[7.9/10] Quality episode! The A-story was a hoot, if you’ll pardon the expression. The premise of Bob and Tina going bird-watching in the park, and running into a birding enthusiast park ranger, is rife with comic potential. Tina’s determination for something so small stakes is amusing. Bob’s reluctance combined with his dorky enthusiasm for his bird guide book leads to some good laughs. And Ranger Dainko is especially hilarious here with his earnest devotion to the majesty of the avian set and his angry devotion to protecting the sanctity of bird-watching.
The show gets good mileage out of an unusual posture for Tina, where she’s the one ready to bend or break the rules and Bob has to restrain her a bit. And as is expected for Bob’s Burgers, there is tons of great bird-related wordplay to go around. This is a laugh fest of an episode, and it comes through in character, dialogue, and the situation.
I appreciated the broader point here too. Tina worries that she’s wasting her life by not having earned a ton of merit badges in her Thunder Girls troupe. But a hawk eating a dove in front of her works as an object lesson in how being too goal-oriented can have negative consequences. And the beauty she sees once she slows down, in the form of a crowd using tools, is a lovely tribute to the idea of taking time to stop and smell the roses, rather than just rack up the points du jour. It’s a strong message that feels true to the ethos of the show.
The B-story is light comedy, but works on its own terms. The kids daring each other to do various things to pass the time is a funny setup in and of itself. But Gene and Louise forcing Linda to choose between her desire not to bother the customers and her desire to maintain her rep as the “dare-y queen” leads to some amusing character moments. It’s all slight, but still entertaining.
Overall, it remains impressive that the show can bust out episodes of this quality so late in its run.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2023-07-31T03:37:59Z
[7.9/10] Quality episode! The A-story was a hoot, if you’ll pardon the expression. The premise of Bob and Tina going bird-watching in the park, and running into a birding enthusiast park ranger, is rife with comic potential. Tina’s determination for something so small stakes is amusing. Bob’s reluctance combined with his dorky enthusiasm for his bird guide book leads to some good laughs. And Ranger Dainko is especially hilarious here with his earnest devotion to the majesty of the avian set and his angry devotion to protecting the sanctity of bird-watching.
The show gets good mileage out of an unusual posture for Tina, where she’s the one ready to bend or break the rules and Bob has to restrain her a bit. And as is expected for Bob’s Burgers, there is tons of great bird-related wordplay to go around. This is a laugh fest of an episode, and it comes through in character, dialogue, and the situation.
I appreciated the broader point here too. Tina worries that she’s wasting her life by not having earned a ton of merit badges in her Thunder Girls troupe. But a hawk eating a dove in front of her works as an object lesson in how being too goal-oriented can have negative consequences. And the beauty she sees once she slows down, in the form of a crowd using tools, is a lovely tribute to the idea of taking time to stop and smell the roses, rather than just rack up the points du jour. It’s a strong message that feels true to the ethos of the show.
The B-story is light comedy, but works on its own terms. The kids daring each other to do various things to pass the time is a funny setup in and of itself. But Gene and Louise forcing Linda to choose between her desire not to bother the customers and her desire to maintain her rep as the “dare-y queen” leads to some amusing character moments. It’s all slight, but still entertaining.
Overall, it remains impressive that the show can bust out episodes of this quality so late in its run.