Welcome to TV Recap, in which we look at modern shows and analyze them on an episode-to-episode basis. This one focuses on the cartoon sitcom Bob's Burgers, a very funny show that is capable of rivaling old school Simpsons in terms of irreverent humor and off the wall zaniness. With a cast of modern alternative comedian heroes, the story follows the Belchers as they run a burger joint. Join me as I take part in dissecting the show in its first full season. Check back on Tuesdays for the next exciting installment.
Just leave it to Bob's Burgers to find a way to make the most ridiculous shark story if not all time, at least in the medium of television. While Jaws is an indisputable classic, nobody can admit that the sequels or knock-offs (including the recent Piranha remake) have any cohesive and believable story. It's like Aquaman in that way. It is only effective if you are near water, or in Jaws III's case, an aquarium. Still, what Bob's Burgers manages to do with this story line manages to reach into multiple vortexes, including commenting on the genre's ridiculousness, being somewhat of a parody of Free Willy and Jaws, and finally seeing what the town looks like when they work together to take down an unstoppable, killing literal machine.
The episode begins at Bob's Burgers. Bob (Jon Benjamin) is serving Mort (Andy Kindler) an ice cream cone from the dispenser as Mort cracks jokes. It is discovered that he has been taking classes in improv and is trying to work on his timing. Suddenly, the machine goes crazy and doesn't stop dispensing ice cream. At this point, Gene (Eugene Mirman), Louise (Kristen Schaal), and Tina (Dan Mintz) gather around to help, but more to get free ice cream. By the time they get to Tina, the machine has been unplugged and she doesn't get anything.
When Hugo (Sam Seder) comes in, he is boasting about Bob being the block captain and that he needs to do a better job. This is notably the case when he spies a bike that has been unattended in front of his store for 24 hours. When Bob goes to move it, the biker (David Herman) shows up and takes it, but not without mooning him.
When they get back inside, Mr. Fischoeder (Kevin Kline) pulls the kids aside to ask for their advice. He is trying to pitch rides for the promenade and needs the kids' help. Ideas spreading from sliding with pigs to jelly bounce houses, which all seem illogical. Suddenly, the idea comes up that he should buy the electronic shark from the Deepening, a movie that was shot in that town. Linda (John Roberts) remembers it fondly, though it has forced her to pee standing up. Teddy (Larry Murphy) opposes to the idea and tries to get them to find something else. This doesn't work and the motion is passed. It also leaves Tina with elaborate fantasies of a Free Willy inspired romance with the shark where it carries her on its back in the ocean. It also chews off someone's hand and Tina pulls a BFF bracelet off of the severed limb in what is perceived as a romantic gesture.
At the promenade, Fischoeder and Mort attend the unveiling of the shark. Tina is still opposed to the exploitation on the grounds that it is simply misunderstood. There is even ribbon cutter Kristi (Pamela Adlon), who lost her arm to a shark, who is pissed that she got left handed shears. After it is unveiled, Fischoeder decides to try and impress everyone by having it move around. This proves to be clunkier than he thinks as it just wiggles around.
The next day, the kids escape to promenade and decide to cut off one of the shark's fins. Louise claims that she has connections to someone who wants to use it for robot shark soup. Tina is opposed to this until she is convinced that the fin will grow back. Gene climbs up onto the shark and attempts to cut it off, but not before it comes to life and suddenly wiggles around. It knocks over the beam that it was placed on and begins causing havoc throughout the town.
As everyone gathers to find out what is going on, Bob is back at work watching a cut of the Deepening 3, which Teddy supposedly stars in. He is surprised by how much nudity is in the film. Suddenly, when word bets around to him that the massive crowd is trying to solve the robot shark problem, he starts to take action. People throw out ideas, but some of them are just lifted concepts from the Deepening 3, including a nude car wash.
