Animal Control Season 3 Episode 4 Review: Baby Kangaroos and Chickens

Animal Control Season 3 Episode 4, “Baby Kangaroos and Chickens,” successfully swaps traditional calls for time away from the precinct.

Removing that tried-and-true formula gives the workplace comedy the space to stretch and grow with impressive results.

Written by Sam Shanker and directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, “Baby Kangaroos and Chickens” takes the season to new heights with a surprise guest star and a fundraising event that delivers more than checks. 

This episode hits the ground — literally, Frank falls to the ground because of the shock collar in the cold open — running and doesn’t take a breath until the tag. 

Animal Control immediately complicates Frank and Fiona’s situationship by introducing Victoria and Fiona’s situationship.

This development encourages Frank to reconsider if he wants to be exclusive with Fiona, already pushing back on his resistance to intimacy as recently as Animal Control Season 3 Episode 1, “Giraffes, Gorillas, and Penguins.”

It also inspires jealousy that backfires in the best way. Frank’s ego takes a — necessary — hit when he assumes he will win the competition for Fiona’s affection. Refreshingly, Animal Control shows Fiona as, if not more interested (Fiona’s reaction to Victoria’s outfit change!), in Victoria as she is Frank. 

Lucy Punch has fantastic, palpable chemistry with everyone on this show.

It’s exciting to see Victoria have a romantic storyline with Punch’s Fiona. Victoria’s romances — however casual — are mostly periphery occurrences. So, “Baby Kangaroos and Chickens” is a nice change of pace.

The yoga instructor from Animal Control Season 1 Episode 2, “Rabbits and Pythons,” her green card husband, as revealed on Animal Control Season 2 Episode 1, “Raccoons and Mutts,” and the watercooler guy on Animal Control Season 2 Episode 6, “Bunnies and Veggies,” fizzle out or never spark.

Otherwise, the most significant yet short-lived romantic possibility is with Dr. Colette Summers during Season 1. Coincidentally, Frank and Victoria compete for Colette’s affection. Colette turns Frank down and befriends Victoria, and Frank and Victoria learn to see Colette as a person, not a prize.

Unfortunately, Alvina August exits Animal Control as Colette after the first season. The show never provides any updates about the character (or Kelli Ogmundson’s Dolores Stubb), making the initial parallels between Frank and Victoria’s Season 1 and Season 3 competitions a little bittersweet. 

“Baby Kangaroos and Chickens” does something different by having a character (Fiona) explicitly point out Frank and Victoria’s “vibe.”

Doing so means that Frank and Victoria become the titular chickens by avoiding a kiss that acknowledges their feelings for each other.

Joel McHale and Grace Palmer are so good with physical comedy and have settled into their characters’ dynamic so well by now. It’s almost like they’re dancing around the obvious for the episode’s entirety. 

Still, the broader similarities to that Season 1 story raise concerns that Fiona will serve this very relevant purpose and vanish without an explanation.

The issue is that, like August and Ogmundson, Punch makes this role so compelling that it’s challenging to imagine the show without her. It’s one of the reasons why it’s good to see Krystal Smith’s Bettany strengthen dynamics within the ensemble on Animal Control Season 3 Episode 3, “Goats, Snakes, and Dogs.”

Moreover, this season has barely scratched the surface of any mentorship between Emily and Fiona. There is still plenty to do with this character, even though she has already signed a $10k check for kennel overflow. 

Hopefully, this season breaks Animal Control‘s pattern of characters disappearing. One who definitely shouldn’t go anywhere for a long time is Josh Segarra’s squatter and former painter, Parker. 

Any fan of Segarra’s comedic work — The Other Two, Abbott Elementary, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law — will gasp at seeing him on “Baby Kangaroos and Chickens.” There is truly no one better to play a character built on charm.

Few others could sandwich crimes between compliments as convincingly as Segarra. Parker also picks great weak(er) points. It’s delightfully in character that Patel folds all his reservations upon being vaguely recognized as Officer Thumbs. Ideally, this bit will live on well into Animal Control‘s future.

“Baby Kangaroos and Chickens” suggests that may be true for Segarra’s Parker — now that he’s Shred’s roommate. That move from Shred is such a kind reflection of his character. Of course, he wants the house to sell for his cut, but Animal Control mostly plays it as a kind gesture to help Patel.

If someone is not watching Animal Control yet, “Baby Kangaroos and Chickens” is the type of episode that will make people want to tune in every week. Everything about it revitalizes this always-improving season of one of the most underrated comedies on TV.

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

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