Review: Birdgirl “With A K”

Overview:

Birdgirl meets her match in the form of a masked vigilante, Kaptain Khaos, who’s plagued her heart just as much as her sense of justice. Birdgirl gives into love, but Kaptain Khaos’ virtues put her in a complicated position that threatens to tear down Sebben & Sebben. The halves of Judy Ken Sebben must make a difficult decision otherwise they might both lose their lives.

Our Take:

It’s been very clear right from the start of Birdgirl that this animated spin-off has considerably different aims from its predecessor. Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law elegantly juxtaposed courtroom drama with superhero stereotypes, but Birdgirl consistently speaks to the fact that Judy Ken Sebben is a greater hero and role model than her heightened alter ego, Birdgirl. Birdgirl turns to corporate malfeasance and bureaucratic hijinks for its storytelling fuel while much of Judy’s superhero responsibilities are treated like an afterthought. However, that doesn’t mean that they still can’t be mined for comedic gold. Harvey Birdman got a lot of mileage out of Birdman’s unrelenting arch-nemeses, like X the Eliminator or Zardo, and “With A K” sets out to establish Birdgirl’s very own masked match. The introduction of a rogues’ gallery for Birdgirl is a great idea that might have been better served in the show’s first season, but it results in one of the best episodes of the series and a promising direction for the future of Birdgirl.

There have been gradual instances of world-building across the two seasons of Birdgirl, but the show’s universe often feels limited to its focus on Sebben & Sebben, which admittedly has a rather broad range. “With A K” immediately stands out from the rest of the season through the use of its lascivious vigilante, Kaptain Khaos, who terrorizes various Lil’ Judy establishments, but leaves a greater impression on Big Judy’s heart. It’s a little regressive that Judy falls head over heels for the first swarthy adversary that she encounters. However, Judy’s repressed sexuality has been enough of a topic throughout the series that it’s just satisfying to watch her express herself and come across as more human. Her “truth kink” feels completely in character and a fun way to reconcile the two sides of Judy’s character, which becomes a larger theme of the episode.

Judy isn’t always the most composed individual and this new wild card in her life brings out an even more frantic side of the character. The sexual tension that trips Judy up and pushes her into panicked incompetency becomes a little repetitive, but it’s still an entertaining element throughout the episode. “With A K” benefits from how Judy’s infatuation is in fact reciprocated from Kaptain Khaos, but that it’s all a part of an elaborate plan to tank Sebben & Sebben and make a statement on corporate greed and consumerism. This perfectly aligns with Kaptain Khaos’ motivations and forces Birdgirl to become her own worst enemy and juggle her separate identities as she falls deeper under Khaos’ spell. 

“With A K” is the most pronounced instance of Judy and Birdgirl being played against each other as her heart clashes with her brain. A superhero’s secret identity becoming a liability is hardly original territory, but it’s fresh for Birdgirl to dig so deep into this schism. Judy must look at herself and Sebben & Sebben from an outside perspective, which allows the episode to become a sweet meditation on her desire to improve the company and put more good into the world. The potential evils of Sebben & Sebben function as the subtext to most Birdgirl episodes, but it makes sense to explicitly have Judy do some moral inventory in the penultimate episode of the season.

“With A K” is a confident step forward for Birdgirl that broadens the series’ horizons, both tonally and in terms of storytelling. The show’s cast is already crowded, and many characters aren’t always used to their strengths, which makes it easy for flashy guest figures to come across as extraneous. Kaptain Khaos accomplishes a lot in “With A K,” and if nothing else his ability to frazzle Judy is an entertaining delight whether he’s contained to a one-off appearance or becomes a recurring nuisance for her and the Birdteam. If Birdgirl is to survive for several seasons then it needs to properly develop its world and the hyperbolized heroes that fill it. Kaptain Khaos is exactly the brand of weird, wild wonder that helps Birdgirl soar.