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.
I have had a strange relationship with the episodes centered around the Wagstaff School. While it has helped the characters to grow, it has also introduced some of the weaker characters in the series, specifically people who don't make sense like Zeke (Bobby Tisdale) or Tammy (Jenny Slate) that are probably the show's weaker episodes. Then you get something like "Gene it On," which is a delightful satire of cheerleading that may or may not borrow some elements from Bring it On and introduces them into an altered vision of petty desperation for acceptance. Or, in shortest terms, Bob's Burgers has managed to land another great episode.
The episode opens with the family sitting down to dinner and Bob (Jon Benjamin) wondering where his mop head went. It turns out that Tina (Dan Mintz) borrowed it so that she could practice for a cheerleader tryout in her closet. Linda (John Roberts) gets really excited and supportive, hoping that her daughter succeeds. She almost seems to act vicariously through her. This is because in all of her existence, she has been an entourage member for her high school friend Monica (Carrie Clifford), who always got the prime spots. After Tina wonders how to do a cartwheel correctly, Louise (Kristen Schaal) and Gene (Eugene Mirman) decide to tag along.
During the tryouts, Tina fails miserably and causes herself to bite her tongue after colliding with the table where the advisory board is sitting. Lead by Mr. Ambrose (Billy Eichner), Tammy, and Todd (Keegan-Michael Key), they determine that Tina isn't cut out for the job. However, after hearing Gene cheer in the audience, they decide to give him a tryout. He gets the part while Tina ends up with a lisp from a sore tongue. Linda brushes over Tina's failure to acknowledge how great it is that Gene got in. She begins to support him in overtly aggressive ways.
Meanwhile, Tina's tongue is so bitten that she needs Louise to be her translator. This ends up with Louise convincing Mr. Frond (David Herman) and Jimmy Jr. (Benjamin) that Tina's words are sort of blasphemous and meant to be mean. When Jimmy Jr. comes into contact with Tina, Louise decides to translate the entire speech into something regarding a date at Pie in the Sky: a rotating restaurant that overlooks the entire town.
Mr. Ambrose is jealous that he didn't get into drama and instead turns the cheerleading team into its own conflicts. He makes it Todd, the seasoned veteran, versus Gene, the new guy with a lot of pep. After Todd leaves the game one day to go to the bathroom, Gene gets his shot to wow the crowd and ends up impressing everyone. It starts a riff that includes a cheer-off and eventually a falling out. Gene doesn't want to be a cheerleader anymore, which annoys Linda and causes her to disown him. Mr. Ambrose decides to make things more complicated by entering the team in a tournament and forcing Gene to come up with the operation.
At Pie in the Sky, Louise, Jimmy Jr., and Tina sit around talking. As an interpreter, Louise is doing a mediocre job. She eventually gets sick and vomits on the window. This doesn't stop the other two, who have a form of lisps, to make out with each other. They eventually fall in love and that is the end of their story.
Bob and Linda decide to go to Gene's tournament only to run into Monica. There's some petty feuds going on between the two. Gene has prepared a robot routine set with boxy costumes. He believes that they will help him standout. When he sees that the other team is doing a similar routine, he does his best to come up with something on the fly. He comes up with his mother's plan, which is to stack all six of them on top of each other and do a cartwheel. It goes miserably and they land in last place while Mr. Ambrose lands in the hospital. However, they are happy that it is over.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Maybe it is because I have an infinite soft spot for Bring it On, but this episode captures what the show does best. It manages to satirize without drawing attention to their subject matter. Last season's shining achievement in this category was "O.T.: The Outside Toilet." This year's winner looks to be "Gene It On," which manages to take all of the petty tropes of the cheerleading film universe and apply them to a singular event. The antagonist? Mr. Ambrose, whose taunts almost feel like direct lifts from summaries of plot synopses. He is overly dramatic and is more excited about a falling out to the point that Todd notes just how awful he is as a coach.
Even then, I am always excited to see Gene doing something creative. It is his field of expertise. The whole idea of him cheerleading was a nice touch and best summed up in the cheer-off portion in which they taunt each other via spontaneous cheers. The rhymes aren't that complex, but it captures the petty joy that comes from this rather pointless career. They are hired to encourage others while themselves not being a tight functioning unit. Even the closing number with the robots has plenty of weight to it because once again, Mr. Ambrose is solely exposition and wants everything to be dramatic. Cheering is far from dramatic. It is supposed to be vapid and accessible. Nothing about Mr. Ambrose's advice is accessible.
I also like that the entire episode is based around the idea of these characters each having their own grudges from the past. Linda has Monica, who she hasn't seen in years and ends up having a little tiff with at Gene's tournament. It isn't much, but it helps to better explain why Linda ends up having conflict when her son disowns cheerleading. Linda is a bad mother in terms of supporting her children. Look how quickly she gives up on Tina. No wonder her esteem is questionable. Of course, Tina and Linda haven't really felt like the most compatible of the Belchers. At least, none have had an episode quite as effective as "Mother Daughter Laser Razor." The negligence is funny because it plays into the high school ideals of the episode's discussion points. And Bob is simply there, confused. Nice to not see him being beaten down by pointless insults.
Then there's Tina, whose failure in cheerleading quickly sidetracks into a lisping tongue. It is a great gag that plays to the strengths of Louise, a naive and bratty matchmaker for her and Jimmy Jr.. It is even funny to see both so infatuated and connecting solely because of their lisps. The plot may have been more straightforward than the main plot, but Tina and Louise working together regularly delivers some of the show's best moments. Having them alone trying to solve Tina's problem is an amazing feat, especially when the romance becomes too much for Louise.
Even if I have felt like this season has been a little lackluster, I am glad to see that it still can churn out a great one once in a while. I sincerely hold this one to a high regard. It has plenty of supporting characters being used sparingly with their jokes. Mr. Ambrose may be the episode's MVP simply because of how well the drama teacher-turned-cheerleading mafioso aspect played into the children's argumentative nature. If the series can produce a better episode than this, I am looking forward to it. However, for the time being, Bob's Burgers continues to reflect the brilliance that goes into the writing by understanding satire and finding the charm somewhere in the character interactions and finding some heart in the crass moments.
Comments
Post a Comment