[9.0/10] What a laugh riot this one. Early Bob’s Burgers is rough around the edges in some ways, or at least feels a little raunchier and edgier than what the show would later become, but maaaan, this is an early high water mark to be sure. Even with the show playing a little more Adult Swim* than family friendly, the basic core of the characters and their crazy little world is there, which makes this one work.
I like the basic throughline for the episode, that manifests through Bob and Linda being vaguely hypocritical, or at least each seeing their internal principles come into conflict in a hilarious way. Bob hates Gayle’s paintings, but won’t cotton to Edith the art store lady telling him what he can or can’t put up in his own restaurant. Linda wants to protect Gayle’s feelings at all costs, but doesn't want to have to look at animal anuses all day if she can pin it on a convenient scapegoat. The two Belcher parents taking their little crusades to ludicrous extremes makes for a really fun story.
But honestly, it’s the comedy that wins the day here. For one thing, I love Bob’s dynamic with the kids in this one. Him taking them out to make fun of the art crawl paintings, or getting them to cheer for anuses, or telling them not to cut off one another’s eras has a weird but sweet conversational bent to it that cracks me up every time I also love love love Bob’s antagonism with Edith and her husband. Their snarkiness at one another is a hoot. Plus Linda’s efforts to treat her sister with kid gloves and get everyone to do the same is fantastic, especially when she reassures Gayle that the piece of falling silverware that spooked her is just a fork. (Also the flashback to Gayle’s crazy behavior is a hoot.)
I also got a huge kick out the quasi B-plot of Louise trying to make money on this whole art crawl racket. Her trying to get Tina and Gene to make art, only for them to protest because they don't want to be commercial is a fun bit. And Louise’s scary mama bear routine with Andy and Ollie on the boardwalk is a laugh and a half. The fact that the two stories come together with Louise paying off Edith in the end (“Shut your mouth, it’s art crawl”) is perfect.
Overall, this is an early episode with a surprisingly well-told story given a certain shagginess at play in the show’s first season, and which takes it to another level with an avalanche of laugh out loud gags.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-03-21T04:00:18Z
[9.0/10] What a laugh riot this one. Early Bob’s Burgers is rough around the edges in some ways, or at least feels a little raunchier and edgier than what the show would later become, but maaaan, this is an early high water mark to be sure. Even with the show playing a little more Adult Swim* than family friendly, the basic core of the characters and their crazy little world is there, which makes this one work.
I like the basic throughline for the episode, that manifests through Bob and Linda being vaguely hypocritical, or at least each seeing their internal principles come into conflict in a hilarious way. Bob hates Gayle’s paintings, but won’t cotton to Edith the art store lady telling him what he can or can’t put up in his own restaurant. Linda wants to protect Gayle’s feelings at all costs, but doesn't want to have to look at animal anuses all day if she can pin it on a convenient scapegoat. The two Belcher parents taking their little crusades to ludicrous extremes makes for a really fun story.
But honestly, it’s the comedy that wins the day here. For one thing, I love Bob’s dynamic with the kids in this one. Him taking them out to make fun of the art crawl paintings, or getting them to cheer for anuses, or telling them not to cut off one another’s eras has a weird but sweet conversational bent to it that cracks me up every time I also love love love Bob’s antagonism with Edith and her husband. Their snarkiness at one another is a hoot. Plus Linda’s efforts to treat her sister with kid gloves and get everyone to do the same is fantastic, especially when she reassures Gayle that the piece of falling silverware that spooked her is just a fork. (Also the flashback to Gayle’s crazy behavior is a hoot.)
I also got a huge kick out the quasi B-plot of Louise trying to make money on this whole art crawl racket. Her trying to get Tina and Gene to make art, only for them to protest because they don't want to be commercial is a fun bit. And Louise’s scary mama bear routine with Andy and Ollie on the boardwalk is a laugh and a half. The fact that the two stories come together with Louise paying off Edith in the end (“Shut your mouth, it’s art crawl”) is perfect.
Overall, this is an early episode with a surprisingly well-told story given a certain shagginess at play in the show’s first season, and which takes it to another level with an avalanche of laugh out loud gags.