Tuca & Bertie Review: The Flood (Season 2 Episode 10)
Tuca & Bertie Season 2 Episode 10, “The Flood,” is a masterful metaphor that represents the mental states of our eponymous pair in the form of a cataclysmic flood. It’s easily one of the show’s best episodes.
It’s clear the writers of this show are champions of mental health and shining a light on just how detrimental our minds can be if left unchecked. Bertie’s therapy journey is proof of that. “The Flood” carefully addresses a common thought we all experience while attending therapy: Is it really working?
Bertie: I just wonder if talking about all my problems in here is actually helping? Shouldn’t I be “improving” faster?
It’s difficult for Bertie to see her own improvement, just as it’s hard for anyone to be introspective when they’re incessantly agonizing over their mental health journey.
Tuca & Bertie shows us that therapy isn’t a one-and-done thing. It’s an arduous, painful, and confusing process.
Tuca makes significant strides in terms of her character development. When her “emotional cups” are carried away by the flood, she’s forced to confront the “ghosts” of past unpleasant feelings.
Each member of our titular pair processes their emotions differently, and while Bertie is on the path to mental wellness, Tuca still suppresses her feelings.
Tiffany Haddish churns in a beautifully touching vocal performance here. Her voice effectively captures Tuca’s immensely heightened emotions. Tuca questions the need for therapy because parsing her trauma is unbearable, but the subsiding of “the flood” in the episode’s final moments illustrates how much it helps.
Tuca: But talking about stuff just makes you feel worse!
“The Flood” also touches on the nature of emotionally abusive relationships. Even though Kara and Tuca patched things up in the previous episode, the former still exhibits dangerous behavior.
Abuse is cyclical and wholly parasitic in nature — while the abuser never stops abusing, the abused are perpetually drawn to their fire.
We’re no stranger to watching physical abuse unfold on our screens, but we seldom see emotional abuse and its devastating effects.
Tuca & Bertie depicts emotional abuse in a poignant and impactful manner. It can cut just as deep as physical harm.
“The Flood” gracefully handles hot-button issues and utilizes striking visuals to symbolize the mental health of our main characters, from Bertie’s limbs falling off to Tuca’s emotional “ghosts” following her around.
The crux of this show is the bond between Tuca and Bertie, and thankfully, the Season 2 finale heals the fractured relationship between them with grace and humor.
Overall, the second season delivers on all fronts, elevating the importance of mental health while examining the complexities of female friendship through a humorous lens.
There isn’t a show like Tuca & Bertie on TV, and with a third season on the way, here’s hoping that it continues to shake up the small screen landscape with unique storytelling and flair.
What did you think of this episode of Tuca & Bertie? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.