Bob's Burgers Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Tina and the Real Ghost

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Happy Halloween!

Okay, not really, but it's that special time of year during Bob's Burgers Season 5 Episode 2. This episode tells the spooky (but not really) yet sweet as candy corn story of how girl meets ectoplasmic boy.

It's Halloween at the Belcher home. A visit from a jittery exterminator gives the Belchers (minus Bob) a reason to believe that a ghost is haunting their basement. After a seance led by Linda, the "ghost" (later named Jeff) gets trapped in a shoe box.

When word gets out that Bob's Burgers is "haunted", people start flocking to the store and the ever skeptical Bob decides to ride it out for as long as he can. All the while, Tina spends time with her box bound beau ( or should I say, "boo") and starts to fall in love with him. It's a tale as old as time.

Lets just get this out of the way: I love Tina Belcher. Her unique blend of awkwardness and self confidence is not only amusing to watch, it's also oddly empowering. She is truly one of the best characters to come out of a television show within the past several years.

I always love when Tina is the center of the episode and, unsurprisingly, her material was by far the strongest. The moments with them spending time together were some of the best of the episode (especially while accompanied by the destined to be a classic single, "Jeff." Seriously, why isn't there a Bob's Burgers album. Hell, 30 Rock did it.)

The scene with Tina and Jeff in the butterfly house was easily the best scene in the episode. Tina's coincidental kiss from the butterfly was not only sweet, but it was a creative way to make it seem believably magical without making it too explicitly supernatural.

Sadly, the side story with Bob using the rumors of a haunting in order to attract business was one of the weaker aspects of the episode. The idea of Bob using the craziness around him to bring in customers has been seen over and over again. It wasn't an awful storyline, it just didn't add anything new. That being said, it was refreshing to see Louise show a bit of humanity. Even though she caused the mess in the first place, her conviction to stand up for Tina (as slightly self serving as it may have been) felt different and added another shade to her character.

As much as Tina's storyline was the highlight of the episode, I have to admit I was let down by the ending. Tina's big speech didn't really work for me because a lot of the elements leading up to that moment weren't as well developed as they could have been. Having Tina finding out about Jeff not being real after overhearing her family off camera felt random and shoehorned in. The payoff with the other classmates also felt underdeveloped because the amount of time spent on how Jeff influenced all of them felt threadbare at best.

The moments just between Tina and Jeff were much more effective and honestly, it would have been better if the episode focused primarily on them. That being said, showing Tina's mischievous side, much like seeing Louise's compassionate side, was definitely an interesting idea that I hope they bring up in the future.

Do you believe in ghosts? Do you believe in love? Do you believe that a boxed ghost can love?

Don't forget that you can watch Bob's Burgers online right here on TV Fanatic!

Tina and the Real Ghost Review

Editor Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 2.5 / 5.0 (2 Votes)
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Bob's Burgers Season 5 Episode 2 Quotes

Bobby, is he squirting poison? The kids just got home and they want to watch.

Linda

Two days until trick or treating. What am I supposed to eat until then? Other food?

Gene