Wonderfalls episode synopses
Wax Lion
Story by Todd Holland and Bryan Fuller
Teleplay by Bryan Fuller
Directed by Todd Holland
Jaye thinks she’s crazy when a deformed wax lion suddenly talks to her at the store where she works. It doesn’t get any better when she’s sent to her mother’s therapist’s office and the doctor’s brass monkey orders her to steal him. A bewildered and reluctant Jaye resigns herself to fate and follows the animals’ seemingly bizarre orders, leading her to act as a matchmaker and learn something new about her sister.
Pink Flamingos
Written by Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts
Directed by Todd Holland
The animals play upon Jaye’s guilt from accidentally backing over her father with a car, making her reluctantly agree to set up her six and a half year high school reunion — along with an old classmate who they also tell her to destroy. Meanwhile, Sharon plays a risky game, entertaining Beth at her parents’ home.
Karma Chameleon
Written by Tim Minear
Directed by Marita Grabiak
Jaye, a daughter, is 24: so says the blurb in the jacket of her mother’s latest (sold out on Amazon.com) book. Jaye is none too happy to receive only five words when her siblings collectively got 51, and moves to the bar to sulk, accidentally bumping into a young girl on the way. But when we see the girl later that night, taking surveillance photos of Jaye in the parking lot and examining her stolen wallet, we know it was no accident. The next day at the store, the girl — Bianca, a bad stutterer — returns Jaye’s wallet and admits to stealing it. A stuffed chameleon tells Jaye to get Bianca’s words out, and after some primo t-shirt folding Bianca lands herself a job at Wonderfalls. Jaye takes her under her wing and a once naive, cheerful, conscientious Bianca begins to act — and look suspiciously like — Jaye.
Wound-Up Penguin
Written by Liz. W. Garcia
Directed by Todd Holland
Jaye’s collection of muses use suggestive singing to send her to the bar in the middle of the night. While there she finds a forlorn-yet-flirty Eric — and a woman hiding in a barrel. After the woman has fled the scene, one of her possessions, a wind-up penguin, tells Jaye to bring her back. But the former nun doesn’t want to go back... to the convent, as she’s lost her faith. Jaye makes a confession regarding her talking animal situation to the ex-nun, which is enough to restore her belief and suggest Jaye cast the “demons” out. With an exorcism.
Crime Dog
Written by Krista Vernoff
Directed by Allan Kroeker
When the Tyler’s housekeeper is deported to Canada, Jaye and her brother Aaron — who is puzzled and concerned by his sister’s bizarre behaviour around seemingly inanimate animal figures — go on a mission across the border to bring her back. It all goes awry, of course, as on the way back from their smuggling expedition they’re busted by the fuzz and end up under interrogation.
Muffin Buffalo
Written by Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts
Directed by Craig Zisk
Jaye enjoys spying on the other inhabitants of her trailer park — or “the freaks,” as she likes to call them. Fat Pat is one of them, but she hasn’t seen him in months. What she has been doing for months is mistakenly hoarding her neighbour’s disability cheques. And although the Muffin Buffalo on the woman’s apron explicitly orders Jaye not to return the cheques, and her befriending of the isolated Pat is severely misread, all her other actions make her frustratingly appear a wonderful person.
Barrel Bear
Written by Tim Minear and Bryan Fuller
Directed by Jamie Babbit
Millie Markus, the first American woman to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel (and live!) rolls into town, and Jaye is instructed to “give it back to her.” Thinking this means Millie’s fame, Jaye arranges for the woman to give an inspirational talk — but before it can take place, Millie’s old rival shows up claiming Millie stole her fame.
Lovesick Ass
Written by Dan E. Fesman and Harry Victor
Directed by Todd Holland
Eric and Jaye discover an abandoned Russian mail order bride. Together they seek out Katya’s prospective husband, who turns out to be a lonely thirteen year old boy who develops a dangerous obsession with Jaye.
Safety Canary
Written by Liz W. Garcia and Alexander C. Woo
Directed by Peter Lauer
After Jaye’s actions at the zoo get a bird keeper fired, she decides that being told to “save the lovebirds” means she must steal a pair of endangered macaws and help them mate. Back in the human camp, Sharon has a fallout with Beth, Jaye makes pathetic excuses not to be with Eric, and Aaron and Mahandra start to see each other in a new light.
Lying Pig
Written by Krista Vernoff and Abby Gewanter
Directed by Peter O’Fallon
Heidi, Eric’s cheating wife, turns up at the bar pleading for him to return with her to New Jersey. Aaron takes away Jaye’s entire collection of animals after she admits they talk to her, but it’s not enough to stop her throwing a television set at Heidi’s head, causing Heidi-ho to suffer a strange bout of amnesia. Following the words of the remaining unclaimed animals causes Jaye much pain and she finally opens up to Eric — but is it too late? Meanwhile, Darrin suggests that Karen accept a date with another man, much to Sharon’s shock and his own regret.
Cocktail Bunny
Written by Bryan Fuller
Directed by Todd Holland
The muses tell a broken-hearted Jaye to “save him from her,” and, later in her therapist’s office, “she’s going to kill him.” Assuming this refers to Eric and Heidi, she rushes to Eric’s defense. But Dr. Ron thinks otherwise when he witnesses Jaye repeat the brass monkey’s message and finds something unpleasant in his desk drawer.
Totem Mole
Written by Harry Victor and Dan E. Fesman
Directed by Jeremy Podeswa
On a quick trip to the Satsuma reservation — where Sharon plans to buy cigarettes and Mahandra wants to rediscover her heritage in an attempt to rid herself of student loans — Jaye inadvertently finds herself labeled a seer. Of course she doesn’t want this responsibility, and pushes accountant and utter non-seer Bill Hooten to embrace the tribe and find his path as its real spiritual leader. Sharon and Mahandra are both unsuccessful in their reasons for visiting the reservation, so Sharon must face off against an old rival lawyer, Deanna Littlefoot.
Caged Bird
Written by Krista Vernoff
Directed by Michael Lehmann
It’s Jaye’s last chance to stop Eric from leaving Niagara, but before she gets to see him, she — along with her sister, a bumbling security guard and a terrified Mouthbreather — is held hostage by a dangerous bank robber in her own store.