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.
With great sadness, I regret to inform everyone that Bob's Burgers is now closed for another season. However, what an amazing ride it has been over the past few months watching the show evolve into what it is now. With "the Unnatural," it culminates in everything that a hit or miss, but really ambitious, season of TV should be. It is absurd and most of all, an original look at America's favorite past times: baseball and espressos. What is it about the episode that makes it a great, notable finale?
Gene (Eugene Mirman) has joined a baseball team and is excited to play his first game. However, it goes disastrously and everyone contemplates if he should quit or take lessons. Bob (Jon Benjamin) is especially worried, as he feels that his lack of playing catch as a child is what stunted the whole progress. When word comes out that a man named The Deuce (Rob Huebel) is teaching one day lessons with a very unconvincing video that splices poor baseball hits with home run shots, the family considers it. Everyone that is, except Bob.
Meanwhile, Bob gets an espresso machine and tries to get Teddy (Larry Murphy) to have a drink. However, when he refuses to take a sip, Tina (Dan Mintz) butts in and tries it. This takes her on a hallucinogenic trip into bliss and results in a new addiction. She talks a lot very fast and is more outgoing in trying to get Jimmy Pesto (Jay Johnston) to go out with her. But Linda (John Roberts) and Louise (Kristen Schaal) both don't like the machine and want to get it sold so that Gene can have a $495 one day lesson.
When they meet The Deuce, he is a shady character who probably has no right teaching the class. He appears to be a scam artist that is also known to sell printers and magic shows. He teaches the class how to play without a ball and compliments them on mundane nonsense. He peddles esteem into them. As it continues, he gets a call that reveals that he is being kicked out of his motel room by Mr. Manoogian (Jason Mantzoukas). He forces the kids to grab bats, hop into his car, and face him.
While Tina is coming down from her espresso addiction because Bob cut her off, Bob is not aware that the machine is missing because it is under a blanket. When he removes it, he notices that it is replaced by paper towels and that Linda paid for the baseball lessons with the money from the machine. This creates big tension and most of all, forces them to go down to the baseball field and pick Gene up. Except, he is not there. He is with the other kids poorly beating up the vending machine to stick it to Mr. Manoogian.
It is quickly decided that in order for things to be made right, Bob challenges The Deuce to a baseball game. The catch is that Gene has to hit the ball in order for things to be made right for The Deuce. If he misses, Bob gets everything back to normal. Gene hits the ball and suddenly, everyone is cheering, The Deuce takes off in the background, and Bob reminisces about the espresso machine. Tina is also drinking week old coffee from the lobby of the motel station.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
What a great episode to go out on. As I have stated before, Bob's Burgers biggest strengths have been the show's ability to work as a family. While pitting the kids with the kids and adults with the adults often leads to some good laughs, it is essentially the weird pairings within the varying age brackets where the show manages to draw the most nuggets of gold. In "The Unnatural," it manages to do just that with such an effective and different layout.
It has been awhile since Gene has had a central story that showed why he is one of the funniest characters on the show. His simple inability to play baseball and being forced to have esteem and assume that he can get better only adds a sympathetic and enduring aspect to the episode. He wants to be good, and since he clearly doesn't know much about baseball, he is able to think he's great, even though he is being taught by a fraud who cannot give him any real pointers. This is an episode about how hope isn't always effective through pandering.
There are numerous scenes that are memorable from this episode. The most notable is when sides are taken over the selling of the espresso machine. When Tina is forced to interrogate them, she smashes Linda's beloved baby doll collection and it is such a powerful and humorous scene because it splits the family over not only economic situations, but also over disagreement on Gene's baseball lessons. You can feel Linda's heart breaking as each doll is smashed, and the satirical bent on it being a parody of gangster films doing similar methods only adds an inspiring touch to it.
Also, Bob just loved that espresso machine and it is heartbreaking to see him have to lose something he loves. Where "Kids Run the Restaurant" saw Bob sacrifice health, here makes more sense, as that was an expensive little machine. The fact that in order for him to be happy was to see his kid fail was also an ingenious touch that lead to a great parody of umpire fights between Bob and Linda. In a way, the satire works because deep down, these characters had opposing passion and therefore by trying to take sides, makes it impossible for one to be fully right.
The Deuce is an okay character and in the grand scheme of things, just a scam artist that doesn't really add much outside of the general premise. It is funny watching the typical group of kids fail and be rewarded for it, but as far as characters go, there is little other substance to make him as memorable as the mannequin-loving character from the Christmas episode. In fact, the highlight of the episode is probably him telling a group of kids to smash a vending machine, but they're not very good at doing that.
This isn't so much a take on baseball as it is about a family concerned that they're entering into a scam artist's trap. Even the idea that it is $495 seems a little ridiculous. Still, we want to see Gene succeed, and it is endearing that a scam is how they choose to represent everything. Also, Regular Sized Rudy (Brian Huskey) makes a second appearance here. Not entirely an improvement, as he still feels like a gag character, but I am convinced that he will be more integral in season two now that he doesn't seem like a one-off.
Reminder: Stay tuned next week when I will be closing off season three of Bob's Burgers with a retrospective piece detailing the highs and lows that the series has had in its first full season.
Comments
Post a Comment