Review: Tuca & Bertie “A Very Speckle Episode”

Overview:

Tuca and Bertie lose themselves in the comforts of astrology while Speckle attempts to put out multiple fires at work. A looming deadline and increasing compromises on his affordable housing project threatens to ruin months of planning and leave Bird Town with a gaudy eyesore instead of a means of relief. Speckle gets pulled in multiple directions and his tendency to please others and push away conflict causes him to look inward, but it might be too late to reverse this foundational damage and remove the rot. 

Our Take:

Tuca Toucan and Bertie Songthrush are the two main characters in Tuca & Bertie, but despite how his name isn’t part of the show’s title, Speckle, is a crucial cast member who can occasionally go underappreciated. There’s an entertaining and well-defined dynamic between Tuca and Bertie that can sometimes make Speckle feel like a third wheel, but in many ways he’s the heart of the series and the glue that holds many of its jagged pieces together. Speckle doesn’t always receive the same attention as Tuca and Bertie, even though the show has a fairly limited cast of characters, but his absence would absolutely be felt. Tuca & Bertie has never made it feel as if Speckle is truly in danger of leaving the series, but “A Very Speckle Episode” is arguably the closest that this bird gets to flying the coop and it provides details that are fundamental for understanding Speckle and what he needs to be happy.  

For Tuca and Bertie, astrology and crystals become a fun exercise to learn more about themselves, but Speckle happens to reject the activity. He’s so staunchly sure of who he is that he doesn’t need to turn to rocks or stars to figure out what’s best for him. Tuca & Bertie typically presents Speckle as a cool, level-headed, palm frond-esque individual, but “A Very Speckle Episode” pushes the bird’s confidence in himself to such extremes that the episode even jokes that Speckle’s name doubles as an anagram that perfectly defines him, or that his daily activities are accompanied by a complimentary soundtrack that proudly preaches his “Mr. Good Guy” nature. Even the trappings of the medium can’t deny Speckle’s infallible nature, which only reinforces and bolsters his confidence.  

Speckle’s day-to-day responsibilities and stresses (although mostly the latter) at Bower & Bower Architecture consume “A Very Speckle Episode.” He’s got a lot on his plate and the fallout will determine whether he can successfully bring affordable housing into Bird Town and combat the urban issues that have motivated Speckle since the second season finale’s flood. “A Very Speckle Episode” highlights how Speckle is an indispensable cog at Bower & Bower, but that he’s also spread incredibly thin. The calm character verges into Falling Down territory and there’s a surprising amount of tension that’s created out of the uncomfortable prospect of Speckle snapping. 

The episode hints at this powerful premise through Speckle’s pride and joy at work, which gradually begins to feature compromises and concessions to the point that this passion project barely resembles its original self. It’s an all-too-real component of work that the series has already shown Tuca and Bertie deal with in various capacities, but Speckle is such a pure individual that it’s extra-disheartening to watch him get burnt out and chewed up. Speckle’s self so thoroughly unravels that the episode even depicts a Bertie-esque interior monologue that scrambles around in his head. It’s a stark contrast from any assuring anagram that makes sense of the world.

“A Very Speckle Episode” is, unsurprisingly, heavily focused on Speckle, but Tuca and Bertie don’t sit out this episode. There’s a considerably broader B-story (excluding Zargoz, a Zordon-esque energy avatar from the state department) wherein Tuca puts all of her trust in plant sign astrology and listens to it, over Bertie, when it comes to her dating life. A lily pad like Tuca is evidently the perfect match for a pinecone sign like Bunny, who turns out to be one of the most abrasive characters that the show has ever seen. 

The episode might have ultimately been weaker for it, but I would have preferred “A Very Speckle Episode” if it fully embraced its namesake and exclusively followed Speckle through the episode, with no reprieve, while Tuca and Bertie’s plant sign shenanigans just bookend Speckle’s spiraling. That’s the desired effect that “A Very Speckle Episode” is going for, but it doesn’t fully commit. Again, this is a minor concession, but the periodic intermissions with Tuca and Bunny, while entertaining, interrupt the flow of the episode.

These new episodes of Tuca & Bertie have carefully depicted the unintentional imbalance that exists within Bertie and Speckle’s relationship, but this hits egregious levels this week and a break-up between the two seems even more inevitable (until it doesn’t). It’s a truly painful thought, but Speckle also currently isn’t getting what he wants–or deserves–out of a relationship. It’s treated like a fun visual background gag, but over the course of the episode there’s a character who’s only referred to through a series of revised bathroom graffiti, yet this non-existent “Aaron” is allowed to experience more growth and development than Speckle. It’s a powerful realization to come out of set dressing, but it’s such a strong distillation of why Speckle needs to change his current ways. 

“A Very Speckle Episode” properly builds upon many of the themes and arcs that have been building across Tuca & Bertie’s third season. The extended focus on Speckle helps demystify the character, but there are just as many bombshell breakthroughs for Bertie and Tuca within this installment. “A Very Speckle Episode” has been long overdue and it thankfully course-corrects as it goes along instead of blowing up its characters’ happiness with only a few episodes left in the season.

Oh, and Bruce is rich now.