Bob's Burgers, Your Next Netflix Binge
By Lauren Clymer
If you haven't gotten a chance to watch at least one episode of Bob's Burgers, you need to reevaluate your time on Netflix. With three seasons available for streaming, Bob's Burgers can easily be your next binge watch this winter season.
Coasting along with animated sitcom favorites like Family Guy, South Park, and The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers struggled, at first, to establish its spot as one of the best comedies on television. Many critics, fans, and even the writers of Family Guy and The Simpsons have made comments insinuating the show wouldn't be able to rise to the top. (In a recent cross-over episode of The Simpsons and Family Guy, Homer notices Bob Belcher as a passenger on an airplane and Peter says, "We gotta carry him because he can't fly on his own,"). However, now in its fifth season, Bob's Burgers has, without a doubt, become the best animated show on Fox.
Coasting along with animated sitcom favorites like Family Guy, South Park, and The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers struggled, at first, to establish its spot as one of the best comedies on television. Many critics, fans, and even the writers of Family Guy and The Simpsons have made comments insinuating the show wouldn't be able to rise to the top. (In a recent cross-over episode of The Simpsons and Family Guy, Homer notices Bob Belcher as a passenger on an airplane and Peter says, "We gotta carry him because he can't fly on his own,"). However, now in its fifth season, Bob's Burgers has, without a doubt, become the best animated show on Fox.
The show is centered around the Belchers, parents Bob and Linda, and their three children, Tina, Louise, and Gene, as they run their family burger joint. Constantly struggling to keep their heads above the water, the Belchers find themselves in some interesting situations to fight for their livelihood that is their restaurant, including committing minor insurance fraud or killing a mechanical shark.
The beauty of the show, among many things, is its ability to create a stable foundation for its comedy. The Belchers worry about everything; raising the emotional stakes without ever pushing over into serious drama territory. With this as the foundation, Bob's Burgers is able to produce countless hilarious episodes. One of the best, and a good gateway episode for the series, would have to be "Tina-rannosaurus Wrecks" of season three- a great first look into the obsession with Tina Belcher.
Bob must go through his insurance provider after Tina hits a competitor's parked car while driving for the first time in the grocery store lot in the episode, "Tina-rannosaurus Wrecks". It starts off on a strong note as Tina gets behind the wheel for the first time and "makes the kitty purr" slowly into the only car in the parking lot, groaning her signature groan the entire time. After leaving a note and getting in touch with the owner of the car, Tina and Bob discover they have to lie to the insurance provider to avoid any legal consequences. However, Tina is not very comfortable with the idea and, as the episode progresses, is forced to suppress her discomfort and deal with the fallout.
The beauty of the show, among many things, is its ability to create a stable foundation for its comedy. The Belchers worry about everything; raising the emotional stakes without ever pushing over into serious drama territory. With this as the foundation, Bob's Burgers is able to produce countless hilarious episodes. One of the best, and a good gateway episode for the series, would have to be "Tina-rannosaurus Wrecks" of season three- a great first look into the obsession with Tina Belcher.
Bob must go through his insurance provider after Tina hits a competitor's parked car while driving for the first time in the grocery store lot in the episode, "Tina-rannosaurus Wrecks". It starts off on a strong note as Tina gets behind the wheel for the first time and "makes the kitty purr" slowly into the only car in the parking lot, groaning her signature groan the entire time. After leaving a note and getting in touch with the owner of the car, Tina and Bob discover they have to lie to the insurance provider to avoid any legal consequences. However, Tina is not very comfortable with the idea and, as the episode progresses, is forced to suppress her discomfort and deal with the fallout.
While the show may center around some unrealistic scenarios (a mechanical shark takes over the street in the season three episode, "The Deepening"), the core plot of the series is relatable and strong. The Belchers are a simple family trying to get by with their small business. Bob struggles to have things go smoothly for his business and his family while Linda is the glue that holds them together. Tina represents the socially awkward phases every teenager has experienced while her siblings, Louise and Gene, provide for out-there comments and advice that can't not be laughed at.
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It's hard to give insight on the episode without revealing the majority of the comedy in it, but trust when I say this episode will not disappoint. Not only does it provide for some of the best Tina Belcher moments, but it shows the very heart of Bob's Burgers.
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"Tina-rannosaurus Wrecks" shows how, despite all of the hilarious mistakes and circumstances the Belchers find themselves in, they are still a simple family living the American dream. Bob's Burgers doesn't need to rely on mocking celebrities or using crude, risque humor like Family Guy or South Park to prove they're the best animated comedy on Fox, which only makes it an even better show.