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.
There is an odd sensation that I got when watching this episode. I had that familiar sting in my chest from having to shout "the Simpsons did it!" I am not talking about one of the universally respected seasons, but just last year with "A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again." I am aware that the concept of cruises have been done to death, but it almost felt too juicy to compare the Simpsons to what I consider to be the successor (at least in comparison to the earlier, cruder seasons), if just to see if Bob's Burgers actually is that good. Just try it out. Watch these episodes back to back and notice the contrast in quality. It is safe for me to say that this justifies Bob's Burgers as the Simpsons' proper successor, which doesn't mean that it is cloning anything (not even the family dynamic), but has all of the energy necessary to make animation bizarre again.
The episode begins with the Belcher family welcoming in a cruise ship to the town. This is mostly being done to promote Bob's Burgers. Gene (Eugene Mirman) declares that people should "Abandon ship! For Bob's Burgers." Tina (Dan Mintz) and Louise (Kristen Schaal) try and figure out if saying "pow" or "poo" will get more attention while playing around with a microphone. When they return to the restaurant, it is discovered that business is still slow because they didn't hand out flyers. Linda (John Roberts) and Bob (Jon Benjamin) are rightfully upset.
This is the case until they see a man in a white captain's uniform peering through the window. His name is Captain Flarty (Jeffrey Tambor), and he is looking for a new cook on his cruise ship. Bob makes him a burger, and Flarty demands for him to join. The family imagines life aboard the ship, mostly picturing themselves being painted nude a'la Titanic (though Louise is more into laughing about a sinking boat). Things don't go over so well until Flarty suggests just helping for one night. The Belchers plead with Bob until he says yes.
When boarding the ship, Flarty catches them off guard and Bob asks what is so funny. Gene suggests that it is a funny looking fish in the water, or a dead one (which is not funny). Once aboard the ship, the Belcher family and Bob split up. Bob goes into the kitchen, where a paranoid cook named Duvall (David Herman) is pleading with Bob not to take the job, as he will get stuck in a career-long stint.Bob insists that it is just that night, but Duvall keeps a suspicious eye on him.
From there, Gene checks out a man and puppet act featuring Herman (Paul F. Tompkins) and his talking Manatee, which he falls in love with. It makes him feel like he had to pee, but not really. It also causes him to blurt out mildly sexual statements.
Louise decides to get a nail extension job so that each of her fingers and toes have long nails that serve as exaggerated claws.
Linda gets a tan that results in her turning heavily red. She mistakes this for a perfectly good tan and walks around claiming how beautiful she looks.
Tina, who is obsessed with an attractive masseuse named Asch (Larry Murphy), gets her head rubbed, which causes her hair to look all weird. She wants a full body rub, including her calves, but Asch claims that he can't on account that she is a minor. Tina tries to use body pain as an excuse, but it doesn't work.
Meanwhile, Bob is in the kitchen making food with Duval. When things start wrapping up, he joins his family at a banquet that Flarty is putting on. Curtains drawn to the exterior of the ship, Bob begins to get paranoid about the ship. He opens the curtains and notices that the land is gone. Flarty has decided to kidnap them and have him be his slave all the way to Puerto Rico. The other Belchers are excited, but this turns Bob into a lunatic as he tries to escape, only to be placed back in the kitchen. This includes a quick trip to the deck, where Bob yells at a nearby boat. Every time Bob screams for help, Flarty plays what the opposite boat calls a "funky bass line."
Gene pursues the Manatee, claiming that he has an odd sexual attraction to it. He even gets a few words in with it. Eventually he is told to go to room 308. There he talks to the Manatee and is told to get $100 for her. Gene goes for it and decides to steal money from Linda, who has taken on gambling in a nearby casino. It isn't enough, but Gene is staunch on getting that money.
Meanwhile, Bob is on the loose. Flarty makes the offer that whoever catches him will get their passport back. This causes him to hide in the pool, behind chairs, and anywhere that he won't be suspicious. Suddenly, he finds Louise, and he asks her to become a distraction. This causes her to steal Flarty's beloved capybara Kiki and lead them on a wild goose chase. This gives Bob time to flee into the banquet hall to try and stop people from eating lobsters, which he believes that Duval has poisoned. He gets a few angry complaints, but manages to pull it away right as Louise has lead Flarty and the men straight to him. He demands that next time she doesn't do that.
