Bob's Burgers Season 11 Episode 6 Review: Bob Belcher and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Kids
Sarah Little
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Well, it finally happened. Bob's Burgers -- the restaurant -- was set on fire.
The opening credits, which have been the same since Bob's Burgers Season 1, have always depicted a fire at the restaurant. That disaster came true on Bob's Burgers Season 11 Episode 6, and it was everything we could have hoped for and more.
The question of the matter was, who started the fire? And how did they start it?
We were all made to believe that the three Belcher kids accidentally contributed to the disaster in the kitchen because of their disgust for their mother's mermaid sculpture.
It made perfect sense that they were the culprits as they are known to make a mess of things at the restaurant quite often. And the misdirection worked perfectly since the way they set flames to the kitchen was hilarious.
Bob: So it sounds like Gene started the fire with Mom's old crimping iron, Louise gave the fire fuel with all of the sparklers, and Tina, you literally faned the flames.
Linda: Aw, working together! I mean, that's not good.
Who else would think of a crimper, sparklers, and a fan as the perfect combination to create a fire?
But, in the end, it was revealed that Hugo was the actual instigator of the fire. And in another surprise, it was accidental on his part because he was carelessly throwing around old, greasy rags during an inspection at the restaurant.
Of course, going back and watching the episode, you might be able to pick up on some of the clues that would lead you to that conclusion.
But what really worked was that they were able to show us a small scene with a slightly humorous health inspection and then distract us with a hideous mermaid sculpture.
Only when talking about Bob's Burgers would that sentence make sense.
Bob: And now you kids are going to be pepped because I'm about to give you kids a great pep talk.
Louise: Incredible start.
Gene: Hmmm.
Tina: I'm pretty fired up. It's working, Dad!
Bob: Great. I-I haven't really started it yet.
Tina: And you lost me.
It was believable that the kids would so desperately want to win the sculpture contest to get money to buy new toys that they would all, individually, go to great lengths to make the mermaid a little less terrifying.
And why wouldn't the fan blow one of the sparklers over, making it fall on the crimper and setting fire to the kitchen? It makes perfect sense to me, especially on a show that is as delightfully outrageous as Bob's Burgers.
But, as we found out in the end, the unlikely scenario that Tina, Gene, and Louise unknowingly made up in their minds is not what happened.
However, the guilt they felt for potentially costing their family a lot of business on what was supposed to be one of the busiest days of the year was immense.
Even Louise was deeply troubled with the part she played, although she was very open to sharing the blame with her siblings.
Linda: The prize is a three hundred dollar gift certificate to any store on the street.
Gene: Even Mort's? Free funeral!
It was awfully nice that the kids took accountability for their actions by fessing up right away to their parents. It's easy to forget that they are, for the most part, great children, when they are, more often than not, getting themselves into trouble.
Bob and Linda, while a bit angry, never blamed their kids or made them feel bad for potentially, and accidentally, setting fire to the restaurant. The Belchers might just be the healthiest family in terms of their relationship on television.
Bob, Linda, and the kids had open communication and trust, which was refreshing to see when so many relationships on television are full of unhealthy lies and deceit.
Gene automatically confessed that he put the crimper in the kitchen. Louise followed with her sparklers and then Tina with her fan. And Bob had his occasional outburst, but both he and Linda were careful not to impose much blame on the kids.
Tina, Gene, and Louise wanted to save the restaurant, and Bob was very touched by how much they cared, even though their plan involved breaking a window. Thankfully, they all have good hearts and couldn't go through with it.
It was a big love fest between the Belcher clan and showed why Bob's Burgers has been on air long enough to produce 200 episodes.
Every member has proven to be relatable on their own, but the relationships they have with one another are touching and inspirational. The family is the core of the show and keeps us coming back for more.
And though most of the Belchers would never admit it, Teddy is a part of their family, as well. It was only natural that he appear on the miletsone episode to help them fix their grill.
He's a whole other mess outside of Bob, Linda, and the kids, and his small quips and unfortunate predicaments add a lot of funny to the show, like strutting around in his pajamas.
Louise: You got a good memory, Dad, for your age.
Gene: And a great ass!
Bob: Thank you.
So, the episode had a surprise ending, heartfelt family talks, hilarious one-liners, and Teddy being Teddy. What more could make this a classic Bob's Burgers episode?
Oh, that's right, songs!
While not a musical, the series has always incorporated songs to strengthen their stories, and that's just what the songs about taking blame for the fire did.
With 200 episodes down, it's hard to keep the elements that everyone loves about the show the same without making stories feel repetitive.
And while they have, unfortunately, produced a couple of new episodes that have felt familiar, like Bob's Burgers Season 11 Episode 5, for the most part, the writers have done an exceptional job at keeping interests piqued with new storylines.
Bubba Gump, give us strength!
Gene
On this episode, they did just that by incorporating the fire story, which fans have wanted for a long time, and the plot twist at the end. Plus, the interactions between Bob, Linda, and the kids definitely helped.
It's a good thing when shows that are 11 seasons in can still shock their audiences and create stories that are not only hilarious, but heartfelt.
What did you think, Bob's Burgers Fanatics?
Were you shocked by the Hugo reveal at the end? Did the constant acts of kindness throughout the episode fill your heart with joy?
And who else thinks that the 400th episode will feature a rat infestation?
Let me know in the comments, and do not forget that you can watch Bob's Burgers online right here via TV Fanatic!
Sarah Little was a staff writer for TV Fanatic.She retired in September 2021.
