Kidding Season 2, Episode 9 recap: The Nightingale Pledge

Episode 209 of Showtime’s Kidding has Jeff enraged!

Previously on Kidding, we saw that Seb (Frank Langella) had dementia after his stroke, Deirdre “Didi” Perera (Catherine Keener) tried to wrest back control of Astronotter (Gwen Hollander). Then, of course, the deranged Bobby Deblongo (Matt Gourley) set fire to what he thought was the home of Jill Piccirillo (Judy Greer).

Episode 209 has sort of a wraparound story element. It begins by showing us robbers who stole some giant Mr. Pickles heads that were tossed in the dumpster and stolen by bank robbers after Tara Lipinski got her throat cut in the rink during the live production of “Pickles On Ice.” We see that Pickle-obsessed Mr. Belongo acquired one of these heads, and is wearing one while facing off with the real Jeff “Pickles” Piccirillo (Jim Carrey). Bobby gets away but earns Jeff’s wrath (which has actually proved dangerous in the past).

Kidding: What would grandpa do?

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Next, a flustered Didi tries to bond with her daughter, Maddy (Juliet Morris), but it’s awkward at best. Over the phone, Maddy tells her mom that she sent the babysitter home, then mentions that her pet ax is named Delores Claiborne (after the Stephen King character).

However, Maddy does have an inspiring suggestion regarding getting the legal rights to Astronotter back: She should ask herself “What would grandpa do?”

Speaking of which, we see Seb guarding Jeff with a shotgun, apparently semi-aware of the recent arson attack. Jeff has to tell Seb that they’re not in anybody’s real home but on a set. This realization rattles Seb, and he seems to have a mental breakdown. This re-establishes that Seb is still suffering from dementia, but this incident seems to sadden Jeff more than before. Soon after this, Seb suffers another stroke rendering him unable to speak.

Plan B

Next on Kidding, Didi gets renewed determination to get her puppets back after seeing The Oops (Patrick Johnson) puppet used in an ad for the Plan B morning-after pill. When she meets with Scott (Bernard White), he reveals that he has a new girlfriend named Amber (Mariana Paola Vicente). Ultimately, Scott agrees to give ownership of Astronotter, The Oops, Ennui (Dan Garza), and other puppets back to Didi in exchange for custody of Maddy (though she will have weekend visits). She believes it’s what Seb would have done.

Jeff proves himself

Mr. Pickle’s family just can’t get a break! Next, Will sees someone with Jeff’s large prop head on inside of a bathroom stall in school. It turns out to be the dreaded Bobby Belongo. In an awkward moment, he and Will head outside and sit on a park bench where Bobby reveals his belief that he is the new Mr. Pickles. Bobby also mentioned the Nightingale Pledge, which has a line about “abstaining from deleterious things.”

Bobby adds that, had Jill instructed Phil to put on his seatbelt, the boy would still be alive today, and the marriage between her and Jeff would have been saved. However, before the bizarre conversation can continue and Bobby can drive away with Will, Jeff shows up and starts punching the crap out of him. It’s not the first time on Kidding that Jeff has come untethered, but it’s certainly the most brutal.

The aftermath

What happens after this savage beatdown is interesting. Will seems to respect his dad more after beating up Bobby, though Will notes that “Jesus didn’t beat the s*** out of anyone.” Jeff responds: “He didn’t have a son.” Shortly after this, Jeff and Didi discuss their options regarding Seb, while Will sees Seb’s messages from Blair (Matthew Hancock) about a trip to the airport. In the previous episode, Seb’s dementia led him to believe Blair was his ex-wife (Annette O’Toole).

Peter (Justin Kirk) ends up having to console Jill, who feels renewed guilt over Phil’s death, thanks to Bobby Belongo’s words to Will. While Jill may be responsible for the death, Peter suggests it was an accident. It’s not like she intended the accident to happen, after all. The episode ends with Will finding another number for the Fibonacci sequence (this time from a bus route, “2584”).

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