[8.8/10] “The Deepening” is a pitch-perfect Jaws parody, but it’s also more than that. It’s a snootful of very funny, irreverent comedy that works whether or not you’re super acquainted with what the episode is spoofing.
I love how the episode sets Bob up as the block captain early on (via Hugo, who is at peak entertaining Bob antagonism here) and then has him take charge when things go awry with the mechanical shark. It’s a fun outing for Bob as a would-be hero, even when the stakes are sillier than they are high.
It’s a funny premise to begin with – a gas-powered shark terrorizing a neighborhood block – while the locals concoct a variety of Wile E. Coyote-style solutions to neutralize it that, one after another, only worsen the situation and make the shark more dangerous.
But what really distinguishes “The Deepening” is how much character comedy there is in it. In addition to Bob playing the straight man and disbelieving hero, you have great character moments from so many characters. Again, Hugo is in top form, having a great exchange with Bob about muttering that Linda made a mistake by marrying him and taking credit for defeating the shark as “quad captain.” Teddy is wonderful as someone who bears a grudge against the shark and claims it’s cursed after it nudged him into spilling his drink on another extra in the movie, causing him to lose his chance with her. And Tina is true to form by imagining the mechanical shark as a misunderstood loner whom only she can defend.
Even the folks on the margins deliver great character work. Louise is great in wanting to chop of the shark’s fin to sell to “a guy” who wants to make mechanical shark fin soup. Mort’s woe-begotten comedy routines are, ironically, a great source of humor. The old lady from the arts and crafts store brings the laughs as usual, and Mr. Fischoeder delivers his typical great, off-the-wall shtick. (His wondering if Bob raises chinchillas or children cracked me up.) And the testy, one-armed shark attack victim was a great, if brief, addition.
All the while, Bob’s Burgers delivers a great parody of Jaws by transplanting the beach-threatening severity of a real shark with the sidewalk-damaging ridiculousness of a mechanical one on the lose. There’s great animation, whether it’s the herky-jerky, kind of scary motions from the shark itself, to the image of it overflowing with frozen yogurt (another detail the episode sets up well early), to the commotion in the restaurant at the block meeting.
Overall, it’s a well-done episode with tons of laughs and a propulsive story that gets a little out there at times, but somehow manages to fit both the tone of the show and the tone of the film it’s making fun of. Top notch stuff.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2017-06-19T19:53:49Z
[8.8/10] “The Deepening” is a pitch-perfect Jaws parody, but it’s also more than that. It’s a snootful of very funny, irreverent comedy that works whether or not you’re super acquainted with what the episode is spoofing.
I love how the episode sets Bob up as the block captain early on (via Hugo, who is at peak entertaining Bob antagonism here) and then has him take charge when things go awry with the mechanical shark. It’s a fun outing for Bob as a would-be hero, even when the stakes are sillier than they are high.
It’s a funny premise to begin with – a gas-powered shark terrorizing a neighborhood block – while the locals concoct a variety of Wile E. Coyote-style solutions to neutralize it that, one after another, only worsen the situation and make the shark more dangerous.
But what really distinguishes “The Deepening” is how much character comedy there is in it. In addition to Bob playing the straight man and disbelieving hero, you have great character moments from so many characters. Again, Hugo is in top form, having a great exchange with Bob about muttering that Linda made a mistake by marrying him and taking credit for defeating the shark as “quad captain.” Teddy is wonderful as someone who bears a grudge against the shark and claims it’s cursed after it nudged him into spilling his drink on another extra in the movie, causing him to lose his chance with her. And Tina is true to form by imagining the mechanical shark as a misunderstood loner whom only she can defend.
Even the folks on the margins deliver great character work. Louise is great in wanting to chop of the shark’s fin to sell to “a guy” who wants to make mechanical shark fin soup. Mort’s woe-begotten comedy routines are, ironically, a great source of humor. The old lady from the arts and crafts store brings the laughs as usual, and Mr. Fischoeder delivers his typical great, off-the-wall shtick. (His wondering if Bob raises chinchillas or children cracked me up.) And the testy, one-armed shark attack victim was a great, if brief, addition.
All the while, Bob’s Burgers delivers a great parody of Jaws by transplanting the beach-threatening severity of a real shark with the sidewalk-damaging ridiculousness of a mechanical one on the lose. There’s great animation, whether it’s the herky-jerky, kind of scary motions from the shark itself, to the image of it overflowing with frozen yogurt (another detail the episode sets up well early), to the commotion in the restaurant at the block meeting.
Overall, it’s a well-done episode with tons of laughs and a propulsive story that gets a little out there at times, but somehow manages to fit both the tone of the show and the tone of the film it’s making fun of. Top notch stuff.