Best Cuckoo Episodes Ranked

Cuckoo
Image source: radiotimes.com

Introduction

How to introduce Cuckoo? Well, it was a show featuring Ken and Lorna Thompson having their lives changed when their daughter returns from a gap year married to a hippie called Cuckoo. I promise the show is funnier than I’m making it seem. So, why not rank the best episodes of Cuckoo? Anyway, before I get into the best Cuckoo episodes here is some history about the TV show.

History

Cuckoo was written by Robin French and Kieron Quirke and ran for 5 seasons between 2012 and 2019. Cast wise, it is brilliant featuring Greg Davies, Andy Samberg, Taylor Lautner, Andi MacDowell, Helen Baxendale and more. Now that is a great cast… Anyway, the first season saw Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andy Samberg playing Cuckoo before he was work commitments led to Taylor Lautner joining the cast. Oh, also Taylor Lautner’s character Dale is Cuckoo’s long lost love child. Charming. Another point to remember, Rachel (Ken and Lorna’s daughter) also has a new actress in Series 2. So without further ado, here are the best Cuckoo episodes. 

10. Family Meeting (S1, E2)

Kicking off the best Cuckoo episodes is Family Meeting. What makes this episode great? Well, the interactions between Ken and Cuckoo (Samberg) This episode sees Ken’s annoyance at Cuckoo not wearing clothes in the house. Yes really…. Anyway, in order to get his way, Ken bribes his son by saying his crush, Zoe, will be at Rachel’s welcome home party. What could go wrong? Well, Zoe’s dad and Ken’s best friend, Steve, discovers pictures of Zoe on Ken’s camera. What could he possibly be assuming……

9. Birth (S3, E1)

First of all, the poster for this episode is wonderful. It features Greg Davies looking annoyed and disgusted while holding a baby all as Taylor Lautner is standing next to him in aviators. What an image…. Anyway, this episode sees Ken’s wife Lorna giving birth to their son, however Ken goes to the wrong hospital room. That doesn’t sound so bad. However, he ends up with an acquaintance of his and Lorna, Jess, who is also giving birth in the same hospital. He is then mistaken by a midwife for the father of Jess’s baby. However, this episode does end well for Ken as he and Lorna name their kid Sid. Aww, that’s lovely.

8. The Application (S3, E2)

Now, this is a very interesting episode as Dale (Lautner) kidnaps someone to try and get Rachel a job. Yes, that happens and yes that is a sentence that I wrote…. Anyway, after Rachel submits a job application seconds after the deadline, Ken unsuccessfully tries to get her the job. So what is the next logical step in Dale’s mind? Kidnap the recruiter and force them to give Rachel the job. Somehow, this episode gets more insane when Ken’s family ‘kidnaps’ him and Ben (Rachel’s boring boyfriend) tries to call the police so Rachel ties him up. Oh, Rachel gets the job and Ben is still tied up. Damn, that was a hell of an episode.

7. Tribunal (S2, E3)

Coming up next on the best Cuckoo episodes is Tribunal. Surely, this episode is a bit less insane? Well, sort of. Tribunal sees Steve charged with medical malpractice so he ropes Ken in to defend him. How? He finds out Ken is lying to Lorna about having a vasectomy. Whilst it looks like Ken will successfully defend Steve, he and Lorna end up smoking hash before the tribunal and get in trouble with the police. What does Ken do? He eats the remaining hash but then is unable to defend Steve as he injures himself walking into a door. Also, this episode sees Dylan (Ken and Lorna’s son)throwing a party to sleep with Zoe. Damn.

6. Ken On E (S1, E3)

Thankfully, this Cuckoo episode is a bit calmer as Ken attempts to become a Liberal Democrat councillor. However, his chances of getting the position are in trouble when Dylan and the interviewer’s (Nina) son, Neil, are fighting at school. Oh, just for extra jeopardisation, Ken vomits on Nina. The other episode highlight is Ken mistaking MDMA pills for painkillers and loving being around Cuckoo. Seeing Greg Davies being massively extroverted like a giant Andy Samberg is truly wonderful.   

5. Grandfather’s Cat (S1, E4)

At the midpoint of the best Cuckoo episodes is another insane episode: Grandfather’s Cat. What could possibly go wrong? Well, Ken accidentally shoots his father in law’s, Tony, the neighbour’s cat. That is a lot to process in one sentence. Anyway, much to Ken’s annoyance Tony and Cuckoo get along well when Cuckoo suggests that the cat is a reincarnation of Tony’s wife: Debra. This all leads to Ken having to admit that he shot the cat, hid it in his holdall and put it in a bin outside a pub. Boy, that escalated quickly…..

4. The Homecoming (S1, E1)

And now the first-ever episode of Cuckoo just missing out on the top three. This episode sees Rachel return from a gap year in Thailand married to American hippie, Cuckoo. One of the reasons Series 1 worked so well was because of Ken and Cuckoo. Greg Davies and Andy Samberg work very well together as evidenced when Ken tries to give Cuckoo £10,000 to leave Rachel’s life. Damn, that’s cold. Anyway, it doesn’t work as Cuckoo goes and buys a food truck that serves jacket potatoes. Well, that’s a lovely ending to the episode.

3. The Holiday (S3, E7)

Sneaking into the top three best Cuckoo episodes is the Holiday. Now, keeping with the theme of later Cuckoo episodes being insane, the Holiday starts off simply enough. It sees Ken and Lorna taking Dylan, Dale and Rachel to Cumbria on a ‘holiday’. However, the trip to Cumbria is really to find Ken’s biological father. That’s great until they find out he died the previous year. If that wasn’t enough, when Dale lived in China he fell in love with a girl, Ling, but her father, Mr Xi, objected. He follows Dale up to Cumbria as he accepts Dale to marry Ling. Wow… Long story short, Dale says no, Ben says yes to Ling and everyone ends up happy. 

2. University Challenged (S3, E5)

Now that is a really fun episode title. But in all honesty, this episode is very good as it sees Dylan struggling with university and debating over dropping out. Horrified, Ken and Dale go to pressure him to stay. When that doesn’t work, Ken tries to get the £9,000 tuition fees refunded but gets denied. Damn, that part hits him how expensive university is….. Anyway, one thing leads to another Dale, Ken and Dylan attend a party, get kicked out and drive an electric car into a lake. Wow, Season 3 is absolutely insane and I love it.

1. The Wedding (S1, E6)

And the best Cuckoo episode is….. The Wedding. Not only the final episode of Season 1 but the last time Cuckoo featured in the main cast. Anyway, after finding out their marriage isn’t legitimate Rachel and Cuckoo decide to marry as soon as possible. Things only escalate further when Steve is revealed as Cuckoo’s best man but he then tries to set up with another woman in Liverpool. Why?

Steve blames Cuckoo for his divorce so he tries to get rid of him. The only logical solution clearly. Luckily, Ken saves the day, Cuckoo and accepts him as his son-in-law. What a lovely season finale. Well, except for Ken and Cuckoo forgetting Dylan in Liverpool. Poor Dylan…

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What are your thoughts about the best Cuckoo episodes? Let me know in the comments below!