Posted in: BC Network, Recent Updates, Review, Showtime, TV | Tagged: actor, bernard white, bleeding cool, cable, catherine keener, celebrity, comedy, drama, episode 3, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, Every Pain Needs a Name, frank langella, ginger gonzaga, jason bateman, jim carrey, judy greer, justin kirk, Kidding, michel gondry, Mr. Pickles, Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time, muppets, puppets, Pusillanimous, Season 1, showtime, streaming, television, tv

Kidding s01e03 'Every Pain Needs a Name': "We See Mr. Potato Head. No One Sees a Man" (REVIEW)

Welcome to Bleeding Cool's weekly review of the first season of Showtime's Kidding as we take a look at the inaugural season's third episode 'Every Pain Needs a Name.' The dramedy marks Jim Carrey's (The Truman Show) return to television in a series regular role, teaming with his Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind helmer and series director Michel Gondry on the 10-episode season.

It's not exactly front page news to say that Kidding's Jeff "Mr. Pickles" Piccirillo's (Jim Carrey) has some serious issues: a year after his son Phil's tragic death, Jeff finds his personal and Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time lives playing not-so-nicely with each other and everyone – especially dad/producer Seb (Frank Langella) – is getting concerned. But for Jeff to reclaim his life, it might be time for Jeff Piccirillo and "Mr. Pickles" to work together.

In 'Every Pain Needs a Name,' Jeff takes another shot at proving that very point with a very "Mr. Pickles" approach to dealing with his son Will's newest "hobby" – and to his love life. Deirdre deals with Maddy's health issue, while Seb reveals his plans for a Jeff-free Puppet Time future – and we continue to be fascinated by this Showtime series, as you'll hear in our review below:

Spoiler Warning: I'll be covering some themes and takeaways involving major and minor plot points from the episode, so please keep that in mind. Definitely not looking for pitchforks and torches outside my apartment.

Kidding s01e03 'Every Pain Needs a Name': Jeff tries to fix his heartbreak. Deirdre deals with her daughter's developing medical condition. Seb outlines the future of Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time without Jeff. Jeff tries to get Will off pot by giving him a hobby.

Here's a look at the next episode of Showtime's Kidding, 'Bye, Mom':

Kidding s01e04 'Bye, Mom': Jeff deals with a one-night stand. Jill learns that Jeff has been sending money to someone behind her back and confronts him.

Kidding centers on Jeff, aka Mr. Pickles (Carrey), an icon of children's television and a beacon of kindness and wisdom to America's impressionable young minds and the parents who grew up with him. But when this beloved personality's family begins to implode, Jeff finds no fairytale, fable or puppet will guide him through this crisis, which advances faster than his means to cope.

The result: A kind man in a cruel world faces a slow leak of sanity as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. Jeff begins to push back against the limits of the well-oiled machine that is Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time, and of his executive producer, Seb (Frank Langella). Seb fears Jeff's mental state could ruin the branding empire they've built, and thus begins preparing the show for a life after Jeff, while Deirdre (Catherine Keener), the head puppet maker, grapples with her own personal and professional life issues. Judy Greer stars as Jeff's estranged wife, and Cole Allen plays their son.

Directed by Gondry, Kidding also stars Judy Greer (I'm Sorry), Catherine Keener (Get Out, Death to Smoochy), Frank Langella (The Americans, Frost/Nixon), Justin Kirk  (Weeds), Ginger Gonzaga (I'm Dying Up Here), and Bernard White (Captain America: The Winter Soldier). Carrey, Gondry, Dave Holstein, Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Ozark), Jim Garavente, Raffi Adlan, and Michael Aguilar will serve as executive producers.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!