Return of Birdgirl

Return of Birdgirl is the ninth episode of season 3 of the television series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. It's the second episode in the series to feature a crossover starring members of the Quest Team.

The previous episode of the series that features the Quest Team is 1.01 Bannon Custody Battle. Between these episodes, the Lizard Men return in 1.08 Deadomutt: Part 2, and Dr. Quest and Race have a brief background cameo in episode 2.08 Peanut Puberty.

The next episode that features the Quest Team is the series finale: 4.07 The Death of Harvey. Dr. Quest, Anubis, the Lizard Men, and Dr. Zin's spider robot also have brief cameos in the episode before that, 4.06 Juror in Court.

Premise
Birdgirl's back with a new case for Harvey; Race Bannon and Dr. Quest want to form a legal partnership. Unfortunately for Harvey, the case goes to the highest court in the land, the Justices League. In the meantime, Phil has set his sights on Birdgirl and he won't take no for an answer. How far will Birdgirl go to protect her secret identity? Really, what girl doesn't dream of getting a marriage proposal... from her father?

Teaser
Birdgirl wakes Harvey up at 4:30 AM, coming through his window and standing on his chest to announce that they have a case. Harvey insists he needs his sleep, so Birdgirl agrees to give him a few hours. She invites their guests in to the breakfast nook; Dr. Benton Quest and Race Bannon both enter through the window after her, stepping on Harvey on their way in. Benton says it's great to see him again. Race finds a magazine in Harvey's room with "How to please your man" on the cover; he stuffs it into the front of his pants, apparently to steal it, as he announces he's famished and leaves the room.

Act 1
Harvey has gotten out of bed and joined the others in the breakfast nook. As Race makes breakfast, Birdgirl excitedly begins explaining Benton and Race's situation: "For twenty years, Race and Dr. Quest have worked together, been roommates, and raised two boys together." Benton has a moment where he's confused, thinking they had "just the one" boy and can't remember his name. The state of Maine, where Quest Labs is incorporated, "has just legalized ... unique partnerships such as theirs." But "for the state to recognize Race as the boys' father should, heaven forbid, anything happen to Dr. Quest, or allow Race to be covered by the doctor's insurance, they need to get married." Dr. Quest adds, "Just as a matter of convenience." Harvey asks if they're a couple, and Dr. Quest says fiercely, "Of course we're a couple!" Race charmingly says, "A couple... of guys!" Birdgirl says that since "people are calling for a constitutional ban on these partnerships" that they've "got to do something."

As Harvey and Birdgirl go to leave, he finds that Birdgirl has made some adjustments to his car, and it's now "The Birdmobile". She tries an untested feature that burns through their gas instantaneously, leaving them stuck. It begins to rain.

Harvey gets to his office, soaking wet from the rain. Birdgirl's father Phil, who is unaware that Birdgirl is his daughter, comes over and flirts with her. Driven by anxiety that he'll discover who she is, and her secret identity "must be maintained at all costs" (according to the Superhero Sidekick Handbook), Birdgirl agrees and they go to a movie. Phil and Birdgirl go to a 3D movie, even though Phil only has one eye, but he still pretends to be able to see the 3D effects. He tries to put his arm around her, but she leaves to get popcorn.

Harvey, Dr. Quest, and Race meet with Judge Mentok in his chambers as Mentok trains four pink poodles. Mentok explains that their case is a constitutional issue, so Harvey has to take the case "to a higher court".

Harvey talks to himself in the men's room, excited/stressed that he's taking a case to the highest court, and dunks his face in a sink full of water. Perter Potomus emerges from a stall and, thinking Harvey is drowning, rushes to "save" him and starts doing CPR. Peter tries to calm him down, but Harvey dunks his face back in the sink.

Act 2
Harvey takes the case to the highest court, the Justices League. As Harvey explains his case for same sex unions, the court gets interrupted with a wrong call for the Justice League superhero group, as someone is being attacked by a giant ape.

