[9.0/10] Bob’s Burgers owns Thanksgiving. Lord knows we’ve seen Bob get fixated on some unique ingredient or recipe before, and lord knows we’ve seen him go over the top on Thanksgiving before, but this may be the peak of both. The way he cherishes and celebrates his fancy, multi-word titled, special turkey is both adorable and a little insane, in that perfect Bob’s Burgers way.
Of course, this is a sitcom, and so we can’t just enjoy the goofiness of Bob singing to his special turkey or exalting over it or just generally acting like a kid with a favorite new toy. Instead, the gas line is out at the Belchers, friends and family’s ovens are a no-go, and it seems like there’s too great a stumbling block to Bob being able to cook his dream turkey.
But wait! Bob gets a brilliant idea from watching videos on the internet and, as I can attest from my own home DIY projects, it doesn't go well. He decides to try to cook the bird in the alley over an outdoor flame, and what follows it the usual bundle of enthusiasm, ridiculousness, and slight insanity that characterizes the show. Bob rotating the turkey on a mop handle, sending the kids to scrounge for wood, and trying to shield it from the rain using his own shirt are all part and parcel with Bob’s escalating lunacy in trying to save and savor this turkey.
While “Now We’re Not Cooking with Gas” is obviously a Bob focused episode, it’s also a great showcase for the whole family. Louise’s excitement over finally getting a chance to burn things is outstanding. Linda explaining to Bob how the oven works and cooing over the kids’ handmade art projects is her at her comic best. Gene throws in plenty of quality one-liners. And even brief appearances from Teddy, the Belchers’ across-the-alley neighbor, and the lead firefighter bring the laughs.
Still, the peak supporting character is Tina, whose devotion to her gratitude tree is the comic gift that keeps on giving. Tina has a unique ability as a character to, much like her father, take the mundane and esoteric very seriously. Her rebukes to her siblings to save their thanks for their thankfulness leaves, her excitement when Bob encourages her gratitude ceremony, and her passive aggressive comment when Bob sidesteps the rules about the final leaf are all comic gold.
Her B-story ultimately intersects with Bob’s, as her offer for him to burn the gratitude tree to help fuel his turkey fire becomes his moment of awakening and realization. It’s a touch trite, but the theme of this episode is that being together with our families is more important than the food, or the setting, or all the other extras that turn out to be the sides of the holiday rather than the main course.
Even with his dream turkey on the line, and some questionable comments about what he’s more excited about, Bob eventually realizes his family is more important and what he’s the most thankful for and he expresses that through his daughter’s adorably nerdy little project. For that, the universe rewards him with some good karma in the form of his seemingly burnt-to-a-crisp turkey turning out spectacularly beneath the skin. It’s a nice way for Bob to realizes what’s important on Thanksgiving and get a taste of what he’s been so excited about too.
Overall, this is a laugh out loud funny episode that tells a great story of Bob’s typical nerdy excitement and fixation over something, bolstered by his family’s great gags and support, with a nice message to boot. Bob’s Burgers’s near-perfect Thanksgiving episode streak continues!
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-11-28T05:24:52Z
[9.0/10] Bob’s Burgers owns Thanksgiving. Lord knows we’ve seen Bob get fixated on some unique ingredient or recipe before, and lord knows we’ve seen him go over the top on Thanksgiving before, but this may be the peak of both. The way he cherishes and celebrates his fancy, multi-word titled, special turkey is both adorable and a little insane, in that perfect Bob’s Burgers way.
Of course, this is a sitcom, and so we can’t just enjoy the goofiness of Bob singing to his special turkey or exalting over it or just generally acting like a kid with a favorite new toy. Instead, the gas line is out at the Belchers, friends and family’s ovens are a no-go, and it seems like there’s too great a stumbling block to Bob being able to cook his dream turkey.
But wait! Bob gets a brilliant idea from watching videos on the internet and, as I can attest from my own home DIY projects, it doesn't go well. He decides to try to cook the bird in the alley over an outdoor flame, and what follows it the usual bundle of enthusiasm, ridiculousness, and slight insanity that characterizes the show. Bob rotating the turkey on a mop handle, sending the kids to scrounge for wood, and trying to shield it from the rain using his own shirt are all part and parcel with Bob’s escalating lunacy in trying to save and savor this turkey.
While “Now We’re Not Cooking with Gas” is obviously a Bob focused episode, it’s also a great showcase for the whole family. Louise’s excitement over finally getting a chance to burn things is outstanding. Linda explaining to Bob how the oven works and cooing over the kids’ handmade art projects is her at her comic best. Gene throws in plenty of quality one-liners. And even brief appearances from Teddy, the Belchers’ across-the-alley neighbor, and the lead firefighter bring the laughs.
Still, the peak supporting character is Tina, whose devotion to her gratitude tree is the comic gift that keeps on giving. Tina has a unique ability as a character to, much like her father, take the mundane and esoteric very seriously. Her rebukes to her siblings to save their thanks for their thankfulness leaves, her excitement when Bob encourages her gratitude ceremony, and her passive aggressive comment when Bob sidesteps the rules about the final leaf are all comic gold.
Her B-story ultimately intersects with Bob’s, as her offer for him to burn the gratitude tree to help fuel his turkey fire becomes his moment of awakening and realization. It’s a touch trite, but the theme of this episode is that being together with our families is more important than the food, or the setting, or all the other extras that turn out to be the sides of the holiday rather than the main course.
Even with his dream turkey on the line, and some questionable comments about what he’s more excited about, Bob eventually realizes his family is more important and what he’s the most thankful for and he expresses that through his daughter’s adorably nerdy little project. For that, the universe rewards him with some good karma in the form of his seemingly burnt-to-a-crisp turkey turning out spectacularly beneath the skin. It’s a nice way for Bob to realizes what’s important on Thanksgiving and get a taste of what he’s been so excited about too.
Overall, this is a laugh out loud funny episode that tells a great story of Bob’s typical nerdy excitement and fixation over something, bolstered by his family’s great gags and support, with a nice message to boot. Bob’s Burgers’s near-perfect Thanksgiving episode streak continues!