Episode description: "Harry and Heather draw closer and plan to leave Earth together, leaving the planet at the Greys' mercy."
Harry is head over heels in love with Heather, and they are going around mating, everywhere. Some displays of affection went too far – too much tongue! – but Harry's emulation of the dance of a male bird of paradise, and Heather's reaction, was absolutely hilarious. As these movements are not natural to humans, I wonder how the writers/directors/actors came up with them and if any others were attempted and rejected. It must have been very, very difficult to keep straight faces while filming this scene.
Harry's good mood spills over into other relationships, to the point where Nurse Ellen wonders if he has a head injury. Asta is happy for Harry, but she worries about the threats from various investigations and especially the Greys. She gives him lots of advice. Harry doesn't do all Asta asks – Heather and he keep having sex in her car – but he does listen and he learns that you have to compartmentalize even when you're in love, especially when you're not a teenager but someone tasked with saving the planet.
The dinner went too far for my taste. Asta and D'arcy should have known better than to serve chicken (although D'arcy's chomping on a drumstick behind a napkin was funny). Alan Tudyk and Edi Paterson are both talented, but we spent too much time with weird kissing. The fact that Heather brings up how Asta accidentally touched Harry's penis during the time in the crevasse was peculiar, but Harry's complaining about it and calling it triggering was not fair. When it happened, she had no idea where his organs were. Also, in the crevasse he said he didn't mind, that it felt nice. Is this a hint at a latent attraction between Harry and Asta? After all, in his exuberance, Harry did start dancing with Asta.
Anyway, at the dinner, our girls learn two important things for the plot. First, Ben has been repeatedly abducted by aliens. Second, Harry is planning to leave Earth with Heather. The latter information matters a lot because Goliath told Harry that he needs to work with General McCallister in order to save the planet.
In order to keep Harry on Earth, Asta and D'arcy try to break up the happy couple. It doesn't work. I appreciated how Harry was listening in and how he attacked both Asta and D'arcy for their failings. Asta and D'arcy are both pleasant characters, but each has made some pretty bad life decisions (if Earth needs to be saved by someone, let's hope we have more stable people on the job!) And, as Asta/D'arcy/we tend to judge Harry, it was nice for Harry to be judging some humans.
From the formula in the Peter Bach book, Harry discovers the Greys have a special chemical, but he doesn't know the properties. Harry collects the elements and creates the chemical, but Max steals it (Kate and Ben admitting they are not great parents is so spot on). Harry pulls the fire alarm to get everyone to safety and discovers the compound will convert the atmosphere and the gravity of Earth into something just right for Greys (not possible, and the carbon isotope mentioned is not stable, but hey, this is science fiction).
With respect to Ben, D'arcy wants to let him know about the alien abductions, and Asta makes her promise not to tell. D'arcy really, really wants to. She questions whether it's due to her neediness but then goes through with it. At first she's enigmatic, partly because of her promise, but also because it is such a weird thing to tell someone. Her words set Ben's mind wondering about aliens.
Kate opens up a bit to Liv about the experiences she has been having, seeing the owls, exploring the possibility that she has been abducted. It's hard for her to confess everything, but that's really, really natural.
Asta meets with Jay's adoptive mom, Laurie, the woman who has raised Jay for the past 18 years. I liked her. Laurie was very sweet with Asta, extending some of her maternal instincts for Jay in Asta's direction. Asta, we know, never really had a mother. Jay's mom knows Jay well, and she doesn't romanticize motherhood. She hands over Jay's medications and gives Asta practical advice.
Asta and D'arcy may not be able to break up Heather and Harry, but there's another interested party: the Greys. Joseph the Grey shows up and threatens Heather and Heather's family and even Harry. She has to deliver a sample of Harry's DNA and then leave him forever.
Title musings. "Lovebird" is the title of the episode. According to the free dictionary, it means: "Two people who make obvious their romantic relationship, as through frequent expressions of intimacy and affection." Well, that certainly applies to both Harry and Heather, especially Harry, in this episode. It's also an actual species of bird, a type of parrot, but that doesn't apply (although they may have freed some from the new pet store). Still, a good title.
Bits and pieces
Notice how Blue Avian Heather, when in human form, always wears blue.
Someone – possibly Liv's nasty grandmother – puts nasty messages and mocking balloons on Liv's car. I like how Liv decides to keep the balloons.
Although D'arcy corrects Harry's spinner as spinster, another meaning of spinster is a woman who spins thread. The words are related.
Laurie, Jay's adoptive mom, is played by Lauren K. Robek. I wonder if they gave the character the actor's own name for the sake of simplicity. I also wonder why that isn't done more often.
Quotes
Asta: So she asked if she could stay with me for a while. I didn't say yes. I would never cross that line without talking to you – after that first time I crossed the line without talking to you.
Harry: Asta, I am in love, and it makes me want to dance.
Asta: Oh, my God, but it didn't teach you how.
Asta: OK, I am stressed out because the end of the world might be happening, but actually, I'm really happy that you're happy.
Harry: I am happy.
Asta: Well, good. But life is about balance. So you can have a girlfriend and work on the mission.
Kate: They'd think he was cool for not caring about science class. I mean, unless they're nerds, but who cares what they think. They're dorks.
Ben: You ever consider taking a sabbatical from teaching?
Kate: Every day.
D'arcy: We're not having fun. We are choosing to be single until we finish our mission.
Asta: Oh, is that why we're single?
D'arcy: God, I hope so.
Harry: This is why we are so close. We do not keep secrets from one another like humans do. That is why you will never know true love and why you will end up lonely spinners.
D'arcy: Well, it's spinsters.
Asta: Why would you correct him?
Ben: Yeah, I was pretty sure he stole it all along.
Kate: Yeah, me too. Are we bad parents?
Ben: We're not great.
D'arcy: But wouldn't it be weird if something did happen and you were forced to forget it? You know, like, abducted by aliens.
Ben: Oh, wow.
D'arcy: You wouldn't even know about it.
Ben: Yeah, yeah. That would be pretty weird.
D'arcy: But you were abducted by aliens that night. Or were you? Just kidding. But you were. And I wasn't there for you then, but I'm here for you now.
Overall rating
Some of the funniest stuff I have ever seen. Three and a half out of four bird of paradise dances.
Victoria Grossack loves math, birds, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.
Honestly, I thought the tongue stuff was hilarious. The way Heather spit out the seeds all over the dining table was just so funny, too. Alan Tudyk and Edi Paterson were amazing. This show just isn't like anything else.
ReplyDeleteI was never that much into slapstick, but I appreciated all the bits that imitated bird behaviors.
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