Kidding season 2, episode 2 recap: Up, Down and Everything in Between

In episode 202 of Showtime’s Kidding, Jeff saves Pete by donating his liver, having some neat hallucinations in the process!

In the season 2 premiere of Kidding, Jeff “Pickles” Piccirillo (Jim Carrey) faced the consequences of hitting Pete (Justin Kirk) with a car. However, was Jeff’s true self really behind the wheel? He admitted to Jill (Judy Greer) that Pete didn’t mindlessly walk into traffic (that is, Jeff was more responsible). However, Jeff is a universal donor, so he has a chance to almost set things right…right?

Kidding shows us that, as Jeff and the rest wait in the hospital, Seb (Frank Langella) is trying to get the “Mr. Pickles Puppet Time” brand back together. For obvious reasons, Seb is shocked to hear the news. However, the episode really takes off when Jeff is
anesthetized by Dr. Labanc (Carie Kawa).

The hallucinations and flashbacks

A lot of Puppet Time characters appear. There’s Secret Chef (Mike Quinn) and Snagglehorse (Rich Fulcher). Also, Jeff consults with Astronotter (Gwen Hollander) about getting to the top of Pickle Barrel Falls. Kidding also has flashbacks to where that idea originated. Young Jeff (Zackary Arthur) had set out to Niagara Falls looking for his mother. He got mad when Seb tried to stop him, shooting Seb with a BB gun!

In the flashback, similar violent feelings occur. Pete crash lands and punches Jeff. There’s also a prominent musical number about Jeff’s liver being accepted by Pete’s body. There’s an emotional revelation for Jeff, too, who realized he’s angry at Jill for being the driver when Phil (Cole Allen) died.

Saving Mr. Pickles?

Although Jeff seems to save Pete’s life, it’s important to remember the convoluted reasons why. Kidding is not about easy answers, but the complex combinations of emotions which motivate people to do strange (and often terrible) things.

While Jeff probably didn’t truly want to kill Pete, the darkest side of his psyche took the steering wheel in that instant. Similarly, Jill likely believes Jeff is responsible. However. she doesn’t tell the police he was at fault, which is akin to lying by omission. She does promise to keep Jeff away from her family, however, which will no doubt complicate his image as a children’s TV show host.

Deirdre (Catherine Keener) tries to defend Jeff on some level. She suggests that Pete’s pot-smoking may have triggered Jeff’s vehicular assault. To that Jill shouts: “Let’s dump out your purse and see if you’re worth hitting like a deer!”

Things escalate when Seb joins the conversation, with Dierdre calling him a terrible father. She also adds that she’s getting a divorce herself, signaling another broken family.

Still, it’s not all bad. Hopscotch The Sasquatch (Dick Van Dyke) lifts Jeff over the falls, and we see that the Pickle Barrel was actually Seb’s idea. This means the show was actually a family effort, with additional guidance from Dierdre. Still, when Jeff wakes up with father Seb by his side, Jeff immediately tells him he’s fired.

What are your thoughts on Kidding? Let us know in the comments!