Animal Control Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Ducks and Penguins

Animal Control Season 3 Episode 7, “Ducks and Penguins,” addresses the elephant in the room when Frank goes against Emily to find Oreo.

This episode, written by Dan Sterling and directed by Clark Mathis, confronts Frank’s ego with an equal measure of humor and sincerity. In turn, Animal Control showcases its wide-ranging strengths via some of the pack’s best exchanges yet. 

“Ducks and Penguins” breaks the last few episodes’ — albeit constructive — pattern of spending less time at the precinct. This episode feels like a return to form with an ever-sharper self-awareness. 

The show creatively approaches its titular animals on Animal Control Season 3 Episode 4, “Baby Kangaroos and Chickens,” and Animal Control Season 3 Episode 5, “Hot Dogs and Lobsters.” This episode goes back to the show’s basics and features both animals; seeing the characters interact with them is a blast.

“Ducks and Penguins” features the former in an adorable cold open.

The latter helps the show continue its long-running metaphor between Frank and a penguin. Oreo the Penguin makes his grand return since Animal Control Season 3 Episode 1, “Giraffes, Gorillas, and Penguins.”

The episode even includes a sweet Pomeranian that doesn’t make the cut for the episode’s title. Nevertheless, that small animal spearheads a mini vacation-turned-disaster for Patel and Victoria. The duo haven’t had a heavily-featured case of the week since Animal Control Season 3 Episode 2, “Rattlers and Gators.”

That episode pushes their dynamic as Patel’s ego when his dose of fame gets in the way of their work. “Ducks and Penguins” moves past that to highlight a traumatic bonding experience for Patel and Victoria.

From a private jet to border security, Animal Control tests their commitment to the job.

The former plays out in Victoria’s desperate pleas for a flight attendant to tell her how high the private jet is in kilometers. Grace Palmer plays that sequence so well. Victoria’s panic is palpable, but plenty of levity surrounds her.

For instance, it’s ingenious that Patel becomes the babysitter for the flight attendant and pilot’s child. One day, something will work out for him!

It’s peak chaos that Animal Control carries through the $300 cab ride, closed sushi restaurant, and night spent at the bus station with canned fish. It’s also a joy to watch at every turn because it has been a few episodes since Ravi Patel and Grace Palmer shared this much screen time.

The only situation that could possibly rival Patel and Victoria’s is Frank and Shred losing Oreo among a group of nuns. It sounds so silly that it can’t possibly work, but “Ducks and Penguins” commits to the bit — twice. 

Their search for Oreo uncovers a previously unexplored side of Shred’s past and tees up a well-played confrontation between Shred and Frank.

Whether it be Oreo’s inability to commit to his loved ones or Oreo’s escape reflecting poorly on his public image, Frank pins a lot on the penguin.

Animal Control amplifies that with Frank’s correlation between Fish & Game (and their truck/boat) and the Feds. Once again, the show explores the lasting impacts of Frank’s complicated history as a police officer. That character work makes Frank’s actions understandable, but the show never pretends they’re justifiable.

Instead, “Ducks and Penguins” forces Frank to look beyond himself.

It’s refreshing that Emily gets annoyed and holds Frank accountable — for his actions with Oreo and his comments about how she reacts to getting yelled at by her boss. It has been three seasons of Frank pushing the rules and going rogue.

It’s more than fair for Emily to put her foot down. Seeing her list her accomplishments is also fantastic because she is a good supervisor who does a great job despite the hurdles that Frank (and, occasionally, the rest of the team) creates.

It’s also pivotal that Shred speaks up to Frank and knocks him off that pedestal.

Frank may never admit it, but “Hot Dogs and Lobsters” proves that Frank values Shre’d friendship enough to feel hurt by Shred spending more time with Isabelle. Joel McHale leans into that in Frank’s reactions to Shred calling him out for his behavior. It’s subtle, but there’s a shift in Frank at that moment.

It may be temporary, but it sticks long enough for Frank to apologize to Emily with one (of two, thanks to Shred) Oreo from a man named Steve.

Fake Oreo is the gift that keeps on giving because he inspires the best Emily and Shred scene of Animal Control Season 3 so far. It’s impossible not to get swept up in the moment when Shred tells Emily that things won’t click unless you’re with your person. Like the rest of “Ducks and Penguins,” that scene has an ideal tonal balance.

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

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