Broad City 4.4 Recap: Abbi And Ilana Get Animated In “Mushrooms”

After taking a week break, we can finally get back to a new Broad City. We were treated with a visually stimulating and vibrantly colorful episode compliments of Mike Perry, the man responsible for the opening credit sequence.
Oyster, Shiitake, Portobello, and even hen of the woods. Abbi and Ilana begin naming some of their favorite edible fungi. It just so happens they are preparing some to consume but theirs don’t have such elaborate names. Theirs are just called shrooms.  Our two favorite slackers tell their lives they’ll brb and prepare for a hallucinogenic weekend trip through NYC. Once they see the dust ruffle blowing in the wind while the windows are shut, they know the drugs are kicking in.

Soon Ilana and Abbi are wandering the streets and taking in the scenery in their psychedelic state. Their surroundings begin to gradually change into a vivid multicolored animated world the deeper into their trip they go. While walking they have random conversations from comparing child birth to pooing a baby out a vagina to whether Abbi should consider purchasing a butt bra or just let them swang. Everyday activities affect them differently like standing on a subway vent creates a feeling of flying and going through a dark tunnel is a haunting endeavor. They even have their own elaborate Stomp-esque musical segment where they bang on trash can lids and newspaper dispensers.

Their fun comes to a screeching halt when Abbi’s boss, Dara, asks her to deliver macaroons to her apartment for her wife’s birthday.  As the world begins to revert back to live action, Ilana and Abbi begin to compose themselves and sober up to make the delivery.  Dara is so thankful for Abbi’s help, she allows them to stay at the party and is willing to provide more opportunities at work for Abbi.

While mingling at the party, Ilana catches the eye of an attractive couple who are always on the lookout for someone to help spice up their sex life. Quick to take the opportunity, she bows out of the party and joins the couple at their hotel room. Unfortunately, Ilana suffers from performance anxiety as she still has unresolved issues with Lincoln, who she saw the previous episode.
Meanwhile at the party, Abbi has found an isolated room where she can recuperate from the shrooms and not risk embarrassing herself. Panic begins to set in as she finds herself locked in.  Eventually, Dara finds her way into the room and finds a freaked-out Abbi.  She soon comes clean about her drug use and her boss is more than understanding.  Unlucky for Abbi, she also had inadvertently killed her boss’ cat in her inebriated state and Dara finds the body.  This is the last straw as she kicks Abbi out of her home and fires her.
This was a very interesting and enjoyable episode. Early on, I really liked the mind-altering and brightly colored visuals and felt they appropriately matched the whimsy and energy of the two leads as they explored New York while intoxicated. On the other hand, the darker ending with the dead cat and Abbi losing her job mirrored the sudden and gut-punching crash one can experience while under the influence of drugs.
Other interesting episode notes:

• To psyche herself up in the bedroom, Ilana likes to caller herself names including Ilana Rodham Obama Wexler and Vulvarine.
• After internet stalking Lincoln and his new girlfriend, Ilana decides to move on and deletes him from all of her social media outlets.