iCarly Season 3 Episode 8 Review: iCause a Cat-astrophe

iCarly Season 3 Episode 8, “iCause a Cat-astrophe,” takes the season to sparkling new highs with a jewelry heist that surpasses the original show’s quest for Galini’s Coconut Cream Pie recipe in nearly every way.

The only downside to this ensemble-led mission is the absence of Sam Puckett. Even so, it isn’t as jarring as it could be because the show pays homage to Sam as recently as iCarly Season 3 Episode 6, “iReunited and It Felt Okay.” Plus, the past three seasons solidify Laci Mosley and Jaidyn Triplett as flawless additions.

Beyond that, though, “iCause a Cat-astrophe” follow suit (Pun intended!) with the rest of Paramount+‘s iCarly and takes a mature approach to the comedy that brings about surprising and rewarding character developments.

The most surprising may be Spencer’s full-blown Cats-inspired suit to help Freddie with feline exposure therapy.

With Jerry Trainor — one of the great masters of physical comedy on kids and now adult sitcoms — directing the episode, “iCause a Cat-astrophe” leans into the absurdity of a giant ball of yarn and floating cats with earnestness and nostalgia.

The former comes in Freddie’s motivations to overcome his fear of cats — Millicent. Their father/daughter relationship is an underrated dynamic in iCarly‘s ensemble, and this episode lets in shine — just not as bright as Tinsley’s Nana’s emerald earrings. Because can anything really be brighter than them?

Millicent’s joy — and Freddie’s fear — when she sees him with the infamous cat at the Catilion is an adorable moment that plays as a core memory between them.

The Paramount+ show infuses nostalgia in every scene, but the niche dose is in the origin story of Freddie’s ailurophobia. Remember the cat that Morris, the Bushwell Plaza’s janitor, thought he got out of Carly and Spencer’s walls?

That cat spurred years of nightmares for Freddie, which, frankly, tracks.

It’s perfectly bonkers that Harry Hannigan’s script calls back to a piece of lore only mentioned in one hour-long episode, iCarly Season 2 Episode 29, “iQuit iCarly.”

Equally so is how “iCause a Cat-astrophe” diverges from iCarly Season 2 Episode 6, “iPie,” with the only similarity being the friends teaming up to steal something. iCarly smartly avoids dwelling in the past and conducts a new, exciting scheme. 

The event is an animal lover’s dream (Miranda Cosgrove likely had a blast!), showcasing iCarly‘s cast’s unmatched synergy.

Not a single person (including Patty Guggenheim, whose Tinsley is new to the group) misses a beat. The banter is top-tier, and Trainor’s direction swiftly catches the action, whether it be Spencer unleashing an army of cats or all the codes Carly gives her friends to go through with her “foolproof” plan.

It’s a silly, good time from start to finish, but the character motivations at the heart of the matter make it memorable.

Though they aren’t the focal point of “iCause a Cat-astrophe,” the beats reflecting Millicent and Carly’s relationship are especially telling after iCarly Season 3 Episode 7, “iGo to Toledo.” With Millicent cluing Tinsley into the Catilion and Carly not knowing where Millicent is, iCarly builds to a larger conversation between the two characters.

Any assumption that iCarly is throwing in meaningless commentary on Carly and Millicent’s dynamic folds under the pressure of Miranda Cosgrove’s performance when Harper tells Carly, “You’re gonna make a great second mom.”

Carly’s self-disappointment is fleeting in her expression, but it’s there nonetheless.

“iCause a Cat-astrophe” hinges on interpersonal milestones, whether it be Freddie posing for a photo with a cat for Millicent or Carly proving she can be friends with Tinsley for Harper. Following the narrative breadcrumbs to a similar reckoning between Millicent and Carly before the season’s end is not presumptuous.

Their scenes together at Seattle’s Cat Museum are engaging because it’s so rare for Carly and Millicent to have those one-on-one scenes, which will likely occur at a higher frequency now that Carly is in Freddie’s life to a different degree.

All of which is why it’s ideal timing for Harper to want Carly and Tinsley to become friends. That storyline is a logical, less high-pressure preface to Carly, Freddie, and Millicent. Not to mention, it gives Harper and Tinsley more time to shine.

Patty Guggenheim is laugh-out-loud funny with every choice she makes. Her comedic timing syncs up with Cosgrove and Laci Mosley’s with an ease that makes it simple to wish Tinsley becomes a series regular in a hopeful Season 4.

“iCause a Cat-astrophe” may initially land as a filler episode with little to no consequences on character or plot, but that understanding undermines the clever work that iCarly continues to do with its character development and humor.

 iCarly takes the pressure off its ensemble with a jewelry heist that brings everyone closer — and leaves them drinking out of cat saucers. If that doesn’t encapsulate why this season has been one hit after another, what does?

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New episodes of iCarly stream on Thursdays on Paramount+. Try Paramount+ for free, right here.

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