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.
While it can be argued that the show has seen the Belchers take on different jobs, they have never really worked in more than the fast food industry and gotten paid traditionally. That is part of what makes this episode an intriguing one. Add in Linda's (John Roberts) inability to run a speed dating program in "My Fuzzy Valentine," and you get quite an episode that proves that maybe this family is dysfunctional in a different way. Maybe they are unable to work separately.
The episode begins with Bob (Jon Benjamin) reading his financial reports and discovering that they will need to cut corners. Linda chimes in and says that if necessary, she can sacrifice herself to work another job. Louise (Kristen Schaal), Tina (Dan Mintz), and Gene (Eugene Mirman) all have their own ideas, but Bob insists that they are not to a desperate point just yet.
On a trip to the grocery store Fresh Feed the following day, Linda is having a hoot reading the signs (you'll go nuts for our nuts) and just enjoying the atmosphere. There's even a ridiculous disco minute in which everyone dances. During this time, she tracks down Greg (Matt Besser), who works there. The two hit it off and soon she gets hired as a cashier after she expositions her case. When Bob finds out, he is a little scared, but Linda insists that it is only part time.
Life is going well for Linda at Fresh Feed. She is singing and having fun while Gene eats samples and Louise attaches shrimp to balloons. Meanwhile, Bob is alone and kind of going crazy. Teddy (Larry Murphy) keeps him company for the most part, but when it turns into a conversation about his singular testicle, it just gets awkward. However, it does lead to one of the show's most elaborate, exciting song numbers that sees Bob and Linda juxtaposing their joy for their jobs. It is probably more professionally written than any other song that the show has produced before.
Meanwhile, Tina is in the milk freezer and she comes across a man trying to buy milk. He notices her, and suddenly the band-aid on his finger falls off. It turns out to be from a turtle bite that he claims was from him being a jerk. However, when Tina gets a hold of the band-aid, the man is gone and she is left to wonder what is going to happen. She keeps the band-aid as a memento, but also decides to post up posters around town, looking for who she feels is her true love. She has a bunch of people who talked to a freak in the freezer come to Bob's Burgers to try on the band-aid, but with little success.
Meanwhile, Linda is proving to be the real go getter. She is working hard, singing songs, and bringing a bright light to the company. She eventually becomes shift manager as a result and is put in charge of everyone. One day, Mitch, who is a coworker who is also in the Steve Miller Band cover band Abra Cadabblers, decides to leave work early. Meanwhile, Greg and Jamie (David Herman) also call in sick, go fly kites, or take naps. Soon Linda realizes that she has nobody to do any of the jobs, which results in utter chaos.
She calls in her kids to do the other jobs for her. Gene takes over cash register duties, which doesn't go very well, as he just lets people go through with food after deeming the job too hard. Tina is back in the freezer, where she discovers that the man's name is Josh (Ben Schwartz), and he has been coming into the store every day looking for her. The two begin kissing through the milk freezer racks.
Bob eventually shows up and apologizes for claiming that Linda shouldn't have given up on the Bob's Burgers job because she is a crucial member of the staff. Linda also admits that she cannot stand being shift manager. At this point, the store is being looted and going crazy. The two hug each other and as Greg returns from flying a kite, they leave to a hail of shrimp being hoisted by balloons falling from the sky.
Back at Bob's Burgers, they are at peace with the world. They have decided that even if they are going to have to pinch pennies, they'd rather be broke than apart. The episode ends by Louise suggesting that the answer to their problems is that they need to find some sex and sell it.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
I will admit that this episode's slightly lower score may be because of my familiarity with grocery stores. As an employee, I do take a sensitive side to the portrayal and somehow, even when things go out of control, I somehow sympathize with the workers. I considered this last half of the episode to be a nightmare and kind of unrealistic, even for Bob's Burgers universal rules. I expect a certain amount of realism... and this is coming from the guy who gave an episode about an electric shark wrecking the town five stars.
I do admit that I enjoy the family trying to branch out, but it feels redundant after "My Fuzzy Valentine" to force Linda into another situation that only ends in chaos. I admit that I enjoyed her energy at the start of the episode. If this episode had one strength, it was the brilliant song cues. This show has always been prime with good music, but it feels like the quality increases episode-to-episode. The whole production with Linda and Bob talking about how lonely their lives are may be the show's peak at song writing brilliance.
With that said, I cannot really buy Linda rising to the top that fast, even within the constrains of a half hour episode. I know that time tends to pass by faster, but Linda is just too much of a klutz to be a shift manager. Also, why wasn't anyone concerned that the store was being looted and wrecked. I admit that it was kind to think that Linda could be the selfless hero, which was on great display, but surely there should have been someone else there to say "this is wrong."
Someone should have been called to come and sub. Also, why is there only like four employees in that store? It makes no sense. Someone must have had common sense to hire more people and do a better job, especially since even the above picture suggests that there are more than five lanes for cashiers. It is just baffling, and while I am fine with it not having many consequences, it still feels wrong for the resolution to play out in a mob chaos.
