Review: Tuca & Bertie “Leaf Raking”

Overview:

Bird Town’s leaf raking phenomena pulls Tuca, Bertie, and Speckle in different directions as this fascinating foliage prompts major change in these characters. Some impromptu babysitting duties for Bertie and Speckle lead to some big conversations about children, what their future might look like, and if they’re prepared for such things. Alternatively, the robust leaf rakers at Bird Town Stadium trigger Tuca’s hormonal requirement for the perfect rebound, which sends her down a crazy quest that’s full of curses and copulation.

Our Take:

Leaves, much like fears and doubts, are at their most manageable when they’re collected together and some sense of logic and order is applied to this chaos. The raking of leaves plays a major role in the newest episode of Tuca & Bertie in a literal sense, but it’s also thematically relevant in this introspective installment. The changing of seasons is usually a strong time for reflection, which leaves Tuca and Bertie with some unexpected and raw emotions. These birds are forced to reconcile with who they are versus who they tell themselves they are, whether it’s their (in)ability to move on after a break-up or their given talents (or deficiencies) as a spouse or parent. “Leaf Raking” is another strong entry in the show’s third season that provides a lot of rich emotional material for Tuca and Bertie as they clean up the cluttered leaves of their minds. 

Seasonal changes are always a fun perk in animated series and Tuca & Bertie’s shift to autumn is visually appealing, but it also prompts the episode’s storylines, which revolve around the raking of leaves in one way or another.  It’s always appreciated whenever Tuca & Bertie further develops Bird Town, so it’s a great delight to learn that an organized sports league of leaf raking is one of the area’s greatest recreational pastimes. Tuca & Bertie has never felt particularly rooted to its characters’ apartments and it’s typically a series that’s on the move. However, it’s a fresh change of pace that “Leaf Raking” is essentially set entirely at the Bird Town Stadium and ditches its usual comforts. At no point does “Leaf Raking” feel padded or like this field trip episode needs to hurry back to what’s familiar.

Tuca & Bertie taking some time away from its standard sanctuaries is appropriate for an episode that’s interested in both characters confronting past patterns and seeing if they can rise above them. The freshly single Tuca attempts to return to the comforting rebound mode that she’s used to after a break-up, but she suddenly struggles to be the same sexually liberated toucan that she considers herself to be. After the events of Tuca & Bertie’s second season it’s a relief that Tuca and Figgy are already finished and that she’s not going to put herself through another season of compromised romance. Tuca sowing her oats also isn’t dissimilar to the act of raking leaves and so it’s smart for the episode to mix all of this together.

Tuca’s territory is tonally all over the place, but it’s still able to connect and prompt helpful growth in her character. Tuca revisits some of her past sexual triumphs, which at one point amassed 74 partners in a single night. Her bold brags begin to hint at the emptiness of these connections and what Tuca has lacked through all of these hook-ups. Tuca is at her most mature, yet “Leaf Raking” tests this growth through one of the series’ craziest storylines. Tuca is praised as some kind of Sex God who’s the chosen one to lift the stadium’s curse and free some lost souls (and orgasms). Tuca’s journey is ridiculous at every turn, but it’s exciting that Tuca & Bertie is embracing more hyperbolized ideas that aren’t afraid to visit material that’s unabashedly silly.

Tuca gains some clarity in her life as she mourns her past relationships and learns to appreciate the value in confronting her feelings before jumping into the hollow comforts of a rebound relationship. It’s just a bonus that this epiphany solves a sex curse in the process and helps a group of old birds believe in themselves again, just as Tuca finds the confidence to get her own life moving forward. Tuca and Bertie are largely apart throughout “Leaf Raking” and so this menagerie of old birds that Tuca bounces off of are a lot of fun. These characters are tied to this particular plotline, but they all work so well that it’d be nice if they could return in the future and forge some kind of friend group around Tuca. She deserves more outlets beyond Bertie and Speckle.

“Leaf Raking” looks to be unearthing all of this material so that Bertie reaches the troubling realization that Speckle wants to be a father, which are feelings that she may not share. The episode deserves credit for avoiding this typical obstacle and having some depth on the topic of children. Speckle isn’t the type to throw an ultimatum at Bertie and it’s helpful that they actually talk through this hurdle rather than end the episode in a weaker place of doubt. There’s still plenty of foreboding subtext as this season of Tuca & Bertie hints at the dissonance that continues to arise between them. Bertie and Speckle’s contrasting parenting techniques don’t cause a rift between them, but it’s territory that makes Bertie rake through the messy leaves of her pent-up mommy issues and consider the weight and responsibilities that she puts on this role.

Tuca & Bertie continues to impress when it comes to silly storytelling with a cathartic and emotional core. The series shows greater confidence as it separates its titular characters and allows the supporting cast and setting to shine. This season is already full of rich storylines that mix silly with somber. Tuca and Bertie have already been through a lot in only four episodes, but it doesn’t look like they’re going to need to bust out the leaf blowers quite yet.