Is there any show on television right now that can make viewers smile unexpectedly more than Bob's Burgers? Since there are like a thousand shows around, there might be. But it's hard to believe any show could top Bob's on this metric.
The end of this latest episode of Bob's made me feel warm and fuzzy and wishing that my little brother and I had a better relationship. Alas, it is not to be, but at least the Belcher siblings seem to be on the right track with one another. This episode is centered around Tina finally becoming a Big Fish mentor to a younger Little Fish. She has dreams of being as influential to her Little Fish as her Big Fish was on her, which we're shown in a delightful flashback with a teeny tiny Tina.
Louise assumes that Tina and her Little Fish, Kaylee, will get along since they're both quiet nerds. Louise isn't holding out much hope about bonding with her Big Fish, Tammy, but she's proved wrong when they help each other ditch their Big Fish/Little Fish meetings and fake a Caribbean vacation for Tammy on social media. That's a sort of bonding in my book.
In fact, every other Big/Little seems to be getting on swimmingly (on purpose, ha!), except for Tina and Kaylee. This is not the face of a child who is enjoying herself:
Tina comes on way too strong, trying to find common ground with Kaylee and ending up scaring the crap out of the poor girl. It's not surprising when Mr. Fronds gets an anonymous request for Kaylee to switch Big Fishes, and while it takes Tina a few seconds to figure out that Kaylee was that anonymous requester, she's still bummed enough to throw up when she does figure it out.
Tina and her next Little Fish, Rudy, don't work out much better, with both Tina and Rudy pining for their previous Fishes. Can't really blame Rudy, he and Zeke, his old Big Fish, seemed to hit it off right away. Rudy and Tina though - not so much. So when another anonymous request for Rudy to switch Big Fishes comes to Mr. Fronds and he has to break the news to Tina, I really felt for our bespectacled protagonist, and not just because she was barfing on Mr. Fronds floor again.
After both of her Fish failures, Tina decides to talk to her old Big Fish, McKenzie, who's making, according to Gene, "the big bucks," with a part-time gig at Caboose Kabob, where she is absolutely not supposed to say "What can I put in your caboose?" to customers but just can't seem to stop.
Tina remembers how nice McKenzie was when they were Fishes four years ago when Tina accidentally spilled chili on herself and McKenzie created a diversion so people wouldn't see Tina and laugh, and Tina wants that with Kaylee. Unfortunately she wants exactly that and hatches a very, very bad plan to recreate the chili incident but with herself as the hero. Both Louise and Gene tell Tina that covering her former Little Fish in chili isn't the best idea, but neither can talk her out of it.
So when Tina ends up spilling the chili on herself, it's sort of deserved. But then the power of Bob's kicks in and I get a little misty eyed. While Tina is dripping chili all over the place in a room full of kids, Louise announces she wants to say a few words about her Big Fish. She says some nice things and then TWIST! reveals she was talking about her "Big Fish for life," her big sister, Tina. Gene joins in the distraction/praise and Tina gets away without anyone the wiser about the chili incident. It's moments like these, when goofy Gene and cynical Louise show their softer sides, especially when it comes to their family, that really showcase all the heart behind Bob's. The kids are alright.
In other Belcher family news, a new gym, the Pumpin' Patch, opened up next to the restaurant and the owner comes by to invite Bob and Linda to join. They are at first reluctant, but when it's revealed they both want to have Linda Hamilton's arms from Terminator they go over in their sweats to battle rope and do weights and other exercise related things. They feel great and sign a contract. Except the next day they're so sore they can barely get out of bed. The smarmy gym owner won't let them out of their contract so they form a plan to make themselves so annoying that they get kicked out. And it works, with a little help from a shirtless Teddy.
Odds and ends:
Favorite quote: "Now, about my pubes."
Favorite blink and you'll miss it moment: Tina uses Gene's emergency chili for her plan. It was in the back of the fridge for a reason!
Questionable acronym alert!: MILF does not stand for Mom Is Living Forever.
Questions or comments on this episode go below!