He is now locked in the storage compartment of the kitchen, where he manages to break out by hitting the wall with some canned meat container. When Flarty checks up on him, he is only gone by mere moments. The next time that he is caught, he is taken to the control room, where he demands a mutiny for Flarty's choice to kidnap him. Nobody takes his side. After running to the banquet hall, he joins forces with Duval and eventually gain their freedom. This is all great, but people are now sick off of oysters.
It is in this time that the Manatee reveals to Gene that it was all a scam and that he should just move on. He does, but not without taking an eye that has fallen off of the doll. With the family back together, they enjoy the rest of the cruise, having taken down Flarty and his insane demands. During this time, someone has dropped off meat in front of Bob's Burgers, assuming that Linda and Bob are having sex. Weeks go by, and the meat is thrown across the building and being eaten by rats. It looks like what the kids call a protein rainbow. Bob seems defeated and decides to leave the mess and go to bed.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
I think that if anyone wins this week's episode, it is Gene, if just for bringing one of the weirdest romances of the Fall TV season. This show continues to go in odd directions, and the choice to have Gene sexually attracted to a puppet only adds merit to the show's unbelievable genius. It almost seems too tender to even be going for laughs. Gene really wants to help that Manatee, even though we know it is just a scam and there is a man at the other end. I don't know what this will say about Gene's love life in the future, but he has quickly become one of the more fascinatingly tragic simpleminded characters on TV. How is this the case? Who was not rooting for him to fall in love with that Manatee? Who was more concerned with why he was attracted that heavily to a doll?
Also, it is just great to have a Bob story line that wasn't overshadowed by his children. The past few weeks seem to give the kids a great story and leave the parents for a mediocre subplot. This week, it almost seems like everyone is on fire. Bob is understandably ticked by being Shanghaied, and every single moment of his quest to get off of a ship was excellent. I still hold the scene where the neighboring boat says "all I hear is a funky bass line" to be funnier than it deserves. The simple fact is that Bob was great this week, if just because the whole thing played out like a fugitive parody with uninspired flaws.
I am also a big fan with the amount of humor they got out of Louise's ridiculously long nails. Whether it was playing glasses or ripping up the sheets, the very idea is so much her that I almost wish that they did it more often. I also enjoy that they didn't overdo it, but instead make her into the nuisance who popped juice boxes and deflated balloons. Louise was excellent this week for one reason. She was able to bring some physical comedy that she rarely does, and she succeeded in spades.
Tina and Linda were not as heavily used, but I still enjoy Tina's quest to find someone to love. The whole masseuse seduction thing was excellent and even her saying "I'm four hours older" seems awkward enough that you almost root for her. In fact, it is going to be odd if they give any of the dysfunctional Belcher kids significant others as permanent characters. Of all of them, I still bet Gene is most likely to have the worst luck. This will be great fodder when the show runs out of ideas.
Before I began, I compared it to the Simpsons, and I must ask how anyone cannot see it? I know it is a crass thing to judge two works when they are each unique, but Bob's Burgers is not like your average cartoon. Even in the Fox Animation Domination list, it is nothing like Family Guy or Seth MacFarlane's cavalcade of comedies. It kind of sounds like the Simpsons, but with more crass humor. However, it fits neither formula enough to be a clone, which is refreshing. I cannot recall any cartoon that came this close in Fox's history to being the next the Simpsons (King of the Hill, as classic as it could get, was too moral-based to earn that title). It's just edgy enough and the satire is really strong. The stories are bizarre and they tackle dysfunctional family tropes in a more aggressive tone without as much heart, which is fine.
I guess my argument could be made for any show (though I hate anyone who says Family Guy, which is not true for many reasons) and it may seem a little irrational, but this is three seasons in, and it feels like Bob's Burgers is going that way. It may lack the flash, but come on, "Mutiny on the Windbreak" is a classic example of what animation can be, which is what the Simpsons was back in their day. I doubt that the show will be as beloved, quoted, or sold as successfully, but I also didn't see the show lasting this long and getting a full season pick-up. Then again, I assume that Fox expected Napoleon Dynamite and Allen Gregory (both featuring oddly familiar molds) to take off.
