Review: Birdgirl “We Have The Internet”

Overview:

Judy is ecstatic to bring Sebben & Sebben into the 21st century with the long-awaited addition of Internet access to their workplace. However, this simple decision snowballs in unexpected ways when the building itself appears to rebel against the changes that are taking place. Judy and many of the top Sebben & Sebben employees struggle to survive against the increasingly erratic and dangerous actions of this “living building.” Judy and company hunt for the secret to this disaster as Meredith puts out her own fires, albeit of a romantic nature. Meredith’s secret workplace romance with Brian grows complex in more ways than one and leaves Sebben & Sebben’s intrepid mindtaker in a new place where she feels both powerful and vulnerable

Our Take:

Dune may preach that “Fear is the mind killer,” but this week on Birdgirl is an exercise in the utility of fear as a productive motivator. Birdgirl is a series that deals with an unusual amount of fear on a regular basis and it’s even baked into its premise to some extent. Change and growth can be a frightening thing, but “We Have the Internet” tackles fear from a number of different angles, whether it’s a fear of legitimately frightening things, a fear of the unknown, or a fear or progress, like the Internet. “We Have the Internet” mashes together many excellent horror parodies to tell an emotional story about loss and memories.

Haunted house and poltergeist stories have been told for decades and are an archetype of the horror genre. It’s a little surprising that Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law never truly pulled off a horror pastiche, but that’s all the more reason for Birdgirl to sink its talons into this territory. The idea that Sebben & Sebben gets haunted doesn’t seem that exciting on paper, but “We Have the Internet” goes all Amityville Horror, Event Horizon, Cube, The People Under the Stairs, Monster House here and explores this topic in a very exciting way. There are some genuinely disturbing and compelling ideas here, like new walls and storeys willing themselves in and out of existence, that would play great in a horror film. 

It’s also a tiny subversion to the norm, but it makes such a difference that Sebben & Sebben is itself alive rather than some curse or spirit being forced upon it. A living building feels incredibly in line with this series and Harvey Birdman’s universe. Furthermore, it allows the addition of Internet to trigger these anthropomorphic tendencies because Sebben & Sebben feels threatened and in danger of losing itself. What’s ultimately important is that the episode is funny and that these ridiculous set pieces work, but it does help that somehow “We Have the Internet” essentially tells a haunted house story that boils down to empathizing with bricks and mortar and feeling a human connection. It’s sweet. It’s insane. It’s Birdgirl.

Birdgirl continues to consciously expand upon its supporting characters and it’s done a great job in this department. However, certain individuals like Tony Hale’s Paul and John Doman’s Dog With Bucket Hat still feel more like ciphers that coast by based off of the quality of their voice acting and the exaggerated nature of their character designs. Future installments that allow them greater depth would go a long way, but with only two episodes left in the season it’s unclear if they’ll receive such attention. Neither of these characters actively hurt Birdgirl, but they’re the current weak links, which is a little surprising considering that Dog With Bucket Hat initially seemed primed to be the breakout character.

Much like in the previous episode of Birdgirl, “We Have the Internet” works best when it embraces absurdity and just allows itself to have fun and pursue any weird impulse that comes to it. The “psych-up montage” that initiates while Judy attempts to issue memos is entirely ancillary, but it’s that tone and energy where Birdgirl should live. Each episode demonstrates more of Birdgirl’s eccentric voice and it continually proves why a second season is especially advantageous for this show and couldn’t help it evolve to even more impressive levels. 

Additionally, the smaller background details and the almost Willy Wonka-esque nature of Sebben & Sebben continues to be very entertaining. The corporation, in a literal sense, is the major focal point of “We Have the Internet,” but so many scenes are filled with Dr. Seuss-esque contraptions that the episode doesn’t even draw attention to because so much else is going on in each scene. The doctored painting in Meredith’s apartment or the live-action wasteland in Brian’s subconscious conveys the same strange energy. There’s always a kinetic, Rube Goldberg style of progression to Birdgirl’s comedy where there are many elements to consider at once. However, it’s strangely sublime to just have hundreds of feet of wire chaotically unspool and whir in the background of expository scenes. It feels like every scene would benefit from this level of disorder.

“We Have the Internet” is another excellent episode of Birdgirl that highlights just how creative this show can be and that it’s regularly able to maintain this level of madness for a full 22 minutes. This entry refines what’s worked best for Birdgirl during the first half of its season, but also works hard to expand upon its characters and themes. Each episode of Birdgirl becomes more unpredictable and that’s incredibly exciting.