Welcome to Let’s Binge! This is a series where I watch TV shows and run through them episode by episode and in the end, I give a review of the Season.

First, some information on the show.

It is based on a short comic called Tuca the Toucan by Lisa Hanawalt who is also a producer and production designer for Netflix’s BoJack Horseman. She ended up producing the show alongside the voice actresses and famous comedians Tiffany Haddish, Tuca, and Ali Wong, Bertie. It was released in May 2019 and air one season before being canceled, even though the series was highly acclaimed and deemed one of the best animations of 2019.

!!!!!!********SPOILERS AHEAD********!!!!!!

Episode 1 – The Sugar Bowl

We are introduced to the world of Tuca and Bertie through a montage of magnificently bright colors and characters of animals and plants alike. Even inanimate objects can be their own person. We see Tuca introducing herself loud and proud among some park-goers as she bobs, weaves and flirts her way through the crowded pathways. She calls Bertie while she is garbage diving new furnishings for her apartment. Through this, we learn that Tuca and Bertie used to be roommates and that Bertie is now living with her boyfriend, Speckle. This scene also establishes Tuca’s flippantness when it comes to keeping down a job and Berties seemingly scripted life with a career and her people-pleasing ways as well as her baking hobby. The two are stark contrasts of each other. Tuca casually says that she cant wait until she and Bertie live together again, which Bertie replies that shes doesn’t want that and wants this move to work out with Speckle. They make plans to see each other later since they miss each other’s company with the move occupying their time.

Speckle is unpacking and is having a hard time finding a place for his things in Bertie’s apartment. Bertie is also seeing that she has different tastes than Speckle when it comes to home decore but ultimately allows him to put somethings up since everything else is hers. Tuca redecorates her apartment and tries to entertain herself but decides to go visit Bertie since there’s nothing to do. We then learn that Tuca lives right above Bertie’s apartment and that Tuca can be a touch dramatic for comedic effect, which is entertaining for us to watch and is a perfect foil for the organized, shy and people-pleasing Bertie. Tuca asks Bertie for some sugar since its a neighbor-like thing to ask. Bertie says sure but doesn’t want to give Tuca her expensive sugar for her baking, but see that Speckle also has sugar and decides to give it to Tuca instead, without asking Speckles permission to do so. This is the catalyst for the characters in this episode are due to Bertie’s disregard of Speckle and his things as he’s moving into her apartment. He finds out and is understandable upset at Bertie, especially because that sugar bowl was an urn for his grandma’s ashes mixed with sugar, which is a tradition in his family. Bertie realizes her mistake and tries to rectify it by getting the sugar back, but Tuca lent the sugar to their neighbor across the hall which ends up leading the girl to a bakery. The bowl of sugar is being withheld by a baker named Pastry Pete.

Frustrated that they can’t get the sugar back, Bertie laments that Speckle is going to break up with her. Tuca tries to reassure her by saying that she can always just move back in with her if anything happens, but Bertie says that she doesn’t want that. Tuca expresses her underline resentment of Bertie and Speckling moving in together which made her move out. This is really to mask her feelings of loneliness, sadness, fear of Bertie leaving her behind and how much she just misses living with her friend. Bertie and Tuca start fighting because of this and Bertie calls Tuca out for making this situation about her, that Bertie wants a secure life to live with someone she loves and that she has a right to exercise that desire. Tuca interrupts the argument because she thought of a way to solve their issue, and tells Pastry Pete that Bertie will be challenging him to a bake-off. He accepts but Bertie is nervous about facing him since he is an accomplished baker and culinary artist. While baking against him, Bertie finds herself attracted to Pete and it unnerves her a bit and makes her feel uncomfortable but Tuca finds ways to unintentionally ease Bertie’s worries during the contest. Pete is impressed by Bertie’s baking skills and offers her a job at his shop if she’s ever interested in leaving her desk job.

They win the sugar back but it was accidentally made into a cake. Bertie presents it to Spackle nervously, and he understandably gets upset. Bertie says that she understands if he wants to move out because of this, but Speckle reassures her that he cares about her and wants to live with her. Bertie and Tuca resolve their fight and Bertie reassures Tuca that she can come over whenever she wants….. then the cake that has Speckles grandma’s ashes starts…. talking.. its interesting and weird and heart-warming at the same time. especially because the cake then tells him to eat her because her soul is trapped between 2 different planes of existence….. interesting existentialism right there…

Episode 2 – The Promotion

Bertie wants a promotion at her job and starts to nerd out about it. Being the most qualified for the position, she’s sure that she will get it but doesn’t want to ask for it directly. She schemes to get her boss to notice her with an empowering outfit, small talk and nailing their next meeting. Tuca offers to help but Bertie declines sayings she should take care of it herself. Tuca then decides to do gigs throughout the day to earn some money instead. But she soon finds out its harder than expected to connect with her boss due to her obnoxious coworker, Dirk, stealing he thunder among other things.

