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Compassion
Season 1, Episode 9
Wilfred 1x09 01
Air Date August 18, 2011
Written By Patricia Breen
Directed By Victor Nelli, Jr.
Episode Guide
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Anger
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Isolation
"Make no judgements where you have no compassion."
―Anne McCaffrey

Compassion is the ninth episode of the US Series.

Synopsis[]

Ryan and Wilfred visit Ryan's mother, who turns out to be a major cannabis smoker, in a clinic. It is also revealed that Ryan's mother can communicate with her cat mittens in the same way that Wilfred and Ryan communicate.

Plot[]

Dr. Cahill has left Ryan a message requesting that he come down to talk to him about Ryan's mother, Catherine. Jenna brings Wilfred over because Drew and her are going to Vegas.

Ryan and Wilfred go to the sanitarium where Catherine is at. Wilfred asks what sent her there and Ryan recalls how when his father invited business partners over to their house, his mom crawled up the chimney in front of all of the colleagues. She was only called for a 72 hour psych evaluation but chose to stay for 27 years causing Ryan to feel abandoned.

Dr. Cahill informs Ryan that Catherine wants to leave and needs Ryan to take her in. Ryan nervously tries to make him rethink the suggestion as he barely knows his mother. Eventually, Ryan is forced to comply.

Ryan walks to his mother who begins loudly exclaiming in detail the process of giving birth to him. Catherine's eccentric behavior makes Ryan uncomfortable but her tenderness has the opposite effect on Wilfred. A now won-over Wilfred convinces Ryan to let his mother leave.

Compassion

Catherine with Wilfred at Ryan's house

In the morning, Ryan discovers his kitchen trashed from his mom making him "his favorite breakfast" which is only something he ate as a kid. Catherine remarks that when Ryan was a little boy, people would say that he would end up just like her.

Wilfred is on a walk with Ryan while the latter complains about Catherine's behavior. Wilfred comments that he hears anger but smells fear; Ryan is afraid of something. Just then Ryan hears laughter and finds his mother doing body art in his front yard, to the amusement of all of the neighbors.

An angry Ryan decides that the two of them must go apartment hunting immediately. Jenna shows up at his door having returned early from her vacation. She is excited to get back to Wilfred but he ignores her calling Catherine his new mom.

At a lunch with Jenna, things get inappropriate as Catherine begins talking about masturbation and belly dancing with Ryan. She begins dancing around the table. This and Jenna's laughter drive Ryan over the edge causing him to burst out yelling, "You're crazy!" Catherine decides to go back to the institution. Wilfred realizes that Ryan is doing this because he's scared that he will end up as crazy as his mom.

Back at the institution, Dr. Cahill brings the subject to Ryan instead of Catherine revealing that Catherine found his suicide note after Wilfred purposely chewed on it in from of her. Ryan starts screaming that Wilfred set this all up because he's manipulating everyone in order to steal his mother. This outburst makes Dr. Cahill hold Ryan for 72 hour evaluation.

Rhea-perlman-on-wilfred

Catherine and Mittens

Three days later, Dr. Cahill approaches Ryan to inform him that he's releasing him. A now enlightened Ryan apologizes to his mom about his aggressive behavior. She admits that she would like to remain at the institution because she wants to be herself. The two share a hug before he leaves.

Ryan and Wilfred wave at Catherine from outside the gates. Catherine bends down to ask her cat if she missed her and it is revealed that she sees her cat, Mittens, similar to the way Ryan sees Wilfred, as a woman in a cat suit.

In the credits scene, Wilfred is trying to show Ryan a card trick.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Special Guest Star[]

Guest Starring[]

Uncredited[]

  • Chip Chinery as Stanley

Continuity[]

  • Catherine makes several negative comments about Ryan's father Henry. These feelings come to a climax in the episode "Confrontation".
  • Catherine asks if Kristen is still into black guys which is the same thing she asks Kristen in "Service".

Notes[]

  • Ryan's ability is seemingly inherited from his mother.
  • Wilfred's immediate liking to Catherine may stem from her ability to see animals the way Ryan does.
  • Ryan's last name (Newman) is revealed in this episode.

Wilfred's "Dogisms"[]

Every episode contains dogisms, or actions that Wilfred performs as a human that parallel him actually being a dog, in this episode there is:

  • Wilfred has a cone because he cant stop chewing on his hotspot.
  • Wilfred got his penis stuck in a vacuum.
  • Wilfred tries to kill ducks at the sanitarium.
  • Wilfred makes fun of Catherine's cat Mittens.
  • Catherine uses tea to help Wilfred's injury which wins Wilfred's favor.
  • Wilfred is angry at Jenna for leaving him and ignores her.
  • Wilfred says he can smell Ryan's fear.
  • Wilfred rolls around in paint with Catherine.
  • Catherine says she thinks Wilfred needs to go out.
  • Wilfred makes out with Catherine (dog kisses).
  • Wilfred knows that Jenna masturbates (probably from being in her room while she does).
  • Wilfred chews on Ryan's suicide note in front of Catherine and adds to it 8 pages of accusing the post office of trying to mind control people.
  • Wilfred doesn't understand the insults, "son of a bitch" and "eat shit".
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