Back in his office, Harvey says he thinks he did pretty well -- as he blow-dries a wet patch from the crotch of his pants. Outside, Phil holds up a boombox and calls for Birdgirl to go on another date with him. A bunch of people show up to encourage her to do so, and afraid that it would be suspicious for her to say no, she again agrees. He suggests another date that requires "the use of two working eyes." They go bird-watching, and Phil repeatedly fails at birdcalling and spotting birds with binoculars. He presents Birdgirl with a ring, proposing to her, and she puts it on, trying to hide her disgust.

At the Hall of Justices, Phil shows up to argue against same-sex unions, saying that he doesn't want marriages like that one he's about to enjoy (with Birdgirl, his daughter) "to be denigrated by this base and abject perversion", pointing at Dr. Quest and Race. The court is against interrupted by a wrong call for the "Junior League" for help with a potluck dinner.

Birdgirl talks to herself in the janitor's closet, trying to figure out a way to convince her father not to marry her alter ego without giving her identity away. As her non-superhero persona Judy, she tells her father that Birdgirl is interested in Birdman. When he asks who told her, she lies and says Birdman told her. Phil goes and finds Harvey in the hallway and beats him up.

Back in the Hall of Justices, Harvey is heavily bandaged and bruised from Phil's attack. He presents the conclusion for his case, that "normal marriages aren't threatened" by same-sex unions. The court is again interrupted with an urgent call, this time for the Justices League, because "someone has made an appeal to the doctrine of precedent in favor of--" but he's caught off by an attacking giant ape. As the Justices League urgently takes off, Harvey asks about the case, but they rule that "it's not a constitutional issue". Harvey gladly announces, "I won! ... I think."

At a church, Birdgirl is maintaining her disguise and is now getting married to her father Phil. The priest asks if anyone has objections, and Peanut stands up asking if he's the only who sees-- but he stops himself and sits down. Birdman arrives, but Birdgirl tries to stop him because she's still concerned about her secret identity. Birdman tells Phil that Birdgirl is his daughter, but Phil thinks Birdman's lying out of jealousy. Birdgirl tries to stop it by claiming she's into girls, but Phil isn't turned off. In the pews, Dr. Quest tells Race they have to do something to stop Phil from marrying his daughter. Race (and possibly/inexplicably Anubis) attack Phil and hold him down, preventing the marriage. Phil says to Race, "You can't ruin what's right, you sodomite!" As Phil's held down, he sees someone else in the pews: a busty blonde woman in a red dress with a black eye patch. Phil is drawn away, leaving Birdgirl because there's "someone else [he] may have been meant to be with." Birdgirl is relieved. Then she realizes the woman that Phil is drawn to is Aunt Phyllis.

During the credits, still photos are shown of members leaving the church together: Aunt Phyllis with Phil; Dr. Quest with Race, as Race holds a bouquet and they hold hands; Harvey Birdman and Boo-Boo Bear.

Characters

 * Harvey Birdman
 * Birdgirl / Judy Ken Sebben
 * Dr. Benton Quest
 * Race Bannon
 * Jonny Quest
 * Hadji
 * Bandit
 * Lizard Men
 * Anubis
 * Phil Ken Sebben
 * Peanut
 * Avenger
 * Judge Mentok the Mindtaker
 * Peter Potamus
 * Justices League
 * Rehnquist
 * Aunt Phyllis
 * Boo-Boo Bear

Locations

 * Harvey's apartment
 * Harvey's office
 * Movie theater
 * Mentok's office
 * Hall of Justices, where the Justices League is located
 * Church
 * Maine
 * Quest Labs

Objects

 * Superhero Sidekick Handbook

Vehicles

 * Harvey's car, "The Birdmobile" after Birdgirl's alterations

Notes/trivia

 * The main member of the Justices League is named Rehnquist in the credits, a reference to the Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist who served until his death on September 3, 2005. The episode aired two weeks after his death.
 * Quest Labs being incorporated in the state of Maine could be a reference to the Quest Team having their main residence there in the 1996 television series The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.