Animal Control Season 5 Episode 4 Review: Introducing the Silly Billies

Animal Control Season 5 Episode 4, “Tortoises and Billy Goats,” establishes new lore for the pack while uncovering endearing sides of familiar dynamics.

This episode, written by Jen Jackson and directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, is the season’s best episode, which instills all the more hope for what’s to come.

It fires on all cylinders from opening with a tortoise named Tim’s 100th birthday to, well, literally everything that follows. Even one of the supporting stories that feels like it might fall short lands with ease in the end.

“Tortoises and Billy Goats” is primarily about Emily’s upcoming interview with the HR rep, Rhonda. It’s what Animal Control does with that story that is impressive. 

For one, it feels like Patel’s story with Isha won’t fold into the overarching story, but it does in such a hilarious and satisfying way.

It’s always nice when Animal Control remembers that there is more to Daisy than hyping up Templeton. Removing him from the narrative means that Daisy and Patel can have this storyline that snowballs quickly.

On the one hand, it’s objectively very silly to imagine Patel doing his animal-forward job in that sweater, but it also seems like something he would do.

Not to mention, it makes complete sense that Patel starts to see himself differently in the temporary absence of Maya and his children, through whom he often defines himself. His back and forth — with Daisy and himself — about how honest he should be with Maya culminates so well.

For the first time since Animal Control Season 4 Episode 9, “Bats and Camels,” the show welcomes back Punam Patel as Maya. With her in India, it would be so easy for Animal Control to keep Maya off screen for the phone call.

It’s better that “Tortoises and Billy Goats” shows her.

It helps to establish Maya and Isha’s friendship, which hasn’t been mentioned at all before this episode. Also, without that beat of Patel wanting to be honest about something he thinks is happening, the joke of Patel needing to be honest about something that is happening (the HR investigation) wouldn’t land as well.

As for the initial HR investigation, Animal Control seamlessly transforms it from being about Emily and Shred into it being about Emily and Frank.

Their work to bust the animal ring together in Season 2 really does turn a new leaf for their dynamic. Just last season, Frank was ready to spearhead a plan to get Emily her job back, regardless of his opinions about Templeton.

Frank may not always be upfront about it, but he supports Emily.

But Frank is also rather selfish, so of course he sees this interrogation montage as a chance to heal a wound that remains from his time on the force.

The montage of him questioning the pack is so god that it could’ve been the entire episode. Shred saying he has good recall for having eight concussions! Victoria inviting Frank to buy her lunch! Victoria tugging on the Shred/cat lore from Animal Control Season 4 Episode 6, “Roosters and Moles!”

Frank’s perspective escalates to a point where Emily and Frank get hurt. Emily ends up in hot water with Rhonda, and Frank learns that the Silly Billies has persisted without him for two whole years.

When they all put their hands in to support Emily? Obsessed!

As for the team, learning that the pack has a baseball team is equally as great as learning that Victoria writes werewolf erotica in her free time. 

“Tortoises and Billy Goats” has Frank put in the work to make things right for Emily. It’s such a simple bit for Rhonda to tell Frank to keep up and then him barely trail her the entire time, but it’s wonderful nonetheless. 

So is Frank showing he cares about everything Emily does for her by selling out Patel’s TSA secret to Rhonda. But nothing is better than their final scene.

Joel McHale very rarely delivers lines the way that he does “So I appreciate you giving me the space to be me.” There’s a tenderness to it that Frank doesn’t let surface all that often. It’s refreshing to see him like that with someone other than Victoria.

That said, “Tortoises and Billy Goats” certainly delivers for Frank and Victoria. The Shadowkeep/Frank tension culminates in one of their best scenes. Frank doesn’t realize how romantic it is that he’s read her book, which isn’t his type. It may not be for the Silly Billies, but it’s definitely a win! 

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Animal Control airs Sundays at 8:30/7:30c on FOX.

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