Animal Control Season 3 Episode 1 Review: Giraffes, Gorillas, and Penguins

Animal Control Season 3 Episode 1, “Giraffes, Gorillas, and Penguins,” parallels the chaos of a zoo break with the pack bouncing back from setbacks. 

Written by Jim Brandon & Brian Singleton and directed by Bob Fisher & Rob Greenberg, this season premiere finds the characters in precarious situations.

All of them are wacky and wonderful in ways that Animal Control has become accustomed to delivering over the last two seasons. However, none are as jarring as Frank’s relationship with Yasmin, who has ghosted Frank not once but twice.

Sarah Chalke debuted and exited as Frank’s ex-girlfriend on Animal Control Season 2 Episode 1, “Raccoons and Mutts.” While there is symmetry in Yasmin reappearing in the third season’s premiere, “Giraffes, Gorillas, and Penguins” maintains that balance but loses a bit of its coherence. 

Ultimately, this episode flips the script — Yasmin is taking the extra smoothie-in-hand step to make their relationship work, not Frank.

Unsurprisingly, it falls apart at those seams again, but it’s not entirely the characters’ fault. Frank and Yasmin rekindle their romance off-screen, so Frank’s perception of Yasmin’s obsession with him feels out of left field on-screen.

Animal Control misses all the big beats — reconnecting, growing closer, deciding to become a couple again — in the time between seasons. So, if Yasmin’s behavior becomes increasingly obsessive, “Giraffes, Gorillas, and Penguins” skips that escalation and finds the chaos at its peak and the relationship at its ends.

Luckily, there are on-screen conversations about why Frank is so set on ending the relationship. It’s also telling that Victoria is the only one he really hears those self-sabotaging criticisms from — Animal Control is playing the long game there.

“Giraffes, Gorillas, and Penguins” gives Victoria a bit of a break after last season.

Most of Animal Control Season 2 puts so much pressure on Victoria to maintain citizenship, so it’s exciting to see her back in her element — encouraging Patel to do the bulk of work during calls. Of course, this show would never use a real gorilla, yet a man in a gorilla suit makes the entire bit extra hilarious.

It’s also in character for this show to turn a funny bit into a heartwarming one.

It’s sweet to watch Victoria try to help Patel get back in Addie’s good graces, and, predictably, Patel would unintentionally say something embarrassing on the local news that would go viral. It all exemplifies that the characters’ familiarity — three seasons into the show — creates a rhythm for the actors in these bits. 

The episode’s overall cohesion and continuity make Frank and Yasmin’s story stand out for better and worse.

Their romance is integral to understanding Frank’s complicated relationship with intimacy. So, it’s unfortunate that they burn out before they can show if they have potential. However awkwardly it gets there, “Giraffes, Gorillas, and Penguins” leaves Frank in an exciting spot for this season.

Frank once compared himself to the independent and mysterious cougar C38, but now he resembles an emotionally distant and evasive penguin, Oreo. 

Their fast-paced demise is also interesting when juxtaposed with Shred and Isabelle’s relationship. They have only been together for a short time, but they perfectly match each other’s energies. Their relationship feels steady in a way that doesn’t only exist to push off Shred and Emily until they get together. 

Like Emily and Rick, Shred and Isabelle play out like a dynamic with substantial potential. Animal Control Season 2 Episode 7, “Skunks and Swans,” signals that when Shred sees a possible future with someone other than Emily. 

However, unlike Frank and Yasmin, “Giraffes, Gorillas, and Penguins” instills hope that the show will feature the ins and outs of their relationship during its longevity. After all, that narrative significance worked in Emily’s favor last season.

That’s why Emily turning down Rick’s proposal off-screen isn’t that disappointing.

Animal Control Season 2 spends plenty of time with Emily and Rick, showing the cracks in their relationship early on. Relatedly, the season gradually emphasizes that Emily’s feelings for Shred never disappeared. Their relationship spans many episodes, whereas Frank and Yasmin have two to define their dynamic.

Regardless, this season premiere touches base with Emily’s unresolved feelings for Shred — mainly through the protection of her office’s window. The evolution of Emily and Shred’s dynamic has been one of the most consistent and exciting serialized elements of Animal Control.

“Giraffes, Gorillas, and Penguins” introduces a story to rival it as Emily finds a mentor (and potential benefactor for the precinct) in billionaire Fiona Holcomb, played by the always funny and talented Lucy Punch. (Ella Enchanted, anyone?)

This new character — her potential impact on the precinct and Emily as a leader — instantly adds energy to the season that already hits the ground running with a zoo break.  That same zoo break inspires Shred to follow a penguin down a waterslide while Frank waits at the bottom. The pack is so back!

—

What did you think of the season premiere of Animal Control? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Animal Control airs Thursdays at 9/8c on FOX.

Follow us on X and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!