Dirk interrupts her during small talk with their boss and seems to connect with him more effortlessly than she does, which hurts Bertie’s confidence. You see Dirk and the Boss, who is only referred to as Boss, use a special handshake showing their familiarity. Dirk also sabotages Bertie’s chances of being noticed at the meeting by looking at her notes and speaking over her. This discourages Bertie and ends up not speaking up for herself. Bertie calls Tuca while shes in the restroom for a morale boost but is rushed off the phone due to Tuca being busy with her gigs.

After her lunch break, Bertie tries approaching her boss but her nerves get the better of her. Dirk suddenly pops up and asks what she’s doing. Bertie says that she was just trying to ask the boss for something and Dirk insinuates that that’s why she’s, “wearing a tight sweater today,” and that the boss will listen to her because of it. Shocked and visibly uncomfortable, as well as the audience and her boob apparently, which makes her left breast POP off her chest and walks away saying she, “can’t deal with this shit,” and needs a drink. Bertie approaches HR to complain but the HR rep, a woman, shows no concern and is unhelpful, telling that Bertie shouldn’t talk about it because it could make the company look bad. This highlights that sexism isn’t one-sided and is sow from both men and women. Bertie arrives home where Speckle is making Bertie dinner. They anticipate good news about the promotion, which pressures Bertie to lie to them that she got the job, because she’s a people pleaser. Bertie is depressed and heads to bed early. This leaves Speckle and Tuca confused about what happened. Bertie’s boob comes home, who spells it out to Tuca by telling her everything that’s been bothering Bertie. Tuca is determined to help her friend and applies for a job at Bertie’s company as a Temp and gets it.

Tuca then helps Bertie to get noticed at work. She then proceeds to prevents Dirk form stealing Bertie’s ideas from her notes by literally EATING the paper. Tuca starts KAKAWING, announcing that its the alarm that sounds when a woman hasn’t spoken for 3 minutes. Berties finally gets to present her ideas. Tuca’s confidence and ability to speak up for herself attracts the attention of Bertie’s boss. He speaks with her and tells her that he thinks she has promised at the company. Due to this, Bertie starts thinking that her insecurities are the reason for her troubles is due to her own inaction and not workplace sexism. Bertie starts crying and Tuca comfort her by telling her that Bertie is smart, that she deserves a promotion and that her feelings are valid. They decide to call a sexual harassment seminar.

Bertie starts getting upset at the seminar and blows up about the workplace’s problem with sexual harassment. She calls Dirk out for sexually harassing her and immediately after, everyone else joins in saying that Dirk does the same to them. The boss without hesitation tells dirk to leave work for the day. Berties moral is back up. the boss thanks Bertie for speaking up about the issue and Bertie asks for the promotion. The boss gives it to her saying he was wondering when she would ask for it. Satisfied by finally achieving her goal, Bertie tries heading home for the day but is reprimanded due to her workload not being finished. Surprised by the longer hours, Bertie goes to her new office and looks at her computer screen. The position isn’t as glamourous as she imagined and is suddenly overcome with a feeling of uncertainty if this is really what she wanted.

Episode 3 – The Deli Guy

Tuca’s showing Bertie a new deli and tells her that she likes the deli guy there. Bertie starts fantasizing about their possible lives as it divulges into a sexual fantasy (she basically just shipping them). Tuca suggests that Bertie is sexually repressed somehow and Bertie explains that she is having sex with Speckle but it’s a routine and things aren’t exciting due to the new longer hours from her position. The deli guy is a monkey who has little spacial awareness. Bertie encourages Tuca to ask him for his number as she wonders why she nervous. Bertie mistakes Tuca’s shyness as a sign that she really, really likes the guy but Tuca is nervous for another reason. Bertie says, “to hit him with that confidence Tuca-swagger,” recounting 3 times Tuca swept people (men and women) off their feet but just kissing them and to just be her confident, energetic and kinda scary self. Tuca literally jumps out of her skin when he hand accidentally touches his and Bertie ends up helping Tuca out with getting his number.

Bertie is now home as Speckle arrives. He goes to kiss Bertie, who is already used to this routine and stays silently frustrated because she’s not sure how to communicate to Speckle what she wants. Bertie suggests that they roleplay but it doesn’t work out. She resigns herself to the same routine. As she goes to the bedroom she goes to get a condom and sees the business card that Pastry Pete gave her at the end of the first episode. Bettie is allured by the idea of contacting Pete and working for him but is also nervous because of her awareness of her attraction to him, leaving her uncertain and unsure.