The whole ending felt offensive. I admit that it was how the show wanted to show Linda's power not being able to control others, but it still could have been done in a more reasonable way. Even Gene and Tina coming in to help out just felt forced and the common sense factor just went out the window. Sure, it was funny watching Gene guess how much each item costed, but after awhile, the show's basis wasn't enough in reality for me to care. Also, why wasn't Greg there earlier?
I'm sorry if it feels like I have issues with this episode, but I do. True, Tina's freezer love story was excellent, but Linda being the main character was a little aggravating. She just failed to hold speed dating last time, waved a cop's gun around, and there was a sense of peril that followed. Here, there is nothing in the realm of common sense. While the show handled it perfectly fine at first, I still cannot stand how it played out.
But the music was excellent. If this episode has one thing going for it, it is that duet.
The episode begins with Bob (Jon Benjamin) reading his financial reports and discovering that they will need to cut corners. Linda chimes in and says that if necessary, she can sacrifice herself to work another job. Louise (Kristen Schaal), Tina (Dan Mintz), and Gene (Eugene Mirman) all have their own ideas, but Bob insists that they are not to a desperate point just yet.
On a trip to the grocery store Fresh Feed the following day, Linda is having a hoot reading the signs (you'll go nuts for our nuts) and just enjoying the atmosphere. There's even a ridiculous disco minute in which everyone dances. During this time, she tracks down Greg (Matt Besser), who works there. The two hit it off and soon she gets hired as a cashier after she expositions her case. When Bob finds out, he is a little scared, but Linda insists that it is only part time.
Life is going well for Linda at Fresh Feed. She is singing and having fun while Gene eats samples and Louise attaches shrimp to balloons. Meanwhile, Bob is alone and kind of going crazy. Teddy (Larry Murphy) keeps him company for the most part, but when it turns into a conversation about his singular testicle, it just gets awkward. However, it does lead to one of the show's most elaborate, exciting song numbers that sees Bob and Linda juxtaposing their joy for their jobs. It is probably more professionally written than any other song that the show has produced before.

Meanwhile, Linda is proving to be the real go getter. She is working hard, singing songs, and bringing a bright light to the company. She eventually becomes shift manager as a result and is put in charge of everyone. One day, Mitch, who is a coworker who is also in the Steve Miller Band cover band Abra Cadabblers, decides to leave work early. Meanwhile, Greg and Jamie (David Herman) also call in sick, go fly kites, or take naps. Soon Linda realizes that she has nobody to do any of the jobs, which results in utter chaos.
She calls in her kids to do the other jobs for her. Gene takes over cash register duties, which doesn't go very well, as he just lets people go through with food after deeming the job too hard. Tina is back in the freezer, where she discovers that the man's name is Josh (Ben Schwartz), and he has been coming into the store every day looking for her. The two begin kissing through the milk freezer racks.
Bob eventually shows up and apologizes for claiming that Linda shouldn't have given up on the Bob's Burgers job because she is a crucial member of the staff. Linda also admits that she cannot stand being shift manager. At this point, the store is being looted and going crazy. The two hug each other and as Greg returns from flying a kite, they leave to a hail of shrimp being hoisted by balloons falling from the sky.
Back at Bob's Burgers, they are at peace with the world. They have decided that even if they are going to have to pinch pennies, they'd rather be broke than apart. The episode ends by Louise suggesting that the answer to their problems is that they need to find some sex and sell it.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
I do admit that I enjoy the family trying to branch out, but it feels redundant after "My Fuzzy Valentine" to force Linda into another situation that only ends in chaos. I admit that I enjoyed her energy at the start of the episode. If this episode had one strength, it was the brilliant song cues. This show has always been prime with good music, but it feels like the quality increases episode-to-episode. The whole production with Linda and Bob talking about how lonely their lives are may be the show's peak at song writing brilliance.
With that said, I cannot really buy Linda rising to the top that fast, even within the constrains of a half hour episode. I know that time tends to pass by faster, but Linda is just too much of a klutz to be a shift manager. Also, why wasn't anyone concerned that the store was being looted and wrecked. I admit that it was kind to think that Linda could be the selfless hero, which was on great display, but surely there should have been someone else there to say "this is wrong."
Someone should have been called to come and sub. Also, why is there only like four employees in that store? It makes no sense. Someone must have had common sense to hire more people and do a better job, especially since even the above picture suggests that there are more than five lanes for cashiers. It is just baffling, and while I am fine with it not having many consequences, it still feels wrong for the resolution to play out in a mob chaos.
The whole ending felt offensive. I admit that it was how the show wanted to show Linda's power not being able to control others, but it still could have been done in a more reasonable way. Even Gene and Tina coming in to help out just felt forced and the common sense factor just went out the window. Sure, it was funny watching Gene guess how much each item costed, but after awhile, the show's basis wasn't enough in reality for me to care. Also, why wasn't Greg there earlier?
I'm sorry if it feels like I have issues with this episode, but I do. True, Tina's freezer love story was excellent, but Linda being the main character was a little aggravating. She just failed to hold speed dating last time, waved a cop's gun around, and there was a sense of peril that followed. Here, there is nothing in the realm of common sense. While the show handled it perfectly fine at first, I still cannot stand how it played out.
But the music was excellent. If this episode has one thing going for it, it is that duet.
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