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.
Welcome back to the Bob's Burgers TV recaps. In order to catch up, I will be doing a little bit of a different schedule. I will be doing two episodes over the next two weeks. This is mostly as to catch up on Parks and Recreation at the same time. The schedule for this week is today and Wednesday and next week it will be Tuesday and Wednesday. Keep an eye out for those.
If there is one thing that I enjoy about animation, it is the clever ways that they get around nudity. The Simpsons managed to perfect the art over and over, pushing boundaries without showing anything inappropriate. Thus, it became tradition for every edgy cartoon show to try and portray nudity without showing any body parts. This is especially an achievement in Bob's Burgers episode "Nude Beach" because, as the title suggests, there will be a lot of nudity that follows. Also, plenty of clever censorship.
The episode begins with Ron (Ron Lynch) and Hugo (Sam Seder) doing an inspection of Bob's Burgers. After testing to make sure that the hamburger patties were cooked to a perfect brown, Hugo notices that there isn't any hand washing signs readily available. He is worried about sanitation. To keep Hugo from posting signs heeding customers, he demands that he attend a hand washing seminar. As Hugo leaves, he talks about shutting down a disgusting nude beach.
When Bob (Jon Benjamin) pops on the video, it is being presented by Andre Royo. In one of the show's most clever cameos, Royo gives a speech about how he played Bubbles on the Wire. However, he is here to talk about a different kind of bubbles. The ad is overly ridiculous and Bob cannot stand it. He even risks the idea that maybe he will get slapped with cautionary signs that will damage business.
When Bob shuts the video off, Linda (John Roberts) discusses going to the nude beach that Hugo was talking about. Bob is against it, though Tina (Dan Mintz) is not opposed to it, as it could be a mother-daughter nudity day. When Linda reveals that no kids are allowed, Tina, Gene (Eugene Mirman), and Louise (Kristen Schaal) go on a quest to get a peek at the beach. However, it is hidden away behind some mountains and a telescope cannot see around it. They decide to start building a secret vantage point from above, where they will charge money for the sites and eventually cover expenses for the entire family.
Since Bob will not go, Linda goes to the beach with her friend. There they discover that Hugo has become a nudist full time and doesn't want to be a health inspector. This results in a much cooler health inspector taking over. His name is Tommy (Fred Armisen), and he is very casual with the Belchers. He hates uptight people and plays in a band that is admittedly not very good. He uses his job as a musician to play at people's restaurants This drives out business when he sings songs that go like "I'm good at sex, you're bad at sex," and one number called "Elderly Prostitute." He drives away business. Bob tries to convince him to leave, but Tommy wipes the restaurant's records clean as a bribe. If he goes, he will sabotage Bob's Burgers.
Meanwhile, Tina, Louise, and Gene have built a vantage point and are trying to get children to join them. This doesn't go well until they meet Darryl (Aziz Ansari), who has a telescope and knows how to work a crowd with phrases like "pay the dude, see some boobs," or "pay a fee and see some peen." He rallies up students at the school, and soon the business is taking off. At first, the students are turned off because it is a bunch of old naked people. However, as time progresses, they come back to watch and the business is booming.
Bob attempts to draw Hugo back into the business after Tommy begins dropping rat turds on the ground of Bob's Burgers. However, the catch is that he needs to compete in a nude decathlon or risk serving the celebration. Bob forcefully agrees and gets naked. Meanwhile, the kids are watching from the vantage point, cheering him on. They also think that he looks good for someone who has had three kids.
Hugo seems to be winning. That is, until the final portion in which Bob has to wrestle him. Bob wins and suddenly Hugo is willing to come back. When he inspects Bob's Burgers (making it the third time within a week or so), he takes off the cautionary posters, and business resumes. Hugo states that he wants to shut the place down, but he has no reason. Also, Bob needs to serve the celebratory nude decathlon after party. The episode ends with everyone disrobing and Tina wanting to clean under the booths.
Rating: 4 out of 5
What is bizarre is how the show manages to root on children watching naked people without making it seem perverse. In a way, it almost seems sweet. The Belchers are definitely a family that sticks together, even when their father is naked and wrestling their former health inspector. It is also pretty great that they don't spend half of the episode dealing with body conscious humor and instead brush over it. There's something genius about the kids and the parents having overlapping plots that somehow more connects them. This is a tale of unity through a nude beach. Now that is heartwarming.
I haven't really gotten the sense that Hugo is an interesting character. However, after this episode, we finally get a sense of who he is. He may be uptight and wanting to shut down Bob's Burgers, but he is still human, with passions that are different. I just hope this isn't the beginning of a satirical take on Hugo where he somehow becomes very much a free spirit.
I am still a big fan of Andre Royo's cameo, if just for the simple fact that he presented the line "I'm here to talk to you about a different kind of bubbles." There is something inherently genius about it. It may be an in and out type deal, but hopefully it is a one off. The Simpsons have done cameos like this to death, and the results range in quality. However, Bob's Burgers is still new, and add in a bizarre, family bonding, nude beach plot, and somehow that goes deeper into the whole sanitation argument. This is especially true as the episode ends with Hugo saying that the nudists do not need to worry about sanitation napkins at Bob's Burgers.
As I stated in the opening remarks, I love a show that can do something clever with nudity. Family Guy only thinks that it does it well. However, there is a fine art to cartoons being risque and just going for it. The Simpsons still occasionally can do it by hiding behind bushes or small props. Bob's Burgers is an excellent addition to this tradition. By turning a nude beach into a landmine of nudity, the show manages to get around many corners in brilliant new ways. The whole nude decathlon montage had plenty of great moments. Add in the kid's vantage point, and it only increased the possible angles to shoot it from. The header photo alone should give you some sense to how brilliant their censoring can get.
I also enjoy the Tommy cameo. While I feel like the show is running a risk of possibly too many sabotaging housemates, they haven't ran out of ideas on how to do that. Tommy is exceptionally interesting because yes, his music is bad, but sometimes Linda's could be that way, too. The whole "I'm good at sex" song is hilarious because you believe this guy. Also, when he goes crazy and bribes them into making him play there, there is conflict that roots back to the beginning of the episode. While I fear that the episodes will soon evolve into speculation that all new characters are out to screw the Belchers, they at least do it in funny ways.
I also love that Tina and Linda have bonded so well. Maybe it is just coincidence that Tina wants to spend time at a nude beach with her mom, especially after "Mother Daughter Laser Razor," but it feels nice that there is continuity. In a sense, I love this show because it can go from over the top plots like "the Deepening" to something that bonds the family, which just happens to be a nude beach. This show may not have as big a heart as the Simpsons have, but they definitely are equal parts inventive in showing the modern day family.
Comments
Post a Comment