Review: Bob’s Burgers “Mission Impos-slug-ble” ; “Something Old, Something New, Something Bob Caters for You”

Bob gets boo-ed during a eulogy and saves a wedding in the final two episodes of season 8.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Mission Impos-slug-ble pits Tina and Louise against each other when the eldest Belcher sibling spills the beans and gets a Borobu card trading deal interrupted by Ms. Labonz. As Tina tries to make up with her sister, Louise pressures Rudy into helping her enact various failed plots to retrieve the confiscated cards. Eventually, this leads to a thrilling heist sequence as the kids try to reclaim their property by dangling in the air above Labonz’s backyard.

Serving as the season 8 finale, Something Old, Something New, Something Bob Caters for You finds the entire Belcher family attending a wedding for a couple who originally met at the restaurant. Due to the special attachment to the place, they ask Bob to cater the event, to which he readily agrees. But when mishap after mishap occurs, Bob begins to feel defeated. It takes an inspirational speech from Linda to set him straight again, and soon things are back to normal for the Belcher clan.

Our Take:

For an episode centered on a slug card trading game, Mission Impos-slug-ble is surprisingly sweet. While the overall themes are ones that the show has dealt with before (Tina being the moral compass of the group while Louise undo’s her mischief after learning a lesson), it does a very nice job of probing the depths of the relationships between the two of them. In fact, we get to see a lot of interesting dynamics on display. Louise and Rudy seem to have been spending more time together in recent episodes, and their interactions are always adorable, even if Rudy is (rightfully) a little fearful of the youngest Belcher kid. Even the teachers get in on the action, with Mr. Fronz trying to get some of his co-workers to invite him to their wine nights.

This episode was definitely the funniest of the evening, with Bob’s pickle fight with his deceased former pickle supplier being a highlight for sure. Ambrose the librarian also shines in his screentime, though this isn’t at all surprising. His complete apathy towards his work, the teachers, and the kids is terrible, yet amazing at the same time. There were so many great gags and quotes that it’s hard to pick favorites, but some of the best included Linda’s line regarding Tina’s tattling: “You never go against the family!” (Bob’s response? “I’m so glad I’m not Tina.”) Gene’s more mature, adult humor is always a treat, and this particular line killed me: “I won’t take sides – I’m like a sexy Switzerland.”

Something Old, Something New, Something Bob Caters for You is a strange episode, and I love it for that. Bob’s Burgers is a strange show in general and seeing it embrace the more wacky side of itself never gets old. Catering for a wedding may not seem like the right decision for a burger shop (Louise’s line about this is so savage), but Bob is determined to make the couple happy while fulfilling his own dreams of catering a big event like the pros. One can’t help but feel awful for him as we see the night slowly unraveling despite his best efforts. But at least we get to end on a positive note for Bob, as he hears how much Linda cares about him and believes in him no matter what happens. And that song! Is this a Bob’s Burgers tradition now, to have a longer-form song in every season finale? You won’t hear any complaints from me.

Mission Impos-slug-ble was a very funny episode with excellent gags throughout. Adding a few new layers onto Tina and Louise’s relationship was interesting to see, too, even if the conflict of the episode is perhaps a bit stale. Something Old, Something New, Something Bob Caters for You is a fitting finale for what has proved to be a fantastic season for this show. Eight seasons in, and Bob’s still seems to be in the midst of it’s golden years. It’s a strange episode that works because the Belcher’s themselves are so strange – just like a real family should be.