When this episode of Bob's Burgers opened with Bob and Gene at a farmers' market I knew we were in for some quality father/son bonding time. Never did I guess that they'd have to deal with some of the most dastardly characters Bob's has ever had.
While at the market Bob is ecstatic to find that a vendor is selling woolly neptune mushrooms, a rare type of mushroom that would taste great on a burger. He's brought down to earth, however, at the $30 an ounce price point. Only temporarily deterred, he suggests to Gene that they venture into the woods and do some mushroom hunting. While Gene has heard of the woods, he's a little less excited than Bob to be going on this particular adventure.
After twenty minutes of internet research into mushroom hunting, with Gene's favorite part being the pop-ups, father and son are ready to find some jasper trees and gullies which will hopefully lead them to a mushroom jackpot. A seemingly helpful lady sprays them down with insect repellent just as they step into the woods and a couple of less helpful fellow mushroom hunters send them on a wild goose chase because they're jerks. I don't know how anyone could look at poor, clueless Bob and Gene and do them wrong.
Happily sent into nowhere, Gene munches on the crackers (in one sock) and cheese (in the other) that he's brought with him, leaving cheesy finger marks on rocks as they walk. They come across a few obstacles, including a tree blocking their path which Bob tries to go over and Gene under, leading Gene to find a nice napping spot on some moss. After a tumble it looks like our dudes are done for, but luckily and without any skills on their part, Bob and Gene literally fall into an entire batch of the woolly neptunes. Success, even if accidental, is still success!
Their cries of joy bring the mushroom hunting jerks to their location, but they also bring the nice lady who helped them with bug stray, who warns them to keep a lid on their find because those other guys are no good. Because the Belchers are horrible liars and hiders, the jerks find them, but they're able to run away, with Gene's cheese markings guiding them out of the woods and back to the car.
It looks as if our heroes have beaten the bad guys, but Bob is missing his keys. The nice lady pops up with them, having taken the short way back to the parking lot, but her true nature is revealed: she's working with the jerks to steal Bob's haul of rare mushrooms. My notes say that Bob and Gene were STABBED IN BACK! which is accurate if grammatically incorrect.
After a short tussle the mushrooms end up being spilled into the roadway where a truck immediately runs over them. I really wanted Bob and Gene to get a win, but at least our boys came out of the adventure with a few things: some woolly neptunes, courtesy of Gene favorite hiding spots, his socks; the knowledge that Gene is a very capable boy; and that they'd probably survive the apocalypse for three whole days.
While the men of the Belcher family are off hunting and gathering, the rest of the cast spends the episode in the restaurant. Tina has gotten new glasses, though unfortunately not the charcoal grey ones she ordered - she ends up with her classic black frames and her new look will have to wait. Tina's new glasses make her eyesight so clear that she's marveling at all that she'd previously missed: the menu, the ceiling, salt and the dirt spots that Louise fails to clean while mopping. Never one to let an opportunity pass her by, Louise scams Tina into doing her restaurant chores for her, arguing that her poor eyesight is no match for Tina's enhanced vision. It's devious and mean, but I have to applaud Louise's quick thinking and ruthlessness.
In a quick scene where Tina's and Linda's glasses are passed around between them and Teddy and Louise, Teddy remarks that Linda looks like a glamorous Henry Kissinger while she's wearing Tina's glasses and that she smells. It's sort of two compliments since he qualifies that she smells like food and grease, but Linda is less than impressed.
Tina is finding that her new glasses are making her eyesight so good that they've given her a superpower. And because we all know that with great power comes great responsibility, she's having a hard time keeping her eyes off the HD boy butts and it's become too much for her. Louise, with nothing better to do it seems, eggs Tina on for a bit, until Linda debunks Tina's super eyesight with a bit of bad lip reading.
A bummed out Tina, who we learned previously thought she had a superpower when her boobs grew in, is cheered up a bit by Linda and her very sweet song about "Super Tina." Linda is a great mom to kids who could try the patience of even the most cheerful person. Just don't mention her little mustache!
Odds and ends:
Favorite quote: "Call me Draco Malfoy because I'm Slytherin!" said by Gene as he wiggles under a tree.
Favorite blink and you'll miss it moment: Gene names each mushroom that he picks with Bob.
Highlights of Linda's song to Tina: Super Tina is taller than a tree, stronger than a rock, jumps like a cat, is cozy like a hat, beaky like a bird, bendy like a straw and fuzzy like a grape(?).
Anyone else want to see those mushroom jerks what's coming to them in a future episode? Leave any comments below!
