Tuca & Bertie Season 3 Episode 4 Review: Leaf Raking
Tuca & Bertie Season 3 Episode 4, “Leaf Raking,” finds our eponymous duo reaching starkly different realizations during, of all things, a leaf-raking championship. Who knew raking leaves could be so competitive?
Tuca & Bertie morphs “Leaf Raking” into a bottle episode, keeping the plot limited to the Bird Town Stadium. This show already rips a page out of Broad City‘s book with the sexually-obsessed female lead, but “Leaf Raking” thrusts Tuca’s obsession under a microscope, encouraging her to analyze what’s impeding her from embarking on her usual sexual escapades.
TUCA: A group of old people deciding what I should do with my body? Sounds fresh and original. I’m in.
Of course, her breakup with Figgy hits a significant nerve, yet she suppresses her feelings by endeavoring to have sex with all of the competitive leaf rakers.
It’s so refreshing to see a woman in this role à la Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother, or, well, just about any male character in anything. There’s always at least one man who fits the bill of the resident philanderer. Tuca & Bertie bursts this trope wide open by allowing Tuca, a bisexual woman, to fill this often cis-hetero part. It’s downright exhilarating.
Meanwhile, Bertie and Speckle pretend to be the parents of Tuca’s adorable niece, Tulip. There’s always that point in a relationship wherein each party examines whether or not children lie in their collective future. The crossed wires between Bertie and Speckle provide fodder for drama, but it doesn’t go anywhere.
BERTIE: What’s your favorite vehicle used for municipal purposes? You into garbage trucks, or…?
We only see them argue for a few minutes before they reach a resolution, which doesn’t feel wholly earned. Perhaps if the writers spent a tad more time examining the ins and outs of Bertie and Speckle’s familial desires, it would resonate more instead of being a simple “misunderstanding.”
Admittedly, the Tuca plot hits home more, as we see the stadium sisters revere her as a sex goddess. There are some fun comedic bits and one-liners with Tuca and her newfound buddies. We also get a smattering of poignancy amid the humor while Tuca realizes why she can’t get it on with one of the leaf rakers.
It’s a profound reminder of how unprocessed feelings negatively impact the body. We take that trauma, grief, and pain and store it while it’s unacknowledged and unhealed, allowing it to fester. Then, we wonder why our bodies respond to pain in ways we don’t recognize. Tuca learns to listen to her body.
TERRY: Eyes on the leaves, boys. I see clusters, but I want to see piles!
It’s a vital lesson for today’s climate as we’re subjected to worldly trauma, and we absorb the pain of those we don’t know through tiny digital screens. It takes a toll. Tuca & Bertie explores Tuca’s unprocessed sadness regarding her split with Figgy, and it’s lovely to see her come to terms with it.
“Leaf Raking” marks another chapter in healing for our fave bird duo, and, despite a few narrative hiccups, the lesson is essential, and the humorous bits keep it entertaining.
Stray Observations:
- Every professional leaf raker in this episode has some variation of “Tom” in their name, which feels apropos.
- Seeing more of Tuca’s sister is great, especially in a competitive space. While they seem different at face value, “Leaf Raking” showcases their similarities, notably when Terry’s fully immersed in the game.
- We need a spinoff with the stadium sisters, please, and thank you. How did the stadium sex curse begin? How many times did they attempt to break it? The questions are endless.
- Bertie and Speckle would make wonderful parents. If they’re on the hunt for an adult child, this reviewer is ready to accept animated bird parents into her household.
- It’s the return of Dapper Dog! Thankfully, DD worked his way to the top after that devastating Bird Town flood.
What did you think of this episode of Tuca & Bertie? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Tuca & Bertie airs Sundays at 12/11c on Adult Swim, with next-day streaming on HBO Max.
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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.