Such a great episode and so many memorable parts. The most notable thing? I learned what a capybara is. It is the biggest rodent in the world next to Gene.
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 with the Belcher family welcoming in a cruise ship to the town. This is mostly being done to promote Bob's Burgers. Gene (Eugene Mirman) declares that people should "Abandon ship! For Bob's Burgers." Tina (Dan Mintz) and Louise (Kristen Schaal) try and figure out if saying "pow" or "poo" will get more attention while playing around with a microphone. When they return to the restaurant, it is discovered that business is still slow because they didn't hand out flyers. Linda (John Roberts) and Bob (Jon Benjamin) are rightfully upset.
This is the case until they see a man in a white captain's uniform peering through the window. His name is Captain Flarty (Jeffrey Tambor), and he is looking for a new cook on his cruise ship. Bob makes him a burger, and Flarty demands for him to join. The family imagines life aboard the ship, mostly picturing themselves being painted nude a'la Titanic (though Louise is more into laughing about a sinking boat). Things don't go over so well until Flarty suggests just helping for one night. The Belchers plead with Bob until he says yes.
When boarding the ship, Flarty catches them off guard and Bob asks what is so funny. Gene suggests that it is a funny looking fish in the water, or a dead one (which is not funny). Once aboard the ship, the Belcher family and Bob split up. Bob goes into the kitchen, where a paranoid cook named Duvall (David Herman) is pleading with Bob not to take the job, as he will get stuck in a career-long stint.Bob insists that it is just that night, but Duvall keeps a suspicious eye on him.From there, Gene checks out a man and puppet act featuring Herman (Paul F. Tompkins) and his talking Manatee, which he falls in love with. It makes him feel like he had to pee, but not really. It also causes him to blurt out mildly sexual statements.
Louise decides to get a nail extension job so that each of her fingers and toes have long nails that serve as exaggerated claws.
Linda gets a tan that results in her turning heavily red. She mistakes this for a perfectly good tan and walks around claiming how beautiful she looks.
Tina, who is obsessed with an attractive masseuse named Asch (Larry Murphy), gets her head rubbed, which causes her hair to look all weird. She wants a full body rub, including her calves, but Asch claims that he can't on account that she is a minor. Tina tries to use body pain as an excuse, but it doesn't work.
Meanwhile, Bob is in the kitchen making food with Duval. When things start wrapping up, he joins his family at a banquet that Flarty is putting on. Curtains drawn to the exterior of the ship, Bob begins to get paranoid about the ship. He opens the curtains and notices that the land is gone. Flarty has decided to kidnap them and have him be his slave all the way to Puerto Rico. The other Belchers are excited, but this turns Bob into a lunatic as he tries to escape, only to be placed back in the kitchen. This includes a quick trip to the deck, where Bob yells at a nearby boat. Every time Bob screams for help, Flarty plays what the opposite boat calls a "funky bass line."
Gene pursues the Manatee, claiming that he has an odd sexual attraction to it. He even gets a few words in with it. Eventually he is told to go to room 308. There he talks to the Manatee and is told to get $100 for her. Gene goes for it and decides to steal money from Linda, who has taken on gambling in a nearby casino. It isn't enough, but Gene is staunch on getting that money.
Meanwhile, Bob is on the loose. Flarty makes the offer that whoever catches him will get their passport back. This causes him to hide in the pool, behind chairs, and anywhere that he won't be suspicious. Suddenly, he finds Louise, and he asks her to become a distraction. This causes her to steal Flarty's beloved capybara Kiki and lead them on a wild goose chase. This gives Bob time to flee into the banquet hall to try and stop people from eating lobsters, which he believes that Duval has poisoned. He gets a few angry complaints, but manages to pull it away right as Louise has lead Flarty and the men straight to him. He demands that next time she doesn't do that.He is now locked in the storage compartment of the kitchen, where he manages to break out by hitting the wall with some canned meat container. When Flarty checks up on him, he is only gone by mere moments. The next time that he is caught, he is taken to the control room, where he demands a mutiny for Flarty's choice to kidnap him. Nobody takes his side. After running to the banquet hall, he joins forces with Duval and eventually gain their freedom. This is all great, but people are now sick off of oysters.