Tuca and Bertie are now at a books store. Bertie suggests that Tuca should ask the deli guy on a date. She seems to be projecting her desires onto Tuca and pushes her to ask him out. But all Tuca wants to hang with her Bestie and Speckle. Tuca also advises Bertie about books to buy that help with making sex more exciting. Tuca ends up asking the deli guy out and tries to get ready for the date but as she sees her reflection, she starts to hear it say all of her insecurities right at her. She starts to freak out a bit and texts Berties, who is bored and responds to the texts in an ignorantly dismissive way. Bertie is at work and she starts to feel pressure from all the responsibility the title earned her. She feels her life will be predictable forever and starts getting overwhelmed. We now see her concerns about routine extends from her personal life and her job as well, fueling this character arch.

Tuca, accidentally, flies into the subway on a parasol to see the Deli guy, which makes her feel awkward as she plays it off as something intentional. While Tuca is nervous on her date with the Deli guy, Bertie is now home on her equivalent of a “date” with Speckle, just hang out at home. Bertie decides to ask Speckle if he’ll show her what porn he likes since that’s something the book recommended. Speckles porn is very vanilla and the scenario in the porno seems very similar to the sex life they already have. Tuca’s date seems to be going well but shes feeling kinda anxious at the glowworm exhibit they’re at, starts cawing saying its too quiet and dark. She starts freaking out again and texts Bertie for support but is ignorantly dismissed, again. Bertie now decided to show Speckle the kind of “porn” shes into. It’s a cheese 17th-18th century historical period romantic drama movie (typical). They only time they do anything is at the end of the movie where they kiss. Speckle is unsure what to do with this information, he asks Bertie what she wants him to do based on this “porn”. She explains that it’s all about the build-up, tension, and surprise. She then realizes all she wants is to be surprised and is unsure if that’s a valid enough reason to feel uncertain of herself in the first place. (I feel yah girl)

Tuca and Deli guy are still on their date and are now at an amusement park. Tuca starts to feel pressured to get romantic, though there’s no real reason for her too, aside from her own volition to make this awkward date work. She starts to connect with the Deli guy a little because of their love of cold cuts and which makes her relax a=for a little while, but her nerves bounce back fast. Now they’re riding the spinning chairs ride. As they bump into each other Tuca feels the pressure again. She exposes herself and asks if he wasn’t to have sex but she is rejected. Deli guy says that he’s really been trying on the date since he thinks she’s cool and pretty but he’s unsure and doesn’t understand why she’s acting in such a crazy manner. Tuca is dejected and opts out of the date, running home instead. While on the way home she misses her train due to her trying to text Bertie again but feels like she can’t tell her what happened because how she’s been responding is less than helpful. She gets on an old and crumby train after a crumby day. She looks in front of her and sees an older female tucan sitting. She is feeling depressed and sees her as a reflection of her future self, old and alone, on the slow train. The culmination of the events of the day comes to a climax and she cries. Speckle is asleep and Bertie finishes more of the shows she likes. She looks at Tuca’s text and starts to fantasize about Tuca and the Deli guy “doing it”. She stops herself and grabs the card from Pete. She starts to contemplate contacting him because she wants to just hang out. After all, it’s exciting and new, and wonders if that’s weird or not. Her thoughts are interrupted by Tuca crying and moaning on the balcony. Tuca says she screwed up the date and Bertie tries to reassure her but Tuca says she wasn’t ready for a date yet because this was her first date since being sober. The reason she was so suave before was that she was drunk. and that made it easier for her. Bertie realized she was being insensitive and not considerate of Tuca’s struggles of having been an addict (which explains her nervous and unsure behavior before) and apologies. She also admits that she was projecting and looks into herself out loud and wonders what could be missing in her life for her to feel this way.

Bertie wakes up the next day and finds that Speckle set up a cute scavenger hunt for her based on the movie they watched the night before, but it’s sexy! (Like I was surprised at how committed they got to acting this out) It’s not only cute and funny but successful in showing that Speckle listened to Bertie and was willing to get creative to try for her. They start making out and having fun together!

Final thoughts

Overall, Tuca and Bertie shows a relatable and rarely seen perspective of women and their relationships with society, the workplaces, sexual partners and their inner struggles with their places in the world and how that world sees them. The show is honest and I can appreciate that. It shows that relationships are hard and need to work on, no matter your age or who it’s with. It promotes confidence as women and equality, showing that it’s both men and women. It takes tropes and spins them in a way to start a larger conversation about where those tropes are coming from. It promotes talking and understand as the key to everything. I look forward to watching more of this show. See you next week!