Review: The Adventures of Paddington “Paddington Celebrates Mrs. Bird’s Day”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Paddington writes to his Aunt Lucy that today was the day he finally opened the jar of her “most marvelous marmalade”. He goes on to explain exactly what occasion warranted such a sweet treat: Mrs. Bird’s day.

The Brown family is busy decorating the house while glad in Mrs. Bird costumes. Judy and Jonathan explain to Paddington that today’s the day they thank Mrs. Bird for everything she does for them.

Paddington reminisces about all the help she’s extended his way. He wants to do something nice for her as well. A picture of Mrs. Bird eating an egg and sardine sandwich sparks an idea.

He decides he wants to make a special marmalade sponge cake. He reminisces about his favorite dessert, and how happy his aunt’s versions of the treasured recipe made him feel as a cub. Mrs. Brown tells him that feeling is “nostalgia”, and indulges in some herself with thoughts of her favorite childhood treat: banana jelly.

Unfortunately for Paddington’s marmalade celebration dreams, he finds himself unable to open the jar. Mrs. Brown gives it a try, but the lid’s stuck for her as well. Mr. Brown tries his hand at it, but fails as well (and declares it completely impossible to open for good measure.)

Paddington is distraught. Will they ever be able to open the jar, and save the (Mrs. Bird’s) day?

Our Take:

Props to the Brown family for going all out on celebration decorations. Balloons with Mrs. Bird’s face on them? Tartan banners? Wigs and sweaters? Next. Level.

Aside from the unusual and over-the-top celebration (which again, I fully support), this episode’s a fairly typical one. It’s admittedly a little strange to see everyone in the family go about their usual problem solving approaches while clad in their Mrs. Bird getups.

But ultimately it adds some subtle comedy without detracting from the overall “try again, ask for help, try another way” message that this show effectively reiterates. It also offers practical advice on how to approach stuck jar lids (a common real life issue), as well as the scientific explanation for the old “running the jar under hot water trick.” Although a full bubble bath for the difficult container seems a bit excessive, especially since it didn’t work.

This food-centric episode also lets us peer into the tastes of some of the main adult cast. Mrs. Brown’s banana jelly gives off some distinct Neopets vibes, while Mr. Curry’s gravy, Mr. Gruber’s goulash, and Sofia’s maracuja lend themselves to slightly more traditional animated food visuals.

I was hoping for more traditional jar opening tricks, but the goal of the story ended up being not so much overcoming the obstacle and creating cake with the marmalade, but instead exploring the value of nostalgia when it comes to giving someone close to you a special surprise.

Ultimately, the takeaway of creating a gift not based on one’s own preferences, but the person you’re giving it to, is a valuable and rarely touched on message. Even if it involves a rather unsavory sounding sandwich combination to suit the tastes of Mrs. Bird herself.