It is in this time that the Manatee reveals to Gene that it was all a scam and that he should just move on. He does, but not without taking an eye that has fallen off of the doll. With the family back together, they enjoy the rest of the cruise, having taken down Flarty and his insane demands. During this time, someone has dropped off meat in front of Bob's Burgers, assuming that Linda and Bob are having sex. Weeks go by, and the meat is thrown across the building and being eaten by rats. It looks like what the kids call a protein rainbow. Bob seems defeated and decides to leave the mess and go to bed.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
I think that if anyone wins this week's episode, it is Gene, if just for bringing one of the weirdest romances of the Fall TV season. This show continues to go in odd directions, and the choice to have Gene sexually attracted to a puppet only adds merit to the show's unbelievable genius. It almost seems too tender to even be going for laughs. Gene really wants to help that Manatee, even though we know it is just a scam and there is a man at the other end. I don't know what this will say about Gene's love life in the future, but he has quickly become one of the more fascinatingly tragic simpleminded characters on TV. How is this the case? Who was not rooting for him to fall in love with that Manatee? Who was more concerned with why he was attracted that heavily to a doll?
Also, it is just great to have a Bob story line that wasn't overshadowed by his children. The past few weeks seem to give the kids a great story and leave the parents for a mediocre subplot. This week, it almost seems like everyone is on fire. Bob is understandably ticked by being Shanghaied, and every single moment of his quest to get off of a ship was excellent. I still hold the scene where the neighboring boat says "all I hear is a funky bass line" to be funnier than it deserves. The simple fact is that Bob was great this week, if just because the whole thing played out like a fugitive parody with uninspired flaws.
I am also a big fan with the amount of humor they got out of Louise's ridiculously long nails. Whether it was playing glasses or ripping up the sheets, the very idea is so much her that I almost wish that they did it more often. I also enjoy that they didn't overdo it, but instead make her into the nuisance who popped juice boxes and deflated balloons. Louise was excellent this week for one reason. She was able to bring some physical comedy that she rarely does, and she succeeded in spades.
Tina and Linda were not as heavily used, but I still enjoy Tina's quest to find someone to love. The whole masseuse seduction thing was excellent and even her saying "I'm four hours older" seems awkward enough that you almost root for her. In fact, it is going to be odd if they give any of the dysfunctional Belcher kids significant others as permanent characters. Of all of them, I still bet Gene is most likely to have the worst luck. This will be great fodder when the show runs out of ideas.
Before I began, I compared it to the Simpsons, and I must ask how anyone cannot see it? I know it is a crass thing to judge two works when they are each unique, but Bob's Burgers is not like your average cartoon. Even in the Fox Animation Domination list, it is nothing like Family Guy or Seth MacFarlane's cavalcade of comedies. It kind of sounds like the Simpsons, but with more crass humor. However, it fits neither formula enough to be a clone, which is refreshing. I cannot recall any cartoon that came this close in Fox's history to being the next the Simpsons (King of the Hill, as classic as it could get, was too moral-based to earn that title). It's just edgy enough and the satire is really strong. The stories are bizarre and they tackle dysfunctional family tropes in a more aggressive tone without as much heart, which is fine.
I guess my argument could be made for any show (though I hate anyone who says Family Guy, which is not true for many reasons) and it may seem a little irrational, but this is three seasons in, and it feels like Bob's Burgers is going that way. It may lack the flash, but come on, "Mutiny on the Windbreak" is a classic example of what animation can be, which is what the Simpsons was back in their day. I doubt that the show will be as beloved, quoted, or sold as successfully, but I also didn't see the show lasting this long and getting a full season pick-up. Then again, I assume that Fox expected Napoleon Dynamite and Allen Gregory (both featuring oddly familiar molds) to take off.
Such a great episode and so many memorable parts. The most notable thing? I learned what a capybara is. It is the biggest rodent in the world next to Gene.
Also check out more of my work at http://nerdseyeviewpodcast.blogspot.com/ where I have a podcast called Nerd's Eye View.
Comments
Post a Comment