As block captain, everyone meets at Bob's Burgers to try and figure out how to solve the problem. Bob comes up with a handful of ideas that he is convinced will work. First he uses a strip of spikes, claiming that if it could stop drunk shriners, it can stop a shark. This proves to be ineffective and causes the spikes to attach to its tail, which only makes it more powerful. The same goes for the oil slick idea (makes him faster). giant hook (electrocution). When they finally get to the idea of building a hole, it works temporarily.
Then there's an earthquake. The shark has somehow works its way into the basement of Bob's Burgers. Teddy, Bob, and Mort decide to go in and try to stop it. During this time, Teddy reveals that he is wearing a male girdle (he calls it a boydle), which explains why he doesn't look so fat. He also shares the reason why he didn't like the shark. During a set break, he was talking to an extra who had make-up done to look like her side was eaten. The shark bumps into Teddy, which causes his drink to spill on her and the girl says "you are getting none of this." Somehow, this leads him to eat and makes him the fat slob that he is. He never stopped to consider that it could be more of the operator's fault.
When the shark begins to appear through the floorboards, they start to panic. Mort immediately falls through the floors, and they consider him a goner. Then next is Teddy, who goes straight into the mouth of the robot shark and is thankful for wearing his boydle. It is quickly discovered that the shark has somehow eaten the ice cream machine. This gives them the idea to flood the machine with ice cream (there was another idea based on the movie that they could give the shark cancer, but it didn't test well at test groups). All Bob had to do was plug it in. He does, and suddenly the machine collapses.
As the ice cream starts oozing out of it, Bob gets into a violent rage, stabbing it and watching ice cream coming out. At this time, Tina states that in her relationship between the shark and him, he chooses her father. After everything happens, they clean up and Hugo takes credit for everything. The shark is destroyed and the Belcher family begins working on cleaning the place back up.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Hands down my favorite episode since "Burger Boss." There is just something that has yet to be tapped by the idea of the town coming together to fight a common enemy. Also, that enemy being a robot shark seems almost hilarious. In many ways, the simple idea of it being a robot commentates on how technology can run amok and it also hearkens back to Jaws, which also used a robot shark. In both cases, the story is about trying to stop the monster from destroying their town. I almost feel like the end of this episode was a beat for beat parody of Jaws in that respect.
I also enjoy it because usually one or the other stories in an average Bob's Burgers episode often gets overshadowed by the other. Either the kids have an interesting episode, or Bob is having major internal conflicts. This week, no one party is isolated and I feel like it causes the group effort aspect to finally come to fruition. Everyone contributes and while Tina is the romanticist, it continues my belief that the Belcher kids have the weirdest attractions and that this show needs to tap into their dating life sometime soon, if just so we can see how they act around normal people.
I also just love the way that the shark behaved in this episode. Just the way that it jumped back and forth was almost brilliant. I also believe that the gags of Bob's ideas going wrong may be some of the most hilarious things that I've seen this year. The idea that the shark has an additional fin of spikes really is an inspired gag, and just adding oil and electricity amps up the joke until he is suddenly under Bob's Burgers and we get the ultimate payoff. This show is capable of making the best parody of any movie without being a direct lift. The way that the shark managed to get into the basement was brilliant and the way it was destroyed was even more-so. Also, compensating ice cream for blood was equally great.
This was just a straight forward fun episode. I am not well versed in bad shark movies, though the lore has long been in my consciousness. I understand that it is hard to make a lot of inspired plots with sharks because, well, they only work int he sea. The very idea that the recent Piranha 2 was set in a water park only shows how far you have to go to make an original concept (though not admittedly good). Still, I think by moving this idea onto land and making it destroy the town was an inspired juxtaposition that took the tropes to a new extreme.
I also feel that the ridiculous nature managed to comment on bad shark movies, and this helps to make the episode feel very meta. Even the idea that Teddy is haunted by what the shark did to him in the past is a nice nod to trauma victims, even if it was something as mundane as getting dumped. Even choosing to show the Deepening 3 and commenting on the nudity almost establishes what these movies need to be effective, but is essentially ridiculous beyond believable.
