Kidding season 2, ep. 5 recap: Episode 3101

Episode 205 of Showtime’s Kidding sends off many of Jeff’s puppets, finalizes his divorce, and guest stars pop star Ariana Grande.

Previously on Kidding, Jeff (Jim Carrey) and Pete (Justin Kirk) bonded over their unique new problems, including that Jeff struck him with his car. Also, Deirdre “Didi” Perera (Catherine Keener) established a real charity to conceal her previous fraudulent one. She does this so that her future ex-husband, Scott (Bernard White), can’t get her in legal trouble over it.

However, the episode concludes with Scott gaining custody of Didi’s half of the puppets, and he even claims some of the most popular ones.

Reality comes to Puppet Time

Episode 205 is an episode-within-an-episode, and it marks the first time we fully get to see a “Mr. Pickles Puppet Time” episode. This special comes after Jeff’s scandals put the show on indefinite hiatus, and after creative control was unceremoniously wrested from Jeff and Didi’s father, Seb (Frank Langella).

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Another thing that makes this Kidding episode special: It wraps up this matter in a very creative way, as “Mr. Pickles Puppet Time” rigs its reopening episode to kill off all of Scott’s puppets. Also, as another grand theme, Jeff uses the episode to finalize his divorce with Jill (Judy Greer).

The divorce ties in well with season one’s theme of Jeff wanting to have his children’s show discuss more real —even dark — moments, so his show can be therapeutic to children (and to himself), rather than merely treating it as an entertainment cash cow.

As Mr. Pickles, Jeff uses the metaphors of balloons deflating and popping as failed relationships, and the puppets’ homes are also falling apart (the glue no longer holds, they say). The kids can understand the gravity of the situation, too. They can see Snagglehorse “snaggled” under his ceiling, to be reminded that some things are dangerous.

The great ungluing

Didi plays “D.I.Y. Deirdre,” who is summoned by a Puppet Time chicken to address their great ungluing. As she assesses the problem, we get more familiar with puppets like Ennui La Triste (Dan Garza), as well as Piccola Grande, the Pickle Fairy of Hope (Ariana Grande). They try to rebuild their homes in Pickle Barrel falls, but that darn glue just isn’t holding anymore!

Jeff concludes that half of them must find new homes. In addition to Jeff singing (and, of course, Ariana Grande), Didi also sings. A frightened Ennui pretends he’s a tree to hide, prompting Jeff to inform Kidding viewers about how even trees change (either by seasons or they are turned into furniture or paper). The important lesson: Nothing is permanent — not even trees.

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When Nurse Jill shows up, Jeff specifically explains divorce, comparing it to the ungluing. Jeff himself is a little scared of living in the “I don’t know.” Meanwhile, various puppets try to blame Didi for all of these problems, and it seems they’re willing to run her out of Pickle Barrel Falls.

They do eventually relent, especially when the gigantic Hopscotch the Sasquatch (Dick Van Dyke) shows up. Ennui sings about leaving, and Thump-Thump (Jane Carrey) appears to say goodbye as well. Many of these precious puppets exit in balloons.

While it is sad, Kidding will no doubt invent new puppets. Similarly, although Nurse Jill gets a lift in Hopscotch’s palm, there’s a sense that Jeff will find someone else. While most of the episode is purely a Puppet Time venture, it ends with Ennui becoming a pathetic mascot for a “Sandwich Hut” ad.  Poor Ennui will have even more reason to live up to his name!

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