Commisioned by Aleph Null
Trigger warning: sexual assault.
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| HOT FUZZ (2007) Cinematography by Jess Hall Directed by Edgar Wright |
Tuca & Berite is a delightful throwback to the nineties animated sitcom. Specifically, the kind of animated sitcom that relied on treating the animated world as a canvas rather than a representation of the real world and also didn’t have the lesson everyone got from South Park that being a giant asshole who hates everyone (but is conveniently softer on conservatives than they are on liberals) is a good substitute for a sense of humor. Which is to say that it’s more in the mold of the rubbier episodes of The Simpsons (Sheri Bobbins, Hank Scorpio, Tomaco) than Brickleberry.
The show focuses on a pair of anthropomorphic birds named Tuca and Bertie who fit into the archetypes of “free spirited party girl” and “repressed career girl.” Together, we see them explore the various highs and lows of friendship, love, and workplace drama. But unlike many a throwback series that’s banking on people knowing what the 90’s felt like, Tuca & Bertie takes the lessons learned since the 90’s and applies them to their new series. Specifically, in regards to serialization and the politics of the show.
Throughout the series, Bertie takes on an apprenticeship with a very famous chef whose training style is very… hands on, a phrase which here means “#MeToo.” While not going as far as depicting an actual rape, the imagery of and framing fits within many a narrative of a sexual assault survivor, specifically one in denial of what has happened to them. It’s sympathetic to Bertie’s situation, exploring the ways in which denial and self loathing made her think such things as sexual assault were ok to happen to her.
Equally, Tuca is dealing with having to live on her own as a disaster who can’t keep a job and is estranged from her family for various sad reasons that involve a history of alcoholism, a feeling that everyone who loves you will just abandon you, and dependency on a rich aunt signing checks. Ultimately, Tucan & Bertie help each other through their various issues and grow as people, a rarity for a sitcom.
Indeed, the show is very much a rarity in the sitcom genre as it’s written from a perspective of women. The head writer and creator of the series, Bojack Horseman alumni Lisa Hanawait, brings a sweetness and humanity to the series’ general rubberiness and cartoony charm that one typically doesn’t see in even modern sitcoms. You wouldn’t think 2 Broke Girls would have a cutaway to the two having a heart to heart about an old flame in the midst of a heated argument.
Overall, Tuca & Bertie is a delightful show that’s worth the five hours it takes to watch. Also it has Steven Yeun, easily the best part of most things he’s in, as the put upon boyfriend who has a picture of his own face and had to eat his own grandmother because she was baked into a cake. That’s just delightfully weird in a way you don’t see in modern sitcoms.
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