This show continues to impress me and it is only time before the emotional crux of the family and the inspired riffing on pop culture will mesh well enough (I argue season 5 or 6 provided it makes it that far) to churn out episodes as great as the ones that we have been seeing recently, but with an emotional center to rival old school episodes of the Simpsons. Trust me, this is as close to the Simpsons as we have ever gotten without being a considered knock-off, as the infamous Family Guy comparisons has become. For no reason, let's end with Gene eating ice cream:
Also check out more of my work at http://nerdseyeviewpodcast.blogspot.com/ where I have a podcast called Nerd's Eye View.
The episode begins at Bob's Burgers. Bob (Jon Benjamin) is serving Mort (Andy Kindler) an ice cream cone from the dispenser as Mort cracks jokes. It is discovered that he has been taking classes in improv and is trying to work on his timing. Suddenly, the machine goes crazy and doesn't stop dispensing ice cream. At this point, Gene (Eugene Mirman), Louise (Kristen Schaal), and Tina (Dan Mintz) gather around to help, but more to get free ice cream. By the time they get to Tina, the machine has been unplugged and she doesn't get anything.
When Hugo (Sam Seder) comes in, he is boasting about Bob being the block captain and that he needs to do a better job. This is notably the case when he spies a bike that has been unattended in front of his store for 24 hours. When Bob goes to move it, the biker (David Herman) shows up and takes it, but not without mooning him.
When they get back inside, Mr. Fischoeder (Kevin Kline) pulls the kids aside to ask for their advice. He is trying to pitch rides for the promenade and needs the kids' help. Ideas spreading from sliding with pigs to jelly bounce houses, which all seem illogical. Suddenly, the idea comes up that he should buy the electronic shark from the Deepening, a movie that was shot in that town. Linda (John Roberts) remembers it fondly, though it has forced her to pee standing up. Teddy (Larry Murphy) opposes to the idea and tries to get them to find something else. This doesn't work and the motion is passed. It also leaves Tina with elaborate fantasies of a Free Willy inspired romance with the shark where it carries her on its back in the ocean. It also chews off someone's hand and Tina pulls a BFF bracelet off of the severed limb in what is perceived as a romantic gesture.
At the promenade, Fischoeder and Mort attend the unveiling of the shark. Tina is still opposed to the exploitation on the grounds that it is simply misunderstood. There is even ribbon cutter Kristi (Pamela Adlon), who lost her arm to a shark, who is pissed that she got left handed shears. After it is unveiled, Fischoeder decides to try and impress everyone by having it move around. This proves to be clunkier than he thinks as it just wiggles around.
The next day, the kids escape to promenade and decide to cut off one of the shark's fins. Louise claims that she has connections to someone who wants to use it for robot shark soup. Tina is opposed to this until she is convinced that the fin will grow back. Gene climbs up onto the shark and attempts to cut it off, but not before it comes to life and suddenly wiggles around. It knocks over the beam that it was placed on and begins causing havoc throughout the town.
As everyone gathers to find out what is going on, Bob is back at work watching a cut of the Deepening 3, which Teddy supposedly stars in. He is surprised by how much nudity is in the film. Suddenly, when word bets around to him that the massive crowd is trying to solve the robot shark problem, he starts to take action. People throw out ideas, but some of them are just lifted concepts from the Deepening 3, including a nude car wash.As block captain, everyone meets at Bob's Burgers to try and figure out how to solve the problem. Bob comes up with a handful of ideas that he is convinced will work. First he uses a strip of spikes, claiming that if it could stop drunk shriners, it can stop a shark. This proves to be ineffective and causes the spikes to attach to its tail, which only makes it more powerful. The same goes for the oil slick idea (makes him faster). giant hook (electrocution). When they finally get to the idea of building a hole, it works temporarily.
