonds are on the mend rather than continuing to fester. In a holiday that’s all about regurgitation, Tuca and Bertie manage to avoid vomiting up the same destructive cyclical habits that have held them back in the past. A clean metaphorical esophagus has never been such a point of pride.