The Sex Bugs (Episode)

***The Sex Bugs***is the fourth episode of *Tuca & Bertie*. It aired along with the rest of **Season 1** on Netflix on May 3rd, 2019.

## Episode Synopsis

An anxious Bertie skips work to avoid a presentation, then accompanies Tuca on a mission to buy over-the-counter creams.

## Plot

Bertie is trying to email Holland to call in sick to avoid giving a big presentation at work. Speckle tries to encourage her and get rid of her “pre-panic attack” by just showing up to work, even using a an imaginary vacuum to suck up her worries. They find Tuca watching their TV because she didn’t pay her cable bill, and while Speckle goes to get dressed Tuca, who calls Bertie’s emotions as a "bad case of the Berties," tells Bertie to ditch work and spend the day with her. Bertie just wants to stay home but Tuca reveals she has sex bugs and needs Bertie ti accompany her to the store so she won’t get distracted. Tuca even sends Bertie’s email and types “I’m sick. Cough.”

Bertie gets dressed, and wears her comfort shows that have little cupcakes on the toes. On the walk over Bertie is anxious over ditching work, while,laser uses are disgusted at Tuca itching her privates. Holland ends up calling Bertie and she has to continue the act she’s sick. He reveals that since she’s the team leader and no one can take over her responsibilities, he rescheduled her presentation for the next day, and department heads from other branches will be visiting, along with the company videographers several foreign investors, and a bus load of troubled teens that will be there to hang on her every word - all of which makes Bertie even more anxious.

As she’s in the phone, a lizard lady gives her and Tuca fliers advertising a WTUS (Women Taking Up Space) meeting. She explains their meetings help women become more confident and say "No!" Bertie initially declines but she insists. Bertie takes one and the lizard lazy says that was a test and she failed.

At the store Tuca grabs a bunch of products and combines them despite their labels exclaiming not to. As she does Bertie is left alone in the store, her anxiety being heightened by the other customers, and Speckle isn’t answering his phone as he left it in his car at work. He is shown receiving praise from his boss and is dubbed the "new bad boy of architecture". She even breaks out into a musical number about how she’s losing her shit.

Tuca meets Bertie under the fort of yoga mats she made. She reveals using all the products at once made the sex bugs big and now they’re wrecking havoc in the store. Bertie begins to freak out

Tuca assures her the sex bugs are just having a good time like she’s trying to get her to have on her day off, but Bertie explains it’s not a day off and she called in sick because she couldn’t handle being out in public today. She worries everything is falling apart at work without her, although it then cuts to her office and it’s revealed her coworkers are watching a movie due to her not being present.

Tuca tries to assure her the sex bugs are fun and tells her their names, but them one spills yogurt on her comfort shoes as they’re pouring it on another sex bug and they make out. Bertie loses it and vents about how bad her days has been and starts to leave, when CSBC (Center for Sex Bug Control) shows up, and says no one is going anywhere, to Bertie’s frustration.

The sex bugs are tied up. Ebony Black of the CSBC introduces herself and her partner and adult daughter Sophie who recently flunked out of business school (which Ebony will not let go to Sophie's chagrin). She explains they’re going to exterminate the sex bugs and will let all of them leave. Tuca protests she can’t kill them and she demands a trial, with Bertie as her council and the store customers on jury.

While at the trial, Tuca tells a hesitant Bertie to just do what they do on Judge Sparrow. WHNE Sophie comes up to them and insults Tuca, Bertie defends Tuca and says to treat her client with respect.

Ebony starts the trial and calls Bertie to the stand for her opening statement. A nervous Bertie says Tuca made bad judgement, but so does everyone, including her because she skipped work that day and is now here, so the sex bugs shouldn’t be killed over bad judgment either. She calls a store worker up to the stand and convinces everyone the instructions for the vaginal cream were not specific enough, and after he blurts that he’s cheating on his wife, Bertie says if he can’t be faithful to his wife then how can Tuca be faithful to reading the instructions

Tuca goes up for questioning by Sophie. She questions the number of sex bug medications she used, and reveals she used three things of it and it’s her fault they’re big. Sophie says the sex bugs are going to die now and maybe next time Tuca will think twice before having sex.

However, Tuca reveals she didn’t get them from sex, but she got them while using the bathroom in a bush and wiping with it.

Bertie calls for cross-examination. She asks Tuca where the bush was, and she reveals it was a sex bug bush on Sex Bug Lane, which Bertie reveals (thanks to a fun fact she read on a scented candle) was recently listed as a historical landmark by Bird Town Medical Society, meaning none of the sec bugs can legally be killed. Ebony dismisses the case, with Tuca and Bertie as the victors.

As they’re carried outside by the sex bugs, Tuca notes to Bertie that she spent a whole hour outside even though she had a “bad case of the Bertie's", and Bertie realizes she also spoke in public, and after handling todays fiasco she can handle anything. She is reminded of Pastry Pete's offer and runs to his shop (on the way she passes and tells the lizard lady she’s be at the next WTUS meeting) and tells him she wants to bake for him. He offers her to be his apprentice where she’ll come in a few nights during the week after her job and he’ll teach her the tools of the trade.

Later that night after Speckle tells Bertie about his day at work, Bertie tells him about hers and her new apprenticeship. He asks if doing that and her job is a lot, but she says she can handle it, and he says he knows she can. Upstairs at Tuca’s it is shown the Sex Bugs have become a band with Tuca managing them.

The next day at Conde Nest, Bertie is shown successfully giving her presentation. Dirk starts vomiting snakes (which was one of Bertie's irrational fears she mentioned earlier). She picks up one of the snakes and laughs.

## Post Credit Scenes

A food store junior is cleaning up but realizes he’s on one of the sets from Bertie's musical number, he asks where he is in a panicked tone.

## Trivia

* This is the first appearance of The Sex Bugs.
* Bertie accepts an apprenticeship role under Pastry Pete.
* This is the first time there’s a musical number in the show
* Tuca explaining how she got the sex bugs is illustrated though a deliberately bad puppet show.
* Bertie attends the WTUS (Woo-tus) meeting the following episode.
* This is the first appearance of The Sex Bugs.