Then there's an earthquake. The shark has somehow works its way into the basement of Bob's Burgers. Teddy, Bob, and Mort decide to go in and try to stop it. During this time, Teddy reveals that he is wearing a male girdle (he calls it a boydle), which explains why he doesn't look so fat. He also shares the reason why he didn't like the shark. During a set break, he was talking to an extra who had make-up done to look like her side was eaten. The shark bumps into Teddy, which causes his drink to spill on her and the girl says "you are getting none of this." Somehow, this leads him to eat and makes him the fat slob that he is. He never stopped to consider that it could be more of the operator's fault.
When the shark begins to appear through the floorboards, they start to panic. Mort immediately falls through the floors, and they consider him a goner. Then next is Teddy, who goes straight into the mouth of the robot shark and is thankful for wearing his boydle. It is quickly discovered that the shark has somehow eaten the ice cream machine. This gives them the idea to flood the machine with ice cream (there was another idea based on the movie that they could give the shark cancer, but it didn't test well at test groups). All Bob had to do was plug it in. He does, and suddenly the machine collapses.
As the ice cream starts oozing out of it, Bob gets into a violent rage, stabbing it and watching ice cream coming out. At this time, Tina states that in her relationship between the shark and him, he chooses her father. After everything happens, they clean up and Hugo takes credit for everything. The shark is destroyed and the Belcher family begins working on cleaning the place back up.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Hands down my favorite episode since "Burger Boss." There is just something that has yet to be tapped by the idea of the town coming together to fight a common enemy. Also, that enemy being a robot shark seems almost hilarious. In many ways, the simple idea of it being a robot commentates on how technology can run amok and it also hearkens back to Jaws, which also used a robot shark. In both cases, the story is about trying to stop the monster from destroying their town. I almost feel like the end of this episode was a beat for beat parody of Jaws in that respect.
I also enjoy it because usually one or the other stories in an average Bob's Burgers episode often gets overshadowed by the other. Either the kids have an interesting episode, or Bob is having major internal conflicts. This week, no one party is isolated and I feel like it causes the group effort aspect to finally come to fruition. Everyone contributes and while Tina is the romanticist, it continues my belief that the Belcher kids have the weirdest attractions and that this show needs to tap into their dating life sometime soon, if just so we can see how they act around normal people.
I also just love the way that the shark behaved in this episode. Just the way that it jumped back and forth was almost brilliant. I also believe that the gags of Bob's ideas going wrong may be some of the most hilarious things that I've seen this year. The idea that the shark has an additional fin of spikes really is an inspired gag, and just adding oil and electricity amps up the joke until he is suddenly under Bob's Burgers and we get the ultimate payoff. This show is capable of making the best parody of any movie without being a direct lift. The way that the shark managed to get into the basement was brilliant and the way it was destroyed was even more-so. Also, compensating ice cream for blood was equally great.
This was just a straight forward fun episode. I am not well versed in bad shark movies, though the lore has long been in my consciousness. I understand that it is hard to make a lot of inspired plots with sharks because, well, they only work int he sea. The very idea that the recent Piranha 2 was set in a water park only shows how far you have to go to make an original concept (though not admittedly good). Still, I think by moving this idea onto land and making it destroy the town was an inspired juxtaposition that took the tropes to a new extreme.
I also feel that the ridiculous nature managed to comment on bad shark movies, and this helps to make the episode feel very meta. Even the idea that Teddy is haunted by what the shark did to him in the past is a nice nod to trauma victims, even if it was something as mundane as getting dumped. Even choosing to show the Deepening 3 and commenting on the nudity almost establishes what these movies need to be effective, but is essentially ridiculous beyond believable.
This show continues to impress me and it is only time before the emotional crux of the family and the inspired riffing on pop culture will mesh well enough (I argue season 5 or 6 provided it makes it that far) to churn out episodes as great as the ones that we have been seeing recently, but with an emotional center to rival old school episodes of the Simpsons. Trust me, this is as close to the Simpsons as we have ever gotten without being a considered knock-off, as the infamous Family Guy comparisons has become. For no reason, let's end with Gene eating ice cream:
Also check out more of my work at http://nerdseyeviewpodcast.blogspot.com/ where I have a podcast called Nerd's Eye View.
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