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The Family Way
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Narrator
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Bill Nighy/Sean Austin/Mike Goldman
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Writer
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Caroline Hawkins
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Producer
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Lucinda Axelsson
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Executive Producer
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Mick Kaczorowski
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Season
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4
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Length
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30 min.
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Preceding Episode
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Following Episode
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The Family Way is the 4th episode of the fourth season of the hit television series, Meerkat Manor.
Summary[]
A storm is brewing over the Kalahari, and the desert sky has a very Tim Burton-esque look and feel. The Whiskers are huddled in their burrow after a less than stellar winter that triggered an unexpected weight-loss plan thanks to bare offerings.
Guess Little Orphan Annie was right, because the sun does indeed come out tomorrow, and with it the revelation of Rocket Dog’s secret – if you guessed hers was of the plus sign on an EPT stick variety, you were right! Not everyone is psyched about this news – namely, Sophie, who may be with child (or actually, children) herself. If Rocket Dog perceives her as a threat, Sophie can count on one thing for sure: eviction.
Meanwhile, Seacrest is distracted by a large bird in the sky, but it turns out to be a vulture, which thankfully tends to pass on the meerkat option from the aerial buffet. He gets back to roving around the desert and spies a group in the distance, but this smaller mob smells like meer spirit – familiar meer spirit. It turns out to be none other than sister Maybelline and the Aztecs. It’s not uncommon for male meerkats to jump ship and join new factions, but first they must oust any head male already on the throne. In this case, no coup is necessary because it’s Seacrest’s dad, Zaphod, at the helm, and he’s happy to have the company and the help. The Aztecs are in the middle of a burrow move, after an infestation of fleas in their last home (and I would guess a lack of exterminator options).
The once parched Kalahari is now on the way to renewal again thanks to the storms, and that means better offerings in the meals department. Today’s special is caterpillars, which can be found in surplus under the bark of the camel thorn trees. Digging out these delicacies takes some effort, and Sophie has a momentary lapse of reason in the midst of her foraging, pulling a total squirrel move and climbing a little too high on the tree. She falls and injures her paw, and the others apparently do not subscribe to the philosophy, “Never leave a meerkat behind.” They waste no time in moving on, so Sophie is forced to limp and do her best to follow.
Rocket Dog may be knocked up, but that doesn’t mean she’s not desirable. In fact, another male rover is lurking about, and while she has no use for him, she certainly doesn’t want him looking elsewhere in her mob and causing a ruckus. Solution? Scent-mark the others females so the message rings loud and clear: hands off. Something tells me we won’t be seeing Eau de Meerkat bottled and on sale at Macy’s anytime soon, but regardless, Rocket Dog is certainly demonstrating far more authority than she had before, and it’s working – the others finally seem to be taking her seriously.
Sophie has managed to walk off her injury and catch up to the group, but the others aren’t exactly welcoming her back with open arms. Sophie makes a play for Rocket Dog and manages to win her temporary approval, but flushes that down the toilet as she heads right into the path of the male rover. Sing it with me: “Tempted by the fruit of another! Tempted but the truth is discovered!” Not only does Sophie move in closer to the rover – too close – but she also seems oblivious to the fact that her entire family can see exactly what she’s doing. It’s the straw that breaks the meerkats’ back, and the Whiskers charge the doomed would-be lovers. They try to make their escape to the nearest bolt hole, but the male rover thinks twice and ditches Sophie, leaving her to face the music on her own. The Whiskers give Sophie quite the smackdown and the end result is exile in Kalarahi-ville. It’s an extreme move but one Rocket Dog feels forced to take to protect her status.
Across the desert, Maybelline and her Aztecs have found a potential new home, though it needs a little sprucing up. Thankfully, meerkats have built-in Swiffers of sorts with their paws. Seacrest sounds the alarm bark in the middle of the repairs, but the others can’t get a clear look at the source behind his call, so they let it pass.
Sophie, now outcast, is wandering on her own and the options are bleak. Not only has she been kicked out of the Whiskers, but getting in with the good graces of another group will likely prove to be incredibly difficult as well. For now though, the first task at hand is finding a place to crash for the night – she’ll deal with big-picture plans tomorrow.
Back at the new Aztecs dwelling, the burrow renovations are complete so they’re able to settle in and enjoy a nice meal. The siesta is short lived, as Seacrest sounds the warning call once again. Is he the meerkat who cried wolf? Not this time – it’s Rocket Dog and the Whiskers moving in, and they look like they mean business. Maybelline and the Aztecs are seriously outnumbered, so she’s left with no other option but to high-tail it and run. Rocket Dog has just taken her newfound confidence to a new level – not only has she sent Sophie into exile, but also ousted sister Maybelline from her new home before she even finished unpacking.
Will Sophie make it in the Kalahari on her own? Is Rocket Dog’s bravado just what the Whiskers need, or do you think it will backfire in the end? And will Maybelline ever be able to set down roots and expand her troops?